Study Religion episodes

In this episode of our new mini-series Examples, Ciara Eichhorst, the American Examples Fellow and a master’s student in our department, discusses the topic of comedy and its relationship with religious studies with Dr. Samah Choudhury. Dr. Choudhury is an assistant professor in the department of Philosophy and Religion at Ithaca College in New York, with specialties in Islamic Studies, Humor and Comedy, Race, and Gender. You can find more information about her and her work in the first volume of American Examples at https://www.americanexamples.ua.edu.  

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama and Examples is an American Examples production.

Study Religion

Ep. 19 Example #1: Comedy

In this episode of our new mini-series Examples, Ciara Eichhorst, the American Examples Fellow and a masters student in our department, discusses the topic of the atomic bomb and its relationship to the counterculture movement with Dr. Erik Kline. Dr. Kline is an assistant professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and received his PhD in English from the University of Alabama. He has specialties in disability, trauma, addiction, and religious experience in American fiction. Erik’s chapter, “Seeing God, Reading a Trip: William Blake, Ram Dass, and Spiritual Awakening in 1960s Psychedelic Mysticism” will be published in the forthcoming second volume of American Examples. You can read more about American Examples at https://www.americanexamples.ua.edu.

Ep. 20 Example #2: The Atomic Bomb

In the first episode of this four part series, Erica Bennett and Jacob Barrett discuss the worries of starting a PhD program in the humanities with particular focus placed on the dismal state of the job market for many humanities PhD graduates. To further flesh out the state of the job market currently, Erica talks with Bradley Sommer, a recent PhD grad in History.

Ep. 21 Academic Job Market pt.1

In episode two of a four-part series, Erica Bennett and Jacob Barrett continue their discussion on the job market after a graduate degree in the humanities. This episode they hear from tenured English Professor Pamela Gilbert on her experience within academia and advising students going into the academic job market.

Ep. 22 Academic Job Market pt.2

In episode three of a four-part series we discuss how many students leave their graduate programs before completion, partly due to concerns of job security or availability, Jacob Barrett and Erica Bennett listen to Jared Powell explain his decision to leave his PhD program in English and pursue a career path outside academia.

Ep. 23 Academic Job Market pt.3

Episode 1 of Study Religion introduces the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama. Host Michael Altman talks with Department Chair Russell McCutcheon about how social theory shapes the way the department imagines itself within the university. In the second half of the episode, Prof. Altman sits down with Merinda Simmons, the Graduate Director for the new master's degree in Religion in Culture that launches in the fall of 2017.

Ep. 1 The Tablecloth

In this episode we think about the ways we categorize things as religion. The show begins with the ritual life of turkeys and what that tells us about the category "religion." Then a few REL majors show us how the category "sacrifice" is all around us. Finally, host Michael Altman talks with Dr. Megan Goodwin about the new CNN show Believer and how religious studies can find a broader public audience.

Ep. 2 Turkey Ritual

It's time to talk about the academic conference. In this episode host Prof. Mike Altman brings two stories about academic conference experiences. First, he sits down with Prof. Laura Levitt from Temple University to talk about her experience at the American Academy of Religion last fall. Then Prof. Altman talks with two of our Department's majors who recently took a trip their first religious studies conference. Sierra Lawson and Parker Evans explain how the conference did not fit their expectations and how it changed their view of the field of religious studies. 

As always, please share our podcast with your friends and leave us a rating in iTunes!

Ep. 3 The Conference

Our department has just finished celebrating its 50th anniversary. In this episode, host Prof. Michael Altman brings you the sounds of our recent 50th anniversary celebration. First, former department chairs Dr. Patrick Green and Dr. Ted Trost recount some of the history of the department from its founding in 1966 to the present. Then Prof. Altman sits down with a group of REL graduates who describe how their training in our department prepared them for their careers and lives after college. It's a whole episode dedicated to who we are and how we came to be.

Ep. 4 Over the Hill

Ep. 4 Over The Hill

A lot has happened in our department since our last episode in the spring. In this episode we look at two "firsts" in the department. This fall we launched our brand new Religion in Culture masters degree program and in this episode Prof. Altman sits down with our first cohort of graduate students to talk about how the first semester of the program is going. Next, Prof. Altman talks with Prof. Vaia Touna about a big first in her career--her first book! It's our first episode of the 2017-2018 academic year and it's all about firsts.

