Religion

Listen to an interview with John McClure, the Charles G. Finney Professor of Preaching and Worship, about his new book, Mashup Religion:  Pop Music and Theological Invention. Interviewed by Chris Benda, Divinity School librarian. Read More

Vanderbilt experts are available to discuss negative campaigning, religious bias among candidates, patriotism and the Bible, the GOP's stance on immigration and how to eliminate bias in political polling. Read More

Watch video from the December 7 Thinking Out of the Lunchbox event featuring Robert Talisse, professor of philosophy, speaking on “Faith in Democracy.” Citizens in a democratic society share political power as equals. This equality entails that the exercise of political power is legitimate only when it can be justified by… Read More

Dale Andrews of Vanderbilt Divinity School is a proponent of social justice, a way of looking at theology that is diametrically opposed to prosperity theology. "Western preaching has gotten so tied up in privilege and power as evidence of God’s faith,” Andrews said. “I am of the opinion that God holds favor with those who are suffering.” Read More

Watch video of R. Scott Appleby, a historian who studies modern religions and their capacity for both violence and peace building, delivering the 2011 Cole Lectures. Appleby, a professor of history and the John M. Regan Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University… Read More

Watch video of the Oct. 17 talk “Bless Her Heart – How One Good Southern Girl Changed the World,” by Shelby Knox. Shelby Knox is nationally known as the subject of the Sundance award-winning film, The Education of Shelby Knox, a 2005 documentary chronicling her teenage activism for comprehensive sex education… Read More

Religious scholar’s journey takes him from Millersburg to Bangladesh Tony Stewart (John Russell/Vanderbilt) Tony Stewart performed an experiment when he arrived on the Vanderbilt campus. “I asked everyone I ran into for directions to Religious Studies,” he said. “Without exception, they told me how to get to… Read More

Research by Vanderbilt and Claremont political scientists show a significant number of American voters remain biased against Mormons and other religious minorities. Read More

Listen to an interview with Robin Jensen, Luce Chancellor’s Professor of the History of Christian Art and Worship. This is part of a series of interviews with Vanderbilt University Divinity School faculty. Interviewed by Chris Benda, Divinity School librarian.      … Read More

Watch videos of Carole Bucy, professor of history at Volunteer State Community College, teaching classes on “Religious History of the U.S. from the Earliest European Settlements to the Present” as part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. You need flash to play this video. Diversity has long been one of… Read More

Muslim and Christian scholars discuss the biblical Mary from the perspective of both traditions at this Dec. 11 forum. Mary (in the Christian tradition) or Maryam (the Muslim tradition) – the mother of Jesus – is mentioned more in the Qur’an than the New Testament. During the interfaith panel discussion, scholars… Read More

Listen to an interview with William Franke, professor of Comparative Literature, Italian and Religious Studies, speaking about his book, “The Revelation of Imagination: From the Bible and Homer through Virgil and Augustine to Dante.” Interviewed by Chris Benda, Divinity School librarian. Read More

Listen to Lenn Goodman, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities and professor of philosophy, and Richard McGregor, assistant professor of religious studies, speaking about a 10th-century Islamic ecological fable. Interviewed by Chris Benda, theological librarian at the Divinity School. Read More

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, put the condition and future of the Catholic faith on the table for discussion. Nearly 45 years after the three-year council ended, the effects of Vatican II are still being felt, from the role of laity to the language used… Read More

In light of the charges against Bishop Eddie Long, Vanderbilt sociologist Richard Pitt is available for comment to media. Pitt’s research interests include the intersection of sexual identity and religion. He looks specifically at homosexuality and the black church in his papers “Killing the Messenger: Gay Black Men’s Negotiation… Read More

Vanderbilt Divinity School students will reflect on a summer trip to the United States-Mexico border to study immigration issues at a Sept. 23 community breakfast. The event is the first of several public forums the divinity school will host during the semester. Later events include a presentation by Vanderbilt theologian… Read More

The thing that makes Israeli officials nervous about the program to keep their country connected with young American Jews may be the reason it’s working so well. Read More

Listen to a lecture about reggae music and Rastafarian theology. Read More

A Vanderbilt Divinity School professor will present his viewpoint on Rastafarian theology and reggae music March 16 during an event sponsored by the Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture program at the divinity school. Read More

Five artists who believe that God has inspired them to build structures are featured in the film God's Architects, to be screened at Vanderbilt University as part of the International Lens Film series. Read More