This Forum presents and promotes innovative scholarship related to the study of African American religion. In this way, CERCL presents and helps to advance the success of scholarship often considered marginal to the Academy. As the number of academic posts decreases, it is important to advance the use of intellectual skills beyond the traditional employment paths for those in the Humanities in general and the study of Religion in particular. Mindful of this, the Forum also provides activities and programming meant to help students refine their capacities for “non-traditional” posts.
African American Graduate students and Faculty are particularly challenged with respect to the exercise of leadership (as defined by the Center) within the Academy. As a way of addressing this, and in light of one of the growing areas of interest in the social sciences and humanities, the African American Religious Studies Forum provides opportunities for graduate students and interested faculty working in African American religion to: (1) dialogue with leading off-campus scholars in the study of African American religion who provide feedback on graduate student projects as well as advice regarding professional life within the Academy; (2) present their research and receive feedback, in this way they gain greater ability to provide and constructively receive critique; (3) international opportunities to present their research and network.
March 2017
Dr. Thelathia "Nikki" Young, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at Bucknell University joined us to discuss ethical issues of race, gender, and sexuality and how black queer communities possess, embody, and enact moral excellence. Dr. Crawley was a guest of CERCL's African American Religious Studies Forum.
April 2017
Dr. Joseph Richard Winters' research and teaching interests lie in African-American Religious Thought, Religion and Critical Theory, Af-Am Literature, and Continental philosophy. Overall, his project is concerned with troubling and expanding our understanding of black religiosity and black piety by drawing on resources from Af-Am literature, philosophy, and critical theory. Dr Winters was a guest of CERCL's African American Religious Studies Forum.
September 2017
Dr. Mayra Rivera is a scholar of religion who focuses on the ethical dimensions of Christian thought, including how religion informs contemporary conceptions of race, gender, and coloniality. Her approach integrates the study of philosophical and literary texts, with particular attention to Latina/o and Caribbean sources. Dr. Rivera was a guest of CERCL's African American Religious Studies Forum.
February 2018
Dr. Paul Christopher Johnson is a scholar of religion who focuses on theories of religion, ethnography, history of the study of religion, religion and race, and the modern history of Brazil. Dr. Johnson was a guest of CERCL's African American Religious Studies Forum.
