2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
Religion Archive (100 Stories)
Jay L. Garfield to Deliver Robert W. Root ’42 Endowment Lecture at W&L
The esteemed Buddhist philosopher will host a talk in Stackhouse Theater on March 7.
Composer Gerald Cohen to Lecture on His Musical Compositions Commemorating the Holocaust
Cohen’s talk, “Music as Witness: a Composer Commemorates the Holocaust,” will be held at 4 p.m. on Feb. 13 in Hillel 101.
2024 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Award winners
Six W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
2023 Distinguished Young Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Young Alumni Award winners
W&L Alumna Annie Talton ’21 Selected for Fulbright to Hungary
Talton has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English to the Roma student population in Hungary.
2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
2023 Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Five-Star Distinguished Alumni Awards winners
W&L Presents “Blacks and Jews in America: An Invitation to Dialogue”
Terrence Johnson, professor of African American religious studies at Harvard University, will discuss his latest book on March 1.
W&L Faculty Members Present Papers at 2022 MESA Conference in Denver
Anthony Edwards, Theodore Van Loan and Kameliya Atanasova were featured at the annual event.
2022 Distinguished Young Alumni Awards
Washington and Lee University is proud to announce this year's Distinguished Young Alumni Award winners
W&L Professors Each Present Papers at the 34th Deutscher Orientalistentag
Timothy Lubin and Anthony Edwards both presented at the event held in Berlin earlier this month.
Summer in the City
Margaret Witkofsky '24 is researching grants for the city of Lexington, Virginia through her internship with the Office of Community-Based Learning.
‘Living Honestly’
Ten years after helping found the LGBTQ Resource Center at W&L, Chris Washnock ’12 has carried its community-building lessons into a career in faith-based advocacy.
Brooklyne Oliveira ’21 Awarded Marquand Scholarship to Yale
The award covers full tuition and includes a $10,000 stipend toward living expenses.
Religion Department Congratulates Graduates
Class of 2021 students in religion are heading out to do big things following W&L.
Meet the Professor: Emily Filler
Filler, an assistant professor in the Religion Department, joined the W&L faculty in fall 2020.
W&L Introduces Minor in Religion
The university’s new religion minor requires completion of six courses and complements any major.
Parsing a Pandemic
Fifteen W&L faculty members and two alumnae have signed on to help teach a Fall Term course that will cover multiple aspects of the COVID-19 crisis.
‘A Real Justice Issue’
Bridget Bartley '21 interviews Shiri Yadlin '12, director of Just Homes, a nonprofit that helps faith communities address homelessness in D.C.
W&L’s Tim Lubin Awarded Two Grants for Research
The fellowships will support 18 months of research and writing on Hindu law.
Status and Justice in Law, Religion and Society Conference Presents Two Keynote Speakers
Clifford Ando’s and Winnifred Fallers Sullivan’s lectures are free and open to the public.
A World of Difference
The Cape Town Program, a partnership between the Williams School and the Shepherd Program, provides students with an interdisciplinary experience they'll never forget.
Snapshots from Spring Term
Our favorite term is well underway! Here is a glimpse inside some of the many fascinating courses being taught off-campus this year.
W&L Hosts Public Lecture on Ireland and ‘Brexit’ by Timothy McMahon
The title of McMahon’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is “Brexit on the Border: What We Know and Don’t Know about Irish/UK Relations.”
Helping the Homebound
R. Alan Winstead ’85 is a driving force for the Meals on Wheels program in his community.
W&L’s History Department to Hold Public Panel in Response to Constitution Day Lecture
The panel discussion, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Who Is America?! A Response to Michael Anton’s Constitution Day Lecture.”
Confronting Cancer with Research
Erin An '19 has spent time this summer researching immunotherapy treatments for pediatric cancer at the University of Virginia.
W&L to Award Two Honorary Degrees at 2018 Commencement
W&L will recognize the outstanding contributions of professors Marjorie Agosín and Harlan Beckley at its 231st commencement.
The Value of Wandering
More than any other experience at W&L, the Outing Club has taught Bowen Spottswood '18 about living life joyfully.
