The adventure The adventure of a lifetime of a lifetime
Letter from the Director
Asaparentofatoddler,Ireadalotoffairytales. Manyinvolveacharacterwhooutwitsamore powerfuladversary.Think,forinstance,ofTheThree LittlePigs,TheRabbit’sJudgment,Fionnmac CumhaillortheGruffalo Bydrawingthemore powerfulcharacterintoconversation,theless powerfulonegainstheupperhand Indeed,Marina Warnersuggeststhattheword“fairy”in“fairytales” mayderivefromtheLatinfari,“tospeak”Itisby meansoflanguageandthought,thesestoriesseem tosuggest,thatmerepowerisbested. Thatlessonmightnotseemborneoutbyhistory ConsiderThucydides’accountofthesiegeofMelos in416BCE RingedwithablockadeofAthenian ships,infantryandarchers,theMelianssoughtto reasonwiththeAthenianinvaders.Theywerea neutralstateandposednothreat.Theyhadrighton theirside.ButtheAthenianswereunmovedbythe Melians’argumentsanddidnotbothertoofferanyin return:“weshallnottroubleyouwithspecious pretenses”Instead,theAthenianenvoyscounseled theMelianstoberealisticAppealstojustice,andto thegods,werefutile Therewasnoshame,the Athenianssaid,insimplygivingup.Whenthe Meliansrefused,theywereslaughtered,andthe Atheniansinstalledanoccupyingforceofcoloniststo takepossessionoftheisland.Therealworld,the storymightbetakentosuggest,isgovernedbythe ironlawofpower:“thestrongdowhattheycan,and theweaksufferwhattheymust”Truthandjustice? That’safairytale
ThestoryoftheMeliansandtheAtheniansis dramatizedbyThucydidesinhis“Historyofthe PeloponnesianWar"Thattheincidentisrecordedby anhistorian–anAthenian,infact–isnotableand
suggestsadifferentlesson:thereisatruthaboutthe world,abasicfactimpervioustobruteforce.The perspectiveofthehistorianstandsinfor,andatteststo, arealityindependentoftheironlaw.
Ofcourse,historyisoften–notalways,butoften–writtenbythepowerful,andthereisnoguaranteethat thetruthwillout.Sometimesthewolfeatsthepig.Asa speakeratGenocideAwarenessWeeknotedrecently, denialisalwayspartofthecrime.
LatelyI’vebeenthinkingaboutparrhesia,atermusedin antiquitytodescribeuninhibitedtruth-telling,whatwe mighttodaythinkofas“speakingtruthtopower.”
Parrhesiawasn’tfreedomofspeech–therighttosay whateveronepleases,withoutfearofreprisal–but,on thecontrary,utterancethatcamewithrisktothe speakerAsMichelFoucaultwouldlaternote,the parrhesiastes–thetruth-teller–“riskshisprivilegeto speakfreelywhenhedisclosesatruthwhichthreatens themajority”
Parrhesiaisacentralvirtueofintellectuallife Thetrue scholarseekstofollowtheargumentwhereitleads, eveniftheconclusionsarrivedatareunpopular Researchandteachingcomewithrisk Theycan challengereceivedwisdom,andevenwhentheyaffirm it,theydosobymakingofitaquestion.
Thelessonofthefairytalesismisunderstoodifspeech isimaginedsimplyasforcebyothermeans,whatthe lateJürgenHabermascalledthe“strategic”useof language Thetruthisn’tmorepowerfulthanpowerIt’s somethingelsealtogether,obduratebecausemadeof differentstuff.
Ifeelprivilegedtobepartofacommunitythatvalues truth Iinviteyoutobepartofthatcommunityaswell WelcometotheSchoolofHistorical,Philosophicaland ReligiousStudies.
RichardAmesbury Director
School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Mission
The School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies produces innovative and distinguished research on subjects such as morality, rationality and ethics; race, citizenship and immigration; and the role of religion in public life. SHPRS faculty educate thousands of students every year and share knowledge with millions of people beyond the university through accessible media. SHPRS enables students and the public to make sense of complex issues that are of critical importance toArizona, the United States and the world.
By the numbers
1,976 98
totalmajors
491graduatemajors
1,485undergraduatemajors
33,333totalstudentstaught faculty
525 totalcoursestaught
6 newcoursestaught
Scholarships and grants
$137,609 scholarshipsawarded
Undergraduate$49,908
Graduate$87,701
$1,148,877 grants received 10 grants received totaling $963,455 4 fellowships received totaling $185,422
SHPRS shelf life
Books(authoredandedited)
Routledge2024
BeingIndianandWalking
Proud:AmericanIndianIdentity andReality
DonaldL.Fixico
Regents and Distinguished Foundation Professor of History
UniversityofOklahomaPress2024
TheStateofSequoyah: IndigenousSovereigntyand theQuestforanIndianState
DonaldL Fixico
Regents and Distinguished Foundation Professor of History
CambridgeUniversityPress2025
SeekingMonotheismin ChineseReligions
HuaiyuChen Professor of Religious Studies
TheAmericanIndianMindina LinearWorld:AmericanIndian StudiesandTraditional Knowledge,SecondEdition
DonaldL Fixico
Regents and Distinguished Foundation Professor of History Routledge2024
YaleUniversityPress2025
ThePlunderofBlack America:HowtheRacial WealthGapwasMade
CalvinSchermerhorn Professor of History
YaleUniversityPress2025
ChittoHarjo:Native PatriotismandtheMedicine Way
DonaldL.Fixico
Regents and Distinguished Foundation Professor of History
SHPRS in the news
ASU researchers awarded $1M grant to cultivate civic virtues in Arizona public universities
PrincipledInnovationisthebackbonebehindarecent$1 milliondollargrantawardtoateamofArizonaStateUniversity researchersfortheirproject,CultivatingCivicVirtuesThrough Action.
