Candy Gunther Brown Ph.D.

About

Dr. Candy Gunther Brown, Ph.D., is Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University. Dr. Brown is the author of Debating Yoga and Mindfulness in Public Schools: Reforming Secular Education or Reestablishing Religion? (University of North Carolina Press, 2019), The Healing Gods: Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Christian America (Oxford University Press, 2013), Testing Prayer: Science and Healing (Harvard University Press, 2012), and The Word in the World: Evangelical Writing, Publishing, and Reading in America, 1789-1880 (University of North Carolina Press, 2004). She is co-editor (with Mark Silk) of The Future of Evangelicalism in America (Columbia University Press, 2016), and editor of Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing (Oxford University Press, 2011). Professor Brown has served as an expert witness in four legal challenges to school yoga and meditation—testifying for both parents and school districts.

Books by Candy Gunther Brown Ph.D.

Recent Posts

Why “Christian” Yoga?

Attracted to yoga but fearful of idolatry, Christians can seek to “redeem” the practice. But what many Christian Yogis don’t anticipate is how practicing can change their beliefs.

School Sued for Banning Yoga

When parents argue that yoga is religious, schools could face a catch-22: risking a lawsuit if they ignore or respond to religious concerns.

Mindfulness Meditation in Public Schools

Mindfulness programs for public schools may not only help children relax before tests, but also promote Buddhist mindfulness meditation, a religious practice.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness may offer more than stress reduction. Key leaders in the secular mindfulness movement envision secular mindfulness as a stealth Buddhist strategy for mainstreaming meditation.

Is Your Chiropractor “Religious”?

Chiropractic's major premise is that Innate Intelligence cares for human health. More than a medical service, chiropractic—like religion—helps explain life’s struggles, cope with present stress, and anticipate the future with hope.

Spiritual, but Not Religious?

“Religion” has become a bad word for many Americans. And so, many people describe themselves as "spiritual, but not religious." But how different are religion and spirituality?

Careful Consumers of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Asking why Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) works reveals how CAM may affect not only one’s health but also one’s religion.

The Affordable Care Act, Alternative Medicine, and Religion

The Affordable Care Act may require insurers to cover complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Many Americans are unaware that some of the most popular CAM services are religious in nature. The law may in effect endorse religious practices, entangle government with religion, and coerce funding of religious activities--in violation of the First Amendment.

Why Encinitas Public School Yoga Promotes "Religion"

Many people assume that the Encinitas school yoga program was upheld in a recent trial decision because the school yoga program--like American yoga generally--was taught devoid of "religious" content. This is not the case.

Yoga in Public Schools

A California judge ruled that yoga can be taught in public schools without violating the Constitution by establishing religion. As someone familiar with the case, having testified as an expert witness for the plaintiffs, I find the judge's decision perplexing.