In Summer 2023,  Dr. Courtney Friesen will be offering Classics and Religious Studies courses through the Arizona in Orvieto (Italy) study abroad program.

The tentative program dates in Italy are May 19 - June 25, 2023, and the Study Abroad application deadline is February 25, 2023. The beautiful, historic town of Orvieto is only one hour from Rome. The program will include field trips to Rome and other locations in Italy. 

Courses

Dr. Friesen will be offering the following courses for the summer 2023 Arizona in Orvieto (Italy) study abroad program:

CLAS/RELI 305 - Greek and Roman Religion (Gen Ed Tier 2 Individuals and Societies / Building Connections)
Description: This course explores religious beliefs and cult practices in ancient Greece and Rome.  (Note: This course can count toward the Classics major and minor, the Religious Studies major and minor, and the New Testament Language and Literature minor.)

RELI 280 - Introduction to the Bible- New Testament (Gen Ed Tier 2 Humanities / Exploring Perspectives, Humanist)
Description: This course introduces students to the New Testament in light of the contexts in which it was written and compiled, and as a window into reconstructing the world of early Christianity. The course will also examine how various Christian communities have understood the meaning and authority of the New Testament. (Note: This course can count toward the Classics major and minor, in addition to the Religious Studies major and minor and the New Testament Language and Literature minor.)

Generous Funding Available

Students are welcome to apply for any and all of the funding awards listed below for which they are eligible. Any questions can be directed to Dr. Karen Seat at kkseat@arizona.edu.

2023 Arizona in Orvieto Awards offered by the Department of Religious Studies & Classics 

General Arizona in Orvieto Award:

Awards of up to $1,500 are available for any UArizona student enrolled in CLAS/RELI 305 and/or RELI 280 through the Arizona in Orvieto (Italy) Study Abroad Program. Priority will be given to majors or minors in the Department of Religious Studies & Classics, but all UArizona students (with any major/minor) can apply. The number and amount of awards will be determined by the number and quality of applications received.

Arizona in Orvieto Award for Majors in Classics and/or Religious Studies:

Additional awards of $1,000-$5,000 are available for majors in Classics and/or Religious Studies enrolled in CLAS/RELI 305 and/or RELI 280 through the Arizona in Orvieto (Italy) Study Abroad Program. The number and amount of awards will be determined by the number and quality of applications received. Majors in the department will be considered for both the General Award and the Majors Award.

Arizona in Orvieto Award Applications Due MARCH 1, 2023; the Study Abroad Application Deadline Is February 25, 2023

More Info 

SILLC Global Award for SILLC Majors (Applications Due February 7, 2023):

Awards of up to $2,000 are available to SILLC majors to support participation in Study Abroad in summer 2023 and awards of up to $5,000 are available to help fund one semester or more abroad in 2023-2024. SILLC majors include Classics, Religious Studies, Italian Studies and more. More information and application instructions can be found on the SILLC Global Award Fund webpage. Applications are due February 7, 2023.

More Info 

Donna Swaim International Award for Religious Studies Majors:

Religious Studies majors who apply for the SILLC Global Award are automatically considered for the Donna Swaim International Award for Religious Studies. Award amounts are typically $600.

More Info 

Cynthia White Travel and Study in Italy Award (Applications Due January 16, 2023):

Several awards of up to $1,500 are available for University of Arizona students enrolled in a UArizona Classics course while participating in Study Abroad programs in Italy. 

More Info 

College of Humanities Scholarships (Applications Due In February Each Year):

Numerous scholarships are available for College of Humanities majors (Classics, Religious Studies, etc.), including study abroad scholarships.

More Info 

UA Study Abroad Office Scholarships and Financial Aid:

Please contact the Study Abroad office to discuss additional funding opportunities to make your study abroad dreams a reality!

