The Association Français de Sciences Sociales des Religions (AFSR) is sponsoring a conference on “Religion and the Internet”, to take place on February 4th and 5th, 2013. The conference will take place at 61 rue Pouchet, 75017 Paris.
The organizers have posted the program at http://www.afsr.cnrs.fr/spip.php%3Farticle103.html
Colloque annuel de l’Association française de sciences sociales des religions (AFSR)
4 et 5 février 2013
EHESS Paris, Amphithéâtre François Furet (à confirmer)
105 bd Raspail Paris 6e
Au cours des années 1990, Internet s’est développé dans tous les champs de l’espace public et de la vie sociale. Chance jusque-là inégalée pour diffuser un message de manière quasi universelle (Lévy, 1994) ou mise en danger du lien social par un individualisme croissant (Breton, 2000), cette place grandissante du virtuel est évaluée par les sciences sociales positivement ou négativement selon les analyses qui y sont consacrées.
Si dans les premiers temps le web mettait à disposition des internautes des sites à consulter, nous sommes passés depuis quelques années à une deuxième phase beaucoup plus interactive, où l’usager prend lui aussi la parole à travers les forums et les réseaux sociaux et peut interagir sur des sites de reproduction virtuelle du monde réel (second life).
Le religieux participe de cette évolution. En effet, les religions se sont adaptées relativement rapidement à cette modernité technologique ou dans certains cas ont été pionnières en la matière.
Aujourd’hui, le phénomène religieux – religions instituées ou religieux plus diffus – est pleinement présent sur la toile, Internet pouvant même devenir lui-même objet de croyance ou de culte.
L’objet de ce colloque international est d’explorer les rapports entre internet et religions en les replaçant dans des contextes culturels précis, notamment en repérant les représentations de l’espace et du temps et les usages de l’écrit et de l’image dans chacun de ces contextes.
Il ne s’agit pas de faire ici un état des lieux de la présence et des usages du religieux sur internet, mais de privilégier l’analyse en profondeur des relations entre l’un et l’autre. Cette analyse implique aussi une réflexion méthodologique sur la manière dont le chercheur s’empare de ce nouveau terrain qu’est Internet.
Dans cette optique, nous avons identifié trois axes principaux qui structureront trois sessions du colloque :
1- Les concepteurs et les usagers du paysage virtuel religieux.
S’il paraît aisé de dresser une analyse du contenu des sites qui sont à notre disposition en raison de leur visibilité (par essence), il est indispensable de cerner la réception dont ils sont l’objet et les usages qui en sont faits, même si leur évaluation est a priori beaucoup moins évidente. On pourra envisager différentes questions :
– Qui sont les « concepteurs » (ceux qui créent ces sites – contenu et agencement) : institutions religieuses, leaders autoproclamés, mouvements radicaux… ? Cette question renvoie à celle de l’autorité et de la légitimité religieuses, des contre-pouvoirs, y compris des oppositions laïques, ou des dissidences. Elle renvoie aussi à la présence de plus en plus fragmentée d’acteurs hors des cadres institués.
– Qu’est ce qu’une institution religieuse, un courant religieux ou un leader religieux, donnent à voir d’eux-mêmes en termes de contenus, d’images, d’identités virtuelles… ? A quels publics s’adressent-ils ?
– Quelle place pour la régulation des sites et quels en sont les éventuels acteurs ?
– Comment les usagers investissent-ils ces espaces : type de participation, interactions entre internautes, usages directs ou détournés, liberté, contrainte, anonymat, temps de connexion… ?
2- Quel est l’impact d’Internet sur le religieux?
S’agit-il d’un média de plus dans la diffusion des contenus, ou Internet produit-il des changements en profondeur et si oui dans quels domaines et de quelles façons ? On pourra envisager différentes questions :
– Renforcement de l’ancrage local ? Intensification de la globalisation religieuse ?
– Les rituels sont-ils transformés ou renouvelés ?
– Formes de la jurisprudence religieuse (fatwas, responsa…) et demandes de conseils sur les blogs, forums, réseaux sociaux…
– Marketing et tous services religieux sur internet : agence matrimoniale, géo-localisation de commerces religieux ou de lieux de culte, vente de produits religieux…On considèrera ici non seulement les propositions de services mais également les usages qui en sont faits.
– Internet conduit-il à la création de nouvelles religions ?
3- Quelles articulations entre le virtuel et le réel ?
– Quand et comment passe-t-on du virtuel au réel et inversement ?
– Qu’est-ce que cela implique au niveau de l’organisation et de la perception du temps et de l’espace ?
