Author Archives: SISR/ISSR General Secretary

Final CfP for Tartu workshop next June

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CALL FOR PAPERS

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

Religion, Law and Policy Making: European Norms and National Practices in Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation

Date: 13-14 June 2013
Site: Tartu, Estonia
Organizer: Center for EU-Russia Studies (CEURUS), University of Tartu, Estonia

Topics: The goal of the Workshop is to advance the multidisciplinary study of the processes-cultural, economic, political, and legal-of European integration related to the patterns of interaction among ‘religion, policies and law’ in post-communist countries of Eastern Europe.
The complex interplay among European and national law, and law, policy and religion at the levels of nation and European Union is approached from jurisprudential, religious, sociological, cultural, historical, and political (comparative politics, political theory, IR) perspectives.
Language: English
Deadline: 11 February 2013. Abstracts of 300-600 words as well as a short bio (100 words) should be sent to: alar.kilp@ut.ee.
Contact: Dr. Alar Kilp (University of Tartu); Prof. Jerry G. Pankhurst (Wittenberg University, USA); Prof. William B. Simons (University of Tartu).
E-mail: alar.kilp@ut.ee;
jpankhurst@wittenberg.edu
william.simons@ut.ee.
Internet:
<http://ceurus.ut.ee/conferences/call-for-papers-religion-and-politics-workshop/>

New book on the Caliphate

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New book:

Demystifying the Caliphate: Historical Memory and Contemporary Contexts, ed. by Madawi Al-Rasheed, Carool Kersten and Marat Shterin, London: Hurst and Co & New York: Columbia University Press (November, 2012)

Paperback edition will be out in early January 2013.
For details, please visit
http://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/demystifying-the-caliphate/

Young American Muslims: Dynamics of Identity

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Young American Muslims: Dynamics of Identity

By Nahid Afrose Kabir, University of South Australia
http://www.euppublishing.com/book/9780748669936

This book presents a journey into the ideas, outlooks and identity of young Muslims in America today. Based on around 400 in-depth interviews with young Muslims from Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York and Virginia, all the richness and nuance of these minority voices can be heard.

Many young Americans cherish an American dream, ‘that all men are created equal’. And the election of America’s first black President in 2008 has shown that America has moved forward. Yet since 9/11 Muslim Americans have faced renewed challenges, with their loyalty and sense of belonging being questioned.

Chapters include: Introduction: My Journey and the ‘Muslim Question’; Identity Matters; The Culture Debate; What Does it Take to be an American?; Reflections on the American Media; Barack Hussein Obama and Young Muslims’ Political Awareness; The Palestinian Question; From Here to Where?

November 2012
248 pp o HB o 978 0 7486 6993 6
HB Special Price: £70.00 £56.50

Nahid Afrose Kabir is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding, University of South Australia. She was a visiting fellow (2009 – 2011) at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, USA. Dr Kabir is the author of Muslims in Australia: Immigration, Race Relations and Cultural History (London: Routledge 2005), and Young British Muslims: Identity, Culture, Politics and the Media (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press 2010).

Bristol University Muslim Participation Conference – Call for Papers

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Dr Therese O’Toole, Prof Tariq Modood, and Dr Daniel Nilsson DeHanas are pleased to announce/invite:
CALL FOR PAPERS: MUSLIM PARTICIPATION IN CONTEMPORARY GOVERNANCE
Academic Workshop followed by Report Launch Event

Venue: Bishopsgate Institute, East London, UK

Date: 31 January 2013

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Professor Tariq Modood (Bristol University)
Humera Khan (An-Nisa Society)
Dilwar Hussain (Islamic Society of Britain)

This Workshop will bring together academic contributors from Britain and across Europe to discuss Muslim participation in forms of contemporary governance. Over the past decade, Muslims in many European states have emerged as participants in governance at different levels and across a range of policy domains. Important changes in this regard include the increased presence of Muslims in: structures of political representation; participatory initiatives concerned with social cohesion, faith-based social welfare programmes or countering violent extremism; a range of local democratic and consultative forums and bodies; lobbying and advocacy for equalities legislation both at the state-level and EU-level; and increasingly sophisticated political coalitions for the acknowledgement and diminution of Islamophobia.

The workshop will feature a day of research on and discussion of developments in the study of Muslim participation in forms of contemporary governance. This will be followed by a public Report Launch Event in the evening, featuring a research presentation from the AHRC/ESRC project Muslim Participation in Contemporary Governance: a two and a half year study of developments in Muslim participation in governance at national level and in three local case-study areas of Birmingham, Leicester and Tower Hamlets. At this Report Launch Event policy makers and Muslim civil society actors will respond to the project’s Report, and debate the key issues relating to the participation of Muslims in governance and public life in Britain.

