James Constantine Hanges
Professor and Interim Chair
Comparative Religion

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Quick Facts

Humanities majors at Miami get an awesome return on their investment! According to a recent study by Payscale, Miami University humanities graduates rank second in the United States for return on investment. The Payscale study examined 1,300 schools. Return on investment is a measure relating mid-career salary to the cost of tuition.

Mission Statement

The Department of Comparative Religion contributes to the general liberal education of students enrolled in its courses at all levels. Our courses focus on developing students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to engage productively with diversity. The experiences of our department’s alumni shows that these skills are transferable to careers in research, law, government or foreign service, teaching, social and humanitarian work, business, media, journalism, or medicine.

Welcome to Numinosity.

The goal of Numinosity is to keep our alumni and friends informed about the Department of Comparative Religion and to build networks of current students, Alumni, and friends of the Department. 

2013-14 has been an eventful year. The Department has adjusted to its new space in Upham Hall, but without forgetting the great memories from our years in the Old Manse. Our faculty morale and excitement for new possibilities is higher than ever as we began the academic year with many positive changes, including enthusiastically exploring new initiatives to make our Department the best it can be.

Highlights of Changes in 2013-2014:

• Curriculum review was completed and resulted in a new REL major and revised REL minor.
• Courses are now streamlined, course numbers rationalized and writing assessments built into the progression of our courses.
• Rory Johnson went from our Heanon-Wilkens Faculty Fellow to begin the tenure track, offering new topics in African American and Diaspora religions as well as theory and method.
• Nathan French and his wife, Lauren, arrived in August from Santa Barbara, California for Nathan to began the tenure track. He teaches courses on Islam, Religion and Law, and Islamic radicalism.
• Nathan was instrumental in securing a $5,000 Howe Writing Center Grant for 14-15.
• The French's welcomed their first child, a boy, a few months after arriving in Oxford!
• Unfortunately, 2013 saw the departure our long-term Program Associate, Mary Denney, who moved into a different position within the university. But our new Program Associate, Amy Ansorg, hit the ground running in the fall and has done an outstanding job. Our two student workers, Courtney DeHaas and Taylar Peters, have done an extraordinary job helping Amy and the faculty.

New & Upcoming Initiatives:

• In Fall 2015, the Department will deploy an online version of our REL 101, “Introduction to the Study of Religion,” thanks to Dr. Rory Johnson.
• This makes it possible for college-bound high school students to earn post-secondary credit while exposing these students to our program and, hopefully, bring first-year students to Miami seeking Comparative Religion as a major.
• Projected for a Fall 2015 start date, a new 100-level, cross-listed course with Biology, tentatively entitled “Religion, Science, and Origins,” will focus on contemporary issues at the intersection of religion, science, and the discourse of creation vs. evolution.
• Discussions regarding a five year BA/MA combination and the development of summer “professional” workshops offering training in leadership and management to local non-profit organizations are areas of possible growth within the department.

To help us develop new & creative ideas, I am proposing the creation of an Alumni Advisory Board. I want to invite interested Alumni to serve as Board members. I hope you’ll contact me about serving so that we can start work developing a mission statement and organizational structure.

Thanks for your continuing commitment to our efforts,

James Constantine Hanges
Professor and Interim Chair of Comparative Religion

Department News

REL 376, “Global Militant Islamisms”
Introduces and examines the development of contemporary militant Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizbullah, Hamas, and the various manifestations of al-Qaʾida. Evaluates the changing interpretations of Islamic tradition, law, and religious practice each movement manifests. Particular attention is paid to a critical analysis of the writings and multimedia productions of these movements in response to modernization, secularization, and global historical and socioeconomic circumstances.

Highlighting Student Research

A John W. Altman Fellow in Miami’s Humanities Center encourages collaboration across disciplines. Junior Courtney DeHaas has completed an interdisciplinary research project, in collaboration with her Adviser, Dr. Nathan French, entitled, “The Global Mujāhidīn: A Case Study of the Boston Marathon Bombings,” analyzing the effect of globalization on jihadi-salafi identity formation and their identification with the broader, global jihadi-salafi community. Courtney’s project focuses on the Tsarnaev brothers’ appropriation of jihadi-salafi texts for the Boston Marathon bombings.

Courtney’s peer profiler writes, "I asked Courtney what she liked about participation in this year's Altman program. She said that she enjoys being involved and getting to see how scholars talk amongst themselves about their research material. She has been able to interview the visiting experts who have given talks at Miami this year. These types of interactions have been great for her in terms of networking. In her opinion, the best thing about the program is that it allows you to do advanced research, developing a research paper for a whole year; you get to work with a professor one-on-one in developing that paper. She has been developing a presentation and final paper since the fall, which gives her a rewarding feeling and also gives her something to demonstrate to graduate schools that she is ready for advanced research. The professor she works with is an expert on jihadi-salafis and she feels honored being able to work so closely with him. She has also been able to use Arabic a lot for the program -- this has been challenging but also rewarding."

