religious studies

As Black History Month continues, The Daily is putting a spotlight on some of Case Western Reserve University’s incredible Black faculty members. As leaders in their fields, they share salient—and often groundbreaking—work in books, journals, media outlets and, of course, enlightening courses.…

From Emerson’s fascination with Hindu texts and Thoreau’s admiration of the Bhagavad Gita to the enthusiastic welcome that Americans have given to yoga, there have been far-reaching and enduring connections between the United States and the Hindu traditions. Members of the Case Western Reserve…

Deepak Sarma, professor in the Department of Religious Studies, wrote about his personal and academic experiences learning about Hinduism and arranged marriage in an opinion piece published by The Common Reader. In his piece, Sarma discussed the religious customs and expectations for Hindu…

Timothy Beal, the Florence Harkness Professor of Religion, will be honored as a Case Western Reserve University Distinguished University Professor during convocation on Aug. 25 for his preeminent research, leadership, and commitment to students. Beal is a “model humanist,” according to Joy K.…

For 17 years at Case Western Reserve University, Deepak Sarma has asked his students to identify, question and defend their most basic presuppositions and beliefs. Now, he’s been hired to ask teams at Mattel and Netflix to do the same. The professor of Indian religions and philosophy at CWRU is a…

For Bharat Ranganathan, academia has been a long-standing passion. After graduating from Case Western Reserve University, Harvard University and Indiana University with a bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD, respectively, he pursued a career in ethics, most recently returning to CWRU as the Elmer G.…

In a piece published by Common Reader, Deepak Sarma contemplated the meaning of hair among Hindus. Sarma, professor in the Department of Religious Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, drew from passages that relate to the topic as well as his own personal experiences. Read the piece,…

Justine Howe, associate professor of religious studies, edited Routledge Handbook of Islam and Gender, which features 32 original essays focused on Islam and gender in global Muslim contexts. These essays highlight exciting developments in areas such as masculinity studies, pop and consumer…

Deepak Sarma, professor of religious studies at the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of bioethics at the School of Medicine, recently wrote an article titled "Volunteering for a Covid Vaccine Trial: Fulfilling Hindu Obligations or Fostering Pharmaceutical Company Profits?" Published by…

Timothy Beal, chair of the Department of Religious Studies and the Florence Harkness Professor of Religion, recently participated in an episode of the Unholier than Thou podcast, which is produced by Crooked Media. The episode is titled "Apocalypse Now?" and explores how speculations of an…