Author Archives: DaBoss

Call for Papers: IAHR in New Zealand, 23-29 August, 2020

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The XXII Quinquennial World Congress of the IAHR, hosted by the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions, will take place at the University of Otago, in Dunedin, New Zealand from 23-29 August 2020. Submission deadline 31 December 2019.

Kia ora koutou

On behalf of the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions, it is our great pleasure to invite you to the University of Otago for the 22nd Quinquennial World Congress of the IAHR.

The theme of the congress is Centres and Peripheries. New Zealand is both central and peripheral to the study of religion: further East than Japan, further south than almost anywhere, New Zealand’s small size and geographical isolation have meant the people of New Zealand have always looked outwards, whether to Hawaiki or to the intellectual centres and tradition of Europe.

New Zealand is also a Pacific nation, with deep ties to the Pacific societies which have formed the setting for both classic works in the study of religion and for some of the most innovative contemporary studies on religion and society.

We invite you to join with us and leading scholars of religion from throughout the world to exchange ideas in the wonderful surroundings of New Zealand, to renew old friendships and to forge new connections. The next chapter in the academic study of religion opens in New Zealand in 2020!

Will Sweetman, Ben Schonthal and John Shaver

Click HERE for the Call for Papers

CFP: Special issue on Religion & Ecology

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Call for Papers: A special issue of the journal Religions on Religion & Ecology.  The Special Issue aims to assess the current explanations for the role of religion in addressing climate change and offer new analyses about religion and climate change from the perspectives of social sciences and humanities.

As the pace and intensity of climate changes increases, so too does the peril it poses to earth and all who live in it. Many religions follow an ethic of caring for those most strongly impacted by the effects of events like climate change and bear the moral legitimacy to mobilize millions to act in order to ameliorate climate change. Historically, many religions have been silent, indifferent, and even hostile to environmentalism, but over the past 25 years, religious communities and organizations have developed green theologies, ethics, and rituals, and have spoken prophetically in defense of nature. But how effective have religions been in mobilization action and persuading individuals, communities, and governments to take action against climate change?

The purpose of this Special Issue is to assess the current state of religious involvement to address climate change and the effects we are already experiencing. What are religions actively doing to combat climate change and has it made a difference? What are the limits on religions’ involvement in and work towards climate justice? Why have some religions taken action to combat climate change while others refuse to engage? The issue will be comparative in scope on several dimensions: From local religious congregations to national bodies; from religions of the book to dark green and eco-spirituality communities; from the developed west to the developing south. Contributions from a variety of disciplines that focus on assessing and explaining the role of religions in addressing climate change are welcome.

Stephen Ellingson Guest Editor
Professor and Chair
Department of Sociology
Hamilton College
198 College Hill Road
Clinton, NY 13323
sellings@hamilton.edu

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page.Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charges (APCs) of 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs) per published paper are partially funded by institutions through Knowledge Unlatched for a limited number of papers per year. Please contact the editorial office before submission to check whether KU waivers, or discounts are still available. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI’s English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • · religion and the environment
  • · climate change
  • · climate justice
  • · green religion
  • · ecopolitics
  • · environmental ethics

Invitation for Submissions

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The British Academy is working with The Faith & Belief Forum to commission a Companion Review on Cohesive Societies that will sit alongside the programme’s existing Literature Review and Policy Review. This will explore the connection between faith and belief and social cohesion in the UK, with a particular focus on practice.

The aim of this review is to examine the social cohesion policy and practice landscape to understand where this policy and practice include and exclude faith and belief groups, and why.

For information about the program, see https://faithbeliefforum.org/tender-for-submissions-cohesive-societies-companion-review/

Applications should be emailed to Tim Mortimer on tim@faithbeliefforum.org by Wednesday 28 August.  You may also direct questions to him.

Announcing the August 2019 issue of Critical Research on Religion (Volume 7, Number 2)

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https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/crra/current

Table of Contents:

Articles:

  • “Preaching as master’s discourse. A Foucauldian interpretation of Lutheran pastoral power”
    by Jouni Tilli
  • “The dark side of religious individualism: A Marcusian exploration”
    by James V Spickard
  • “Sacred realms in virtual worlds: The making of Buddhist spaces in Second Life”
    by Jessica M Falcone
  • Symposium – Critical Islam: On Irfan Ahmad’s Religion as Critique:
  • “Introduction: Islamic Critical Thinking from Mecca to the Marketplace”
    by Yunus Doğan Telliel
  • “What was enlightenment?”
    by Gil Anidjar
  • “Critique in translation”
    by Mayanthi Fernando
  • “Trolling for exemplars of Islamicate critique”
    by Bruce B Lawrence
  • “Critique, Naqd, Orthodoxy”
    by Nada Moumtaz
  • “Reply to Anidjar, Fernando, Lawrence, and Moumtaz”
    by Irfan Ahmad