Three W&L Students Awarded 2018 Critical Language Scholarships
Elizabeth McDonald heads to Japan, Emily Austin to Indonesia and Riley Ries to Kyrgyzstan.
The Story Behind the Art
After Tucker Hall was restored, University Collections of Art & History worked to find the perfect art to adorn its walls — including four bas-relief sculptures that hung on campus more than 100 years ago.
Carol Campbell, Author of “The Goddess Diaries,” to Perform at W&L
“The Goddess Diaries” is an ongoing theatrical production featuring true-life stories of women.
Raymond Barfield Completes Yearlong Questioning Intimacy Series
The title of his talk is "A Hesitant Intimacy: Medicine’s Response to the Unchosen Vulnerability of the Sick and Suffering.”
Princeton University Professor Harriet Flower to Deliver Hoyt Lecture in Classics
Flower’s talk is titled “The Dancing Lares and the Serpent in the Garden: Roman Local and Household Religion.”
W&L Continues Questioning Intimacy Series with Privacy Lecture by Anita Allen
Allen’s speech is titled: “Why Hide Anything?” She is the fifth speaker in the year-long Questioning Intimacy series.
‘Grateful Every Step of the Way’
Over 1,200 miles of biking and hiking trails led Ralston Hartness '18 from Spain to Ireland, discovering the meaning of pilgrimage along the way.
Antique Plate Linked to Special Date
On the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation, we take a closer look at a special item in the Reeves Collection — a plate that bears the image of Martin Luther.
First-Year Seminars: From Poverty to the Past
Professors share the inspiration for their first-year seminars, and what they hope students will take away.
Prelude to Reformation
Four Martin Luther tracts housed in W&L's Special Collections were fully restored in time for the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation.
Harvard’s T.M. Scanlon to Speak as Part of Equality and Difference Series
Scanlon will speak on “Further Reflections on Tolerance (and Some Implications for Immigration).”
‘A Beautiful and Complex Country’
A grant from the Endeavor Foundation allowed Tiffany Ko '20 and Jiwon Kim '20 to study religion in South Korea during summer 2017.
It’s All Greek to Her
Hannah Palmatary '18 spent the summer discovering the ancient ruins of Greece, as well as her own talent and passion for creative writing.
W&L Alumna and Oxford Professor of New Testament Studies to Lecture at W&L
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Strawbridge ’01, associate professor in New Testament Studies at the University of Oxford a will speak on “Skulls and Scripture: Reception of the Sacred.”
By Royal Decree
A Bible in the Special Collections vault turned out to be the 1642 New Testament that belonged to France’s King Louis XIII.
U.Va. Professor Nair to Speak at W&L on Early Modern Muslim Interpretation of Hinduism
UVa professor Shankar Nair will be speaking on "An Iranian Philosopher Roams India: Making Sense of an Early Modern Muslim Interpretation of Hinduism."
Ancient Tablet is ‘Exquisite in its Simplicity’
In the first installment of this new series, Tom Camden offers the story of a Sumerian clay tablet that is the oldest recorded document in W&L's Special Collections.
Conversation Starter
Hospice chaplain Kerry Egan '95 reflects on the important lessons her dying patients passed on to her.
UVa. Professor to Give Lecture on Free Speech Case Laws in Postcolonial India and Pakistan
Neeti Nair, associate professor in the Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia, to speak on "The Historian as Judge: Free Speech Case Laws in Postcolonial India and Pakistan.”
W&L Faculty to Discuss Open Access Publishing
Four W&L faculty will talk about their experiences with Open Access publishing, both from the editorial and authorial perspectives, on Oct. 24 from 4:30–5:30 p.m.
Young Alumni at Work: Thomas Day ’15
After majoring in biochemistry, religion and music composition at W&L, Thomas Day took his skills to help people at their most vulnerable point in life. .
My W&L: Jackie Yarbro ’15
"W&L has certainly taught me to expect the unexpected in a community of unique individuals."
Interns at Work: Andrea Owen ’16
Accounting and Religion major Andrea Owen '16 interns for Ernst & Young.
Historian and Professor Emerita Tessa Rajak to Speak at W&L
Tessa Rajak, a British expert on Hellenistic and Roman-era Judaism, will lecture at Washington and Lee University on March 29 at 5 p.m. in the Hillel House, room 101. While at W&L, she will be the Class of 1963 Visiting Scholar in Residence sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Departments of Religion and Classics.