We are particularly pleased to invite research from other European countries as well as from the British context, that will complement the work being done in Britain by our AHRC/ESRC project on Muslim Participation in Contemporary Governance in the UK. Authors of the papers selected for the day workshop will have an opportunity to be invited as contributors to an edited volume comparing developments in Muslim participation in governance in Britain and Europe.

Abstracts for papers on the following topics (and other cognate topics) are invited:
* Muslim representation through electoral politics, representative bodies, and other modes
* Community-based and partnership approaches to policing and counter-terrorism
* Muslim agency, governmentality, and the everyday state
* The development of Muslim civil society organisations
* Coordinated campaigns and lobbying on Islamophobia
* Muslim mobilisations in relation to multiculturalism, equalities, diversity, and cohesion
* The participation of Muslims and Muslim organisations in the ‘faith sector,’ in inter faith activities, and in faith-based service delivery
* Muslim mobilisations that link domestic, EU-level, and/or international governance
* Comparisons of Muslim participation in governance across states

Please submit abstracts of up to 300 words to Dr Therese O’Toole, Professor Tariq Modood, and Dr Daniel Nilsson DeHanas, (mpcg.uk@gmail.com).
Abstracts must be submitted by Noon on 15 December 2012 to be considered for inclusion.
For details on the Muslim Participation in Contemporary Governance (MPCG) project, please visit: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/ethnicity/projects/muslimparticipation/
MPCG is a project of the Centre for Ethnicity and Citizenship, in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies at the University of Bristol. The project is led by Dr Therese O’Toole, and funded by the Religion & Society Programme of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council in the UK.===========================================
Dr Daniel Nilsson DeHanas
Centre for Ethnicity and Citizenship
School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies
University of Bristol 11 Priory RoadBristol BS8 1TUPhone: +44 (0)790 807 5719
Research Centre: http://bris.ac.uk/ethnicity
Muslim Participation in Contemporary Governance Project:
http://bris.ac.uk/ethnicity/projects/muslimparticipation

Challenging Consensus

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Dear all,
please find attached description and programme of an interdisciplinary conference on “deviant” or “nonconformist” religion we have organised in Leipzig.
Title: “Challenging Consensus”
www.uni-leipzig.de/challenging_consensus
Best Wishes,
Christiane Königstedt,
M.A.University of Leipzig
Research Training Group:”Religious Non-Conformism and Cultural Dynamics”
Contact:c.koenigstedt@uni-leipzig.de

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Jameel Scholarships, Cardiff University 2013-14

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Jameel Scholarships, Cardiff University, 2013-14

The Islam-UK Centre at Cardiff University is pleased to invite applications for the Cardiff University Jameel Scholarships for 2013-14. The Islam-UK Centre works towards the promotion of better understanding of Islam and the life of Muslims in Britain, through high quality teaching and research. Its activities address issues which are central to the situation of Muslims in contemporary Britain. The Centre provides unique training and research opportunities for those seeking onward employment in a range of academic and non-academic careers.

The following fully funded scholarships are available from September 2013:

Cardiff University Jameel PhD Scholarships – 1 scholarship (starting 2013/14 academic year) We are seeking exceptional UK resident applicants with a first class, or upper second class honours degree or Masters degree. Research proposals in the following areas are particularly welcome: Education, Religious Leadership, British Muslim Arts and Heritage and Inter-Generational and Family Relations. Other research themes will be considered but must demonstrate exceptional academic merit, potential and relevance to Muslims or Islam in the UK.

Cardiff University Jameel MA Scholarships – 4 scholarships available for the MA in Islam in Contemporary Britain (September 2013 start) We are seeking exceptional UK resident applicants with a first or upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject, and demonstrated enthusiasm for working with or for Muslim communities in Britain.

Funding Package
Each successful Cardiff University Jameel Scholar has full UK/EU tuition fees paid and receives a generous stipend equivalent to an AHRC stipend plus access to a travel & conference allowance. Full-time PhD awards will provide funding for three years; full-time MA awards will provide funding for one year.

How to Apply
Full application instructions are available online at
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/jameelscholarships
Closing date for MA Scholarship applications: 22 January 2013
Closing date for PhD Scholarship applications: 15 March 2013
For all enquiries, please contact us by email to jameelscholarships@cardiff.ac.uk

Religion and Politics Symposium at Calvin College Honoring Corwin Smidt

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CFP Religion and Politics Symposium at Calvin College Honoring Corwin Smidt Seventh Biennial Symposium on Religion and Politics April 25-27, 2013 The Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan

The Paul B. Henry Institute will hold its seventh biennial Symposium on Religion and Politics from April 25 – 27, 2013 at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The purpose of this regular event is to provide opportunities to present current research, to foster personal and professional networks, to facilitate joint research endeavors, and to learn about research opportunities in the field. Symposium attendance is open to anyone interested in the intersection of religion and public life. The program will be held at the Prince Conference Center on the Calvin College campus.

