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International Conference, 29 Feb. – 1 Mar. 2016
SECULARISMS AND THE FORMATIONS OF RELIGION IN ASIA: PLURALISM, GLOBALIZATION, MODERNITIES
Keynote speakers:
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Main organizer: Global Asia Research Cluster, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, NTU
In recent years there has been growing academic and public interest in the global “resurgence” of religion around the world. This has in turn stimulated scholarly debates concerning “secularism” and its conceptual imbrication with notions such as modernity, the public sphere, multiculturalism, governance, citizenship and global civil society. Some have even envisioned the desecularization of the world or the coming of the “post-secular” era. Against this backdrop this conference will focus on the complex interactions between politics of secularism and changing religious expressions across contemporary Asia, especially how the “secular” and “religious” have mutually defined and shaped each other in diverse social, cultural and political settings. Inter-disciplinary studies on “the secular” have contributed to better scholarly understanding of not only the rise of the category of religion, but also the different transformations of the religious sphere in modern times. However, a dominant thread in existing scholarship tends to focus on how the majority of contemporary societies in Asia have reacted and responded to Western versions of secularism through colonial encounters.
This workshop seeks to go beyond this action-reaction model, and to examine the ways in which societies in Asia have been active contributors to the global engagement with, and formulation of, different expressions of secularism and the “religious”. Whether through accepting, appropriating or resisting secularism as a result of colonial experiences, or through elaborating and promoting their own versions of secularism, societies in Asia have diversely defined their various traditions as “religion”, “civilization”, “spirit” or “magic/cult/superstition” in their respective colonial and postcolonial contexts. In this conference, we will particularly examine how the interactions between forms of secularism and religious discourses and traditions have in Asian societies contributed to the rise of nation-states, transformed the religious terrains and reformulated the modern functional systems such as legal, financial and educational institutions.
We invite paper proposals from different approaches such as sociology, anthropology, philosophy, religious studies, international relations, law, history, geography, political science, media studies and cultural studies that examine, but not restricted to, the following questions:
We are pleased to provide meals and accommodation for presenters during the conference period. Partial subsidies for travel expenses might be available depending on funding availability and on a case-by-case basis. We intend to publish selected papers from the conference as a journal special issue and/or as an edited volume with a reputable academic press.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION
Please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions or clarification regarding this workshop.
Conveners:
International Conference, 29 Feb. – 1 Mar. 2016
SECULARISMS AND THE FORMATIONS OF RELIGION IN ASIA: PLURALISM, GLOBALIZATION, MODERNITIES
Keynote speakers:
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Main organizer: Global Asia Research Cluster, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, NTU
In recent years there has been growing academic and public interest in the global “resurgence” of religion around the world. This has in turn stimulated scholarly debates concerning “secularism” and its conceptual imbrication with notions such as modernity, the public sphere, multiculturalism, governance, citizenship and global civil society. Some have even envisioned the desecularization of the world or the coming of the “post-secular” era. Against this backdrop this conference will focus on the complex interactions between politics of secularism and changing religious expressions across contemporary Asia, especially how the “secular” and “religious” have mutually defined and shaped each other in diverse social, cultural and political settings. Inter-disciplinary studies on “the secular” have contributed to better scholarly understanding of not only the rise of the category of religion, but also the different transformations of the religious sphere in modern times. However, a dominant thread in existing scholarship tends to focus on how the majority of contemporary societies in Asia have reacted and responded to Western versions of secularism through colonial encounters.
This workshop seeks to go beyond this action-reaction model, and to examine the ways in which societies in Asia have been active contributors to the global engagement with, and formulation of, different expressions of secularism and the “religious”. Whether through accepting, appropriating or resisting secularism as a result of colonial experiences, or through elaborating and promoting their own versions of secularism, societies in Asia have diversely defined their various traditions as “religion”, “civilization”, “spirit” or “magic/cult/superstition” in their respective colonial and postcolonial contexts. In this conference, we will particularly examine how the interactions between forms of secularism and religious discourses and traditions have in Asian societies contributed to the rise of nation-states, transformed the religious terrains and reformulated the modern functional systems such as legal, financial and educational institutions.
