A New Issue of Sociology of Islam : Volume 6 (2018 ): Issue 4 (Dec 2018)

A New Issue of Sociology of Islam : Volume 6 (2018 ): Issue 4 (Dec 2018)  

https://brill.com/abstract/journals/soi/6/4/soi.6.issue-4.xml

Identity, Community and Belonging in gcc States 

Reflections on the Foreigner 

By: Miriam R. Lowi

Pages: 401–428 

China’s Favored Muslims? The Complex Relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and the Hui Ethnic Group 

By: Erik Durneika

Pages: 429–448 

Western Sufism: From the Abbasids to the New Agewritten by Sedgwick, Mark 

By: Kameliya Atanasova

Pages: 449–453 

China and Islam: The Prophet, The Party, and Lawwritten by Erie, Matthew 

By: Carsten Vala

Pages: 454–459 

Publication Date: 04 Dec 2018 

— 

Tugrul Keskin

Professor

Director of Center for the Global Governance 

Shanghai University  

Email: tugrulkeskin@t.shu.edu.cn

Recent Books:

Editor of Sociology of Islam Journal (Brill)

http://www.brill.nl/sociology-islam

Region Editor of Critical Sociology (Middle East and North Africa)

http://crs.sagepub.com/
Posted in Uncategorized

Open session call EASR: Alternative Religiosities in the Communist Regime and Post-Communist East-Central European Countries: Emerging Diversities within (Trans)Formations, Disruptions, Continuations

Dear colleagues,


We are welcoming submission for the open session “Alternative Religiosities in the Communist Regime and Post-Communist East-Central European Countries: Emerging Diversities within (Trans)Formations, Disruptions, Continuations” for the European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR) conference “Religion – Continuations and Disruptions” from June 25 to June 29, 2019 in Tartu, Estonia.

The deadline for individual papers is December 15, 2018.

OPEN SESSION (R.Pranskevičiūtė-Amoson)

Alternative Religiosities in the Communist Regime and Post-Communist East-Central European Countries: Emerging Diversities within (Trans)Formations, Disruptions, Continuations 

The panel addresses the dynamics of diverse alternative religiosities starting from the communist regime period up to today. It deals with the processes of (trans)formation of changeable and instable religious/spiritual ideas and groups all over East-Central Europe during this time. It also studies the past and current socioreligious processes, discussing diverse manifestations, changes and disruptions of religious phenomena concerning individual religiosities in (trans)regional and (trans)national levels.

In times of Soviet regime, atheism was the officially established ideology and alternative religiosities were mostly active underground. There was as well an unofficial cultural field that was very receptive to the arrival, formation, spread and expressions of diverse alternative religiosities and spiritualities. During the post-communist period, local alternative identities were challenged to adapt to a new situation and rich market of religious demands. In addition, newly arrived religiosities, as well as locally emerged and actively borrowing variously expressed western ideas spiritualities raised current topics among post-communist societies.

The panel aims to discuss a wide range of questions related to an emerging diversity of alternative religiosities in the countries during/past the regime and their attendant fields of influence: e.g. politics and strategy of activity of communist regime towards alternative religiosities; restrictions, repressions, survival ways and resistance of representatives of alternative religiosities; (trans)forming diversities within alternative religiosities under/past the regime (individual/group alternative religiosity values, identities and practices); the milieu of alternative religiosity as a space of plurality, diversity, flow, action and resistance; alternative religiosity networks and inter-community relations; formation and transfer of religious/spiritual ideas within the communist/post-communist societies and from the outside; oppositions and connections as a response to the past (images of tradition, traditional religious institutions, post-communist cultural heritage, etc.); memory, continuity and changes within alternative religiosities, etc.

Deadline: 15th Dec 2018

Chair email: rpranskeviciute.amoson@gmail.com

For more information about the call for papers please see: https://easr2019.org/call-for-individual-papers/

Posted in Uncategorized

Call for papers The 2nd Annual Conference of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Theme: “East-West Encounters and Religious Change in Modernizing East Asia”

East Asia has undergone globalization and modernization in the last five hundred years. The first encounter between East Asia and the modernizing West was with the Jesuit missionaries in the late 16th century in China, Korea, and Japan, where their inculturation strategy succeeded in attracting some converts in certain social circles. The cultural and political elites in these countries began to realize the uniqueness of the institutional religion of Catholicism in contrast to the local customary religiosities originated from Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. In response, Christianity was suppressed in East Asia until the mid-19thcentury, when the second encounter between the East and the West brought about waves of modernization to East Asian countries. Under the Western-hegemony, Asian countries were coerced to modernize or Westernize, adopting a modern system of law, bureaucracy, education system, and abolishing many of their own traditions. The concept of religion and the relationship between religion and the state have been constructed and reconstructed in the process of this East-West encounter in the process of modernization. Along with the introduction of science and technology, theory of evolution, atheism, and various ideologies, East Asian societies became rapidly secularized. In the first half of the 20th century, most states in East Asia enforced administrative control over religions.

