SU Department of Religion’s Watson Professor John Caputo wins 2007 American Academy of Religion Book Award

SU Department of Religion’s Watson Professor John Caputo wins 2007 American Academy of Religion Book AwardAugust 24, 2007Jaime Winne Alvarezjlwinne@syr.edu

Renowned philosopher John D. Caputo, the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Humanities in The College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University, has been named a recipient of the American Academy of Religion’s (AAR) 2007 Book Awards. Caputo was co-winner of the Awards for Excellence in Religion: Constructive-Reflective Studies for “The Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event” (Indiana University Press, 2006).

Caputo joined the faculty of the Department of Religion in 2004, after retiring from Villanova University, where he is currently the David R. Cook Professor Emeritus of Philosophy. At SU, he teaches graduate courses in both the religion and philosophy departments. Caputo, who draws on the work of continental European philosophers, has a special interest in the philosophy of religion. He holds a bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University, a master’s degree from Villanova University and a doctorate from Bryn Mawr College.

The AAR Book Awards recognize new scholarly publications that make significant contributions to the study of religion. The awards honor books of distinctive originality, intelligence, creativity and importance, and those that affect decisively how religion is examined, understood and interpreted. Awards will be presented at the AAR’s 2007 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Nov. 17-20.

As a learned society and professional association of teachers and research scholars, the AAR has more than 10,000 members who teach in some 1,500 colleges, universities, seminaries and schools in North America and abroad. The AAR is dedicated to furthering knowledge of religion and religious institutions in all their forms and manifestations. This is accomplished through academy-wide and regional conferences and meetings, publications, programs and membership services. For more information, visit http://www.aarweb.org.