Call for Papers: Following ‘The Way’: Historicizing the Interspace among Indic Religions

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https://drive.google.com/open?id=1khH0NJ2Qi9vgHmRnnoSb11mRtswcd03Q


Panth, matam, dharm, rah, and ṣirāṭ, meaning ‘The Way’, are some of the terms used by faith communities in South Asia to define their tradition’s path. This conference will explore how these ways were expressed in ritual, belief, and praxis to create distinction. For example, among the 19th century Khōjā of Sindh and Gujarat, the term satpanth ‘The True Way’, referred to numerous vernacular religious practices that incorporated Vaiṣṇav, Svāminārāyaṇ, Jain, Shia, and Sunni practices within a caste faith. Their liturgical materials originally were written in a caste script in a mélange of dialects from Sindhi, Gujarati, Kacchi, Rajasthani, and Urdu. This liminality was not exclusive to the north, in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka araputamiḻ, the Muslim dialect of Tamil in the Arabic script, records the cosmologies and worldview of Muslim merchant communities that intersperses Vaishnava imagery with Arabic vocabulary.
This conference is intended to bring together scholars of the Adivasi, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism to explore how aesthetics, authority, narratives, rituals, and script have been historically shared and divided by faith communities in South Asia. How do we make sense of such heterogeneity that was distant from ‘orthodox’ literature being produced in urbane Sanskrit and Persian? How did rural religion differ and connect to larger faith communities across linguistic and script divides? Where were ethno-religious boundaries drawn between pragmatic mobile merchant communities and how fluid were they until early colonization? South Asian vernacular religion in local languages is a large untapped historical archive from which scholars can produce incisive microhistories. This is an open call for scholars across disciplines who wish to engage with the themes of endangered/extinct languages and scripts, merchant religion, modern religious identity formation, and the transmission of sacred narratives across the Persianate, Turkic, and Indic worlds.
The conference will be held at the University of Mumbai, Mumbai, January 30-31, 2019. The deadline for the submission of paper proposal is July 31, 2018. Successful applicants will be notified by August 30, 2018. The travel allowances ($500) as well as accommodation and board will be covered through the ‘Khoja Studies Conference’. Send your abstracts to: khojastudies@world-federation.org.

http://www.khojastudies.org

International Summer School on the Sacred Places of Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan

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1-8th August 2018

Almaty (Kazakhstan)

Dear Colleagues,

The Social Studies Department, Institute of Basic Education of the Satbayev University is hosting an International Summer School on the Sacred Places of Almaty and area from 1-8th August 2018. The Summer school aims to contribute to the process of dealing with the past of our city and Region in the frame of the State Program “Rukhani Zhangyru”.

Description.

The Summer School will be held in English language, thus a proficient knowledge of English is required. We highly encourage overseas colleagues to join us and present their research and ideas in front of a very friendly, enthusiastic and open-minded international audience. The most successful Summer school students will have the possibility to publish their research paper in the summer school reader after the end of the summer school. Participants who will successfully complete the program will be awarded with the Summer School Certificate.

We plan to invite 20-30 participants to the International Summer School on the Sacred Places of Almaty and area, including scholars, lecturers, BA, MA and PhD students, who are interested in history and religion, as well current situation in Kazakhstan.

We would like to invite for participation outstanding people from Kazakhstan and other countries. The project will benefit 20-30 professionals with different backgrounds. It will be a gender and age balanced group. The Summer school will consist of 8 days of lectures, workshops and discussions with academic professors and experts, as well as field trips and participation in cultural activities and events. It will be unique opportunity to get deep knowledge about history and timely questions of the Sacred places of Almaty city and area.

How to apply

Applicants are invited to apply with a motivation letter (max. 500 words) and their CV. Selected applicants will receive the Registration form and further instructions.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Registration starts: June 15, 2018

Deadline for the registration: July 22, 2018

Days of the Summer School: 1-8th August, 2018

Costs

All expenses (international and local airfare (transportation), visa costs, medical insurance, accommodation and meal and extra expenses) are the own responsibilities of participants. You can also apply for travel grant by sending your personal statement. Only selected candidates will be informed on the approval.

See you in Almaty!