Geology Professor Patricia Kelley to Lecture on Evolution and Creation: Conflicting or Compatible? at Washington and Lee
Patricia Kelley, professor of geology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on March 18 at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Biological Anthropologist Helen Fisher to Give Questioning Passion Lecture
Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist, author and professor, will lecture on Feb. 4 at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons. Her lecture is part of Washington and Lee University’s year-long Questioning Passion series.
Caroline Osella to Lecture in Global Fellows Seminar
Caroline Osella, a reader in anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, will lecture at W&L as part of the Winter 2016 Global Fellows Seminar: Tradition and Change in the Middle East and South Asia. Her talk will be Jan. 27, 2016, at 5 p.m. in Hillel 101.
Philosophy Professor Lars Svendsen to Lecture in Questioning Passion Series
Lars Svendsen, professor of philosophy at the University of Bergen in Bergen, Norway, will lecture on Jan. 14, 2016, at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons, as part of Washington and Lee University’s year-long Questioning Passion series.
CAJEF Global Fellows Program Announces Four-Week Seminar
The Center for International Education at Washington and Lee University will hold a Winter 2016 Global Fellows Seminar: Tradition and Change in the Middle East and South Asia. The seminar is supported by the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation.
Literary Critic Philip Fisher to Lecture in Questioning Passion Series on Nov. 12
Philip Fisher, the Felice Crowl Reid Professor of English at Harvard University, will lecture as part of the Questioning Passion series at Washington and Lee University on Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons.
Professor Winnifred Sullivan Will Speak on the Politics of Religious Freedom on Oct. 26
Winnifred F. Sullivan, professor and chair in the department of religious studies at the University of Indiana at Bloomington, will lecture at Washington and Lee University on Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library, with a reception at 5 p.m. prior to the lecture.
First Global Issues Seminars Will Focus on Middle East and South East Asia in 2015-16 and Brazil in 2016-17
The Center for International Education at Washington and Lee University has announced that two groups of faculty will receive support to establish Global Issues Seminars under the Global Fellows Program, which is funded with support from the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation.
Barbara Fredrickson is Inaugural Lecturer in Questioning Passion Seminar
Barbara Fredrickson, the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at UNC, will give the inaugural lecture in the Questioning Passion interdisciplinary seminar series at Washington and Lee.
Mellon Foundation Grants W&L Funds for Digital Humanities, Study of History
Washington and Lee University has received project grants totaling $950,000 from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation — one to develop new methods of teaching the humanities using technology and another to study how the lessons of history help us interpret contemporary issues.
W&L to Host Screening of Film “1913: Seeds of Conflict” on April 28
Director Ben Loeterman will visit Washington and Lee University to screen his new documentary film, "1913: Seeds of Conflict," on Tuesday, April 28, at 5 p.m. in the Hillel House multipurpose room. The event is free and open to the public.
W&L to host screening of film “1913: Seeds of Conflict” on April 28
Director Ben Loeterman will visit Washington and Lee University to screen his new documentary film, "1913: Seeds of Conflict," on April 28, at 5 p.m. in the Hillel House multipurpose room. The event is free and open to the public. Loeterman uses previously unavailable documents to shed light on pre-World War I Palestine and the […]
Jonathan Berkey to Give Lecture on “Jihad, Crusade and the New World Order”
Jonathan Berkey, the James B. Duke Professor of International Studies and chair of the History Department at Davidson College, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on March 25, at 5 p.m. in the Hillel House.
Johannes Bronkhorst to Deliver Root Lecture on “Can Religion be Explained?”
Johannes Bronkhorst, professor emeritus at the University of Lausanne, will deliver the Root Lecture at Washington and Lee University on Tuesday, March 17, at 5:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library. The title of Bronkhorst's lecture is "Can Religion Be Explained?" It is free and open to the public.
W&L Presents Professor Steven Kruger Lecturing on “A Convert’s History”
Steven F. Kruger, professor at Queens College in The Graduate Center at the College of New York, will lecture at Washington and Lee University on Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room, Hillel House.