– Présence/absence des corps dans un certain nombre d’activités religieuses : conversion, confession, rituels…
– Le religieux n’a-t-il pas toujours été en prise avec le virtuel, par la communication qu’il suppose avec le surnaturel ?
Les communications proposées devront s’appuyer sur des terrains spécifiques.
Tous les contextes culturels et religieux pourront être présentés.
*******
Les propositions de communication au colloque international « Le religieux sur Internet » sont à envoyer avant le 30 septembre 2012 à l’adresse suivante : afsr@afsr.cnrs.fr
Elles devront comprendre :
– Un titre
– Le nom et le rattachement du communicant
– Un résumé d’environ 1500 signes en français et en anglais, faisant apparaître notamment l’axe auquel la communication se rattache, la méthodologie employée et le contexte culturel étudié.
Comité organisateur :
Pour informacion: http://calenda.revues.org/nouvelle24671.html
Annual conference of the French Association of Social Sciences of Religion (AFSR)
4– 5 February 2013
EHESS Paris, Amphithéâtre François Furet
105 bd Raspail
Paris 6e
During the 1990s, Internet developed in every field of the public sphere and of social life. A new and unprecedented chance to spread a message almost universally (Lévy, 1994) or a danger for the social link because of growing individualism (Breton, 2000) – the increasing importance of virtual reality can be assessed positively or negatively by the social sciences depending on how it is analyzed.
At its beginnings the web offered its users the possibility to consult websites, but for several years a second more interactive phase has been developing that allows users to express themselves on forums and social networks and interact on websites which reproduce the real world online (“Second Life”).
Religions participate in this evolution. They have indeed adapted relatively quickly to modern technologies and sometimes even played a pioneering role. Religious phenomena – institutional religions or more diffuse religious experiences – are nowadays totally present on the web. The Internet itself can become an object of belief or cult.
This conference aims to explore new relationships between the Internet and religions situated in precise cultural contexts. It will be interesting to point out the representations of space and time and the use of written contents and images in each context. It does not aim to establish an inventory of the presence and uses of religions on the Internet, but to deliver detailed analyses of the relations between the former and the latter. Analysis also involves a methodological reflection on the way this new field can be investigated by the social sciences.
With this in mind, three main axes have been identified which will structure three sessions of the conference:
1. Designers and users of the religious virtual scene
Although it may seem easy to carry out a content analysis of these websites because of their visibility (by essence), it is more difficult but indispensable to define their reception and the use to which they are put. Different questions can be envisaged:
– Who are the designers of the website: religious institutions, a self-proclaimed leader, radical movements? This refers back to questions about authority and religious legitimacy, forces of opposition – also secular – or dissidence.
– What do religious institutions, movements or leaders reveal of themselves through contents, images, virtual identities? Which publics are they addressing?
– How is regulation organized on websites and who are the persons in charge?
– How do the users move about those spaces: participation, interactions between users, direct or roundabout use, liberty, constraints, anonymity, amount of time spent online?
2. What is the impact of Internet on religions?
Is the Internet just one more medium by which to disseminate contents or does it produce in-depth change and if so, in what fields and in what ways? Several questions can be asked:
– Is the local anchoring reinforced? Is religious globalization intensified?
– Are rituals transformed or renovated?
– Forms of religious jurisprudence (fatwas, responsa…) and requesting advice on blogs, forums, social networks…
– Marketing and all sorts of religious services on the internet: marriage agencies, geo-localization of religious businesses or places of worship, sales of religious goods…In this respect, we are interested not only by the services offered but also by the uses to which they are put
– Is the Internet conducive to creating new religions?
3- How does virtual reality relate to reality per se?
– When and how do people go from virtual reality to actual reality and vice-versa?
– What does that imply from the point of view of the organization and perception of time and space?
– Presence/absence of the body in a certain number of religious acts: conversion, confession, rituals…
– Has the religious factor not always been concerned by virtual reality, by the communication it supposes with the super-natural?
Papers must be based on specific fieldwork.
All cultural and religious contexts qualify.
Papers for the International Conference “Religion on the Web” should be sent before September 30th 2012 to the following address: afsr@afsr.cnrs.fr and must include: title, applicant’s full name and scientific affiliation, and an abstract of ca. 300 words in French and English, specifying the axis, the methodology and cultural area concerned.