We invite paper proposals from different approaches such as sociology, anthropology, philosophy, religious studies, international relations, law, history, geography, political science, media studies and cultural studies that examine, but not restricted to, the following questions:
We are pleased to provide meals and accommodation for presenters during the conference period. Partial subsidies for travel expenses might be available depending on funding availability and on a case-by-case basis. We intend to publish selected papers from the conference as a journal special issue and/or as an edited volume with a reputable academic press.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION
Please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions or clarification regarding this workshop.
Conveners:
The post CFP: SECULARISMS AND THE FORMATIONS OF RELIGION IN ASIA appeared first on ISA Research Committee 22.
Approaching Religion Vol. 5/1 (May, 2015)
Theme: Pentecostalism around the Baltic Sea
Available at: www.abo.fi/approachingreligion
The current issue consists of articles based on presentations given at the seminar (by invitation) “Pentecostalism around the Baltic Sea” arranged by PhD Tuija Hovi at Åbo Akademi University, Finland in May, 2014.
AR is an open access journal published by the Donner Institute in Åbo, Finland. Its purpose is to publish current research on religion and culture and to offer a platform for scholarly co-operation and debate within the field. The articles have been selected on the basis of peer-review.
Approaching Religion
Vol 5, No 1 (2015): Pentecostalism around the Baltic Sea
Table of Contents
http://ojs.abo.fi/index.php/ar/issue/view/71
Editorial:
Articles:
Review Article:
Book Review:
The post Journal Issue: “Pentecostalism around the Baltic Sea” appeared first on ISA Research Committee 22.
Challenging (European) Modernity: Islam in Context
University of Durham
August 19-20, 2015
Keynote speakers:
Submission Deadline: June 17th 2015.
Since the turn of the late-19th century, Europe gave rise to a range of cultural, socio-political, and socioeconomic projects seeking to restructure society after the concept of a modern Europe. Some of these projects were predominantly advanced through subordinating traditions, cultures, and identities and have an inherently Eurocentric outlook. The historical experience evokes responses. Traditions, cultures, and identities have responded to fit the hegemonic conception of European modernity. This response has challenged European modernity as a concept, social entity and ideological force. Critics have problematized the unilinear view of historical progress in the discourse of Enlightenment modernity and its homogenizing universalism. Out of these critical engagements, have emerged counter discourses such as “indigenous modernities”, “multiple modernities”, and “alternative modernities”. These critiques have opened up new possibilities for research and engagement.
The relationship between Muslims and European society feels the effects in many ways and in many different instances. Muslims have engaged with European Modernity in a variety of ways and from a variety of perspectives. What role is there for Muslims within a minority context both as agents in charge of their own destiny, or as demanders of social justice, and recognition and representation in time, place, and public space? Is there space for and actions of solidarity transcending boundaries, either geographic or socio-cultural? To what extent can Muslims engage with non-Muslims and state authorities, whether as minorities in non-Muslim territories or in countries with a Muslim majority? Are there limits for Muslims in its ability to practice their faith in a European Setting? Are their boundaries within the secular state? What texts or figures are to be considered authoritative when approaching these questions? Is there one locus or multiple loci for a legitimate engagement, either within European modernity or with that modernity as a concept? Although the focus of the public discourse remains on the headlines, this conference aims to engage on a much deeper level the relationship between Muslims or Islam and Europe today.
The overall mission is for this conference to bring together academic minds from a variety of fields all connected by an interest in understanding the role of Islam or Muslims within the dynamics of
contemporary Europe. The conference will explore research from a wide variety of fields and will educate researchers across disciplines and facilitate future cross-pollination in this area.