A transcript of the show is available at: https://religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 5 Firsts

For this episode of our podcast, we've turned it over to our MA students--Emma Gibson, Sarah Griswold, and Sierra Lawson. This Fall these students were all part of our MA foundations course REL 502: Religious Studies and Public Humanities. In the course the students learned to use digital tools and our field's main professional organization, the American Academy of Religion (AAR) served all semester as the example on which they applied these tools So to end the semester we invited them to talk a bit about the last four AAR Presidential Addresses (2013-2016)--giving us their take on how the field is shaped and where it all might be going.

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 6 Presidential Adresses

In this episode, students and colleagues of Jonathan Z. Smith remember his life and work. Smith passed away on December 30, 2017.

A transcript of this show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/ 

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Jonathan Z. Smith (1938-2017)

Every year our department welcomes guests who come and give lectures or visit with faculty and students. This past semester we had two excellent guests visit the department as part of our lecture series. First, Dr. Elijah Siegler was our Zachary Day Memorial Lecturer and gave an excellent talk on religion in the films of the Coen Brothers. Then, Dr. Linell Cady came as our Aronov Lecturer. Dr. Cady spent time with a group of faculty discussing the current state and future of religious studies in higher education. She also delivered a wonderful lecture on spirituality, science, and secularism in America. This episode is a taste of these visits from our guests.

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 8 Guests

In this episode we welcome Prof. Tim Jensen from the University of Southern Denmark, the president of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR). Prof. Jensen spent some time in conversation with our own Prof. Richard Newton and some of our MA students in Religion in Culture about how the academic study of religion looks from a global perspective beyond the Unite States.

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 9 International

This is the first of three episodes that feature interview 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 Tenzan Eaghll who teaches at Mahidol University in Thailand.

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 10 Making the Jump Part 1 w/ Tenzan Eaghll

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.

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 11 Making The Jump Part 2 w/ Shayna Sheinfeld

This is the third 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 Kate Daley-Bailey about her work as an academic adviser and how her training in religious studies led her there.

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 12 Making The Jump Part 3 w/ Kate Daley-Bailey

The MA students in the Department of Religious Studies have made some excellent podcasts. In this episode Prof. Mike Altman is joined by Prof. Nathan Loewen to discuss the REL 502: Religious Studies and Public Humanities class and the graduate students who have produced podcast as part of the class. Then we listen to two student-made podcast. It's a great conversation about how religious studies can be presented through podcasting!

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 13 The Podcasts Podcast

In this episode Prof. Richard Newton, from our department, interviews Emily Clark from Gonzaga University and Brad Stoddard from McDaniel College about their new documentary reader Race and New Religious Movements in the USA. Not only do they discuss the reader and the documents they included, they also talk about the process of collaborating together on the project. You can order the Race and New Religious Movements in the USA here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/race-and-new-religious-movements-in-the-usa-9781350064003/

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 14 Race and New Religious Movements

While digging through a set of lost audio files we here at Study Religion found an interview from the American Examples research workshop in March of 2020. In this interview host Mike Altman talks with Hannah Scheidt and Travis Cooper about their experience as part of American Examples, a program for untenured scholars of religion in America funded by the Luce Foundation and hosted by the Department of Religious Studies. Applications for the 2021 American Examples program are open now and the due date is October 31, 2020.  You can find out more about American Examples, including how to apply, at: http;//americanexamples.ua.edu

A transcript of the show is available at: religion.ua.edu/about-us/podcasts/

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama.

Ep. 15 American Examples: The Lost Tapes

Study Religion is a production of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama. The podcast brings listeners into the life of the department through discussions with faculty, student work, analysis of current events and popular culture, and interviews about the state of religious studies as a field. It is a chance to listen in to the conversations we're having on the balconies and inside the offices of Manly Hall, the department building and our logo.

Study Religion episodes

Dept. of Religious Studies at Univ. of Alabama