Conference Call for Papers: The Ahmadiyya In Scholarly Perspective.

We are interested in organizing a conference on the Ahmadis and Ahmadiyya in which the speakers examine

  • – Its theology- Christology
  • – Its history,
  • – Its organization, governance and associated groups,
  • – Membership: numbers, growth, sociological profile. International expansion,
  • – Iconography,
  • – Their original territories and their international developments, as well as their various types of changes,
  • – Judicial issues addressing its status; prosecution in certain countries,
  • – Media relations and media coverage,
  • – Impact on humanitarianism, art and culture in general,
  • – Influences in popular culture,
  • – The peculiar way of placing itself within the Islamic world, from which it is considered “heretical”
  • – Relationship with the broader society.

This list of topics above is not exhaustive. We welcome additional studies or surveys completed or in process on the Ahmadiyya and its followers. 

As for our previous conferences, we will prepare the publication of the best papers, once the scientific committee has reviewed them. You may see our publications on www.antwerpfvg.org.

We plan our conferences on one or two days, presuming there will about 12 speakers.  Our requirement is to make sure speakers have a scholarly record and training even if they do not work in an academic background. Doctoral students are welcome. We do not offer grants or stipends to participants, and every participant has to pay registration fees.

Organized By: The European Observatory of Religion and Secularism (Laïcité) in partnership with Faculty of Comparative Study of Religion and Humanism (FVG), CLIMAS (Bordeaux), Cesnur (Turin).

Practical Information

  • Venue: Faculty of Comparative Study of Religion and Humanism (FVG)
  • Bist 164 – B-2610 Wilrijk-Antwerpen. Belgium. Tel.: +32 (0)3 830 51 58. E-mail: info@antwerpfvg.org www.antwerpfvg.org
  • Date of the conference: October 24-25, 2019.
  • Language of the conference: English.

Submitting: Send a 10 line abstract, with a 5 lines résumé of your previous work and a short biography to:

  • Régis Dericquebourg, Associate Professor at the FVG and President of the European Observatory of Religions and laïcité (secularism): Associate member of the Group of Sociology of Religion and Laicité. CNRS: Paris. France. redericq@netcourrier.com
  • and/or to Bernadette Rigal-Cellard, Professor in North American Studies, Université Michel de Montaigne, member de CLIMAS (Culture et littératures du monde anglo saxon), Bordeaux. France Vice-President of the Observatory of Religion and Laicité. bcellard@numericable.fr
  • and/or Chris Vonck, rector of the Faculty for Comparative religion and Humanism (FVG). fvg.faculteit@skynet.b
  • And/or Willy Fautre. Director of Human Rights Without Frontiers, w.fautre@hrwf.org

Papers will be considered for publication, with editorial details given during the conference. It is understood that each presenter must submit his or her paper first to the organizers for possible inclusion in the conference proceedings. When submitting the abstract, please inform the committee whether the paper has been submitted for review or publication in another venue.

Registration and Transportation:

  • Registration Fee: 100 euros and 15 euros for each lunch.
  • Students: 30 euros and 10 euros each lunch.
  • There are many hotels in Antwerp and a few in the nearby town of Mortsel, which are discoverable online, and each attendee should book directly. FVG is located off of a bus line to downtown Antwerp.

Proposal Deadline: July 1 st , 2019

Scientific Committee:

  • Raffaella Di Marzio, managing director LIREC;
  • Massimo Introvigne, managing director, CESNUR;
  • Bernadette Rigal-Cellard, Professor in North American Studies, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, member de CLIMAS (Culture et littératures du monde anglo saxon), France
  • Régis Dericquebourg, Associate Professor at the FVG and President of the European Observatory of Religions and laïcité (secularism), France and Belgium
  • Chris Vonck, Professor in Religious Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Comparative Studies of Religions, (FVG), Wilrijk (Antwerpen), Belgium