 

Since the end of World War II in 1945, East Asian societies have diverged in their paths of social development and religious change. In mainland China, following a period of eradication of religion in the 1960s and 1970s, some religions have revived in spite of strong state control. In Taiwan, institutional Buddhism and other Chinese religions have undergone modernization and many religions have thrived since the end of martial law. South Korea has experienced the rapid rise of Christianity, with nearly 30% of the population identifying as either Protestant or Catholic. Japan retained traditional religions and added many new religions in the free market religious economy, but today organized religions are in steady decline due to aging and secularization. Why are these societies so different even though they shared similar traditional religiosities and experiences of modernization in response to the West?

 

At present, East Asian countries have strengthened their economic and cultural exchanges despite occasional political tension among them. Religious exchange has also accelerated with the growth of missionaries and migrant populations. Religious diversity has increased and nationalism has risen in response to the perceived foreign religions. Meanwhile, religions or religiosities originating in East Asia have spread to the West and other parts of the world. How do the various states in the region manage religious pluralism and provide social space for migrants and missionary religions? How do individuals and communities of the Global East practice religion in late modernity?

 

In short, East Asia has varieties of religious institutions and communities, folk religions and new religions, and atheism and other secularisms. The research on religion in East Asia needs historical, sociological, political, and other perspectives. While all topics on religion are welcome at the conference, we especially invite papers that address one or more of the following research questions:

 

·         How did religions and their practitioners in the Global East encounter and respond to Christianity backed by western modernity and hegemonic power in recent centuries?

 

·         How were the concepts of the boundary between religion and secularity, administrative control of religions in authoritative regimes and the policy of religious pluralism formed in the Global East?

 

·         What kind of similarity and difference in traditional and new religions are there in the Global East?

 

·         How has secularization proceeded in the Global East and manifested in the growth of religious “nones” and in the new forms of “believing without belonging” and “belonging without believing”?

 

Beyond addressing these questions, we seek a range of papers that draw on different geographical contexts and religious traditions. We particularly encourage proposals of organized sessions with 3-4 papers addressing the same religion or topic. For individual papers we will arrange them in the session of similar topics.

 

DEADLINES:

  • Presentation proposals are due by January 31, 2019.  Please submit your paper’s title, abstract (200 to 500 words), author’s information by clicking here: Submit Paper Presentation Proposal for EASSSR 2019 Conference. For submission-related questions, please email: Lily C Szeto,  lszeto@purdue.edu .
  • Notification of acceptance of presentation proposals will be sent out by February 28, 2019.
  • Meeting Registration will be open between March 1 and 31, 2019.
  • Participants need to make their own hotel reservations (see information below).

 

 

EASSSR Membership Fee:

Regular Members: US$50 annually

Student Members: US$30 annually

 

Conference Registration Fee for members:

Regular Members: US$120

Student Members: US$70

 

Conference Registration Fee for non-members:

Regular Members: US$170

Student Members: US$100

 

For information of the locality, please visit the website https://www.easssr2019.org

email: saku@let.hokudai.ac.jp

 

There are many hotels near Sapporo JR station, which is 5 minutes’ walk from the gate of Hokkaido University. The rate of economy hotel with one or two stars of single occupancy is around USD50-70, three stars USD80-100, and four stars USD150-200.

 

Accommodation lists Rate given Contact Details
HOTEL MYSTAYS Sapporo Aspen Single/Double https://www.mystays.com/en-us/hotel-mystays-sapporo-aspen-hokkaido/
  USD70++/SGD100++  
  Rate Given Contact Details
Toyoko In Sapporo West Single/Twin https://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/search/detail/00018
 Hokudai Front USD50++
     
Hotel Sapporo Mets Single http://hotelmets.co.jp/english
 10 minutes’ walk USD$50++  
     
Hotel Keio Plaza Sapporo Single/Double https://www.keioplaza-sapporo.co.jp/english/
  USD100++/USD150++
     
JR Tower Hotel Single/Double https://www.jrhotels.co.jp/tower/english/
  USD150++/USD200++  

The above rates are accurate as in Oct., 2018.