An Invitation to Present Research and Writing

Participation in the Symposium is open to both scholars and graduate students across the disciplines. Those interested in presenting a paper on any aspect of the relationship between religion and public life (political theory, international relations, public policy, political history, comparative politics, electoral politics, public law, or the sociology of religion) should submit a one-page proposal by February 15, 2013. The proposal should include a tentative paper title, a brief description of the focus of the proposed paper (one to three paragraphs), your institutional affiliation, and your contact information, including an email address. Proposals received after February 15 will be considered on a space-available basis. Notification of accepted proposals will be no later than mid-March, 2013.

In honor of Dr. Corwin Smidt, who retired as the long-time Director of the Henry Institute in 2012, we issue a special invitation to present work in areas where Corwin has enriched our understanding of religion and politics, including religion and civil society, electoral politics, and clergy and politics.

We are also pleased to announce that two special opportunities will correspond with the Henry Symposium this year: the annual Kuyper Lecture, sponsored by the Center for Public Justice; and “Visualizing Public Life,” a show of student-generated visualizations of faith in the public sphere.

Correspondence
For additional information or to submit a proposal, please review the links below or contact:
Kevin R. den Dulk The Henry Institute 1810 E.
Beltline, SE Calvin College Grand Rapids, MI 49546-5951 616/526-6234
FAX: 616/526-8756
e-mail: kdendulk@calvin.edu
Website: www.calvin.edu/henry/conf

Politics and Religion Journal (PRJ)

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Politics and  Religion  Journal (PRJ)

New Issue
Volume VI (No. 2) – Autumn 2012.

Table of contents

The word of guest editor

TOPIC OF THIS ISSUES
POLITICS AND RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY CHINA

Joanna Wardega
Mao Zedong in Present-day China – Form of Deification
Weishan Huang
Bodhisattva Comes out of a Closet: City, Surveillance, and Doing Religion
Tsering Topgyal
The Securitisation of Tibetan Buddhism in Communist China
Raphael Israeli
Islam in China
Chaohua Wang
Old Sage for New Age? The Revival of Religious Confucianism in China

ANALYSES

Marcus Smith and Peter Marden
Politics, Policy and Faith: The Christian Right in Australia
Alberta Giorgi
Religious Associations in Lombardy: Values and Political Choices

REVIEWS, CRITICAL VIEWS AND POLEMICS

Hang Lin
Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power
Nika Sturm
The Serbian Politology of Religion Library

http://www.politicsandreligionjournal.com/index.phpoption=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=6&Itemid=3&lang=en
http://www.ipsa.org/news/journal/politics-and-religion-journal-prj-2?allblocks=1

Research Methods for the Study of Contemporary Religion; a training programme organised by the University of Kent

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RESEARCH METHODS FOR THE STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY RELIGION AN INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAMME

Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, University of Kent
18-22 February 2013

This training programme is available for doctoral students registered at any higher education institution in the UK/EU. It is based on previous training developed by the Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, funded by the AHRC, which led to the development of the Religion Methods website (www.kent.ac.uk/religionmethods), and aims to provide students with a core training in fieldwork approaches to the study of religion.

Topics covered by the training will include:
· Conceptualising religion for research
· Key elements and processes of research design
· The role of theory in social research
· The politics and ethics of research
· Sampling
· Rigour and validity in research
· Using quantitative data-sets for research on religion
· Ethnographic approaches in theory and practice
· Visual methods
· Developing research interviews
· Using qualitative data analysis software
· Researching objects and spaces
· Producing research proposals

To attend this training programme, students not registered at the University of Kent will be required to pay a £100 registration fee, which would cover attendance at all sessions and the costs of training materials. Delegates would need to make their own arrangements for accommodation, and there is a wide selection of affordable B&B provision in the Canterbury area. For those planning to commute on a daily basis, Canterbury is now less than an hour from London St Pancras on the high speed train link.

Space on the programme is limited and the deadline to register your interest to attend this programme is Thursday 13 December. To register your interest, please email Lois Lee (l.a.lee@kent.ac.uk) with a short statement outlining the university at which you are currently registered, the focus and method of your doctoral project and the stage of the project you are currently at.