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Committees & Groups
Discover how members are fulfilling the AAR's mission and learn how to get involved.
AAR Regions
Connect with fellow AAR members who live in your region and attend our regional events.
Member Directory
Find and connect with other scholars of religion who are part of the AAR community.
Grow Your Career
Professional Development
Explore our job board, certificate programs, grants, and other opportunities to elevate and promote your work.
Mentoring
Find a mentor for professional guidance or become a mentor and pay it forward.
Resource Library
Browse our webinars, studies, job postings, and more tools to assist you throughout your career.
Member Spotlight
Ristina Gooden
Ristina Gooden (she/her) is a daughter, sister, friend, auntie, curiosity seeker, pleasure embracer, preacher, baker, reader, writer, music lover, and wanderer. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Gooden holds a BS in hospitality management from The Ohio State University and an MDiv from Vanderbilt Divinity School. She is a doctoral student in the graduate department of religion at Vanderbilt University, concentrating on homiletics and liturgics. Her work focuses on creating new frameworks of sacred rhetoric that interweave pleasure, agency, and wholeness for Black women. Gooden is a Forum for Theological Exploration Doctoral Fellow and serves as the student director and the chair of the Graduate Student Committee for the American Academy of Religion.
AAR Awards & Grants
Featured Professional Resources
Resource
February 12, 2025
Writing Accountability Program
An accountable co-working space for AAR members who would like to write alongside others.
Resource
February 12, 2025
Publishing Mentoring Program
The purpose of this program is to connect AAR members, particularly early career scholars, with a mentor who has extensive experience in publishing — with academic journals, books, trade, and public scholarship.
Resource
February 12, 2025
Reading Religion Mentoring Program
Our Reading Religion mentorship program supports first-time book reviewers and bridges the gap between experienced and new scholars in religious studies and related fields to improve book-reviewing skills.
Member Directory
Engage in conversation, share resources, and search for colleagues by research area, institution, or involvement in the AAR. Members must sign in to access the member directory.