More Info 

Questions? Contact Dr. Karen Seat at kkseat@arizona.edu

To honor the memory of alumna Helen H. Chatfield, who graduated from the University of Arizona in 1968 with degree in Spanish, the College of Humanities has created a series of faculty awards to recognize exemplary teaching, research and service.

Chatfield, a successful investor and philanthropist, passed away in 2020 and left a gift to the College of Humanities in her will. The bequest, valued over $1 million, created the Helen H. Chatfield Endowment.

“We seek to honor her life, which was driven by curiosity and a sense of play,” said Alain-Philippe Durand, Dorrance Dean of the College of Humanities. “These passions were consistently marked by her appreciation of work that introduced new voices and ideas to the world, or that brought to light significant figures whose contributions had been overshadowed.”

Durand said he chose to use the funds to specifically support and honor world-class faculty and support and encourage the College’s long tradition of being a leader on and off campus in diversity and inclusion.

The Helen H. Chatfield Awards each year will honor College of Humanities faculty members in four categories. The inaugural recipients are:

The Chatfield Award for Anti-Racist Research, Teaching, or Service:

Wenhao Diao, Associate Professor, East Asian Studies

Award of $5,000

The Chatfield Impact Award:

Ana Cornide, Associate Professor of Practice, Spanish and Portuguese

Award of $5,000

The Chatfield Outstanding Tenured Researcher Award:

Ana Carvalho, Professor, Spanish and Portuguese

Albrecht Classen, Professor, German Studies

Award of $1,000

The Chatfield Outstanding Untenured Researcher Award

Max Strassfeld, Assistant Professor, Religious Studies and Classics

Award of $1,000

Three faculty members in the Department of Religious Studies and Classics have been promoted, demonstrating excellent performance in teaching, service and research.

Dr. Grant Adamson is promoted from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer.

Dr. Max Strassfeld is promoted from Assistant Professor to tenured Associate Professor.

Dr. Robert Stephan is promoted from Assistant Professor of Practice to Associate Professor of Practice.

Adamson specializes in early Christianity and the ancient Mediterranean. His research primarily concerns the creative, bizarre, even transgressive rewriting practices of early Christians. The focus of his current book project is how the Matthean and Lukan infancy narratives were rewritten in the second century to include the idea that Jesus pre-existed, descended from heaven, and then was incarnated through virgin birth. He has also published on the rewriting of Jesus tradition, Greco-Egyptian tradition, Plato’s Timaeus, and the book of Genesis in Sethian gnostic texts. In the field of papyrology, his edition of a Roman soldier’s letter was featured in national and international news. Before moving to the University of Arizona, he was a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Rice University, where he graduated with a Ph.D. from the Department of Religion.

Strassfeld (Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Stanford University) specializes in Rabbinic Literature, Transgender Studies, and Jewish Studies. His book, Trans Talmud: Androgynes and Eunuchs in Rabbinic Literature, explores eunuchs and androgynes in Jewish law, and pairs classical Jewish texts with intersex autobiography, transgender studies, and theories of queer temporality, in order to argue that the rabbis use these figures to map the boundaries of normative masculinity. In recognition of his work in gender and sexuality, he was awarded the Frankel Fellowship for New Perspectives on Gender and Jewish Life at the University of Michigan in 2013-2014. He served on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion from 2015-2017 and currently serves on the board of the Association for Jewish Studies. Strassfeld teaches a wide range of courses, including Jews, Christians, and the Bible; Jews in the Roman Empire; Religion and Sex; and Gender, Women, and Religion. Strassfeld is an affiliate of the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies and a faculty affiliate of Classics.

Stephan is an archaeologist by training and has taught in the University of Arizona’s Department of Religious Studies and Classics since 2016. He earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2014 and his research interests focus on how the material remains of the past can inform us about the economic performance of pre-modern societies. He has worked on archaeological excavations in Italy, Cyprus, Britain, Armenia, and the American Southwest. His current project uses archaeological survey to look at southern Sicily from prehistory through the medieval period. He is Director of Undergraduate Studies and teaches courses on classical history and civilization, classical mythology, the reception of classics in the modern world, ancient sport and spectacle, and the Greco-Roman economy.

