The Futures of Publicly Engaged Religious Studies Pedagogy: Challenges and Opportunities

This roundtable examines the challenges and possibilities of publicly engaged pedagogy in religious studies in an era of institutional constraint and political scrutiny. While public engagement is increasingly encouraged within higher education, educators face persistent obstacles, including ethical concerns around reciprocity and long-term community impact, limited institutional resources, and the marginalization of collaborative and non-traditional scholarly outputs. These tensions extend into the classroom, where instructors must navigate questions of method, purpose, and accountability in community-engaged teaching. Bringing together educators who incorporate public-facing components into their courses, this session reflects on both the difficulties and transformative potential of such work for students, faculty, and community partners. Through brief presentations and an open, participatory discussion, the roundtable fosters collective reflection, resource-sharing, and solidarity. It argues that, precisely amid current uncertainties, publicly engaged pedagogy remains essential to the future of religious studies education.