Religious Studies

The calm before the storm in the Middle East

In her new book, Heather Sharkey, a professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, explores Muslim, Christian, and Jewish relations in the period before World War I.

Penn Today Staff

Reclaiming a fragmented history

Digital humanities scholars are orchestrating an epic crowdsourcing effort to sort and transcribe handwriting on thousands of documents discarded hundreds of years ago, known as the Cairo Geniza.

Louisa Shepard

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


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.

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Religion News Service

Kamala Harris’ multi-religious identity is a map of the future

Anthea Butler of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Kamala Harris’s religious story is not a straight line, which mirrors the trajectory of many Americans today.

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MSNBC

Christian activists try Ten Commandments law, emboldened by compromised Supreme Court

Anthea Butler of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses Louisiana’s new law requiring the display of the Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every school in the state.

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The Hill

Save America’s sacred places for civic purposes

In a co-written opinion article, John Dilulio of the School of Arts & Sciences says that neglected religious buildings should be preserved for civic use.

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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.

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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.

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