Meet Faithfully Magazine’s 2020 Sacred Writes Partner Scholars

Following the success of our 2019 partnership, Faithfully Magazine is delighted to again work with Sacred Writes this year in hosting three new religion scholars. The editorial team is looking forward to working with the selected scholars as they pursue works reflecting their academic passions and expertise for the publication’s readership.

Our 2020 Sacred Writes partner scholars:

Vaughn A. Booker, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religion and the Program in African and African-American Studies at Dartmouth College. His research focuses on African-American religious history in the 20th century. His first book, Lift Every Voice and Swing: Black Musicians and Religious Culture in the Jazz Century (NYU Press, July 2020), explores the emergence of new race representatives in the jazz profession, including Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Mary Lou Williams.

Read Dr. Booker’s essay: Prosperity Meets the Poor: the Mission of Charleszetta ‘Mother’ Waddles in Urban America

Alexandria Griffin holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Arizona State University and is a 2020-2021 Visiting Assistant Professor of African-American Religions at New College of Florida. Her dissertation work focuses on Patrick Francis Healy, S.J. and racial and religious identity in his life and legacy. She is also at work on a project on baseball, race, and religion in the Israelite House of David, focusing on their baseball team’s 1934 season.

Read Dr. Griffin’s essay: Would the Rev. Patrick Healy, Who Passed for White, Want to Be Celebrated as a Black Hero?

Dr. Khyati Y. Joshi is a public intellectual whose social science research and community connections inform policy-makers, educators, and everyday people about race, religion, and immigration in 21st century America. Her most recent book is White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America (NYU Press, 2020). She is the author and co-editor of Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, 3rd edition (Routledge, 2016), one of the most widely-used books by diversity practitioners and social justice scholars alike. For more information see www.khyatijoshi.com

Read Dr. Joshi’s essay: How Systemic Religious Oppression Benefits White Christians—and Christians of Color, Too

We are excited to work with these scholars and look forward to sharing their timely and important work with you in the coming months!