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• Fall 2023 Relg 391

RELG 391: Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (COLL 400)

Fall 2023, Prof. Annie Blazer

The religious studies major provides in-depth study of religious traditions, spiritualities, and lived experiences in a variety of historical, cultural, and experiential contexts. Through studying religions, we gain insight into important aspects of social life: gender and sexuality, race, power, art, literature, and media, to name a few.  Religious Studies is a uniquely interdisciplinary field, employing theories and methods of disciplines from history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and literary studies. 

The COLL 400 capstone experience requires students to take initiative in synthesis and critical analysis, to solve problems in an applied and/or academic setting, to create original material or original scholarship, and to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences. As the capstone of the religious studies major, students in this course had the freedom to apply theories and methods to aspects of the study of religion that most interested them. They created original scholarship that demonstrated critical analysis of an aspect of religion, religious tradition, or the study of religion. 

 Student Abstracts

Black Churches' Enduring Impact on Historic Social Movements and Black Lives Matter Jadyn Bright The history of black churches in America is a testament to resilience, faith, and the enduring spirit of a community that has faced immense challenges throughout its existence. Black churches have been at the forefront of various social movements, particularly in the struggle for civil rights and racial equality. Decades after the successes of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans still face racism and many other social issues. As a new generation of social activists leads the charge for equality and justice, the role of black churches is being questioned. Younger generations expect black churches to fight for all social issues, not just racism and police brutality. I first track the history and impact of black churches in early social movements such as the Civil Rights Movement. Then, using some scholarly articles and books plus primary sources such as social media, interviews, and news articles, I will examine the involvement of black churches in the Black Lives Matter movement and compare it to past movements. This particular examination will also look at the black community's responses to these movements. This disconnect between younger generations and black churches will only slow down efforts to achieve justice and equality in all areas. Many people still find hope and inspiration within black churches, and there should be more efforts within these institutions to bridge generational gaps and adapt to the changing landscape of social justice activism.

False God: Exploring the Sacred Realm of the Swiftie Fandom in the Era of Taylor Swift Hannah Cawley This research paper delves into the multifaceted dimensions of the Swiftie fandom, arguing that the behaviors exhibited by Taylor Swift's fan base mirror aspects of religion and can serve as a modern alternative to fulfilling conventional religious functions. The study employs an array of primary sources including firsthand accounts, concert reviews, and journalistic narratives to explore aspects of personal devotion, communal practices, shared values, and symbolism within the Swiftie community. Grounded in a theoretical framework that compares fandom to religion, the research examines the transformative impact of Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" and the communal experiences that parallel religious practices. Critically, the study acknowledges potential biases within fan-generated content and contrasts this perspective with dissenting voices, who advocate for a more nuanced understanding of the comparison between fandom and religion. In conclusion, the research sheds light on contemporary fan culture's ability to fulfill functions akin to religion, such as the establishment of community bonds and individual worship, paralleling the roles traditionally played by religious institutions. This study enriches understanding of modern cultural dynamics by providing insights into how fan cultures can function as dynamic and influential social phenomena. Furthermore, it sheds light on the evolving role of religion in contemporary society, revealing similarities and distinctions between traditional religious practices and devotion to celebrities.

Orenda and the Light Within: The Spiritual Context for Haudenosaunee and Quaker Contact Andrew Holland This essay explores the intersection of Haudenosaunee and Quaker cultures during the colonial period in North America, focusing on what their respective spiritual frameworks mean for the human-nature interactions of each group. John Bartram, a colonial botanist and explorer, acts as a lens into the time period and grounds the narrative. His position as a scientist changed his religious viewpoint and revealed tensions between scientific curiosity and the Quaker spiritual orientation. The research examines primary sources such as Haudenosaunee oral histories and John Bartram's writings. It also relies on secondary sources about Quaker beliefs, colonial interactions, and Indigenous spirituality. The significance of this study lies in its exploration of how creation stories provide insight into colonial encounters and perceptions of nature, shedding light on the complexities of cross-cultural interactions and their impact on human-nature relationships. Throughout the essay, I examine the particularities of a moment of contact by using the methodology of cultural analysis. In this paper, I argue that the Quaker belief in the “Light Within”, which emphasized the divine within each human individual, clashed with the Haudenosaunee concept of orenda, a broader spiritual power inherent in all living beings. The human-centered Quaker viewpoint looked inward to maintain a correct spiritual posture, while the Haudenosaunee used outward ritual to maintain theirs. Focusing on a particular story of contact through the lens of an influential yet largely unknown historical figure grounds the cultural analysis and provides an avenue for further research into the cultural and political developments that occurred after the colonial period.