Questions concerning the conference may be sent to the following addresses:
Pagans in Dialogue with the Wider World: A Pagan Studies Symposium
Friday, February 15, 2013
at San José State University
(semi-concurrent with PantheaCon, February 15-18, 2013, DoubleTree Hotel, San Jose, CA)
Sponsored by San José State University, Humanities Dept., Comparative Religious Studies Program
Organizers: Lee Gilmore (SJSU) & Amy Hale (St. Petersburg College)
Contemporary Paganism, in all its varieties, stands at a unique cultural and religious intersection that can provide insights for a wide range of global, social, and political subjects, beyond its own inward facing concerns. For this symposium, we are calling for scholarly submissions that focus on Paganism’s contributions to and engagements with broader cultural and religious dialogues in an increasingly pluralist world. These could include, but are not limited to, explorations of Paganisms’ endeavors in community, economic, media, health, legal, social justice, and institutional development work, as well as activist, applied, interdisciplinary, and interfaith work.
More generally, all submissions that critically examine Paganism(s) in relationship to categories such as religion, culture, gender, identity, authenticity, power, and ritual–among other possible frameworks–are welcome. In addition, all papers presented at the symposium will be considered for publication in a special issue of The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies.
All proposals & queries should be sent to: pagansymposium@gmail.com
Deadline: September 15, 2012
More info (including submission requirements & a pdf of this call):
http://www.sjsu.edu/people/lee.gilmore/paganstudies/
Call for Papers: Journal of Modern Jewish Studies Essay Prize 2013
Journal of Modern Jewish Studies are inviting submissions to their annual
essay prize for scholars in the early stages of their career. Papers are invited on
topics in Jewish history, social studies, religion, thought, literature and the arts from the 16th century to the present day. They should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, and should not be submitted to any other journal until the outcome of the competition is known.
The Prize:
Cash prize of £150 GBP/$244 USD
Publication of the winning essay in Journal of Modern Jewish Studies as the opening article of the July 2013 issue (volume 11, issue 2)
The winning essay will also be promoted on the journal website
For further information about the jury and the prize conditions, please click here.
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cfp/cmjscfp.pdf
South-East Asia as a Crossroads for Buddhist Exchange: pioneer European Buddhists and Asian Buddhist networks 1860-1960
Study of Religions Department, University College Cork, Ireland
13-15 September 2012
The recent discovery of the extraordinary life of `The Irish Buddhist’ U Dhammaloka (documented in the special issue of Contemporary Buddhism 11:2, December 2010) has stimulated new avenues of research into numerous significant but neglected East-West and global Buddhist encounters. This conference focuses on forgotten or under-represented Buddhist pioneers, their connections and collaborations, and the contribution of these individuals and networks to the construction of Buddhist modernities.
Casting South-East Asia as a `cross roads’ invites contributions on pioneer exchanges and connections not only between `the West’ and `Asia’ but also within Asia, from China, Korea and Japan through Southeast Asia to India and Ceylon. The period to be covered, broadly 1860-1960, is intended to include the earliest documented pioneer European [and e.g. Japanese] Buddhist practitioners of the colonial period whilst stopping short of the mass interest in Buddhism of the late 20th century. We are interested in any figures, groups or networks whose commitment to Asian Buddhist praxis in the colonial period contributed in some way to the emergence of modern global Buddhism and whose role was pioneering, rather than following a traditionally established path. We are equally interested in networks of exchange and communication such as trade routes, monastic interrelationships, military ventures, cultural exchanges, missionary enterprises and imperialist and socialist (etc.) institutions and ideas which enabled Buddhists to interact in pioneering ways during this period
Forgotten figures such as U Dhammaloka, despite their historical significance for these exchanges in colonial Asia, have long been obscured in conventional scholarly narratives which have presented a very small selection of `pioneer’ figures found respectable within today’s Western Buddhist lineages or canonised in Asian accounts. Recent discoveries overturning these entrenched narratives have been made possible in part by the new digitisation and indexing of colonial-era newspapers, travel books, directories, missionary reports and other obscure and disparate sources which can provide – often fragmentary – pointers to lost lives and events which may in the end be documented only through traditional archival research. This conference aims to further this new and exciting field of research by bringing together scholars with a shared interest in global Buddhism and expertise in different periods and regions of Asia and the West.
There are many contested issues and theoretical perspectives to be explored in this context, and we welcome papers of a theoretical nature so long as they are to some extent grounded in empirical examples.
We intend to produce a journal special issue or edited volume based on papers presented at the conference.
The conference will take place from Thursday afternoon 13th September to Saturday morning 15th September 2012 and is hosted by the Study of Religions Department, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. There is no conference fee but delegates will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation; there is plenty of moderately priced accommodation close by the University. Cork Airport is a short distance from the University and about 1hr by air from London and other major European hubs. Some limited financial support for postgraduates may be available.
