Join us at the 6th Annual RGSA Graduate Symposium on Religion: Conflict and Continuity! The symposium is a two day event where you will hear from guest speakers and student symposium presentations. The event takes place this weekend from March 27th-28th.

#ufreligion #studyreligion

Heading- Department Event. Photo of Michelle Branham, Secretary of Department of Elder Affairs. Caption- On March 23rd, Secretary Michelle Branham from the U.S. Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) spoke to two Religion Department classes about her professional experience working for the government and in the community.

Heading- Event Details. Caption- At the lecture, Secretary Branham discussed the role of government and faith in a community, along with the ways in which they can work together. The talk focused on the state of Florida and how this partnership between religion and governmental processes, with the help of constitutional principles, can help bring together and strengthen communities and freedom. She spoke to students from the courses “Religion in Latin America” and “Religions of India” in a round-table setting, and did a Q&A where students shared their ideas and expressed opinions on the intersection between religion and government. Photos of Michelle Branham speaking to students, alongside Professors Dr. Vasudha Narayanan and Dr. Jeyoul Choi.

Photo- of official event flyer for guest lecture by Michelle Branham. Caption- Michelle Branham was appointed in 2021 by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to lead the Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA), where she oversees services for nearly 6 million seniors across the state. She brings over two decades of experience in public policy, public health, and senior-focused initiatives, including a decade in senior executive roles at both state and federal levels. Before her appointment, Branham spent nine years as Vice President of Public Policy for the Alzheimer’s Association and served in several statewide leadership roles related to aging and Alzheimer's care. She also contributed to Florida’s public health response during the pandemic as a member of the Governor’s Safe and Limited Return Task Force. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stetson University and a master’s in theological studies from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

❗DEPARTMENT EVENT❗
Recently, Secretary Michelle Branham from the U.S. Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) spoke to two religion classes about the importance of religion as an instrument in public service.

#ufreligion #studyreligion #doea #departmentofelderaffairs #publicservice

🌲🌿FACULTY PUBLICATION🌿🌲
Dr. Bron Taylor recently published a book review of Dr. Michael Barnes Norton's "Anthropocene Religion: Rethinking Nature, Humanity and Divinity Amid Climate Catastrophe."

#ufreligion #nature #bookreview #ideology #climate

Religion faculty and alumni have created "The De Gruyter Handbook of Religion and Social Change" and it will be published in late 2026 to early 2027. 📖

#ufreligion #religiousstudies #studyreligion #UF #universityofflorida #socialchange

🍃🌳FACULTY PUBLICATION🌳🍃

Dr. Bron Taylor released a new volume for the Journal of the Study of the Religion, Nature, and Culture (JSRNC) and published a new article for the journal of Global Religion and the Climate Crisis.

#ufreligion #religiousstudies #studyreligion #universityofflorida #jsrnc

Religion professor, Dr. Rachel Gordan, was recently invited as a guest speaker to promote her book at the Toronto Miles Nadal JCC 📖

#ufreligion #religiousstudies #studyreligion #UF #universityofflorida #judaism #jewishamerican

Religion professor, Dr. Vasudha Narayanan, recently traveled to Germany to speak for the South Asia Institute at the Heidelberg University.

#ufreligion #religiousstudies #studyreligion #UF #universityofflorida #HeidelbergUniversity #Hiedelberg #SouthAsiaInstitute #Cambodia

Professor Dr. Yaniv Feller had 2 recent publications-- a peer-reviewed article in Yale's Material and Visual Cultures of Religion Journal and a book chapter in "Making Promises, Oaths, Treaties, and Covenants in Multi-jurisdictional and Multi-religious Societies"

#ufreligion

Religion Professor, Dr. Bron Taylor, created "The Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture." Their most recent edition: "Special Issue: Religious Responses to Climate Crisis" was recently released. Check it out!
#ufreligion #studyreligion #universityofflorida #JSRNC

UF Religion Alumni, Dr. Ken Chitwood, is currently leading the project "Global Landscapes of Muslim Lives: Latin American and Caribbean Intersection" at the University of Bayreuth.

#ufreligion #religiousstudies #studyreligion #universityofbayreuth #UF #universityofflorida #education

Religion Professor, Dr. Anna Peterson, recently went to the University of Chile where she gave a keynote lecture on: "Religion, social movements, and the public sphere."

#ufreligion #religiousstudies #studyreligion #socialmovements #socialchange

✨ Congratulations to Professor Dr. Rachel Gordan on the publication of her new chapter, “Cold War American Judaism,” in the Oxford Handbook of American Jewish History (2025)! 📚🔥

#ufreligion #religiousstudies #jewishstudies #studyreligion #judaism #UF #jewishhistory

Dr. Narayanan, was recently featured on an episode of WUFT's segment of "Morning Edition" which was picked up by NPR where she talked about the importance of India's Ganges River for Hindu funeral practices, alongside the utilization of the Suwannee River
#ufreligion

📜📯SCUDDER RECAP📯📜

The Department of Religion held its annual Scudder Lecture on Thursday, January 29th, 2026 in the Pugh Hall Ocora-- featuring guest speaker Associate Professor Dr. William Sherman from UNC-Charlotte's Religious Studies department.