Communion and the Evangelical Free Church of America: A Departure from Tradition Oliver Miller This paper critically examines the practice of communion in the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). Specifically, this paper explores the elements of the ceremony in practice today, such as its frequency, duration, and theological foundations.  This paper will argue that while the current state of the practice of communion in the EFCA achieves its supportive and faith-affirmative function, in doing so, it departs from a much wider tradition of sacramental observation as a primary and critical element of Christian worship.  Using a comparative analysis approach, this paper evaluates the current practice of communion in the EFCA and compares it to the teachings of prominent Protestant and Evangelical theologians, including John Calvin, Leonard Vander Zee, Wayne Grudem, and Charles Finney. Scholarly analyses of Evangelical communion in the modern age provide the historical context for the nature of this ceremony, and first-hand observation of communion at an EFCA church as well as statements of faith and theological discourses provide insight into the church’s beliefs and practices. Beyond academic exploration, this research holds significance in that it seeks to return a sense of reverence and respect to a ceremony that is critical to Christian worship, and only since the advent of the 20th century has begun to wane in both frequency and importance.

Popular Culture and Satanic Discourse in the United States from 1980 to 2023 Marjan Naji This research paper analyzes the rise, impact, and resurgence of the Satanic Panic in popular culture in the United States from 1980 to 2023. The goal of this paper is to further understand the effects of artists in popular culture using Satanic imagery and references to distance themselves from normative, societal values. Additionally, this paper analyzes the power behind the use of Satanic imagery on the media and society, and its influence on the public’s negative responses. The paper uses historical tracing to follow the change over time of the Satanic Panic, as well as sociocultural analysis to study the effects of Satanic influence. The historical tracing begins with the rise of the Satanic Panic in the 1980s and then to the reemergence of Satanism in popular culture in the 2020s. The paper uses sociocultural analysis to identify that Satanic persecution occurs due to the public’s fear that Satanism in popular culture will increase societies support for Satan and violence, and especially influence younger audiences. Secondary sources are the main source of evidence in the form of historical accounts and scholarly articles. Firsthand accounts include social media posts, news reports, lyrics, and music videos. The paper concludes that popular culture uses Satanic fear to elicit media backlash from its audience as a way of rebelling against normative beliefs. Studying Satanism in popular culture is significant because the media has historically persecuted individuals that use Satanic imagery and references, to the extent of legal or political consequences in some cases.

The Continuation of Kālī as Central: A Case Study on the Washington Kālī Temple Prasanna Patel Originating outside of the Vedic tradition, the Hindu Goddess Kālī often spurs discomfort among non-Śakta Hindus and scholars alike. Whether it be due to her seemingly gruesome appearance or her sheer power, religious studies scholars report that both Brahmin elites and British colonizers deemed Kālī threatening, dangerous, fearsome, and needing taming. Brahmin elites and British colonizers marginalized Kālī and her worshippers such that many scholars and non-Śaktas widely consider her as an inherently liminal goddess of death. Religious studies scholars argue that in the wake of Kālī’s marginalization, one major conception of Kālī reified among non-Śaktas, which posits her as an icon of shame. This paper uses the case study of the Washington Kālī Temple to illustrate the physical and conceptual centrality of Kālī in communities that worship her as Brahman. I critique the view that Kālī is intrinsically marginal, and instead use field work at the Washington Kālī Temple to show a continuous tradition of Kālī worship, where she is the wholly autonomous and primordial Absolute, which creates, preserves, and destroys. This work serves to not only contextualize the idea of Kālī as shameful, but it also illuminates the agency of Kālī’s worshippers, who continue to place her in the center, despite attempts to marginalize her.

