Rhetoric Race and Religion
If I were a member of Congress (now there’s an idea for a second career) I would hire a religion major on my staff. Actually, I would hire someone trained in feminist studies in religion because I think such people have a strong handle on what is happening around the globe.
Consider recent world events, admittedly refracted through an inside-the-Beltway lens. Who better than a student of religion to sort out the difference between Shias and Sunnis to make sense of Iraq? What econ major could understand the depths of the Hobby Lobby case in all of its evangelical complexity, much less see how the Conestoga part reflects certain Mennonite views? Gaza is a conundrum with deep religious roots that are so tangled not even the most sophisticated scholars can pull them apart. The struggle between Russia and the Ukraine has some religious dimensions as well. And what about President Obama’s Executive Order that protects gender identity as well as sexual orientation when it comes to federal contractors? With the predictable religious exemptions crowd breathing heavily, it takes someone with knowledge of what constitutes a religious organization and what does not to see how important this action is.
Feminist students of religion have well-honed critical skills, healthy suspicion of the status quo, and the technological tools to make a difference. Despite the hype that would have parents who worry about the practicality of religion as a choice of majors dissuading their children and pointing them toward law school (my father did!), I believe our intellectual backgrounds prove eminently practical.
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