Localizing Islam in Europe:Turkish Islamic Communities in Germany and the Netherlands

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Yukleyen, Ahmet (2012) Localizing Islam in Europe:Turkish Islamic Communities in Germany and the Netherlands (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press)

1. Please find the link below to access the recording of the book launch at the Woodrow Wilson Center at a panel with Jocelyne Cesari and Peter Mandaville. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/localizing-islam-europe-turkish-islamic-communities-germany-and-the-netherlands

2. Here is a short online article based on the book: http://www.e-ir.info/2012/04/10/localizing-islam-in-europe-religious-activism-among-turkish-islamic-communities/

3. Book Description:
In the twentieth century, Muslim minorities emerged in Europe seeking work, a refuge from conflict, and higher life standards. As a result, thereare now more than 12 million Muslims in Western Europe. As these immigrants became permanent residents, the Islamic communities they developed had to respond to their European context, reinterpreting Islam in accordance with local conditions. In Localizing Islam in Europe, Yükleyen brings this adaptation to light, demonstrating how Islam and Europe have shaped one another and challenging the idea that Islamic beliefs are inherently antithetical to European secular, democratic, and pluralist values.

Yûkleyen compares five different forms of religious communities among Muslim immigrants in the Netherlands and Germany that represent a spectrum from moderate to revolutionary Islamic opinions. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, he finds that, despite differences in goals and beliefs, these communities play an intermediary role, negotiating between the social and religious needs of Muslims and the socioeconomic, legal, and political context of Europe. Yûkleyen’s rich ethnography shows that there is no single form of assimilated and privatized “European Islam” but rather Islamic communities and their interpretations and practices that localize Islam in Europe.

“Ahmet Yükleyen provides a clear and convincing account of the different orientations of the major Turkish religious institutions in Germany and the Netherlands. All those interested in Islam in Europe today should read this book.”-John R. Bowen, author of Can Islam Be French? Pluralism and Pragmatism in a Secularist State “A compelling and important contribution to our understanding of Islam in Europe.”-Esra Özyürek, University of California, San Diego “Ahmet Yukleyen’s Localizing Islam in Europe cuts through the shrill debates to provide a rich and authoritative portrait of the lived reality of Muslims adapting to life in Europe. His insights will be invaluable for student, scholars, and policymakers alike.” –Peter Mandaville, George Mason University, author of Global Political Islam

UNCIIR-AP lecture

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The UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations – Asia Pacific
2012 Lecture series
presents

“Globalisation and Americanisation: Religious and Sporting Minorities; Mormons and Australian Basketball”

By Professor Fred Woods
Brigham Young University

May 10, 4-6 pm,
Monash University Caulfield campus
The Link Theatre bldg S 2.30
Melways p 68 (F,1)

Dr. Fred E. Woods completed a B.S. degree in Psychology (1981) and a M.S. degree in International Relations (1985) from Brigham Young University.  In 1991 he earned a Ph.D. in Middle East Studies from the University of Utah with an emphasis in Hebrew Bible.  He is a professor at Brigham Young University in the department of Church History & Doctrine. Dr. Woods has lectured at many universities in America and internationally and is the author of several books and many articles. Professor Woods is a bridge builder among peoples of varied cultures and faiths.  His most recent books are Gathering to Laie (co-authored, 2011) and Mormon Yankees: Giants On and Off the Court  (Spring 2012)

The UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations – Asia Pacific (UNCIIR-AP) supports and conducts policy relevant research in interreligious relations, promotes interreligious and intercultural understanding  through seminars, publications and participation in policy debates, and direct involvement in efforts to reduce intergroup tensions. The UNCIIR-AP works with the United Nations – Alliance of Civilizations, and governments at all levels in the region. With Associates and Fellows in Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia the UNCIIR-AP works through UNESCO’s UNITWIN program to foster links among Universities in the region. The UNCIIR-AP is part of the School of Political and Social Inquiry.