Faculty Profiles and News

James C. Hanges
This year, Dr. James Constantine Hanges was appointed Chair of the Comparative Religion department. He received his BA in Classical Greek and MA in Religion at Miami, going on to complete his PhD at the University of Chicago. Dr. Hanges returned to Oxford where, since 1993, he continues to teach a variety of subjects dealing with the origins and development of Christianity in the Greco-Roman Mediterranean. Dr. Hanges has published two monographs, an edited anthology, and numerous articles. Dr. Hanges is currently working on a new book on the apostle Paul’s Damascus Road conversion story.

Profile by Ross Connacher

Liz Wilson
Dr. Liz Wilson is currently serving as Chief Departmental Advisor and is preparing for her first Winter Term workshop for Study Abroad in India. Liz edited a collection of essays entitled, “Family in Buddhism: Buddhist Vows and Family Ties" (SUNY, 2013) to which she also contributed two essays. Liz served as a manuscript reviewer for Columbia University Press, University of Chicago Press, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of Theology and Sexuality, and Oxford Bibliographies. She also had two critical book reviews accepted for publication this year. Liz serves her discipline as a member of the Steering Committee of the Buddhism Section of the American Academy of Religion. Dr. Wilson was also appointed one of two Altman fellows coordinating a yearlong inquiry into globalization for 2013/2014. The Altman Fellows Program is the signature program of the Miami University Humanities Center; its goal is to foster collaboration, pedagogical innovation, and new research across the humanities at Miami. Wilson worked with a team of scholars on the topic of past and present global flows across national boundaries. The 2013-2014 Altman Program brings together eleven Miami University faculty, six student fellows, two dozen visiting scholars, and hundreds of other students and faculty for a sustained conversation about globalization. The program includes lectures, films, dialogues, and conferences, as well as a yearlong faculty seminar and special undergraduate courses. Dr. Wilson also received a 2014 grant from the Miami University Committee on Faculty Research to pursue a project on the twentieth century revival of Buddhism in India.

Scott Kenworthy
Dr. Scott Kenworthy has proven to be a prolific grant-writer, and has received sufficient external funding to spend four semesters on research leave. He received funding to participate in an NEH Summer Institute for College & University Teachers (Summer 2013) and for a fellowship in the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study (Fall 2013). Currently, Scott is in Germany on a Humbolt Fellowship. In 2013 Scott published four critical book reviews, and currently has six essays accepted for publication in six different anthologies. Scott contributes to his discipline by continuing to serve as Vice-President of the Association for the Study or Eastern Christian History and Culture.

Nathan French
Miami University welcomes Dr. Nathan French, our new tenure-track, Assistant Professor of Islam. Dr. French was born in Louisville, KY and he earned his B.A in Religion from Center College in 2006, his MA in Islamic Studies from Washington University (2008), and his PhD in Religious Studies from the University of California (2013). His dissertation, “And God Knows the Martyrs: Authority and Self, Suicide and Martyrdom in Jihadi-Salafi Jurisprudence” analyses the ethical guidelines and justifications used by suicide bombers in the Middle East. Dr. French has already introduces the courses, “Religion & Law” and “Global Militant Islamisms.” His current research projects include ritualistic oath taking in Islam, the legal issues arising from American drone strikes, questioning how the government’s framing of these drone strikes relates to the ethical moves made by the militant Islamist groups, and translating Miami University’s oldest Arabic book, the “Kitab al-Jihad” written by Ibn al-Mubarak. Dr. French is interdisciplinary in his scholarly orientation. He says that if he had the opportunity to take classes here at Miami, he would like to study either Geology or Biology. If he were to teach outside the Department, he would like to teach Philosophy or Law. In his free time Dr. French is a LA Dodgers fan, a supporter of all Louisville athletics, and his favorite band is Radiohead. Dr. French and his wife Lauren have a four-month old son named “Erasmus” after the famous Christian theologian Desiderius Erasmus. Dr. French is passionate about making a difference – in the classroom, in the local community, and in the world. You can follow his Twitter account, @innesseff.

Rory Johnson
Dr. Rory Johnson began his career at Miami as a Heanon Wilkins Faculty Fellow in the College of Arts and Sciences, specifically in Comparative Religion. As his two years as a Heanon Wilkins Fellow ended, Dr. Johnson was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department. Originally from Chicago, Dr. Johnson earned his B.A. in Philosophy at Morehouse College, both his M.A. in Sociology and Psychology of Religion, and his Ph.D. in Anthropology and Sociology of Religion from University of Chicago, writing a dissertation entitled, “Precious Memories: The Acculturation of Memory in African American Religions,” examining how collective memory is institutionalized through religious musical practice. Dr. Johnson is currently working on a project looking into invisible institutions of African American religion— those practices that make up the private and hidden religious world within the African American religious complex. Dr. Johnson teaches a wide variety of courses, and next semester he will be teaching a course on religion and film which will look at the mythology of the hero in films, a course on shamanism that explores the political and social role ecstasy plays in the cultures of the Americas, as well as a class on the African derived religions – Voodoo, Santeria, and Condole.

