Category Archives: Workshops

Call for Papers: Workshop on religion, state and society in post-communist countries

Tartu, Estonia – February 12-13, 2021

31 July 2020 – deadline for application submission

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and with it the communist camp ceased to exist. All the post-communist states of the Soviet bloc have experienced enormous social, political, economic, and legal transformations and reforms, including the rejection of both official atheism and religious suppression. The collapse has led to a great religious comeback. Traditional religions of majority populations have expanded their holds and have been institutionally strengthened; in many post-communist countries, belonging to a certain religion is seen an essential characteristic of being a good citizen, as it had previously (Pew Research Center, 2017).

Many religious minorities that had gone underground were afforded the opportunity to have legalstatus and have flourished. Further, especially in the immediate aftermath of the communist collapse, religious freedom has allowed for the emergence of new religions and belief systems in these countries. Religions triumphantly returned to the public space with restored and increased influence over public morality, politics, and human
rights discourse, such as debates over same-sex marriage that have divided Western and Eastern Europe.

Nevertheless, different post-communist countries have taken significantly different paths through these thirty years. In some nation-states atheist and secular sentiments have strengthened (Czech Republic) or spirituality of people has become more individualistic (Estonia); some have seen the majority religion split into several churches (Ukraine, Moldova) and then overcome this split (Bulgaria); and, of course, in postcommunist countries the relationship between spiritual and temporal authorities varies significantly. Finally, in many countries in the region, especially in the post-USSR space, the relatively free 1990s gave way to a decline in religious freedom in the 2000s and 2010s, correlating with a decline in political liberalism in Central and Eastern Europe.

In this project, we propose to study the relationship between religion, state, and society in post-communist countries over the past thirty years, including:

  • Religion-state conflicts and alliances
  • Religion, populism and ideologies
  • Legal and political aspects of religion and human rights
  • Interreligious relations and dialogue, including between the majority religion and religious minorities
  • Religion, society and spirituality
  • Religions and social activism, including relations between religious communities and civil society organizations.

We do not seek overviews of religious issues in each of the post-communist states. Rather, we are looking for papers studying the specificities and peculiarities of the region as a whole and the most striking countryspecific cases. Comparative studies are also welcome.

The organizers invite scholars of sociology of religion, religious studies, law and religion, religion and politics, and other relevant studies to submit their abstracts of no more than 300 words and a one-page CV by July 31, 2020 to dmtr.vovk@gmail.com (Dmytro Vovk).

Selections will be made by August 15, 2020. The authors of accepted proposals will be invited to present at a workshop at University of Tartu (Estonia) on February 12-13, 2021. The BYU International Center for Law and Religion Studies will cover travel and lodging expenses for selected participants. Presented papers will be published in a volume by an authoritative international publisher.

Confirmed speakers:

Catherine Wanner, Professor of History, Anthropology, and Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University

Lucian N. Leustean, Reader in Politics and International Relations at Aston University, Birmingham

If the COVID-19 pandemic does not allow an in-person conference, then a series of online meetings with participants will be held to discuss their papers.

Important dates:

31 July 2020 – deadline for application submission

15 August 2020 – results notification

5 January 2021– first drafts must be submitted for dissemination among participants

Project leaders:

Elizabeth Clark, Associate Director of Brigham Young University Law School’s International Center for Law and Religion Studies

Merilin Kiviorg, Senior Research Fellow in Public International Law at University of Tartu, School of Law

Dmytro Vovk, Director of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University Center for Rule of Law and Religion Studies

Early Career Researcher Workshop: “STEMM and Belief in Diverse Contexts”

29-30 June, 2020, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Send expressions of interest to Paula Brikci (P.E.Brikci@bham.ac.uk) by no later than Sunday 1st March, 2020.

Organised by the International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society (INSBS) in association with the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

We invite expressions of interest to participate in the fully-funded, STEMM and Belief in Diverse Contexts Early Career Researcher (ECR) Workshop.

The workshop, which will take place immediately prior to the conference STEMM and Belief in Diverse Contexts: Publics, Praxis, Policy and Pluralism (1-3 July), is aimed at any early career researcher whose work explores any social or cultural aspect of Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths or Medicine (STEMM) in relation to any religious, spiritual or non-religious tradition, position or worldview, including unbelief.