Pilgrimage and Sacred Places in Central and Eastern Europe: Place, Politics and Religious Tourism

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Pilgrimage and Sacred Places in Central and Eastern Europe: Place, Politics and Religious Tourism
University of Zadar, Croatia
27-30 September 2012

John Eade (University College London and University of Roehampton), Mario Katic (University of Zadar, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology), Božena Krce Miocic (University of Zadar, Department of Tourism and Communication Sciences) and Tomislav Klarin (University of Zadar, Department of Tourism and Communication Sciences)

Call for Papers

With the global expansion of travel and tourism more and more people are engaged in what can be broadly described as religious tourism. According to the UNWTO, for example, in 2008 300 million tourists claimed that their trips were motivated in one way or another by religion. Pilgrimage plays a key role in such religious tourism and it is now attracting the attention of a wide variety of experts, e.g. religious leaders, those involved in the travel and tourism industry and academic researchers.

Theoretical debates are moving beyond earlier communitas and contestation models and a more global reach is emerging as researchers explore beyond W. Europe and the Americas, examine the increasing religious diversity caused by global migration and investigate the intimate, historic links between pilgrimage, sacred places, politics and tourism. In this conference we want to contribute to this widening focus by bringing together academics from different disciplines and travel and tourism professionals to explore pilgrimage across Eastern Europe broadly conceived as extending beyond W. Europe. In this way we seek to look at different religious traditions, e.g. Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim, and territorial ties (local, national, transnational, global).

We invite papers which will explore:

• Construction and deconstruction of sacred places
• Embodied spaces and body as a mediator
• Pilgrimage as a form of religious tourism
• Relationship between travel and tourism industry
• Pilgrimage and territorial boundaries
• Politics and Pilgrimage in the past and today
• Pilgrimage in memories and narratives
• Tourist ab/use of pilgrimage and sacred places
• Tourist perspectives on the pilgrimage journey
• Secular pilgrimage and tourism
• The realm of pilgrimage / tourism experience

Keynote speakers:

Josef Langer, University of Klagenfurt
Glenn Bowman, University of Kent
John Eade, University College London/University of Roehampton

Program committee:

Josef Langer (University of Klagenfurt), Glenn Bowman (University of Kent), John Eade (University College London/University of Roehampton), Jurica Pavicic (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb), Nikša Alfirevic (Faculty of Economics, University of Split), Marijana Belaj (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb), Božena Krce Miocic (Department of Tourism and Communication Sciences, University of Zadar), Mario Katic (Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Zadar).

Submission details:

Abstracts (up to 350-words in Word doc.), with contact details and affiliation, should be sent to the conference E-mail address (pilgrimageandsacred@gmail.com), or to Božena Krce Miocic (krceb@unizd.hr) or Mario Katic (makatic@unizd.hr) by 1th May 2012.
You will be informed about acceptance or non-acceptance of your proposal by 15th May 2012.

Conference participation fees
Participation fee is € 50
The participation fee includes all symposium proceedings, daytime refreshments, excursions to the Croatian royal city and a pilgrimage place of Nin, and tourist guidance through Zadar.

Accommodation and website

Accommodation is not included in the conference fee. Further information about travel, accommodation and conference program will be available on the conference website: www.pilgrimageandsacred.info

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in World Christianities and their Diaspora in a European Context

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University of Cambridge Faculty of Divinity

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in World Christianities and their Diaspora in a European Context

Applications are invited for a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in World Christianities and their Diaspora in a European Context. The proposed focus of research should address pressing matters of social integration, citizenship, post-colonialism and the changing nature of World Christianities. It will identify how religion helps migrants establish new lives in Europe and how religious and other institutions are changed through their encounter with migrant communities.

We would welcome applications from sociologists, social anthropologists or social and cultural historians. This post would particularly suit applicants whose doctoral work has focused on the Global South, and who are interested in investigating the movement of such populations into Western Europe. An application should be accompanied by a short statement of proposed research.

