Author Archives: Jim

New Book: Violent Conversion: Brazilian Pentecostalism and Urban Women in Mozambique

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Violent Conversion: Brazilian Pentecostalism and Urban Women in Mozambique

by Linda Van de Kamp

https://boydellandbrewer.com/violent-conversion-hb.html

Examines Pentecostal conversion as a force of change, revealing new insights into its dominant role in global Christianity today.

There has been an extraordinary growth in Pentecostalism in Africa, with Brazilian Pentecostals establishing new transnational Christian connections, initiating widespread changes not only in religious practice but in society. This book describes its rise in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, and the sometimes dramatic impact of Pentecostalism on women. Here large numbers of urban women are taking advantage of the opportunities Pentecostalism offers to overcome restrictions at home, pioneer new life spaces and change their lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, conversion can also mean a violent rupturing with tradition, with family and with social networks. As the pastors encourage women to cut their ties with the past, including ancestral spirits, they come to see their kin and husbands as imbued with evil powers, and many leave their families. Conquering spheres that used to be forbidden to them, they often live alone as unmarried women, sometimes earning more than men of a similar age. They are also expected to donate huge sums to the churches, often money that they can ill afford, bringing new hardships.
Linda van de Kamp is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

New Book: Violent Conversion: Brazilian Pentecostalism and Urban Women in Mozambique

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Violent Conversion: Brazilian Pentecostalism and Urban Women in Mozambique

by Linda Van de Kamp

https://boydellandbrewer.com/violent-conversion-hb.html

Examines Pentecostal conversion as a force of change, revealing new insights into its dominant role in global Christianity today.

There has been an extraordinary growth in Pentecostalism in Africa, with Brazilian Pentecostals establishing new transnational Christian connections, initiating widespread changes not only in religious practice but in society. This book describes its rise in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, and the sometimes dramatic impact of Pentecostalism on women. Here large numbers of urban women are taking advantage of the opportunities Pentecostalism offers to overcome restrictions at home, pioneer new life spaces and change their lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, conversion can also mean a violent rupturing with tradition, with family and with social networks. As the pastors encourage women to cut their ties with the past, including ancestral spirits, they come to see their kin and husbands as imbued with evil powers, and many leave their families. Conquering spheres that used to be forbidden to them, they often live alone as unmarried women, sometimes earning more than men of a similar age. They are also expected to donate huge sums to the churches, often money that they can ill afford, bringing new hardships.
Linda van de Kamp is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Call for Scholars: Interreligious Explorations of Homelessness

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Deadline: December 12, 2016)

Seattle University’s new Center for Religious Wisdom & World Affairs is seeking to bring together theologians and scholars of religion from a variety of faith traditions and disciplines to explore the ways in which religious wisdom and the resources of faith communities can lend assistance in the analysis, diagnosis, and community responses needed to address the problem of homelessness.

Scholars will:

  • Participate in two academic symposia (April 2017 and April 2018)
  • Contribute to a publication
  • Receive an honorarium and have travel expenses covered

For more details:

https://seattleu.edu/stm/grants–initiatives/center/call-for-scholars-interreligious-explorations-of-homelessness

CFP: Workshop on ‘Religion, Hate and Offence in a Changing World’

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CALL FOR PAPERS

Workshop on ‘Religion, Hate and Offence in a Changing World’

Cardiff University, School of Law and Politics, 14-15 December 2016

Keynote speaker: Professor Jocelyn Maclure (Université Laval)

This workshop aims to bring together scholars working on the relationship between religion and free speech. This relationship is complex. On the one hand, it has been central to recent discussions of hate speech and offensive speech targeting religious believers, and especially members of religious minorities. For example, the current wave of Islamophobia across Europe, prompted by migratory pressure, an unstable Middle East, and the backlash from the recent terrorist attacks in France and Belgium, has brought the issue of hate speech directed at religious minorities back to the forefront of public debate in western liberal democracies. Furthermore, the tension between freedom of speech and blasphemy continues to elicit public and academic debate, as shown by the 2006 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy and, more recently, by the Charlie Hebdo controversies and attack. On the other hand, religious believers sometimes defend their use of derogatory and extreme speech against members of other religious faiths, or people with a certain sexual orientation, as part of their religious freedom. Recent examples include Swedish Pastor Ake Green’s likening of homosexuals with ‘cancer’; Tunisian preacher Muhammad Hammami’s anti-semitic remarks; Belfast Pastor James McConnell’s description of Islam as ‘heathen’ and ‘satanic’; and American conservative Evangelical Christian TV evangelist Andrew Wommack’s claim that gay people are ‘not normal’. Religious believers, therefore, can be both victims and instigators of hate speech and offensive speech, and this renders an examination of the relationship between these kinds of speech and religion especially important.

