Religion in Culture Lunch Series

On Wednesday, February 28, the Department of Religious Studies hosted its second Religion in Culture Lunchtime discussion of the Spring 2007 semester, featuring the current work of Prof. Steven Ramey. Dr. Ramey, who joined the faculty in August of 2006 after having worked for two years at UNC Pembroke, spoke on a manuscript (available here to those with a valid student ID) that he is currently revising for submission to a scholarly journal, for possible publication.

Before describing his article's argument, Prof. Ramey recounted the process of writing an essay intended for submission to a journal--such as the North American field's main periodical, Journal of the American Academy of Religion or Numen, the European field's main journal (where he has recently published some of his research)--noting that it can easily take two years or more to have an article written, reviewed, and revised, and resubmitted.

The Indus River (in blue), which passes directly through the Sindh region, is often cited as the birthplace of that collection of beliefs and traditions that is commonly known today as Hinduism. However, the region of Sindh also borders on the Islamic world as well as being just south of the Punjab region, associated today with Sikhism.

Karissa Rinas, Philosophy/REL double major and student assistant in Prof. Jacobs's REL 100 (right), ponders deep thoughts as Chris Hunt (left) regrets having selected the lunch with the peanut butter cookie.

Learn more about Prof. Ramey's website that lists and surveys Indian Temples and Organizations in the Southeastern US

Our thanks to the Religious Studies Student Association for advertising and hosting this event. Thanks also goes, once again, to Jennifer "Smile for the Birdy" Alfano for interrupting her lunch to leap up and snap a few action pictures. (Someday, we promise, a picture of her will appear on one of these pages.)

Justin Nelson, REL senior and Vice President of the student association (front left), introduced Prof. Ramey. To his left is Justin Dearborn, Heidi Hendrix, Joe Kimbrough, and Chris Hurt. (We are happy to report that Prof. McCutcheon's dream of becoming a hand model is realized in this photo [far right, displaying the coffee cup in a Carol Merrill-esque pose])

Although he did his dissertation research in India, some of Prof. Ramey's current work is concerned with the manner in which people of south Asian decent recreate social identities while living elsewhere in the world, such as in the U.S. He is therefore currently carrying out some of his research in Atlanta.

Specifically, Prof. Ramey studies the people of Sindh, in southeastern Pakistan, many of whose inhabitants (prior to the partition of India in 1947), considered themselves to be Hindus and thus to feel a degree of affinity with the state of India though their region was placed in the state of Pakistan. Above, John Lyles, currently in REL 220, asks Dr. Ramey a question.

Prof. Ramey's research involves studying the manner in which Sindhi Hindus incorporate elements not only of Hindu belief and ritual but also routinely draw upon elements of Sikhism and Islam (specifically its Sufi tradition) as well, thereby defying many traditional definitions of each of these traditions. His work therefore demonstrates nicely that the assumption that one's social identity is uniform, self-contained, and easily distinguishable from others is a problematic scholarly assumption.

Did we say that Joe was there?

As President of the student association, Chris efficiently delegated responsibilities for introducing Prof Ramey, as well as those duties of carrying in the food, soft drinks, coffee, coffee cups, and napkins. It's leadership abilities like this that have made this year's association the most active in its history.

Justin Dearborn, working on religion and social theory at New College, also attended; he's pretty much an honorary REL student. (Did we ever give him a mug?)