Each November, droves of Religious Studies educators leave their students to attend the jointly held meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature. Maybe it’s the nametags. Maybe it’s the S.W.A.G. Or maybe it’s just the mutual acknowledgement that in order to catch a pre-conference nap, we too lied to a seatmate about where we are going for the week. The camaraderie that exudes the meeting hall defies definition…

Literature reviews offer a chance to experiment with drawing connections. They train students to attentive to what previous research has said. Like a jazz musician, the seasoned learner knows when to hold ponderous silence, when to harmonize, when to bring some dissonance, and when to breakout with a solo. Ultimately, the literature review is an exercise in active listening….