Here’s the entry on the Faculty web site:
http://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/news-and-events/vacancies

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Islamic Feminist Studies – Wheaton College

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MELLON POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN ISLAMIC FEMINIST STUDIES
WHEATON COLLEGE
NORTON, MA

The Womens Studies Program at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, will offer a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in Islamic Feminist Studies in 2012-2013.

The Womens Studies Program at Wheaton College is pleased to announce a one- year postdoctoral fellowship supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The fellow will pursue research and teach three courses in the Womens Studies Program during the appointment, including Transnational Feminisms, Introduction to Womens Studies or Feminist Theory, and a course in his or her area of specialty. Womens Studies is particularly interested in scholars of Islamic Feminism working on critical sexualities, but welcomes applications from all scholars in this field.

The salary is $45,000 with full benefits and a research allocation of $1,500 during the 2012 2013 academic year.

Wheaton is a private coeducational liberal arts college of 1550 students located within easy commuting distance of Boston and Providence. Womens Studies has a rich history at Wheaton College which is a stimulating environment in which to pursue feminist research. The broad interdisciplinary nature of Womens Studies will allow the selected fellow to become fully integrated into the life of the college. The fellow also will participate in seminars and other activities organized by Womens Studies. The fellow will be mentored by a senior scholar in the Womens Studies Program, and our faculty have significant mentoring experience with new teachers in postdoctoral and junior faculty appointments. We seek candidates who are committed to strengthening their teaching in a liberal arts setting.

Candidates should submit a CV, cover letter, evidence of teaching effectiveness, sample syllabi including a brief description of the specialized course the candidate would like to offer, and 3 letters of recommendation to Kim Miller, Coordinator of Womens Studies at miller_kim@wheatoncollege.edu. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Applicants must have finished all requirements for the PhD by August 27, 2012.

Sociology of Islam Journal (Brill)

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CALL FOR PAPERS:
SOCIOLOGY OF ISLAM JOURNAL (BRILL)
FALL 2012 Volume 1
ISSN: 2213-140x E-ISSN: 2213-1418

The Sociology of Islam Journal (www.brill.nl/soi) invites article submissions for the first issue, which will be published in the Fall of 2012. We are delighted to announce the founding of the peer-reviewed, academic journal, the Sociology of Islam (SOI) to be published by Brill once a year beginning in the Fall of 2012.

Since Max Weber’s groundbreaking research on the sociology of religion, sociologists have grappled with aspects of religion both at the theoretical and empirical levels. While an increasing number of social scientists, particularly in recent decades, have employed innovative sociological frameworks for the study of Islam, this promising sub-discipline has so far lacked its own academic journal. The Sociology of Islam is intended to bridge this gap by functioning as an academic forum for the publication of innovative contributions to the study of Islam and Muslim societies. For the first issue of Sociology of Islam, we welcome article contributions that address theoretical dimensions of the sociology of Islam and Muslim societies. Submissions for this issue are expected to explore the importance of the sociology of Islam and the influential contributions, current trends and future prospects, and the competing sociological frameworks that apply to the study of Islam. Please email your draft article of 7000-10,000 words by no later than Monday September 3rd.

If you need further information, please do not hesitate contact us:

Contact: Tugrul Keskin or Gary Wood
Editor
Email: sociologyofislam@yahoo.com

Our book review editors are: Mustafa Gurbuz (mustafa.gurbuz@uconn.edu) and Joshua D. Hendrick (jdhendrick@loyola.edu)

Best to all,
Gary Wood, Najm al-Din Yousefi and Tugrul Keskin

SOCIOLOGY OF ISLAM JOURNAL (BRILL)
FALL 2012 Volume 1
ISSN: 2213-140x E-ISSN: 2213-1418

Associate Editors
· Armando Salvatore (University of Naples)
· Asef Bayat (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
· Bryan S. Turner (CUNY)
· Mohammed A. Bamyeh (The University of Pittsburgh)
· Najm al-Din Yousefi (California State University)
· Tahir Abbas (Fatih University)