#ufreligion

Religion professor, Dr. Poceski, was recently published in The Routledge Companion to Chinese Philosophy for his chapter on Buddhist Monasticism in China

#ufreligion #universityofflorida #studyreligion #buddhism #china #monasticism

Religion professor, Dr. Bron Taylor, recently traveled to Germany and has been invited to France and China to discuss his research on religion and ecology🌱

#ufreligion #universityofflorida #studyreligion #ecology #DarkGreenReligion

Religion professors, Dr. Feller and Dr. Gordan, were recently selected as finalists for the 2025 Jordan Schnitzer Book Awards 📖

#ufreligion #universityofflorida #studyreligion #Jewishstudies #JordanSchnitzer

🇰🇭🛕Faculty Presentation🛕🇰🇭

Professor Dr. Vasudha Narayanan recently spoke at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Her lecture focused on the Angkorian period of the Khmer Empire, juxtaposing Khmer visual art with Sanskrit textual sources.

#ufreligion #universityofflorida

📣📯Religion EVENT 📯📣
Dr. Rachel Gordan has invited Religion Professor Kati Curtis (Sewannee) to speak at UF on Thursday, January 22 in Keene Flint 005 at 12:30PM. All faculty and grad students invited to join.

**Lunch is provided for attendees.**

#ufreligion #ufhistory

Dr. Poceski recently gave a workshop on Buddhist Studies for the UF Center for Undergraduate Research and presented a paper on Buddhist and Secular Approaches to Mindfulness at El Colegio de México.

#religion #uf #ufreligion #UFCURBS #Buddhist #ElColegiodeMexico

Dr. Rachel Gordan has recently been invited to join the Executive Committee of the Academic Council for the American Jewish Historical Society.

#religion #uf #universityofflorida #studyreligion #religiondepartment #religionstudies #ufreligion #gator #jewish #AJHS

Dr. Vasudha Narayanan recently published "Anantaśāyī Visnu, the Ocean of Milk, and the Bhāgavata Purāna," an article for the Journal of Vaishnava Studies.

#religion #uf #universityofflorida #religiondepartment #ufreligion #VaishnavaStudies #Vishnu #Hinduism #BhagavataPurana

Graduate Student, Rajani Maharjan, has been awarded the Research Abroad for Doctoral Students Grant from the UF International Center!

#religion #uf #universityofflorida #studyreligion #religiondepartment #religionstudies #ufreligion #gator #Nepal #ecology

Dr. Jeyoul Choi recently presented his publications at two events, one at Santa Fe College and the other at the Annual Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Conference.

#religion #uf #universityofflorida #studyreligion #ufreligion #SouthKorea #SantaFe #SSSR

Dr. Yaniv Feller gave a presentation on the critiques and self-critiques of museum exhibits at the University of Vienna for the Jewish-Muslim Thought and Theology Annual Conference.

#religion #uf #universityofflorida #religiondepartment #religionstudies #ufreligion #UniversityofVienna #museum

📍 Faculty Presentation 📍

Dr. Terje Ostebo gave a presentation for the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on the topic of Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his agenda for the country.

#religion #uf #universityofflorida #religionstudies #UFReligion #Ethiopia #EPRDF

📰✡ Faculty Presentation ✡📰
Dr. Rachel Gordan recently spoke at Barnard College with her lecture, "Moving from Race to Religion in Laura Z. Hobson's novel Gentlemen's Agreement (1947)".

#uf #religiondepartment #UFReligion #barnardcollege #gentlemansagreement #jewishstudies

Religion Professor Dr. Bron Taylor recently published his essay "Gaian Animism: Ritual Innovation and nature Spirituality in Radical Environmentalism and the Global Environmental Milieu" for the new collection of essays in "Ritual, Personhood, and the New Animism"
#UFReligion

📗 Faculty Talk 📗
Dr. Vasudha Narayanan recently gave a talk at Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) about the Indian dance performance "Moving Bronzes" -- to supplement the new Cambodian bronze exhibit "Royal Bronzes: Cambodian Art of the Divine".

#uf #universityofflorida #UFReligion

📕Faculty Interview📕

Professor Dr. Terje Ostebo speaks with Alex Thurston for The Swahil on PM Abiy Ahmed’s Pentecostal-influenced approach in Ethiopia—aimed at unifying religions for national cohesion rather than conversion.

#religion #ethniopia #UFReligion