Author: Michael Altman

About Michael Altman: Michael J. Altman is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies. Dr. Altman's areas of interest are American religious history, theory and method in the study of religion, the history of comparative religion, and Asian religions in American culture. Overall, his research sits at the crossroads of American religious history and religious studies, using the theoretical insights of religious studies to dig deeper into what we mean by "religion" in religious history. His current research examines cultural constructions of Hinduism in 19th-century America.

Posts by Michael Altman

Hear More About American Examples on the Study Religion Podcast

October 22, 2020

Did you know that we are now accepting applications for American Examples 2021? American Examples is our Luce Funded program of workshops for untenured scholars of so-called “religion in America.” You can find out more at the American Examples website. Or, you can just listen to the podcast below where American Examples alumni Travis Cooper and Hannah Scheidt talk about their experiences in the program. Applications are due October 31 so listen and apply! In […]

Call for Participants: American Examples 2021

September 29, 2020

American Examples is back. The series of workshops, funded by the Luce Foundation, is seeking applications for the 2021 program. This year’s program will be virtual but it will still include three workshops covering research, public humanities, and teaching. The program is open to any non-tenured scholars of so-called “religion in America” (very broadly defined). Priority is given to applicants off of the tenure-track. Applicants from communities underrepresented in the academy are especially encouraged to apply. For all the application details […]

American Examples: Adapting to a Fall 2020 and Beyond

September 17, 2020

When we announced the American Examples program, funded by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, we were super excited about the three workshops we would be offering in 2020. We were able to hold one of them in person in early March. Then the world changed, and, with it, our plans. Many of the REL faculty pitched in late in the spring and into the early summer to adapt to our new COVID reality by hosting a series of […]

What’s a Sabbatical?

August 20, 2020

I have the good fortune to have been granted a sabbatical this semester. But what does that mean? What should I do? I looked up the word “sabbatical” in the Oxford English Dictionary and found a number of definitions. […]

American Examples: THE BOOK

August 20, 2020

American Examples, the program for early-career scholars of religion in America funded by the Luce Foundation, is proud to announce a new publication relationship with the University of Alabama Press. UAP will be publishing an anthology of research essays from each of the American Examples cohorts beginning with the first AE cohort that met in spring of 2019. The first anthology, titled American Examples: A New Conversation About Religion, will be published in the summer of 2021. We are very […]

It’s finally here! It’s American Examples week!

March 2, 2020

It’s here. Well, almost. The papers have been read. The mentors have met and brainstormed. The plane tickets and hotels are booked. The restaurant reservations are made. This week 9 new participants in the American Examples program, funded graciously by the Henry Luce Foundation, will arrive in Tuscaloosa for a weekend of discussion and collaboration on innovative new research into things people call religion in places people call America. We have a lot going on this week. […]

The Study Religion Podcast is now on Spotify

January 2, 2020

Did you know that we have a podcast called Study Religion? Well, we do. You can find it on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. But now, you can also find it on Spotify. We just added our podcast to their wonderful collection. So go find us wherever you listen to podcasts and catch up on some of our best episodes. Here are some ones to start with: […]

Need Something to Listen to During Your Holiday Travel?

December 19, 2019

The Study Religion podcast makes great holiday travel listening. We just released the third episode in our series titled “Making the Jump” that features interviews with people who made a big change in their academic career by taking a risk and trying something new. You can find all three episodes below or on iTunes or SoundCloud. […]

Study Religion Podcast: Making the Jump Part 2 w/ Shayna Sheinfeld

December 16, 2019

This is the second in our three episode series that features interviews with people who decided to take a risk and make a jump in their careers. They found new ways to use their training in religious studies and made their own path. In this episode we talk with Shayna Sheinfeld about her work as an academic coach, what exactly an academic coach is, and how she found her way to her work. Find out more about Dr. Sheinfeld and […]

#AmericanExamples2020 Cohort Announced

November 6, 2019

Some snazzy new American Examples mugs have started appearing on social media. https://twitter.com/modmyth/status/1191798873473343490 https://twitter.com/ccjones13/status/1191485624131276801 View this post on Instagram A post shared by EBobK (@ebobkling) Enjoying Saturday coffee in my new #AmericanExamples2020 mug courtesy of @MichaelJAltman and the folks at @StudyReligion. Thrilled to be joining the cohort and looking forward to meeting everyone! pic.twitter.com/CbTcwFvWsb — Z.T. Smith (@profzachsmith) November 2, 2019 That’s right. The 2020 American Examples cohort has been assembled. You can find all of the participants and learn more […]

Studying Religion in Culture

Ongoing Discussions at the University of Alabama