Fulfill Degree Requirements with Religious Studies! 

All courses are fully online (asynchronous). Most meet Gen Ed requirements (including new Gen Ed requirements) - check the schedule of classes for more details.

Summer Pre-Session (05/16/2022 - 06/04/2022)

RELI 160A1 - Gods, Goddesses, and Demons: Divinity in South Asia

RELI 160D4 - Introduction to World Religions

RELI 203 - Religion and Medicine in the Western Healing Traditions

RELI 335 - Rap, Culture and God

RELI 336 - Spirituality, Psychology, and the Mind

RELI 350 - Hindu Mythology

RELI 367 – Yoga

Summer 5-Week 1 (06/06/2022 - 07/07/2022)

RELI 160A1 - Gods, Goddesses, and Demons: Divinity in South Asia

RELI 160D4 - Introduction to World Religions

RELI 227 - Religion and Film

RELI 304 - The Question of God

RELI 306 - Christianity in the Greco-Roman World

RELI 335 - Rap, Culture and God

RELI 350 - Hindu Mythology

RELI 367 – Yoga

Summer 5-Week 2 (07/11/2022 - 08/10/2022)

RELI 160A1 - Gods, Goddesses, and Demons: Divinity in South Asia

RELI 160D4 - Introduction to World Religions

RELI 235 - Religion, Violence, and Terrorism

RELI 300 - Christian Literature and Thought

RELI 304 - The Question of God

RELI/CLAS 305 - Greek and Roman Religion

RELI 335 - Rap, Culture and God

RELI 350 - Hindu Mythology

RELI 367 – Yoga

In-state tuition for ALL in Summer/Winter sessions!

Register Now!  https://registrar.arizona.edu//winter-session

Questions? Contact: Dr. Karen Seat at kkseat@arizona.edu or Lyn Duran at laduran@arizona.edu.

Dr. Karen Seat, Head of the Department of Religious Studies and Classics, is the inaugural recipient of the University’s Distinguished Head/Director’s Award.

Seat, who also serves as Director of the School of International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, is recognized for her mentorship, efforts co-chairing important initiatives, cultivating a collegial and positive atmosphere, and growing the department in terms of student credit hours, undergraduate degrees awarded, research activity and public outreach.

“Karen Seat’s impact is immeasurable. Her both-forest-and-trees sensibility makes her an exceptional scholar, guide, shepherd, advocate, colleague, head, and director, whose tireless work has shaped the Department of Religious Studies and Classics, the School of International Languages, Literatures and Cultures, the College of Humanities, and the broader University,” wrote department faculty members in nominating her for the award.

The Distinguished Head/Director’s Award was created in 2021, sponsored by the University of Arizona Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The award recognizes uncommon performance, calling attention to individuals whose leadership and management has raised the standards, expectations, and reputation of the unit as a whole, or who have otherwise brought excellence, innovation, and high ethical standards to the art of being a unit head or director.

“I am truly honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” Seat said. “Certainly none of this would have been possible without the incredible support from the College of Humanities leadership, our amazing SILLC business and academic services team, and, of course, our world-class faculty, who make the Department of Religious Studies and Classics so successful in its research, teaching, and outreach mission.”

Nearly all the faculty in the Department of Religious Studies and Classics began their careers at the University of Arizona under Dr. Seat's leadership, and they took the lead in nominating her for this award.

“Dr. Seat gives of herself, her time, and her energy in support of her faculty and to further the mission of the department and the University. Under her mentorship, an entire generation of scholars from the University of Arizona has emerged, producing ground-breaking, field-defining research, teaching thousands of students every semester, and—in imitation of Dr. Seat—serving in leadership positions at all levels of the university,” wrote the faculty members. “As a result, she directly and indirectly is shaping the university, our community, and the discipline, reaching tens of thousands of students and helping to shape our knowledge in both Religious Studies and Classics.

