Scholarship Beyond the Academy | Episode 5
JULY 6, 2026
“Scholarship Beyond the Academy”
Who gets to be called a scholar?
Whose knowledge is recognized, preserved, and valued? And what wisdom gets overlooked when scholarship is confined to institutions alone?
In this thought-provoking episode of Back Talk, Live from the Movement, we explore what becomes possible when we expand our understanding of scholarship beyond traditional academic spaces and recognize the brilliance already alive in our communities.
Dr. Handy and her guest, Dr. Ralph Zuberi Watkins, explored…
How scholarship is often shaped by systems that privilege certain voices, methodologies, and institutions while marginalizing community-rooted knowledge and lived experience
Why creativity, storytelling, film, and cultural expression can serve as powerful forms of theological inquiry, sacred witness, and intellectual contribution
How reimagining scholarship invites a more expansive, liberating vision of theological education—one rooted not only in academic rigor, but in imagination, accessibility, and collective flourishing