playnext.fm

New Books in Indian Religions · Marshall Poe

Russell T. McCutcheon, "Our Primary Expertise: A Future for the Study of Religion" (Rutgers UP, 2025)

·53 min·4 clips
Russell McCutcheon was hired to revive a department on the brink of being cut, with only four and a half faculty and no tenure.
Dr. Russell T. McCutcheon discusses his book 'Our Primary Expertise: A Future for the Study of Religion', exploring the crisis in higher education and the need for religious studies to pivot from content-focused expertise to teaching broader, applicable skills. He shares his experience reviving a struggling department and critiques the field's historical isolation, urging proactive adaptation to secure its future.

As heard by us

A serious conversation about the future of religious studies and who shapes it.

Russell T. McCutcheon turns to the future of religious studies, with attention to the strain on departments, senior scholars, and younger academics.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a sober conversation about where the study of religion is headed.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Listen to the show on
Apple PodcastsSpotify
Play clips from this episodeMore from New Books in Indian Religions