Supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, the project examined the digital landscape in which scholars of religion reach public audiences.
Three Elon University religious studies faculty members were co-authors in a report on the public understanding of religion and examining the digital landscape through which religion scholars reach audiences.
Brian Pennington, Andrew Monteith and Pamela Winfield recently published “Public Religion Scholarship: The Digital Landscape.” Co-authored by Anandi Silva-Knuppel of Lawrence University, the report was produced in collaboration with a team of researchers supported by a $50,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to study public scholarship on religion. The principal investigator of the project was Sandie Gravett of Appalachian State University.
The report provides an “environmental scan” of public scholarship on religion across the digital landscape. The authors studied 34 podcasts, websites, and video channels to synthesize findings on the framework that makes the work of religion scholars available to nonacademic audiences. The grant team aims to expand the reach of religion scholars to new publics by identifying areas of growth and untapped opportunities.
The report can be found in Religious Studies News, the online publication of the American Academy of Religion, the largest scholarly society for the academic study of religion.