Author: katieaston

Posted on by katieaston Teaching

Postgraduate Part-time Research Assistants: ‘Religious Diversity and Secular Models in Europe – Innovative Approaches to Law and Policy’

Advertisement for the post of Postgraduate Part-time Research Assistants

The Department of Law is seeking to employ two suitably qualified Postgraduate Research Assistants to work within the research project RELIGARE. These are EU grant funded positions. The project researches the area of: ‘Religious Diversity and Secular Models in Europe – Innovative Approaches to Law and Policy’.

Candidates will be required to undertake research in collaboration with and under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, Dr Prakash Shah, in order to realise the objectives and development of the research programme. Duties will involve writing case notes, assisting in the organisation of project meetings, attending project meetings, coordinating volunteers’ activities, and writing and editing research papers and reports. Good academic and legal writing skills are necessary.

These are part-time, fixed term posts available for 6 months. The posts are to commence mid March 2012 or as soon as possible thereafter. Remuneration will be made on an hourly basis and will be in the range of £15.43 – £16.27 per hour depending on the tasks allocated and experience of the employee. Benefits include 30 days annual leave (pro-rata) and defined benefit pension scheme.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Where required, this may include entry clearance or continued leave to remain under the Points Based Immigration Scheme.

Informal enquiries should be addressed to please contact Dr Prakash Shah (prakash.shah@qmul.ac.uk).

Details about the department and further particulars are available from: www.laws.qmul.ac.uk

Further details and an application form can be found at: http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/hr/vacancies/jobs.php?id=2882

Completed application forms, quoting 12012/NL, should be returned to law-recruitment@qmul.ac.uk. Applications must be made on the official College application form and must include the applicant’s CV and the names of three referees.

The closing date for applications is 4th March 2012 at 17:00 hrs BST and interviews will be held shortly thereafter.

Posted on by katieaston Calls for Papers, News and Events

CFP: International Workshop on Religion, Politics and Policy-making in Russia: Domestic and International Dimensions

For members of the group interested in secularism and religion in the public sphere and distinctions in the role of policy making, this conference has some scope for inclusion.

International Workshop

Religion, Politics and Policy-making in Russia: Domestic and International Dimensions

Center for EU-Russia Studies (CEURUS), University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

June 6-7, 2012

Organizers: Prof Jerry G. Pankhurst (Wittenberg University, USA; visiting Fulbright scholar at the University of Tartu) and Alar Kilp (University of Tartu)

The Center for EU-Russia Studies (CEURUS) at the University of Tartu invites your participation in a workshop on Religion, Politics and Policy-making in Russia: Domestic and International Dimensions. The workshop is meant to highlight new research on the questions of religion and politics in Russia, to foster collaborative relations for future projects, and to provide an opportunity for everyone to learn about high-quality research that is being carried out in this area of inquiry.

The program organizers seek to explore the politics of religious affairs in Russia and the former Soviet countries and to assess the activities and role of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and other organized religious groups in domestic and foreign policy. Issues related to religious diversity and religious tolerance in Russia and the neighboring countries are also of interest.

Confirmed keynote speakers include Irina Papkova, Professor of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations at the Central European University, and Viacheslav Karpov, Professor of Sociology at Western Michigan University.

Workshop organizers will actively seek opportunities to publish selected papers in a special issue of a journal or in an edited volume.

Workshop Venue: University of Tartu, Estonia. Tartu is a home to one of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe. It was founded by the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus in 1632. Today the University of Tartu is the only classical university in Estonia. It is a leading center of research and training, ranked among the 400 best universities of the world by Times Higher Education. The city of Tartu is a charming university town whose relaxed and sophisticated atmosphere creates a perfect environment for scholarly conversations. Tartu is well-served with bus and train connection with the city of Tallinn and its Lennart Meri Airport. There are also flights to Tartu from Tallinn (Estonian Air) and Helsinki (Flybe, in connection with Finnair). For more information, see: http://www.tartu.ee; http://www.ut.ee.

Who may participate? We invite scholars of Russian religious affairs and scholars with research focusing on the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church both in and outside of Russia. Graduate students carrying out advanced work are welcomed to submit proposals for a presentation.

The workshop sessions will be open to the public. Anyone who has a serious and informed interest in scholarly research on the topical issues is invited to attend the presentations and participate in question and answer sessions.

