Janna Shedd

M.A., University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Liberal Studies Program

For my B.A. degree, I double-majored in International Studies and Psychology.  My M.A. degree is in Religious Studies with a focus on Chinese religion. My liberal studies courses focus on displaced religious groups (religious diasporas), especially Asian groups but also Jewish and African-American. Also, I’ve taught Introduction to Asian Religions for the past several semesters, focusing on visual imagery, mythologies, and cultural worldviews. In my free time, I visit with family, watch endless episodes of Big Bang Theory on DVD, read fiction and humor (often while watching Big Bang Theory), and socialize with far-flung friends on Facebook.

Research Interests

I am interested in understanding South and East Asian religions as lived religions, particularly through the lens of historic and current globalization. My studies focus on the processes of cultural movements, acclimation, and adaptation and the intersections between popular and orthodox understandings of religion. Related interests include the psychological processes of learning and how best to incorporate techniques like narratives and realia into the globalized microcosm of a college classroom.

Courses

• Introduction to Asian Religions
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Daoism
• Renouncing the World
• Death and the Afterlife
• Liberal Studies: Globalizing Asian Religions
• Liberal Studies: Diaspora Religions

Curriculum Vitae