Biography
Jake Wumkes is a Ph.D. candidate and adjunct professor in the Religion Department at Temple University. His research focuses on the political theology of race, or the question of what is inherently theological about race and racial about modern politics. His work challenges secular-liberal conceptions of pluralism, and ideals of human freedom and flourishing, by investigating how they conceal and constrain the critical and moral potential of alternative epistemological frameworks especially of the global south. More specifically, he is interested in how the category of ‘religion’ – its popular, scholarly, and legal deployments – fails to capture key dimensions of the thought and behavior it purports to explain, functioning instead to bolster the sovereignty of the state and the liberal international order. The primary focal points through which he develops his critique are ‘African traditional religion’ and Islam, demonstrating the challenge that the alternative theological principles and bodily practices found therein pose to the epistemic authority of the state. His article, “The Spirit of the Pluriverse: Africana Spirit-Based Epistemologies and Interepistemic Thinking,” was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion in June 2024. His dissertation, currently in writing, is titled “Decolonizing ‘Religion’: Race, Secularity, and Embodied Disavowal.”
Candidate Statement
This is both an exciting and a challenging time to be a scholar, especially a scholar of religion. Surely, the pressures abound for all of us in this moment, but I think students face unique pressures as we work to define our careers in the midst of uncertainty. As a graduate student myself, I sympathize greatly with all of my peers. I am familiar with the feelings of uncertainty that seem to come with this career track. Equally, however, I have learned from first-hand experience how much personal and professional growth can be achieved if we stick with our vision and build meaningful relationships with peers, mentors, and the broader academic community. In my experience, the American Academy of Religion is an invaluable resource in this regard, and I hope to help make it work for fellow students and beyond. As Student Director, my main goals would be to help graduate students discover how the AAR can be of service to us in our goals of making a career in academia or elsewhere, to give our unique experiences and concerns a real presence in organization, planning, and communication efforts, and to advocate for the importance of the study of religion for the broader public.
I would like to see greater outreach to graduate students of religion, encouraging them to get involved with the AAR and demystifying the purpose and process of things like the national and regional conferences, including how best to participate, whether presenting papers of their own, networking with fellow scholars, or gaining new perspectives on current directions in the field and finding their place within it. I would also like to see outreach efforts that might help to familiarize emerging scholars with the importance and the process of publication in scholarly journals such as the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, as well as to introduce student members to various AAR resources such as those that facilitate pedagogical collaboration and development. Additionally, while many of us may be seeking academic careers, I would want to help continue the efforts of the AAR to give graduate students a sense of the possibilities beyond academia, and the tools to leverage their skills and degrees in diverse fields.
Finally, I am deeply committed to advocating in the broader public and in the scholarly community for the purpose and the urgency of the study of religion for our times. I believe the AAR to be a key platform by which we as scholars can articulate how it is that the study of religion has a crucial place in addressing the many societal challenges we currently face, both nationally and globally, by better understanding ourselves and the world. As Student Director, I would be eager to lead the charge in this regard, and would work to empower fellow students not only to find their place in their field, but also to recognize the invaluable contributions they can make to the world beyond academia.