Religion, Culture & Society

Laurence J. Silberstein, professor emeritus of religion, culture and society and the founding Philip and Muriel Berman Professor of Jewish Studies at Lehigh University, died July 30, 2026, at the age of 89. An internationally respected scholar, Silberstein helped establish Jewish Studies at Lehigh and was known for his influential research on religion, philosophy and Israeli culture, as well as his decades of dedicated teaching and mentorship.

A new online course invites participants to discover how ancient Buddhist storytelling traditions can reshape the way we understand our own lives. The Story of Your Life: Buddhism, Creativity, and Meaning is a four-week program led by Dr. Annabella Pitkin, running on Tuesdays via Zoom beginning June 3, 2026.

Michael Raposa hails Spring 2025 as his most productive period in more than four decades of academic work.

Through the lenses of race, gender, and religion, Noh reveals the complex impacts of colonialism and evangelical missions linking Korea, the U.S., and Haiti.

How a vision for Jewish studies transformed a community and inspired generations.

As Ben Wright approaches retirement, the renowned scholar celebrates a career unraveling the mysteries of the Second Temple period and advancing fresh perspectives in early Judaism studies.

The Berman Center for Jewish Studies will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024. Lehigh spoke with Berman Center director Jodi Eichler-Levine, as well as former director Hartley Lachter and history professor Nitzan Lebovic, about the milestone and the center’s vision going forward.

Disney theme parks provide connections to fantastic stories and film-inspired fantasies, but it has also become a place of pilgrimage similar to traditional religions.