Monthly Archives: May 2018

SISR/ISSR Conference in Barcelona, July 2019. Call for Session Proposals.

About the next ISSR Conference

Dear members of the ISSR

We have important news. While we initially planned to have our conference 2019 in Warsaw at UKSW, this has finally not been possible. The next ISSR conference will be held in Barcelona, Spain, 9-12 July, 2019 under the title “The Politics of Religion and Spirituality”.
The chairperson of the local committee is Prof. Mar Griera whom we thank for taking on the
organization at such short notice.

More practical information will follow soon.

Conference Theme: “The Politics of Religion and Spirituality”, click here.

Call for session

The call for for Session proposals, is now open. You may propose a Thematic Session by using this link. You can submit proposals until 30th August 2018 (200-250 words in English; please also provide a French translation):

  • Thematic session - A session with papers on a common theme. If the theme attracts many papers, the thematic session may stretch over several slots.
  • Working Group session - A session of papers presented by those who work together on a specific project.
  • New Research Forum - Intended for students and young researchers (PhDs). The NRF usually have two sessions with a common theme and a session for free papers that do not fit into the other ISSR thematic sessions.
  • Author Meets Critics session - A session in which an author meets scholars who criticize his/her book and responds.
    via our system:

This is not yet the call for individual paper proposals. The call for paper proposals will be opened in mid-September.

Attention: you do need to be an ISSR member, or renew your membership to submit a session proposal.

Call for proposals for the ISSR best book award

The ISSR invites nominations for an award for the best book in the sociology of religion.

Books published in 2016-2018 in French or English (except edited books) may be nominated by the authors or ISSR members by sending a nomination letter and THREE copies of the book to the General Secretary Office (Véronique Altglas, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom).

The deadline for nominations is 15 September 2018.

Winner(s) will receive their awards at the 2019 ISSR Conference. They are exempt of paying the conference fee.

Call for membership renewal

If you have not already done so, please do not delay in renewing your membership for the 2018-2019 period. The place to do this is directly through the Membership page or your profile page after logging into our website and, if at all possible, electronically. It is still possible to do this by regular mail, however. The form can be found on the website as well: https://www.sisr-issr.org/Documents/SISR_Membership_Form_2018_2019.pdf.

Workshop Grants

In light of its mission to foster international exchange in the sociology of religion, the ISSR supports proposals for international workshops on innovative research topics in the field. Two proposals were submitted. We are delighted to announce that Paul Bramadat (University of Victoria, Canada), Marian Burchardt (University of Leipzig, Germany), Mar Griera (Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain) and Julia Martínez-Ariño (University of Groningen, Netherlands, obtained a grant for their project on “Understanding urban religion: heritage, public space and governance”.
The ISSR congratulates the winner!

A propos de la prochaine conférence de la SISR

Chers membres de la SISR

Nous avons d’importantes nouvelles. Nous avions pour projet de tenir notre conférence en 2019 a Varsovie a l’UKSW, ceci n’est finalement pas possible. La prochaine conférence de la SISR aura lieu à Barcelone en Espagne, du 9 au 12 juillet 2019 sous le titre : « Les politiques de la religion et de la spiritualité ».
Le président du Comité local est Mar Griera, que nous remercions chaleureusement d’avoir accepté de reprendre l’organisation de la conférence dans ces courts délais.

Plus d’information pratiques ultérieurement.

Thème de la conférence « Les politiques de la religion et de la spiritualité », cliquez ici.

Appel pour sessions thématiques

L’appel à propositions de sessions thématiques est maintenant ouvert. Il est possible de proposer une session thématique utilisant le lien suivant. Avant de le faire, veuillez consulter les instructions d’inscription au système ouvert des conférences en ligne mais aussi pour soumission des propositions. En complément des propositions de sessions thématiques, vous pouvez aussi proposer des sessions de groupes de travail, forums de jeunes chercheurs, et un auteur face à la critique sessions.