Editor-in-Chief
· Gary Wood (Virginia Tech)
· Tugrul Keskin (Portland State University)

Editorial Board
· Babak Rahimi, (UC San Diego)
· Birol Baskan (Georgetown University – Doha, Qatar)
· Carool Kersten (King’s College London)
· Cihan Tugal (UC Berkeley)
· Gary Wood (Virginia Tech)
· Ibrahim Kalin (Georgetown University)
· Jeremy Walton (New York University)
· Mohammad Nafissi (SOAS)
· Mohammedmoin Sadeq (Qatar University)
· Nader Hashemi (University of Denver)
· Nuri Tinaz (Marmara University)
· Shah Mahmoud Hanifi (James Madison University)
· Tahir Abbas (Fatih University)
· Talip Kucukcan (Marmara University and SETA)
· Ted Fuller (Virginia Tech)

Book Review Editors
· Joshua Hendrick (Loyola University of Maryland)
· Mustafa Gurbuz (University of Connecticut)

International Advisory Board:
· Ali Akbar Mahdi (Ohio Wesleyan University)
· Ayesha Jalal (Tufts University)
· Berna Turam (Northeastern University)
· Birol Yesilada (Portland State University)
· Charles Kurzman (UNC Chapel Hill)
· Daromir Rudnyckyj (University of Victoria)
· Ejaz Akram (Lahore University of Management Sciences)
· Hamid Dabashi (Columbia University)
· Husnul Amin (International Islamic University, Islamabad)
· Kemal Silay (Indiana University)
· Jocelyne Cesari (Harvard University)
· Judith Blau (The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
· Mariusz Turowski (The University of Wroclaw)
· Martin van Bruinessen (Utrecht University)
· Mehran Kamrava (Georgetown University – Doha, Qatar)
· Muqtedar Khan, (Universiyt of Delaware)
· Mumtaz Ahmad (International Islamic University, Islamabad)
· Rachel Woodlock (Monash University) · Steven Wright (Qatar University)
· Tim Luke (Virginia Tech)

Tugrul Keskin Assistant Professor of International and Middle Eastern Studies Affiliated Faculty of Black Studies Sociology and Center for Turkish Studies Middle East Studies
Coordinator (INTL) Portland State University

Editor of Sociology of Islam Journal (Brill)

Cell: 202-378-8606 (USA) Cell: 5541-6697 (Qatar) Cell: 533-607-8465 (Turkey) Skype: keskintugrul

New Journal from the Japanese Association for Religious Studies

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Publication Announcement
From OKUYAMA Michiaki, Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, Nagoya, Japan

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The editors are pleased to announce that the Japanese Association for Religious Studies has published the new online journal, /”Religious Studies in Japan/”(ISSN 2186-9952).
The complete issue is downloadable for free in PDF format.

http://jpars.org/online/view-issue/vol_1_2012

/Religious Studies in Japan /is an online peer-reviewed journal edited and published by the Japanese Association for Religious Studies (Current President: Inoue Nobutaka).
This journal aims to share scholarly research by members of the Japanese Association for Religious Studies with international colleagues, and to promote discussion between scholars in Japan and abroad.