Cost: There will be no registration fee for this workshop. The sponsoring organizations will host a reception and a dinner but are not able to cover travel or accommodation expenses of individual participants. However, limited travel support is available to participants from the CIS countries. CEURUS will assist as much as possible with information about local accommodations and other arrangements. If you have questions, please contact Britt Ressar at britt.ressar@ut.ee

Proposing a paper: If you are interested in presenting a paper, please consider the topic preferences below and send your abstract (250-300 words) and a succinct statement of your present position and recent publications and grants (if any) to Alar Kilp (alar.kilp@ut.ee).

The deadline for receiving abstracts for consideration for the program is April 2, 2012.

Abstracts will the evaluated by the workshop organizers for quality of scholarship and appropriateness for the program structure and workshop theme. Authors of abstracts selected to be presented will be notified by April 13 via email.

Full papers by presenters will be due by 25 May, 2012. Send papers via email to Alar Kilp (alar.kilp@ut.ee)

Potential Topics for Workshop Presentations: Below are some areas of special interest, but this is not a complete list of options for the program. Within the overall guidelines of the workshop, all proposals will be given serious consideration even if their topics are not explicitly listed below.

o What is the political and social role and influence of the Russian Orthodox Church (including its role in Russian politics in general, its role in Russian foreign policy/international affairs, contributions to EU-Russia relations)?

o What is the nature of religious or church engagement in various social and political institutions in Russia (schools, marriage, military, prisons, etc.)

o Given Russia’s religious diversity, what is the state of inter-group relations on a scale of tolerance-intolerance or accommodated-alienated? Of special interest is the state of adaptation and acceptance of Muslim groups in Russia.

o What are the issues related to religion in the Russian diaspora in the EU (including the Baltic states) and the Russian “Near Abroad” – religious practices, needs; role of Orthodox churches, Eastern orthodoxy in Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia?

o How well have Russian practices and policies lived up to European norms regarding religion? What are the European concerns regarding freedom of religion/religious life in Russia? What is the role of various European institutions: ECHR, Council of Europe, European Parliament, OSCE, etc.?

o To what extent have Russian religious groups been active in European governing institutions like those just named? How much do Russians see these institutions as appropriate venues for their own political or politically relevant pursuits?

o How much and in what ways have Russian religious groups expressed their concerns about problems in religious conditions in Europe, excessive secularity in Europe, and the like?

o To what extent and in what ways is the Russian Orthodox Church engaged in a “politics of family values” on the broader European stage? How are common interests with Orthodox churches of the countries of the European Union enlisted in these endeavors, and how are non-Orthodox churches (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, other Protestant churches, etc.) involved with the Russian Orthodox? Are non-Christian groups, especially Jews and Muslims, involved in these efforts?

o Explorations of additional issues in the area of politics and religion related to Russia will be considered for inclusion in the workshop program.

Additional information: Workshop participants may be interested in a conference at the University of Tartu that is scheduled to take place in the week following this workshop. It is the 2012 annual conference of CIHEC, the Commission Internationale d’Histoire et d’etudes du Christianisme. For more information on this conference, see http://www.history.ac.uk/cihec/our-conferences

Posted on by katieaston Calls for Papers, News and Events

CFP: Alternative Salvations, 18 September 2012

Space for secular and non-religious readings of salvation, particularly for those working in a variety of Christian cultural contexts.
One Day Conference, Sept 18th 2012, University of Chester

The conference will explore how ‘unorthodox’ readings of sacred texts inform salvation experience; how life
transformations outside of religious contexts might be considered spiritual; how ideas of this-worldly salvation
are politicised; how ideas of salvation are simultaneously secularised and infused with new power; what alternative salvations can be discovered within Christianity and how might they be practised? In particular, we are seeking to  explore the ways that alternative religious, spiritual and secular understandings of the notion of salvation already shape, and have the potential to shape, how people live and act in Christian and post-Christian contexts .

This exciting conference breaks new ground in exploring alternative approaches to salvation. Proposals for
short papers are invited on any aspect of the theme of ‘alternative salvations’ as outlined here. Papers will normally be 20 minutes in length with an additional 10 minutes for discussion. Applications to submit a short paper should include:
• Proposer’s name and affiliation
• a title for the paper
• a 200 word abstract
• Details of any audio-visual equipment you will need to deliver your paper
Short paper proposals should be submitted to alternativesalvations@chester.ac.uk by no later than 4:00pm on 16th April 2012.

Applicants should know the outcome of their proposal by 18th May 2012.
Conference costs: £28 (£18 for unwaged and students) inclusive of lunch and refreshments.