Contributions addressing the following questions are particularly welcome:

  • Should hate speech and/or offensive speech be regulated and, if so, why?

  • Is there a clear distinction between hate speech and offensive speech?

  • What is the relationship between freedom of religion and freedom of speech?

  • Is religion unique in often being both the target and the source of hate speech and offensive speech?

  • Should hate speech and offensive speech be legally regulated, or should speakers only have a moral duty to refrain from using them?

If you would like to present a paper, please send a paper abstract (300-400 words) to Matteo Bonotti (BonottiM@cardiff.ac.uk). The deadline for submission of paper abstracts is 15 October 2016. Acceptance will be notified by 20 October 2016. Each accepted paper will be presented in a plenary session, and it will be allocated 60 minutes (30 minutes for presentation and 30 minutes for in-depth discussion).

There will be a registration fee of £50, including registration, tea/coffee breaks and lunches for both days.

Fellowships in Buddhist Studies

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Dear Colleagues,

I once again would like to direct your attention to the current announcement of two PhD scholarships offered by the Doctoral Program in Buddhist Studies at LMU München.

We are still accepting applications; the deadline is October 16. You can find more information on our homepage:
http://www.en.buddhismus-studien.uni-muenchen.de/currentissues/phd_scholarships2017/index.html

Best wishes,
Simone Heidegger
—
Dr. Simone Heidegger
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Doctoral Program in Buddhist Studies
Oettingen-Str. 67
D-80538 München
Tel.: (+49)-89-2180-9516
Fax:  (+49)-89-2180-9801
E-mail: s.heidegger@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

Tenure-track faculty position in Muslims in America

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The College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities and the Religious Studies Program invite applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position at the assistant professor level in the study of Muslims/Islam in America to begin fall semester 2017 (08/28/2017).

We seek intellectually ambitious candidates with interdisciplinary aptitude, poised to become leaders in the field. A Ph.D. in Religious Studies or other related field is required by the start date, August 28, 2017. Possible areas of specialization include, but are not limited to,

  • History of Muslims/Islam in North America
  • Religious experience or expression of Muslims in North America
  • Social/political experience of the Muslim diaspora in North America
  • Gender, race, class, identity issues related to Muslim experience in North America

Successful candidates will be expected to demonstrate a strong foundation in the academic study of religion and their specific research area, ability to work across disciplinary boundaries, and evidence or potential for a strong research profile and excellence in teaching.

Applications must be submitted online at http://humanresources.umn.edu/jobs . Click the Apply button and search for Job Opening ID #312745. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach (1) a cover letter describing your interest in the position, your research interests, and your qualifications and experience, and (2) your curriculum vitae. A writing sample (3) of not more than 40 pages must be attached as an additional document through your “My Activities” page.

Three letters of reference in pdf form should be sent separately by their authors to the search committee chair at rels@umn.edu.

Candidates who make the initial cut will be asked for a philosophy of teaching statement, sample syllabi, and/or course evaluations.

Application deadline: October 17, 2016

Preliminary interviews at AAR/SBL in San Antonio, November 19-21.

Inquiries should be directed to search committee chair, Jeanne Kilde, jkilde@umn.edu http://religiousstudies.umn.edu/

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. http://diversity.umn.edu

Call for papers: Workshop on the representation of religion(s) and the “World Religions Paradigm”

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Organised by the EASR Working Group on Religion in Public Education

13. and 14. December 2016, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

In contrast to other existing networks and organizations dealing with religious education (RE) in Europe at various levels and in various ways, the EASR Working Group on Religion in Public Education intends to establish a firm basis for and further develop study-of-religions research on RE as well as a basis for specific “RS-based RE didactics and school subjects”. That means a form of RE based on the academic study of religions, independent from any kind of promotion of religion, interreligious dialogue, or support of religious institutions or communities.