Address: 050013, Republic of Kazakhstan,
Almaty city,
Satpayev Street, 22a
Email: socialstud.dep@gmail.com

Prof. Dr. Gulnara Mendikulova
Professor, Kazakh National Research Technical University

A New Issue of the Sociology of Islam

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Sociology of Islam: Leading the Faithful: Religious Authority in the Contemporary Middle East

Volume 6, Issue 2, 2018

http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/journals/22131418/6/2

Leading the Faithful: Religious Authority in the Contemporary Middle East
Spiritual Elite Communities in the Contemporary Middle East
Continuity and Change in Religious Authority among Sunni Arabs
The Making of a Marjaʿ: Sīstānī and Shiʿi Religious Authority in the Contemporary Age
The ‘Alawī Shaykhs of Religion
Sufi Religious Leaders and Sufi Orders in the Contemporary Middle East
Transformations in Minority Religious Leadership
Leading the Faithful: Religious Authority in the Contemporary Middle East
  • pp.: 261–262 (2)

Publishing Opportunity: Handbook of Religion and Migration

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Religion and Migration has become an important area of study, yet remains diverse.  Research in this area has expanded as audiences become more interested in the topic.  Transnational migration calls into question the relationship of religion in the diaspora.  Religious identities are changing in the face of pluralism and multiculturalism. This volume will examine universalist ideas of religion, as well as constructed ideas of religion, in the global world.

We are currently seeking papers for a peer-reviewed edited volume, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion and Migration, to be published by Bloomsbury Press in their Handbooks in Religion Series and edited by Rubina Ramji (ruby_ramji@cbu.ca) and Alison Marshall (marshalla@brandonu.ca).

The volume will provide a broad geographic representation with a focus on the present-day immigration issues. The aim of this interdisciplinary collection is to provide a scholarly introduction to a variety of audiences. We are looking for in-depth introductory essays chronicling migration in regional and transnational contexts, as well as dominant and emerging theories and approaches to the study of religious identities in a global context.  Overall, the volume is aimed at scholars and students who seek entry points in the range of critical issues and themes related to religion and migration.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • A survey of religious groups that have migrated
  • The negotiation of religion in the diaspora
  • The “religionization” of political, cultural, ethnic and gender identity in the diaspora
  • The rise of anti-immigration stances in the face of religious extremism and terrorism
  • The rise of religious intolerance towards religious minorities
  • The suppression of religious freedoms in secular societies
  • Religious integration versus religious assimilation of religious minorities
  • The transformation of religious identities across social/geographic boundaries

Full submissions may range from 5,000–10,000 words depending on topic.

Proposals

Please send a proposal (300-500 words), an abstract (100 words), anticipated word count, and CV to Rubina Ramji and Alison Marshall at  RelMigration@gmail.com. Feel free to direct any questions to the editors before submission.

Extended Proposal Deadline:  July 15, 2018

Full Draft Submissions of Complete Papers Due: January 1, 2019

Job Opening: Post-Doc on Clerical Authority in Transhational Shii Islam

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The Department of Theology and Religion seeks to appoint a Post-doctoral Research Fellow to work on the ERC-funded project ‘Creating an Alternative umma: Clerical Authority and Religio-political Mobilisation in Transnational Shii Islam (ALTERUMMA)’ project, led by Professor Oliver Scharbrodt. This interdisciplinary project investigates the transformation of Shii Islam in the Middle East and Europe since the 1950s. The research fellow will investigate the role of exilic and diasporic networks and their hubs (e.g. Kuwait, Damascus, London etc.) in the transnational mobilisation of Twelver Shii communities in the last 50 years.

The research fellow will have PhD on a topic related to thematic remit of the post (e.g. transnational religio-political activism in the contemporary Middle East), a very good command of Arabic, a high level analytical capability, as well as a demonstrated ability to work independently to the very highest levels of research excellence.

The Department of Theology and Religion has an outstanding international reputation in the study of all types of religion in the contemporary world, including inter-cultural theology, textual studies, pentecostal and charismatic studies, inter-religious relations, Islamic studies and Quaker studies. The department came second in the country in the Research Excellence Framework 2014 and is home to a number of important research groups and projects. As a member of Department, the research fellow will join a lively and flourishing department where they will enjoy opportunities for intellectual and other leadership in a collegiate and highly ambitious research community.

Further information about the project: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/211385_en.html

This is a full-time post with duration of three years, with an anticipated start date of January 2019.