W&L's Richard Marks to Deliver His Inaugural Lecture Marking Appointment as Jessie Ball duPont Professor
Richard G. Marks, professor of religion at Washington and Lee University, will give his inaugural lecture marking his appointment as the Jessie Ball duPont Professor on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Duke University Professor to Give Talk about Feminism in Islam
miriam cooke (sic), the Braxton Craven Professor of Arab Cultures and director of the Middle East Studies Center at Duke University, will give a talk at Washington and Lee University on Monday, Jan. 26, at 5 p.m. in the Hillel House.
Laura Hawkins, Oxford University, to Lecture on Writing of the Ancient Near East
Laura Hawkins, Oxford University, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on "A Writing Revolution: How and Why Writing Spread in the Ancient Near East," on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
SanPietro to Talk on “Charity and the Creation of the Church”
Dr. Irene SanPietro, assistant dean of students at Columbia University, will give a talk on "Charity and the Creation of the Church" at Washington and Lee University on Friday, Dec. 5, at 4 p.m. in Huntley Hall 327, Williams School.
Nathaniel Deutsch, Co-director of Center for Jewish Studies, to Lecture at W&L
Nathaniel Deutsch, professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he is also co-director of the Center for Jewish Studies, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on Monday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m. in Sydney Lewis Hall, classroom B.
Two 2014 Graduates Commissioned as U.S. Army Officers
Two Washington and Lee University graduates capped their Commencement day by being commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. John Bruch of Baltimore, Md., and Christina Lowry of Lexington, Va., received their commissions and first salutes in a late afternoon ceremony at Lee Chapel on the university's campus.
W&L’s Religion Department Sponsors Talk on Christianity and Climate Change
Willis Jenkins, associate professor of religion, ethics and environment at the University of Virginia, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, May 14, at 5 p.m. in Hillel, rm. 101.
W&L Announces Final Winners of 2014 Johnson Opportunity Grants
Washington and Lee University has announced the final round of students who will receive 2014 Johnson Opportunity Grants. The grants cover living, travel and other costs associated with the students' proposed activities, which are designed to help them with their future careers and fields of study.
W&L Music Lecture Supported by Class of ’63 Scholars-in-Residence Program
Albert Blackwell, Reuben B. Pitts Professor Emeritus of Religion at Furman University, will present a lecture-demonstration on the theme, "Sounding Music: Relations of Melody and Harmony to Religious Sensibility and Expression" on Wednesday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. at R.E. Lee Memorial Church. The free public lecture is part of a three day visit sponsored […]
Syrian Scholar Dr. Issam Eido to Speak at Washington and Lee
Syrian scholar Dr. Issam Eido will deliver a talk at Washington and Lee University about "Scholars of Islamic Law and the Syrian Revolution" on Monday, March 31, at 5:30 p.m. in W&L's Law School Lewis Hall, Classroom C. The talk is free and open to the public. Eido's lecture will examine the role of traditionally […]
Theology Professor Thomas Carlson to Give Public Talk at W&L
Thomas Carlson, religion professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will give a public lecture on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 4:30 p.m. in Leyburn Library’s Northen Auditorium.
Kosky Book on “Arts of Wonder” Wins National Award
Religion professor Jeffrey Kosky has received a major award for his book, "Arts of Wonder: Enchanting Secularity—Walter De Maria, Diller + Scofidio, James Turrell, Andy Goldsworthy."
W&L's Wayde Marsh Named ODK National Leader of the Year
Wayde Marsh, who graduated from Washington and Lee University in May, has been named the national leader of the year by Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society.
Kendre Barnes and Wayde Marsh Awarded 2013 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion
Kendré Barnes and Wayde Marsh, 2013 graduates of Washington and Lee University, have been named this year's winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion.
Jackie Yarbro Named Winner of the Decade Award
Jackie Yarbro '15 from Suwanee, Ga., has been selected as the winner of this year's Decade Award. The award is given to a rising junior who has shown involvement and leadership at W&L, and has furthered discussions of women's issues on campus and beyond.
