Monthly Archives: June 2018

PhD fellowship in Tromsø, Norway: Indigenous Religion(s) in the Media

A doctoral research fellowship (PhD) in religious studies is available at the University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway. 

Topic: Indigenous religion(s) in the media. Applicants should propose a case study of how indigenous practices from one particular indigenous community are articulated or represented as religious and/or spiritual in one or more media and broadcasted locally, nationally, regionally, and/or globally. Which translations do the practices then undergo? Who controls these translations? What do they generate? The research project should also shed light on the broader political and social situation of the indigenous community and ask how such articulations or representations in different media have both political and religious significance.

The PhD project will be part of the research group “Indigenous Religion(s): Local Grounds, Global Networks” (INREL) that studies articulations of indigenous religion(s) in different contexts around the world and explores the relations between local and globalizing discourses of indigeneity and religion.

The appointment is a fixed term position for a period of four years, includes teaching and administration duties, and comes with a salary.

Deadline for application 20 August 2018.

For more information, see the full announcement at https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/154628/doctoral-research-fellowship-in-religious-studies-at-uit-the-arctic-university-of-norway

For questions about the position, please contact professor Siv Ellen Kraft (siv.ellen.kraft@uit.no / +47-77644390) or professor Bjørn Ola Tafjord (bjorn.tafjord@uit.no / +47-77645289)

Conference: “Sources of Pluralism in Islamic Thought”, 9-11 July, 2018 in Casablanca

Casablanca Seminars International Conference, 9-11 July, 2018

As a global religion, Islam and its jurisprudence have offered heterogeneous responses to a range of questions facing different faiths and communities. Modernity imposed new questions upon religious scholars, theologians and philosophers, demanding of them a new version of pluralism in the theological and political arenas. While doctrinal or philosophical exclusivism rejects “the other” in theory — and frequently in practice, too — inclusivism connotes the accommodation and toleration of difference. But if that means the reluctant acceptance of difference within a hierarchy of worldviews, inclusion may not be enough to create more egalitarianism within modern multicultural societies. Modern pluralism might come to mean, instead, a robust appreciation of human diversity and values.

Reset Dialogues in partnership with the King Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences and the Granada Institute for Higher Education and Research are pleased to present this international symposium that was made possible also thanks to the support of Henry Luce Foundation’s Initiative on Religion in International Affairs, Nomis Foundation and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Conference Program

Monday, July 9

2.30-3.00 PM: Registration and Welcome coffee

3.00-3.30 PM: Welcome Session

  • Ahmed Toufiq, Director, King Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences, Casablanca
  • Giancarlo Bosetti, Director, Reset DOC
  • Mohammed Bensalah, Director, Granada Institute

3.30-3.45 PM: Conference Introduction: On Pluralism and the Islamic Traditions

  • Mohammed Hashas, LUISS University, Rome

3.45-5.15 PM : Session 1 – Pluralism in the Quran and the Prophetic Tradition

Panel 1

  • Asma Afsaruddin (Indiana University), Valorizing Religious Dialogue and Pluralism within the Islamic Tradition
  • Mohsen Kadivar (Duke University), Genealogies of Pluralism in Islamic Thought: Shia Perspective
  • Shabbir Akhtar (Oxford University), Reading the Rival’s Scripture in the Open Society: Western Christians and the Quran
  • Chair: Fouad Ben Ahmed (Dar el-Hadith el-Hassania Institute for Higher Islamic Studies EDHH, Rabat)

5.15-5.30 PM: Coffee Break

5.30-6.30 PM: Roundtable 1 – Modernization of Civil Rights and Family Law in Islamic Contexts

  • Nouzha Guessous (Hassan II University, Casablanca), Fadma Ait Mous (Hassan II University, Casablanca), Giancarlo Bosetti (Reset DOC), Mohammed Hashas (LUISS, Rome), Abdou Filali-Ansary (Aga Khan University, London)
  • Chair: Armando Barucco, Head, Unit for Analysis and Planning, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Tuesday, July 10 

