Spirituality and spiritual movements in Hungary
and Eastern Central Europe
11th Szeged Conference on Ethnology of Religion
Szeged, 10-12 October 2012
Venue: University of Szeged, Conference Room of the Arts Faculty, 6722 Szeged, Egyetem u. 2. fszt.
In November 2012 Pope Benedict XVI is launching the “Year of Faith”. This is an occasion for us to examine the forms taken by manifestations of faith, historically and in our time, in religious life and the whole of religious culture.
Faith is manifested differently in different historical periods, among different social strata, in different age groups, occupational groups and by place of residence, among men and women, children and adults, and linguistic/ethnic features can also be discovered (or are thought to exist). And naturally, it is manifested differently in all those contexts within the various Christian and non-Christian denominations.
We welcome for the conference concrete empirical case studies that deal with manifestations of spirituality in word, action/rhythm, in art (representational arts, poetry, music, architecture, applied arts: metalwork, embroidery, etc.), in pedagogy (e.g. religious instruction); that take a social approach to both lay or clerical communities (characteristics of the spirituality of orders, monastic schools, third orders, charismatics, Focolare and other spirituality), especially to the 19th-20th century movements (Legion of Mary, Schönstatt, etc.), or spiritual movements associated with beatification and canonisation procedures in the 20th-21st centuries (Saint Margaret of Hungary, István Kaszap, Mária Bogner, etc.); and which examine the presentation of these spiritualities/cults in the press, their small printed materials, periodicals, manuscript legacy, aim; which analyse the growing ecumenical movements of the turn of the 20th-21st century, as well as the virtual communities.
We also welcome papers on the life and spirituality of religious but not church-type associations, such as charitable associations, denominational reading circles, youth movements and circles, etc.
On behalf of our department and the Sándor Bálint Institute for Research on Religion we respectfully invite applications for participation in the conference from Hungarian ethnologists, folklorists and anthropologists, as well as art historians, literary historians, photography historians, cultural historians, theologians, church historians, liturgical historians, music historians, dance researchers, educators, sociologists, philosophers, psychologists and representatives of other disciplines.
The conference will have a Hungarian and an international section, the languages of the conference will be Hungarian, English and German.
Papers can be on any theme within the range of themes listed. Our circular is intended as a general guide rather than setting strict frames covering all aspects.
Papers should be 20 minutes (approx. 13,000 characters) in length including any illustrations, and will be followed by 10 minutes of discussion.
Deadline for applications: 15 June 2012
The organisers reserve the right to accept or reject papers. Depending on the interest shown, the conference is planned to last two or three days. Students may also apply to participate without presenting a paper. Applications should be submitted on the attached form with an abstract of the proposed paper.
Costs
Participants are to cover their own costs. The participation fee of 5,000 HUF covers participation in the work of the conference sections, attendance at auxiliary events and refreshments during the breaks.
Accommodation can be provided at a very favourable rate (approx. 3,800 HUF/night) in university guest rooms and 2-3-bed hostel rooms (most of these have shared bathroom in the corridor) if reserved in advance through the Department of Ethnology. The cost of accommodation is to be paid by participants at the place of accommodation. To make a reservation in a hotel, pension or guest house in Szeged, visit
https://www.iranymagyarorszag.hu/keres/szeged/szallasok-p1/ , where accommodation to suit your requirements can be found if you make your reservation in time (!).
Participants make their own arrangements for meals in restaurants and university canteens in the vicinity of the conference venue.
Books for sale
During the conference we are planning to offer books for sale. If you have a publication that fits into the theme of the conference or more broadly the field of ethnology of religion, we will be happy to handle sales on the basis of prior agreement.
Please send your application by the deadline to barna@hung.u-szeged.hu.
Monthly Archives: May 2012
Impact of Religion - international conference Uppsala SE 2013
An interdisciplinary conference at Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden, 20-22 May 2013
Submissions are invited on the following themes, which – broadly speaking – mirror the Impact programme. Further sub-themes will be developed as the submitted papers arrive; these will be displayed on the conference website. Papers on comparative research are particularly welcome. Theoretical, methodological and substantive issues will be given equal weight.
A variety of formats are envisaged: plenary sessions, paper sessions, roundtables, academic exchanges and policy debates. Please indicate your preference when you submit your abstract. Pre-organised sessions are welcome.