Seekingtocultivateciviccharacterandvirtueamong undergraduatesatArizona'spublicuniversities,theteamaim toestablishcommunitiesoffacultyandstudentleaders engagedinongoingsociallearninganddynamicdialogueson fosteringvirtue
TheawardisanInstitutionalImpactGrantendowedthrough theProgramforLeadershipandCharacteratWakeForest UniversityandfundedbyLillyEndowmentInc
Grand Canyon National Park superintendent visitsASU, shares about efforts to welcome Indigenous voices back into park
Thereare11tribeswhohavehistoricconnectionstotheland andresourcesintheGrandCanyonNationalPark.Sadly, whentheparkwascreated,manywereforcedfromthose lands,sometimesatgunpoint.
“It’simportanttousaswe’rewelcomingIndigenouspeople backtotheirhomethatthat’spartofthehistoryoftheGrand Canyonwe’renotgoingtoshyawayfrom,”saidGrand
Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable during a recent visit toArizona State University, where he spoke to students of the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies.
How the humanities play a crucial role in current conversations
“Whatareyousupposedtodowiththatdegree?”
Thisquestionisoftenasked,particularlyaboutdegreesthat fallunderthehumanities English,historyandlanguageare subjectsthatcomewiththecuriosityofwhatcareerpaththe degreecanleadto Buttheseprogramscanprepare studentstotakeonawiderangeofcareers,andenable themtobecomeinvolvedintimelyandcomplicated conversations
Manycurrentissuesrequiretheabilitytoproblem-solve, thinkcriticallyandanalyzethepast Considerquestions suchas:Whyisitimportanttoestablishprotectionsfor studentathletes?Whataredifferentwaystodecrease environmentalimpactandimproveworkingconditionsinthe fashionindustry?Howwillscientistsethicallyresearch planetswithinandoutsideoursolarsystem?
One-of-a-kind Scotland experience transforms online education
Fromhighschoolhistoryteacherstoattorneys,online historyMAstudentswitharangeofbackgroundsgained hands-onexperiencewiththenewhybridScotlandstudy abroadprogramatArizonaStateUniversity’sSchoolof Historical,PhilosophicalandReligiousStudies.
TheScotlandArchiveExperience,createdinpartnership withtheUniversityofEdinburgh,overcomestypical geographicbarriersofonlineprogramstoprovidecritical educationalandresearchopportunitiesforstudents
Exhibit to feature artwork inspired by oral histories fromArizona's oldest botanical garden
ThoughitisArizona'slargestbotanicalgardenandhasbeen anestablishedtouchstoneofthecommunityformorethan100 years,manystudentsinArizonaStateUniversityProfessor EllenMeissinger'sART427/527:ArtonPaperclassdidn'teven knowtheBoyceThompsonArboretumexisted
Thatis,untiltheSchoolofArtstudentsweregivenan assignmentinwhichtheycollaboratedwithstudentsfrom ASU'sSchoolofHistorical,PhilosophicalandReligious Studies'publichistoryprogramtocreateartworkreflectingthe arboretum’shistoricalsignificanceanduniquesenseofplace
Phoenix civil rights activists highlighted inASU professor’s latest book
AsPhoenixbegantogrowfollowingWWII,residentsfrom otherpartsofthecountrymovingtotheareaoftenbrought withthemJimCrowpractices
ASU history professor selected for 2025American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship
MauriceCrandall,associateprofessorofhistoryattheSchool ofHistorical,PhilosophicalandReligiousStudies,hasbeen awardeda2025FellowshipwiththeAmericanCouncilof LearnedSocietiesThesefellowshipssupportoutstanding scholarsinthehumanitiesandsocialsciences.
Crandall is one of 62 fellows for 2025, selected from more than 2,300 applicants. Each scholar will receive up to $60,000 supporting 6–12 months of full-time researching and writing.
RacismintheValleyabounded,andonefamilyatthecenter ofcombatingthiswastheRagsdales,saysCalvin Schermerhorn.
“TheireffectintheValleywastotrytobreakbarriers,”he said
AprominentfigureinPhoenixhistoryandanASUalumnus, LincolnRagsdaleandhiswife,Eleanor,areoneofseven familieshighlightedinSchermerhorn’snewbook"The PlunderofBlackAmerica:HowtheRacialWealthGapwas Made"
“I’m honored to receive anACLS Fellowship,” Crandall said. ““The most valuable benefit of the fellowship is the time it will give me to finish my book. I've been working on it for a few years now, and this will really help me bring it to completion."
