Author: katieaston

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Event: “Ethics as Piety” Webb Keane hosted by LSE – All Welcome

Please see below for the upcoming Forum on Religion event.

“Ethics as Piety”

Speaker: Webb Keane (University of Michigan)
Chair: Charles Stafford (London School of Economics)

Date: 27 June 2012, 18.00-19.30

Venue: London School of Economics, New Academic Building Room LG.09 (off Lincoln’s Inn Fields)

Sponsored by the Anthropology Department and the Programme for the Study of Religion and Non-Religion.

Assuming that what we call “religion” and “ethics” are in principle distinct from each other, what is the conceptual relationship between them? What are the historical pathways along which the two often seem to converge? What are the social implications of that convergence where it occurs? And when they converge, what remainder escapes the conflation of these two? These are, of course, very large questions, whose investigation requires substantial empirical and conceptual work. In the interests of carrying out a preliminary ground-clearing, this talk is confined to reflections on a limited number of texts. Discussion of these texts will centre on how certain traditions within Islam and Protestant Christianity objectify ethics in ways that render them cognitively explicit and thus expose them to pressures toward rationalisation, generalisation, and abstraction. But these traditions also expect ethics to guide everyday life, in all its concrete particularity, with potentially paradoxical consequences.

The event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis.

See here for more details

If you have any queries regarding this event, please contact Dr Matthew Engelke (m.engelke@lse.ac.uk)


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Publication: Approaching Religion Vol 2/1‏ The New Visibility of Atheism in Europe

A new publication has been announced of interest to the NSRN. Contributors below include the NSRN director Stephen Bullivant and other contributors to our upcoming annual conference.

Approaching Religion

Vol. 2/ 1 (June, 2011)

Theme: The New Visibility of Atheism in Europe

Contributors:

Grace Davie, Phil Zuckerman, Teemu Taira, Thomas Zenk, Teuvo Laitila, Tiina Mahlamäki, Gavin Hyman, Mattias Martinson, Stuart McAnulla, Stephen Bullivant, Lise Kanckos, Mikko Sillfors.

AR is published by the Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History in Åbo, Finland. Its purpose is to publish current research on religion and to offer a platform for scholarly co-operation and debate within the field. The journal appears twice a year and consists of articles and book reviews. It addresses an international readership and, as the title suggests, approaches the field of religion from a broad perspective, engaging contributors from different theoretical and methodological traditions.

Posted on by katieaston Calls for Papers, News and Events

CFP: Rethinking Religion in India conference: Secularism, Religion and Law

Deadline for abstracts 15 August 2012

Rethinking Religion in India conference to be held on 24-27 November 2012 held by the  the research programme Vergelijkende Cultuurwetenschap (Comparative Science of Cultures)

In 2003, the Research Centre Vergelijkende Cultuurwetenschap (“Comparative Science of Cultures”) was established at Ghent University, Belgium, under the directorship of Prof. S.N. Balagangadhara. The Research Centre promotes research on cultural differences between Asia and the West and has a special focus on European and Indian culture.

Parallel Paper Sessions

We invite submission of max. 300 word abstracts on the following themes:

  • The colonial construction of Hinduism
  • The caste system and Indian religion
  • Secularism in Europe and India
  • Religious conversion in India
  • Religious and communal violence
  • Religion and Law

In case there is a second author, please indicate this clearly in your abstract.

“How to…?” Workshops

We invite proposals for workshop sessions that address a concrete question such as ‘How to teach about the Indian religions and traditions?’ or ‘How to develop de-colonised descriptions of the Indian traditions?’ will be addressed. Even though the aim of these sessions is to involve the audience in a more active way, the structure of these sessions is left open: the sessions could consist of presentations, a discussion among a panel of experts on a particular theme, a discussion with the audience introduced and moderated by a chair. It is left to the organiser of a ‘how to…?’ workshop to decide upon this.

Workshop proposals should explain why this workshop is important vis-à-vis the general objectives of Rethinking Religion in India. They should also contain an outline of the planned structure of the session with the number and names of speakers, moderator and/or other participants.

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Event: “The Power of the Sacred and the Secular” 14-16 August 2012

Registration for the Aboagora symposium closes on 15th June!

ABOAGORA – BETWEEN ARTS AND SCIENCES

Turku, 14-16 August 2012

Aboagora is an event that promotes dialogue between the arts, humanities and sciences, and aims at challenging and breaking boundaries between arts and the scholarly world. The programme consists of workshops, keynote lectures and concerts. Aboagora is a joint effort by the Turku Music Festival, the Department of Cultural History at the University of Turku and the Donner Institute, Åbo Akademi University.

