Join CALM, WorkWell and the Rec Center for an end-of-semester embodied meditation and free-form movement class designed to help you process stress and cultivate joy and resilience.

Releasing Stress Through Movement
with Holly Gayley and Rick Merrill

FREE FOR STUDENTS & STAFF
Tuesday, December 10, 5pm to 6pm
Rec Center, Studio 2

Everyone is welcome, no previous experience necessary.

Rick Merrill has a lifetime of experience in dance, choreography, meditation and tai chi. He leads meditation and movement workshops for all ages and backgrounds to encourage us all to rediscover our embodied wisdom, compassion and creativity. He is a Buddhist Chaplain certified by the Upaya Zen Center and the Shambhala Buddhist Community.

Holly Gayley is a scholar and translator of Buddhist literature in contemporary Tibet and associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is a founding member of a Contemplative Resource Center at CU Boulder (now CALM: Contemplative Arts, Learning, and Meditation) and regularly leads Mindful Campus groups through the Renée Crown Wellness Institute.

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Are you considering applying to our MA program? Come chat with us! We’re hosting drop-in Zoom hours where you can connect with our Graduate Program Assistant to ask questions about the program and the admissions process.

November Drop-In Zoom Hours:

Wednesday, November 20 | 4-5 PM

Friday, November 22 | 12-1 PM

Wednesday, November 27 | 12-1 PM

December Drop-In Zoom Hours:

Monday, December 2 | 4-5 PM

Friday, December 6 | 12-1 PM

Tuesday, December 10 | 2-3 PM

Monday, December 16 | 12-1 PM

Friday, December 20 | 2-3 PM

January Drop-In Zoom Hours:

Thursday, January 2 | 4-5 PM

No appointment needed—just hop in the Zoom meeting and ask away! If these times don’t work for you, and you have questions about the admissions process, please reach out to us anytime at religious.studies@colorado.edu. International applications are due December 15, 2024, and domestic applications are due January 3, 2025.

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Professor Brian Catlos’s book, Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain (Basic Books, 2018) has now been published in Turkish as Endülüs: Müslüman İspanya'nın Yeni Tarihi by the publisher Kronik Kitap.

The book has already appeared in Spanish, German, Polish, Complex Chinese, and Korean, and is forthcoming in Simplified Chinese and Arabic. This is Catlos’s second book to be translated into Turkish, after his earlier Ortaçağ Latin Hristiyan Âlemi Müslümanları: 1050-1614 (Muslims of Medieval Latin Christendom, 1050-1614)

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We are delighted to announce that Loriliai Biernacki has won the 2024 American Academy of Religion Book Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion for her 2023 book, The Matter of Wonder! 

Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion: Constructive-Reflective Studies

Loriliai Biernacki

 (Oxford University Press)

From the jury:

Loriliai Biernacki makes a fascinating case for the contemporary relevance of Abhinavagupta’s 11th-century Indian philosophy, which she reads closely in conversation with questions and perspectives of New Materialism. By analyzing wonder (camatkāra) as rooted in the material rather than in a cognitive faculty, The Matter of Wonder is both striking and original in its approach. The links she draws with viruses and AI in particular make this work pertinent and fresh. It is overall a very sophisticated and provocative book.

Congratulations Loriliai!

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We invite you to join us for the Fall 2024 Lester Lecture: "Polyvalence, Ambiguity and the Politics of Islamic Studies," by Dr. Marion Katz.

Thursday, November 14th, 5:30 PM

Eaton Humanities 250

Over the last several decades, polyvalence (in the sense of the simultaneous recognition of multiple potentially valid meanings) and the related phenomenon of ambiguity have become established themes –and implicitly central values- of the western academic study of premodern Islam. Conversely, accounts of the impact of colonialism and the transition to modern forms of Islamic thought have often thematized the rise of monovalent and unambiguous ways of reading and thinking. This trend has helpfully highlighted the diversity and richness of premodern Islamic thought. However, it has also become a trope with unexamined political valences.