The conference is co-organised by Prof Brian Bocking and Dr Phibul Choompolpaisal (UCC Study of Religions Department) with an advisory committee comprising Dr Laurence Cox (NUIM, Ireland), Prof Alicia Turner (York University, Toronto), Dr Andrew Skilton (KCL, London) and Dr Kate Crosby (SOAS, London), in association with the 12-month postdoctoral research fellowship project `Continuities and Transitions in Early Modern Thai Buddhism’ at UCC supported by the Dhammakaya International Society of the United Kingdom. The Conference itself has a far wider remit than Thailand, and papers in all regions are warmly welcomed.
The deadline for submission of abstracts is Monday 9 July 2012, but abstracts will be considered as they are submitted from now on to facilitate your travel planning.
If you hope to attend the conference we would appreciate an email indicating this a.s.a.p.
A conference website will be established in the near future. In the meantime enquiries, expressions of interest and abstracts should be emailed to Prof Brian Bocking in Cork, email: b.bocking [at] ucc.ie or to Dr Phibul Choompolpaisal in Thailand, email: phibulart@yahoo.com
CALL FOR PAPERS: Radical Secularization? Antwerp, September 20-22-2012
International conference on contemporary philosophical secularization theory. Authors discussed include Blumenberg, Assmann, Nancy, Taylor, Gauchet, Habermas. Keynote speakers: Jean-Claude Monod (CNRS, Paris), Laurens ten Kate (Universiteit voor Humanistiek, Utrecht, Holland), André Cloots (K.U. Leuven, Louvain, Belgium), Guido Vanheeswijck (University of Antwerp), John Milbank (University of Nottingham, UK), Jonathan VanAntwerpen (director SSRC, New York, USA).
More information: http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=*PIETERGIL&n=100022.
A call for papers, with possibility of publication as a conference proceeding, is open until May 1st.
For more information, seehttp://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c=*PIETERGIL&n=100024or send an e-mail to stijn.latre@ua.ac.be
The 2nd International Conference on Social Thought in the Middle East and North Africa
Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
June 26-27, 2012
Abstracts: March 15, 2012
The theme of the conference is the origin and development of social thought and theory in the Muslim world. Papers are expected to focus on thinkers and ideas from West Asia/North Africa as well as other parts of the Muslim world that have contributed or that can potentially contribute to building theories and concepts for sociology and philosophy of society. Papers have to go beyond making the claim that this can be done to providing examples of how this is done. The examples of thinkers that are potential sources of social thought and theory are Al-Biruni, Ibn Khaldun, Ziya Gokalp, Said Nursi, Rashid Rıza, Mohammed Abed Al-Jabiri, Allameh Tabatabaii, Ali Shariati and many others. It has frequently been claimed that these are original thinkers who have potential contributions to modern sociology but it has rarely been shown what their sociological contributions are and how sociological concepts and theories can be derived from their works. This conference is expected to provide such focus. Following are the sub-themes of the conference:
1. The creedal/theoretical foundations of social thought in Islam – the papers of these panels would focus on tradition as a source of sociological theorizing.
2. Early Social Thinkers – papers in these panels would focus on the works of early Muslim thinkers like al-Farabi, Abu Talib al-Makki, al-Biruni and Ibn Khaldun discussing their ideas and theories concerning society.
3. Founders of Social Thought and Theory Outside of the Canon – the papers of these panels would focus on theories and ideas of modern thinkers outside of the Western canon who lived in the modern period and contributed to the systematic understanding of the social world.
4. Developing a New Agenda for Sociology and a New Perspective in Philosophy of Society– the papers of these panels would identify and discuss new and original topics of research that arise from local and regional concerns. The purpose of this sub-theme is to present and discuss examples of how original social theorizing can translate into empirical research projects.
Please send abstract of 100 to 150 words for individual papers or proposals for panels of 3 to 4 papers (including abstracts) by March 15, 2012.
Organizers: Yildiz Technical University; Istanbul Foundation for Science & Culture; Ibn Khaldun Society. Supporting orgnizations are Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran; Institute for Religion and Contemporary Thought, Mashhad; Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran; Iranian Sociological Association; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, American University of Beirut; and Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore.
