Study of Religions was delighted to welcome everyone to UCC’s Undergraduate Open Day. 

Thanks to President John O’Halloran for taking the time to visit our information stand. 

Photograph: President John O'Halloran, Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Dr. Brendan McNamara 

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was live at Cork’s RTÉ studios on RTÉ's TV show ‘Today’ for ‘Talk of Today’ discussing our contemporary high ‘content’ culture, AI actors, religion and new lingo added to English dictionaries on Friday 3rd October 2025.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam attended Cork Indian Community's Navratri celebrations. 

This special issue for Semiotic Review, entitled "Dialogues between Continental Semiotics and Linguistic Anthropology" and edited by Dr Tatsuma Padoan (SENSA Lab, Study of Religions Department, UCC) with Prof Constantine V. Nakassis (Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago), aims at creating a dialogue between Linguistic Anthropology in North America and Continental Semiotics in Europe and South America by exploring common themes and possible points of convergence.

Photo by Jamie O’Sullivan on Unsplash

In this RTÉ Brainstorm piece, Dr Danny Forde reflects on what the monastic tradition of St Finbarr can teach us about slowing down in a fast-paced world.

Exploring Indigenous Worldviews at “Celebrating Tribal & Adivasi Communities of India”

Students from our Study of Religions undergraduate programme have been awarded inaugural prizes for their excellence in academic writing:

Rebecca Desbordes and Finn Mac Callum received the Isabella Honan Essay Prize for the best first year essays.

Alice Stapleton was awarded the Brian Bocking Dissertation Prize for the best final year dissertation.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was live at Cork’s RTÉ studios today on RTÉ's TV show Today for ‘Talk of Today’ discussing topical news such as The Conclave, Salaries and Tyres on Wednesday 7th May 2025.

Aman was joined on the panel by Irish media star Terry Prone, Henry McKean, Dáithí Ó Sé and Maura Derrane. Broadcast live from Cork studio. 

This new book:

• Explores the psychedelic experience from a phenomenological perspective
• Argues that the psychedelic experience can reveal aspects of reality which would not otherwise be disclosed
• Discusses how psychedelic experience can open the subject to the essential nature of reality

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam and Head of Department led a seminar for University College London’s  Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Fellows Programme on ‘Gender and Sexuality in Islam’ with healthcare professionals from Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria and Bangladesh on Monday 28th April 2025. Thanks to Irwin Nazareth (Professor of Primary Care and Population Sciences) for organising. 

Aman also met Lord Mayor of Cork - Dan Boyle, film producer and former Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom - David Puttnam, TD and Minister of State - Jerry Buttimer and UCC's VP Global - Professor Ursula Kilkelly

First Year student on the RG1001: Religions and Global Diversity Programme, Rebecca Desbordes aka Rivka Salomé, will participate in the Harvard Divinity School Conference 'Art and Spirituality' connected to HDS's Program on the Evolution of Spirituality.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy presented at a keynote conversation honouring the life and legacy of Tudor Parfitt, Distinguished University Professor and President Yitzhak Navon Professor of Sephardic-Mizrahi Studies at Florida International University (Miami, USA) at ‘The Fringes of the Jewish World Colloquium’ at the Jewish Museum of Florida in Miami (April 6/7). 

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy’s ‘One God: Judaism, Christianity and Islam’ students welcomed the West Cork Artist and Writer, Brian Lalor to class on Thursday 3rd April 2035. A specialist archeologist having worked extensively in the Middle East, Brian explored the built heritage of Jerusalem over successive periods and discussed archaeological discoveries and their interpretation.

They also welcomed Clair Lalor (Co-Chair of Cork Three Faiths Forum) and other members to class. Clair introduced the work of the forum and its significance in building bridges between Jews, Christians and Muslims in Cork and beyond. Photo includes Rev, Tony Murphy (Church of Ireland)

Dr Jenny Butler is participating in the workshop entitled "The Echo of Ancestors: The Reemergence and Claims of 'Ancient' Religions in Europe"

The interdisciplinary workshop explores the revival of ancient religions in Europe, examining their resurgence, dissemination, institutional recognition, and sociopolitical impact. As non-monotheistic beliefs—polytheism, paganism, and animism—gain renewed interest and are increasingly leveraged in identity debates, the initiative brings together researchers from across Europe for a cross-disciplinary investigation of these evolving dynamics.

Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Scranton (USA) gave a guest lecture to RG2008: One God – Judaism, Christianity and Islam students on the topic of ‘Latin American Christianity’ on Thursday 27^th March 2025. Students were honoured to discuss topics such a liberation and black theology in Latin America as they connected to historical and contemporary themes with Professor Maldonado.

Animal Studies and Ecocriticism in India

A conference within the context of PRIN Project 2022 funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research   

“For a Multivocal History of the Attitudes Towards Non-Human Animals in South Asia. Ethics, Practices, Symbolism. Investigating New and Unsolved Issues”

The next presentation in the Study of Religions Research Seminar Series will be on Wednesday 26 March from 6-7pm with Dr Olesia Zhytkova on

"Activity of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Kyiv (1919-1930)"

Considering a postgraduate programme in Anthropology or the Study of Religions? Join our webinar and hear directly from Programme Directors from UCC's MA in Anthropology and Higher Diploma in the Study of Religions. Sign up: http://bit.ly/UCCW325

Professor Max Strassfeld, Religious Studies from University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences spoke with Dr. Amanullah De Sondy’s One God: Judaism, Christianity and Islam students on the topic of ‘Trans Talmud: Androgynes and Eunuchs in Rabbinic Literature’.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was honoured to represent University College Cork - Study of Religions as guest of his dear friend Bishop Paul Colton at the Feast of Saint Patrick and Civic Choral Eucharist - alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Cllrs, Oireachtas members and civic representatives led by the Lord Mayor of Cork. 

Taking place 6-7pm on MS Teams on Wednesday 12 March 2025 with Iryna Stavynska 

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy wrote in The Conversation on the murder of gay South African Imam Muhsin Hendricks as it reignites queer Muslim debate.

Students from Dr Amanullah De Sondy’s One God: Judaism, Christianity and Islam course visited St. Fin Barre's Cathedral today in Cork. A splendid tour was given by The Very Rev Nigel Dunne on Thursday 6^th March 2025. Always an enjoyable and educational visit.

Dr Tatsuma Padoan (Study of Religions Department, UCC), together with his team from the SENSA Lab (Laboratory of Semiotics, Ethnosemiotics, Nonfictional Studies and Audiovisuality), presented the Seed-Funded Pilot Project "Aesthetic Communication: The Role of Senses in Social Interaction, Across and Beyond the Human", during the Future Humanities Institute event "Methodologies that Motivate", held at UCC Granary Theatre on 15 January 2025 (16.00-19.30).

A student visit took place to the Chester Beatty in Dublin which houses important religious texts and artefacts. Dr. Moya Carey, Curator of Islamic Collections presented a tour of the collections to students taking the One God: Judaism, Christianity and Islam module on Sunday 23^rd February 2025. We were also joined by students from our Women's and Gender Studies programme and the Philosophy Department.

Cedar Monroe is a PhD student and Assistant Lecturer in the Study of Religions Department at UCC. His research is focused on the intersections of ecological sustainability and activism, nature-based spiritualities, and settler colonial critique. He is interested in the ways that spiritual connection or relationship to land and place can motivate responses to the world's polycrisis.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy joined RTE’s ‘Today’ programme On Monday 10^th February 2025 for his regular participation in the ‘Talk of Today’ panel. Topical news stories are discussed. The hosts for this week’s show were Dáithí Ó Sé and Sinead Kennedy alongside panelists Elaine Kinsella from Radio Kerry and Shane Beatty from Newstalk.

Kerem Görkem Arslan is a lecturer in the Department of Turkish Studies at the University of Strasbourg, an associate researcher at the French Institute for Anatolian Studies, and a PhD candidate in political sciences at the Droit, Religion, Entreprise et Société Research Unit (UMR 7354 DRES, jointly supervised by CNRS and the University of Strasbourg).

Taking place on Saturday, March 29th, 2025