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ETHICIST/WRITER/SPEAKER
Professor of Religion, Northeastern University 

STEALING MY RELIGION

From sneaker ads and the “solidarity hijab” to yoga classes and secular hikes along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, the essential guide to the murky ethics of religious appropriation.
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Gene Demby, cohost for NPR’s Code Switch

“Bucar’s sharp insights, shot through with humor and self-awareness, are exactly what we need the next time we reach over to borrow from someone else’s religion for our own therapeutic, political, or educational needs."

Kathryn Lofton, author of Consuming Religion

"With interpretive subtlety and ethical vision, Liz Bucar explores the moral risk of intercultural theft. Stealing My Religion is a powerful intervention by a leading scholar of religion into the illiberal results of everyday religious exploitation. Highly recommended."

Jeff Yang, coauthor of Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the

Nineties to Now

“A Liz Bucar reveals, the faithful may not appreciate seeing their heart on your sleeve. A welcome and necessary reminder that all of us, ultimately, are unreliable narrators when we weave ourselves into others’ stories.”
About
Books
Meet Liz Bucar

Liz Bucar is a leading expert in religious ethics, a professor of religion at Northeastern University, and a prizewinning author. Her writing, teaching, and public lectures cover a wide range of topics—from sexual reassignment surgery to the politics of religious clothing--but generally focus on how a deeper understanding religious difference can change our sense of what is right and good.

Liz has written for The Atlantic, Teen Vogue, The Los Angeles Times, and Religion News Service, among others, and her work has been discussed in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and Instyle Magazine. She has written four books, including her most recent, Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural Appropriation. She is also the Director of Sacred Writes, a grant-funded project that provides media training for religion scholars.

 

Liz received a degree in government from Harvard and a Ph.D. in religious ethics from the University of Chicago. She is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and leads a popular study abroad program along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. 

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Books
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STEALING MY RELIGION

