Faculty Profile
Jodie Vann
Assistant Professor of Religion (2018)
Contact Information
East College Room 217
717-245-1053
Bio
Prof. Vann's current research examines the "spiritual, but not religious" trend through ethnographic research at key sites of spiritual tourism: Sedona, Arizona; Glastonbury, England; Mt. Shasta, California; and Yucatan, Mexico. She is currently working on projects related to how these sites (and others like them) function--historically and today--as places where spirituality is defined as it is practiced. More broadly, she is interested in the intersections of religion (and non-religion) with politics, pop culture, and social change. Her work generally engages with marginalized communities and those practicing their religious identities outside of traditional church structures--such as contemporary Pagans, British Hare Krishnas, American Druids, and self-proclaimed "eco-warrior hippies". In all cases, she is driven by a deep curiosity to understand how people create meaningful lives in a quickly shifting cultural context. On campus, she hosts the annual Holy Terrors event, which features a film screening and discussion of religion and horror. She is also involved with various sustainability efforts, including annual support of the Sustainability Expo through student projects.
Education
- B.A., University of Oregon, 2007
- M.A., Florida State University, 2011
- Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2018
2024-2025 Academic Year
Fall 2024
FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will:
- Critically analyze information and ideas
- Examine issues from multiple perspectives
- Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason
- Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and
- Create clear academic writing
The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.
RELG 318 One Nation Under God
Every four years, the United States engages in an extended ritual process through which a new President is elected. This course will analyze, in real time, the process as it unfolds. We will be using news and other media as primary sources to consider how the U.S. political cycle displays the themes and characteristics of what scholars call Civil Religion. This complex system of rituals, symbols, and myths allows Americans to develop a particularly meaningful identity—both collectively, and as individuals. We will consider the current election within the context of a long history of Civil Religion as it has changed and adapted to a shifting nation and world. We will analyze how the election process gives us a space to explore various answers to important questions such as: “how can a person be a good citizen?”; “what does it mean to be ‘American’?”; “what should the future of the United States be?”.
Spring 2025
RELG 116 Religion, Nature & Enviro
This course explores how various religious and spiritual traditions have understood, conceptualized, and interacted with the natural world. Incorporating from both conventional religions (such as Catholicism, Judaism, and Buddhism) as well as newer spiritual forms (like Contemporary Paganism), the course provides a comparative survey of the relationships between religiosity and nature. Themes under examination include notions of human dominion, stewardship, panentheism, and naturalism. Students will consider how religious ideologies have shaped conceptions of nature, and how changing understandings of the natural world have challenged religious ideas.
RELG 318 Spiritual Not Religious
(e.g., Religion and Science; Encounters with Death; Liberation Theologies) Prerequisite dependent upon topic.
RELG 490 Senior Seminar
Advanced investigation of methods and critical perspectives for the study of religion with a focus to be determined by the instructor. Writing enriched. Prerequisite: 410 or permission of the instructor.
RELG 500 Independent Study