If you would like any further information, please contact: alternativesalvations@chester.ac.uk

Posted on by katieaston News and Events

Event: SOCREL Postgraduate Event at Chester Tuesday 27 March – Wenesday 28 March

POSTGRADUATES EVENT

Aspiring Academics: From Research to Recognition.

There are still limited places left for this SOCREL Postgraduate Event at Chester, just before the conference. The event is being sponsored by the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies and runs from Tuesday 27th March (2 pm) – Wed 28th March (2 pm). This event will take place at the same venue as the conference and is open to SOCREL PG members. Be sure to book accommodation, as it is not included in the registration price (see attached form to book Tuesday night accommodation for this).

For further information please visit www.socrel.org.uk

The 2012 SOCREL Conference is next month. We are looking forward to an array of rich papers that will be addressing religion in relation to the media, education, secularism, gender and diaspora, sexuality and race, health and work, and class and politics. An updated draft conference programme is now available: http://www.socrel.org.uk

If you have not registered yet and would like to, please go to the registration page (registration closes on March 14th.)

 

Posted on by katieaston Publications

Publication: The Insider and Outsider Problem

A slightly shameless plug of my own work, (but also in keeping with a non-religion and religion discourse) just published on the Religious Studies Project Site.  The piece was published by the Religious Studies Project, on 24 February 2012 responds to the Religious Studies Project Interview with George Chryssides on The Insider/Outsider Problem (20 February 2012)

 

Posted on by katieaston News and Events

Event Reminder: Monday 27th February, Matthew Engelke, The stuff of funerals: Material culture and commemoration for the non-religious of London

Last minute reminder for an earlier event posting.

UCL anthropology department run a weekly Material, Visual and Digital Culture Research Seminar Series

Details: Mondays 5 pm- 6.30 pm, followed by drinks Daryll Forde Seminar Room, 2nd floor, 14 Taviton St.

The whole series looks great, but of particular interest is Dr. Matthew Engelke’s seminar on non-religious funerals, commemoration and funerals in London:

February 27: Mathew Engelke (LSE)
The stuff of funerals: Material culture and commemoration for the non-religious of London

More details on the UCL seminar site

Posted on by katieaston News and Events

Event: Conference on Digital religion at the Donner institute

Following the earlier event listing regarding digital media and religion, this event should also be included. The event does not elude to secular spaces, but  technology, media and social networking spaces are contested ground for secular and religious meaning making. The conference will address the ways in which religious communities are challenged by these technologies and in what ways they negotiate new digital phenomenon.

Conference: Digital religion at the Donner institute

13-15 June 2012 in Åbo / Turku, Finland

Place:
Åbo Akademi University
Asa
Fänriksgatan 3 / Vänrikinkatu 3
Åbo / Turku/
Finland

The theme we have chosen for the Donner Institute 23rd Symposium is Digital Religion.
The conference “Digital Religion” aims to explore the complex relationship between religion and digital technologies of communication. Digital religion encompasses a myriad of connections between religion and digital technologies of communication and the goal of the conference is to approach the subject from multiple perspectives.

Developments in digital technologies are having a noticeably growing impact on the very character and nature of contemporary religious life and practice across the globe. Digital technologies of communication – epitomized in the continuing development and proliferation of the Internet and online modes of communication – are providing religious communities of virtually all strands with new means, environments and arenas within and through which to interact, express, and communicate their message in ways unknown to previous generations.

For many religious communities, this development has undoubtedly brought a whole host of challenges. Many religious communities today find themselves struggling with how to come to terms with a rapidly expanding Internet-based communications environment that challenges traditional understandings of religious mediation and religious authority. Nevertheless, there are also religious communities that have faced the challenges head on and come to thrive thanks to the new technologies or whose very existence is dependent on e.g. the Internet.

From a scholarly perspective, this development is intimately connected to ongoing debates about the impact of accelerating processes of mediatization and digitalization on contemporary religious life and practice. Though religion has colonized many different forms of digital media, it has also doubtlessly been altered by the media. This process is, however, complex and moves in several directions. Though digital technologies no doubt transform religion and the contemporary religious landscape, religion too can be argued to have an impact on the digital world.

