Religion in Culture
Lunchtime Discussion

The first Religion in Culture discussion of the 2007-8 academic year was hosted by the Religious Studies Student Association (RSSA) on Wednesday, October 24, at noon. The topic was an chapter entitled, "Catholicism" (available with your Bama ID/Password) written by the Chair of the University of Alabama's Department of Anthropology, Prof. Michael D. Murphy.

Dan Mullins (left), a double major in Anthropology and Religious Studies who is also the RSSA's President for 07-08, introduced Prof. Murphy (right).

Prof. Murphy (seen above behind mounds of Jason's Deli wrappers) did his undergrad at UC Santa Barbara, and earned his Ph.D. in 1978 from UC San Diego. Much of his ethnographic work is now carried out in Spain, where many of his publications have also appeared. The chapter discussed at lunch appears in the second edition of the widely used book, Religion and Culture: An Anthropological Focus.

Prof. Jacobs , our resident expert on the history of Judaism and holocaust/genocide studies, ponders a point while REL major Angel Navarez-Lugo (far left) and Rebecca Grouchy (Ph.D. candidate in Astronomy) look on.

Having Prof. Murphy (pictured about with REL major Keke Pounds and Prof. Tim Murphy) back in REL for a talk was notable not only because of his research interests, for he not only chaired the Departments Tenure & Promotion committee for several years but this marked his second appearance in the Department speaker: he inaugurated our Religion in Culture lecture series back on November 29, 2001.

Chris Hurt, REL major and Creative Writing minor, is caught putting his minor skills to good use. No doubt he was taking notes on Prof. Murphy's thoughts on how an anthropolgist such as himself--who usually goes about studying behavioral and institutional systems--can study a religion, such as Catholicism, which is thought by many of its participants merely to be composed of beliefs, experiences, and faith.

Prof. Tim Murphy (right), a member of the REL faculty since 2002, will be hosted at a lunchtime discussion of his own on November 7, 2007. Students attending this event should read his essay, "Elements of a Semiotic Theory of Religion," in advance and be prepared to talk theory! Pictured with Prof. Murphy is Keke Pounds, who appears aghast having just learned that all bottled water comes straight from a faucet at the Sweet Springs Truck Plaza, in (you guessed it) Sweet Springs, Missouri.

Thanks to the RSSA for hosting this event and for Chris "Smile for the Birdie" Hurt for snapping a few photos.