Religion and Natural Heritage

Summary

Jay Johnston is trained in religious studies, wildlife conservation, cultural heritage of Scotland and Scandinavia, curatorial and museum studies, art history and theory and continental philosophy. A cross-disciplinary specialist her work demonstrates the importance of Religious Studies scholarship for the fields of heritage studies, wildlife conservation and environmental humanities, art history, Norse and Celtic studies. She works at the interface of religion/ arts/philosophy examining visual and material culture with a particular focus on the interrelationship between ethics and aesthetics, concepts of materiality, embodiment, and epistemology.

Well-known for her contributions to the subfields of aesthetics of religion and subtle body studies, her current projects focus on (i) biocultural knowledge, wildlife conservation and human–animal–environment relations; (ii) concepts of place, identity and nature in Cornwall and the Scottish Highlands and Islands, particularly the interrelationship between local belief and natural heritage; (iii) and the project, “Faith and Fleece: Sheep as Spiritual, Cultural and Ecological Guides.”

Supervisor

Professor Jay Johnston.

Research location

Studies in Religion, School of Humanities (SOH)

Synopsis

Research interests

• Wildlife and Natural Heritage
• Esoteric and Mystical Traditions esp. magic and divination
• Archaeology of Religion/Religion and Material Culture
• Religious and Philosophical Aesthetics
• Embodiment and Intersubjectivity studies (incl. intermediary beings)
• Ecocriticism and Animal Studies (incl. Shamanism)
• Gaelic and Scandinavian cultures pre-1400
• Theories of the Image/ Visual Arts
• Feminist Philosophy of Religion
• Museum and Curatorial Studies

Teaching and supervision

• Aesthetics of Religion
• Religion and Health
• Religion and Animals
• Religion and the Arts
• Archaeology of Religion
• Religion and Natural Heritage
• Philosophy of Religion
• Sexuality, Gender and Religion
• Western Esotericism and Traditions of Magic
• Consumerism, Popular Culture and Religion
• Critical Theory of Religion and Research Methodology

Additional information

1. If you are interested in this research opportunity, you are encouraged to email the academic directly.  To find the academic’s email address, follow the link provided to their profile page.  Introduce yourself and provide some academic background. You may be asked for an academic transcript. Explain why you are interested in your area of research and, if appropriate, why you are interested in working with the recipient.

2. Write an initial research proposal.  (Refer to How to write a research proposal for guidance.)  In no more than 2000 words demonstrate how your research experience aligns with the supervisor’s and why you’re interested in this opportunity.

3. If you would like general advice in your subject area before submitting an application, contact an academic advisor listed here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/arts/study/postgraduate-research/postgraduate-research-contact.html

 

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3189