Dr Tobias Müller (CRASSH, Cambridge) is co-author of two new articles, pushing the boundaries of political theory and anthropological practice.
Is religion a problem for intersectional theory?
In Contemporary Political Theory, Müller and lead author Karolin Tuncel tackle the possibility that religion is a problem for intersectionality. Teasing apart concerns, they offer a distinction between religious and secular patriarchies, illustrating the ways in which Muslim women (their focus) are marginalised by secular societies as well as (potentially) within religious traditions. Applied well, intersectional theory can capture the diversity of women’s experiences and responses.
Women’s agency may not align with feminist resistance, but that does not make the agents powerless. Both religious and secular women may choose to endorse or reject patriarchal systems. Scholars should take care to examine the complexity of people’s relationship to power, including when they support or reinterpret it—be that in a religious context or a secular one.
How should anthropology navigate intersecting crises?
We live in a global era, facing intertwined crises including climate change, inequality, and institutional breakdown. Pauline von Hellerman and Peter Sutoris join Müller in highlighting anthropology’s disciplinary entanglement with neoliberal academia and its limited public impact. Anthropologists excel at attending to culture, lived experience, and alternative ways of living but something more is needed.
Drawing inspiration from activism, Indigenous knowledge, and regenerative movements, the authors propose a shift toward engaged, accessible, and action‑oriented scholarship, alongside pedagogical reform that integrates practice, wellbeing, and critical thinking. Ultimately, they call for anthropology to become more publicly engaged, ethically grounded, and transformative in supporting socio‑ecological change.
Publication details
Both articles have been published open access. The full citations are:
Tuncel, Karolin, and Tobias Müller. 2026.
Is religion a problem for intersectional theory? Muslim women, feminism, and varieties of patriarchy.
Contemporary Political Theory 25.44.
doi.org/10.1057/s41296-026-00817-9
Von Hellermann, Pauline, Tobias Müller, and Peter Sutoris. 2026.
Towards a regenerative anthropology: Our discipline’s role in navigating intersecting crises and transformation.
Social Anthropology/Anthropologie sociale 34.1.
doi.org/10.3167/saas.2026.340101
Use the links below to access each article.