“While her efforts in growing the Department of Religious Studies and Classics is a herculean feat on its own, it is her mentorship of junior faculty that truly demonstrates her lasting impact and will be the indelible stamp that cements her legacy at UArizona,” they wrote. “Time and time again, she has selflessly prioritized the success of junior faculty in their research productivity and success.”

Also submitting a joint letter of nomination were Alain-Philippe Durand, Dorrance Dean; Kimberly Jones, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs; Toni Alexander, Assistant Dean of Business & Finance; and Ken S. McAllister, Associate Dean of Research & Program Innovation.

“Dr. Seat has done a fantastic job in leading the department of Religious Studies and Classics in its significant increase in nearly all areas: undergraduate student credit hours, number of majors and minors, undergraduate degrees, as well as historic and consequent increases in summer and winter enrollments and revenues,” they wrote. “She is certainly someone we know we can trust and count on when it comes to reaching our goals, mentoring and advocating for our colleagues.”

Seat was first appointed as the Director of the Religious Studies Program, within the Department of Classics, in 2012. At the time, the program had only four full-time faculty, and Seat, a scholar specializing in U.S. religious history, American evangelicalism, and gender studies, began working to build the program and diversify the curriculum through a series of strategic hires, including faculty experts in the religions and cultures of India, Tibet, and the U.S. Southwest, as well as experts in the areas of transgender studies and religion, science, and health.  

Seat was named Head of the reconfigured Department of Religious Studies and Classics in 2014, when the Classics program was in a moment of crisis. She rebuilt Classics, including hiring new core faculty experts in the languages, literatures, and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world, which was instrumental in the ongoing success of Classics’ renowned B.A. and M.A. programs. Under her leadership, the department has created new programs, including the New Testament Language and Literature Minor, the Religious Studies for Health Professionals Concentration, the Classics M.A. emphasis in Ancient Religion, and the Arizona Online Classics Minor and Religious Studies Minor.

“Her innovations have connected us with other departments and provided unique educational opportunities for undergraduates with multiple interests, by forging individually tailored and realistically achievable academic paths for them. She has brought to our department a strong vision, one that is responsive to the professional and intellectual challenges of our fields,” the faculty wrote. “Dr. Seat has forever changed the landscape of her department, SILLC, the College of Humanities, the University of Arizona, and—we say this with no exaggeration or reservation—the world.”

The Fred and Barbara Borga Award was established in honor of Fred and Barbara Borga through the generosity of their son Dr. Ross Schwartzberg. The award supports outstanding undergraduate students at the University of Arizona who are majoring in Religious Studies with a concentration in Religious Studies for Health Professionals.

Religious Studies is thrilled to announce the following winners of the Fred and Barbara Borga Award:

Zoe Tyler DeFalco:  "Religion has always been of interest to me, especially how it relates to Psychology, and I am so grateful to receive this award that will help me continue my education. Being able to study religion in the context of health has been inspiring for me and given me more skills to help me get started in Psychology. I believe that religion, or lack thereof, is a crucial part of a person's life, effecting their cognition, behavior, and social skills, and studying religion for health professionals has provided me with an ability to understand and empathize with all cultures."

Myana J. Hibbert:  "With this award, I will be able to continue my education in the Religious Studies major with a concentration for health professionals. Being a future health care professional, studying the intersectionality of religious beliefs and healthcare will better prepare me to provide excellent care to my patients. I look forward to serving my community better with the help of this award."

The inaugural recipient of the Dorrance Dean’s Award for Research & Entrepreneurialism is Dr. Kristy L. Slominski, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies.

Slominksi is awarded $20,000 for her project, “Health Humanities Training in Religion and Culture,” which will create an instruction module in religious studies that is specifically tailored for healthcare professionals, including students in medical and nursing schools.

