Religious Issues

In-depth study of religion is concerned with the most fundamental values and the deepest value conflicts of human individuals and communities. The program's distinguished faculty is drawn from many different disciplines, helping students broaden their cultural horizons and increase their knowledge and experience of global human diversity. Areas of faculty expertise include Christiantiy, Islam, East Asian religions, Hinduism, and Jewish studies.

Faculty Experts:

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Hillel J. Kieval Chair of history and the Gloria M. Goldstein Professor of Jewish History and Thought in Arts & Sciences Professor Kieval's work focuses on transformations in Jewish culture and society in East Central Europe (Austria-Hungary, Germany and Poland) from the Enlightenment to the Second World War; more specifically, on the effects of modernization projects, ethnic and national struggles, social conflict, ... Expertise: Jewish culture in East Central Europe, antisemitism on Jewish life, Jewish-Gentile relations, linguistic, cultural and communal affiliations among Jews, Jewish society in Bohemia, Jewish experience in Czech lands, … Direct contact: 314-935-5426 / hkieval@wustl.edu

Rebecca Lester Assistant Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology in Arts and Sciences Rebecca Lester Download Lester's research focuses on medical anthropology, gender, embodiment, religion and ritual, psychological anthropology and cross-cultural psychiatry. Linking these issues at various points is her focus on gender, self and the body. She has recently completed her first book (based on her dissertation ... Expertise: medical anthropology, gender embodiment, religion and ritual, psychological anthropology, cross-cultural psychiatry, Mexico, United States Direct contact: (314) 935-9426 / rjlester@wustl.edu

David A. Lawton Professor and Chair of English in Arts & Sciences David Lawton Download David Lawton has published five books and many articles in English literary and cultural studies and in medieval studies. He is currently preparing editions of Chaucer's poetry and prose, and completing a book on voice and space in medieval literature. He is founding co-editor of a major journal, ... Expertise: Medieval literatures, Medieval culture, Chaucer, literary history, literary theory, poetics, The Bible, … Direct contact: (314) 935-5114 / dalawton@wustl.edu

Beata Grant Professor of Chinese and Religious Studies Beata Grant Download Grant teaches a broad range of courses in literature and religious studies, including Introduction to Buddhism and Introduction to Asian Religions. Her writings include a long study of the Woman Huang story-cycle, Mount Lu Revisited: Buddhism in the Life and Writings of Su Shih, and several articles ... Expertise: Chinese religion and literature, Pre-modern Chinese women's literature and culture, Buddhism Direct contact: (314) 935-5156 / bgrant@wustl.edu

Pascal R. Boyer Henry Luce Professor of Individual and Collective Memory in Arts & Sciences Pascal Boyer Download Professor Boyer is an internationally recognized scholar on the study of how people and communities perceive and understand characteristics of their culture. His work centers on questions concerning the understanding of culture and its scientific investigation as it relates to the mind and the brain. ... Expertise: cognitive development, cognitive processes, cultural transmission, cross-cultural psychology, evolutionary psychology, oral epics in Africa, religion, … Direct contact: (314) 935-8282 / pboyer@artsci.wustl.edu

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News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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Iran's Joan of Arc? Reactions to Neda Agha-Soltan shooting reveal how we make sense of history June 25, 2009 -- Julie Singer The shooting death last Saturday of Neda Agha-Soltan has emerged, thanks to video widely circulated on the Internet, as a potent symbol of Iran's antigovernment movement. In the news media and in private postings across the Web, Agha-Soltan has been memorialized as a victim, a martyr and — perhaps most hauntingly to Western ears — as "Iran's Joan of Arc." Yet while fitting in some ways, that comparison says less about either Agha-Soltan or the 15th-century French saint than it does about our own need to make sense of the present through comparison with the past, says Julie Singer, Ph.D., assistant professor of French in the Department of Romance Languages & Literatures at Washington University in St. Louis.

It's OK, Notre Dame Catholic leadership divided over Obama's Notre Dame speech, expert suggests May 16, 2009 -- Frank Flinn Notre Dame University's decision to invite President Obama to deliver the university's commencement address on Sunday has sparked strong protests from groups who disagree with Obama's stand on abortion and stem cell research. Despite condemnation of Obama's speech by a number of prominent American bishops, the Vatican may be more interested in moderation and conciliation in its dealings with Obama, suggests Frank K. Flinn, a close observer of religious politics and author of the Encyclopedia of Catholicism (2007).