Vous pouvez dès lors soumettre votre proposition jusqu’au 30 Aout 2018 (200-250 mots en en français; nous vous prions d’ajouter également une traduction en Anglais):

  • Une session thématique – une session qui rassemble des contributions sur un même thème. Si la session attire un grand nombre de contributions, elle sera répartie sur plusieurs tranches horaires.
  • Une session d’un groupe de travail – Une session rassemblant des contributions présentées par des personnes travaillant ensemble sur un projet spécifique
  • Forum des jeunes chercheurs-ses – A l’intention des étudiants-tes et jeunes chercheurs-ses (PhD). Le forum est habituellement constitué de deux sessions. L’une sur un thème commun et l’autre pour des contributions libres n’entrant pas dans les autres sessions thématiques de la SISR.
  • Auteur face à la critique – Une session dans laquelle un-e auteur-e rencontre des pairs pour discuter son ouvrage.

Ceci n’est pas encore un appel pour des contributions individuelles (“Papers”). L’appel à contributions individuelles (“Papers”) commencera en mi-septembre.

Attention: Vous devez être membre de la SISR, ou renouveler votre adhésion pour proposer un projet de session.

Appel à propositions pour le prix SISR du meilleur livre

La SISR invite à proposer les nominations des livres en sociologie des religions pour le Prix SISR du meilleur livre. Les livres publiés en 2016-2018 en Français ou en Anglais (à l’exception d’ouvrages collectifs) peuvent être désignés par l’auteur ou par des membres de la SISR en envoyant une lettre de nomination ainsi que TROIS copies du livre, au Secrétaire Général (Véronique Altglas, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Royaume-Uni).

Le délai de dépôt des nominations est le 15 septembre 2019.

Les lauréats recevront leur prix lors de la conférence de la SISR en 2019. Ils/elles seront exonéré(e)s de payer les frais d’inscription de la conférence.

Renouvellement de votre adhésion
Si vous ne l’avez pas encore fait, veuillez renouveler votre adhésion à la SISR pour la période 2018-2019. Vous pouvez le faire directement sur la page Adhésion ou dans votre profil après vous être connecté sur notre site web et, si possible, par voie électronique. Il est tout de même encore possible de renouveler par le poste. Le formulaire à imprimer se trouve également sur le site web: https://www.sisr-issr.org/Documents/SISR%20affiliation_reaffilliation_2018_2019.pdf.

Bourse pour atelier

Compte tenu de sa mission de favoriser les échanges internationaux en sociologie des religions, la SISR soutient des propositions d’ateliers internationaux sur des sujets de recherches novateurs dans le domaine. Deux candidatures ont été soumises. Nous sommes ravis d’annoncer que Paul Bramadat (University of Victoria, Canada), Marian Burchardt (University of Leipzig, Germany), Mar Griera (Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain) and Julia Martínez-Ariño (University of Groningen, Netherlands, a obtenu une bourse pour leur projet. “Understanding urban religion: heritage, public space and governance”.

Félicitations de la part de la SISR!

2nd International Congress on Spiritual/Religious Counselling and Care

For deadlines, paper guidelines, and conference details, please visit: https://mdrk.org/en

OVERVIEW

has contributed to society and individual in variety of areas like psycho-social, cultural, economic, solidarity/cooperation and humanitarian aids etc. It has been a source of inspiration and motivation to mobilize individuals, communities and institutions in order to cooperate, make solidarity, and social and moral support.

This international congress, entitled Spiritual Counselling and Care (SCC), emphasizes the human aspects of religious beliefs and moral values; to appreciate the contributions they make to individual and social life, and to raise a popular and academic awareness of the perception of religion that is touched by human life. In this context, it aims particularly to examine the place, role, function and contribution of religion and spirituality in family therapy, in reforming and rehabilitation of inmates in prisons, for being a source of hope and morale to patients in health care services in hospitals, in the formation of moral and motivation in the military, in creating spiritual atmosphere for elderly and disadvantaged groups in social services.

The first spiritual counselling and care scholarly gathering within the scope of this congress as planned series of conferences was held in April 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. The main theme of the ‘1 st International Congress on Religious-Spiritual Counselling and Care’ was ‘The Place and Function of Spiritual Counselling and Care in Human Life’ aiming to give a broad coverage of all issues, practices and problems in the field. This upcoming and subsequent congressional themes will be continued in more specific areas. In the context of institutionalized service unit thematisation, the main theme of the ‘2 nd International Congress on Spiritual/Religious Counselling and Care’ that is scheduled to be held on November 22-24, 2018 will be on ‘Spiritual/Religious Counselling and Care in Prison and Healthcare Services.

