Daniel Azim Pschaida
PhD Candidate - 4th year
University of California Riverside
Department of Religious Studies
My research interests intersects areas of Religious Epistemology, Religious Pluralism, Religious Commitment and Conversion studies. I study these themes within the context of Islamic Studies, with comparative work in Christianity and other religions in the American context. I also try to contribute to Baha'i Studies. I am fascinated by the problems and possibilities for individuals to consciously determine (and carry through) their religious commitments in a pluralistic society. My preferred methods and principles for studying religion combine ethnography, hermeneutics, humanistic psychology, and inter-cultural ethics and epistemologies to further understanding others' religious experiences, enter into a more empathetic relationship with him/her, and through that conversation assist each other to have a richer and more profound appreciation of the meanings of human experience. Central to my research questions is whether/how there can be a common framework for warrants of religious-belief commitments across religious traditions by which a person can be both a devoted practitioner of a faith (i.e. ultimate concern, world-view, metaphysical stance, e.g. Judaism, Buddhism, secular humanism) and also hold deep appreciation for the religious convictions of believers of other faith traditions. I believe pursuing these questions can strengthen inter-cultural cooperation and collective participation in grass-roots efforts towards creating communities of human flourishing.
This blog site is intended as a simple way, and central place, to share my research with anyone who is interested in similar topics, in a much more informal forum than scholarly journals. The research shared here represent diverse research papers I have produced for course-work during my Master's degree and PhD program that I have not yet pursued publishing in scholarly journals. They represent various stages and facets of my academic journey. The intention is that sharing this research might contribute in ways to your research and thinking, and that I - in turn - may receive your feedback and suggestions, and network and synthesize our minds together for greater perception and insight.
PhD Candidate - 4th year
University of California Riverside
Department of Religious Studies
My research interests intersects areas of Religious Epistemology, Religious Pluralism, Religious Commitment and Conversion studies. I study these themes within the context of Islamic Studies, with comparative work in Christianity and other religions in the American context. I also try to contribute to Baha'i Studies. I am fascinated by the problems and possibilities for individuals to consciously determine (and carry through) their religious commitments in a pluralistic society. My preferred methods and principles for studying religion combine ethnography, hermeneutics, humanistic psychology, and inter-cultural ethics and epistemologies to further understanding others' religious experiences, enter into a more empathetic relationship with him/her, and through that conversation assist each other to have a richer and more profound appreciation of the meanings of human experience. Central to my research questions is whether/how there can be a common framework for warrants of religious-belief commitments across religious traditions by which a person can be both a devoted practitioner of a faith (i.e. ultimate concern, world-view, metaphysical stance, e.g. Judaism, Buddhism, secular humanism) and also hold deep appreciation for the religious convictions of believers of other faith traditions. I believe pursuing these questions can strengthen inter-cultural cooperation and collective participation in grass-roots efforts towards creating communities of human flourishing.
This blog site is intended as a simple way, and central place, to share my research with anyone who is interested in similar topics, in a much more informal forum than scholarly journals. The research shared here represent diverse research papers I have produced for course-work during my Master's degree and PhD program that I have not yet pursued publishing in scholarly journals. They represent various stages and facets of my academic journey. The intention is that sharing this research might contribute in ways to your research and thinking, and that I - in turn - may receive your feedback and suggestions, and network and synthesize our minds together for greater perception and insight.
- Articulating and living a meaningful life
- Trying to figure out how to be more kind & more honest & more of service to others
- Islam in America
- Islamic Studies
- Comparative Religious Epistemologies and Comparative Religious Ethics
- Virtue Epistemology
- Philosophy of Religion
- Religious Conversion
- Mysticism & Religious Experience
- Christian & Islamic Philosophical Theology
- Religion & Human Development
- Qur’an and Comparative Scriptures
- Religious Pluralism
- Bahá’í Studies
- Religious Studies and Philosophy & Pedagogy of Higher Education
- Religion & Social Transformation
- Service Learning