Existing health humanities initiatives tend to focus on artistic creativity, which have shown to be beneficial, but more contributions from the humanities are necessary, Slominski says. Further integration of cultural education, particularly surrounding religious beliefs, can have a significant impact.

“Healthcare professionals must be aware of diverse religious approaches to health in order to interact with patients in informed, respectful and holistic ways,” she says. “Learning to identify religious concerns is vital to understanding patient reactions and areas of resistance, which can lead to more sensitive and effective health education.”

Religious beliefs shape people’s lives in numerous ways related to health and healthcare, from framing life’s “big questions,” to guiding practices around reproductive health, end-of-life care, methods of preventing and managing sickness and much more, Slominski says.

Additionally, religious discrimination often intersects with other factors influencing health inequities, including racism, classism and anti-LGBTIQ stances, so a careful approach to studying religion is essential for improving access to equitable healthcare that respects the full humanity of each person, she says.

“Religious studies provides critical tools for analyzing these complex interactions between religions and cultures as they impact many aspects of health and healthcare,” she says.

The project will produce a three-to-four hour training module that offers religious studies resources tailored for healthcare professionals. The module will include a series of videos, including six short explanatory videos centered on applying religious studies skills and six “deeper dive” videos that connect these skills to case studies. The training will also include quizzes and reflective exercises, along with tips on how those involved with the training of healthcare professionals can integrate this knowledge into the broader curriculum. This training will be piloted for students in the Bioethics Master’s program at the College of Medicine-Phoenix.

The training module will serve as the groundwork for a long-term interdisciplinary, collaborative project to enhance the training and adapt it for a wide variety of healthcare students and workers. Slominski intends future iterations of this project to provide opportunities for partnerships across the university, demonstrating the relevance and high-impact contributions that the humanities can make to the health sciences.

Future expansions could include the creation of digital simulations and potentially marketable training modules that the university could license.

Slominski will also incorporate the project into her courses, providing opportunities for undergraduate students to research health humanities and create a digital repository of training resources in religion and culture, with an emphasis on the Southwest. This repository will be designed as a resource for the general public as well as for programs involved in the training of healthcare professionals.

The project grows out of the existing Religious Studies for Health Professionals program and will incorporate insights from Slominski’s current pedagogical research project, “Applied Religious Studies for Health Professionals,” funded by the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning.

The Dorrance Dean’s Award for Research & Entrepreneurialism encourages scholars to not only “be inspiring and evidence-based,” but also to “be fearless about possible failure because even failure will generate new knowledge.”

“This bold call was a timely response to a pandemic that continues to disproportionately affect women’s scholarly productivity, especially those with young children like myself. Amidst precarity, the invitation to be daring and not afraid to fail gave me the extra push to begin this much-needed project that has the potential to transform how healthcare professionals think about religious diversity,” Slominski says.

The Dorrance Dean’s Award for Research & Entrepreneurialism is one component of the College of Humanities’ Fearless Inquiries Project, a long-term, flagship effort specifically aimed at catalyzing a national culture that prizes open discussion, independent judgement and the questioning of stubborn assumptions.

“On behalf of the entire College, I want to express our gratitude to Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance for supporting the Fearless Inquiries Project and enabling these crucial initiatives,” said Dorrance Dean Alain-Philippe Durand.

Slominski was selected for the award following an internal, competitive process, with a selection committee composed of alumni and other national leaders.

“Introducing the humanities to new audiences in new ways is a crucial part of the mission of the College as well as the Fearless Inquiries Project,” said Ken S. McAllister, Associate Dean for Research & Program Innovation. “As Dr. Slominski demonstrates, the humanities and religious studies can have a positive impact on the world of healthcare in myriad ways.”

The Department of Religious Studies and Classics is happy to announce the winners of the Lionel Rombach and Ora Bretall Scholarship Awards for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Awardee for the Ora Bretall Award is:  Kidron Grace Martin.