++ is additional rate in high season.

 

 

Recently Published Books on Swaminarayan Hinduism

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce three recently published books on Swaminarayan Hinduism:

An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism (3rdedition) by Raymond Brady Williams (Cambridge University Press, 2019)

<https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/religion/buddhism-and-eastern-religions/introduction-swaminarayan-hinduism-3rd-edition?format=PB&isbn=9781108431514>

An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology by Sadhu Paramtattvadas (Cambridge University Press, 2017)

https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/religion/buddhism-and-eastern-religions/introduction-swaminarayan-hindu-theology?format=PB>

Swaminarayan Hinduism: Tradition, Adaptation and Identity edited by Raymond Brady Williams and Yogi Trivedi (Oxford University Press, 2016)

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/swaminarayan-hinduism-9780199463749?q=Swaminarayan%20hinduism&lang=en&cc=us>

Raymond Brady Williams

LaFollette Distinguished Professor in the Humanities emeritus

Wabash College

Postdoctoral position in Mediatized Diaspora – The Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen

Dear All,


Please feel free to circulate this call for applicants for a “Postdoctoral position in Mediatized Diaspora”
at the University of Copenhagen, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies.

Please follow the link below for more information.

 

Best wishes,

Ehab

A minority within a minority?: the complexity and multilocality of transnational Twelver Shia networks in Britain OS

Dear all,
the attached article might be of interest to subscribers of the list:
With best wishes,
Oliver
_______________________________________
Oliver Scharbrodt
Professor of Islamic Studies
 
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/tr/scharbrodt-oliver.aspx
University of Birmingham
Posted in Uncategorized

Nordisk judaistik/Scandinavian Jewish Studies has been published

Dear Colleagues,

We are happy to announce the publication of Vol. 29/2 of the journal Nordisk judaistik/Scandinavian Jewish Studies
Nordisk judaistik/Scandinavian Jewish Studies aims at promoting Jewish studies in Scandinavia by publishing scholarly articles, surveys and documents, by reviewing recent literature, and compiling bibliographies. The contributions are published in one of the Scandinavian languages, or in English, German or French, with an abstract in English. The journal is strictly academic and does not pursue any special religious, political or cultural policy. It is published open access online.
Thanks for the continuing interest in our work,
Karin Hedner Zetterholm & Ruth Illman
Editors of Nordisk judaistik/Scandinavian Jewish Studies
 

Dr Ruth Illman
Föreståndare, Donnerska institutet
Docent i religionsvetenskap, Åbo Akademi
http://www.abo.fi/forskning/ruth

Dr Ruth Illman
Director, the Donner Institute
Docent of Comparative Religion, Åbo Akademi University
http://www.abo.fi/donnerinstitute

CFP: Artificial Intelligence and International Relations – April 12, 2019 Shanghai University

Conference: Artificial Intelligence and International Relations 

April 12, 2019

Shanghai University

Organized by 

The Center for Global Governance  

Institute of Global Studies 

Shanghai University

People’s Republic of China

http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot.com/2018/07/artificial-intelligence-and-social.html

http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot.com/2018/07/conference-artificial-intelligence-and.html

This is the first conference on this topic. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Artificial Intelligence and International Relations
  • Artificial Intelligence and Politics
  • Artificial Intelligence and Work/Labor
  • Artificial Intelligence and Religion
  • Artificial Intelligence and Security
  • Artificial Intelligence and Gender
  • Artificial Intelligence and Society
  • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

Please submit the following information for abstract submission:

  • Author full name;
  • Affiliation;
  • Email address: university email address should be provided;
  • Abstract in Word format;
  • Title of your paper;
  • A short bio, 100 words (not CV or resume).

