Dr Lidia Guzy represented the MA Anthropology and Study of Religions in Johannesburg, South Africa returning with many innovative ideas and inspirations to foster South Africa-Ireland collaboration in teaching and learning.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam attended the reception to celebrate nominees and winners of the Tyndall Institute’s Annual Recognition Awards (TARA) 2024 on Thursday 15^th November. Aman was on the Official Judging Panel for People and Culture. Aman chatted with CEO Professor William Scanlon about Equality and Diversity at the Institute and at the University.

Pictured: Professor Scanlon, Dr Amanullah De Sondy and Claire Cooke (Tyndall Institute’s People and Culture Manager)  

Many congratulations to Dr. Isral Naska who graduated with his Ph.D on October 31st in Arabic and Islamic Studies. 

President John O’Halloran and Dr. Amanullah De Sondy (supervisor) wished him well in his academic career in Indonesia and the many international collaborations that he is involved in.

Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam presented a keynote address at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin at their symposium on the theme of ‘Living Our Values Every Day – Mission Impossible’ on Wednesday 25^th September 2024. Aman spoke on issues related to religions in Ireland and themes related to diversity and pluralism.

Dr Jenny Butler (2024) ‘“A Druid Land”: Druid Identities and Practices in Contemporary Ireland’ In Doyle White, Ethan and Jonathan Woolley, Modern Religious Druidry: Studies in Paganism, Celtic Identity, and Nature Spirituality, Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 121-140.

Dr. Vagramenko is leading the SFI-IRC Pathway project (total budget €515,000). Additionally, she has secured an IRC Ukrainian Researcher Scheme grant, a prestigious British Library grant in 2023 and UCLA grant in 2024 to preserve endangered archives in war-torn Ukraine. 

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy. Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam joined the academic procession for University of Glasgow Commemoration Day, as an affiliated member of staff and PhD Alum of the university, on Wednesday 12th June 2024. Amongst Honorary Graduands was Dr. Veronica Crosbie, Irish pioneer of University of Sanctuary networks.Aman met with Principal and Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sir. Anton Muscatelli, Prof. Alison Phipps - Professor of Languages and Intercultural Studies UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts and Chaplain Rev. Dr. Carolyn Kelly. "

Dr Jenny Butler will give the keynote lecture "Invoking Ireland: Celticity, Landscape and Identity in Irish Literary Tradition" at the conference "Landscape and Identity in Contemporary British and Irish Literature", 10-11 May 2024 at the Institute of English Studies, Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

Dr Jenny Butler will give a public talk titled "The Traditional Irish Ritual Year and Calendar Customs" at the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków/ Muzeum Etnograficzne im. Seweryna Udzieli w Krakowie on 10 May 2024 at 5pm.

Study of Religions Research Seminar Series 17 April 2024 with Dr Tatiana Vagramenko on:

When the Ghosts of History Speak: Endangered Community Archives and Collaborative Anthropology in Times

Students were accompanied by Dr Brendan McNamara and the Dean of Cork, Rev. Nigel Dunne

The next lecture in the Study of Religions Research Seminar Series is on Wednesday 10 April 2024 from 5-6pm on MS Teams with Mriganka Mukhopadhyay on:

Bharat Samaj Puja: Studying a Theosophical Ritual

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was an honoured guest of Bishop Paul Colton celebrating the Feast of Saint Patrick & Civic Choral Eucharist and his Silver Jubilee Year alongside Cork City Council Cllrs, Oireachtas members & civic representatives led by the Lord Mayor of Cork at Saint Finbarre’s Cathedral on Sunday 17th March 2024

An absolute St. Patrick's Day treat for Dr. Amanullah De Sondy’s One God: Judaism, Christianity and Islam students to visit Chester Beatty for a magnificent tour with Dr. Moya Carey, Curator of Islamic Collections on Saturday 16th March 2024

We were honoured to have Elizabeth Castelli, Professor of Religion, from Barnard College at Columbia University NYC in class. Students of Dr. Amanullah De Sondy’s One God: Judaism, Christianity and Islam students thoroughly enjoyed thought-provoking discussion on Genders and Sexualities in Christianities on Thursday 14th March 2024.

Dr. Aurangzeb Haneef, Assistant Professor in the Study of Religion, was invited by Dr. Amanullah De Sondy to speak to undergraduate students enrolled in, ‘One God: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,’ module on Thursday, 15th February 2024. The topic was “Scriptural Interpretation: Islam and the Judeo-Christian traditions.” Dr. Haneef spoke about various methods of Qurʾānic interpretation while elaborating its relationship with previous scriptures. He included a close reading of relevant passages from the Qurʾān and its exegesis which the students found very interesting, accessible, and helpful

The next lecture in the Study of Religions Research Seminar Series will be online on MS Teams on Wednesday 6 March 2024 from 5-6pm:

Dr Margaret Lyngdoh: Gender and Human-Animal Transformations from a Khasi Christian Context

The Study of Religions Department along with Future Humanities Institute, EDI, LGBTQ+ Staff Network, Mná and Women's Studies at UCC welcome you to Professor Elizabeth Castelli's lecture on Pasolini: 

Chair: Dr. Amanullah De Sondy 

Monday March 11 17.00-18.00 in the CACSSS Seminar Room - O’ Rahilly Building  

A decade after publishing the authorized English translation of San Paolo, the never-produced script for a film about Saint Paul by twentieth-century Italian writer and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, Professor Elizabeth Castelli revisits the work, considers its afterlives, and reflects on Pasolini's legacy at the intersections of religion and cultural politics.

Dr Yael Dansac: "(Re)Sacralizing Stones: Spiritual Engagements with Megaliths in Belgium"

Ethnographical studies increasingly show the conversion of megalithic sites into places used for a myriad of spiritual purposes, mostly associated to contemporary rituals that celebrate nature as a sentient being. Analyzing data recently gathered at Pagan practices held in Wéris, a Belgian megalithic site dating from the Neolithic period, this ethnography examines material evidence (offerings) and ritual interactions (ceremonies). This presentation provides understanding on the processes of sacralization of ancient spaces, while also suggesting further inquiries to assess the relationships between non-religious spiritualities, identity transformation, and the re-enchantment of nature.

His comments touched on anti-racism, religions, University College Cork’s Race Equality Network, joining the dots of discrimination and his experience of being in the middle of the Dublin riots.

Dr Tatsuma Padoan (Study of Religions Dept., UCC) just published the book chapter “Walking the Sutra: A Semiotic Theory of Pilgrimage”, in J. Eade and M. Katic (eds.), Approaching Pilgrimage: Methodological Issues Involved in Researching Routes, Sites, and Practices (London: Routledge).

She has been in the Fáilte Ireland Conference Ambassador Club since 2016 and has been involved in organising eleven conferences in Ireland, nine of which were hosted by UCC. She has brought four major international conferences to UCC.