Brett H. Furth

Instructional Assistant Professor
Department of Liberal Studies

Brett H. Furth

To paraphrase the oft-quoted axiom of Anthropology, I believe a key goal of Anthropology is to make the exotic familiar and the familiar exotic.

(409) 741-7147

Learn more about Brett H. Furth

Get To Know Brett H. Furth

What in your life drew you to your current field of study?

I have long been fascinated by ancient and modern religions. This first led me to explore Iron Age Celtic religion through Archaeology, and then to Neo-Pagan religion through Cultural Anthropology.

What do you hope your students gain from studying or working with you?

My greatest hope is that my students will gain a broader perspective about just how diverse human cultures are.

What are you passionate about in your personal life?

Traveling locally and abroad, gardening, religion in general, and my family life.

Education

Ph.D. Anthropology (Cultural Anthropology), Texas A&M University, College Station, 2015
M.S.
Anthropology (Archaeology), University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, 2005
B.A. History, University of Houston, Texas, 1998

Courses Taught

ANTH 210 Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 202 Introduction to Archaeology
ANTH 313 Historical Archaeology
ANTH 403/RELS 403 Anthropology of Religion
ANTH 409 Science, Pseudoscience and Critical Thinking
MAST 425 Thesis & Technical Writing

Publications

Furth, Brett. Forthcoming. Chex Mix and Oxtail Stew: Food and Ghosti in an ADF Grove in Texas. In Feasts of the Gods: Food and Drink in Contemporary Paganism, edited by Scott Simpson. Sheffield, United Kingdom: Equinox Publishing.

Furth, Brett. 2017. Ethnic Neo-Pagan Altars and Ancestors in Texas: An Ethnoreligious Strategy to Reconfigure European Ancestry and Whiteness. Western Folklore 76(3):313-345.

Ginicola, Misty M., Brett H. Furth, and Cheri Smith. 2017. Role of Religion & Spirituality in Counseling the LGBTQI+ Client. In Affirmative Counseling With the LGBTQI+ Population: Current and Emerging Issues, edited by M. Ginicola, J. Filmore, and C. Smith, 297-312. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Presentations
  • 2019 Coming Out of the Broom Closet in Texas: The Challenges of Revealing Neo-Pagan Identities in the Bible Belt. Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Vancouver, Canada, November 19-23.
  • 2017 Gods Bless Texas!: Negotiating Neo-Pagan Identities in the Bible Belt. Inaugural Conference on Inclusion & Diversity in Higher Education, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, April 3-5.
  • 2016 Virtual Ethnography as a Pedagogical Technique. Inaugural Conference of the Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges, Houston, Texas, February 26-27.
  • 2015 The Dilemma of Religious Cultural Appropriation: Divergent Ethnic Neo-Pagan Approaches toward and Justifications for Appropriating from non-European Cultures. Annual Meeting of the American Folklore Society, Long Beach, California,
    October 14-17.
  • 2014 At the Crossroads of Antiquity and Modernity: the (Re)construction and Performance of Modern Druidic Rituals in Texas. Annual Meeting of the American Folklore Society, Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 5-8.
  • 2012 Gimme That Real Old Time Religion: Folk History and the Construction of Neo-Pagan Traditions and Identities. Annual Meeting of the American Folklore Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 24-27.
  • 2011 Gimme That Real Old Time Religion: Folk History and the Construction of Neo-Pagan Traditions and Identities (A  ilot Study). Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion/ Religious Research Association, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 27-30.
  • 2010 Celtic Symbols, Celtic Identities: The Cultural Appropriation of Symbols in Celtic Ethnopagan Traditions. Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, November 17-21.
  • 2004 Goddess at the Crossroads: The Politics of Religious and Archaeological Validation. Co-presented with Murphy Pizza. Chacmool Archaeological Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, November 11-14.
  • 2004 Rinse, Reuse, and Recycle: the Conflation of Material Culture in Prehistoric and Modern Religions. Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, March 31-April 4. 
Grants and Fellowships
  • 2015 Professional Development Grant $600
    Bedichek-Orman Faculty Development Fund
    Houston Community College
  • 2012 Professional Development Grant $400
    Bedichek-Orman Faculty Development Fund
    Houston Community College
  • 2012 M. G. Glasscock Graduate Research Fellowship $2,000
    Texas A&M University
  • 2012 Department of Anthropology Travel for Research Grant $200
    (supplementary award), Texas A&M University
  • 2012 Department of Anthropology Travel for Research Grant $300
    Texas A&M University
  • 2011 Graduate Student Council Award, Texas A&M University $500
  • 2010 Department of Anthropology Travel for Research Grant $400
    Texas A&M University
  • 2010 M. G. Glasscock Graduate Travel to Conference Grant $350
    Texas A&M University
  • 2004 Graduate Student Travel Award $350
    University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
  • 2002-2004 Chancellor’s Fellowship $8,000
    University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee 
Awards & Recognition

Texas A&M University at Galveston. Recipient of the 2016 Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award. 

Contact Info

Brett H. Furth
Instructional Assistant Professor
Department of Liberal Studies


Phone: (409) 741-7147
Fax: (409) 740-4962

Classroom Lab Building (CLB), Office 207D


CV