Reading Religion

After careful consideration, the American Academy of Religion has decided that Reading Religion will cease operations on May 31, 2026. Reviews will continue through May, after which the site will become a public archive. Official statement: buff.ly/DYwZsam

For nearly a decade, Reading Religion has served as a scholarly and public resource for reviews of books, films, and review essays in religious studies. Thank you to the editors, reviewers, authors, publishers, and readers whose care and labor sustained this work.

Four books that rethink how religion shapes human connection and community — from Howard Thurman’s insights on the disinherited to intercultural feminist theology. A powerful list on human relatedness and religious ethics. buff.ly/FGpjpIb

New on Reading Religion: a review essay rethinking Charlemagne, religious politics, and the Carolingian legacy—through texts, objects, and historical memory. buff.ly/OkqHj0N

Our latest Four Books installment explores scholarship that reshapes how we understand South Asian religions—from Sikh warrior traditions to caste, empire, and Islamic futures. Discover the full list: buff.ly/ZA0YXpU

Davyda M. Hammond reviews 'Black Religion in the Madhouse: Race and Psychiatry in Slavery's Wake' by Judith Weisenfeld (@NYUpress) buff.ly/Tt4zYaT

Coffee, conversations, and free books at the AAR/SBL Annual Meetings! Visit the AAR exhibit booth, sign up for the Reading Religion newsletter, and pick out a free book (while supplies last). #ReadingReligion #AARSBL25

As #AARSBL2025 meets in Boston, we join colleagues raising urgent concerns about ICE enforcement in and around sacred spaces. Please read the AAR Board’s statement and share know-your-rights “red cards” with communities who need them. 🔗 aarweb.org/news/aar-state… #ReligiousStudies

We are here in the exhibit hall at #aarsbl25 Stop by and say hello to Evan and Kimberly! #bookreviews #religiousstudies #books

How does speculative TV “do” and “undo” religion? Gregory Erickson explores how shows from Buffy to Westworld become stages for faith, doubt, and new sacred meanings. Read the review: buff.ly/hzP6ibt

What does it mean to signify Black religion? Juan M. Floyd-Thomas explores four key works that trace how Black religious life reshapes symbols, meaning, and culture. Read: buff.ly/mr3jyCZ

Shu-chen Hsu Hsiung reviews 'Negotiating the Christian Past in China: Memory and Missions in Contemporary Xiamen' by Jifeng Liu (@PSUPress). buff.ly/q86Cw5P

What happens when pop idols become shamans? Minjung Noh’s review of K-Pop Demon Hunters explores how the film turns Korean shamanism into pop spectacle—where fandom becomes faith and music becomes ritual. Read more: buff.ly/pe8a31l #Religion&Culture #KPop #FilmReview

Justin Hawkins reviews 'Wayfaring: A Christian Approach to Mental Health Care' by Warren Kinghorn (@Eerdmansbooks) buff.ly/TU17lgG

Ethan Doyle White reviews 'Vernacular Religion: Collected Essays of Leonard Norman Primiano' by Deborah Dash Moore (Editor) (@NYUpress) buff.ly/LCNih3S

For #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth, we revisit Sugarcane — a documentary confronting the legacy of residential schools and the persistence of Indigenous care. Read our review → buff.ly/WnFYBVz #FilmReview #IndigenousStudies

Nancy Menning reviews 'Entangled Being: Unoriginal Sin and Wicked Problems' by Rebecca L. Copeland. buff.ly/umNssXV

Our October newsletter is here! Explore our Four Books essay on Buddhist modernism, a new reading list on magic, horror, and the supernatural, plus the latest reviews and titles available for review. Read now → buff.ly/WtNFtU8 #Religion #ReligiousStudies

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners—where theology meets Southern Gothic horror—is back in IMAX just in time for Halloween. Our review unpacks its mix of sin, blues, and blood in the Deep South. Read more: buff.ly/Oj2koEy #SinnersMovie #Theology #SouthernGothic #Horror #BlackCinema

John Cottingham reviews 'Negative Natural Theology: God and the Limits of Reason' by Christopher J Insole. readingreligion.org/9780198932970