Religious Studies Department faculty and students are involved in many research, teaching, and service projects. The initiatives and resources linked here represent some of these special projects.
Beginning in 2020, Pitt is joining with Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv to begin excavations at the site of Tell Abu Shusha in northern Israel. Tell Abu Shusha is a medium-sized tell in the Jezreel Valley, about 25 miles southeast of Haifa. Never before has the tell itself been excavated.
"ReligYinz: Mapping Religious Pittsburgh" is a digital humanities project that transforms how religion is studied at the University. It is centered around a dynamic online exhibit that showcases the lived experiences of religious communities in the city.
Footprints: Jewish Books Through Time and Place is a database to track the circulation of early printed "Jewish books" (in Hebrew, other Jewish languages, and books in Latin and non-Jewish vernaculars with Judaica content).
The Religion and Medicine Initiative is an interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaborative at Pitt offering resources for thinking creatively and responsively about the multiple, complex, vibrant and often challenging dynamics evolving at the intersection of health sciences and human spirituality.
The Fann Club is student club dedicated to promoting Middle Eastern arts and crafts at Pitt (“fann” is the Arabic word for art). They host weekly events, including workshops on zellige tile painting; Islamic calligraphy on clay; and Ebru (Turkish water marbling). For more information, check out their social media page or contact the faculty advisor, Dr. Yasmine Flodin-Ali (yaf41@pitt.edu).