The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded a grant from the Theology program for a digital public humanities initiative entitled “Religions Texas” that will explore Texas’ rich religious and cultural diversity. They will partner with the Institute for Diversity and Civic Life in Austin to study various aspects of religious life in Texas, assemble scholarly and public convenings, and create an oral history archive and a series of podcasts.

The UT Department of Religious Studies is happy to announce that the university has been awarded a three-year grant for $350,000 from the Henry Luce Foundation to support Religions Texas, a digital public humanities initiative. Rooted in the practices of community-based research, storytelling, and public history, Religions Texas is led by Dr. Chad E. Seales and Dr. Jennifer Graber and is a partnership between the UT Department of Religious Studies and the Institute for Diversity and Civic Life, a community-based organization in Austin.

Religions Texas explores Texas as a site of religious encounter and a meeting place of religious and cultural difference. With a central position in the southern borderlands, Texas has always been shaped by encounter and exchange among diverse cultural and religious groups. Over the last several decades, the state has experienced exponential growth in terms of its economy and population, further contributing to the creation of rich and varied religious and cultural landscapes. The state is home not only to the largest number of Evangelical Protestants, but also to one of the largest Muslim populations and the second largest Hindu population in the United States.

Over the next three years, this grant will support research seminars, an oral history initiative, the development of a curated website and digital archive, a series of podcasts, public forums, and a new community advisory board.

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