The workshop is open to any researcher who holds a PhD in a relevant subject area, but does not yet have a permanent position in academia, and is no more than 10 years post PhD. The workshop and network is open to researchers from a range of disciplines across the social sciences and humanities, including (but not limited to) sociology of religion, psychology of religion, science and technology studies, sociology of health/medicine, media and cultural studies, social anthropology, politics, the history and philosophy of science/religion and religious studies.

Those interested in participating should send the following information to Paula Brikci (P.E.Brikci@bham.ac.uk) by no later than Sunday 1st March, 2020.

  1. A short biography (max. 200 words)
  2. A short paragraph about how your own research intersects with the research interests of INSBS(max. 200 words)
  3. A short paragraph about why you feel the early career workshop would be beneficial to your career development (max. 200 words)
  4. A short paragraph outlining what kind of sessions, subjects, skills training etc. you would most benefit from at the workshop (max. 200 words)

For those selected to participate, all accommodation and food during the workshop and subsequent conference will be provided, and we will provide participants with an honorarium, which will help to cover the other costs associated with attending the workshop.

Everyone who submits an application will be notified of the decision, and the accompanying honorarium by no later than Thursday 5th March, 2020.

The event is organized by the International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society, in association with the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and is generously funded by the Templeton Religion Trust.

For more information see: https://scienceandbeliefinsociety.org/

BSA Socrel Chair’s Response Day: Teaching Religion

20 March 2020 (10am–4pm)

Teaching and Learning Building, Room E06 at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD.

Abstracts should be up to 300 words long.  Submission deadline:  24 February 2020.

Event Site

Speaker: Dr Dawn Llewellyn, University of Chester

Dr Llewellyn is Senior Lecturer in Christian Studies at the University of Chester and author of Reading, Feminism, and Spirituality (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015). She is a longtime member of Socrel and the current holder of the Teaching and Learning Fellowship awarded by the British Association for the Study of Religions (BASR). Her presentation will take the form of an interactive workshop, designed as an opportunity to share good practice around building learning communities in the study of religion. 

About the Event

This one-day event will gather new ideas, experiences and critiques of the current state of the teaching of religion in the UK and internationally. We will focus primarily on the challenge of teaching the sociological study of religion to undergraduate and graduate students, but we welcome teachers working in any discipline that shares an interest in religion-related topics. Teachers working outside university contexts are also welcome, from those working on knowledge exchange and public education projects to religious educators working in schools.

Possible topics for discussion include (but are not limited to):

  • Radical teaching for the study of religion.
  • Decolonizing the religious studies curriculum.
  • Teaching beyond World Religions.
  • Teaching on strike: teach-outs, picket lines and student responses.
  • Supporting students from diverse backgrounds in the classroom.
  • Positive and negative student experiences of religion on campus.
  • Building a learning community in a TRS department.
  • Students as researchers and teachers.
  • Teaching outside the university.
  • Key factors influencing the status of the sociology of religion within the university.
  • Distance, online and blended learning in the study of religion.
  • Teaching digital skills, using digital resources and employing digital technologies.
  • Training students for the future workplace.

We will also offer time to workshop module ideas, classroom challenges and plans for new activities in small group conversations.

We welcome all papers that enable scholarly reflection on the future shape of pedagogy. Each paper should last 20 minutes, and an additional 10 minutes will be allotted for questions. Proposals for alternative styles of presentation are encouraged.

Contact the Organisers

Registration

Bookings are now OPEN.

BSA Member£36
SocRel Member£41
Non-Member£46
BSA Concessionary Member£15
SocRel Concessionary Member£20
Full-time Student Non-member£25

AASR January Newsletter

Please note that these special Call for Papers are due on 15 January 2020:

Call for manuscripts: special issue on ‘Religion and Violence’ on the Journal for the Academic Study of Religion

Religion and Gender Journal on the Call for manuscripts: special issue on ‘Religion, Gender and Violence’
Call for Papers:

Conferences:

Rethinking​ ​Media, Religion and Secularities. Conference of the International Society for Media, Religion and Culture Conference location: Sigtuna Foundation, Sigtuna, Sweden. Conference dates: 4-7 of August 2020. Deadline extended 14 January 2020. More info.

Navigating the non/confessional in university Islamic studies. University of Birmingham. 20-22 April 2020. Submission deadline 17 January 2020. More info. 