10.00-11.30 AM : Session 2 – Pluralism and Universalism in Classical Islamic Scholarship

Panel 2

  • Mariam al-Attar (Sharjah University), Theories of Ethics in Islamic Thought and the Question Of Moral Pluralism
  • Oliver Leaman (University of Kentucky), Pluralism and Islamic Law: Why the Past is Better than the Present
  • Massimo Campanini (University of Trento), Universalism and Cosmopolitanism in Islam: The Idea of the Caliphate
  • Chair: Asma Afsaruddin (Indiana)

11.30-11.45 AM: Coffee Break

11.45 AM- 1.15 PM

Panel 3

  • Mohammed Mahjoub (University of Tunis), On the Possible Hermeneutical Interpretation of Pluralism in Islamic Thought: From Truth to Meaning
  • Abdallah Seyid Ould Bah (University of Nouakchott), Religious Plurality and Kalam Perspective on Diversity of the Creed: al-Ash‘ari, al-Shahrastani and al-Razi
  • Fouad Ben Ahmed (EDHH, Rabat), Philosophy in the Hanbali Contexts: Ibn Taymiyya as a Reader of Ibn Rushd
  • Chair: Mohammed Bensalah (Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat)

1.15-2.15 PM: Lunch Break

2:15-3:45 PM : Session 3 – Insights from Multicultural Societies, Sufism and Politics

Panel 4

  • Amin Abdullah (State Islamic University, Indonesia), Islamic Political Theology for a Global Age: Indonesian Religious Experience in Reforming Islamic Political Thought
  • Imtiyaz Yusuf (Mahidol University, Bangkok), Islamic Theology of Religious Pluralism:  Building Islam-Buddhism Understanding
  • Moin Nizami (Oxford University), The Limits of Pluralism in South Asian Sufism

Chair: Jonathan Laurence (Boston College)

3.45-4.00 PM: Coffee Break

4.00-5.00 PM: Roundtable 2 – Modern theologians and reforms | Book launch discussion

  • Abdallah Seyid Ould Bah (University of Nouakchott), Massimo Campanini (University of Trento), Mohamed Haddad (University of Carthage, Tunis)
  • Chair: Mohamed – Sghir Janjar (Casablanca)
  • Book: Mohamed Haddad, Le réformisme musulman: Une histoire critique (Mimesis, 2013)

Wednesday, July 11

10:00-11:30 AM: Session 4 – Political philosophy, politics, Sufism and education

Panel 5

  • Abdelwahab El-Affendi (Doha Institute), Tahkeem as an Islamic Democratic Precedent: Towards a New Look at One of Islam’s Formative Episodes
  • Anthony Booth (University of Sussex), Rawlsian Liberalism and Political Islam: Friends or Foes?
  • Emmanuel Karagiannis (King’s College), The Environmental Policy of the Muslim Brotherhood
  • Chair: Nouzha Guessous (Hassan II University, Casablanca)

11:30-11:45 AM: Coffee Break

11:45 AM -1:15 PM
Panel 6

  • Ednan Aslan (University of Vienna), Educating Muslim Children Towards Plurality
  • Clinton Bennett (SUNY, New York), On Sufism and Politics
  • Meriem el-Haitami (International Univeristy of Rabat IUR, Rabat), Morocco’s Religious Policy: A Post-Sufi Turn?
  • Chair: Fadma Ait Mous (Hassan II University, Casablanca)

1:15-2:15 PM: Lunch Break

2:15-3:30 PM: Roundtable 3: Religious authority and education in plural societies|Book launch discussion

  • Ednan Aslan (University of Vienna), Mohammed Khalid Rhazzali (University of Padova), Jonathan Laurence (Boston College), Amin Abdullah (Islamic State University, Indonesia), Mohammed Hashas (LUISS, Rome)
  • Chair: Giancarlo Bosetti (Reset DOC)
  • Book: Mohammed Hashas, Jan Jaap de Ruiter, Niels Valdemar Vinding, eds., Imams in Western Europe: Developments, Transformations, and Institutional Challenges(Amsterdam UP, 2018)