The EASR working group invites to a workshop on the representation on religion(s) and the “World Religions Paradigm”. We invite researchers to present papers on the complexities involved in dealing with representation of religion(s) in teaching contexts. Papers are invited to discuss how recent criticisms of “The World Religions Paradigm” is relevant for teaching about religion(s) in RE. In addition to theoretical reflections, presentations that focus on ‘dead religions’, new religious movements, popular culture or indigenous religions in RE are particularly welcome.

The workshop will take place in Tromsø (Norway) and be organized in cooperation with the Research group for Religion Education in Public Education at the UiT – The Arctic University of Norway. The first day (13. December) of the workshop will take place at Tromsø Villmarkssenter (Tromsø Wild Life center, http://www.villmarkssenter.no), a 25 minute drive outside Tromsø city center.

Transportation from the hotels to the Wild Life center will be organized (free of charge) for all participants.

UiT will also cover coffee, lunch and dinner at the Wild Life Center. On December 14 the workshop will take place at the university campus. Participants will have to find their own funding for travel and accommodation.

Deadline for abstracts: October 15 Notification about the acceptance of papers: November 1 The abstracts will be read and evaluated by several referees. Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words (and possible queries about this workshop) to Bengt-Ove Andreassen (email: bengt.ove.andreassen@uit.no)

Journal Announcement: RELIGIOLOGIQUES

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Parution du No 33 de RELIGIOLOGIQUES

La revue québécoise de sciences humaines, RELIGIOLOGIQUES, qui s’intéresse aux manifestations du sacré dans la culture ainsi qu’au phénomène religieux sous toutes ses formes, a le plaisir de vous annoncer la publication du numéro 33 (printemps 2016) intitulé, « Mutations : croyances et pratiques religieuses migrantes ». Les textes son disponibles (dans leur intégralité) sur le site Internet de la revue.

Roxanne D. Marcotte, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Pour le comité de rédaction de RELIGIOLOGIQUES

                                                                                                    • –  

RELIGIOLOGIQUES, no 33, printemps 2016

Mutations : croyances et pratiques religieuses migrantes

Sous la direction scientifique de Roxanne D. MARCOTTE

http://www.religiologiques.uqam.ca/

SOMMAIRE

                                                                                                    • –  

PRÉSENTATION

Roxanne D. MARCOTTE 

Perspectives sur les nouvelles modalités des croyances et pratiques religieuses migrantes

ARTICLES

Christophe MONNOT

Institutionnalisation des pratiques collectives bouddhistes et hindoues en Suisse

Hicham BENAISSA

Le « prêt à intérêt » ou la pratique économique symbolique  d’une économie des pratiques

Béatrice HALSOUET

Des réfugiés népalo-bhoutanais au Québec : comment être hindou dans une ville moyenne, en région ?

Elisabeth MAREELS

Des portes de la ville à la conquête des nations : spiritualisation du local et du global chez les pentecôtistes brésiliens de Bruxelles

Francesco PIRAINO

L’héritage de René Guénon dans le soufisme du XXIe siècle en France et en Italie

Felicia DUMAS

Retransmission numérique de la Divine Liturgie et le confort du croire

Seeking book reviewer

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Book to be reviewed for Asian Medicine: Tradition and Modernity

Apologies for cross-posting. Asian Medicine: Tradition and Modernity (http://www.brill.com/asian-medicine) is a peer-reviewed, english-language multidisciplinary journal aimed at researchers and practitioners of Asian Medicine in Asia as well as in Western countries, published by Brill on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine (IASTAM).

We are looking for someone to review the book Healing Traditions in the Northwestern Himalayas (authored by Pankaj Gupta, Vijay Kumar Sharma and Sushma Sharma and published by Springer).If you are interested, please send an e-mail to Susannah Deane: susannahdeane@gmail.com

Best wishes,

Susannah Deane

Book reviews editor, Hiamalayan  section

Asian Medicine: Tradition and Modernity

CFP: Christian Congregational Music: Local and Global Perspectives Conference

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Call for Papers

The fourth biennial Christian Congregational Music: Local and Global Perspectives Conference

Conference dates: 18-21 July 2017

Deadline for proposals: 15 December 2016

Conference website: http://congregationalmusic.org

Venue: Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, United Kingdom

Congregational music-making is a vital and vibrant practice within Christian communities worldwide. It reflects, informs, and articulates convictions and concerns that are irreducibly local even as it flows along global networks. The goal of the Christian Congregational Music conference is to expand the avenues of scholarly inquiry into congregational music-making by bringing together world-class scholars and practitioners to explore the varying cultural, social, and spiritual roles music plays in the life of various Christian communities around the world.

