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Religious Studies

There will never be another pope like Francis
MSNBC

There will never be another pope like Francis

In an opinion essay, Anthea Butler of the School of Arts & Sciences evaluates the late Pope Francis’s unique life and reign, calling him a “pope for the 21st century.”

A moment of ‘timefulness’ at The Arts Lounge
Makoto Fujimura rests his arms on a chair in front of a triptych of paintings.

In addition to being a featured artist in The Arts Lounge, contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura is an Equity in Action Visiting Scholar in Penn’s Office of Social Equity & Community.

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A moment of ‘timefulness’ at The Arts Lounge

Through June 1, Makoto Fujimura’s “Transfiguration” triptych ink paintings are on display at The Arts Lounge inside the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

4 min. read

Reframing historical narratives of Jewish sorrow
Panelists at a conference.

Ishay Rozen-Zvi; Ross Shepard Kraemer of Brown, emerita; and Seth Schwartz, of Columbia.

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Reframing historical narratives of Jewish sorrow

Between colleagues in Penn’s Jewish Studies Program, conversations began to surface about two years ago concerning an age-old question of any society: How do we write history?

1 min. read

A window into East Asian history: Conserving Buddhist murals
museum worker restoring buddhist mural

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A window into East Asian history: Conserving Buddhist murals

Penn Museum staff are restoring Buddhist murals that were crafted in a style prevalent between the 13th and 14th centuries, bringing renewed vibrancy to art from a distinct era of East Asian religious history.

The story of the famed Salt Lake Tabernacle Organ
A tall gold-colored pipe organ stands above blue seats. The background is purple and blue.

The pipe organ in the LDS Church Tabernacle in Salt Lake City grew over time, expanding to more than 10,000 pipes in 1916.

(Image: Jon G. Fuller / VWPics via AP Images)

The story of the famed Salt Lake Tabernacle Organ

A new book from historian Jared Farmer traces the legacy of music and media in the LDS Church.
Can sports fandom be a religious experience?
A football on a field atop a Kansas City and Eagles logo.

Image: Courtesy of Omnia

Can sports fandom be a religious experience?

With the Philadelphia Eagles set to compete for the ultimate prize at Super Bowl LIX, religious studies professor Megan Robb has noticed a 'buzz of collective effervescence' in her Religion and Sports class, a space where students discuss ritual and ceremony, and debate where sports and religion intersect.

Michele W. Berger

Catholics, abortion and the election: It’s complicated
National Catholic Reporter

Catholics, abortion and the election: It’s complicated

Anthea Butler of the School of Arts & Sciences believes that white Catholics care less about abortion than about other issues like race.

In ‘Sacred Stuff,’ students explore religion through material culture
An ornate Anglican church with stained glass. Students stand near the pews listening to a frocked speaker.

The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Jong welcomes Penn students to the chapel of Keble College, Oxford.

(Image: Donovan Schaefer)

In ‘Sacred Stuff,’ students explore religion through material culture

In the Penn Global Seminar “Sacred Stuff” taught by religious studies professor Donovan Schaefer, students visited religious sites in England.

Kristina García