American Academy of Religion

@aarweb

Our mission is to foster excellence in the academic study of religion and enhance the public understanding of religion.

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American Academy of Religion@aarweb· 7d

#AAR Member Spotlight | Yonatan Y. Brafman, whose book "Critique of Halakhic Reason: Divine Commandments and Social Normativity" was published with AAR-OUP, is a leading scholar in Modern Judaism and Judaic Studies. Read his interview: aarweb.org/news/member-...

Photo of Yonatan Y. Brafman, photo of brunette man wearing a yarmulke, with a navy blazer and light blue button down.

Text: Member Spotlight

Q: What is one piece of advice you’d give to a first-time Annual Meeting attendee?

A: If you hear a talk that interests you, go strike up a conversation with the presenter, even and perhaps especially if they are more advanced in their career than you. I met two incredible scholars, mentors, and now friends—Randi Rashkover and Martin Kavka—at AAR meetings. In my experience at the Annual Meeting, established colleagues take a genuine interest in the work of emerging scholars and strive to help them.

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· 29d

The Annual Meeting Travel Grant program awards 15 grants on a competitive basis to members who participate in the November Annual Meeting. Congratulations to our 2026 Annual Meeting Travel Grant winners! aarweb.org/news/announc...

2026 Recipients
Donagh Coleman, University of California Berkeley

Rachaell Diaz, University of Florida

Anahita Hoose, International School for Jain Studies

Rushnae Kabir

Rev. Kendrick Kemp, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Younghwa Kim

Jessica Knippel, Claremont Graduate School

Donghyung Lee, Yale University

Samira Musleh, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)

Vaidehi Paneri, Syracuse University

Anthony Scott, University of Tokyo

Mark Inigo Tallara, University of the Philippines Diliman

Darig Thokmay, University of Cambridge

Pablo Vazquez, Graduate Theological Union

Aixin Yi, Boston University

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· 29d

Funded by the generosity of Diane Apostolos-Cappadona, the Religion and the Arts Travel Grant is awarded to a graduate student studying religion and the arts who is without institutional support to attend the November Annual Meeting. Congratulations, Abigail Schweizer! aarweb.org/news/announc...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· 29d

The Online June Sessions are over, but you can still register from now until July 25 for access to recordings of over 60 sessions, featuring leading scholars presenting on the topics and issues shaping the field. $25/student members $50/members $60/nonmembers Get access: aarweb.org/event/annual...

graphic in AAR color palette featuring same text as caption, plus price tiers, and statement beneath the pricing:

"Are you a student who’s not an AAR member yet? Become one today for the price of nonmember registration and you’ll get the discounted rate — plus a year’s worth of other invaluable resources."

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jul 10

This year, thanks to the generosity of several donations made to the Judith Plaskow Travel Grant Fund, we were able to award *two* grants to scholars scheduled to present at the November Annual Meeting. Congratulations Shehnaz Haqqani and Amy Allan! aarweb.org/news/announc...

Visual asset with text "2026 Judith Plaskow Travel Grant Winners" and "Awarded to a student or independent scholar who is scheduled to present a paper centrally informed by and/or contributing to the feminist approaches to the study of religion at the November Annual Meeting.

Headshots for Shehnaz Haqqani and Amy Allan, both dark-haired women wearing glasses.

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 25

A heartfelt thank-you to our 2026 Online June Sessions sponsors for their generous support of this year’s event. Your partnership helps make meaningful conversations, learning opportunities, and community connections possible. We are grateful for your support and commitment to our work. #AARONLINE26

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 25

Today is the last day of #AARONLINE26, but you can still register until July 25 for access to recordings of over 60 sessions, featuring leading scholars presenting on the topics and issues shaping the field. $25/student members $50/members $60/nonmembers Get access: aarweb.org/event/annual...

graphic in AAR color palette featuring same text as caption, plus price tiers, and statement beneath the pricing:

"Not an AAR member? The cost of registration is still less than the price of two IMAX 70 mm tickets. (And we don't run out of supply.)

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 25

The Louisville Institute is now accepting applications for grants (up to $55K) and fellowships (up to $150,000) supporting work at the intersection of church and academy. Grants: louisville-institute.org/programs-gra... Fellowships: louisville-institute.org/programs-gra...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 24

Baylor University is a proud sponsor of #AARONLINE26. Use code 17AAR26 for 30% off your purchase at BaylorPress.com

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 23

AAR's Annual Business Meeting will take place tonight, June 23, 7 PM ET, during #AAROLINE26. Register now to attend virtually and participate in discussions around proposed changes to the AAR bylaws and a proposed resolution in solidarity with Gaza: aarweb.org/event/online...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 23

#AARONLINE26 | Join us today, June 23, at 1 PM ET to celebrate the 2026 Religion and the Arts Award winner, the Church of Stop Shopping. Find out more about the session: aarweb.org/event/online...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 15

#AARONLINE26 | Join APRIL’s (@april.cc.commons.bsky.social) roundtable “Representing Religion in Museums," where curators & religion scholars will explore representation, repatriation, and display. Wed 1-2:30 PM (AO24-201) bit.ly/3QdvS7C #Museums #Religion #Aprilthecommons

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 10

Did you know the program for #AARONLINE26 is out? We'll have nearly 60 sessions, presidential plenaries, workshops, committee events, and more! Register now to attend the sessions live or watch the recordings later! aarweb.org/event/annual...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 8

When you register for #AARONLINE26, you get access to all session recordings for 30 days following the conference. Register now and don't miss your chance to watch the innovative, timely, and necessary scholarly conversations we'll be hosting June 23-25 on-demand: aarweb.org/event/annual...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Jun 1

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 27

Registration is open for both the Online June and In-Person November Annual Meetings! The Online June Sessions of the Annual Meeting (June 23-25, 2026) November Annual Meeting in Denver, CO (November 21 - 24, 2026) aarweb.org/events/annua...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 13

#GiveBackWithAAR | A donation of $10 per week ($40 per month) allows AAR to award a travel grant to a scholar who lacks te financial ability to attend the November Annual Meeting: aarweb.org/about-aar/su...