Profile by Courtney DeHaas

Hillel Gray
Dr. Hillel Gray is a visiting professor in the Department teaching comparative religion at Miami since 2010. Dr. Gray earned his B.A. in Economics from Yale University, his M.T.S. in Jewish Studies from Harvard University, and his Ph.D. in the History of Judaism from the University of Chicago. He teaches a popular 100 level course on the dynamics of religious “extremism,” focusing on examples such as the Westboro Baptist Church, the Amish, Ultra Orthodox Jews, and others, the course sheds light on the dynamics of our society as a whole. Dr. Gray believes that if one can approach groups like the WBC dispassionately, one can learn how the people of this sub-culture think and feel. 

Profile by Daniel Lees

John-Charles Duffy
Dr. John-Charles Duffy is a visiting professor who has been teaching Comparative Religion at Miami since 2011. Dr. Duffy earned his B.A. in English from Brigham Young University in 1995, with his original goal becoming a literature professor. He went on to receive his MA in English from the University of Utah. However, after a few months living and working in a rural community in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Duffy realized that he didn’t want to limit his focus to literature, but wanted to teach something more practical. While teaching college writing at the University of Utah, he met Colleen McDannell, the university’s only religious studies professor. She strongly influenced Dr. Duffy to return to school and earn his second MA and his PhD in Religious Studies from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, with a dissertation focusing on the interfaith dialogue between Evangelical Protestants and Mormons and the struggle experience by participants in this dialogue to be open to one another’s religion without compromising their own beliefs. Dr. Duffy explains the importance of studying religion and its role in society and culture by saying that religions are phenomena that affect many areas of social life—politics, economics, art, literature, etc. Religion influences how people think about science, ethnicity and gender identities, and controversies about sexuality. Understanding religion as an important cultural dynamic is necessary to understanding how people form relationships, interact with others, and shape their lives. Dr. Duffy’s current academic projects include a co-authored textbook for Routledge press that will introduce students to Mormonism in the context of American history, politics, and culture.  During his time at Miami, Dr. Duffy hopes to integrate more service learning into the curriculum, and he wants to challenge students to apply what they learn outside the classroom, “As we equip students to understand how religion shapes society, we help them become informed citizens. Dr. Duffy is now settled in Oxford with his husband and dog, and when not teaching writing, he likes to strum his guitar or play the piano. 

Profile by Alyssa Jones

2013-2014 End of Year Award Winners

Jacqueline Morgan

2013 Newell S. Booth, Jr. Award for Excellence in Comparative Religion

Kelsey Nicole Jones

2013 Roy Bowen Ward Award for Excellence in Biblical Studies

Geoffrey Blackwell

2013 Harold O. Forshey Award for Outstanding Overall Academic Achievement

Taylar Peters

2013 Alan Miller Award for Outstanding Student Service to the Department

Alumni Profiles

Katelyn Butts, Class of 2013
“I moved to Washington DC a week and a half after graduating with degrees in Comparative Religion and Journalism. A week later I was hired on as the Operations Manager at Clean Cuts Music and Sound Design Studio, a company with offices in Baltimore, Silver Spring, and DC, fourteen studios, sixteen sound designers, and three composers. Four months later... they promoted me to be a producer and casting director!

"I am the audio producer for video games of all platforms. We provide custom sound design, original music, audio implementation, and voice over talent for video games. In just a few short weeks, I'll be the only gaming producer for the company. It's a challenge but I'm loving it! I'm excited about all the projects, travel, and excitement that come with my job. It'll be a fun adventure! I wouldn't be here if I didn't take every advantage Miami offers; I started with Clean Cuts because of another alum I met networking several years ago!”

Olivia Mote, MA 2011
Olivia came to the Department from DePauw University in 2009 and began an outstanding career with us. The faculty soon learned how bright and fun-loving Olivia is—a combination that suited her well in her role as one of our Teaching Assistants (you know, back in the day when we had funding for such extravagances). She completed her MA with us in 2011, with a thesis entitled Lebanon’s “Social Mosaic”: The (Re)making of Identities and the Impact of Liberal Education (A Preliminary Study). Along the way, Olivia also won our Alan Miller Award for Outstanding Graduate Student (2009-10). 