Past, Present, Future: ASI's Racial Ties in Modern-Day India Taylor Slaven The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) is an agency tasked by the Indian government with protecting over 3,000 monuments. Established by British explorers and archeologists, its origins are rampant with British colonial practices of preserving sacred spaces. Resulting in decades of distrust, whispers of ASI’s shortcomings linger. In analyzing the history of the group, the constitutional acts that govern it, and theories on presence in sacred spaces from historians of South Asian studies, the failures of ASI’s past come to light. Additionally, this paper considers perspectives of both the organization and the Hindu people through a brief look into Western museums and specific aspects of Hinduism such as darśan, the devotee’s connection to the mūrti, and temple structure. Bringing along a new set of suspicions, ASI’s past converges with news reports of modern-day case studies in which the group is involved, such as the surveys of the Taj Mahal, Babri Masjid, and Gyanvapi, as well as the Badami Cave Temples in Karnataka. This research inspects the conservation group under many lights, including that of colonizer, educator, preserver, deceiver, and its responsibility as a government agency. The case studies reveal the context of the ongoing Hindu-Muslim conflict and its effect on how ASI is perceived by outsiders and insiders, unveiling the last of the many layers that accompany this investigation. I highlight the biases that result from the complications of understanding history’s mistakes and the context of the modern-day, as well as the enduring struggle to join the two on a middle ground.

Karl Barth: Life, Theology, and Influence Travis Slocumb Karl Barth was a Protestant theologian with influence across many different circles of thought, mostly in Reformed theology. Reformed theology is a subset of the wider Protestant Christian tradition, it began with the theology of John Calvin. This work will provide a short biography of Barth, outline the main tenets of his thought, and explain the widespread influence of his theology. Specifically, it will describe Barth’s life in Switzerland as a pastor and professor, his theology which is centered upon the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, and his influence on important movements and people such as Evangelicalism, and Stanley Hauerwas. The question of this research is primarily, what did Karl Barth have to say, and why is it important beyond his immediate influence? Its methodology is historical and theological. I will investigate Barth’s life and the spread of his thought, while delving into the theology itself so that it makes sense to the reader. The secondary sources will include books by historians and theologians who have specialized in Barth. Barth’s own work will make up all of the primary sources. I argue that Barth has had a lasting impact on theology today, and that he has offered new christo-centric and trinitarian theology to the Protestant tradition.

Irenaeus, Augustine, and the Problem of Evil James Snyder This paper explores the problem of evil in Christian philosophy, which is the issue of how to reconcile the existence of evil in creation with God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and omnibenevolence. Specifically, this paper will compare two main approaches to the problem of evil in the Christian tradition—that of Irenaeus and Augustine—and determine how recent scholarship has implemented elements of both approaches to deepen the understanding of the problem. The Augustinian approach claims that God is not responsible for evil because evil is simply the lack of God’s goodness; those who do evil turn away from God and become corrupted. The Irenaean approach asserts that God is partly responsible for evil, but that evil is used by God to bring about greater good. This paper will approach the problem of evil from a philosophical methodology. The secondary sources that this paper engages are works of recent scholarship in philosophy of religion from a Christian perspective from the mid-twentieth century onward. The works of John Hick, Richard Swinburne, Alvin Plantinga, Eleonore Stump, David Ray Griffin, and Austin Farrer are significant secondary sources for this paper. The main primary sources come from the works of Irenaeus and Augustine, with Leibniz also being of secondary importance. This paper argues that while the Irenaean approach and the Augustinian approach to theodicy contradict each other by emphasizing different aspects of God and creation, it is highly favorable to reconcile elements of both approaches to provide a more cohesive solution to the problem of evil, as recent scholarship shows. This is due to the influence of Hick’s book Evil and the God of Love which has impacted how philosophers label the approaches to the problem of evil. This paper is significant because it addresses changes in how Christians relate to God in light of the recent changes in our world.

The Reagan Administration, Christian Morality, and the AIDS Crisis of the 1990s Becka Stark This research paper assesses how the United States government acted in response to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. It examines the public and governmental perceptions of AIDS, and the extent to which these perceptions were informed by Christian morality, which is the prioritization of the heterosexual family and condemnation of the homosexual lifestyle, and the New Right’s moral agenda, which was to reassert Christian morality and punish sexual dissenters. The research seeks to gauge how the Christian moral perspective on AIDS impacted the enactment of preventative and protective policy for people suffering from or in danger of contracting AIDS. Included are cultural analyses of the historical period in which the American AIDS crisis occurred, scholarship that conducts a cultural study of the New Right and Christian morality in the United States, scholarship that focuses primarily on the Reagan administration in the context of the AIDS crisis, and yearly statistical information on the epidemic. The research examines primary sources in the form of government documents like federally endorsed AIDS educational pamphlets and executive orders. The research argues that the Reagan Administration’s silence and inaction, which resulted in thousands dead from an epidemic that could have been mitigated, was motivated by Christian morality and the harmful belief that the disease was divine will. This paper demonstrates how harmful it is when governing bodies and institutions are influenced by religious beliefs in a way that impacts their action to help people.