Wittenberg University Department of Religion

Wittenberg University

This week students from Dr. Travis Proctor's Wittenberg Religion Department class, "Fake News, Forgeries, & Frauds," visited the Heritage Center. They met with Collections staff members, Tyler Elam, Miranda Taylor, Kelly Pilarsky, and Natalie Fritz, to look at some of the artifacts with dubious provenance in the collections. Some of these items were "sideshow curiosities" from the past. This included the "Fiji Mermaid," a creature purchased by a local sailor in Japan in the 1870s and donated in 1906, a "piece of Noah's Ark," a "key to the Bastille, on loan from the Marquis de Lafayette," and a "piece of the Great Pyramids." The staff talked about the various, and sometimes less helpful, methods of record keeping throughout the 127 years of the historical society's history and the challenges of finding and reconciling documentation for some items.

Committed to excellence in teaching in and outside the classroom, Wittenberg professors regularly contribute to the academy, campus, and the community. See the latest edition of Faculty Corner, which includes recent faculty recognitions at https://tinyurl.com/zyfcpz32

Applying classroom learning to the real world through student-faculty research is integral to the Wittenberg experience. Last year, several students took advantage of the opportunity, including McKenna Boling ’24, who studied with Travis Proctor, assistant professor of religion. Read more on their Biblical literature project at http://tinyurl.com/md3r58np

Students from Prof. Proctor's RELI 120 "Demons, Angels, & Ghosts" class got to learn about the "spooky" histories of Springfield last night through a class ghost tour. Special thanks to the National Trail Parks and Recreation District for hosting us, and to Jon Duraj for the photos!

As a humanities department, we are proud of the work we do and the opportunities our students earn as part of their time at Witt!

Why Majoring in the Humanities Can Be a Great Career Move Many students majoring in English, philosophy and film get impressive opportunities right out of college.

The Wittenberg University Department of Religion and Thomas Library are pleased to be co-sponsoring a forthcoming public lecture at Wittenberg University.

Dr. Isaac Weiner of the Ohio State University will be presenting a talk entitled “Listening for Religion.” This talk will serve as the grand opening for the “Sounds of Religion” interactive poster exhibit, on display now at Thomas Library on the Wittenberg campus.

The talk will be at 4pm on September 13th in the main area of Thomas Library, first floor. Light refreshments will be provided.

We are still accepting applications for our K-12 Teacher's Workshop on Religious Literacy, though the application deadline (May 5th) is fast approaching. Please share widely with any teachers you think might be interested!

The Religion Program at Wittenberg University is excited to offer a special four-day, on-campus summer workshop for K-12 teachers on the topic of religious literacy in today’s classrooms. Facilitated by Travis Proctor, Assistant Professor of Religion at Wittenberg, and Matthew Hotham, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Ball State University, the workshop promotes public education and community outreach. Participants will receive a small stipend, continuing education credits, and free resources related to religious literacy. For more information and to apply, visit the workshop website: https://www.wittenberg.edu/academics/religion/religious-literacy-summer-workshop

Wittenberg University Religion Prof. Travis Proctor recently had his book featured in an interview for the International Association of Patristic Studies, now available for viewing on YouTube.

Prof. Travis W. Proctor, Demonic Bodies and the Dark Ecologies of Early Christian Culture New Books on Patristics: Travis W. Proctor, Demonic Bodies and the Dark Ecologies of Early Christian Culture, Oxford University Press (2022).https://global.o...

The Religion program was very lucky to have Dr. Meghan Henning of the University of Dayton visit us recently at Wittenberg University. She presented on her book, Hell Hath No Fury: Gender, Disability, and the Invention of Damned Bodies in Early Christianity. For those wishing to stay informed of future Witt religion events, send us a message (using the "send message" button below) with your email contact. And for those not able to make it, check out Dr. Henning's work here: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300223118/hell-hath-no-fury/

The Religion Program was very proud that two students who participated with Religion faculty in the "FYRA" (First Year Research Award) program presented their research at the recent "Connections Symposium" on the Wittenberg University campus. Way to go Kyle and Haley!

The Religion Program at Wittenberg University is excited to offer a special four-day, on-campus summer workshop for K-12 teachers on the topic of religious literacy in today’s classrooms. Facilitated by Travis Proctor, Assistant Professor of Religion at Wittenberg, and Matthew Hotham, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Ball State University, the workshop promotes public education and community outreach. Participants will receive a small stipend, continuing education credits, and free resources related to religious literacy. For more information and to apply, visit the workshop website: https://www.wittenberg.edu/academics/religion/religious-literacy-summer-workshop