FOREWORD
INOUE Nobutaka
vol. 1: 1–2
President of the Japanese Association for Religious Studies

ARTICLES
SHIMAZONO Susumu
vol. 1: 3–23
From Salvation to Spirituality: The Contemporary Transformation of Religions Viewed from East Asia

OCHIAI Hitoshi
vol. 1: 25–38
The Theology of Simone Weil and the Topology of Andre’ Weil

Mira SONNTAG
vol. 1: 39–59
Divine Healing in the Early Holiness Movement of Japan

REVIEW ARTICLE
OKUYAMA Michiaki
vol. 1: 61–77
Civil Religion in Japan? Rethinking the Arguments and their Implications

BOOK REVIEWS
INOUE Nobutaka and the Religious Information Research Center, eds., Aum Shinrikyo in the Information Age, reviewed by SAKURAI Yoshihide
vol. 1: 79–85

INABA Keishin, Altruism and Religion, reviewed by Ranjana MUKHOPADHYAYA
vol. 1: 86–90

OKUYAMA Michiaki, Director, Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture Nanzan University
18 Yamazato-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8673 Japan
email: mokuyama@nanzan-u.ac.jp

Salvage and Salvation: Religion, Disaster Relief, and Reconstruction in Asia

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CALL FOR PAPERS – Salvage and Salvation: Religion, Disaster Relief, and Reconstruction in Asia.

Dates: 22 (Thursday) and 23 (Friday) November 2012
Venue: Asia Research Institute, Seminar Room, Tower Block Level 10, 469A Bukit Timah Road, National University of Singapore, Bukit Timah Campus
Organisers: Dr Philip Fountain and Dr Levi McLaughlin

What does it mean to offer salvation in the midst of catastrophe? What dynamics are in play at the intersection of religion and disaster relief in Asia? Over the past few years, Asia has witnessed frequent massive  and high profile disasters, notably the Indian Ocean tsunami (2004), the Kashmir earthquake (2005), Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (2008), the Pakistan floods of 2010, and most recently the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters in northeast Japan. In the wake of these tragedies – and the numerous smaller-scale disasters that also afflict the region – religious organizations have played pivotal roles in disaster response
initiatives. Millions of relief workers and billions of dollars in aid have been mobilized through their networks. However, despite having a profound impact on the lives of disaster victims, these initiatives have gone largely under-reported, and there has been no comprehensive attempt to present research on religion and relief in contemporary Asia.
‘Salvage and Salvation’ will be the first interdisciplinary conference to bring together researchers, humanitarian workers, and policy makers to address this theme.

Analysis of religion and disaster relief introduces practical and theoretical concerns. Understanding the full ramifications of disaster
requires attention to specific religions involved in recovery and the different positions they assume. Additionally, it cannot be presumed that Asian states are religiously neutral.  Disasters and relief efforts open new forms of communality among affected populations, thereby altering religion and politics and inspiring novel social and spiritual trajectories.  Humanitarian actors and grassroots mobilizations are also deeply implicated in these shifts.  Even self-consciously secular humanitarian organizations inevitably engage with the religious realities they encounter in their disaster responses through varying strategies of collaboration, accommodation, or exclusion of different religious activities. A region-wide comparative approach to disaster and recovery should be concerned with the broadest possible spectrum of what ‘salvation’ may comprise, whether associated with the state or non-governmental actors or whether designated ‘religious’ or ‘secular.’

We are seeking paper presentation proposals that will address the following topics (and related themes) as they relate to the Asian region:

* Analysis of the types of humanitarian work undertaken by Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, and other religious groups in response to disasters, including rescue operations, medical and post-traumatic care, fundraising, reconstruction, mitigation, proselytizing, spiritual counseling, and other interventions

* Doctrinal, ritual, clerical, and/or institutional innovations occasioned by religious disaster responses

* Imaginations and perceptions of religion by state actors and humanitarian organizations

* Collaborations between religious organizations, state actors, humanitarian organizations, and community groups in disaster response initiatives

* Emerging transnational networks forged between religious groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), donor organizations, and other actors engaged in disaster responses

* Reconfigurations of local communities following religious and/or secular disaster relief initiatives

* Contrasting visions of ‘salvation’ offered in response to disasters and the ramifications of these visions

Papers from any field in the humanities or social sciences that employ any type of methodology are welcome. We are particularly interested in submissions that employ data from fieldwork. Analytical papers by development practitioners or representatives of religious institutions/groups drawing on field experience relevant to this topic are also encouraged.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

Paper proposals must be for original, previously unpublished work.
Selected papers from the conference proceedings will be compiled for an edited volume. Proposals should include a title, abstract (250-300 words), and a brief personal biography (150 words). For more detailed guidelines or questions regarding specific paper proposals, and for obtaining a Paper Proposal Form, please contact the conference organizers.