The birth of Christianity Schäfer to give annual Cherrick Lecture in Jewish Studies Feb. 24, 2009 -- Peter Schäfer, Ph.D., the Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies and director of the Program in Judaic Studies at Princeton University, will present the 2009 Adam Cherrick Lecture in Jewish Studies, "Why Did Baby Messiah Disappear? The Birth of Christianity From the Spirit of Judaism," at 7 p.m. March 19 in Wilson Hall, room 214.

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Related News Clips:

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Show More Religious Issues Clips

Burqa Furor Scrambles French Politics The New York Times and 2 others Sept. 1, 2009 -- In France, a parliamentary commission will soon meet to investigate whether to ban any cloak that covers most of the face. WUSTL anthropology professor John Bowen, who wrote "Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State and Public Space," has been asked to testify by the parliamentary commission.

(Un)wired For God Newsweek Aug. 13, 2009 -- Sharon Begley reports on new data in the debate on neurobiology and whether we are wired to believe in God. In a paper last month in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, Gregory Paul posits that, rather than being wired into the brain, religion is a way to cope with stress in a dysfunctional society -- the opium-of-the-people argument. She mentions research by WUSTL anthropology professor Pascal Boyer.

Gunman shoots, kills guard at Holocaust Museum Associated Press and 51 others June 11, 2009 -- Story on James von Brunn, the accused 88-year-old gunman with a violent and virulently anti-Semitic past, who opened fire with a rifle inside the crowded U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday, fatally wounding a security guard before being shot himself. According to a relative, von Brunn attended WUSTL and is an artist.

Analysis: Obama tries evenhanded approach Associated Press and 51 others June 8, 2009 -- Nancy Benac reports on Obama's Cairo speech in which he tried to explain the American mindset to Muslims and the world of Islam to Americans. Various experts comment on the speech, including WUSTL presidential rhetoric specialist Wayne Fields.

States rebel against Washington The Christian Science Monitor March 27, 2009 -- Just as California under President Bush asserted itself on issues ranging from gun control to medical marijuana, a motley cohort of states — from South Carolina to New Hampshire — are presenting a foil for President Obama's national ambitions. WUSTL political science professor Steve Smith, who is director of WUSTL's Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy, comments.

Under Obama, 'war on terror' catchphrase fading Associated Press and 18 others Feb. 2, 2009 -- The "War on Terror" is losing the war of words. The catchphrase burned into the American lexicon hours after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, is fading away, slowly if not deliberately being replaced by a new administration bent on repairing the U.S. image among Muslim nations. Includes comments by WUSTL English and American culture studies professor Wayne Fields, who is an expert on presidential rhetoric.

The Bush Legacy The Boston Globe Jan. 13, 2009 -- Examining the Bush legacy, which won't be an easy one for future historians to assess. While most unsuccessful presidencies involved presidents who were considered captives of events, unable to muster effective responses, Bush's was one of bold strokes that, for better or worse, will be debated for a long time. WUSTL law professor Rebecca Dresser, who serves on the President's Council on Bioethics, comments on the stem cell research decision.

The Vatican on Muslims and Jews U.S. News & World Report online April 30, 2008 -- Article looks at how Pope Benedict XVI is trying to mend fences within the church, with other churches, and with Muslims and Jews. WUSTL religious studies professor Frank Flinn comments.

Missouri vote signals complex national mood Chicago Tribune Feb. 7, 2008 -- Missouri has an uncanny ability to choose presidential winners, going with the loser only once in the past century (Adlai Stevenson in 1956). The state is effectively an intersection of cultural forces — urban and rural, north and south, east and west — and it periodically swings with prevailing national moods. WUSTL American culture studies director Wayne Fields comments.

The New Theology Chicago Tribune magazine Jan. 22, 2008 -- The Chicago Tribune magazine story on the conflict between Darwin and theology. Ursula Goodenough professor of biology comments on the conflict.

Huckabee oratory deemed 'low-key,' Obama's classic The Boston Globe Jan. 7, 2008 -- WUSTL political rhetoric specialist Wayne Fields is one of the experts commenting on victory speeches following the Iowa presidential caucuses.

Evolution Book Sees No Science-Religion Gap The New York Times and 6 others Jan. 4, 2008 -- In 1984 and again in 1999, the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's most eminent scientific organization, produced books on the evidence supporting the theory of evolution and arguing against the introduction of creationism or other religious alternatives in public school science classes. Barbara A. Schaal, a vice president of the academy and an evolutionary biologist at WUSTL, comments on the third volume recently published.

