Last Sunday the Student Union Senate recognized a new journal of religious studies, Urtexts, which will consist of research papers written by students on the subjects of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. "Right now there's no journal of academic religious studies at Brandeis," said Binny Kagedan '08, who came up with the idea of creating Urtexts, and is the editor in chief of the journal. "It's just something I've kind of always wanted to do."

Kagedan, who is a double major in psychology and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies as well as an Undergraduate Departmental Representative for NEJS, said he came up with the idea for Urtexts at the beginning of this academic year and began looking into sources of funding for the journal over winter break. The journal should cost approximately $2,500 to $3,000 per issue and should come out once a semester, said Kagedan, who hopes the first issue will come out at the end of this semester.

Kagedan also said he is applying for funding from the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance, which offers grants to support student- or faculty-initiated projects that focus on issues of identity, pluralism and unity, according to the Brandeis Dean of Arts and Sciences Web site.

Kagedan said he sees this journal as a space for religious discourse. "There are different ways to approach interfaith religious [discussion], and this is my way," Kagedan said. The journal will serve to "bring people together . who have a passion to study this kind of stuff and happen to be from different life paths," he added.

Assistant editor in chief Avi Bieler '09 agrees that the journal will provide an outlet for religious studies. "The proliferation of religious studies is always a good thing . because so many people's lives have been affected by religion," Bieler said.

The journal will also serve as a way for students to get their work published and recognized, said Kagedan. "I'm looking for well-researched papers that relate to anything really within those three fields" of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, he said.

"Right now, we're just trying to get it off the ground," said Bieler, who hopes that more students will get involved after reading the first issue. "Hopefully people will pick it up, get excited about it, and get involved," he said.

The name Urtexts is a term borrowed from music, said Kagedan, and "refers to the most authentic or original piece of music." Kagedan said he chose this name for the journal because "it's often the pursuit of people who study religion or ancient times to find the most . original copy of a story or text." It is also a play on words because Ur is the city from which Abraham originated, and Judaism, Christianity and Islam are referred to as the Abrahamic faiths, said Kagedan.