Note from the Chair

Dear Alumni and Friends,

As the quarter comes to a close and we approach the holiday season, I’m happy to greet you from the third floor of Kenna, where we have had a busy and productive fall. We welcomed several new faculty who have enhanced our department. In addition, we are in the midst of two tenure-track searches, so will continue to grow our ranks, for which we are grateful to the Dean. As you can see on these pages, our faculty have been busy well beyond the classroom, offering programming to our department and the university community, publishing books and articles, and presenting on research projects to academic communities both here and abroad.

As we head into the holiday season and the end of the calendar year, it is always a time to pause and reflect. I am grateful for this community of committed teacher-scholars and the impact they are making on students’ lives across the university, whether as teachers, mentors, or trusted confidantes. I do hope that you have things for which you are grateful, even in the midst of a world so much in tumult. With deep gratitude, I wish you the very best for this holiday season and for a Happy New Year.

Jim Bennett
Chair, Religious Studies Department

Introducing New Faculty

This fall we welcomed five new faculty to our department, who are teaching a wide variety of subjects, including LatinX theologies, Buddhism, and Christian theology and literature.

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STOP HT: The Global Fight Against Sex Trafficking

An RS conversation with Dr. Sunitha Krashnan, founder of Prajwala, Asia's largest institution combating commercial sexual exploitation.

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Little Revolutions: Civil Disobedience and Ordinary People

The Religious Studies Department hosted Jo McGowan, social activist, Commonweal columnist, and founder and director of Latika, an NGO for northern India..

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Fred Parrella

Fred published a new book, The Idea of the Church: Historical and Theological Perspectives.

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Daniel Morgan

Daniel presented a paper, "Shah Walī Allāh of Delhi’s Hawāmiʿ and Islamic reform in South Asia," at a conference in Berkeley. 

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Bryson White

Bryson's article, "HIStory against the World: Religion, Black Iconicity, and the Haunting Stretcher Photos and Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur," was published in Religions.

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2023-24 Hackworth Fellows

Religious Studies majors Laura Clark ‘24 and Blaise Burbank ‘24 and minor Hydeia Wysinger ‘25 are a part of the Hackworth Fellowship Program. The fellowship allows students to engage more deeply in the application of ethics to a topic of concrete concern, to complete an important project related to that concern, and to grow as an ethical leader.

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Jean Donovan Summer Fellowship

Religious Studies majors Laura Clara ‘24 and Daniel Martinez ’24 and minors Cash Stocks ‘24 and Joy Peters ‘25 worked this summer as Jean Donovan Fellows. Named in honor of Jean Donovan, an American woman who lived, worked, and died in solidarity with communities of El Salvador facing oppression in the 1980s, the Donovan Fellowship is designed to encourage and support undergraduate students who desire to deepen their understanding of social justice issues through a summer community-based learning experience. conjunction with Campus Ministry.

Sasha Eros '23

Sasha Eros has published an article with SCU Psychology Professor Thomas Plante. Titled "The Effects of Centering Prayer on Well-Being in a Sample of Undergraduate Students: A Pilot Study," it focuses on “whether religiosity influences the impact of centering prayer in relation to anxiety, stress, depression, mindfulness, and more!”

Cameron Heon '20

Cameron Heon began teaching at a Catholic school in Hawaii this academic year. He and his students were affected by the Maui fires but are doing okay. After graduating from Santa Clara University, he attended Boston College where he obtained his MTS.

We would love to hear from you! If you have any news or memories to share (tell us your best RS story!), would like to update us about your current life and work, or have any ideas for RS programs and initiatives, please email religionteam@gmail.com.

You might include a story or photo of a recent event, or just let us know about your current location, career, or thoughts. Thank you!