When it comes to writing about religion for the general public, the media and religious scholars are equally at a loss. Both sides struggle to convey cultural insights in a way that won’t fan the flames of a cultural war.
To bridge this chasm, Northeastern will launch a program that will train religious scholars to work with the media more effectively.
“Religious scholars have a lot to add to the discussion of contemporary issues, but they’re trained to write jargon-based technical pieces intended for members of our club,” said program creator Elizabeth Bucar, an associate professor of religion and Dean’s Leadership Fellow at Northeastern. “No one outside the academy ever reads this work.”