Subjects for papers include but are not limited to the following:

– Theoretical, methodological and historical approaches to “digital religion”
– Empirical studies of “religion on line”, “online religion”, and the relation between “online” and “offline” religion
– New media and transnational religious networks
– Challenges and/or opportunities for religions by digital media
– The Internet as an arena for religious/spiritual community
– Authority and legitimacy in digital religion
– Technological development and religious change
– Religion and digital media: appropriations, configurations, impacts
– Digital religion: generational, demographic, and geographical aspects
– Religious communicational strategies and digital technologies

Keynote speakers:
Ass. Prof. Heidi Campbell, Texas A & M University, Texas
Prof. Mia Lövheim, Uppsala University, Sweden
Prof. Jolyon Mitchell, University of Edinburg, UK
Dr. Marcus Moberg, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
Dr. Alexander Ornella, University of Hull, UK
Prof. Michael Pye, Phillips-Universität Marburg, Germany
Dr. Sofia Sjö, Åbo Akademi University, Finland

Finally, we would like to inform you that the lectures will be published, in English, French or German, in volume 25 of the Donner Institute series Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis. The published version of your lecture may be longer than the one you present at the symposium. We will be happy to receive a digital and publishable version of your lecture already at the symposium but no later than October 31 2012.

Registration:

The registration fee is 150 €. (75 € for accompanying person)

The fee should be paid by the end of April 2012.
Account number: Nordea FI 12 20571800020055  NDEAFIHH
Name of the accountholder: Stiftelsen för Åbo Akademi (Foundation of Åbo Akademi University)

The registration fee includes an excursion and a banquet organised in connection with the symposium.

Please indicate in your registration whether you wish to participate in the excursion and the banquet.

Address:

Donner institute
PB 70
FIN-20501 Åbo / Turku
Finland
E-mail: donner.institute@abo.fi
Tel.: +358 20 786 1450

WELCOME

Tore Ahlbäck, Joakim Alander, Björn Dahla,
Ruth Illman and Anna Nyman

Åbo/Turku 08.11.2011

Posted on by katieaston News and Events

Event: Crossroads of Civilizations: Media, Religion and Culture July 8-12, 2012

The secularisation thesis posited that disenchantment would follow modernity, much research has now proved that not only has this reality failed to emerge, but that the vehicle of modernity – technology – has also been a tool for enchantment and religious revival. The conference below explores this relationship, of media and religion and should provide interesting discussions for those interested in media landscapes from both religious and secular perspectives. The event is organised by the The International Society for Media, Religion, and Culture (ISMRC) and follows a series of events which they have run biennially, this being their 8th conference.

The International Conference

Crossroads of Civilizations: Media, Religion and Culture

July 8-12, 2012

Anadolu University

Eskisehir, TURKEY

(in between Istanbul and Ankara)

The International Conference on Media, Religion, and Culture, organized every two years by the International Society for Media, Religion, and Culture, invites papers for its July 8-12, 2012 conference to be held in Eskisehir, Turkey (outside of Istanbul), at Anadolu University.

In contemporary societies, electronic media such as smart mobile phones, satellite television, radio, and laptop computers have become ubiquitous. Although historians point out that world religions have always been mediated by culture in some way, people have incorporated these electronic media into everyday practices, and industries and state organizations have arisen to profit from those practices, in ways that are unprecedented. Today’s media can connect people and ideas with one another, but they also foster misunderstandings and reinforce societal divisions. They may provide the means for the centralization of religious authority, or the means to undermine it. Scholars of religion, as well as scholars of media and of culture, must consider how these various societal institutions of the media interact with one another and with systems of religion, governance, and cultural practices, as our societies demand better means by which to understand emergent concerns in an increasingly interconnected, globalized context.

The contemporary location of Turkey has long been the meeting place between Eastern and Western culture, religion, trade, and communication. This conference provides a crossroads for scholars, doctoral students, media professionals, and religious leaders from a variety of religious and secular traditions to meet and exchange ideas. Interdisciplinary scholarship is welcome, as is comparative work, theoretical development, and in-depth ethnographic studies that shed light on contemporary phenomena at the intersection of media, religion, and culture.

Papers, panels, workshops, and roundtable proposals could address, but should not be limited to:

* Global and Glocal Media and Religion(s)

* Mediation and Mediatization of Religion

* Media and The Boundaries of the Religious and the Secular

* Media, Power, Religion and Democracy

* Religion and Visual Expression

* Crossroads of Old/New Media and Religion

* Religion, Gender and Media

* Dialogue/Conflict: Media and Religion

* Islam and Media/ Islamic Media

* Social Media, Religion and Cultures

Presentation Formats

This year we will be accepting proposals in four formats: papers, panels, workshops and roundtables.