“Religion and the urban, natural and virtual environments”, Bi-Annual Conference of the ESA RN34- Sociology of Religion, Groningen (Netherlands), 26-28 August 2020. Abstract deadline 31 January 2020. More info.

Perception and Reception of Persia research unit (EABS, Wuppertal, August 3rd-6th 2020). Submission deadline: 20 February 2020. More info. 

3rd ANU Religion Conference – Religion and Migration: Culture and Policy. Canberra, 8-10 December 2020. Proposal deadline 30 April 2020. More info. 

PublicationsCall for Papers on Digital Visibilities of the Religious. Deadline 15 January 2020. More info. 

Call for papers on Religion & Ecology for a special issue of Religions. Deadline 31 May 2020.
Events:

7th UN interfaith Harmony lecture in conjunction with Melbourne University Chaplaincy. ‘Pope Francis: His Interfaith and Environmental Perspectives’ by Mr David Schütz on Tuesday 4 February at Melbourne University, 5.30 – 7.30pm. More info. 
Funding Opportunities:

Call for proposals: The Religion and Sexual Abuse Project. Deadline 1 February 2020. More info. 
Postgrad/ECR Opportunities:

PhD on Extreme Beliefs, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam

4 PhD scholarships at the University of Queensland, Atlas of Religion Project

Postdoc positions at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, Arizona State University

Postdoc Fellowship, The Center for Religion and the Human (CRH) at Indiana University

Call for Papers from Sociology of Religion for Advanced Graduate Students

Call for Applications: Workshop “Public Scholarship of Religion in an Age of Hypermediation”

Summer School on Religion and Cultural Change

Also if you’re on Facebook, we have a postgrad page so do join us 🙂 
New Publications:

Alphia Possamai-Inesedy and Alan Nixon (2019)(eds). The Digital Social: Religion and Belief. de Gruyter.

Milad Milani (2019) ‘The “Sufism” of Monsieur Ibrahim‘, in Cultural Fusion of Sufi Islam: Alternative Paths to Mystical Faith, edited by Sarwar Alam. Routledge: Abingdon.

Praveena Rajkobal (2020), The Sarvodaya Movement: Holistic Development and Risk Governance in Sri Lanka. Routledge: London.

Enqi Weng (2020), Media Perceptions of Religious Changes in Australia: Of Dominance and Diversity. Routledge: London.
Have you a new event, job opportunity or latest publication to share with us? Please get in touch with the AASR’s Communication Officer, Dr Enqi Weng, at enqi.weng@deakin.edu.au with details by mid of 2nd and 4th week of each month to be included in our now fortnightly newsletter. Thank you.  

Call for Papers – Religion and Cultural Change Conference

Åbo/Turku, Finland, 8–10 June, 2020

Abstract (150 words) to cscc@utu.fi by 15 January, 2020

Religion and Cultural Change Conference website: www.abo.fi/rccFacebook event 

Keynote speakers: 

  • Prof. Catharina Raudvere, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Prof. Anders Runesson, University of Oslo, Norway
  • Prof. Rebecca Catto, Kent State University, Ohio, USA

Welcome to an interdisciplinary summer school and conference. The aim of this summer school and conference is to bring together doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers from various academic fields that engage with the study of religion, such as theology, religious studies, history, philosophy, the arts, social and political sciences and other. We invite papers that engage with the theme Religion and Cultural Change from both historical and contemporary perspectives, also looking to the future where possible. We understand cultural change both as dramatic breaking points in history and as slowly evolving transformations and will address past, present and emerging trends and trajectories within culture, society and the scholarly community. The societal relevance and impact of our research is also an important theme. The summer school will consist of working groups, tutored by the keynote presenters and other academic teachers, where doctoral candidates are given the opportunity to present and discuss their ongoing PhD work in a cross-disciplinary, international setting. Postdoc researchers will present their papers in sessions running parallel to the summer school. Thematic groups and working groups dealing with particular theories or methodologies may also be held.  

Selected papers from the conference will be published as a special issue of the peer-reviewed open access journal Approaching Religion, published by the Donner Institute: https://journal.fi/ar.For further information, please see the conference website.

To apply, please send an abstract of approximately 150 words to cscc@utu.fi no later than 15 January, 2020.

