Disenchanting the Caliphate
The Secular Discipline of Power in Abbasid Political Thought
The political thought of Muslim societies is all too often defined in religious terms, in which the writings of clerics are seen as representative and ideas about governance are treated as an extension of commentary on sacred texts. “Disenchanting the Caliphate” offers a groundbreaking new account of political discourse in Islamic history by examining Abbasid imperial practice, illuminating the emergence and influence of a vibrant secular tradition.
Brantmeier appointed to multinational language research advisory board
Cindy Brantmeier, a professor of applied linguistics and global studies in Arts and Sciences, will serve on the advisory board for LANGUAGES, a language acquisition research study in England, Norway and France examining teachers’ instruction and students’ use of languages in classrooms.
Book explores ChatGPT’s power to revolutionize research
Artificial intelligence can turn from a mere tool into a full-fledged partner in the research process. A new book from a faculty member at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis serves as a guide to the future of research.
Study: ‘Counter-stereotypical’ messaging can move needle on vaccinations
A large-scale study led by Olin Business School researcher Brad Larsen to see if politically partisan cues can induce people to get COVID-19 vaccines found that, yes, they can.
Motivations for taking the moral high ground
Jessie Sun, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences, examines what drives good deeds.
‘The battle for memory’
Sowande M. Mustakeem discusses her seminar “Medicine, Healing and Experimentation in the Contours of Black History” and the importance of grappling with traumatic history.
‘Beauty in Enormous Bleakness’
“Beauty in Enormous Bleakness,” an exhibition highlighting the design legacy of Japanese American architects in the wake of World War II-era internments, is on view in Olin Library. A related symposium, “Moonscape of the Mind,” will take place April 13 and 14.
Recent Chinese protests could ‘undercut President Xi’s legitimacy in the long run’
Recent Chinese protests over COVID-19 restrictions provided a blueprint for future activism to prevent government from infringing on civil liberties, says Zhao Ma, associate professor of modern Chinese history and culture in Arts & Sciences. That could spell trouble for President Xi’s administration.
They Knew
How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent
Sarah Kendzior, who earned her PhD in anthropology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in 2012, has written a book that examines why people are turning more and more to conspiracy theories at the very time when facts are needed most.
Sovereign Joy
Afro-Mexican Kings and Queens, 1539-1640
“Sovereign Joy” explores the performance of festive black kings and queens among Afro-Mexicans between 1539 and 1640. This fascinating study illustrates how the first African and Afro-creole people in colonial Mexico transformed their ancestral culture into a shared identity among Afro-Mexicans, with particular focus on how public festival participation expressed their culture and subjectivities, as […]
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