About Our Students

Although Asheville has a very rich diversity of religious groups and organizations, students in Religious Studies travel far and wide to experience religion as a lived phenomenon in various cultures. Our majors are also very active in undergraduate research, and attend conferences not only to learn from other scholars but to present their own research. Here is a sampling of recent activity by Religious Studies majors.

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Study Abroad in India

During the winter break between the fall 2011 semester and the beginning of the spring 2012 semester, a number of Religious Studies majors traveled to India with Dr. Zubko and Dr. Maitra (Philosophy) to study religious diversity and global citizenship in South Asia. The group visited Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, Jain temples and the Sikh gurdwara in New Delhi where they helped prepare for a community meal by rolling chapatis. Pictured here are (left to right) Joshua Siary, Jess Williams, Kimber Lawson, and Anthony Graffagnino.

North Carolina Religious Studies Association

Three Religious Studies majors delivered presentations of their research at the annual meeting of the North Carolina Religious Studies Association in Chapel Hill in October 2011. Sean McBride discussed his senior thesis project “Illegal Tender: The Social Gospel and Innocent Rebellion in Musical Film,” as did Hannah Barrineau who queried "What is the Relationship between the Buddhist Notion of Suffering and the Psychological Impact on the Tibetan Government in Exile?” Carson Nickels presented his undergradaute rsearch project entitled “Mystical Fascism: How William Dudley Pelley's Mysticism Contributed to American anti-Semitism and Fascism.” A total of six students attended the meeting with Dr. Zubko, who recently completed her term as president of the NCRSA.

Chloë de Camara

Class of 2014

During the Fall 2011 semester I had the opportunity to study abroad in Angers, France, and to visit Paris, Nantes, Normandy, and the Loire Valley. It was the experience of a lifetime to be exposed to such a historically rich culture every day. I then travelled to Belgium to volunteer at Bois-le-Comte, an organic farm dedicated to self-development through meditation, yoga, rhythmic dancing, and re-birthing. Thousands of people come here each year to soak in the natural beauty around them and dive deeper into the art of self-awareness. All in all, my year abroad has opened up a completely new world to me and allowed me to meet people from all walks of life.

Kitty Kendall

Class of 2012

In the fall of the fall of 2010, I spent an amazing semester in a Pure Land monastery in Kyoto, Japan, practicing different forms of Japanese Buddhism including Shingon, Jodo Shinshu, and Soto and Rinzai Zen. I took classes at a local Buddhist university, and went on the Shikoku pilgrimage. It was an incredible experience. This picture shows me in my hakui, kasa and tsue (shirt, hat and staff) after I led my first ceremony in Shikoku.

Lowell Cook

Class of 2012

I was fortunate enough to spend over a year in Prague, the Czech Republic studying theology at Charles University. It was fascinating to learn about the Bohemian Reformation in the place where it actually took place.

Joshua Siary

Class of 2012

I felt extremely lucky to get the chance as an undergraduate to attend the American Academy of Religion annual meeting in Atlanta in October 2010. It offered me the chance to see what's ahead of me if I continue in this course of studies. It was exciting and inspiring, and it really has given me motivation to push forward with renewed energy to one day be counted among those scholars who gather there to share their knowledge with one another.

Ania Hornowski

Class of 2013

I studied abroad in Wroclaw, Poland during the spring 2011semester and used my free time to travel and see as much of Europe as I could. Not only did I visit many places within Poland, including beautiful churches and solemn memorials to the Holocaust, but I also had the opportunity to travel to Ukraine where I made a special visit to Chernobyl. This photo shows me having a little fun during a weekend excursion to Prague.

In a world defined by religious conflict – in the Middle East, in Africa, and in the culture wars at home – colleges and universities have come to consider religious studies increasingly important.

– “Religious Studies Revival,” Newsweek (Sept. 12, 2010)