ThisJune,morethan30graduatesandalumniofASU’s WorldWarIIstudiesonlineMasterofArtsprogramtraveled toNewOrleansforagraduationcelebrationatTheNational WorldWarIIMuseum
Thisyear’scelebrationcoincidedwiththemuseum’s25th anniversaryandthe81stanniversaryofD-Day.
The Laura Harris Hales Scholarship allowed me time and access to international archives, which provided me with invaluable information and skill development. Because of this experience, I was better able to conduct research, and chose to pursue a career more focused on research and higher education.”
Jessica Barker
Laura Harris Hales Graduate Student Research Scholarship Recipient
The humanities made possible by you
Being awarded this scholarship not only alleviates some financial stresses of my education but also deeply encourages me to focus all the more wholeheartedly on my studies and professional goals. With your support, I am able to pursue my academic goals with fewer financial worries and with a revitalized passion for achievement.”
Carsten Berry
Christine Sato Memorial Scholarship Recipient
Thank you to the donors who supported SHPRS and its centers during the 2024–2025 academic year.
$162,193
Together, we raised to fund student scholarships, research and academic programming.
We appreciate the support of:
KarenAdams
SuhailAgwaniandSaimaChohan
AftabAhmad
RasheedAhmed
CathleenandJohnAkers
ParveenAkhtar
ImranaandMirAli
TheAligarhAlumniAssociationofTexas
RichardAmesbury
JohnandCherylArner
GwenArnerandLynnMoffat
ShazimAshraf
TasneemandMohammadAshraf
Autodesk,Inc.
AbdulandSyedaAwwal
ChoAyeandHtatMin
RichardBandy
JessicaBarker
RobertBateman
AlidaBecker
VolkerBenkertandAnneJones
YasserBhat
CynthiaBoltonandFrankCurtis
PatrickandLindaBrady
MahamChaudhry
TariqChauhan
HuaiyuChen
AgnesKefeliClayandJohnClay
JacklynCollens
EdwardCross
MichaelCurrey
KevinDaltonandMaryFessenden
SharonDorameandFranciscoLaborin
AllenDougherty
EFSFacilitiesManagementServicesGroup
ChoukiElHamel
MohammedNainaMohamedFarookandFarida
ggFarook
KashifandMunazzaFarooqi
ThomasandBettyFournier
CelenaGammon
JenniferGoddard
RichardGohlandKathleenSchanus-Gohl
GilbertGonzalesandKarenSchmidt
VibhutiandKiritGosalia
RishiandSheetalGosalia
BrianGrattonandCatherineO'Donnell
AbbieGreen
KyleGresenz
NyemaandLeighGuannu
IftekharandAtiyaHai
CharlesHainesandYasminSaikia
AkhtarandSymaHamidi
KevinHammond
TerrenceHeidenreiterandJeanneRabel
BarbaraandWilliamHorrigan
TeriHouston
WilliamandJudithHughes
AmandaHutchisonandLoganRhind
IndianAmericanMuslimCouncil
UzmaIqbal
VictoriaJacksonandAndresMartinez
PranavJani
TheJohn&AlidaBeckerFoundation
ChristopherJonesandLindseyPlaitJones
JohnJordanandLauraPurcell
AbdulKalam
ShamimKamal
PatriciaKarim
ShabanaKausar
JavedandShaheenaKhan
RezwanKhan
SaifKhan
SamKhan
YongKimandSteveMoore
SayukoandBernardKobes
EshwariKovoor
KenroKusumiandStephenPratt
StephenLazer
TheodoreandCarolynLesnett
JohnandJaneLoll
ChanLwin
StephanieMabeeandEricMcLeod
JenniferandJohnMarsteen
BrittanyandKevinMartin
ManishaMaster
JoanMcGregor
LindaandAdamMcMillan
SyedMehdi
DeannaBlakeMichie
NadeemMohammed
ZeyaMohsin
KlarisaMontana
SalmanMukhtar
MohammadNauman
NormanPsychiatry&PsychotherapyGroup,
ggPLLC
KatherineandMichaelO'Malley
KalaniPickhart
ZacharyPirtle
AlainPouliot
WilliamSage
Saif&LubnaFoundation
KulsumSaleem
RobertSatoandAstridEichner-Sato
NikolasandTaylorSchweitzer
AhtishamandSumbulShakoor
ArjanandNicoleSingh
GrantStrangandBeckyTsang
GlennSummers
JuliaTaylor
MarissaTimmerman
MaryTrengove
AbdulWaheed
CassandraWalrath
MaryWarrenandBonnieWright
JeffreyandJohannaWatson
MichaelWeismeyer
MohammedZafaruddin
Whether you donate a dollar or large sum, your gift is greatly appreciated Any amount makes a difference for our students, faculty, staff, research and programs Your charitable contributions enable our school to fuel our commitment to provide relevant education; develop new knowledge, better ideas and workable solutions to a range of challenges; transform individuals, environments and communities; and put limitless dreams within reach