Religions and their historical contexts underlie a broad span of human activity from the creation of great art and architecture to deep-seated gender and racial bias, as well as the interrelationships between humanity, other living beings, and the natural environment. The academic study of religion, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, is an urgent priority for institutions of higher education that seek to prepare members of their community to rise to meet the challenges of compelling social questions and grave global challenges. The Art, Religion and History Collaborative Group has an exceeding expansive constituency, deeply rooted at USC and reaching out to neighboring institutions, and an impressively wide range in perspectives on art, religion, and history. Led by Lisa Pon, Adam Gilbert, Frederic Clark, Andreas Kratky, Sonya Lee, and Lisa Bitel.