Marion Katz is a Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University. Her books include Prayer in Islamic Thought and Practice (2013), Women in the Mosque: A History of Legal Thought and Social Practice (2014), and Wives and Work: Islamic Law and Ethics Before Modernity (2022).

This event is free and open to the public. Snacks and refreshments will be served.

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We welcome you to mark your calendars for a talk with Professor Dheepa Sundaram on Manufacturing Consent for Hindu Rashtra (Rule): How the Virtual Ramjanmabhoomi Movement Operates as Political Religion.

Thursday, September 26, 2024
5:30PM - 6:30 PM
Eaton HUMN 250

On November 9, 2019, the Indian Supreme Court (ISC) rendered a decision granting Hindus the right to build a Rama temple on the location of Babri Masjid razed by Hindu extremists in 1992. This talk explores the broad contours of the ISC judgement, how Facebook and Twitter communities discuss it, and why this matters politically in India. Prof. Sundaram shows how the ISC’s judgement becomes possible through the production of a mediatized, transnational, Hindu belief community (e.g. social media, blogs, and the sharing of journal/televised news pieces) that takes shape through a virtual/digital network of likes, shares, and hashtags. 

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Please join Aun Hasan Ali for “Reading and Writing Philosophy and Theology in the School of Hilla” on Wednesday, September 18 at 4:30 pm in the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University.

From the second half of the 12th to the last decades of the 14th century, the city of Hilla in southern Iraq was the center of Twelver Shii scholarship. During this time, Twelver Shii scholars produced outstanding and landmark works in practically every field of classical Islamic scholarship. In the first part of this presentation, Ali examines how the legacy of philosophy and theology shaped the representation of Twelver Shii tradition in Hilla. In the second part, he examines the actual study of and writings on philosophy and theology in Hillah. Ali argues that modern scholars’ interest in the high theology and philosophy has led to a distorted picture of what is recognizable as the formative period of Twelver Shii tradition.

Aun Hasan Ali is an associate professor here in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. He received his PhD in Islamic Studies from McGill University. His research revolves around Shi’i intellectual history, especially law and legal theory.

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Dr. Brian Catlos and Dr. Holly Gayley will be participating in conversations at JLF Colorado. Join them on September 14 and 15 to experience the vibrant energy of the Jaipur Literature Festival, famously hailed as "the greatest literary show on Earth" by Tina Brown.

Information and registration: 

The Bone Chests: Unlocking the Secrets of the Anglo-Saxons
12:00 PM MT to 01:00 PM MT, September 14, 2024 
Skyscapes, Boulder Public Library
Cat Jarman in conversation with Brian A. Catlos

Bioarcheologist and academic Cat Jarman's recent book, The Bone Chests, takes a deep dive into ancient relics and burial sites, unveiling stories of early medieval England. Jarman's research illuminates the lives, deaths, and cultural practices of the Anglo-Saxons, challenging long-held perceptions and offering fresh insights. In conversation with academic and writer Brian A Catlos, Jarman discusses the scientific techniques used, and the historical significance of her discoveries, bringing the past vividly to life.

The Sea in the Middle
1:15 PM MT to 2:15 PM MT, September 15, 2024
Skyscapes, Boulder Public Library
Brian A. Catlos in conversation with Mohit Satyanand

Evaluating the Mediterranean world and observing the role played by the populations of Africa, Asia, and Europe in an age when Christians, Muslims, and Jews engaged with each other in both conflict and collaboration, Brian A. Catlos observes the development of modernity and discusses the multilayered links spanning across geography, faith, and socioeconomic constructs that made our world the way it is today. In conversation with entrepreneur and investor Mohit Satyanand.

The Legacy of Words
1:15 PM MT to 2:15 PM MT, September 15, 2024
Canyon Theater, Boulder Public Library
Navdeep Suri, Andrew Schelling and Holly Gayley in conversation with Parul Kapur

The “Legacy of Words” is a conversation facilitated by Parul Kapur with three translators, Navdeep Suri, Holly Gayley, and Andrew Schelling, who have endeavored to retrieve the legacy of the past for contemporary readers through translating and transcreating across texts and memories. They will speak about their commitment to and the challenges in the transmission of narratives and poetry across cultures. 