Letters of acceptance will be posted no later than 15 February, 2020. Upon acceptance to the summer school, doctoral candidates will furthermore be asked to submit a 500-word synopsis of their research theme no later than 1 May, 2020. The summer school is arranged as a joint venture between three different research bodies in Åbo/Turku: the Centre for the Study of Christian Cultures (CSCC) at the University of Turku, the Polin Institute for Theological Research at Åbo Akademi University and the Donner Institute for Research in Religion and Culture (DI). Welcome to Turku/Åbo!

Graduate Student Workshop on Religion, Law, and Politics in the Middle East

Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, US – 23 April 2020

Applicants should send proposals by December 15, 2019

On 23 April 2020, the Middle Eastern Studies Program at Syracuse University will host a one-day interdisciplinary graduate student workshop on religion, law, and politics in the Middle East. The workshop will serve as a venue for advanced graduate students (ABDs) to meet and share their work-in-progress and receive extensive feedback on their dissertation projects from a panel of interdisciplinary experts. The workshop welcomes research conducted on a broad range of topics that addresses the historical and contemporary interactions between religious, legal and political institutions in the Middle East and North Africa region. Students from related disciplines using all types of theoretical and methodological approaches are welcome to apply. Topics include but are not limited to state-religion relations, secularism, religious movements, religious law and courts, religious authority, social movements, political violence, democratization, political parties, gender, sectarianism, colonialism, political systems, migration, and refugees.

During the workshop, participants will also meet with editors from Syracuse University Press and attend a presentation about transforming doctoral dissertations into successful book manuscripts.

The Middle Eastern Studies Program at Syracuse University will cover airfare (up to $750), accommodation (for two nights), and most meals for participants.

Proposals should include 250-word abstract, a short bio, institutional affiliation, contact information, location from which you would be traveling if chosen to attend the workshop, and the estimated cost of travel support you will request.

Applicants should send their proposals by December 15, 2019, to SUMESPGradWorkshop@gmail.com. Acceptance decisions will be made by January 15, 2020. All participants must submit their full papers by March 15, 2020.

Co-Sponsored by:

  • The Middle Eastern Studies Program, Syracuse University,
  • The Daniel Patrick Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs,
  • Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University and
  • Syracuse University Press

CFP: “Mosques, power and politics” Copenhagen, Denmark 22-24 January 2020

Venue: University of Copenhagen, South Campus
Karen Blixens Plads 8, 2300 Copenhagen, Denmark

For this workshop we address the changing politics of mosque building, the different kinds of conflict surrounding the building of a mosque and the symbolic appropriation of territory by the mosque.

The building of a mosque can be seen as a social transformative interaction and accounts for the many stakeholders involved in the construction of mosques (e.g., Muslim organizations, international donors, local politicians, anti-Islam groups and other critics). As such, the mosques and the politics of construction can be seen as microcosms of the discourse on Muslims in a country.

Concerns with security, extremism and visibility of Muslim institutions in the Nordic and Western European countries are causing “existential” difficulties for mosques. The state criticizes mosques and change the politics of religion with reference to incidents in mosques as in Denmark in 2016-18.

This seminar will examine the power strategies used by national and local politicians, examining national legislation and municipal planning on mosques, and will investigate a number of concrete cases of contested mosque building. The operable questions are:

  • What are the political power dynamics at play in mosque building?
  • Do the mosques challenge the existing models of state-religion-relations?
  • How may mosques present and organize themselves to defuse these tensions of power?

Paper abstracts of 300 words and a short CV to be submitted to Niels Valdemar Vinding, lbm993@hum.ku.dk, on November 15th 2019 at the latest. Read more on: https://mosques.ku.dk/nordic-mosques/

Symposium: *Pentecostal Charismatic Christianities and Migration*

Please join us at the symposium Pentecostal Charismatic Christianities and Migration co-convened by the Religion and Society Research Cluster/SSAP, Western Sydney University, and Alphacrucis College.

