Paper submissions are invited for a thematic session for the 34^th conference of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion, which will be held in Lausanne 4-7 July 2016.

Convener: Professor Torkel Brekke, the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and Centre for Research on Extremism (C-REX), University of Oslo (torkel@prio.org)

Conference/submission page: https://wp.unil.ch/issr2017conference/call-for-papers/

Abstract: This thematic session addresses an important but understudied aspect of the diverse European reactions to the influx of refugees with Muslim background and, more generally, immigration from Muslim majority countries.

There seems to be increasing unease among politicians and researchers about the conflict potential of growing religious diversity in Europe. Christian symbols and narrative are often invoked in European politics, sometimes by xenophobic groups and individuals. Some far-right movements see the immigration of Muslims as a threat to Europe’s Christian civilization. Still, there is little research about the roles that Christianity plays in shaping and justifying attitudes and political positions towards growing religious diversity and towards minority groups in Europe today. This thematic session invites contributions with various methods that address the roles that Christianity has in shaping and justifying attitudes to Muslim refugees and immigrants and policies on immigration from Muslim majority countries.

Sociology of Religion Study Group (SocRel):

Annual Conference 2017

Wednesday 12^th July – Friday 14^th July 2017

University of Leeds

On the Edge? Centres and Margins in the Sociology of Religion

Keynote Speakers:

• Professor Bryan Turner (City University of New York)
• Professor Kim Knott (University of Lancaster)
• Professor Philip Mellor (University of Leeds)
• Professor Sarah Bracke (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
• Professor Nasar Meer (Strathclyde University)

Conference registration: https://portal.britsoc.co.uk/public/event/eventBooking.aspx?id=EVT10612

The Sociology of Religion, as a distinct sub-discipline, has had a complex relationship with ‘mainstream’ sociology including experiencing periods of centrality and marginalisation. Beginning as a chief concern of the founding fathers of the discipline, but later relegated to almost insignificance until the so-called ‘resurgence of religion’, these changing fortunes have contributed directly to scholarship that can be dynamic, multi-faceted and responsive. In our search to understand the roles for religion in contemporary society, as scholars we frequently draw on multi-disciplinary methodologies and share a disciplinary platform with geography, politics, social policy, theology, anthropology, history and literature, to name but a few.  But where does this leave the sociology of religion as a distinct discipline?

The purpose of this conference is to investigate the boundaries and borders of sociologies of religion in an expansive and inclusive way. We want to ask, what do the centres of the sociology of religion look like in the 21st Century, and where are the margins and borders? Where are the new, and innovative subjects, methodologies and collaborations in our subject and how are they shaping the discipline?  How well do Sociologies of Religion intersect with other sociologies, such as of class, migration, ethnicity, sexuality and gender, and what are the effects? What about the geographical centres and margins of this historically Western-orientated sub-discipline, in our ever-changing world characterised by postcoloniality, globalisation and transnationalism? To what extent have any alternative Sociologies of Religion from the “edge”, to use a term proposed by Bender et al (2013), re-interpreted or re-configured the concerns of the centre? Importantly, what light does the Sociology of Religion shed on the more general study of centres and margins in religious and social settings/institutions and identities/subjectivities? Ultimately we want to question where these expansive and multi-directional boundaries leave us as ‘sociologists of religion’ and as a distinct study group and highlight the challenges and the opportunities. 

We invite you to engage in these conference questions from your particular area of research.

To deliver a paper, please send an abstract of no more than 250 words, alongside a biographical note of no more than 50 words. We will also be accepting a limited number of panel proposals. To deliver a panel, please send an abstract of no more than 500 words alongside a biographical note of no more than 50 words for each contributor. 

Please send abstracts to the attention of the conference organizers: Dr Caroline Starkey (University of Leeds) and Dr Jasjit Singh (University of Leeds) at socrel2017@gmail.com

Abstracts must be submitted by 9^th December 2016.

Conference Bursaries:

A limited number of bursaries are available to support postgraduate, early career, low income or unwaged SocRel members to present at the conference. Please visit https://socrel.org.uk/socrel-annual-bursary-scheme/ for instructions, and to download an application form, and submit your bursary application along with your abstract by 9^th December 2016.

All presenters must be members of SocRel.

Selected authors will be asked to contribute to an edited volume.

Key Dates:

Abstract submission open now

Early bird registration open now:  https://portal.britsoc.co.uk/public/event/eventBooking.aspx?id=EVT10612

Abstract submission closes: 9^th December 2016

Decision notification: 20^th January 2017

Presenter registration closes: 10^th March 2017

Early bird registration closes:  2^nd June 2017

Registration closes: 23^rd June 2017

Please note that after Friday, 2^nd June 2017, a £50 late registration fee will apply to all bookings.

Should you have other questions about the conference please also contact the conference organisers, Dr Caroline Starkey (University of Leeds) and Dr Jasjit Singh (University of Leeds) at socrel2017@gmail.com.

For further details, visit the SocRel website: www.socrel.org.uk. For further details about the BSA visit www.britsoc.co.uk.

