Religious Studies
Religious Studies Faculty, at CSUN
Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter!
The Religious Studies Department at CSUN stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter! In the wake of George Floyd’s brutal murder, we mourn all the black lives that are lost to racism and senseless acts of violence for centuries. We remember them and let their memories be remembered. Being all too familiar with historical examples and consequences of racism, we invite our students, faculty, and staff to continue their tireless work to end it for a better life for us and our children. We express our support for all those who call for racial justice, as well as justice for any persons who are discriminated, dehumanized, and abused because of their racial, ethnic, social, and religious identities and continue our unwavering commitment to include in our curriculum such themes that teach us our basic human values and rights—justice, equality, freedom, and peace, to name a few.
Dear Religious Studies Community,
We are living in challenging times of uncertainty, anxiety, and concern for our loved ones and ourselves. Our day-to-day lives are rapidly changing every minute and it may be challenging to adapt to this “new normal,” maintain equilibrium, and find ways to nurture ourselves mentally and spiritually. Amidst this turmoil and change, I want to assure you that one constant you can always rely on is our (faculty and staff) commitment to your wellbeing, success, and care.
We are here to help you! “Learning” still continues virtually at the moment through alternate modes of instruction. We are here to help thrive your “learning” with our utmost attention, dedication, and effort. But we need your help in doing this—COMMUNICATION. Please let us know your questions, concerns, and issue. Faculty, please update your students with every little change and whenever you are uploading or making course content available. Please DO respond to your students in a timely manner. Students, please let your professors know whatever issues you are facing with. We can overcome this together in solidarity.
Please find below some HELPFUL links and let me know how I can help.
All the best,
Chair, Mustafa Ruzgar
- COVID-19 Information and FAQ’s
- Academic Continuity (Resources for Virtual Learning Environment)
The Religious Studies Major - A Student's Perspective
Featured News
Free coffee and cookies with White Utopias author Amanda Lucia
March 4, 2024
Join book author Amanda Lucia for free coffee and cookies as she discusses how transformational festivals (such as Burning Man, Bhakti Fest) operate as religious institutions for “spiritual, but not religious” (SBNR) communities. White Utopias examines the complicated, often contradictory relationships with race at these events, presenting an engrossing ethnography of SBNR practices.
Department of Religious Studies Spring Events Flyer (PDF)
- Event Date: April 23, 2024
- Time: 2–3:15 p.m.
- Location: USU Southwest Addition - Thousand Oaks Room
Guest Speaker: Melanie Nyhof
March 2, 2024
Join guest speaker, Melanie Nyhof, as she outlines her research conducted in Indonesia regarding children’s understanding of supernatural concepts.
- Event Date: March 25th, 2024
- Time: 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
- Location: Sierra Hall 451
“Carmen Christi: The Story of Early Christians”
February 9, 2024
Join us for "Carmen Christi: The Story of Early Christians" with Dr. Johann D. Kim. Explore Phil 2:5-11's profound narrative and its significance in early Christianity. Date: Feb 28th, Time: 12:30–2 p.m., Location: USU East Conference Center - Lake View Terrace AB (formerly just A). Contact Prof. Kenneth Lee for more info: 818-677-2357, klee@csun.edu. Presented by CSUN's Department of Religious Studies and DVSP. Read more
Prof. Claire White's Research on Grief Featured on Two BBC Podcasts
April 19, 2021
"Inside Science", explaining what this research is about: Go to 13:36 Click Here and go to 13:36
and "CrowdScience": Click here for Full Podcast on Grief
If you would like to help Professor White obtain more information from those who have lost a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic (note: the person did not need to have died because of COVID, because we need information on how people cope with death no matter the cause), then participate here:
How to Promote Religious Tolerance in the Classroom
March 29, 2021
By Claire White, Professor in Religious Studies at California State University, Northridge, USA and author of An Introduction to the Cognitive Science of Religion.
One of the challenges facing Americans today is establishing religious tolerance. Where do we begin? One place to start is in the classroom. A new academic approach to the study of religion, known as “The Cognitive Science of Religion” (CSR), affords educators a new theoretical framework to teach students about religion. CSR counteracts the excessive focus, in cultural studies approaches, on documenting the seemingly endless diversity between and within traditions. Instead, it offers a scientific approach suggesting that core features of belief transcend our differences and stem from universal features of the human mind expressed through different environments. Consequently, this focus on transcending differences can provide a new framework that educators can use in the classroom to facilitate religious tolerance. Read more