Photo of Nathan Samayo (light-brown-skinned young man with dark, close-shaven hair, Pacific Islander features, wearing a tropical pattern shirt and a piece of oceanic jewelry); quote: "Thanks to an AAR Travel Grant, I was able to present my research at the 2025 AAR Annual Meeting on the co-sponsored ‘Indigenous Religious Traditions’ and ‘Religion and Ecology’ panel; connect with other scholars; and discuss future scholarly collaborations."

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 11

#GiveBackWithAAR | When you donate to the Research and Development Fund, you help someone write the book that just might change the field. aarweb.org/about-aar/su...

Photo of Amy Allocco, white-appearing woman with dark curly hair with a few grey streaks. Smiling and holding up the book that came out of an AAR international Collaborative Research Grant.

Quote: Through the support of an AAR grant, we developed a set of theoretical questions that surfaced in conversations about our respective fieldwork on Hindu texts and practices in disparate cultural and linguistic regions of India. Following a call for abstracts, two targeted writing retreats and rounds of peer review with a fabulous team of 14 contributors, we’re proud of the co-edited volume we produced: Sweetening and Intensification: Currents Shaping Hindu Practices.

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 8

#WeAreAAR | From a Peabody Award, to a Guggenheim Fellowship, to a Rome Prize, to ACLS Grants and Fellowships, to publishing exciting new work in the field, our members have been busy the last few months, and we're so excited to celebrate them in our May Member Notes: aarweb.org/news/may-202...

A collage of faces diverse in race, gender, and age; all AAR members

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 8

Our Online Cup of Coffee Mentoring program connects members in need of mentoring with experienced professionals who can offer advice on publishing, the academy, the job search, and beyond. Mentee sign-up ends May 11! aarweb.org/resource/onl...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 7

Our May Member Spotlight shines on Brennan Keegan, an ethnographer and oral historian whose research explores Native American religious traditions. Read our interview with the co-chair of AAR's Native American Traditions in the Americas program unit: aarweb.org/news/member-...

Photo of a white-appearing woman with blonde long hair pulled into a bony tail; brown highlights. Wearing clear frame glasses and a black button down shirt and smiling. Question: What is your area of expertise or field of study? Quote: As an ethnographer and oral historian, my research explores Native American religious traditions, the politics of recognition, and religious freedom in place. That is, I am endlessly interested in the ways that religious lives emerge with and in particular spaces and places. My research historically looked to my home region, the American West, but since moving to Charleston, South Carolina in 2020, I have worked closely with Lowcountry Tribes, such as the Edisto Natchez-Kusso.

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 7

#GiveBackWithAAR | When you donate to the Awards and Recognition fund, you help us celebrate outstanding work that makes religious studies relevant in the field: aarweb.org/about-aar/su...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 6

#AAR Annual Meeting Travel Grants award $500 and complimentary registration to members who demonstrate financial need and a desire to participate in the November Annual Meeting. Apply by May 11, 6 PM ET: aarweb.org/award/annual...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 6

On May 3, 2026, the AAR Board of Directors sent a letter to the leaders at the University of Denver, urging them to reconsider their plans to eliminate the Department of Religious Studies. Read the letter here: aarweb.org/news/letter-...

As a prestigious institution of higher learning that seeks to produce high quality research and is committed to the liberal arts, DU has obligations beyond providing basic career preparation. We support DU’s goal of supporting current and future scholarship that can “address important scientific, sociopolitical, and cultural questions of the new century.” But DU cannot reach that goal if it eliminates the department that has at its center intercultural literacy and critical consciousness of world religious traditions.

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· May 1

Religious Studies News is AAR's online magazine that covers critical issues in the academic study and public understanding of religion. Write for us: aarweb.org/news-publica...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Apr 30

#AAR Publications | On The RSN Podcast, Elizabeth O'Brien speaks to Kristian Petersen about her award-winning book, "Surgery and Salvation: The Roots of Reproductive Injustice in Mexico, 1770–1940" (The University of North Carolina Press, 2023). Have a read or listen: aarweb.org/podcast/the-...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Apr 29

#RA250 #AAR | Register now for the last webinAAR in our Religion and America at 250 series, which engages central questions around the meaning of religion and America, and the intersections of those terms in light of the 250th anniversary of the United States. aarweb.org/event/religi...

May 6 at 2 PM ET

"Religion, War, and revolution:
What are we getting right and/or wrong about religion in the Early United States?"

Featuring Kathleen Sands, Seth Perry, and Philippa Koch

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Apr 29

Registration is now open for the #AAR Annual Meeting (November 21-24, 2026, Denver, CO), hosted in conjunction with SBL! Make sure your membership is up to date in order to receive the lowest rates! aarweb.org/event/novemb...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Apr 27

Registration for the #AAR Online June Annual Meeting is now open! Attend sessions and workshops; connect with friends and colleagues; and gain early access to innovative scholarship in a fully virtual environment, at newly affordable registration rates. aarweb.org/event/annual...

American Academy of Religion@aarweb· Apr 25

Join us in celebrating our members on their professional news and accomplishments! Are you an #AAR member who has recently published a book or received an award or other achievement? Send us your news! aarweb.org/news/april-2...