By organising such a congress, it is expected to shed light on the future studies of spiritual and religious counselling and care by taking into account the rapidly developing field of expertise in Turkey from an interdisciplinary perspective at international platform.

Conference ‘Religion and Culture in Conflict and Peace’

Good afternoon,

I’d like to share with you the forthcoming conference ‘Religion and Culture in Conflict and Peace’ organised by the centre of Religion Reconciliation and Peace at the University of Winchester, 20-21 June 2018, I think the programme may be of interest to you. We’d be most grateful if you could share this information with anyone you know who could be interested.

Key speakers include Mohammed Abu-nimer and Susan Hayward. As well as some fascinating papers looking at conflicts from around the world, we have also built in a history walk of the City of Winchester.

More information and booking via the conference website:https://www.winchesterpeaceconference.com/

With best wishes,

Rebecca Bellamy

Centre Coordinator & Partnerships Officer

On part-time secondment to the European Council of Religious Leaders

Winchester Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace (WCRRP)

Book release: Imams in Western Europe:

Dear friends and colleagues,
We are happy and proud to announce the publication of this new edited volume, which might be of interest to some of you. Apologies for cross-posting.
Hashas, Mohammed, Jan Jaap de Ruiter, and Niels Valdemar Vinding (eds), Imams in Western Europe: Developments, Transformations, and Institutional Challenges. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018 doi: 10.5117/9789462983830/ch01

https://en.aup.nl/books/9789462983830-imams-in-western-europe.html

This book presents an omnibus academic inquiry into contemporary Islamic religious authority with a focus on imams and the imamate – on which, until now, not much has been written in English. Our ambition is to contribute deeper and more fruitful analyses of the changes and challenges experienced by this source of religious authority in the context of the secular-liberal societies of Western Europe since the Second World War and the subsequent migration and refugee flows. At the same time, this research also serves to highlight secular-liberal institutions and their adaptation, or lack thereof, to the multiculturalism that characterizes Western European states. The social facts of globalization, transnational migration, and various interpretations of secularism have challenged the visibility of religion in the public sphere in Western societies. This has most importantly and urgently required religious authorities to revisit their organization, governance, and internal hierarchy, and Islamic religious authority is no exception. Throughout the Muslim-majority countries and in Europe, Islamic religious authority is still struggling to negotiate its place among the institutions of the modern state in the ‘secular age’ in the words of Charles Taylor (2007). The imamate is one of the institutions that are currently experiencing a shift of roles and functions in society. Scholars and historians of religion in particular are attentive to this shift.
“This fascinating book on imams in Western Europe is well timed to respond to the European discourse on Islam and Muslims, coming at a time of remarkable developments in the imam as a concept, as a religious institution, and as an authority for the Muslims of Western Europe.” - Jørgen S. Nielsen, Professor, Universities of Birmingham and Copenhagen.

The book is the result of our conference on imams from 2014, held in Rome at LUISS Guido Carli University & John Cabot American University

Here is a link to the introduction, preface and list of contents: https://www.academia.edu/36638452/Imams_in_Western_Europe_-_Developments_Transformations_and_Institutional_Challenges
On behalf of editors and contributors,
Niels Valdemar Vinding

Proceedings of the International Workshop on Halal Food Consumption in East and West

Institute for Asian Muslim Studies, Waseda University, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Halal Food Consumption in East and West (with Appendix of Survey Report), Institute for Asian Muslim Studies, Research Paper Series, Vol.5. Institute for Asian Muslim Studies, Waseda University, Tokyo, March 2018 (ISBN: 9784990740245).   This is downloadable from here:

https://www.waseda.jp/inst/ias/en/publication/institute-for-asian-muslim-studies/

Religion as Political Communication: A Symposium

Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Communication and Culture is organising an event on Religion as Political Communication on 7th June 2018. There will be four speakers (see programme below). You are all welcome to attend. The event is free with refreshments provided, but please book your place in advance (via the link below) for catering purpose: 

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/crcc/events/eventslist/religion-as-political-communication.html

Religion as Political Communication: A Symposium

10:00 - 16:00, 7th June 2018

Religion is communicated politically in multiple ways: by religious institutions and individuals, by governments with different approaches to religion, via various artistic and cultural expressions, by secular news media, and via digital platforms and communities (Lundby 2017). The types and contents of politically communicated religion are diverse and complex, ranging from the Church of England’s conservative stance on marriage as reserved for heterosexual couples, French lawmakers interpreting religious symbols such as the veil as ‘too political’, the West-End musical success ‘The Book of Mormon’, terrorist acts of violence committed in the name of religion, to representations of ‘Muslims’ as a non-diversified group. Religion can communicate political stances in both direct and indirect ways, such as when drawings of the Prophet Mohammad are considered as unacceptably irreverent expressions of free speech, or when specific positions on abortion, creationism, stem-cell research and euthanasia are inferred when someone declares their stance as ‘religious’. In this symposium, internationally leading scholars on religion and politics are invited to address and debate religion as political communication.

