Recently I was able to write up some thoughts about teaching Islam in my World Religion courses for the Wabash Center’s Teaching Islam Blog Series, “Islam, Media, and Religious Discrimination in America.” I outline some issues and how I approach them through a few texts: Jolyon Mitchell’s, “Religion and the News: Stories, Contexts, Journalists and Audiences” Moustafa Bayoumi’s This…
I recently reviewed Sachiko Murata’s wonderful complete translation of the Real Commentary on the True Teaching (Zhengjiao zhenquan 正教真詮), the first major Chinese-language Islamic text, published in 1642, written by Wang Daiyu 王岱輿, for the AAR’s Reading Religion. If you are interested you can access the full review here. Here is a sneak peak: Murata has produced another…
It’s been a great privilege to work on the Introductions to Digital Humanities: Religion book series with de Gruyter. The series Editorial Board is a wonderful group of scholars pushing the boundaries of the academic study of religion in innovative ways, with Claire Clivaz (University of Lausanne), Charles Ess (University of Oslo), Gregory Price Grieve (University of North…
I’m excited to announce that I’ve accepted a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Old Dominion University. In addition to all the colleagues I hope to build with over the coming years I am very excited to join my good friend Nicole Willock, who was part of my Wabash cohort. I’ll miss my friends…
I recently reviewed Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt, China’s Early Mosques (Edinburgh University Press, 2015) for Religious Studies Review. Here is a sneak peak: The greatest strength is Steinhardt’s ability to bring her expertise in Chinese architecture to the Islamic domain. Chinese buildings share fundamental principles that govern placement and aesthetic construction, such as courtyards, gates, purposeful orientation in direction,…
I recently reviewed Kyle Conway, Little Mosque on the Prairie and the Paradoxes of Cultural Translation (University of Toronto Press, 2017) for the AAR’s Reading Religion. Here is a sneak peak: Altogether, Conway provides a great deal for the scholar of religion. His detailed focus on modes of production, distribution, and consumption serve as an effective model…
Description In the past few years, a number of books related to Islam and popular culture have been published demonstrating both the expansion of our collective research and the growing interest in the subject by broader audiences. We are currently seeking papers for a peer-reviewed edited volume, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Islam and Popular Culture,…
The American Academy of Religion recently put together a Publishing Task Force, of which I am part. Our task has been to think about the AAR’s role in promoting scholarship and publishing among its membership. They recognize the changing terrain of academic scholarship so a sub-group of the task force focused on producing draft of guidelines for…
My book Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in the Han Kitab is now available for order or preview. Check it out over at OUP Take a look on Google Books…
I am so excited to participate in the NEH Summer Institute on Islam in Asia: Traditions & Transformation at the East-West Center and the University of Hawai`i at Manoa this summer. The Institute is co-directed by Nelly van Doorn-Harder and Peter D. Hershock with a whole hosts of amazing scholars participating. Many of my favorite scholars are involved, including Asma Afsaruddin, Muhamad Ali, Barbara Watson Andaya, Bruce…
Dr. Kristian Petersen 