Panels bring together in discussion four participants or presentations representing a range of ideas and projects. Roundtables may include more individuals who comment on a common theme in briefer formats.

Panels and roundtables are scheduled for 90 minutes and should include a mix of individuals working in areas of research, theory, and practice. We also encourage the use of discussants.

Workshops provide an opportunity for hands-on exploration and/or project development. They can be organized around a core challenge that participants come together to work on or around a tool, platform, or concept. Workshops are scheduled for 90 minutes and should be highly participatory.

Posted on by katieaston News and Events

Event: Conference Religions, Science and Technology in Cultural Contexts: Dynamics of Change March 1 -3 2012

Sadly registration to this event is now closed, but I wanted to bring it to the attention of the community. The conference addresses one of the key themes in the secularity debate, science. The debate has run long, but hopefully this event will provide a more nuance and complex view of the these categories beyond the typical binary.

International Association for the History of Religions Special Conference 2012

Religions, Science and Technology in Cultural Contexts: Dynamics of Change

Venue: NTNU-The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
1-3 March 2012

In current public and academic debates, the complex relationships between ‘religion’ and ‘science’ tend to be reduced into one between monolithic entities. By exploring historical and contemporary interactions between religions, science and technology, a more complex understanding may be reached of the areas and ways in which they overlap, correspond, challenge and conflict with each other.

This conference seeks to explore how religions, science and technology interact and generate change (progressive, reactive, regressive), particularly in relation to such issues as the environment and climate change; the economy; welfare; life expectancy; popular representation; and sexual equality.

Of particular interest are explorations of dynamic relationships between worldviews/cosmologies, socio-cultural practices and technologies; and of ‘the politics of change’, i.e. how different actors seek to convince the public of the benefits of their own approaches or of the detriment of ‘the others’ approaches.

Keynote speakers:

-Tim Jensen, University of Southern Denmark

-Ingvild Gilhus, University of Bergen

-Donald Lopez, University of Michigan

-Taner Edis, Truman State University

The conference is organized by the Department of Archaeology and Religious Studies of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

Registration fee until 1 December 2011 is 250 EUR, which includes conference materials, lunches and refreshments. There will also be bursaries for participants from lower income countries.

For any type of inquiries, you are welcome to contact the Conference secretary, Filip Ivanovic (filip.ivanovic@ntnu.no).

1 Comment Posted on by katieaston News and Events

Event: Second Asian Conference on Ethics, Religion and Philosophy, to be held from March 30-April 1 2012

Please find details below of the Second Asian Conference on Ethics, Religion and Philosophy, to be held from March 30-April 1 2012. As suggested by its introduction, Japan provides a cultural setting where religion and the secular meet so it may be of interest to those scholars of secular moral and ethical frameworks.

The International Academic Forum in conjunction with its global partners is proud to announce the Second Asian Conference on Ethics, Religion and Philosophy, to be held from March 30-April 1 2012, at the Ramada Osaka Hotel, Osaka, Japan.

Hear the latest research, publish before a global audience, present in a supportive environment, network, engage in new relationships, experience Japan, explore Osaka and Kyoto, join a global academic community.

CONFERENCE THEME: “Trust”

Where better than Japan to explore dynamic and exciting cultural collisions of East and West?  As the first and only developed non-Western country, Japan is an amazing juxtaposition of cultures, of ancient and modern, and of religious and secular. As such it is the perfect backdrop to what promises to be an exciting interdisciplinary and intercultural discussion, based around questions of Ethics, Religion and Philosophy.

The aim of this International Conference is to encourage academics, scholars and practitioners representing a exciting diversity of countries, cultures, and religion  to meet and exchange ideas and views in a forum encouraging respectful dialogue. By bringing together a number of university scholars working throughout Japan, Asia, and beyond to share ideas, ACERP 2012 will afford the opportunity for renewing old acquaintances, making new contacts, and networking across higher education and beyond.

As with IAFOR’s other events, and in line with its “Education Without Borders” initiative, academics working in Japan and Asia will be encouraged to forge working relationships with each other, as well as with colleagues from Europe, the US, and beyond, facilitating partnerships across borders.

 

 

 

 

 

We hope you can join us in Osaka in 2012!

  The Reverend Professor Stuart D. B Picken

Order of the Sacred Treasure, B.D., Ph.D., F.R.A.S.

Chairman, Japan Society of Scotland,

Chairman of the IAFOR International Advisory Board

ACERP 2012 Conference Chair