Religious Studies

Undergraduate seminar takes students to India

Nearly 8,000 miles from the University of Pennsylvania’s campus in Philadelphia, eight students immersed themselves in “The Performing Arts of Modern South India” through a year-long course that included a 12-day visit to India and continues through the spring.

Jill DiSanto



Media Contact


In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

‘Muslim-ish’: For less observant Muslims, Ramadan remains a cherished ritual

Jamal Elias of the School of Arts & Sciences comments on the percentages of Muslims who practice their religion by praying five times a day, wearing the hijab, and eating halal food.

FULL STORY →



The Conversation

For 150 years, Black journalists have known what Confederate monuments really stood for

Donovan Schaefer of the School of Arts & Sciences says that journalists at Black newspapers have historically criticized Confederate monuments for falsely enshrining Southern myths about why the Civil War was fought.

FULL STORY →



AP News

A court in China sentences a famed Uyghur scholar to life in prison, foundation says 

A former Penn lecturer specializing in the study of her people’s folklore and traditions has been sentenced to life in prison.

FULL STORY →



CNBC

I lived like a monk for 48 hours, and it helped me break three of my worst habits—here’s how

Justin McDaniel of the School of Arts & Sciences explains the benefits of his class “Living Deliberately,” which requires students to observe a code of silence and abstain from using electronic communications.

FULL STORY →



The Nation

Gospel of a new Christian left

Anthea Butler of the School of Arts & Sciences says that slaveholder Christianity was central to the postbellum mythology of the South, with the Klan a symbol of white Christian nationalism.

FULL STORY →



The New York Times

Religious freedom arguments underpin wave of challenges to abortion bans

Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the Satanic Temple’s abortion-related lawsuits are helpful for countering the religious right with a faith whose rights are being violated.

FULL STORY →