Date: 2 August 2019

Venue: Level 9, Parramatta City campus, WSU

169 Macquarie St, Parramatta

Keynote Speaker: Associate Prof Richard Vokes, UWA

“‘The Spirit Really Moved Me’: Metaphors of Movement in African-Australian Conversion Narratives”

Symposium Conveners:

  • Prof Cristina Rocha, Religion and Society Research Cluster, WSU
  • Prof Mark Hutchinson, Alphacrucis College
  • Dr Kathleen Openshaw, Religion and Society Research Cluster, WSU
  • Mrs Ingrid Ryan, Alphacrucis College

Symposium Theme

Over the past few decades, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity (PCC) has exploded in the Global South and grown considerably in the Global North. Much of this grow this fuelled by networks of megachurches, the mobility of community leaders across diasporic networks, migration and media. While traditionally missionaries would travel in a North-to- South direction, more recently megachurches from the Global South have moved horizontally, across to other developing countries, and also made inroads in to the Global North in efforts of reverse missionisation. Such attempts to missionise to locals in the Global North have been largely (though not wholly) unsuccessful and churches have turned their focus to migrants from the Global South. Many studies have shown that migrants, who were not attached to PCCs before migration, join churches in the diaspora as they offer them a home away from home. Meanwhile, diasporic churches also face difficulties keeping these (as well as second generation) migrants, since they may prefer local churches in an effort to integrate. This symposium will probe these themes, discussing the many connections between PCCs and migration.

Registration: This is a free event but registration needed for catering purposes.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/pentecostal-and-charismatic-christianity-and- migration-symposium-tickets-64954862743

For more details see attached flyer and  https://pccinaussymposium.wordpress.com/

GENDER, RELIGION AND SEXUALITY SYMPOSIUM

This is an invitation to HDR students and Early Career Academics researching in the interdisciplinary fields of religion, gender and sexuality to attend a one day symposium on:

Saturday, 29 June 2019
at the University of Newcastle Sydney CBD campus
55 Elizabeth St, Sydney
** Register your interest by 21 June 2019!

This one-day symposium brings together postgraduate students and early career researchers working in the interdisciplinary area of religion, gender and sexuality to explore specific issues pertaining to study in this area.

Masterclass 1 (9.30-1pm) Methodological and Ethical Issues in the Study of Religion, Gender and Sexuality

Leaders: Professor Emma Tomalin, University of Leads; Dr Luke Gahan, La Trobe University

This masterclass will explore interdisciplinary approaches to and methodologies in the study of religion, gender and sexuality. The first session will look at the theory of intersectionality when applied to the research and analysis of religion, gender and sexuality in non-western societies. The second session will look at methods and ethics in researching LGBTQI cohorts and issues. Participants will be encouraged to draw on insights from their own research in order to contribute to the discussion, and there will be a pre-symposium reading requirement.

Masterclass 2 (2.00-3.30) Safety in the Research Process

Leader: Dr Kathleen McPhillips, University of Newcastle

Researching across gender issues in the study of religion can expose us to challenging and difficult literature and field sites for which understanding and preparation is essential. This Masterclass will explore some of the pitfalls in the research process, the importance of setting up a safe research environment for participants and researchers and the importance of self-care. The class will introduce a trauma informed model of research practice and will draw upon the expertise of a number of experienced researchers, early career researchers and current HDR students who have worked in challenging research areas. Participants will be invited to share their experiences and there will be a pre-symposium reading requirement.

Discussion (4-5pm)

A final session will address the importance of mentoring for HDR and early career researchers as well as helpful tips about the move from post graduate student to researcher and academic.

This event is fully catered for and morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea is provided.

Registration Costs:

  • HDR Students                                                              $40

  • Early Career Researchers and part-time academics  $50

  • Full time Academics                                                    $100

Please use this link for registration and payment. Deadline: Friday, 21 June 2019.

For more information if required, please email Dr Kathleen McPhillips Kathleen.mcphillips@newcastle.edu.au

Sponsored by:

Introduction to Islamic Codicology

We are once again collaborating  with the Islamic Manuscript Association’s Introduction to Islamic Codicology course on 23–27 September 2019 at Cambridge University Library, Cambridge.

This intensive five-day course will introduce the study of Islamic manuscript codices as physical objects, or the archaeology of the Islamic book. The lectures will provide an overview of writing supports, the structure of quires, ruling and page layout, bookbinding, ornamentation, tools and materials used in book making, the palaeography of book hands, and writing Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) manuscript descriptions. During hands-on sessions, participants will examine Islamic manuscripts from Cambridge University Library’s collections and complete a series of practical exercises on codicological description.

If you are interested then please contact the Association or apply via their website.

Regards
Neil Cunningham
Programmes Manager
Centre of Islamic Studies
University of Cambridge