Philosophy and Religious Studies

Professor of Philosophy Eric Palmer accepted the position of Co-Editor of Journal of Global Ethics, alongside Sirkku Hellsten. Published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis, the journal enters its tenth year of publication in 2014.

Professor Palmer also co-directed a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute (“Development Ethics” at Michigan State University) and published “The Andhra Pradesh Microfinance Crisis and American Payday Lending: Two Studies in Vulnerability” in Révue Ethique et Economique/Ethics and Economics.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

On May 14, 2013, Professor of Religious Studies Carl Olson was a panelist for the BBC radio program “Beyond Belief,” on the topic of celibacy. The producer of the program discovered him through his book on celibacy, published by Oxford University Press. “Beyond Belief” attracts more than a million listeners each week

At the Conference on the Study of Religions of India held at Drew University from June 27-30, 2013, Professor Olson presented a paper titled “The Curse of the Indian Ascetic: An Examination of Narrative and Power.”

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Carl Olson, professor of religious studies, presented at the annual meeting of the Conference on the Study of Religions of India at Drew University in Madison, N.J. on June 29. His essay was titled, “The Curse of the Indian Ascetic: An Examination of Narrative and Power.”

The essay describes the act of Indian ascetics using curses to punish those who have offended them, often present in Indian epic literature. In this case, ascetics are placed between less powerful human and more powerful divine beings. Their curse shows a development of personal powers (siddhas) associated with spiritual discipline.

The paper also investigates the power of words from the acts of truth and mantra perspectives. This enables the ascetic’s curse to be seen as a speech act and instills fear of the power of the curse. The essay also shows how speech acts in Indian epic literature work to express messages about the nature of power.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Professor of Religious Studies Carl Olson’s essay “Technology, Violence, and Nonviolence: A Gandhian Response to Heidegger and Derrida” appears in Classical and Contemporary Issues in Indian Studies: Essays in Honour of Trichur S. Rukmani, edited by P. Pratap Kumar and Jonathan Duquette (New Delhi: DK Printword, 2013): 360-377. The book represents a Festschrift for a distinguished Indian scholar. Professor Olson’s essay investigates the connection between technology and violence through the philosophies of Martin Heidegger and Jacques Derrida. Through these philosophies, and those of Ghandi, the essay works to answer the following questions: “Is there a way to apply some of the principles of Gandhian nonviolence in such as way as to ameliorate the violence associated with technology? Or, using Gandhi’s insights into the practice of nonviolence, is it thus possible for technology to become more nonviolent?”

Professor Olson has also signed a contract with Routledge Publishing in London to produce a textbook for college-level courses, tentatively titled Religious Ways of Experiencing: A Narrative Approach. It is proposed to discuss the plurality of religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity, and the differences within particular traditions. His book also covers religions found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Native American traditions along with the new religious movements of today. The narrative approach of the textbook continues the story-telling traditions common in many of these religions. It will include supplementary material such as maps, photos, a glossary of terms, and suggestions for further reading.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Provost and Dean of the College Linda DeMeritt, ACE Fellow Lisa Henderson, and Chaplain Jane Ellen Nickell presented “A Gateway to Community, Cultures, and Careers” in March at the second national conference of the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), a network of 183 schools that provides resources for students to explore careers. NETVUE is administered by the Council of Independent Colleges with support from the Lilly Endowment.

The presentation described the Allegheny Gateway, which is expected to open in Fall 2014, and the opportunities it will provide for students to explore career choices. The Gateway also will integrate opportunities related to civic engagement, diversity, and internationalism to support an interdisciplinary education that fosters citizens of the world.

DeMeritt, Henderson, and Nickell used survey information to show that students who identify as nonreligious are concerned with questions of meaning, purpose, and values, and that these questions guide their career choices. One of the goals of the Gateway is to help students explore those questions through experiential learning opportunities such as study away and service learning. Another goal is to encourage both religious and nonreligious students to integrate their learning inside and outside the classroom and to consider the spiritual dimension of their lives.

Allegheny is one of the pioneers in the type of initiative that combines career resources with faculty involvement and experiential learning opportunities. Gateway pilot project initiatives will begin with the 2013-2014 academic year.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Oxford University Press has published the latest book by Professor of Religious Studies Carl Olson, The Allure of Decadent Thinking: Religious Studies and the Challenge of Postmodernism. The book is essentially about the use of postmodern philosophy as a tool for interpreting religious phenomena and the pros and cons for doing so. The chapters examine various postmodern perspectives in the study of religions. It also provides ways in which Religious Studies scholars may respond to the postmodern challenge.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research