Please submit all applications to Dr Philip Fountain (aripmf@nus.edu.sg) by 15 May 2012.

Successful applicants will be notified by 15 June 2012 and will be required to send a draft paper (5,000-8,000 words) by 15
October 2012.
Travel and accommodation support is available from the Asia Research Institute, depending on need and availability of funds.

CONFERENCE CONVENORS
Dr Philip FOUNTAIN, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. Email: aripmf@nus.edu.sg

Dr Levi MCLAUGHLIN, North Carolina State University. Email: lmclaug2@ncsu.edu

SECRETARIAT

Ms. Valerie Yeo, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. Email: valerie.yeo@nus.edu.sg
_______________________________________________

"Islamist Spring? Islamists and the State: New Paradigms and Engagements" (AJISS)

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“Call for Papers” for 2013 Special issue on: “Islamist Spring? Islamists and the State: New Paradigms and Engagements”

Guest Editors: Dr. Abdelwahab El-Affendi (University of Westminster), Dr. Anas El-Sheikh Ali (IIIT, London), and Dr. Nader Hashemi (University of Denver)

The demise of “Political Islam” has been foretold many times before, and a “post-Islamist” era has been said to have already arrived. The recent Arab Spring of “cluster revolutions” was also seen to present a more decisive arrival of a new alternative paradigm for both authoritarianism and Islamism. However, post-Arab Spring elections, from Rabat to Kuwait, have swept Islamist parties to power. In many other Muslim countries, from Malaysia and Indonesia to Turkey, Islamism is also a strong player on the political and social fields. This raises a number of important and urgent questions about the new rise of Islamism. Are these the same old Islamist parties, or have they changed? Are they destined to monopolize governance, or do they form an integral part of an emerging democratic ‒ even a post-Islamist political order? How do the ascendant Islamist parties and groups see the role of the state in their Islamizing projects? How do the competing and rival Islamist groups relate to each other and to the wider political spectrum? Which visions are more likely to dominate and flourish, and how stable will the emerging political order be? A special issue dedicated to the theme of “Islamists and the State” will allow for a timely reflection on the accomplishments and challenges of these times. The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences invites:

1. Research papers (from the various disciplines of the social sciences and humanities), which reflect on all aspects of the theme of Islamists and the state are welcomed.
2. Book reviews on relevant books are also welcomed.
3. Shorter reflection pieces of two thousand to three thousand words are also invited.

Possible Topics:
• theoretical papers examining the impact of the Arab Spring on the fortunes of Islamist movements and the ramifications for wider Muslim politics
• case studies, qualitative interviews, and comparative studies of Islamist groups across the spectrum or across borders
• critical and in-depth examinations of the shifts in Islamist views and practices on the state and democracy and their methods of engagement with various social groups
• critical studies of variations in Islamist attitudes toward women and minorities
• critical studies of the impact of particular scholars or leaders on the Islamist scene
• studies of the role of new actors and leaders (women, youth, professionals, etc.) within the emerging Islamist movements and what impact it may be having
• critical examinations of the views of Islamists on regional and international issues, including attitudes toward the West and Israel
• critical engagement with current scholarship on Islamism and on Western official attitudes to Islamic movements
• critical studies of the post-Arab Spring state, the regional order, and the impact on various political forces, including Islamists
• critical explorations of the impact the new democratic atmosphere is having on the tendencies, visions, and programs within Islamism, and whether it is favoring radical or moderate groups
• critical studies of the fortune of radical or violent Islamist groups in the post-Arab Spring era
• in-depth explorations of the evolution of Islamist political thought, including comparative perspectives across movements and regions
• critical assessment of intra-Islamist debate, in particular generational and ideological divisions on all matters political
• critical studies of the impact of existing “Islamist” experiments ‒ such as those in Iran and Sudan ‒ on the evolution of thinking, attitudes, and priorities of Islamist groups across the world
• in-depth explorations and forecasts of emerging trends and possible directions in the thinking and practice of Islamist groups and the significance and likely impact of these trends
• historical studies of underlying structural forces in contemporary political change, or previous efforts at democratization
• explorations of the reactions of liberal and secular actors to the ascendancy of Islamists, and how the interaction between the two camps is impacting the democratization process
• examination of the changing discourse of the West toward the various Islamic movements and vice-versa, before, during and after the “revolutions”

