This interdisciplinary cluster examines religion and its rich influence on thought, culture, and society from the ancient world to present. Using theoretical and empirical methods drawn from anthropology, history, literary studies, philosophy, and related disciplines, our focus includes not only formal religion but also the broader human experience of transcendence, certainty and the sacred, even within ostensibly “secular” settings. We study how ideas or forces that challenge human perception, agency, and rationality have shaped a wide range of phenomena, including social relations, medicine, aesthetics, the ecological imagination, and technological culture. To this end, the cluster is dedicated to hosting conversations and collaborations with local and international scholars and to encourage the development and funding of future research and teaching initiatives. 

Coordinator: ​Christopher Trigg