While she studied in the Department, Olivia began her continuing love of Arabic, studying both at Miami and at the American University of Beirut. After graduation Olivia just could not find it in her to leave her Miami family right away, and we certainly took advantage of that by putting her to work at the Miami Hamilton campus where she taught various courses for the Department. Sadly, Olivia had to leave us, and accepted a great offer from the University of Wisconsin, Madison Law School, a choice made in no small part due to the presence among the faculty of Asifa Quraishi-Landes, and expert on both Constitutional and Islamic Law. While she finishes her J.D. at Wisconsin, Olivia is working as a Law Clerk for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, where she carries out research and writes for this non-profit, educational organization that works to safeguard First Amendment rights and to uphold the separation between state and church. In addition, Olivia volunteers for the Veterans Law Clinic, and belongs to a number of academic and legal associations.

Christopher Kromer, MA 2009
"Since leaving Miami, I’ve used the research, writing, and critical thinking skills from the MA program in a variety of settings. The Department’s flexibility and openness to new ideas allowed me to create a course of study tailored to my interests and experiences.

"After completing my thesis on the religious and legal implications of government-funded faith-based initiatives, I worked briefly in former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland’s Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives. I’m currently a part-time law student at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC, where I’m putting my Miami experience to good use in studying the role religious traditions play in international disputes. This summer I’ll continue exploring the interaction between governments and religious groups when I travel to Oxford University in England to participate in an intensive international human rights law program. During my time at Miami, family and friends often asked me, ‘What in the world can you do with a Master’s degree in comparative religion?’ Even I’ve been surprised at the opportunities afforded me because of my Miami degree. Last year, I interned with the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom and helped compile the office’s annual report to Congress. There is no doubt that my MA in comparative religion gave me a boost in a crowded field of applicants.”

Jared Dees, Class of 2004
"I earned a degree in Comparative Religion and History from Miami University and then entered the graduate program at the University of Notre Dame. While completing the program, I began teaching middle school social studies and religion in a Catholic school in Florida. At the end of that two-year program I continued teaching religion in a Catholic high school in Nashville, Tennessee before moving to South Bend, IN to work for Notre Dame with my Miami-merger wife. I missed teaching and had a dream of working in Catholic publishing and maybe even being an author someday, so I started a blog in 2009.

"Less than a year later I got that job in publishing at Ave Maria Press, first working as a textbook editor, but now working in digital publishing and content creation. On the side, my personal website continued to grow in popularity while I worked towards a second master's degree in theology. Once my studies were complete, I turned to writing and my dream of becoming an author became a reality in 2013 when my first book and two additional eBooks were published as resources for people teaching religion in Catholic schools and churches. I'm very grateful for the experience and education I received through Miami's comparative religion department. It helped make me a better writer, researcher, teacher, and speaker.”

Endowments, Opportunities to Give Back

The Department’s endowments, and especially the Rappleye scholarship, provide direct benefits to students. By helping us grow these endowment funds you, our Alumni, most directly affect the lives of our students. So, please consider how you can help expand the possibilities by contacting the Miami University Development Office at givetomu@MiamiOH.edu, or make a gift online.

Our Department is fortunate to have donors like Dick and Karen Rappleye. Their generosity is currently helping a worthy student in Comparative Religion complete her degree. Our hope is that our alumni and friends of the department will help build this scholarship so that the Rappleye Scholarship can serve many more outstanding Comparative Religion students.

Arthur C. Wickenden, a graduate of the University of Chicago, went to Oxford in 1927 to found and chair what was then the Miami Department of Religion, which together with the University of Iowa is the oldest department devoted to the study of religion in an American state-supported university.  These lectures have been delivered by some of the world’s most eminent scholars, including Sydney E. Ahlstrom, Huston Smith, Helmut Koester, Martin E. Marty, Frank Moore Cross, Daniel Walker Howe, Michael Sells, and David Carrasco. The lecture series was established in 1970 by the Rev. Walter Simmons and members of the Wickenden family in commemoration of Professor Wickenden’s life and in celebration of the human spirit. With contributions to grow this fund, the Department will be able to bring even more widely known authors to the Oxford campus.

Established July 15, 1986, the Edward A. Puff Sr. and Edith Kottmyer Puff Memorial Lecture in the Study of Christianity was endowed by the Rev. Edward A. Puff Jr., a Dayton Ohio clergyman, and his brother, Harold F. Puff of Oxford, Professor of Management Emeritus at Miami. It is named for their parents in gratitude for the sacrifices they made that enabled the brothers to attend Miami during the Depression years.

Nominate a Young Miamian!

Do you know an inspiring young alumnus who has started a business, been recognized in their field, or made a significant impact on a movement?

If so, please nominate them for 18 of the Last 9, a program that honors 18 outstanding young alumni who have graduated in the last nine years (2005-2013).

To learn more about the 2013 honorees and submit a nomination for 2014, please visit MiamiAlum.org/18of9.

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• Send us your questions and comments at religion@miamioh.edu