Scientific Committee

  • Fouad Ben Ahmed (Dar el-Hadith el-Hassania Institute for Higher Islamic Studies EDHH, Rabat)
  • Mohammed Bensalah (Granada Institute for Higher Education and Research, Granada)
  • Giancarlo Bosetti (Reset DOC, Milan)
  • Abdou Filali-Ansary (Aga Khan University, London)
  • Nouzha Guessous (Hassan II University, Casablanca)
  • Mohamed Haddad (University of Carthage, Tunis)
  • Mohammed Hashas (LUISS University, Rome)
  • Mohamed-Sghir Janjar (King Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences, Casablanca)
  • Jonathan Laurence (Boston College)
  • Conference Scientific Coordinator
  • Mohammed Hashas (LUISS University, Rome)

The conference is held at King Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences

Rue du Corail, Ain Diab, Casablanca, Morocco

Tel. : 05 22 39 10 27/30 Fax : 05 22 39 10 31

secretariat@fondation.org.ma – https://www.fondation.org.ma

Attendance is free and open to the public. Working languages: English and Arabic.  A simultaneous translation from English to Arabic and vice-versa will be provided. For information, please contact us at events@resetdoc.org

Coloque / Appel à contribution: Formatage de la non-religion dans la société post-moderne - perspectives institutionnelles et juridiques. Projet Eurel

26-27 sept. 2018 Oslo (Norvège)

Ce colloque est organisé par le projet Good Protestant, Bad Religion? Formatting Religion in Modern Society (GOBA) de l’Université d’Oslo, et le projet Eurel

Calendrier du colloque:

  • date limite de contribution 28 février 2018
  • notification des réponses 31 mars 2018
  • colloque 26-27 septembre 2018

Le colloque Formatage de la non-religion dans la société post-moderne - perspectives institutionnelles et juridiques invite les chercheurs de toutes disciplines à se pencher sur la conceptualisation et la connaissance de la non-religion dans la société moderne tardive. Le colloque part de l’idée que la non-religion est un concept culturellement contingent, qui connaît des variations socioculturelles selon les régions géographiques et les systèmes sociopolitiques. Du fait de la croissance numérique de la population non religieuse, les cartes d’appartenance religieuse doivent être repensées, ce qui pourrait aussi avoir un impact sur la façon dont les affiliations religieuses et non religieuses sont reconnues par l’État. 

Deux conférences plénières seront présentées durant le colloque, par le professeur Lori Beaman (Université d’Ottawa) et le professeur Lois Lee (Université du Kent).

Le colloque appelle à des communications fondées sur les sciences politiques, la sociologie et le droit. Les approches sociologiques peuvent s’appuyer aussi bien sur des méthodes de recherche quantitatives que qualitatives. Les communications aborderont l’une ou l’autre des questions suivantes: 

  • Comment définir la non-religion et comment les “sans religion” peuvent-ils être appréhendés et pris en compte dans les études sur la religion?
  • Comment le contexte socioculturel et religieux des différents pays influe-t-il sur la réglementation et la représentation de la non-religion dans l’élaboration des lois et des politiques?
  • Où et comment les individus et les collectifs non religieux s’intègrent-ils dans les institutions des sociétés contemporaines?
  • De quelle manière les services développés pour satisfaire les besoins existentiels des citoyens fournis par l’État à travers le droit et la politique (“d’en haut”) reconnaissent-ils les visions du monde et les sentiments autres que religieux? Comment les croyances non religieuses peuvent-elles être abordées par la loi?
  • Comment la non-religion “d’en haut” affecte-t-elle les notions de citoyenneté et d’appartenance nationale?

Les propositions d’articles, ne dépassant pas 300 mots, peuvent être soumises ici avant le 28 février 2018. Les propositions doivent préciser lequel des thèmes proposés est pris en compte par la présentation, et indiquer les coordonnées de l’auteur et son affiliation institutionnelle.

Le prix Eurel sera remis lors de la conférence 2018. Il est ouvert aux doctorants et jeunes chercheurs (moins de 3 ans après la soutenance du doctorat). Précisez dans votre proposition si vous vous trouvez dans une telle situation.

