Welcome to the Department of Religious Studies!
Max Müller, a founding father of the academic study of religion, stated that "He who knows one [religion], knows none." Throughout the history of religious studies, Müller’s words have underlined the need to study religion comparatively, as well as to analyze religion using multiple lenses—through history, literature, ritual, art, and ethics, as well as in relation to issues such as gender, class, race/ethnicity, and colonialism. Our department embodies this critical and comparative enterprise, with classes that offer students the opportunity both to study the history of many religions, as well as to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to understand the role of religion in the contemporary world. We teach on a wide range of religious traditions such as Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism; geographic regions such as the Americas, Africa, the Ancient Mediterranean, and Asia; and topics such as Gender and Religion, Voices of the Holocaust, and Religion and Media.
In the contemporary U.S., all too many people lack access to accurate and nuanced knowledge about the world's religions. As a result, many struggle to fully understand not only major traditions shaping human history, but some of the most pressing issues of our own time, from the impact of Osama bin Laden's interpretation of the Qur'an to religious battles over human rights, environmental issues, and efforts to end global poverty. Through its research, teaching, and public service, our department seeks to provide UT students and a wider public with such knowledge so that they are well equipped to participate in an ever-changing global society.
News
- Religious Studies students Andrea Gill and Jenny Bledsoe publish their undergraduate research in Pursuit.
- Distinguished American religion scholar Professor Laurie Maffly-Kipp, Dept. of Religious Studies, UNC Chapel Hill, lectures on “Saints of Darkness: Mormons, Race, and the Issue of an African American Priesthood” on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, HSS 71 at 3:40 pm.
- Workshop on Islam for teachers, Saturday April 14th 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Sarah Simpson Professional Development/Technology Center, 801 Tipton Ave Knoxville, Tennessee 37920. Organized in conjunction with Georgetown University’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Open to the public, refreshments provided. Call 865-974-2466.
- Associate Professor Tina Shepardson’s research on Controlling Contested Places: Fourth Century Antioch and the Spatial Politics of Religious Controversy supported and featured by the American Academy of Religion.
- Noted author on religion in the U.S. Jeff Sharlet delivers Second Annual Memorial Lecture, February 28, 2012 Click here for the poster, the program, the recording of the event, and press coverage.
- Associate Professor Rachelle Scott appointed North American editor of journal, Fieldwork in Religion.
- Professor Rosalind Hackett co-editor of new book on religion and conflict in Africa
- Associate Professor Rachelle Scott wins College Advising Award, November 29, 2011
- Professor Rosalind I. J. Hackett, Head of Department, was appointed in October 2011 to the Academic Council of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.
- Professor Rosalind Hackett leads UT study and service abroad program to Uganda in July/August 2011
- Professor Rosalind I. J. Hackett, Head of Department, was appointed in October 2011 to the Academic Council of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.
Events
Quick Links
- American Academy of Religion
- International Association for the History of Religions
- Marco Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- North American Association for the Study of Religion
- Religion Dispatches
- Religious Studies Library Subject Guide
- Society for the Anthropology of Religion
- Society of Biblical Literature
- Wabash Center Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion
Course Schedules
Contact Information
Department of Religious Studies
Rosalind I. J. Hackett, Ph.D.
Professor and Head
501 McClung Tower
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-0450
Phone: 865-974-2466
Fax: 865-974-0965
Email: kwindham@tennessee.edu
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