Why the World Needs Religious Studies

Congratulations to Prof. Ann Matter on having been chosen to receive the 2012 TCPW/Provost Award. The annual award, issued by the Trustees' Council of Penn Women and the Office of the Provost, recognizes significant contributions in advancing the role of women in higher education and research at Penn.

Congratulations to Prof. Jamal J. Elias, whose newest book On Wings of Diesel: Identity, Imagination and Truck Decoration in Pakistan (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2011) has been awarded the "Best Senior Book" prize by the American Institute of Pakistan Studies.

"Anthea Butler models what engaged scholarship looks like in the 21st century.... [She] brings a scholar’s eye to contemporary politics and decodes the work religion is doing in the public square." - Excerpt from "Five Women in Religion to Watch" by Sarah Sentilles,  CNN Belief Blog.

An AP article on Justin McDaniel's course this semester, "Living Deliberately," has been picked up by newspapers and websites around the world, including NPR, CBS, ABC, and the China Post, as well as Economic Times, boston.com, and SFChronicle.

A recent article cite's Justin McDaniel's RELS 356 course, "Living Deliberately," as related to several business' attempts to curtail its workforce's addiction to electronic communication.

On January 6th, Justin McDaniel presented his new book, The Lovelorn Ghost and Magical Monk (Columbia University Press, 2011) to the Princess of Thailand (Her Majesty Maha Chakri Sirinthon). Afterwards there was a formal book launch and talk in Bangkok, Thailand in partnership with Chulalongkorn University's Institute of Thai Studies and Columbia University Press.

Read Prof. Butler's thoughts on Eddie Long, OWS, the sex abuse trial of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, and more in Religion Dispatches. Her recent TV appearances include FoxNews Good Day Philadelphia and MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry.

http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/penn-professor-chronicles-technicolor...