Religion Professor Published

A Faculty Forum given by Dr. Bryan Rennie, the Vira I. Heinz Professor of Religion at Westminster College, was published in the Bulletin of the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (36 #1, Feb. 2007).

"Zoroastrianism: The Iranian Roots of Christianity?" was presented by Rennie during the Nov. 29 Faculty Forum and was based on material first presented as "Iranian Eschatology and Middle Eastern Religion: The Absence of the Zoroastrain Tradition from Mainstream Anglophone Biblical and Religious Studies."

Rennie organized a session called "Egregious Elephants?: Unexplained Oversights and Omissions in the Academic Study of Religion," for the North American Association for the Study of Religion at the American Academy of Religion national annual conference in Washington, D.C., in November where he gave that paper.

"I was particularly delighted to be invited to publish in the CSSR Bulletin," said Rennie, "because I am seeking wider feedback on my theories about Zoroastrian influence on early Christianity, and the large distribution of the Bulletin will help with that." 

Published four times each year, the CSSR Bulletin is one of the oldest publications in the field of Religious Studies and has one of the largest circulations of any periodical in the discipline. Part academic journal, part intellectual forum, this publication functions as an excellent platform for reaching a diverse readership. Articles in the Bulletin covering a vast array of topics appear in print much more quickly than they do in standard academic journals. The Bulletin showcases new innovations in the discipline featuring the work of both seasoned and emerging scholars who are interested in actively shaping the future of the field. 

Rennie, who has been with Westminster College since 1994, is also the Vira I. Heinz Chair in Religion. He earned his undergraduate degree, master's and Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Rennie has written four books and several articles about Eliade.

Contact Rennie at (724) 946-7151 or e-mail brennie@westminster.edu or visit http://www.cssr.org/publications.htm#bulletin for more information.

Dr. Bryan Rennie