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,799 to £38,832. With potential progression once in post to £41,212 a year.

To download the details and submit an electronic application online please click on the Apply Online button below; please quote Job Reference 59423 in all enquiries. Alternatively information can be obtained from 0121 415 9000 or visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs

Valuing excellence; sustaining investment

Informal enquiries should be directed to Oliver Scharbrodt at O.Scharbrodt@bham.ac.uk

Job Opening: Post-Doc on Clerical Authority in Transhational Shii Islam

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The Department of Theology and Religion seeks to appoint a Post-doctoral Research Fellow to work on the ERC-funded project ‘Creating an Alternative umma: Clerical Authority and Religio-political Mobilisation in Transnational Shii Islam (ALTERUMMA)’ project, led by Professor Oliver Scharbrodt. This interdisciplinary project investigates the transformation of Shii Islam in the Middle East and Europe since the 1950s. The research fellow will investigate the role of exilic and diasporic networks and their hubs (e.g. Kuwait, Damascus, London etc.) in the transnational mobilisation of Twelver Shii communities in the last 50 years.

The research fellow will have PhD on a topic related to thematic remit of the post (e.g. transnational religio-political activism in the contemporary Middle East), a very good command of Arabic, a high level analytical capability, as well as a demonstrated ability to work independently to the very highest levels of research excellence.

The Department of Theology and Religion has an outstanding international reputation in the study of all types of religion in the contemporary world, including inter-cultural theology, textual studies, pentecostal and charismatic studies, inter-religious relations, Islamic studies and Quaker studies. The department came second in the country in the Research Excellence Framework 2014 and is home to a number of important research groups and projects. As a member of Department, the research fellow will join a lively and flourishing department where they will enjoy opportunities for intellectual and other leadership in a collegiate and highly ambitious research community.

Further information about the project: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/211385_en.html

This is a full-time post with duration of three years, with an anticipated start date of January 2019.

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,799 to £38,832. With potential progression once in post to £41,212 a year.

To download the details and submit an electronic application online please click on the Apply Online button below; please quote Job Reference 59423 in all enquiries. Alternatively information can be obtained from 0121 415 9000 or visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs

Valuing excellence; sustaining investment

Informal enquiries should be directed to Oliver Scharbrodt at O.Scharbrodt@bham.ac.uk

Call for Papers: “CURRENTS, PERSPECTIVES, AND ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODOLOGIES FOR WORLD CHRISTIANITY”

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An International, Interdisciplinary Conference organized by The World Christianity & History of Religions Program (Dept. of History & Ecumenics)
Princeton, New Jersey, USA

Description
Recent decades mark a watershed in World Christianity as an emerging academic field, its development into an interdisciplinary endeavor in particular. Reflection on the complexity of Christianity as a pluricultural, global phenomenon has been robust. As was highlighted by our 2018 conference, World Christianity as a field has been shaped in large part by its distinctive historiography and diverse methodologies. In 2019, our primary focus will be ethnographic. Accordingly, a wide range of questions about the nature and relevance of ethnography to the study of World Christianity will be explored, along with the difference ethnography makes (or could make) in providing granular accounts of local Christianities around the world. Likewise, in view of the fact that ethnographic research is being increasingly incorporated into studies of World Christianity at a time when concepts of ‘culture’ are rigorously contested and the loci of research extraordinarily diverse, what are the major challenges scholars face? The conference seeks to explore and reflect on past practices and new directions, drawing on case studies representative of the currents and eddies of Christianity in the majority world and beyond. In short, the conference seeks to inquire into the state of the field and provide a common interdisciplinary space for intellectual encounter and exchange.

  • Paper or panel proposals should be submitted via email to: worldchristianityconference@ptsem.edu
  • Proposal Deadline: September 30, 2018. Include: name, institutional affiliation and status, email address, contact phone, paper/panel title, and abstract (not to exceed 250 words).
  • Notification of successful proposals will be made by October 20, 2018.
  • Conference Registration: early-bird registration begins on October 25and ends on December 31. A higher fee will be charged thereafter.
  • Conference fees: (including refreshments, lunches, and the conference banquet)
    • $155.00 – early bird / $185.00 – late registration (faculty based in USA, Canada and Europe)
    • $100.00 – early bird / $120.00 – late registration (faculty based in the Global South, graduate students/retirees)
    • Accommodations: Limited availability (single/shared rooms) at Erdman Center on the Princeton Seminary campus. Other options for accommodation will be announced later.
  • Limited travel subsidies will be available for selected participants from the Global South with accepted paper/panel proposals.

