Bridging the Gap: Public Scholarship in Religious Studies and Its Career Impacts

This session will explore public scholarship in religious studies, showcasing scholars who have made significant impacts in engaging broader audiences via popular media outlets and multimedia platforms. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the career paths, motivations, and challenges associated with engaging the public. Additionally, the session will highlight Intersections, a dynamic digital platform curated by the Social Science Research Council and generously funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. Intersections features many public-facing projects, including those of our esteemed panelists, and serves as an essential platform for discussions on religion and international affairs. Its mission is to act as a resource for researchers, policymakers, media professionals, and the wider public, by supporting scholarship on the changing role of religion in the world.