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The College of Arts and Sciences celebrates the wide range of graduating students who leave their mark on the college in truly unique ways. To recognize these outstanding students for 2024, the College of Arts and Sciences asked for nominations across campus. The Department of Religious Studies nominated Joshua Perez, who was nothing short of amazing throughout his time here.

When asked what he would carry with him into the next chapter of his life he responded:

"My time at CU was not an easy one, since I had to put myself through school by working not only through the summer, but also during the school semesters and striving through all the challenges that the world had put in front of me. 

Even though it was a difficult journey, the one thing that kept me going when challenges came my way and moments of doubt saturated my mind was curiosity that colored the world with interest and wonder. That is what I will always carry."

RLST faculty praised Joshua’s efforts as follows:

"Joshua is a double major in philosophy and religious studies. He is an amazing graduate because he is vociferously curious and intellectually daring. Not only does he stand out for his excellent participation in class discussions, but he often stayed after class and came to office hours to pose serious questions and even objections to the material. Despite having to work long hours to put himself through college, he has demonstrated a rare commitment to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, going above and beyond the assigned reading to do his own research outside of class on challenging topics. His questions, comments and written work demonstrate a higher-than-average knowledge of issues and thinkers in both Western and Eastern philosophy and religious studies. It is outstanding to be an undergraduate student who can engage with such a broad range of philosophical issues at such a deep level. We know he has a very bright future ahead!"

Follow the link below to learn more about the other amazing grads from the Class of 2024!

Amazing Grads 2024 

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Dr. Brian Catlos has been very busy this year! He recently had time to record a few podcasts. From shedding light on historical figures such as Isabella of Castile, to in depth analysis of the history of al-Andalus, Catlos's podcasts offer new perspectives on historic topics. Read on to access these captivating podcasts and an illuminating panel that took place this February.

Empire

142. Isabella of Castile: Uniting Spain

To some she is Europe’s first great queen, to others she is one of history’s great villains, but there is no doubt that Isabella of Castile holds one of the most significant legacies in European history. Born third in line to the throne of Castile, she asserted herself and rose to be queen of Castile and then through her fiery marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon, laid the foundations for the unification of Spain. But as soon as she rose to dominance, she made it clear that she was willing to use terror to enforce her rule.

143. Isabella of Castile: The Spanish Inquisition, the conquest of Granada, and Columbus

For centuries Spain had been an outlier in Europe due to its religious diversity; Christians, Jews, and Muslims all existed reasonably peacefully across the Iberian peninsula. Under Isabella of Castile that all changed. She began the Spanish Inquisition and brought to the fore a religious fundamentalism that would eventually force out of the country the Muslims and the Jews. In the epoch defining year of 1492, she also conquered Granada with her husband Ferdinand, ending the era of Islamic Spain, and gave patronage to Columbus as he took his first voyage to the new world.

Muslim Footprints

Ep 8: Muslim Spain with Professor Brian Catlos

Muslims governed for almost a thousand years in the Iberian Peninsula, with Arabo-Islamic culture leading the way in science and art, philosophy and theology. It’s a period known for its cosmopolitanism – where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived and worked together in peaceful coexistence. The history of al-Andalus is not one of foreign occupation. It is not an anomaly, nor is it an exception. It represents, rather, an integral part of the historical process that created not only modern Spain and Portugal but modern Europe too.

The Sea in the Middle: The Mediterranean World | Brian A. Catlos & Josephine Quinn with Sanjoy K Roy

3 February 2024, Jaipur Literary Festival

Evaluating the Mediterranean world and observing the role played by the populations of Africa, Asia, and Europe in an age when Christians, Muslims, and Jews engaged with each other in both conflict and collaboration, this engaged panel discussed the multilayered links spanning across geography, faith and socio economic constructs which made our world the way it is today.

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