Category: Religion in Culture

Posts in this category discuss how those aspects of culture known as religion can be studied in a way comparable to all other cultural practices.


That Johnny is Such a Tease

Do you know this famous scene from “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)? Well, it’s the title of our upcoming Day Lecture on religion in popular culture. For those who can’t make it, we’ll be live tweeting from #Day2014 @StudyReligion… Learn more about the annual Day Lecture here. Learn more about this year’s lecturer here. […]

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Like Mice in a Maze

I’ve written on the parable of the blind men and the elephant before, as far back as Manufacturing Religion (1997), where I argued: The problem with the story of the blind men … is that the level of the narrative open to the listener is characterized by privileged access to the fact that there is indeed an elephant beyond the individual perceptions of the blind men…. [T]he story works only because, from the outset, we as listeners see the big […]

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If You Believe…

Irving Rosenfeld: I got a knife, alright? This is for the mayor. [he shows the knife to Paco] Irving Rosenfeld: You gotta present it to the mayor. [Paco goes to take the knife but Irving pulls it back] Irving Rosenfeld: Just look at me, alright? Look me in the eye. This means a lot to you. Right? That knife. Paco Hernandez: Oh. Irving Rosenfeld: Play it. You present it, alright? Friendship for life. Alright? You gotta feel it. Paco Hernandez: […]

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Tweet Us Your #UALife Pictures

Class has started. The bookstore is a zoo. Students and faculty are wandering halls with bemused looks in search of their classrooms. We want to see pictures of all of this. What is the start of school like for you? Tweet us your pictures at @StudyReligion and use #UALife. Give us a glimpse into your first days of class. Who knows, we may retweet the good ones. And while you’re at it, follow us! […]

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Conflict of Interest?

The other day I was watching an episode of HBO’s weekly satirical news round-up, “Last Week Tonight,” in which they focused on how payday loan businesses prey on poor people — specifically noting an interaction in the Texas state legislature in which Vicki Truitt (pictured above), then a Republican state legislator, called out one of her colleagues for having a conflict of interest when he opposed legislation aimed at controlling payday loans. (He owns a bunch of payday loan businesses; […]

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