Book Reviews:

  • “Murat Akan, The Politics of Secularism: Religion, Diversity, and Institutional Change in France and Turkey”
    by Çağdaş Dedeoğlu
  • “Z. Fareen Parvez (ed), Politicizing Islam: The Islamic Revival in France and India”
    by Fatemeh Kamali Chirani
  • “Ahmad S. Dallal, Islam Without Europe: Traditions of Reform in Eighteenth Century Islamic Thought”
    by Simon Ross Valentine

Job Opening: Muslim-Christian Studies Research Fellow

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The Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies <www.cmcsoxford.org.uk>, an
independent academic centre, is seeking to appoint a full-time Muslim
Research Fellow, based in Oxford, for a three-year contract commencing
on 1st October 2019, or as soon as possible thereafter.
The Research Fellow will conduct research in the area of
Muslim-Christian studies, either  theological, historical or
sociological. The main aim would be to produce a high-quality  monograph
on an area of the candidate’s choosing in discussion with CMCS. In
addition, the Research Fellow would participate in other academic
activities at CMCS, including (for example) teaching and advising a
range of students who come to the Centre,  engaging with practitioners
in the field of Muslim-Christian Relations, and contributing on
an agreed basis to CMCS projects such as the Summer School for Christian
and Muslim leaders in training, Hikmah Guides and the Christians and
Muslims in Public Life Project.
For further information see
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/listing/172669/muslim-research-fellow-/

AASR 2019 Conference:Religion and Violence

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AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION

The 2019 AASR conference will be held from December 5-6 at the city campus of the University of Newcastle, co-hosted by the AASR, the Centre for the Study of Violence and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. 

Conference Theme

We invite scholarly reflections on the complex and diverse relations between religion and violence, incorporating counter discourses of peace and social justice.

The relationship between religion and violence continues to be contentious and marked by significant changes in global and domestic politics including humanitarian crises, displaced peoples particularly asylum seekers, the rise and fall of extremist religious movements, the status of hate speech, the role of social media and the ongoing threat of religious terrorism. 

These major upheavals, particularly the claims to religious authority and legitimacy through violent means, have led to a growth in collective anxiety threatening global and local security.  Religious violence can be direct and institutional; aimed against individuals or groups; administered by the state or by non-state actors; material and symbolic.

A counterpoint is provided by religiously-motivated peace and social justice movements, including those for welcoming religiously-diverse refugees and migrants, interfaith initiatives and movements for gender and sexuality equality and animal rights. For example, values of religious diversity, social solidarity and pluralism have been notable in responding to recent expressions of violence including the events in Christchurch in March 2019 and provide notable moments of hope in moving towards religious diversity as a global value.

The conference invites papers engaging these issues from relevant disciplines including religious studies, politics, history, philosophy, law, theology, sociology and anthropology, social work, criminology, gender and women’s studies and education. Of particular interest are contributions examining:

  • ·         the relationship between religious identity and violent extremism
  • ·         state management of religious violence including the regulation of social media and hate speech
  • ·         state perpetration of religious violence
  • ·         perceptions and constructions of religious violence
  • ·         theoretical approaches to the meaning of religious violence including examples of scapegoating and symbolic forms of violence
  • ·         the relationship between gender, sexuality, religion and violence with particular attention to current issues of clergy abuse and domestic violence
  • ·         representations of religious violence in popular culture
  • ·         race, ethnicity, otherness and religious violence
  • ·         religion and animal rights
  • ·         religious movements for peace and social cohesion

How to Submit

Send proposals to the conference convenor Kathleen McPhillips: Kathleen.mcphillips@newcastle.edu.au

Please include Title, Author, Abstract (maximum 150 words) and university affiliation by 1st August 2019.

We are particularly interested in panel proposals on the conference theme, which must include no more than 4 panel members with a theme, paper titles, abstracts and authors.

Confirmations of acceptance will be sent by 1st September 2019. Late papers will not be considered.

Membership

Please note: submissions will only be considered if authors are members of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion.

For membership please visit the AASR website https://www.aasr.org.au/join-us. Members of NZASR do not need to also have AASR membership.

Conference Venue

The University of Newcastle is Australia’s leading regional university and has a record of global excellence in enquiry and engagement. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences supports the interdisciplinary study of religion including via the Centre for the History of Violence, where researchers work on projects across a breadth of themes including religion. The University’s city campus– Newspace – is located in the centre of the business district close to transport, accommodation, the harbour, beaches and the entertainment area. See https://www.newcastle.edu.au/about-uon/our-environments/new-space

Newcastle is located 2 hours north of Sydney and is easily accessible by road, air and train.  Transport to and from Newcastle airport provides easy access into the city and hosts international flights, including direct flights from Auckland and most major Australian cities.

