Religion & Teaching in the Public Sphere

As the modern university transforms and there continues to be a growing appetite for the history and engagement of religion and religious subcultures, scholars of religion and American culture have increasing opportunities to present their research to a broad public. For this episode, we will focus on teaching outside of the classroom and even beyond the typical venues for academics, with guests who write for broader publics, work on documentaries, create blogs, consult with businesses and policy makers, and use social media to instruct and engage. We will discuss the tasks involved in building and maintaining an audience; the opportunities and professional costs associated with translating scholarship to a more general audience; and the possibility of creating spaces where knowledge and knowledge production are democratically accessible. Join four engaged scholar-teachers as they discuss the ways their scholarship and teaching move beyond the university and impact broad segments of the public sphere.

Panelists:

Andrew Ali Aghapour, Scholar and Comedian

Kyhati Y. Joshi, Professor of English, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Jeff Sharlet, Frederick Sessions Beebe ’35 Professor in the Art of Writing, Dartmouth College

Host:

Philip Goff, Chancellor’s Professor of American Studies and Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

May 19, 2022 at 3:00-4:00pm (Eastern)