Shahla Talebi
Associate Head of Graduate Studies & Associate Professor, Religious Studies,
School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
Other ASU affiliations
Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict
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Phone: 480-965-2766
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School of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies 975 S. Myrtle Ave P.O.Box 874302 TEMPE, AZ 85287-4302
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Mail code: 4302Campus: Tempe
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Long Bio
Shahla Talebi is assistant professor of religious studies, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Arizona State University. A native of Iran, she lived through the 1979 Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War and left Iran in 1994 for the United States where she now resides. She received her undergraduate degree in social-cultural anthropology from University of California at Berkeley and her master's and doctorate, also in social cultural anthropology, from Columbia University.
Talebi's research interests include questions of self sacrifice and martyrdom, violence, memory, trauma, death, burial, funerary rituals, commemoration and memorialization or their banning, religion, revolution, and nation-state in contemporary Iran. Talebi’s manuscript entitled "Ghosts of Revolution: Rekindled Memories of Imprisonment in Iran" is forthcoming by Stanford University Press.
Education
- Ph.D. Social-cultural Anthropology, Columbia University 2007
- M.A. Social-cultural Anthropology, Columbia University 2004
- M.Phil. Social-cultural Anthropology, Columbia University 2002
- B.A. Social-cultural Anthropology, University of California-Berkeley 1999
Publications
- Shahla Talebi. The Living Monuments of Mourning: Struggles to Reclaim Life and Death in Post-Revolutionary Iran. Women and Peace in the Islamic World:Gender, Agency and Influence (2015).
- Shahla Talebi. Children as Protectors: The Conditions of Parenthood in a Political Prison in Iran. Penal Field (Champ Pénal) (2014).
- Shahla Talebi. Cosmopolitan Resistance and Territorial Suppression: A Story of Dissidence and The Islamic Republic of Iran. Iranian Identity and Cosmopolitanism: Spheres of Belonging (2014).
- Shahla Talebi. A Iranian Martyr’s Dilemma: The Finite Subject’s Infinite Responsibility. Journal of Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East (CCASAME) (2013).
- Shahla Talebi. From The Light of the Eyes to the Eyes of the Power: State and Dissident Martyrs in Post- Revolutionary Iran. Journal of Visual Anthropology (2012).
- Shahla Talebi. Who is Behind the Name: A Story of Violence, Loss, and Melancholic Survival in Post-revolutionary Iran. Journal of the Middle East and Women's Studies (2011).
- Shahla Talebi. Ghosts of Revolution: Rekindled Memories of Imprisonment in Iran. (2011).
Courses
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 101 | Religion, Culture, Public Life |
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 502 | The Study of Religion II |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 599 | Thesis |
| REL 390 | Women, Gender and Religion |
| REL 390 | Women, Gender and Religion |
| REL 690 | Reading and Conference |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 366 | Islam in the Modern World |
| REL 366 | Islam in the Modern World |
| HST 339 | Islam in the Modern World |
| HST 339 | Islam in the Modern World |
| REL 626 | Themes:Anthropology of Rel |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 599 | Thesis |
| REL 101 | Religion, Culture, Public Life |
| REL 101 | Religion, Culture, Public Life |
| REL 202 | Religion and Popular Culture |
| REL 690 | Reading and Conference |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 381 | Religion and Moral Issues |
| REL 381 | Religion and Moral Issues |
| REL 307 | Religion: Theory and Practice |
| REL 307 | Religion: Theory and Practice |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 599 | Thesis |
| REL 205 | Life, Sex and Death |
| REL 202 | Religion and Popular Culture |
2022 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 690 | Reading and Conference |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 101 | Religion, Culture, Public Life |
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 101 | Religion, Culture, Public Life |
| REL 626 | Themes:Anthropology of Rel |
| REL 690 | Reading and Conference |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 599 | Thesis |
| REL 307 | Religion: Theory and Practice |
| REL 307 | Religion: Theory and Practice |
| REL 202 | Religion and Popular Culture |
| REL 202 | Religion and Popular Culture |
2021 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EPD 799 | Dissertation |
2021 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 202 | Religion and Popular Culture |
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 599 | Thesis |
| REL 626 | Themes:Anthropology of Rel |
2020 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 599 | Thesis |
2020 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EPD 799 | Dissertation |
2020 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EPD 792 | Research |
| REL 381 | Religion and Moral Issues |
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 599 | Thesis |
2019 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| JUS 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 792 | Research |
| REL 799 | Dissertation |
| REL 599 | Thesis |
| REL 287 | Topics Film, Media & Religion |
| REL 620 | Theories: Anthropology of Rel |
Honors / Awards
- Anthony E. Kaye Fellowship, National Humanities Center (2017-2018)
- Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, Research Fellowship (1989-1990)
Service
- Advisor: three Phd students, one MA and one undergraduate Barrett Honors student, Chair (2010-2014)
- Institute for Humanities Research (IHR), Advisory borad member (2008-2010)
- IHR, Advisory Board Member (2008-2010)
- DIME, Member (2007-2010)
- Religion and Conflict Difficult Dialogue, Member (2008-2009)