Programme

10:00 Welcome and introductions

10:15 Dr Elizabeth Poole (Keele University): Contesting #stopislam: Political frictions and appropriation in online spaces

10:45 Professor Jolyon Mitchell ((University of Edinburg): The Ambivalent Role of Religion and the Media Arts as Political Communication in Israel /Palestine

11:15 Q & A session

11:45 Lunch and networking

13:00 Dr Jasjit Singh (University of Leeds): The construction of ‘Sikh radicalisation’ in Britain

13:30 Professor Mia Løvheim (Uppsala University, Sweden): Religion, mediatization and a changing political landscape

14:00 Q & A

14:30 Coffee break and networking

15:00 Roundtable discussion

15:45 End of programme

Symposium organisers: Dr Line Nyhagen (Social Sciences), Dr Alexandre Christoyannopoulos (Politics, History and International Relations), PhD student Xinan Li (Social Sciences), Loughborough University.

For speakers’ abstracts, please see: 

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/crcc/events/eventslist/religion-as-political-communication.html

Call for Papers Understanding urban religion

Call for Papers Understanding urban religion Heritage, public space and governance International Workshop Barcelona, 25-27 October 2018

While sociological research on religion in urban contexts has proliferated in recent years, the city has less frequently been taken explicitly as a relevant dimension in the study of religion. Historically, social scientists considered cities as the epitome of secularization, and predicted that processes of secularization would diminish the role of religion in urban life. However, dynamic and vibrant forms of urban religion have emerged in cities across the world in recent years (Becci, Burchardt and Casanova, 2013). Developments such as rising levels of transnational migration and the growth of new religious movements have contributed to the religious revitalization of contemporary cities.

The diversification of urban religious landscapes is documented by a variety of studies (Knott, Krech and Meyer, 2016; Lanz et al., 2016). All over the world, cities are witnessing a proliferation of non-traditional places of worship of several kinds (Martínez-Ariño et al., 2011; Stolz and Monnot, forthcoming). On the one hand, religious communities have begun to adapt to trends of urban change such as sub-urbanization and de-industrialization by establishing places of worship in shopping malls, former industrial warehouses, newly established industrial estates and other commercial zones. On the other hand, and especially in Europe, a rapidly increasing number of traditional church buildings are closed and repurposed as a consequence of dropping membership and resulting financial pressures. Churches are sometimes demolished, but more commonly they are put to new use: they are handed over to other faith communities, converted into lofts or other kinds of commercial property, or into public and civic facilities such as museums, libraries or art spaces. In many cities, the future and the management of religious heritage has been object of debate and controversy. In recent years, there has also been a proliferation of multi-faith and inter-faith places. These are either construed as unified places that remain architecturally neutral and open to believers and practitioners of all persuasions, or contain symbolic and architectural elements of different religious communities (often the so-called Abrahamic faiths, Christianity, Islam and Judaism).

At the same time, cities have turned into sites of religious innovation and have become stages for the performing of religious events and celebrations that are parts of urban consumer cultures and contribute to the construction of urban identities and city images. The density of religious actors in the city fosters processes of religious hybridization, transformation and crossfertilization. This vibrant dynamism becomes a fertile ground for cooperation and exchange, but also for conflict. In this context, the governance of religious diversity gains new saliency at the level of cities (Griera, 2012). Municipal authorities, including political as well as administrative actors, pay increasing attention to religious issues and a multiplicity of policy instruments are in place to govern them (Martínez-Ariño, 2017). In addition, urban religious affairs often become the object of public contestation, and generate media and civil society attention (Griera and Burchardt, 2016; Siemiatycki, 2005; Watson, 2005).