Awardee for the Lionel Rombach Award is:  Cameron James Dockens.

Congratulations to our outstanding Religious Studies majors!

Read (in their words) how majoring in Religious Studies has enriched their lives and studies:

Cameron James Dockens:

I chose to study religious studies to get a well-rounded education, and then I fell in love with the content and the department. It has given me the opportunity to explore the human experience in both my Religious Studies and Neuroscience degrees. Due to the prevalence of religion in every aspect of life, Religious Studies has added depth and even more importance to almost every concept I’ve learned in my other courses. Religious Studies also connects people across different backgrounds and forces students to think through others’ point of view. My Religious Studies experience has prepared me for whatever I choose to pursue in the future!

Kidron Grace Martin:

Studying Religious Studies has always been a passion of mine, so I was thrilled when I learned that I could major in the field at the University of Arizona. I thought the major would pair well with my History major. The disciplines of History and Religious Studies are very intertwined, as both fields focus on societies and their ideologies. The Religious Studies major allows one to look at the belief systems that societies view as crucial to their culture, which provides context for why societies behave the way they do in history. The Religious Studies major has meant so much to me, and I have already noticed the wonderful impact it has had on my undergraduate career. The major has inspired me to want to find a career that is rewarding in terms of helping other people. In learning about different religions around the world, it has been interesting to see how many religions encourage participants to take care of each other.  I have learned so much about other religions and even more about Christianity, and I feel like I have developed a good understanding of how religion affects everyday life in different cultures. My learning
has also brought me to the conclusion that many religions have shared sacred values, and ultimately, religious systems are not all that different from each other. Most systems promote values that encourage participants to be the best versions of themselves and take care of others, while also respecting and upholding sacred moral values. The academic study of religion is important because it enables the cultivation of a greater understanding of the multicultural nature of this world. This understanding is becoming more crucial each day as we live in a globalized society and now have the capacity to connect with others on a greater and more frequent scale than ever before. Therefore, it is important to have majors, like Religious Studies, that allow us to break down the fear of the unknown through recognizing
the importance of sacred cultural values among global societies. I am so grateful for the opportunity to major in Religious Studies, and it has contributed to my skills repertoire for future jobs.

The legacy of Dr. Donna Swaim, a beloved humanities professor who taught at the university for 50 years, will continue with a study abroad scholarship bearing her name.

A crowdfunding effort this fall to raise money for The Donna Swaim International Award for Religious Studies, which began in 2014 to mark her retirement, reached its goal of creating an endowment, ensuring that her legacy of enriching students' lives will continue in perpetuity.

More than 100 donors, largely former students and friends, contributed $25,418 during the campaign. The scholarship will help students study the religions of the world in the contexts of their own cultures through study abroad opportunities, which was a passion for Swaim, who created some of the university’s first study abroad trips, starting in 1979, before there was even a formal structure to do so.

“We are extremely happy that through this endowment, Donna can continue to offer the gift of travel and connection to others for years to come,” said Swaim’s daughter Katy Brown, speaking on behalf of the family. “Our mother/wife loved learning. She loved human connections, sharing stories and ideas. Through travel, she was able to explore places, people and ideas that she had only read about. It enriched her life. She loved sharing that experience with students. It is an avenue for personal growth that is unparalleled. To experience cultures and religions around the world through study abroad will help to build community and understanding.”

In total, Swaim led students on 24 trips abroad, visiting a wide array of countries including England, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Mali, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Romania, Moldova, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland & the Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Nepal and Cambodia.

“We are honored to continue the legacy of Dr. Donna Swaim through providing scholarships in her name to future generations of students seeking to study abroad,” said Karen Seat, Head of the Department of Religious Studies and Classics. “Through the endowment, her story will continue to be told and her impact will continue to be felt by students, in perpetuity. We are committed to sharing her vision of expanding students’ horizons through meaningful engagement with cultures around the world.”