To: tugrulkeskin@t.shu.edu.cn

Or

Ryan Kiggins rkiggins@uco.edu  

IMPORTANT DATES · 

  • Abstract Submission for the Conference:       February 4, 2019
  • Official Acceptance Letter:                             February 11, 2019
  • Official Invitation Letter for VISA:               February 18, 2019
  • Confirmation of Your Participation:               February 25, 2019
  • Conference Draft Paper Submission:              March 25, 2019  
  • The Conference Dates:                                   April 12, 2019

OFFICAL ACCEPTANCE AND INVITATION LETTER AND VISA:

If your paper is accepted by the conference committee, first you will receive an official acceptance letter. Then, you need to email us a pdf or jpeg copy of the first page of your passport for you to receive official invitation letter from Shanghai University for VISA application. 

There is no fee for this conference. please note that we will cover your accommodations (lehu hotel, Shanghai University)  for 3 nights and food during your stay in Shanghai.

When:  April 12, 2019

Where: Shanghai University

Lehu Hotel, 99 Shangda Road, 

BaoShan District, Shanghai 20044 – China

Time:   9:00 – 17:00

For more information, please contact:

Tugrul Keskin 

tugruk@vt.edu or tugrulkeskin@t.shu.edu.cn 

Ryan Kiggins 

rkiggins@uco.edu  

Tugrul Keskin

Professor

Director of Center for the Global Governance 

Shanghai University  

Email: tugrulkeskin@t.shu.edu.cn

China: 86+15000-465734

Turkey Cell: (90) 533-607-8465

Recent Books:

·         Middle East Studies after September 11 Neo-Orientalism, American Hegemony and Academia. Brill, 2018. https://brill.com/view/title/26757

·         U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East: From American Missionaries to the Islamic State. Routledge, 2018. https://www.routledge.com/US-Foreign-Policy-in-the-Middle-East-From-American-Missionaries-to-the/Gresh-Keskin/p/book/9780815347149

Editor of Sociology of Islam Journal (Brill)

http://www.brill.nl/sociology-islam

Region Editor of Critical Sociology (Middle East and North Africa)

http://crs.sagepub.com/

Call for papers for a special edition: Fashion/Religion Interfaces TM

Call for papers for a special edition: Fashion/Religion Interfaces

The complex interconnections between religious beliefs and fashion in clothing have been increasingly recognised by researchers, journalists and fashion producers. At the same time, fashion has begun to be a force that can shape religious communities and create debates, often of a controversial nature, within and between faiths. This special issue will explore these matters, focusing on sartorial fashion/religion interfaces in their diverse and multiple forms across the world today.

Fashion scholarship has long claimed that no-one exists fully outside of fashion systems. Yet many religious believers, especially those with more conservative mindsets, think that they are not influenced by secular and commercial fashion trends. So, who is right? At the same time, some religiously-oriented individuals may embrace fashion fully, while others might seek to balance fashionability with religious precepts and forms of conduct. Which sorts of balancing and mediating are occurring across the world today, among different religious groups in diverse locations? Which social and cultural forces and contexts shape these balancing acts? What are the differences between religiously-oriented dress practices in ‘home’ countries and in diasporic contexts? How are these matters bound up with globalization processes?

Most scholarly attention on fashion/religion interfaces has been on women’s dress practices, but what about men? In what ways do dynamics to do with sexualities, ethnicities, classes, disabilities, and other social factors impact on religiously-aware dress choices?

While the major scholarly and political focus has recently been on the relations between Islam and fashion, especially in terms of veiling, people with other religious affiliations must also make choices regarding fashion and dress issues. Papers focusing on any religion and belief system, and on any geographical (and/or virtual) location, are welcomed for this special edition. Articles comparing different religious and/or sectarian groups are also invited. 

Contributions are sought from diverse disciplinary and inter-disciplinary backgrounds across the social sciences and humanities. Papers which report novel empirical findings, and innovate in theoretical and methodological terms, are particularly encouraged.

Special issue website with submission instructions: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/fashion

Submission deadline: 1 April 2019

Queries: Anna-Mari Almila a.almila@fashion.arts.ac.uk

Keywords: fashion, clothes, dress, religion, faith, beliefs, globalization

 

Dr Anna-Mari Almila
Research Fellow in Sociology of Fashion

NEW BOOK: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-International-Handbook-to-Veils-and-Veiling/Almila-Inglis/p/book/9781472455369

London College of Fashion
University of the Arts London
20 John Prince’s Street
London W1G 0BJ

a.almila@fashion.arts.ac.uk

http://www.arts.ac.uk/research/ual-staff-researchers/a-z/dr-anna-mari-almila/