The aim of this workshop is to explore the conditions, forms and consequences of the ways urban religion is revitalized, spatialized and governed in contemporary cities. The general topic of the workshop is organized around three sub-themes: heritage, religious expressions in public space, and governance.

Workshop papers should address one or more of the following themes:

1. Religious heritage. The aim of this thematic focus is to discuss cultural, political and power dynamics associated with religious heritage, and explore its role in contemporary cities.
2. Urban religious expressions. This strand explores public religious expressions such as festivals, parades, public prayers and meditations and aims to understand processes of the eventization of urban religion as well as the challenges these presences pose to cities and their dwellers.
3. Governance. Contributions in this third thematic section will look at different articulations of state-religion regimes and political secularism at the urban level.

Abstracts of no more than 250-300 words should be submitted to j.martinez.arino@rug.nl* by 15 June 2018.

Organisers Paul Bramadat (University of Victoria, Canada) Marian Burchardt (University of Leipzig, Germany) Mar Griera (Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain) Julia Martínez-Ariño (University of Groningen, Netherlands)

Call for papers: Worldviews in creating meaning and purpose for learning

Special Issue: Journal of Beliefs & Values

We are happy to invite scholars to contribute in our special issue in the Journal of Beliefs & Values. JBV has been among the most respected journals in our field for a long time. We believe that our peer-reviewed special issue can contribute in the high-level scholarly discussion of the journal with a viewpoint represented especially by the EARLI SIG19 Conference 2018 (https://www.uef.fi/web/sig19conference2018/).

The Special Issue will be based on both the best papers of the EARLI SIG 19 conference 2018 and possible supplementing papers derived from this open call. We particularly welcome submissions that recognise the conference theme “Worldviews in creating meaning and purpose for learning”, and that address, for example, the following questions: How worldviews impact people’s motivation to learn, how worldviews guide people’s life choices and future orientation, and how worldviews and religions help people to find meaning and purpose in life.The articles can be empirical or philosophical. We anticipate not only methodological diversity but also wish the articles to reflect diverse interpretations and representations of worldviews, values and beliefs in education, cultural and national contexts.

We expect the authors to study the JBV homepage and familiarise oneself with the scope and format of the journal.https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cjbv20/current

The deadline for the full papers with the length and format of the JBV guidelines by 1st of October 2018. After the blind review process, the revised final versions of the manuscripts are expected to be submitted by 15th of December 2018. The estimated publication of the special issue will be in 2019.

Please contact guest editors with queries concerning the topic and send your contribution to Laura Hirsto (laura.hirsto@uef.fi).

Thank you!

24th Nordic Conference Program is Posted

The 24th Nordic Conference in the Sociology of Religion (NCSR 2018) ~ 1-3. August 2018.

Dear all,
The conference program is now posted on the conference website. Here you will find information about the program and the paper sessions. The paper abstracts are also posted.
For those of you who have organized sessions, we ask that you chair the sessions as well. If there are more than one organizer, it is up to you to decide who will function as chair.
For those who chair sessions and/or present papers, please check that the information about you is correct. If you find any mistakes, let us know.
Click here to see the program.
Please note that there is a welcome reception on July 31st from 20:30-22:00 at Oslo City Hall! Welcome!
Finally, we would like to remind you that all paper presenters must register and pay the conference fee by June 15th, otherwise their right to present a paper is withdrawn.
In order to register and pay the conference fee, please click on this link:

REGISTER FOR NCSR 2018 HERE

Best wishes,
Netta Marie Rønningen and the NCSR Organizational Committee

Post-Doc Positions: Center for Islamic Studies (UK)

The Centre of Islamic Studies is looking for two Post-Docs to work as Research and Outreach Associates in the Centre of Islamic Studies, to begin in September 2018. The posts are two-year, fixed-term positions.

The successful candidates will each design and conduct independent and original research into themes relating to Islam in the global age. Proposals relating to Islam or Muslim life in Europe and the United Kingdom are particularly welcome. We are looking for applicants from across the world and can give advice on getting visas where these are applicable.

For more information and to apply for these great posts please see the university job site here: https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/17228/

The closing date for applications is 20th June and it is anticipated that interviews will be held by the end of July 2018.

Informal enquiries and requests for Further Particulars may be addressed to Dr Paul Anderson at the Centre of Islamic Studies: cis@cis.cam.ac.uk.