Les auteurs seront avisés avant le 31 mars 2018 si leur proposition est acceptée. Les  frais d’hébergement (pour une nuit) et les repas seront pris en charge par les organisateurs pour les contributeurs. Les frais de transport ne sont pas pris en charge.

Les communications, d’une durée de 20 minutes maximum, doivent être présentées soit en français soit en anglais. Si possible, les documents de présentation seront alors proposés dans l’autre langue; cela sera un apport apprécié mais n’est pas obligatoire.

Comité scientifique du colloque: Helge Årsheim (Norvège), Erlend From (Norvège), Sylvie Toscer-Angot (France), Michał Zawiślak (Pologne), Anne-Laure Zwilling (France).

https://non-religion.sciencesconf.org

Conference / Call for Papers: Formatting Nonreligion in Late Modern Societies - Institutional and Legal Perspectives

26-27 sept. 2018 Oslo (Norway)

The conference is jointly organised by the research project Good Protestant, Bad Religion? Formatting Religion in Modern Society (GOBA) at the University of Oslo and the Eurel project.

Conference deadlines:

  • submission of abstracts 28 February 2018
  • notification of results 31 March 2018
  • Conference 26-27 September 2018

* * * *

Formatting Non-religion in Late Modern Society - Institutional and Legal Perspectives invites scholars across disciplines to address the conceptualisation and knowledge of nonreligion in the late modern society. The starting point of the conference is that nonreligion is a culturally contingent concept that displays sociocultural variations across different geographical regions and socio-political systems. With an increasing nonreligious population, the maps of religious belonging needs to be reconfigured, which also could impact how both religious and nonreligious affiliations are recognised by the state. 

The conference features keynote speeches by Professors Lori Beaman (University of Ottawa) and Lois Lee(University of Kent).

The conference invites papers with approaches based in political science, sociology, and law. Sociological approaches can draw on both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Papers will address any of the following questions: 

  • How can nonreligion be defined, and how can the “nones” be grasped and taken into account in studies on religion?
  • How does the sociocultural and religious backdrop of different countries affect the regulation and representation of nonreligion in law and policymaking?
  • Where and how do nonreligious individuals and collectives fit into institutions in contemporary societies?
  • In which ways do services developed to satisfy the existential needs of citizens provided by the state through law and politics (“from above”) – recognise worldviews and sentiments that are something other than religious? How can nonreligious beliefs be addressed by the law?
  • How does nonreligion “from above” affect notions of citizenship and national belonging? 

Paper proposals of no more than 300 words can be submitted here by February 28th, 2018. Proposals must specify which conference theme the paper addresses, and indicate the author’s contact information and institutional affiliation.

The Eurel prize will be awarded at the 2018 conference. It is open to PhD students and young researchers (less than 3 years after defence of the doctorate). Specify in your proposal if you are in such a situation.

Authors will be notified by March 31st 2018 if their proposal has been accepted. The organizers will cover accommodation for one night and all meals for presenters. Transportation fees will not be taken in charge.

Papers must be presented in English or French, normally no more than 20 minutes. If possible, the presentation documents will be in the language not used for the presentation. Although not not mandatory for participation, this would be appreciated.

Scientific Committee: Helge Årsheim (Norway), Erlend From (Norway), Sylvie Toscer-Angot (France), Michał Zawiślak (Poland), Anne-Laure Zwilling (France).

https://non-religion.sciencesconf.org/.

Conference Announcement / Call for Papers: Ecclesiology and Ethnography Conference 2018

START: September 11, 2018 - 11:00 am

END: September 13, 2018 - 1:30 pm

ADDRESS: St John’s College, 3 South Bailey, DH1 3RJ   VIEW MAP

This is the annual conference for the network bringing together scholars working on ethnographic approaches to ecclesiology.