Symposium: *Pentecostal Charismatic Christianities and Migration*

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Please join us at the symposium *Pentecostal Charismatic Christianities and Migration* co-convened by the Religion and Society Research Cluster/SSAP, Western Sydney University, and Alphacrucis College.

Date: 2 August 2019

Venue: Level 9, Parramatta City campus, WSU

169 Macquarie St, Parramatta

Keynote Speaker: Associate Prof Richard Vokes, UWA

“‘The Spirit Really Moved Me’: Metaphors of Movement in African-Australian Conversion Narratives”

Symposium Conveners:

  • Prof Cristina Rocha, Religion and Society Research Cluster, WSU
  • Prof Mark Hutchinson, Alphacrucis College
  • Dr Kathleen Openshaw, Religion and Society Research Cluster, WSU
  • Mrs Ingrid Ryan, Alphacrucis College

Symposium Theme

Over the past few decades, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity (PCC) has exploded in the Global South and grown considerably in the Global North. Much of this grow this fuelled by networks of megachurches, the mobility of community leaders across diasporic networks, migration and media. While traditionally missionaries would travel in a North-to- South direction, more recently megachurches from the Global South have moved horizontally, across to other developing countries, and also made inroads in to the Global North in efforts of reverse missionisation. Such attempts to missionise to locals in the Global North have been largely (though not wholly) unsuccessful and churches have turned their focus to migrants from the Global South. Many studies have shown that migrants, who were not attached to PCCs before migration, join churches in the diaspora as they offer them a home away from home. Meanwhile, diasporic churches also face difficulties keeping these (as well as second generation) migrants, since they may prefer local churches in an effort to integrate. This symposium will probe these themes, discussing the many connections between PCCs and migration.

Registration: This is a free event but registration needed for catering purposes.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/pentecostal-and-charismatic-christianity-and- migration-symposium-tickets-64954862743

For more details see attached flyer and  https://pccinaussymposium.wordpress.com/

Multiculturalism, Nationalism, Religions and Secularism

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Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship’s Twentieth Anniversary Conference
Evening of 8 November – 10 November 2019, University of Bristol

Plenary speakers include:
Bhikhu Parekh, Craig Calhoun, Geoff Brahms Levey, Grace Davie, Nira Yuval Davis, Pnina Werbner, Rainer Bauböck, Therese O’Toole, Yael Tamir; and Anna Triandafyllidou (TBC), Baroness Sayeeda Warsi (TBC), Yvette Cooper, MP (TBC).

For twenty years researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship have led debates about Muslims, racisms, multiculturalism, different forms of minority identity, and the place of religion in public life. Its research has spanned the social sciences and this conference will mark the twentieth anniversary of the Centre’s work.

Conference papers can come from sociology, political theory, political science, anthropology and other social sciences as well as disciplines in the humanities such as history and philosophy. Papers can focus on a range of themes such as multiculturalism, national identity, superdiversity, interculturalism, conviviality and everyday multiculturalism, neo-nationalism and populism, ethno-religious identities, racism and Islamophobia, secular governance and accommodation of religious diversity.

Please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words by 12 August 2019. Abstracts should be submitted to Thomas.sealy@bristol.ac.uk  Decisions will be announced by 19 August 2019.

The attendance fee is £35 in total. There are no extra costs for dinner on the evening of the 9 November 2019 and lunch, tea and coffee on both days, as the conference will provide these.

Participants will be sent options for accommodation after their paper has been accepted.

Places for speakers are limited. Please direct queries to the conference organisers who are:

  • Tariq Modood (University of Bristol): t.modood@Bristol.ac.uk
  • Varun Uberoi (Brunel University): Varun.Uberoi@Brunel.ac.uk
  • Simon Thompson (University of the West of England): Simon.Thompson@uwe.ac.uk

Further information about the Centre is available at:
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/ethnicity/

Job: Assistant Professor in the Sociology of Religion

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The following new job listing has been posted in the ASA Job Bank and may be of interest to section members:
Job ID: 15636
Institution: Baylor University
Department: Dept of Sociology
Title: Assistant Professors (2)
Position/Rank: Academic Positions: Assistant Professor, Academic Positions: Assistant Professor
Areas/Special Programs: Mental Health , Religion

For additional information on this position (including how to apply), visit the ASA Job Bank at http://jobbank.asanet.org.

Two Job Openings with Pew Research: Demography of Religion Team

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Pew Research Center has one open level research position for anyone from ABD status up to tenured professor. Pew is also looking for a savvy research assistant.

Research Associate or Senior Researcher position: https://jobs-prc.icims.com/jobs/5962/research-associate%2c-global-religious-demography/job

Research Assistant position: https://jobs-prc.icims.com/jobs/5964/research-assistant%2c-demography-of-religion/job

Both jobs are based in Washington DC.

Here are some recent examples of the demography of religion team’s work