Paper proposals on any topic related to the study of congregational music-making will be considered, but we especially welcome papers that explore one or more of the following: 

  • Gender, Sexuality, and the Worshipping Body In what ways do gender and sexuality condition the production and experience of congregational music?  How are these differences constructed, perpetuated, or challenged in musical performance? In what ways does social anxiety around sex and gender condition who is involved in congregational music and how they participate?
  • Soundscapes and Resonant Spaces  How have particular built environments (e.g., concert halls, theatres, public spaces) shaped the sounds of Christian congregations? What do these spaces afford sonically and what do they preclude?  How might considering the broader landscape or soundscape enhance our understanding of congregational music and sound? Perspectives from architecture, cultural geography, and ecomusicology are particularly encouraged.
  • Congregational Music in and as Prayer In congregational worship, music exists alongside a range of other sonic, spoken, internal, textual, material and visual forms through which congregations engage in personal and communal prayer. What role does music play within the wider activity of corporate prayer? How does music facilitate prayer, and in what ways can textless music be considered prayer?
  • Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogues How does music erect or challenge the boundaries among different Christian traditions, and among Christian music and music of other faiths? How can music promote ecumenical and interfaith relationships and conversations? What insights and approaches can scholars studying Christian communities draw from scholars of other faith traditions?
  • Music and Reformation In marking 500 years since the start of the Protestant Reformation, we welcome new perspectives on the role of music in the Protestant Reformation and counter-Reformation, as well as continuing effects of the Reformation in discourse and practice on music in the present-day. How can studying music challenge or nuance received narratives and historiographical models? What new perspectives can be brought to bear on this much-considered historical moment?
  • Rethinking “Congregation” How have new transportation and communications technologies changed the way Christians gather and understand themselves as congregations? How does gathering in spaces outside local church congregations—from festivals to concerts to online worship environments—influence the production and experience of Christian music-making? How does music work within these spaces to facilitate new modes of congregating?

We are now accepting proposals (maximum 250 words) for individual papers and for organised panels consisting of three papers. The online proposal form can be found on the conference website at http://congregationalmusic.org/content/proposals. Proposals must be received by 15 December 2016. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 31 January 2017, and conference registration will begin on 15 February 2017. Further instructions and information will be made available on the conference website at http://congregationalmusic.org.

CONFERENCE INFORMATION

Location:

Most conference sessions will be held at Ripon College Cuddesdon, a theological college affiliated with the University of Oxford. The college is located seven miles south-east of the Oxford city centre and is accessible by car or bus. This year, we will also take an afternoon excursion to Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

Fees:

Fees for conference registration, room and board will be posted in January. Ripon College Cuddesdon has extended reasonable rates to make this conference affordable for domestic and international scholars in various career stages. There are a small number of bursaries available for graduate student presenters. Students interested in being considered for a bursary should tick the box on the paper proposal form.

Conference schedule:

The schedule for the four-day conference maintains a unique balance of presentations from featured speakers, traditional conference panel presentations, and roundtable discussions. A draft conference programme will be available in February 2017 on the conference website.

Featured speakers:

  • Prof. Nancy Ammerman Professor of Sociology Boston University
  • Prof. Jeremy Begbie Thomas A. Langford Research Professor of Theology Duke Divinity School
  • Dr. Sylvia A. Nannyonga-Tamusuza Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology Makerere University
  • Dr. Bettina Varwig Senior Lecturer in Music King’s College London
  • Prof. John Witvliet Professor of Worship, Theology, & Congregational and Ministry Studies Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
  • Dr. Abigail Wood Senior Lecturer, Department of Music University of Haifa

For all programme-related queries, please contact: conference@congregationalmusic.org.