Hamilton Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Shelby King has earned a Thomas Robbins Award for Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements for her journal article, published in Nova Religio, titled “Shadow Takes Form: Brainwashing and Government Religion in the Cold War.”
King will receive her award at the Society of Biblical Literature’s annual gathering in November. King’s article re-examines the origins of the Cold War brainwashing concept to challenge prevailing scholarly views. Analyzing public and classified Cold War-era intelligence and military documents (including foreign correspondent Edward Hunter's foundational writings on Chinese Communist indoctrination), King argues that the notion of brainwashing was constructed through religious rhetoric, Orientalist tropes, and motifs of evil magic from its very inception.
Posted October 28, 2026
