In February, Dr. Carolyn Medine gave the 20th Annual Thomas Merton Black History Lecture at Bellarmine University as a part of their Black History Month celebrations. Dr. Medine's lecture was titled "Thomas Merton and the Undercommons.” For more the audio recording of this lecture, please see here. Great work, Dr. Medine!

Kudos to Dr Paul Babinski, who has been named one of twelve­ Special Collections Faculty Teaching Fellows for 2026 by the UGA Libraries!

The Religion Department is excited to announce the Religion and Politics Certificate, a partnership with UGA's School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). This certificate program will be offered on the UGA Athens campus, effective in the Fall of 2026! For more information about the Religion and Politics Certificate, please see our new Certificate page on the Religion Department website.

The Department of Religion is proud to announce that this year’s William L. Power Scholarship recipients are Madeleine Coleman and Madeline Sawyer.

Dr. Ingie Hovland has been selected as one of three recipients of the Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Religion students enjoyed a dynamic religion alumni networking lunch that offered something many students are looking for: honest career stories, practical advice, and meaningful connections.

The event featured five outstanding Religion alumni, each sharing a brief but insightful account of their journey from graduation to their current work. Their reflections highlighted the many directions a Religion degree can take, along with the decisions, pivots, and mentors that helped shape their paths.

Congratulations to Dr Scott Brevard on the publication of his book Jesus, the Temple, and Early Christian Memory! Brevard graduated from our MA Religion program in 2016, having worked with Dr Wayne Coppins. He went on to do his PhD at Loyola University Chicago and now serves as Director of Honors Student Engagement in the Honors College at James Madison University.

Congratulations to Dr Jason Roberts for being selected as a recipient of the Sandy Beaver Excellence in Teaching Award!

The Department of Religion congratulates the following 2025 graduates from our MA and PhD programs. We are grateful to have shared in your educational journey and so excited to see what great steps you take next.

Congratulations to all of you!

2025 MA in Religion Graduates

Dr Alan Godlas' co-edited book A Luminous Intellect: Essays in Honor of Hamid Algar has been published by Brill. Dr Godlas is an Associate professor Emeritus. In the Department of Religion, he taught courses on Islam, Quranic & Hadith Studies, Arabic & Persian, Sufism. Congratulations, Dr Godlas!