Link to online CfP: https://socrel.org.uk/sociology-of-religion-study-group-socrel-annual-conference-2017/

Vous trouverez ci-dessous l’appel à proposition pour une session que nous organisons lors du prochain congrès de la SISR du 4 au 7 juillet à Lausanne, portant sur “ Athéismes et religions en conflit ? Croyances, trajectoires, organisations “.

Nous serions honorées de compter sur votre proposition. La date limite de soumission est fixée au 10 janvier 2017. Les propositions (résumés de maximum 250 mots) doivent être déposées en ligne, sur le site : https://www.sisr-issr.org/fr/conference/l-appel-a-communications-pour-la-conference-de-la-sisr-conference-religion-cooperation-et-conflits-dans-des-societes-diversifiees-qui-se-tiendra-a-lausanne-des-4-au-7-juillet-2017-est-ouver

N’hésitez pas à diffuser cette information auprès de vos collègues et à nous contacter pour toute information complémentaire.

Bien cordialement,

/You will find below our call for papers for a session organised within the framework of the ISSR Congress, called “Atheisms and religions in conflict ? Beliefs, paths, organisations”. The ISSR Congress will take place in Lausanne from the 4 to the 7 of July 2017. The deadline for proposal is the 10 of January 2017. Your proposal (summary of 250 words max.) should be posted on the web site https://www.sisr-issr.org/fr/conference/l-appel-a-communications-pour-la-conference-de-la-sisr-conference-religion-cooperation-et-conflits-dans-des-societes-diversifiees-qui-se-tiendra-a-lausanne-des-4-au-7-juillet-2017-est-ouver

If you need further information, please let us know.

Sincerely yours

Bérengère Massignon (GSRL, France), bmassignon@gmail.com et Clémentine Vivarelli (GSRL, France), clem.vivarelli@free.fr

Athéismes et religions en conflit ? Croyances, trajectoires, organisations

Nouvel athéisme, Assemblée du Dimanche (Synday Assembly), Campagnes de bus athées (Atheists Bus Campaigns). Alors que se développent de nouvelles formes d’athéisme(s) affichant leur visibilité dans l’espace public, les études sur l’athéisme et l’irréligion émergent comme un nouveau champ de recherche, avec des ancrages méthodologiques divers. Sur le plan individuel, un halo de figures se dégagent allant de l’indifférent à l’athée militant en passant par les « sans religion » (Religious nones), agnostiques, sceptiques, matérialistes …etc. De même, les organisations qui se réclament de l’athéisme multiplient les dénominations : humanistes, laïques (Secularists), libres penseurs, rationalistes, sans oublier la franc-maçonnerie adogmatique. Ces termes sont autant de marqueurs de généalogies particulières tant historiques, idéologiques que nationales qu’il faut absolument contextualiser. Le point de départ de ces attitudes plurielles et de ces organisations diverses semble être la critique des religions et de leur rôle public, soit une identité fondamentalement dialogique et conflictuelle allant parfois jusqu’à un mimétisme paradoxal à l’égard des religions. C’est cette relation dialectique religion/irréligion comme matrice commune aux athéismes qu’il s’agit de questionner, à partir de deux axes de recherche : (1) les croyances et les trajectoires individuelles vers l’athéisme ; et (2) les organisations athées, leurs valeurs, leurs répertoires d’actions et leurs alliances. Des études de terrain émanant de différents contextes nationaux seront privilégiées, notamment les travaux comparatifs. La vocation bilingue de la SISR est l’occasion de faire dialoguer chercheurs francophones et anglophones sur cette thématique émergeante mais plus affirmée outre-Manche et outre-Atlantique que dans l’Hexagone, différentiel sur lequel il faudra d’interroger.

Atheisms and religions in conflict ? Beliefs, paths, organisations

New Atheism, Sunday Assembly, Atheist Bus Campaigns. While new forms of atheism(s) display their visibility in public space, atheism and irreligion studies are emerging as a new field of research made of various methodological approaches. On the individual side, a halo of several forms is getting away from religious indifference to militant atheism passing by non-religious, agnostics, sceptics, materialists,… etc. In the same way, organizations that are claiming atheism multiply denominations : humanists, secularists, rationalists, free thinkers, without forgetting adogmatic Freemasonry. All these terms are particular genealogical markers as historical, ideological and national markers that have to be contextualized. The starting point of these plural attitudes and of these several organizations seems to be criticism of religions and of their public role; therefore a fundamentally dialogic and conflicting identity sometimes extends to a paradoxal mimetism from religions. It is the dialogical relation “religion/irreligion” as a common background of atheism (s)? That is to be questioned from two research focuses : (1) beliefs and individual paths to atheism ; (2) atheist organizations, their values, their action repertories and alliances. Field surveys from different national contexts will be favored, in particular comparative studies. The bilingual vocation of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion is an opportunity for French and English researchers to communicate on this emerging topic, mostly more developed in North America and in North Europe than in France, a difference that has to be questioned.