It is is a wide ranging conference, and part of the joy is discovering a diversity of specialisms and learning.  Past papers have included ethnography, anthropology, systematic theology, ecclesiology, practical theology and social science approaches.  Attendees range from professors to local ministers and this is an excellent place to present as a post graduate or early career researcher, or as a pastor/scholar in ministry.  Learning is generously shared and critiques are supportive.  We encourage single and multi-authored papers.  All papers are to be circulated prior to the event to enhance conference conversations and interaction. Established scholars, doctoral students as well as pastor/scholars working in church settings are welcome to propose papers.

If you are interested in proposing a paper, please click here to find more information and a proposal form.

The Conference is run in association with The Department of Theology and Religion and St John’s College, Durham University and is based in St John’s College, in the centre of historic Durham. Our meals and accommodation will also be within the college. There will be the usual folk music evening on 12th September.  A limited number of en-suite rooms are available, allocated on a first come, first served basis.  Please email avril.c.baigent@durham.ac.uk with any dietary restrictions that you may have. If you require an additional night of accommodation, please email Sue Hobson at the college directly at s.l.hobson@durham.ac.uk. Please also let Sue know if you will be arriving later in the evening.  St John’s College is about a fifteen minute walk from Durham Rail Station. From Newcastle airport you can ride the Metro to Newcastle Central Station, where you can find frequent trains to Durham. Otherwise, you can book a car with Airport Express to take you from the airport directly to St John’s College.

Booking is now open: please click here to register.

Click HERE to see a conference timetable.

Conference Call for Papers Conference: ‘Religion Matters’

Conference: ‘Religion Matters’: Celebrating the Work of Professor Peter Lineham

Dates: Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 December 2018
Location: Massey University (Albany Campus)

At the end of 2018 Professor Peter Lineham will ‘retire’ after a lifetime of service and employment as an historian at Massey University. Over that time Peter has made exceptional contributions on many fronts, perhaps most notably through enriching scholarly and public understanding of religion and the history of Aotearoa New Zealand. In this respect, his many writings, conference papers, radio and TV interviews, and his influence on countless students and thesis writers all bear testimony to a remarkable impact and legacy. Peter is best known as an historian of religion. Yet his work has always been characterised by an extraordinary range – addressing diverse traditions, historical and contemporary concerns, and issues extending from print culture to politics, sectarianism to sport, and welfare to demographic change. A consistent thread has been to examine, through bold arguments and in more intimate detail, how and why ‘religion matters’; and to tease out the interwoven dimensions of religion, society and culture, whether in Aotearoa New Zealand, our region, or in a wider global perspective. Peter has also consistently sought to provoke curiosity and spark healthy debate, typically with a splash of sparkle and fun.

‘Religion Matters’ seeks to honour Peter and his contributions through a dedicated conference, exploring this theme in the context of New Zealand and further afield. This two-day event will be based at Massey University’s Albany campus. It will combine lively academic examinations of the ‘Religion Matters’ theme, a celebration dinner, and opportunity for colleagues and connections of Peter to interact together and with him.

The keynote speaker is Dr Meredith Lake, author of the recently-published and already acclaimed volume The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History (New South Books, 2018); see further https://www.meredithlake.com/meet-meredith . Professor Michael Belgrave and the Rev. Dr Allan Davidson will directly address Peter’s academic career and public contribution. Peter will also have a right of reply.

Therefore, we invite offers of papers from historians and others that address the conference theme, ‘Religion Matters’, in relation to New Zealand or other contexts. In keeping with Peter’s wide interests, we anticipate that papers will cover a range of relevant approaches and issues, including critique of the conference theme.

Paper proposals should be sent by email to Dr Hugh Morrison (hugh.morrison@otago.ac.nz ) in the form of a 200 word (maximum) abstract, with a paragraph outlining academic or professional background.

All proposals need to be received by Friday 10 August, 2018. Accepted papers will be notified by Friday 7 September.

