The Center for the Study of Religion (CSR) will continue its visiting scholar program this February, hosting Dr. James Dennis LoRusso, program director of religious studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Dr. LoRusso's research focuses on the intersection of religion and political economy with particular attention to subject formation and the reproduction of inequality under capitalism. LoRusso is the author of Spirituality, Corporate Culture, and American Business: The Neoliberal Ethic and the Spirit of Global Capital (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) and editor of On The Subject of Religion: Charting the Fault Lines of A Field of Study (Equinox in 2022).

Dr. LoRusso's research talk, "Holy Inequality! Why class matters in the way we talk about religion, and about everything else, too" will be held on Wednesday, February 18. Location and time TBD, with more information coming soon. 

Visiting scholars offer public research lectures, visit classes, engage with students and participate in other center initiatives, including CSR's regular reading and writing groups. 

This ongoing initiative aims to support contingent and independent scholars by bringing them to OSU's main campus for a short-term residence, offering opportunities to participate in the center’s intellectual community.  The pilot for this program, launched in March 2023, brought Dr. Lynn Gerber to OSU, where she met with students and faculty, presented a community talk on her research and engaged in other center activities. After the success of the pilot, CSR requested proposals for future visiting scholars and received over 50 applications this academic year. 

Follow our events page for more information on individual events with our visiting scholars.