The plan is for a selection of papers presented at the conference to be published in a peer-reviewed, edited volume or journal edition. Each chapter will be subject to a peer review process and must not have been published, accepted for publication, or presently under consideration for publication elsewhere. Guidelines for preparing the final chapter will be sent upon acceptance notification.
Should you have any questions or require more information, please contact us via email to either laurens.de-rooij@durham.ac.uk or law.ilm@durham.ac.uk.
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We are pleased to invite you to the 23rd Nordic conference for the Sociology of Religion. The conference will be held on the 17th–19th of August in 2016 at the University of Helsinki, Finland.
http://blogs.helsinki.fi/ncsr-2016/
The theme of the conference is: Wellbeing, leadership and the lifespan – Current trends in the sociology of religion
The subjective turn has made the individual the centre of attention in debates on current religious and spiritual change. The customisation of religious belief, ritual and thought often centres around individual wellbeing. At the same time, religious organisations are redrafting their management and leadership strategies and have shifted their attention from classic teaching and worship to new forms of individualised and experience-centred formats. Individuals and their lifespan have increasingly become the centre of focus in religion. These changes also tend to raise tensions in religious organisations, and the polarisation between extremes seems to be increasing. The changes are linked to changes in society at large, including demographic changes, generational changes, changes in the role of the media and changes in the role of religious authority. Religion is increasingly a matter of personal choice and is given no automatic authority at any level.
The 23rd Nordic Conference for the Sociology of Religion seeks more understanding, both theoretically and empirically, on the changes in the religious field and their meaning for the individual, for religious and secular organisations, and for society at large. Contributions addressing these developments and changes at different levels and broadening the understanding of the role of religion in society today are warmly welcome. Other current topics within the sociology of religion will also be discussed. We encourage proposals for both sessions and individual papers.
Call for papers is now published!! See more under the ‘Call for papers’ tab! http://blogs.helsinki.fi/ncsr-2016/callforpapers/
Important dates:The dead line for session proposals is Nov 31, 2015. The dead line for paper proposals is March 15, 2016.
The confirmed keynote speakers are:
Language of the conference is English.
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Media, Gender & Religion
The Sixth International Conference hosted by The Center for Media, Religion, and Culture
January 7-10, 2016, University of Colorado Boulder
http://cmrc.colorado.edu/calendar/upcoming-conferences/
Confirmed Speakers: Sarah Banet-Weiser, USC Annenberg School for Communication Kathryn Lofton, Yale University | Mia Lövheim, Uppsala University Carla Jones, University of Colorado Boulder | Monica Miller, Lehigh University
This conference seeks to bring current research in religion and media studies into conversation with current scholarship on gender and sexuality in order to explore a rich and understudied range of issues relating to the intersection of religion, media and gender studies, broadly considered. During the past three decades, the fields of feminist and gender studies, queer theory, ethnic studies and sexuality studies have generated a tremendous amount of critical, historical and theoretical analysis of the categories of ‘gender’ and ‘sexuality,’ broadening our understanding of these categories well beyond binary models. Scholars working in these areas have explored the myriad ways that cultural, religious, historical, political, legal, psychological, linguistic, and literary contexts shape gender and sexual expressions, identities, norms, and practices. This conference will provide opportunities for careful and focused discussion of these and many more related issues. Papers and panels may address, but should not be limited to, questions such as:
• Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of media, gender, religion and culture: gender as a category of analysis, feminist theory, queer theory, intersectionality, LGBTQIA analyses, postcolonial feminist perspectives, etc.