Submit abstracts to: Mr. Hakan Gulerce hakangulerce@istanbul.edu.tr
Languages: English, Turkish
CALL FOR PAPERS
International Workshop
Religion, Politics and Policy-making in Russia: Domestic and International Dimensions
Center for EU-Russia Studies (CEURUS), University of Tartu
Tartu, Estonia
June 6-7, 2012
Organizers: Prof Jerry G. Pankhurst (Wittenberg University, USA; visiting Fulbright scholar at the University of Tartu) and Alar Kilp (University of Tartu)
http://ceurus.ut.ee/conferences/international-workshop-call-for-papers/
The Center for EU-Russia Studies (CEURUS) at the University of Tartu invites your participation in a workshop on Religion, Politics and Policy-making in Russia: Domestic and International Dimensions. The workshop is meant to highlight new research on the questions of religion and politics in Russia, to foster collaborative relations for future projects, and to provide an opportunity for everyone to learn about high-quality research that is being carried out in this area of inquiry.
The program organizers seek to explore the politics of religious affairs in Russia and the former Soviet countries and to assess the activities and role of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and other organized religious groups in domestic and foreign policy. Issues related to religious diversity and religious tolerance in Russia and the neighboring countries are also of interest.
Confirmed keynote speakers include Irina Papkova, Professor of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations at the Central European University, and Viacheslav Karpov, Professor of Sociology at Western Michigan University.
Workshop organizers will actively seek opportunities to publish selected papers in a special issue of a journal or in an edited volume.
Workshop Venue: University of Tartu, Estonia. Tartu is a home to one of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe. It was founded by the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus in 1632. Today the University of Tartu is the only classical university in Estonia. It is a leading center of research and training, ranked among the 400 best universities of the world by Times Higher Education. The city of Tartu is a charming university town whose relaxed and sophisticated atmosphere creates a perfect environment for scholarly conversations. Tartu is well-served with bus and train connection with the city of Tallinn and its Lennart Meri Airport. There are also flights to Tartu from Tallinn (Estonian Air) and Helsinki (Flybe, in connection with Finnair). For more information, see: www.tartu.ee; www.ut.ee.
Who may participate? We invite scholars of Russian religious affairs and scholars with research focusing on the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church both in and outside of Russia. Graduate students carrying out advanced work are welcomed to submit proposals for a presentation.
The workshop sessions will be open to the public. Anyone who has a serious and informed interest in scholarly research on the topical issues is invited to attend the presentations and participate in question and answer sessions.
Cost: There will be no registration fee for this workshop. The sponsoring organizations will host a reception and a dinner but are not able to cover travel or accommodation expenses of individual participants. However, limited travel support is available to participants from the CIS countries. CEURUS will assist as much as possible with information about local accommodations and other arrangements. If you have questions, please contact Britt Ressar at britt.ressar@ut.ee
Proposing a paper: If you are interested in presenting a paper, please consider the topic preferences below and send your abstract (250-300 words) and a succinct statement of your present position and recent publications and grants (if any) to Alar Kilp (alar.kilp@ut.ee).
The deadline for receiving abstracts for consideration for the program is April 2, 2012.
Abstracts will the evaluated by the workshop organizers for quality of scholarship and appropriateness for the program structure and workshop theme. Authors of abstracts selected to be presented will be notified by April 13 via email.
Full papers by presenters will be due by 25 May, 2012. Send papers via email to Alar Kilp (alar.kilp@ut.ee)
Potential Topics for Workshop Presentations: Below are some areas of special interest, but this is not a complete list of options for the program. Within the overall guidelines of the workshop, all proposals will be given serious consideration even if their topics are not explicitly listed below.
Additional information: Workshop participants may be interested in a conference at the University of Tartu that is scheduled to take place in the week following this workshop. It is the 2012 annual conference of CIHEC, the Commission Internationale d’Histoire et d’etudes du Christianisme. For more information on this conference, see http://www.history.ac.uk/cihec/our-conferences
Academic conveners: Prof Jerry Pankhurst (jerrygp@ut.ee), Alar Kilp (alar.kilp@ut.ee)
Administrative support: Britt Ressar (britt.ressar@ut.ee)
IIIT is pleased to announce its 5th Summer Institute for Scholars to be convened at IIIT, July 9-18, 2012. The theme this year will be “Good Governance in Islam: Classical and contemporary Approaches”. The program will include lectures, paper presentations and panel discussions. Selected papers and lectures will be considered for publication in a volume to be published by IIIT. IIIT will cover the cost of domestic travel and accommodation for participating scholars and will provide a $100 per day to cover living expenses plus a $1000 honorarium for scholars with papers accepted for publication and submitted on a timely basis.
For more details, please see the Call for Papers.
Abubaker al Shingieti, PhD
Executive Director, IIIT
500 Grove St., Herndon, VA 20170
www.iiit.org