Sponsored by the Religious History Association of Aotearoa New Zealand and the School of Humanities, Massey University

Call for Papers & Sessions: AASR and NZASR joint Conference 2018

Australian Association for the Study of Religion and the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religion

November 29, 2018 – November 30, 2018
at: University of Auckland – visit site: https://www.nzasr.ac.nz/conference/index.php/annual/2018

Theme:  Ngā Wāhi Tapu/Sacred Place: Continuity and Change

Due date for proposals: July 15, 2018

The third Joint Conference of the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions (NZASR) and the Australian Association for the Study of Religions (AASR) will be hosted by the University of Auckland 29-30 November 2018. The plenary sessions of the conference this year will be held in the Waipapa Marae and the Maclaurin Chapel, two sacred sites on the University of Auckland campus, which reveal both continuity and change in this particular context.

The study of sacred place has been receiving renewed attention in the interdisciplinary study of religion. It includes a consideration of familiar institutions—temples, shrines, and churches—but also extends to less visible sites that ground everyday life in ritual practices in the home or in public spaces that are outside the boundaries of “official” religion. In spite of the evidence for secularization, the renewal and revitalization of sacred places is occurring in contemporary societies and transforming many urban areas such as Auckland, Sydney, and Melbourne. This is due in part to recent patterns of immigration and the growth in religious diversity with the arrival of new religious traditions and the flourishing of diaspora communities. The movement of peoples and the increase in interreligious encounters is creating a dynamic situation of mutual transformation and contributing to both de/re-territorialization of religion as some sacred sites are appropriated by new actors and groups representing alternatives to established religious institutions.

Paper and panel proposals are invited to address a number of questions and issues surrounding the conference theme. How do demographic trends—both domestic and international migration—impact the religious landscape? How is sacred place being represented materially in new ways? What consequences do these new expressions of the sacred have for shaping human values and civil society? How is gender and sexuality regulated in these places? What role do governments play in the protection of traditional sacred sites and in the construction of new ones? Papers addressing these concerns and their relevance for the academic study of religion in the Antipodes are particularly welcome. In addition to proposals related to the conference theme, we also invite submissions on the full range of topics and issues that reflect the diverse fields of specialization, disciplinary approaches, and research interests of our members.

The programme this year will include several keynotes and plenary sessions. Associate Professor Cristina Rocha (Western Sydney University) will give the AASR Presidential Address and Associate Professor Jay Johnston will give the Penny Magee lecture. The NZASR keynote and plenary session will be announced shortly.

Guidelines for Paper and Panel Proposals:

  • Paper proposals should be submitted online at the link below and include the following information: Title, Author, Abstract (maximum 200 words), and University affiliation.
  • For panel proposals, the convener should submit one document that includes the abstracts and author information of each presenter, here: https://www.nzasr.ac.nz/conference/index.php/annual/2018/schedConf/cfp

Bursaries:

The AASR will be offering 6 bursaries of AUD $500 each for postgraduate students to attend the Auckland conference. We invite students to submit abstracts and their CVs by 30 of August in order to apply for these bursaries. Please email A/Professor Cristina Rocha (Western Sydney University / President, AASR): C.Rocha@westernsydney.edu.au

Key information and dates to remember:

  • Deadline for paper proposals: April 4, 2018 - July 15, 2018.
  • An early-bird registration rate (NZ$250) is available to members who register on or before 30 September 2018.
  • An early-bird registration rate (NZ$125) is available to students or other unwaged attendees who register on or before 30 September 2018.
  • The NZASR site will be updated in July with a link to the University of Auckland’s Events Centre, which will manage conference registration and payment, and provide information on accommodations, including both nearby hotels and on-campus options.
  • Principal Conference Contact: Professor Mark Mullins (University of Auckland): m.mullins@auckland.ac.nz

New Book: American Jewish Year Book 2017

Description: American Jewish Year Book 2017

American Jewish Year Book 2017

The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities

Series: American Jewish Year Book, Vol. 117

Dashefsky, Arnold, Sheskin, Ira M. (Eds.)

