![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/secl-news-events\/files\/2020\/12\/Chris-Deacy.jpg\")
<\/a>Head of Department, Dr Chris Deacy<\/a> shares his thoughts, “While it\u2019s blowing my own trumpet a bit, I wrote a book on Christmas, Christmas as Religion<\/em><\/a>, which came out four years ago and which might be useful for any prospective students. It\u2019s all about the way we think about Christmas as a religious festival as well as a secular festival, and how both of them are accommodated in terms of what we consider to be \u2018sacred time\u2019. It asks whether there is anything religious about the things that we often consider secular, such as Christmas films or nostalgia-based radio programmes. It also deals with the question of how all of this changes the way we understand the category of religion \u2013 and so builds on the kind of material students studying Religious Studies may be interested in.<\/p>\nI can\u2019t help mentioning my podcast too which is a good way of finding out about the people behind the books and we see something of their lives, choices, passions, careers and trajectories outside of what they write, research and teach. I\u2019ve also interviewed several school teachers, ex students and people outside of university. Christmas comes up quite a bit as does music and radio with Mark Connelly, Head of History<\/a> here at the University of Kent. There are also a number of interviews with Department of Religious Studies academics, such as Les de Vries<\/a>. If you’re interested in finding out more about the University, there’s an episode with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Karen Cox<\/a>.\u00a0 I am really pleased also with one I did with stand-up comedian, Andy White<\/a>, whom I went to university with back in the 90s.<\/p>\n In terms of films, I am really interested in The Santa Clause<\/em> (1994) and Christmas with the Kranks<\/em> (2004) in terms of what they say about the way Christmas doesn\u2019t make sense without the supernatural and magic, and you can\u2019t beat The Muppet Christmas Carol<\/em> (1992) for a funny and modern take on the Scrooge narrative and what it says about our ability to change as people and whether Christmas is all about materialism\u2026 or redemption.”<\/p>\n First up is\u00a0Unorthodox<\/em>, a Netflix miniseries about a young woman feeling a closed Hasidic Jewish community for a new life in secular Berlin. It\u2019s supposed to be a mesmerising coming of age story, and I\u2019ll be interested to see how well the series navigates complicated perspectives on what counts as \u2018good\u2019 religion.<\/p>\n I\u2019m also looking forward to watching\u00a0Ride Upon a Storm<\/em>, a new Danish drama about a Lutheran priest from the makers of the wonderful political drama Borgen. Some of the research I\u2019ve been doing recently with the\u00a0Understanding Unbelief programme<\/a>\u00a0looks at atheism in Denmark \u2013 one of the most atheistic countries in the world, but intriguingly also one in which attachment to the national church remains very high. That makes Danish atheism somewhat different to British atheism, and popular attitudes to religion are different across the two countries too. It will be a treat to see some of the texture to the Danish relationship with religion as well as the opportunity to think about how religion is portrayed in the media through dramas like this one.<\/p>\n Another welcome recommendation was to watch \/ rewatch some\u00a0Studio Ghibli\u00a0movies such as\u00a0Spirited Away<\/em>, which explore spirituality in their own distinctive style and connects with our departmental work on Asian religions.<\/p>\n A good read, especially for this time of year, is the His Dark Materials <\/em>series, which plays with a hugely diverse set of ideas and images from religious, spiritual and atheistic traditions. Some of my research and teaching on atheism looks at how nonreligious worldviews manifest in shared culture, and Philip Pullman\u2019s iconic series is a significant example of that, so the books are interesting from that perspective too \u2013 as well as being a magical read.<\/p>\n My colleague, Gordon Lynch’s book,\u00a0Religion, Media & Culture: A Reader<\/em>(edited with Jolyon Mitchell and Anna Strhan) would be a good companion read to all of this, and I’d also recommend a book by another colleague:\u00a0Chris Deacy\u2019s\u00a0Christmas as Religion<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 particularly interesting to reflect on at this time of year, for obvious reasons! So much of what we encounter over these months of winter festivals engages with the kinds of existential, ethical and social themes that the study of religion and nonreligion is all about. Chris\u2019s book offers an interesting perspective on that.<\/p>\n This year I\u2019ve also been watching Miracle Workers<\/em>. The first series is based on What in God\u2019s Name<\/em> by Simon Rich \u2013 which has now been added to my reading list! \u2013 the series follows the trials and tribulations of a low-level angel who tries to convince God not to blow-up earth\u2026don\u2019t worry it is a comedy!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/secl-news-events\/files\/2020\/12\/leslie-de-vries-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Lecturer in East Asian Studies, Dr Leslie De Vries<\/a>, shares his thoughts: “I have one particular Christmas recommendation in mind: How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy<\/em><\/a>, edited by Pigliucci, Cleary and Kaufman.\u00a0In this collection, you\u2019ll find fifteen short but inspirational essays covering a variety of traditions, from Buddhism to Secular Humanism. The authors, all academics, are personally engaged in the philosophies they write about. So don\u2019t expect anything dry! But discover, for instance, how a leading scholar of Chinese philosophy integrates ancient Confucian wisdom in his daily life. How to Live a Good Life<\/em> is not only a fun and interesting read, but also gives you a sense of what you would be studying in our Religious Studies degree, and particularly in modules like \u201cEthics, Society and the Good Life\u201d and \u201cIntroduction to East Asian Traditions\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/secl-news-events\/files\/2020\/12\/lois-lee-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Dr Lois Lee<\/a>, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies says, “This Christmas I\u2019ll be following up on some recommendations from our students and staff about what they\u2019ve been enjoying this year \u2013 when we\u2019ve all had so much time for reading and TV. There were a lot of brilliant suggestions connected to the work we do here in the department, and here are just a few of those to share with you.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/secl-news-events\/files\/2020\/12\/nicole-graham-gta-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Graduate Teaching Assistant, Nicole Graham<\/a>, shares her thoughts, “I really enjoy reading stories and it\u2019s even better when you find religious and moral messages tucked away within the wider narrative. Given this, and the fact that my research explores the relationship of humour and religion, I\u2019d recommend Umberto Eco\u2019s novel The Name of the Rose<\/em> \u2013 it\u2019s not funny but it has all these features and a murder mystery\u2026<\/p>\n