Department of Religious Studies -- Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University

Recent Faculty Publications

Jewish Messianic Thoughts in an Age of Despair (Kenneth Seeskin)

The Ethical Vision of Clint Eastwood (Sara Vaux)

Erotic Attunement: Parenthood and the Ethics of Sensuality between Unequals (Cristina Traina)

Transformations in Luther's Theology: Historical and Contemporary Considerations.

(Christine Helmer)

Narrating the Law: A Poetics of Talmudic Legal Stories (Barry Wimpfheimer)

The Madonna of 115 Street (Third Edition)

(Robert Orsi)

The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture (Kenneth Seeskin)

The Global Luther: A Theologian for Modern Times (Christine Helmer)

Buddhism Beyond the Monastery: Tantric Practices and their Performers in Tibet and the Himalayas (Sarah Jacoby and Antonio Terrone)

Wisdom of Bat Sheva: The Dr. Beth Samuels Memorial Volume (Barry Wimpfheimer)

Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings With Selections from Traditional Commentaries (Brook Ziporyn)

Rethinking the Human by J. Michelle Molina and Donald Swearer

Oncofertility: Ethical, Legal, Social, and Medical Perspectives (Teresa K. Woodruff, Laurie Zoloth, Lisa Campo-Engelstein, and Sarah Rodriguez, eds.)

» More selected faculty publications

News & Bulletins

Robert Orsi has received McCormick Professorship, a university-wide teaching honor
You are invited to attend the international conference Lutherrenaissance: Past & Present, April 12-14, 2012, with Crain lecturer Michael Massing, and theologians from Germany, Denmark, and North America.
For more information, please click on the link: Lutherrenaissance: Past & Present
Jewish Messianic Thoughts in an Age of Despair by Kenneth Seeskin
The Ethical Vision of Clint Eastwood by Sara Anson Vaux
Cristina Traina's and Barry Wimpfheimer's new books were featured in the Fall 2011 issue of CenterPiece magazine published by the Office for Research.
Event by Dr. Iwamura on November 2nd has been CANCELLED
Cristina Traina’s book Erotic Attunement: Parenthood and the Ethics of Sensuality between Unequals is available from the University of Pennsylvania Press.
Transformations in Luther's Theology: Historical and Contemporary Considerations. Edited by Christine Helmer and Bo Kristian Holm.
Barry Scott Wimpfheimer’s book Narrating the Law: A Poetics of Talmudic Legal Stories is available from the University of Pennsylvania Press.
Barry Scott Wimpfheimer recently appeared on the JUF television program, Sanctuary. Watch the video.
The Writing Place offers Writing Assistance for Graduate Students.
Ground Zero and the 'S-word' article by Matthew Cressler, Ph.D. Religious Studies
Ken Seeskin has been awarded the 2010 National Jewish Book Award for The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture in the category of collections and anthologies. This volume was edited by Ken and Judith Baskin, Knight Professor of Humanities at The University of Oregon.
"Religious studies Revival"! Article in Newsweek discusses resurgence of Religious Studies as undergraduate major, and references NU's own Robert Orsi
Barry Wimpfheimer quoted in New York Times
UPDATES! of the Religious Studies Department's courses for the 2011-2012 academic year
Robert Orsi has received the 2010 E. LeRoy Hall Award for Teaching Excellence. Weinberg College Teaching Awards applaud excellence in instruction, significant contributions to curricular innovation, exemplary mentoring of research and independent study, and fostering of a sense of community both inside and outside the classroom.
In 2009-2010, the Department of Religious Studies organized a series of panel discussions, one each quarter, aimed at bringing together Northwestern scholars in various fields whose work engages topics of religion. Co-hosted by the Brady Program in Ethics and Civic life, and co-sponsored by the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, the series was very successful, and Religious Studies looks forward to continuing to foster interdisciplinary dialogue across Northwestern's many diverse and exciting communities.

» More news

Upcoming Events

Foucault and the Question of Catholic Identity
May 17, 2012 • 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

"Religion and the Trans.."
October 12, 2012 • 3:00 PM - 2:00 PM

"Religion and the Trans.."
October 13, 2012 • 3:00 PM - 2:00 PM

"Religion and the Trans.."
October 14, 2012 • 3:00 PM - 2:00 PM

» Past events

Overview

The Department of Religious Studies at Northwestern University is a diverse community of scholars, comprising outstanding professors, graduate students and undergraduate majors and minors, who study the history, texts and lived religious practices that have shaped our world. Home to 14 full time faculty and numerous other visiting faculty and joint appointments, the department is known for its breadth, interdisciplinary emphasis, excellence in teaching and award winning faculty scholarship.

» Full department overview

Religious Studies Photos

Professor Taylor's Religious Studies 261 American Religion, Ecology, and Culture 'think tanks' in action solving the earth's environmental problems out on NU's lakeshore.
Cairn for local mountain god propitiations, Drong ri Mountain, Serta, Eastern Tibet, 2005. Photo: S. Jacoby.
Rood screen, St. Giles Church, Staffordshire, England. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.
Reflected view of Istanbul. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.
Ephesus, Turkey. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.
Temple Mount, Jerusalem. Photo: L. Zoloth.
Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, 2007. Photo: S. Jacoby.
Idol, Helskinki. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), Istanbul. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.
Tertrom Nunnery, Central Tibet, 2007. Photo: S. Jacoby.
Confucian Shrine, China, 2005. Photo: S. Jacoby.
Hanging prayer flags in Tibet, 2007. Photo: S. Jacoby.
Labyrinth, Sipoo, Finland. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.
16th century Mughal Emperor Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi, India, 2009. Photo: S. Jacoby.
Sarah Jacoby lighting prayer lamps at Jokhang Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet, 2007. Photo: Antonio Terrone.
Semana Santa (Holy Week) procession in Guanajuato, Mexico, 2010. Photo: M. Molina.
Chinese Heart Sutra. Photo by B. Ziporyn.
Church in Thira (Santorini), Greece. Photo: S. Taylor.
Window at Heilig-Geist, Wismar, Germany. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.
Professor Sani Umar visiting Istanbul, Turkey, 2008. Photo: S. Umar.
York Minster, York, England. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.
St. Henry's Ecumenical Art Chapel in Turku, Finland. Photo: R. Kieckhefer.