Regular research papers should be between seven thousand and ten thousand words (7,000‒10,000). All submissions should conform to AJISS guidelines: original, unpublished research, and presented as double-spaced and single-sided. Please send all contributions as an attachment in MS-Word, with a 250-word abstract and a short biography, simultaneously to:
a.el-affendi@westminster.ac.uk,  anas@iiituk.com, nader.hashemi@du.edu
Submission Deadline: January 15, 2013
Publication Date: July 2013

For more on AJISS guidelines, please go to: www.amss.org/AJISS/NotestoContributors.aspx
The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (AJISS) is a double-blind, peer-reviewed, and interdisciplinary journal published by the Association of Muslim Social Scientists of North America and the International Institute of Islamic Thought. AJISS publishes a wide variety of peer-reviewed scholarly research on all facets of Islam and the Muslim world: politics, history, economic philosophy, metaphysics, psychology, religious law, and Islamic thought ‒ employing both empirical and theoretical analysis. AJISS aims to provide a forum for high-quality original research and critical dialogue and discussion, advancing both application of social sciences to the study of Islam and the Muslim world and an analysis of the social sciences. In addition, AJISS includes insightful reviews of published books of interest to our subscribers, as well as forum articles and conference reports. Zakyi Ibrahim, Ph.D. (McGill), Editor, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (AJISS) http://www.amss.org/AJISS/AJISSMissionStatement.aspx Department of Comparative Religion, California State University, Fullerton. Tel: (657) 278-8241 email: zibrahim@fullerton.edu
http://hss.fullerton.edu/comparative/facultypage/zibrahim.asp

New Book: Handbook of Hyper-Real Religions, ed. by Adam Possamai

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Handbook of Hyper-real Religions
Edited by Adam Possamai, University of Western Sydney

Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion http://www.brill.nl/publications/brill-handbooks-contemporary-religion

Today a new trend is clearly discernable, that of ‘hyper-real religions’. These are innovative religions and spiritualities that mix elements of religious traditions with popular culture. If we imagine a spectrum of intensity of the merging of popular culture with religion, we might find, at one end, groups practicing Jediism appropriated from the Star Wars movies, Matrixism from the Matrix trilogy, and neo-pagan rites based on stories from The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series. At the other end of the spectrum, members of mainstream religions, such as Christianity … read more<http://www.brill.nl/handbook-hyper-real-religions>can be influenced or inspired by, for example, The Da Vinci Code. Through various case studies, this book studies the on- and off-line religious/spiritual consumption of these narratives through a social scientific approach.

Contributors include: Stef Aupers, Eileen Barker, Lauren Bernauer, Douglas E. Cowan, Carol M. Cusack, Markus Davidsen, Martin Geoffroy, Danielle Kirby, Massimo Introvigne, Carly Machado, Debbie McCormick, John W. Morehead, Kamaludeen Mohamed
Nasir, Alan Nixon, Krzysztof Olechnicki, Adam Possamai, Heinz Scheifinger, John Wallis and Benjamin Zeller.

http://www.brill.nl/handbook-hyper-real-religions