Calynn Dowler

Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

My research/expertise lies at the intersection of religious studies and environmental anthropology. Specifically, my research explores religious and ethical relationships with water in the Sundarbans delta of West Bengal, India and how these relationships are transforming as a result of processes of development and climate change.       
I will teach courses in the Religious Studies department as well as the new Climate Studies major. This fall I will be teaching an introductory level course called Encountering Religious Diversity as well as a seminar on Religion and Climate Change. My research will continue to explore ethical and religious relationships with the environment in the Sundarbans, which is located in the world's largest river delta (the Bengal delta) and is also the world's largest mangrove forest. 
What inspires and excites you about your field of study?
My work is motivated by a desire to understand the relationships with the more-than-human world that sustain human existence, both in a material sense and in a moral/ethical sense. I am inspired and excited by the generative conversations that emerge at the intersection of Religious Studies and Environmental/Climate Studies, and I believe that the field is especially well positioned to speak to questions of social and ecological justice, which are so crucial at present.