• Religious and social change – including the role of the media in these shifts
• Integration, democracy and political culture
• Families, law and society
• Well-being and health
• Welfare models – their organization and values
• Science and religion
Deadline for the submission of abstracts (max 200 words): 30th November 2012
The conference is hosted by The Impact of Religion programme and Uppsala Religion and Society Research Centre at Uppsala University.
Up to date information on the programme, registration, abstract format, venue etc. will be made available at: https://www.impactofreligion.uu.se, where you also find more details about the Impact of Religion programme itself.
Religion and Sexuality edited collection
Call for Chapter Submissions:
Globalized Religion and Sexuality: Policies, Voices and Contexts
This is a call for chapter submissions for an upcoming volume entitled “Globalized Religion and Sexuality: Policies, Voices and Contexts,†edited by Heather Shipley (University of Ottawa) which will be considered for publication in Brill’s International Studies in Religion and Society series, co-edited by Lori G. Beaman and Peter Beyer (University of Ottawa). Please submit one-page chapter proposals no later than August 1, 2012 to Heather Shipley (hshipley@uottawa.ca), to be considered in the volume. Notification will be sent out by the end of August 2012; accepted chapters in full (7,000-8,000 words) will be due by January 31, 2013.
Volume Description:
Controversies in the public arena regarding religion and sexuality often construct these categories as inherently oppositional or already in conflict. As state policies regarding sexuality and sexual diversity develop, promoting inclusivity and non-discrimination, it is imperative to develop a more nuanced discussion regarding the relationship of religion/ideology to sexual diversity and sexuality. What is the role of ideological commitments in promoting or arresting policies of inclusivity? How do policies become actualized within the environments they are intended for: i.e. education, health care, etc.?
The goal of this volume is to explore religion and sexuality from a range of countries across the globe, focusing on the theme of religious/ideological voices in state policies, such as same-sex marriage, identification, education, etc. This would include voices from religious or ideological perspectives (including atheism) whose support/opposition have been influential in either the policy decisions or in public perceptions about the relationship of religion/ideology to sexuality/sexual diversity.
Volume themes are listed below, submissions should indicate which theme they fit under:
 Policies: What policies are contested/controversial regarding religion/ideology and sexuality, and how are ideology and sexuality „involved‟ in policy debates?
ï‚· Voices: What does the research tell us regarding religious/ideology and sexuality, what data is there to demonstrate the voices of individuals/groups regarding religion/ideology and sexuality?
ï‚· Contexts: How can theoretical frameworks regarding identity help inform and promote better awareness regarding the relationship of religion/ideology to sexuality?
ï‚· Other topics not included in this list, but related to the theme of the volume and series, will be considered.
Series Description:
The Brill series, International Studies in Religion and Society (ISRS), publishes social scientific volumes that focus critically on research, debates, and theories in the forms, role, and relations of religion in contemporary society. Volumes have a transnational, multi-disciplinary, and often multi-sectional emphasis, bringing together insights from diverse fields such as history, legal studies, sociology, anthropology, religious studies, international relations, cultural studies, globalization, urban and gender studies. The series welcomes volumes that explore both neglected and much studied themes, seeking in each case to make a meaningful impact by breaking new ground, advancing current questions, and exploring new issues.
“Engaging the Media on Controversial Topics Involving Religion”
The Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies invites you to attend a seminar by Professor James T. Richardson:
“Engaging the Media on Controversial Topics Involving Religionâ€
James T. Richardson, J.D., Ph.D., University of Nevada, Reno
Date: Wednesday 23 May, 2012
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Venue: Bankstown Campus, Building 1 Level 1 Room 119
RSVP to a.possamai@uws.edu.au by Monday 21 May.
This seminar will focus on experiences with media representatives over several decades of research dealing with controversial topics on which Professor Richardson has conducted research. Included are areas of study such as the “Satanism Scare†of a decade or so ago, the People’s Temple/Jonestown tragedy, the Waco episode involving the raid against and burning of the Branch Davidian compound with large loss of life, the Heaven’s Gate suicides in San Diego, raids by authorities in Australia against The Family and other groups in the 1990s, coverage of so-called “cults†accused of “brainwashing†participants, the more recent raid on the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints community in Texas, and other media related experiences. Also, research on media coverage of some of these topics will be discussed, including from Australia, as well as what some professional organizations have done to deal with issues raised when media coverage of controversial topics occurs in the realm of religion. Suggested readings attached.
