University of Richmond Department of Religious Studies

Giving Day 2026 is in full swing! Check out some highlights from our year! https://vimeo.com/1181336919?share=copy

If you'd like to give this year, gifts can be made here: https://www.givecampus.com/schools/UniversityofRichmond/ur-here-giving-day/pages/academics/religious-studies?campaign_view=true

vimeo.com

We hope you'll attend Dr. Candida Moss' talk next Wednesday, April 8, at 4:30 pm in the Humanities Commons, 220.

Sponsored by the Department of Classical Studies, the Humanities Center, and the Theodore F. Adams Lecture Fund.

Mark your calendars! The departments of Religious Studies and Journalism are co-sponsoring a talk next week:

War in Iran: Behind the Headlines

Dr. Peyman Jafari, Assistant Professor of History at William and Mary and expert on the modern Middle East, in conversation with University of Richmond professors Shahan M***i (Journalism) and Yucel Yanikdag (History)

Whitehurst Living Room
Monday, March 23, at 4:30 PM

Another stellar course line-up is coming in Fall 2026!🤩 Check out the course descriptions here: https://religiousstudies.richmond.edu/courses/projected-courses.html

Svea used her Eakin Fellowship while she studied abroad in the fall semester. Check out her wonderful video here:

Svea Erickson Eakin Fellowship Svea reflects on what she learned using her Eakin Fellowship.

Religious Studies minor, Ava Jenks, wrote a great article documenting her experience on an adventure led by Professor Winiarski in search of a Shaker Fountain Stone. Check it out here!

A group of Spiders dug into Maine’s soil to solve a mystery. Instead, they deepened it. Junior Ava Jenks tells the story of a trip to New England led by religion and American studies professor Doug Winiarksi to uncover a long-lost, sacred Shaker religious artifact.

Another great video from one of our 2025-2026 Eakin Fellows, Ava Scott!

Ava Scott Eakin Fellowship Ava shares what she learned while studying early Christianity’s relationship with the Sibyls and Sibylline Oracles in Rome.

Check out this video by one of our 2025-2026 Eakin Fellows, Kaylee!

Kaylee Wyrick Eakin Fellowship Kaylee reflects on what she learned while in Indonesia.

We hope you'll join us for a talk by Dr. Elaine James, Princeton Theological Seminary:

Thinking with Art: Biblical Poetry and the Song of Songs

The Bible is often characterized as didactic literature: it aims to teach, or it provides rules for its followers. But people often forget—or perhaps they never knew—that much of the Bible is poetry. It is art. How we describe this art matters: it matters to how we read, it matters to how we interpret, it matters to how we value religious life and practice. It might even help us think about what we ourselves make, and why.

This talk will take place on Tuesday, November 4th at 12:00 pm in the Brown Alley Room, located on the third floor of Weinstein Hall (313).

Dia de los mu***os is traditionally celebrated on Nov 1–2. Take a minute to learn about this Mexican and Latin American tradition. Spoiler Alert: it's not the same as Halloween!

Day of the Dead The Day of the Dead is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have....