Religious Studies | Penn Today

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.

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.

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.

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.

The sleeper legal strategy that could topple abortion bans

Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts & Sciences says that there’s a strong argument for religious exemptions from abortion bans because those bills were initially passed for religious reasons.

Ivy League professor of ultra-popular ‘monk class’: These three changes can make you more resilient than most

Justin McDaniel of the School of Arts & Sciences offers three suggestions to build emotional resilience and mindfulness.

What college students need is a taste of the monk’s life

Justin McDaniel of the School of Arts & Sciences is challenging his students to adopt monastic traditions in order to rethink the purpose of education.

Seven students smile under the canopy of a motor-powered boat travelling on a river

The search for meaning

During the course Living Deliberately: Monks, Saints, and the Contemplative Life, taught by Justin McDaniel of the School of Arts & Sciences, students experiment with ascetic practices.

Protesters carrying Iranian flags walk through the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which is dotted with black and white photos of Iranians allegedly killed by their government.

‘The Changing Terrain of Religious Freedom’

This timely volume of essays edited by professors Heather J. Sharkey and Jeffrey Green explores theoretical, historical, and legal perspectives on religious freedom, while examining its meaning as an experience, value, and right.

A black-and-white-image of a man with a hand on his heart

Faith in public life

In a conversation sponsored by the School of Social Policy & Practice, Ben Jealous discussed religion’s potential to transform society with Charles ‘Chaz’ Howard and David Saperstein.

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