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PIOUS FASHION

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THE ISLAMIC VEIL

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CREATIVE CONFORMITY

Events
Upcoming Events
Contact

  • "Is appropriation a useful category for religious studies?"
    "Is appropriation a useful category for religious studies?"
    Thu, May 09
    University of Tartu
    May 09, 2024, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
    University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu, Estonia
    May 09, 2024, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
    University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu, Estonia
    Keynote address for The European Society for Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies
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  • “Pilgrims in foreign lands: Pondering the ethics of study aboard"
    “Pilgrims in foreign lands: Pondering the ethics of study aboard"
    Thu, Mar 28
    Agnes Scott College
    Mar 28, 2024, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
    Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA
    Mar 28, 2024, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
    Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA
    Lecture for study aboard program at Agnes Scott College
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  • “What is Religious Appropriation? Who Does It, and Why Does It Matter?”
    “What is Religious Appropriation? Who Does It, and Why Does It Matter?”
    Wed, Mar 20
    Boston University
    Mar 20, 2024, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
    Boston University, Boston, MA
    Mar 20, 2024, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
    Boston University, Boston, MA
    Annual Lecture of Religion Department at Boston University
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  • “Conversation with the author of Stealing My Religion"
    “Conversation with the author of Stealing My Religion"
    Thu, Feb 15
    Webinar
    Feb 15, 2024, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
    Webinar
    Feb 15, 2024, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
    Webinar
    Reading Religion Graduate Salon, Boniuk Institute, Rice University
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  • "The Utility and Limits of Appropriation"
    "The Utility and Limits of Appropriation"
    Mon, Dec 18
    University of Helsinki
    Dec 18, 2023, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
    University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
    Dec 18, 2023, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
    University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
    Keynote for launch event for special issue of Approaching Religion
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  • "Working with the Media and the Public"
    "Working with the Media and the Public"
    Fri, Nov 17
    San Antonio
    Nov 17, 2023, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
    San Antonio, 900 E Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
    Nov 17, 2023, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
    San Antonio, 900 E Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
    A workshop for centers related to religion and public life at the American Academy of Religion conference in San Antonio
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  • Book Talk: Stealing My Religion
    Book Talk: Stealing My Religion
    Thu, Oct 12
    St. Louis University
    Oct 12, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    St. Louis University, Tegeler Hall, 3550 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA
    Oct 12, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    St. Louis University, Tegeler Hall, 3550 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA
    Religion and Complex Social Issues Speaker Series
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  • "On the Use and Abuse of Religion for Life"
    "On the Use and Abuse of Religion for Life"
    Sat, Sep 30
    Litchfield County
    Sep 30, 2023, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
    Litchfield County, 9 Greenwoods Rd E, Norfolk Historic District, CT 06058, USA
    Sep 30, 2023, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
    Litchfield County, 9 Greenwoods Rd E, Norfolk Historic District, CT 06058, USA
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  •  “The Why and How of Public Scholarship on Religion"
     “The Why and How of Public Scholarship on Religion"
    Mon, Sep 11
    University of Chicago
    Sep 11, 2023, 9:00 AM – Sep 13, 2023, 5:00 PM
    University of Chicago, 1025 E 58th St, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
    Sep 11, 2023, 9:00 AM – Sep 13, 2023, 5:00 PM
    University of Chicago, 1025 E 58th St, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
    A Sacred Writes Workshop
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  • Writing as Vocation Workshop for The Forum for Theological Exploration's doctoral fellows
    Writing as Vocation Workshop for The Forum for Theological Exploration's doctoral fellows
    Tue, Jul 25
    Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA
    Jul 25, 2023, 7:00 PM – Jul 27, 2023, 7:00 PM
    Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA
    Jul 25, 2023, 7:00 PM – Jul 27, 2023, 7:00 PM
    Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921, USA
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  • Visiting Faculty,  NEH Summer Institute: Muslims in America’s Midwest: An Educators Guide to Past and  Present
    Visiting Faculty,  NEH Summer Institute: Muslims in America’s Midwest: An Educators Guide to Past and  Present
    Multiple Dates
    Wed, Jun 21
    Oxford
    Jun 21, 2023, 7:00 PM – Jun 22, 2023, 7:00 PM
    Oxford, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
    Jun 21, 2023, 7:00 PM – Jun 22, 2023, 7:00 PM
    Oxford, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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  • Why shopping for our spirituality in all corners of the world can be a problem
    Why shopping for our spirituality in all corners of the world can be a problem
    Wed, May 03
    Antwerpen
    May 03, 2023, 8:00 PM – May 04, 2023, 9:30 PM
    Antwerpen, Turnhoutsebaan 286, 2140 Antwerpen, Belgium
    May 03, 2023, 8:00 PM – May 04, 2023, 9:30 PM
    Antwerpen, Turnhoutsebaan 286, 2140 Antwerpen, Belgium
    Keynote lecture as part of 2023 Baroque Influencers Festival
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  •  Bringing Your Scholarship to a Public Audience
     Bringing Your Scholarship to a Public Audience
    Wed, Apr 26
    Webinar hosted by Yale University
    Apr 26, 2023, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
    Webinar hosted by Yale University
    Apr 26, 2023, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
    Webinar hosted by Yale University
    Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
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  • The Monsters Under Our Mats, lecture for Harper College's Wellness Series
    The Monsters Under Our Mats, lecture for Harper College's Wellness Series
    Thu, Mar 02
    Virtual event
    Mar 02, 2023, 12:00 PM – Mar 03, 2023, 1:30 PM
    Virtual event
    Mar 02, 2023, 12:00 PM – Mar 03, 2023, 1:30 PM
    Virtual event
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  • The Risks of Going Public
    The Risks of Going Public
    Sat, Nov 19
    Denver
    Nov 19, 2022, 10:00 AM
    Denver, 700 14th St, Denver, CO 80202, USA
    Nov 19, 2022, 10:00 AM
    Denver, 700 14th St, Denver, CO 80202, USA
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  • Ethics Lecture for Villanova University
    Ethics Lecture for Villanova University
    Wed, Oct 26
    Villanova University
    Oct 26, 2022, 4:00 PM
    Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
    Oct 26, 2022, 4:00 PM
    Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
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  • Lecture for Philosophy & Religion Forum, University of Southern Mississippi
    Lecture for Philosophy & Religion Forum, University of Southern Mississippi
    Oct 18, 2022, 6:30 PM CDT
    TBA
    The Who, What, and Why of Religious Appropriation
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  • Monsters Under Our Mats, lecture for Boston College
    Monsters Under Our Mats, lecture for Boston College
    Thu, Sep 22
    Higgins Hall, Room 300
    Sep 22, 2022, 5:30 PM
    Higgins Hall, Room 300, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
    Sep 22, 2022, 5:30 PM
    Higgins Hall, Room 300, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
    This talk explores the ethics of yoga. What does it mean to insist yoga is a spiritual but not religious practice? Are we entitled to borrow any practice in the pursuit of our personal health? What forms of structural injustice does the popularity of yoga depend on or reinforce?
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