Religious Studies

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Tracing the Roots of Indigenous Science Fiction and Futurisms in America

November 18, 2024

A photo of a Star Wars stormtrooper that hangs in Blaire Morseau’s home epitomizes both her childhood passions and current research pursuits. The photo appears in a frame with a unique Southwest design, a favorite find bought from a Native artist when Morseau was a graduate student at the University of New Mexico. Now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University and an inaugural 1855 Professor of Great Lakes Anisshinaabe Knowledge, Spiritualities, and Cultural Practices...

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College Welcomes 41 New Faculty and Staff Members

October 1, 2024

This year the College of Arts & Letters welcomes 41 new faculty and staff members. These faculty and staff members were recognized during the College of Arts & Letters’ 2024 Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Sept. 30 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.

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Award / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Michigan Impact / News / Religious Studies

Professor Follows in Father’s Footsteps by Receiving William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award

July 15, 2024

In recognition of his scholarly excellence, instruction, and extensive outreach, Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Professor of Religious Studies, Adjunct Professor of Law, and Director of the Muslim Studies Program at Michigan State University, recently was awarded the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award. And remarkably, he is the second person in his family to receive this prestigious honor. “My father was…

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Award / News / Religious Studies / Student / Student

Religious Studies Students Honored for Outstanding Achievements

April 22, 2024

The Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University recently held its 2024 Undergraduate Symposium and Awards Presentation, which shined a spotlight on undergraduate research and the outstanding achievements of its students. Six of those students – Hady Omar, Shawn Sandhu, Noah Sanker, Kaitlyn Sears, Moaid Shaik, and Mustafa Syed – presented their Religious Studies research during the event, which took place April 5.

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Faculty / Faculty / News / Religious Studies / Research / U.S. Impact

Ask the Expert: How Is Spirituality Expanding Beyond Religion?

April 22, 2024

Spirituality is declining in the United States if you focus on religious affiliation, but that isn’t the whole story according to Morgan Shipley, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University. A recent Pew Research Center survey reports that 28% of U.S. adults say they are religiously unaffiliated. By digging a little deeper, Shipley finds the religiously unaffiliated, sometimes…

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Event / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Religious Studies

Religious Studies Professor to Deliver Keynote Address at MLK Community Unity Dinner

January 11, 2024

Blaire Morseau, Assistant Professor in MSU’s Department of Religious Studies and an inaugural 1855 Professor, is the keynote speaker for the 44th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Unity Dinner. This MLK Commemorative Celebration event, organized by MSU’s Residence Education and Housing Services, is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Kellogg Hotel and…

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Event / Faculty / News / Religious Studies

MSU Honors Inaugural 1855 Professorship Recipients

December 18, 2023

The inaugural roster of 1855 Professorship recipients, along with MSU administrators, Board of Trustees members, faculty, and guests, recently gathered for dinner in the Michigan State University Club Fireplace Room in celebration of this first cohort of Spartan professors who are dedicated to advancing Michigan State University’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) objectives. Included in this first cohort of 1855…

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1855 Professor: Researching and Teaching Native American Environmental Ethics

November 17, 2023

Elan Pochedley, Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University, focuses much of his research and teaching on understanding the sustainable stewardship that Native Americans have demonstrated toward waters, plants, fish, wildlife, and their food systems. “One thing I’ve brought up in my IAH (Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities) classes is thinking about how Indigenous…

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New Black Religion Courses Enhance Religious Studies Curriculum

November 13, 2023

From the days of slavery to the Black Lives Matter movement, religion has played an essential role in the lives of Black Americans. However, that role is often misunderstood or viewed through stereotypes of submissive slaves bowing their heads in prayer and acceptance of their fate. In reality, Black religion has evolved as a means of protest and power. The…

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Religious Studies Professor Returns to Her Native Community for 1855 Professorship

November 10, 2023

Blaire Morseau grew up in New Jersey and spent most of her life there, including her undergraduate years at Rutgers University, yet she considers Michigan her home. As a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, which is based in Dowagiac, Michigan, Morseau spent many summers in the Great Lakes State where she attended powwows and worked at various…