Peter Gottschalk

SOAS University of London Reasearch Scholar Award, School of Oriental and African Studies - Interreligious Studies

Peter is excited to return to London to continue his research on British imperialism and its engagement with Muslims and South Asia. As the heart of empire, London resonates with a complicated past while manifesting in its contemporary communities the vibrant echoes of that past’s consequences. Peter’s Fulbright project seeks to explore the dynamics of that past with an eye on their current expressions. British imperialism facilitated the coalescence of a globalised Anglophone news network that reciprocally facilitated globalised visions of humanity and religion. This network communicated ideas and emotions promoting Islamophobia, anti-Muslim sentiment, and religious tolerance. Using Anglophone newspapers published in India, the UK, and the US in the last two centuries, his research will examine both the imaginaries and the emotions perpetuated through reporting as well as considering how these established ideas and sentiments are evident today. Far from his usual haunts at Wesleyan University in Connecticut where he is Professor of Religion, Peter will also welcome the opportunity to pursue his passions for birding and nautical history in the UK.