SIUE Snipes’ New Book Puts a Fresh Spin on Religion and Spirituality
The views of religion, spirituality and interfaith should be explored, broadened and updated, according to a new book edited by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s J.T. Snipes, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s (SEHHB) Department of Educational Leadership.
Snipes co-edited “Remixed and Reimagined: Innovations in Religion, Spirituality, and (Inter)faith in Higher Education” with Sable Manson, Interfaith Scholars program director at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
“This book is an extension of my dissertation project, when I examined the experiences of Black atheists in college,” said Snipes. “It is also a reflection of a community I’ve been building over the past few years. The writers in the book are a diverse collection of scholars interested in understanding religion and spirituality in higher education.”
The book is a collection of chapters written by 25 different authors. The book was published by Myers Education Press in April. The work introduces new theoretical frameworks to enhance and enliven the study of religion, spirituality and interfaith, making it more dynamic, inclusive and innovative. It is framed by a commitment to social justice and intersectionality, while centering the narratives of the religiously marginalized, according to Snipes.
“Religion, spirituality and interfaith are not static concepts but should be continually evaluated, reconstructed, and ultimately reimagined,” he noted. “Also, the text is rooted in a hip-hop aesthetic. Hip-hop is built on the art of sampling. In this art form, original tracks are imaginatively reconstructed and made new. This is what we sought to accomplish as it relates to religion and spirituality.
“We didn’t want to abandon the important work that has been done on the study of religion and spirituality in higher education. Rather, the ultimate goal of this text is to build upon the amazing work.”
To obtain a copy, visit “Remixed and Reimagined: Innovations in Religion, Spirituality, and (Inter)faith in Higher Education.”
Photo:
J.T. Snipes, assistant professor in the SEHHB’s Department of Educational Leadership.