James T. Richardson, J.D., Ph.D., is Professor of Sociology and Judicial Studies and Director of the Grant Sawyer Center for Justice Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. He also is Director of the Judicial Studies graduate degree program for trial judges, a program offered in conjunction with the National Judicial College and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, both of which are headquartered on the University campus. His research focuses mostly on comparative studies of law and religion and on use of expert evidence in legal systems. Recently he has been conducting research on treatment of religion and religious groups in judicial systems such as constitutional courts and the European Court of Human Rights. He is the author of many books including Regulating Religion: Case Studies from Around the Globe (Kluwer, 2004).
Professor Richardson’s visit is supported in part by a UWS IRIS Grant.
Researching the contemporary moral landscape: doctoral training programme
An intensive residential training programme for doctoral students and early career researchers run by the Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, University of Kent in conjunction with the RSA
Monday 10th – Friday 14th September, 2012
The AHRC’s Care for the Future research theme emphasises the importance of studying the ‘ethical, moral, cultural and social landscapes’ of contemporary life. How do we engage with this challenge conceptually, though, or practice research in ways that engage effectively with these complex phenomena? What public audiences do these questions matter to and how can we communicate our work in creative and useful ways?
This week-long intensive training workshop, delivered in conjunction with the RSA, will provide doctoral students and early career researchers with a unique opportunity to address these questions through workshop sessions with a range of experienced researchers. The programme content will include a range of disciplinary perspectives and will aim not so much to provide a comprehensive framework, but diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives which can act as a stimulus for participants’ future research.
Speakers at the event will include Louisa Bolch, Abby Day, Adam Dinham, Lois Lee, Gordon Lynch, David Morgan, and Linda Woodhead. Specific areas to be covered in the programme will include:
- forms of ‘belief’ in everyday life
- visual and material culture as media of moral life
- understanding the contemporary moral landscape through literature and the arts
- the good life and the ‘social brain’
- the contemporary significance of the sacred and the profane
- new forms of ritualization in contemporary society
- the policy context for understanding the contemporary moral landscape
Other training sessions will also explore different approaches to public engagement through print, digital and broadcast media.
The event will run from the morning Monday 10th September until the end of the afternoon on Friday 14th September at the RSA’s offices just off the Strand in central London. There is no registration fee. Lunch and dinner will be provided free of charge, and free overnight accommodation will also be provided in central London for those participants who require it. Delegates’ travel costs within the UK will also be met.
We anticipate a high degree of interest in this programme, and the deadline for applications is Monday 4th June.
Further information on the programme, and how to apply for it, is available at https://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/researchcentres/crcs/moral_landscape.html
Religion and Society: Advances in Research vol. 2
Dear all,
A reminder that the second volume of Religion and Society: Advances in Research is now available. A table of contents is listed below. For information on subscriptions please go to:
https://journals.berghahnbooks.com/air-rs/ or more directly to https://journals.berghahnbooks.com/air-rs/index.php?pg=subs
We have done our best to make the rates very reasonable:
Institutional Rate (Print and Online): $170.00/ £104.00/ €126.00 Institutional Rate (Online Only): $153.00/ £93.00/ €113.00 Individual Rate (Print only) : $48.00/£28.00/€35.00 Student Rate (Print only) $25.00/ £15.00/ €20.00*
Volume 2
Contents
Introduction
Simon Coleman and Ramon Sarró: Dialogues and Trajectories
I. PORTRAIT - José Casanova
De-Privatization, the Public Sphere and Popular Religion Hubert Knoblauch
Public and Private in the Study of Religion: Innovative Approaches Grace Davie
Casanova, Asad and the Public Debate on Religion in Modern Societies Kim Knibbe
Toward a Post-Weberian Sociology of Global Religions Manuel A. Vásquez
From Modernization, to Secularization, to Globalization: An Autobiographical Self-Reflection José Casanova
II. ARTICLES
Encountering the Supernatural: A Phenomenological Account of Mind Julia Cassaniti and Tanya Luhrmann
