Please join us in celebrating our members on their professional news and accomplishments!
As a reminder, AAR publishes member accomplishments including new publications, award announcements, and media mentions. We publish these on a monthly basis, which means if you submit your note in January, you can expect to see it published in February, and so on.
Books and Publications
Amir Hussain and Jack Miles, One God and Two Religions: Christians and Muslims as Neighbors
From the publisher:
“Islam is a religion of violence and behind every Muslim there lurks a potential terrorist. Islam is a threat to values of the Christian West. They are like oil and water. Clearly, they don’t mix.
One God and Two Religions confronts these popular perceptions head-on. With keen insight and gentle understanding, Amir Hussain explores the differences between Christianity and Islam, as well as the many things these two enduring faith traditions hold in common – including, first and foremost, their belief in and desire to be faithful to the one, true God; their shared roots and scripture (from the Jewish faith); and the spiritual values of peace and social justice.
Written for Christians by Muslim world-religions scholar, the book is divided into two parts. Part 1, provides an overview of the Islamic faith and of the lives of Muslims in North America today. Chapters focus on the place and identity of Muslims in society, as well as on the importance and role of Muhammad, the Qur’an, and basic beliefs and practices (The Five Pillars of Islam). Part 2, explores key points for dialogue, including issues of violence and jihad, the roles of women and men, and the mystical tradition within Islam. The final two chapters look at interfaith dialogue and the practical aspects of being good “neighbors.”
From the publisher:
“Interfaith Dialogue and Mystical Consciousness in India is a research inquiry in interfaith studies that uses hermeneutical phenomenology to address vexing issues arising in the study of mysticism and enlightened sages.
This book raises the following questions: If all human beings have access to mystical consciousness, and some do access it, how is it that only a few become luminary sages, displaying extraordinary power? What is the ethical responsibility of such sages? And how is the encounter among sages/mystics of different traditions contributing to the harmonious unfolding of religious diversity? The author provides original answers and a renewed vision of Hinduism through the lens of two of the most loved and admired sages of modern India—Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo.
This book is a blueprint for transformative research on religion: it envisions an innovative method— integrative hermeneutical phenomenology—contributing to the development of interfaith mysticism. Bringing to the fore key themes such as Self-realization, the Hari-Hara mystery, and Mystic Fire, the author shows the importance of mystical experience in the understanding of the religious “Other” and the future of religion.”
Lavanya Vemsani, Handbook of Indian History
From the publisher:
“This book comprehensively examines the extensive history of India by focusing on the unifying themes of history. The profound analysis of special events and impactful personalities of Indian history form the core of the book. Handbook of Indian History includes articles on cultural, social, and political history of India, topics of religion, philosophy, gender, language and literature, providing a vast array of knowledge on India.
The book is divided into three parts. Part one examines the historical developments beginning with the first human settlements to the civilizational foundations of early India until the second century B.C.E. Part two discusses India’s political, economic, social, and cultural developments during the First Millennium C.E. expanding beyond India’s borders. Chapters in this section address diverse subjects concerning Indian history, including but not limited to communications and networks along with maritime contacts with other parts of Asia, shipping, and international trade. This section also focuses on developments concerning religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, examining devotional practice, monasticism, educational, and social developments. Part three explores the themes of colonialism and the progressive colonization of India between the twelfth century and the eighteenth century, followed by its struggles and emergence as an independent nation in the twentieth century. Chapters in this section explore India’s independence struggles, colonial legacy, post-independence revivals and revivals drawing upon ancient wisdom of India.
The book introduces India from the beginning to the current day, providing depth and breadth of subjects to understand the history of India. The book is beneficial to anyone interested in learning about India, including students, researchers, and general readers.”
Norman Wirzba, Love’s Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis
From the publisher:
“A moving exploration of the place of hope in the world today, drawing on agrarian principles
In this series of meditations, Norman Wirzba recasts hope not as something people have, like a vaccine to prevent pain and trouble, but as something people do. Hope evaporates in conditions of abandonment and abuse. It grows in contexts of nurture and belonging. Hope ignites when people join in what Wendell Berry calls “love’s braided dance”—a commitment to care for one another and our world.
Through personal narratives and historical examples, Wirzba explores what sustains hope and why it so often seems absent from our vision of the future. The vitality of hope, he maintains, depends on a collective commitment to care for the physical world (its soils and waters, plants and animals, homes and neighborhoods) and to promote the moral, aesthetic, and spiritual ideals that affirm life as good, beautiful, and sacred.
Engaging with such contemporary topics as climate change, AI and social media, and the intensifying refugee crises and drawing on the wisdom of James Baldwin, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Martha Graham, and others, Wirzba offers a powerful argument for hope as a way of life in which people are intimately and practically joined with all the living.”
In the News/Public Scholarship
Deepak Sarma, Featured Panelist at 2025 PULSE Conference at Harvard Law School
From the conference site:
“Scientific and commercial interest in psychedelics is exploding. In the flood of news about drug companies, clinical trials, and state and federal regulation, one might overlook the spiritual use of psychedelics. However, spiritual use long predates Western scientific applications and is seemingly expanding. The trend raises difficult questions for lawyers, ethicists, and religious practitioners. This in-person conference at Harvard Law School emphasizes the spiritual aspects of psychedelic experience. Speakers will explore the complex relationships between psychedelics, religious communities, courts, Congress, and federal agencies. They will discuss how psychedelic law previously impacted spiritual practice and how it should in the future.”