Fandom and Religion - An international, inter-disciplinary conference
28th-30th July 2015
https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/lifelong-learning/events/fandomconference/fandom
About the Conference
Call for Papers (see, https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/lifelong-learning/events/fandomconference/call-for-papers)
This conference will take place at the University of Leicester’s award-winning new Conference Centre, College Court. The Conference will explore interactions between religion and popular culture. How does fandom work? What is happening to fans as they express their enthusiasms and allegiances? Has fandom replaced or become a form of religion? What can the study of religion learn from explorations of fandom? This event will provide opportunity for participants to explore these and other questions about popular culture and religion in plenary, panel and short paper sessions. Speakers will include:
- Matt Hills (Aberystwyth, author of Fan Cultures)
- John Maltby (Leicester)
- Chris Partridge (Lancaster, author of The Lyre of Orpheus)
- Tracy Trothen (Queen’s, Ontario)
- with John Lyden and Eric Mazur (co-editors of The Routledge Companion to Religion and Popular Culture)
A main plenary strand will focus on fandom and religion. In addition, there will be opportunities for researchers, and scholars/practitioners interested in the religion/popular culture interchange to offer short papers and presentations.
Researchers in all academic disciplines are welcome. The conference is designed to enable tricky, challenging, invigorating, stimulating intellectual encounter to occur, and fresh insights to be formed, in a way which benefits both theorists and practitioners.
Organised through the Theology, Religion and Popular Culture Network, with the support of: UskoMus Research Network (University of Turku and at Åbo Akademi University), CODEC (University of Durham), Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts (University of St Andrews) , Network for
Religion in Public Life (University of Exeter) , The Christian Congregational Music Studies Network.