Back to Campus: Parental Anxiety 101 -- What moms and dads need to know Newsday (NY) Aug. 20, 2007 -- Parents across Long Island are asking questions these days as they help pack their children's belongings or accompany them to campuses across the country. Their minds are filled with questions about crime and campus security, communicating with their students, finances, academics, social life, and separation anxiety. One of the experts commenting is Karen Levin Coburn, WUSTL's associate dean for freshman transition and co-author of Letting Go: A Parent's Guide to Understanding the College Years.

"The Secret" Draws on Long Tradition Associated Press Online and 57 others June 25, 2007 -- Writer looks at the popularity of the best seller "The Secret" and the history of the New Thought movement. WUSTL religious studies professor Frank Flinn comments.

How to Talk About Aging Newsweek June 11, 2007 -- A recent survey by AARP found that nearly 70 percent of adult children have not talked to their parents about issues related to aging. Some children avoid this most intimate of conversations because they believe their parents don't want to talk. Others think they know what their parents want. WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter is one of the experts offering advice.

Darwin's God The New York Times Magazine March 13, 2007 -- A New York Times Magazine cover story examines controversial theories about the existence of God and what some call the scientific assault on religion that has been garnering attention recently. But lost in the hullabaloo over the neo-atheists is a quieter and potentially more illuminating debate. It is taking place not between science and religion but within science itself, specifically among the scientists studying the evolution of religion. One of the scientists mentioned is WUSTL anthropology professor Pascal Boyer.

Do You Believe in Magic? The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine and 1 others Jan. 23, 2007 -- Psychologists and anthropologists have typically turned to faith healers, tribal cultures or New Age spiritualists to study the underpinnings of belief in superstition or magical powers. But new research demonstrates that habits of so-called magical thinking -- wishing harm on an enemy -- are far more common than people acknowledge. These habits have little to do with religious faith, but magical thinking underlies a vast, often unseen universe of small rituals that accompany people through every waking hour of a day. WUSTL psychology and anthropology professor Pascal Boyer comments.

Political pros sharpen their knives in press release wars Associated Press State & Local Wire and 5 others July 26, 2006 -- Article on the increasingly common attack fare in news releases from political operatives desperate to spin news coverage to their advantage. WUSTL political rhetoric expert Wayne Fields, who directs the American Culture Studies program, says these tactics threaten to drain the substance out of political debate.

Editorial: Young Latinas and a cry for help The New York Times July 21, 2006 -- Editorial responds to a recent series in the Spanish-language New York newspaper El Diario/La Prensa sheds some light on a mostly overlooked national phenomenon, the misunderstood and endangered young Latina, who represents one of the fastest-growing segments of the American population. Hispanic teenage girls attempt suicide more often than any other group. A five-year study now in its second year in New York is being led by WUSTL social work and psychiatry professor Luis Zayas, who says the self-destructive behavior seems to affect Latinas of every origin and every region of the country.

Secularism, the French & Alfred Dreyfus The New York Sun July 7, 2006 -- Several hundred Parisians gathered at City Hall yesterday to pay tribute to a French army captain, Alfred Dreyfus,who was convicted wrongly of treason in a trial that divided France more than a century ago. Anti-Semitism and assimilation are still controversial subjects in France today. WUSTL anthropology professor John Bowen comments.

More News:

Severe priest shortage cause of 'sweeping wrongdoing under the rectory rug'
April 2002 - The ongoing crisis in the Roman Catholic Church involving alleged and substantiated cases of sexual abuse and pedophilia by priests is creating a feeling of unease among parishioners. New cases from throughout the country and abroad are coming to light on nearly a daily basis. Frank K. Flinn, Ph.D., an expert on Christianity in the modern world, says that the real cause of the problem, and one that has been somewhat overlooked in the popular press, is the severe shortage of priests throughout the world.

9/11 memory and love
September 2001 - Frank K. Flinn, adjunct professor of religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis and a noted authority on religious thought and expression, comments on his experience of 9/11 and his hope that love will flourish in wake of terror and destruction.

Darrow gift establishes Catholic professorship
April 2002 - The Religious Studies program in Arts & Sciences will benefit from a $1.5 million gift from Stella K. Darrow to establish the Stella Koetter Darrow Professorship in Catholic Studies. The gift will significantly enhance the Religious Studies curriculum by complementing its current strengths in Jewish studies and Islamic studies.