Ronald S. Green | Exploring Wisdom Across Traditions

Collaborative Humanities Research Opportunities

Collaborative Humanities Research Opportunities

Explore Lived Religion, Storytelling, and Digital Culture

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ronald S. Green
Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Coastal Carolina University
📍 Office: 327 Penny Hall | 📧 rgreen@coastal.edu

Voices of South Carolina Spirituality

Voices of South Carolina Spirituality is an ongoing research and storytelling initiative exploring the lived religious experiences of people across South Carolina. Students and faculty collaborate with community partners to record and share oral histories that illuminate themes of belonging, resilience, and democracy among the state’s diverse faith traditions.

  • Conduct interviews and fieldwork in local communities
  • Learn oral-history methods and ethical ethnography
  • Contribute to public humanities projects supported by SC Humanities and ASIANetwork/Mellon grants
  • Present findings at campus and statewide humanities events

Virtual Shikoku Pilgrimage Project

Faculty Leads: Dr. Ronald Green (Religious Studies) and Dr. Susan Bergeron (Anthropology & Geography)

The Virtual Shikoku Pilgrimage Project recreates Japan’s famous 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage in immersive 3D. This multi-year collaboration uses GIS, 3D modeling, and multimedia storytelling to explore the spiritual, cultural, and environmental dimensions of sacred landscapes.

  • Participate in digital reconstruction and mapping of pilgrimage sites
  • Research Japanese Buddhism and pilgrimage culture
  • Create interpretive videos, narratives, or audio guides
  • Gain skills in digital production, GIS, and intercultural humanities
  • Opportunities for research presentations and potential fieldwork in Japan

Collaborating Partners

  • Athenaeum Press: Archiving and publishing oral-history and multimedia materials
  • Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies: Joint storytelling and speaker events
  • Dean’s Office Public Humanities Initiative: Student-faculty research collaboration
  • Templeton Foundation (in discussion): Exploring future support for projects on ethics, compassion, and community life

How to Get Involved

Students from all majors and levels are welcome. Participation can take many forms:

  • RELG 399: Ethnographic Approaches to Lived Religion
  • Independent study or research fellowship credit
  • Capstone, honors, or digital-humanities projects

Learn more or apply:
www.coastal.edu/research/studentresearchexperiences
→ Search “Voices of South Carolina Spirituality” and “Virtual Shikoku Pilgrimage Project.”