On September 4th, 2025, Dr. Deepak Sarma was featured on Ideastream’s Sound of Ideas, “Clinical trials and political will could mark new landscape for psychedelics.” The discussion centers around the landscape of psychedelics and how they’re being used in the medical sphere, clinical trials happening here in Northeast Ohio, and what mental issues are being targeted.
The Office of the Provost at Case Western Reserve University recently announced that Dr. Justine Howe, associate professor and chair in the Department of Religious Studies, has been appointed as the new faculty director of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women.
A respected scholar and engaged campus leader, Howe brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach to this role, along with a deep commitment to teaching, research and fostering meaningful community connections.
From all of us in the Department of Religious Studies, congratulations Dr. Howe!
To learn more, read the newsroom’s announcement here:
At this year’s Inkubator Writing Conference 2025, Dr. Joy R. Bostic, Associate Professor of Africana Religion and founder of the Minor in Africana Studies will moderate Dr. Eve L. Ewing and Dr. Imani Perry in their Virtual Fiction Panel, Stories We Tell: How History Shapes Us
Monday, September 8th at 7:00pm ET
The Inkubator Writing Conference is Literary Cleveland’s FREE annual festival for writers and readers.
From September 8-10 we will host virtual panel discussions with national authors all leading up to the big two-day in-person conference at the Cleveland Public Library September 11-13. The conference will feature writing workshops, panel discussions, craft talks, a book fair, a party, and a keynote address. See the full schedule at inkubator.litcleveland.org.
Altogether, the Inkubator is a public celebration of writing in Cleveland that advances writers’ individual abilities, furthers artistic dialogue, fosters a more connected literary community, and invites more people to tell their stories.
The Department of Religious Studies welcomes new and returning students to campus with an exciting special event, a psychic and tarot reading with Michelle Falcone! This Explore event takes place on
Wednesday, September 3rd at 5pm
in the Thwing Center’s Bellflower Lounge (290)
Register on Groups to attend
Curious what Grandpa’s been up to on the other side? Want to know if you’re going to pass that first mid-term? Join Michelle Falcone for connection, humor, and healing with tarot card readings and heartfelt messages from loved ones who’ve passed on. Followed by an open discussion with our faculty Can we really connect with the dead or predict the future? How does religion provide pathways to immaterial realms? Is there a connection between performance and religion? Join us for a magical evening!
Dr. Michele Tracy Berger published her co-authored op-ed, Our Graduates’ Successes: What the Data Tells Us About the Value of Cultural and Gender Studies Degrees, for Ms. Magazine on Sunday, July 20th, 2025. The op-ed argues that in contrast to the recent demonization of DEI & “gender ideology,” which have painted our interdisciplinary fields as “useless” or “garbage degrees,” our data-informed perspective, drawing from government and other national data (such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Association of Colleges & Employers), paints a far more positive picture of what graduates accomplish.
Dr. Brian Clites, the Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor in Catholic Studies II, provided insight to the Washington Post on their recent article, A new Pope confronts his church’s abuse scandal amid praise and scrutiny. The allegations “are serious,” he said, “but they’re so common that I cannot imagine many people who would have been elected pope who would not have had similar profiles.”
As the papal conclave concludes with the election of Pope Leo XIV, Professor Jonathan Tan has continued to be a leading voice in media coverage of this historic transition. The Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor of Catholic Studies, Dr. Tan has provided expert analysis across major outlets, offering valuable context on the implications of Pope Leo’s election following the passing of Pope Francis.
Having spent the last few weeks being sought out by the media worldwide, extensively covering Pope Francis’s passing, Dr. Tan prepares for a second marathon of interviews:
Dr. Tan additionally published an op-ed for UCA news titled, “Pope Leo XIV and the Church’s coming of age in the Global South,”(May 13, 2025) in which he discusses the new pope’s decision to identify with Peru and what his dual citizenship could mean for the Catholic Church.
This page will be continually updated, stay tuned!
Dr. Brian Clites, Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor in Catholic Studies II, was quoted extensively in the article, Pam Bondi Unleashes On Alleged ‘Anti-Christian Bias’ — And A Christian Leader Has Thoughts (HuffPost, April 24, 2025), discussing the Trump administration’s latest task force. Dr. Clites states that Trump’s executive order “cites the First Amendment protection of religious liberty as its guiding principle, but in fact the order itself is a remarkable incursion against the separation of church and state.” He further observes, “By calling out the protection of women’s rights as ‘anti-Christian,’ the administration is uplifting the views of some Christians over and against the views of other Christians,” emphasizing that “American Christians hold diverse views about reproductive justice and Transgender rights”
The world mourns following the Monday morning news on April 21st, of the passing of Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Dr. Jonathan Tan, the Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor of Catholic Studies, has been busy reflecting on the legacy of the inspirational late Pope and discussing what comes next. As one can imagine of such a groundbreaking individual, there is much to discuss. He was interviewed live by Singapore’s Channel News Asia (CNA), Ideastream’s Sound of Ideas (April 22, 2025), and BBC Newsday (April 24, 2025). He was quoted by USA Today and Time, and has written three op-ed’s for UCA News, “Conclave will reflect Church’s new-found global orientation: Pope Francis sowed the seeds for the internationalization of the papal office itself” (April 24, 2025), “The future of Vatican-China relations beyond Pope Francis” (April 28, 2025), and “Choosing the next pope after Francis.” (May 6, 2025). Dr. Tan additionally wrote a column for the People’s Reporter, “Remembering Pope Francis: A Pope for the World and Asia” (May 10 – 24, 2025)
Amid the anticipation, on the evening of Tuesday, May 6th (Wednesday, May 7th Singapore time), his expertise is again called upon in two Singapore morning news segments, BBC Newsday with Steven Lai and Singapore’s Channel News Asia CNA 938 radio news morning report, “CNA938 Rewind – Holy smoke: Who will be the next pope?” with Hairianto Diman and Susan Ng, both of which focus on the papal conclave, issues, and frontrunners.
To learn more about his extensive work, this page will be updated as more events and information become available, so stay tuned!
Dr. Tan continues to share his expertise following the announcement of the new Pope Leo XIV.
Pawo Choyning Dorji, will be visiting CWRU from Wednesday, April 23rd through Friday, April 25th, to screen his films and deliver a talk titled, “Untying Knots of Light and Sculpting Time: Storytelling in Bhutan”. This talk will focus on the themes of interdependence, impermanence, and the motivation behind storytelling. Drawing from personal experiences, along with spiritual and cultural insights, filmmaker, screenwriter, and director Dorji explores how Bhutanese stories are deeply interwoven with Buddhist principles, reflecting Bhutan’s unique perspective on creativity, existence, and happiness.
This event is presented in partnership with the Departments of Religious Studies and English and the Asian Studies Program.
Pawo Choyning Dorji is a 2025 Hildegarde and Elbert Baker Visiting Scholar in the Humanities.
First two events are free and open to the public
Registration for each is requested.
Film Screening and Discussion: Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Wednesday, April 23rd; 7pm
Strosacker Auditorium
Untying Knots of Light and Sculpting Time: Storytelling in Bhutan
Thursday, April 24th; 4pm
Eldred Hall Room 203
For “The Monk and the Gun,” get your ticket here
Film Screening and Discussion: The Monk and the Gun
Friday, April 25th; 7pm
Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art