Religious project wins award

By L. Gabi Reyes

Catherine Bell was awarded a $40,000 grant for college professors from the National Endowment for the Humanities, funding a year of research on a project about the nature of belief.

This is the second NEH award for Bell, who is the Bernard Hanley professor of religious studies and renowned author and speaker. Her first was in 1988.

The NEH award is bestowed upon scholars who have a research project of wide interest to the humanities field with cross-disciplinary appeal.

Recipients receive a year off from teaching and receive financial support to pursue their research.

The project title of Bell's current research is "Believing: Universal or Particular, Mental or Physical, Private or Communal?" Bell, the 2004 University of Chicago Divinity School alumna of the year, feels we take beliefs for granted. "We haven't done a lot of reflections on what beliefs are, if they're universal, based on a Judeo-Christian background or whether beliefs are particular," said Bell.

Bell said scientists have long studied beliefs on the basis of rationality but have not looked to anthropology, the social sciences or religion.

"People believe for different reasons, and these reasons come out in how they pray and what they pray for," said Bell. "There was a time we didn't talk about religion, we just named them: Jews, Christians, Moors and Eastern religions."

Bell said religion has avoided the topic of beliefs because we are "built on it."

Jessica Coblentz, a student research assistant for Bell, is excited about the implications of this award. "It's definitely a great opportunity for her to have more time to work on her project. She is one of the most prestigiously published authors in religious studies," said Coblentz.

Bell made her presence known in the religious studies field with her book, "Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice." After publication in 1992, it won the American Academy of Religion's best first book award in the History of Religions in 1994.

During her year off, Bell said she will spend her time working at her desk analyzing data for her next book, "Believing: Reflections on the Heart of Religion," targeted for publication in 2008.

Bell spent four years in Asia studying Eastern religion and has traveled extensively; she believes being at her desk will be time well spent.

Contact L. Gabi Reyes at lgreyes@scu.edu.