religious studies

Deepak Sarma, professor of Indian religion and philosophy at Case Western Reserve University, was recently named to two external positions. He was elected the vice president of the Grateful Dead Studies Association, an interdisciplinary academic organization for the study of the American rock band…

Only three years after President Abraham’s Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did enslaved people become free in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union Army Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed to the people of Texas that, “in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United…

Timothy Beal, the Florence Harkness Professor of Religion at Case Western Reserve University, recently received positive reviews on his newest book, When Time Is Short: Finding Our Way in the Anthropocene. Publishers Weekly described Beal’s book as a “deconstruct(ion) of human exceptionalism” that…

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,…