W&L's Ritter '13 Wins Student Literary Award for Dance Writing
Washington and Lee senior Jennifer Ritter, of Mariposa, Calif., has been awarded the "Student Literary Award" by Nu Delta Alpha, the national honor society in dance.
W&L Seniors Megan Bock, Wayde Marsh Are Generals of the Month for March
Washington and Lee University seniors Megan Bock and Wayde Marsh will be recognized at the Generals of the Month presentation for March on Thursday, March 7, at 11:45 a.m. in the Marketplace in Elrod Commons.
Auburn University Professor Matthew Bagger to Speak at Washington and Lee
Matthew C. Bagger, the Goodwin-Philpott Eminent Scholar in Religion at Auburn University, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on Monday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Dancer Kay Poursine to Perform the Bharata Natyam Dance Form
Dancer Kay Poursine will perform South Indian’s Bharata Natyam dance form on Wed., Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall in Wilson Hall, Washington and Lee University.
Charles Taylor to Address W&L's “Happiness Seminar”
Charles Taylor, emeritus professor of philosophy at McGill University is the third speaker in Washington and Lee University’s year-long “Questioning the Good Life” interdisciplinary seminar series.
W&L Seniors Ali Hamed, Jennifer Ritter Named Generals of the Month
Washington and Lee University seniors Jennifer Ritter and Ali Hamed will be recognized at the Generals of the Month presentation for October on Thursday, Nov. 1, at 11:45 a.m. in the Marketplace in Elrod Commons.
Kate Shellnutt Talks Religion Reporting, Blogging
Kate Shellnutt, a 2008 graduate of Washington and Lee University, has parlayed her majors in religion and print journalism into a post at the Houston Chronicle newspaper, where she produces the “Houston Belief” religion blog and reports on religion. Her work is the subject of a wide-ranging interview about newspapers, religion reporting and social media […]
W&L Spring Term Public Lecture by Johannes Anderegg
Johannes Anderegg, professor emeritus at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, will speak at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, May 3, at 4 p.m. in the Hillel House Multipurpose Room. The speech is sponsored by the Department of Religion and the Howerton Fund. The title of Anderegg’s talk is "Visual Art in the Final […]
W&L to Launch Interdisciplinary Seminar Series on Happiness
Washington and Lee University will introduce a new, year-long interdisciplinary seminar series that will examine our national obsession with happiness during the 2012-13 academic year
Biblical and Jesus Scholar Marcus Borg to Speak at W&L
Marcus Borg, the Canon Theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Ore., will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on Monday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Chapel. It is free and open to the public. The title of his talk is “Jesus in American Christianity Today.” Borg says, “The United States […]
W&L Hosts Concert by Babukishan Das Baul
Babukishan Das Baul and his wife, Sandra Ann Baul, will present “Mystical Songs of the Bauls of Bengal,” at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Hillel 101.
Philosophy Professor to Lecture on “Who Are Refugees?”
Matthew J. Lister, a visiting assistant professor at Villanova University School of Law, will give a lecture on Monday, March 19, at 5 p.m. in the Hillel Multipurpose Room. The talk is free and open to the public. The title of Lister’s lecture is “Who Are Refugees?” He will discuss the definition of refugees, what […]
W&L Root Lecture Presents Religion Professor John Dunne
John Dunne, associate professor of religion at Emory University, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, March 8, at 4:30 p.m. in Parmly Hall 307. The talk is free and open to the public. The title of the lecture is “Derealizing Self: Frontiers of Contemplative Science.” Dunne’s talk is sponsored by […]
Beckley Named to Campus Kitchens Project's National Board
Harlan Beckley, the Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Religion and director of the Shepherd Poverty Program at Washington and Lee University, has been named to a three-year term on the Board of Visitors of the Campus Kitchens Project (CKP). Beckley is one of nine new board members who CKP announced at its annual conference on […]
Jennifer Strawbridge '01 Named Distinguished Young Alumna
Washington and Lee University's Alumni Association has bestowed its 2011 Distinguished Young Alumna Award on the Rev. Jennifer R. Strawbridge, of the Class of 2001. Announcement of the award was made on Friday (Sept. 30) during the annual Young Alumni Reunion on campus. Rev. Strawbridge is chaplain of Oxford University's Keble College in England, where […]