2018

https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319706627

The American Jewish Year Book, now in its 117th year, is the annual record of the North American Jewish communities and provides insight into their major trends. The first chapter of Part I is an examination of how American Jews fit into the US religious landscape, based on Pew Research Center studies. The second chapter examines intermarriage. Chapters on “The Domestic Arena”  and “The International Arena” analyze the year’s events as they affect American Jewish communal and political affairs. Three chapters analyze the demography and geography of the US, Canada, and world Jewish populations. Part II provides lists of Jewish institutions, including federations, community centers, social service agencies, national organizations, synagogues, Hillels, day schools, camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. The final chapters present national and local Jewish periodicals and broadcast media; academic resources, including Jewish Studies programs, books, journals, articles, websites, and research libraries; and lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries.

Springer Publishing co-sponsors the ISA RC-22 (Sociology of Religion) Varga Prize for New Generation Scholars

New Book: Congregations in Europe

Description: https://images.springer.com/sgw/books/medium/9783319772608.jpg

© 2018

Congregations in Europe

Editors: Monnot, Christophe, Stolz, Jörg (Eds.)

https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319772608

This volume describes and maps congregations of Christian confessions and denominations, as well as groups with Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, and various other spiritual faiths, in different European countries. Consisting of three parts, it presents concrete sociological studies addressing  how established and not established, old and new congregations of various faiths create a new kind of religious diversity at the country level; how religious congregations are challenged and thrive in large cities; and how religious congregations change in the 21st century.

The book enlightens by its descriptive analysis and the theoretical questions it raises concerning the religious transformations happening all over Europe. It addresses issues of religious diversity in the cities of Europe by presenting large studies conducted in cities such as Barcelona in Spain, and Aarhus in Denmark. By means of large-scale censuses taken in areas such as North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany and in countries like Switzerland and Italy, the book shows how the historically established churches restructure their congregations and activities. It clarifies for the new gatherers where and how a new diversity of religious congregations is in the process of being established. Finally, the book covers two important topical issues: pluralisation and secularisation. It provides new data on religious diversity, painting a new picture of secularisation: the impact and structural consequences of the long-term decrease of membership in the established churches.

Springer Publishing co-sponsors the ISA RC-22 (Sociology of Religion) Varga Prize for New Generation Scholars

New Book: Why Religion and Spirituality Matter for Public Health

Description: Why Religion and Spirituality Matter for Public Health

Why Religion and Spirituality Matter for Public Health

Evidence, Implications, and Resources

Series: Religion, Spirituality and Health: A Social Scientific Approach, Vol. 2

Oman, Doug (Ed.)2018

This volume reviews the exploding religion/spirituality (R/S) and health literature from a population health perspective. It emphasizes the distinctive Public Health concern for promoting health and preventing disease in societies, nations, and communities, as well as individuals. Part I offers a rigorous review of mainstream biomedical and social scientific theory and evidence on R/S-health relations. Addressing key gaps in previous literature, it reviews evidence from a population health viewpoint, surveying pertinent findings and theories from the perspective of Public Health subfields that range from Environmental Health Sciences to Public Health Nutrition to Health Policy & Management and Public Health Education. In Part II, practitioners describe in detail how attending to R/S factors enhances the work of clinicians and community health practitioners. R/S provides an additional  set of concepts and tools to address opportunities and challenges ranging from behavior and institutional change to education, policy, and advocacy. Part III empowers educators, analyzing pedagogical needs and offering diverse short chapters by faculty who teach R/S-health connections in many nationally top-ranked Schools of Public Health. International and global perspectives are highlighted in a concluding chapter and many places throughout the volume.

  This book addresses a pressing need for Public Health research, practice and teaching: A substantial evidence base now links religious and spiritual (R/S) factors to health. In the past 20 years, over 100 systematic reviews and 30 meta-analyses on R/S-health were published in refereed journals. But despite this explosion of interest, R/S factors remain neglected in Public Health teaching and research. Public Health lags behind related fields such as medicine, psychology, and nursing, where R/S factors receive more attention. This book can help Public Health catch up. It offers abundant key resources to empower public health professionals, instructors, and students to address R/S, serving at once as a course text, a field manual and a research handbook.

Springer Publishing co-sponsors the ISA RC-22 (Sociology of Religion) Varga Prize for New Generation Scholars