The Case for Religious Transmission: Time and Transmission in the Anthropology of Christianity Vlad Naumescu
On and Off the Margin: The Anthropology of Contemporary Jewry Andrew Buckser
Inter-Publics’: Hindu Mobilization Beyond the Bourgeoisie Public Sphere Ursula Rao
Pentecostalism and ‘National Culture’: A Dialogue Between Brazilian Social Sciences and the Anthropology of Christianity Cecilia Mariz and Roberta Campos
III. DEBATE SECTION: RELIGION AND VIOLENCE
Religious Violence as Folklore
William T. Cavanaugh
Reflections on ‘Religious Violence’: Reconsidering Durkheim Wendy James
Religion and Civil War in Africa: Durkheim and Douglas Revisited Paul Richards
IV. AN AUTHOR MEETS HER CRITICS
Around Ruth Marshall’s Political Spiritualities: The Pentecostal Revolution in Nigeria
Comments
John Peel, Daniel Smith, Joel Robbins, Jean-François Bayart
Response to Comments
Ruth Marshall
V. TEACHING ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION
The Anthropology of Religious Controversy: A Masters Level Course Peter Collins and Yulia Egorova
VI. NEWS
VII. BOOKS AND FILMS REVIEWS
Women, Leadership, and Mosques: Changes in Contemporary Islamic Authority
Dear list members,
I am pleased to announce the publication of the following 22-chapter edited volume, which focuses on contemporary female Islamic leadership and authority. Please feel free to forward this to colleagues with interests in this area.
Women, Leadership, and Mosques: Changes in Contemporary Islamic Authority investigates the diverse range of female religious leadership present in contemporary Muslim communities in South, East and Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. Its chapters discuss the emergence of female Islamic authority, the limitations placed upon it, and its wider impact, as well as the physical and virtual spaces used by women to establish and consolidate their authority. It highlights how the acceptance of female leadership in mosques and madrassas is a significant change from much historical practice, signaling the mainstream acceptance of some form of female Islamic authority in many places.
In addition to 20 chapters exploring specific examples of female leadership, the volume includes an introduction that lays out main themes in the study of Islamic authority, three section introductions that bring out thematic links between chapters, and a conclusion presenting a case study of a major Pakistani madrasa. It will be invaluable as a reference text, as it is the first to bring together analysis of female Islamic leadership in geographically and ideologically-diverse Muslim communities worldwide.
For more information, see here:
https://www.brill.nl/women-leadership-and-mosques. There is also a series of essays related to the volume on openDemocracy:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/masooda-bano-hilary-kalmbach/spread-of-female-islamic-leadership
Finally, those interested in the volume may also want to join the mailing list we have started for individuals interested in female Islamic leadership. See the following website for further information and instructions on how to join:
https://users.ox.ac.uk/~sant1959/Mailing%20List.html.
Best wishes,
Hilary Kalmbach
Dr Hilary Kalmbach
Sir Christopher Cox Junior Fellow (Islamic and Modern Middle Eastern
Studies)
New College, Oxford, OX1 3BN, United Kingdom
New Religion Database
This is to announce the launch of a new cumulated International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) dataset with data from all three rounds of the ISSP religion survey (1991, 1998 and 2008). It covers 28 countries across the world, each of which has participated in at least two of the ISSP religion modules. Prior to this analysts have had to work with the three datasets separately.
Documentation and data access, including download in SPSS, SAS, or Stata format, is offered online via the GESIS ZACAT online analysis database at:
https://zacat.gesis.org/webview/index.jsp
This is the direct link to the cumulated ISSP religion file in ZACAT:
https://zacat.gesis.org/webview/index.jsp?object=https://zacat.gesis.org/obj/fStudy/ZA5070
And general information about ISSP can be found here:
Call for papers: London conference on women and authority in Islam and Christianity
Please find below a link for details on a forthcoming ( Mon 10 to Wed 12 Sept 2012) conference in London, University of Roehampton, on the theme:
“Women, Authority and Leadership in Christianity and Islam”
Deadline for abstracts is 31st May 2012.
https://estore.roehampton.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=2&prodid=85&deptid=164&catid=70
When submitting the abstract of 250 words, please add the full details of your position at university and a working bibliography of at least 5 titles of the main sources you are going to use for your paper.
Participation to the conference is also open to a few post graduate students who are nearing completion of their PhD.