• Comparative analyses of religion, gender and sexuality in the media
• Historical approaches to media, gender, and religion
• Global and transnational discourses of religion, gender, and media
• Gender, secularism, and media
• Discourses of sexuality, power, gender and desire
• Religion, gender violence, and media
• Gender, sexuality and the senses, material and visual culture, aesthetics, affect and embodiment
• Neoliberalism, labor, consumption, branding, and marketing gender and religion
• Representations of gender and sexuality in journalism and news media
• Gender, religion and media stereotypes
• Gender, media and religious authority
• Religion and gendered media spaces
• Gender, religion and mediatization
• Gender, religion, and race/ethnicity
• Gender, sexuality, and politics
• Role and impact of new technologies on gender and sexuality
• Popular culture, entertainment media and portrayals of gender and sexuality
• Interactions and shifting boundaries of religion and gender in social media
• Religion, gender, and gaming
• Social movements, social and religious activism, and issues of gender and sexuality
• Religion and gender bullying and harassment in media spaces
The post CFP: Media, Gender, & Religion appeared first on ISA Research Committee 22.
Please consider submitting a paper or a pre-organized panel to the Fourth Annual Graduate Conference in Religion at HDS, October 22-24, 2015, or encouraging your students to do so. Our call for papers is open to all work in the study of religion, broadly conceived. In addition, we are featuring four special topic modules with targeted calls:
The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 17. Check our website for updated information and for the submission form, which will be live soon. http://projects.iq.harvard.edu/gradreligionconference
For more details, please see the attached call, or email me with any questions.
Kirsten Wesselhoeft
Conference Coordinator, Graduate Conference on Religion at Harvard Divinity School
PhD Candidate: Islam & Ethics
Committee on the Study of Religion
Harvard University
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CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS: ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
Volume 8: Pentecostals and the Body
Forthcoming 2017
Edited by: Michael Wilkinson (Trinity Western University, Canada) and Peter Althouse (Southeastern University, USA)
The body is an important area of research in sociology as well as across a number of disciplines including religion. The intersection of religion, sexuality, gender studies, queer studies, disability studies, health and illness, pain, death and dying, emotions, and embodiment, or more specifically the social and cultural meanings of the body are especially insightful. While literature on embodiment continues to expand, to date, there is no sustained examination of Pentecostalism and the themes associated with research on the body. And yet, Pentecostals offer some very interesting observations about religion, religious experience, religious embodiment, healing, sexuality and notions of control, holiness, and celebration. Pentecostals are well known for
overt bodily expressions of religious experience, spirituality that includes kinesthetic worship such as speaking in tongues, dancing, twirling, and falling down. Among Pentecostals there is also
considerable debate about bodies, the relationship between bodies and the Holy Spirit, possession of evil spirits, deliverance and exorcism.
Pentecostalism also has a long history of claiming divine healing for the body and emotions. Believing that healing is a sign of divine power and presence raises a certain tension with bodies that never experience healing or face some type of disability. Pentecostalism is also associated with notions of sexuality, and gender roles that are liberating and limiting. Generally, we intend to explore the following: How and by what means is Pentecostalism embodied? What debates highlight the tensions over bodies and so called authentic expressions of Pentecostalism vis-à-vis the body and the politics of the body? What is the social processes and social interactions by which bodies embody religion?
To explore these issues we propose to include articles around the following themes.
The editors will seek out contributors who can address questions raised in the sociology of religion about Pentecostalism and the sociology of the body with authors representing regional and cultural variation. Please send all proposals (300 words) to Michael.Wilkinson@twu.ca
Deadlines:
Submission of proposals: July 30, 2015
Notification of acceptance: September 30, 2015
Completed manuscripts (7,000 words): June 30, 2016
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Religions News Service
More Catholics, fewer receiving sacraments: A new report maps a changing church
Cathy Lynn Grossman | Jun 1, 2015
A new report issued Monday (June 1) mapping the Catholic Church of more than 1.2 billion souls – on track to reach 1.64 billion by 2050 – holds some surprises. And not all bode well for the church’s future as it faces major demographic and social shifts.
“Global Catholicism Trends & Forecasts,” created by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University, looks at seven regions of the world, wrapping the United States, Mexico and Canada in with Central and South America as simply the Americas. The focus is on “the three most important indicators of ‘vitality’ for the Catholic Church… the number of Catholics, the number of parishes, and the number of priests.”
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