Conveners: Afe Adogame, Raimundo Barreto, Richard F. Young

Call for Papers: “CURRENTS, PERSPECTIVES, AND ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODOLOGIES FOR WORLD CHRISTIANITY”

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An International, Interdisciplinary Conference organized by The World Christianity & History of Religions Program (Dept. of History & Ecumenics)
Princeton, New Jersey, USA

Description
Recent decades mark a watershed in World Christianity as an emerging academic field, its development into an interdisciplinary endeavor in particular. Reflection on the complexity of Christianity as a pluricultural, global phenomenon has been robust. As was highlighted by our 2018 conference, World Christianity as a field has been shaped in large part by its distinctive historiography and diverse methodologies. In 2019, our primary focus will be ethnographic. Accordingly, a wide range of questions about the nature and relevance of ethnography to the study of World Christianity will be explored, along with the difference ethnography makes (or could make) in providing granular accounts of local Christianities around the world. Likewise, in view of the fact that ethnographic research is being increasingly incorporated into studies of World Christianity at a time when concepts of ‘culture’ are rigorously contested and the loci of research extraordinarily diverse, what are the major challenges scholars face? The conference seeks to explore and reflect on past practices and new directions, drawing on case studies representative of the currents and eddies of Christianity in the majority world and beyond. In short, the conference seeks to inquire into the state of the field and provide a common interdisciplinary space for intellectual encounter and exchange.

  • Paper or panel proposals should be submitted via email to: worldchristianityconference@ptsem.edu
  • Proposal Deadline: September 30, 2018. Include: name, institutional affiliation and status, email address, contact phone, paper/panel title, and abstract (not to exceed 250 words).
  • Notification of successful proposals will be made by October 20, 2018.
  • Conference Registration: early-bird registration begins on October 25and ends on December 31. A higher fee will be charged thereafter.
  • Conference fees: (including refreshments, lunches, and the conference banquet)
    • $155.00 – early bird / $185.00 – late registration (faculty based in USA, Canada and Europe)
    • $100.00 – early bird / $120.00 – late registration (faculty based in the Global South, graduate students/retirees)
    • Accommodations: Limited availability (single/shared rooms) at Erdman Center on the Princeton Seminary campus. Other options for accommodation will be announced later.
  • Limited travel subsidies will be available for selected participants from the Global South with accepted paper/panel proposals.

Conveners: Afe Adogame, Raimundo Barreto, Richard F. Young

News and Events Reposted from AASR (May/June, 2018)

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Here is a set of events, updates, and conferences/calls-for-papers reposted from the website of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion (https://www.aasr.org.au/mayjune/)

Events:

Updates:

Conferences / call for papers:

Call for Papers: Religion and Secularism on Campus: The Changing Dimensions of the University Experience

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I am writing on behalf of the research team for the Re/presenting Islam on Campus – a three-year research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) that explores the complexities of lived experience, representation and perception of Islam on UK university and higher education campuses. As we near the end of the project we have organised a conference that aims to engage with cutting-edge research that explores diverse religious and non-religious identities on campus, how these are ‘lived’ on campus and how these are dealt with in university policy, practice, management and curricula.

Please can you share our CFP with your mailing list. Brief details for the conference are as follows:

Title: Religion and Secularism on Campus: The Changing Dimensions of the University Experience

Conference Dates: 6th and 7th September 2018

CFP deadline: 5pm on Friday, 6th July 2018

Submission process: Please submit a title and abstract of no more than 300 words together with names and short biographies (150 words) of the presenter/s, institutional affiliation/s (if relevant), and contact details. Proposals should be sent to the project co-ordinator Kareem Darwish – kd27@soas.ac.uk. Academic enquiries should be sent to Dr Aisha Phoenix – ap85@soas.ac.uk

Full details: https://www.soas.ac.uk/representingislamoncampus/conference/

Dr Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor
Research Fellow in Faith and Peaceful Relations

Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (CTPSR)

Coventry University