“The Power of the Sacred and the Secular”

The theme for 2012 focuses on a process that is fundamental to Western culture, that of separation between sacral and secular culture. This opens a fruitful perspective on the dialogue between the arts and the academia, since the concept of the secular is vigorously debated in both fields. In 2012 Aboagora seeks to turn critical attention to such questions as the role of religion in contemporary society, the return of mysticism and spirituality to public discussion and the so-called post-secular. In special focus are the issues of power and religion in relation to questions of gender and sexuality, sacred and secular love, Medieval inquisition, cinema and architectural space, cognitive science and quantum physics.

Keynote speakers include Gianni Vattimo (Philosophy, Italy), Miri Rubin (History, UK), Marion Bowman (Religious Studies, UK) and Juhani Pallasmaa (Architecture, Finland)

The workshop members include Kari Enqvist (Physics), Ilkka Pyysiäinen (Religious Studies), Sabrina Maniscalco (Physics), Andrew Yip (Sociology), Salla Tuori (Gender Studies), Elina Pirjatanniemi (Human Rights), Peter Nynäs (Religious Studies), Benjamin Zeller (Religious Studies), Terhi Utriainen (Religious Studies), Erik Steinskog (Music Studies), Tom Linkinen (Cultural History), Reima Välimäki (Cultural History) and Pekka Tolonen (Religious Studies).

For full programme and online registration please visit http://www.aboagora.fi.

The registration fee for the symposium is 30 € (for students 20 €). It includes participation for all keynote lectures, admission to all workshops, three lunches at Hus Lindman and coffee/tea with small snacks during coffee breaks. Registration closes on 15 June.

WELCOME!

Asko Nivala
Coordinator
Department of Cultural History
FI-20014 University of Turku
FINLAND

Phone +358 (0)2 333 6294
Email: aeniva@utu.fi
Visit the website at http://aboagora.fi

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Publication: An ethnography of the British Humanist Association, Dr Matthew Engelke

The ESRC has produced a report and press release on Humanist Funerals,  announcing the work of Dr Matthew Engelke, which explores early outcomes from his year researching with and within the British Humanist Association.

For more details about the research please contact

Dr Mathhew Engelke
Email: m.engelke@lse.ac.uk
Telephone: 020 7995 6494 or 07800 835403
ESRC Press Office:

Danielle Moore-Chick
Email: danielle.moore-chick@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793 413122
Jeanine Woolley
Email: jeanine.woolley@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793 413119

Posted on by katieaston Calls for Papers, News, News and Events

NSRN Annual Conference – Schedule announced and early registration deadline extended

Please find attached below the provisional schedule for the forthcoming NSRN conference, to be held at Goldsmiths, University of London, in July.

NSRN Final Schedule

Please kindly circulate widely. 

To register please visit this link http://nsrn.net/2012/04/23/registration-now-open-for-the-nsrn-annual-conference/  we are pleased to be able to extend the period of ‘early-bird’ registration until 1 June.

Posted on by katieaston Calls for Papers, News and Events

CFP: Religions: Fields of research, methods and perspectives 12-14 September 2012

Call for papers

Religions: Fields of research, methods and perspectives

The First International Krakow Study of Religions Symposium, 12-14 September 2012

Keynote speakers:
Prof. Grace Davie (University of Exeter)
Prof. Ralph W. Hood Jr (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga)
Prof. Barnaba Maj (University of Bologna)

Organisers: International Journal “Studia Religiologica” and Institute for the Study of Religions, Jagiellonian University

“Religion is a defining mark of humanity – as emblematic of its bearer as the web for the spider, the dam for the beaver, and the song for the bird,” writes Patrick McNamara in his most recent book. It may seem that such a role and position of religion would require sophisticated reflection, extended methods of scientific analysis and the creative activity of research communities. However, in spite of the clear evidence of the importance of these issues, religious studies is a long way both from the role of the “crown of the humanities” foreseen by Eliade and from agreement on and verification of research tools. For some scholars, religions remain a “by-product” and a “virus of the mind”, while for others they are proof of the existence of “supernatural forces” and the central activity of people on the path to transforming their condition. The conference “Religions: fields of research, methods and perspectives” will present the spectrum of approaches to religious phenomena that are multi-layered and anchored in various ways in cultures, societies and individuals as well as new methods of research and refined versions of previous ones. It will also show the research quandaries and problems to be solved which religious studies scholars come up against in their historical, comparative, sociological, philosophical and psychological studies. The aim of the conference is to demonstrate the potential of religious studies and related fields in solving and comprehending the fundamental problems of humanity.

Conference languages: English, Polish

Registration form (in English, in Polish) please send by e-mail: symposium@iphils.uj.edu.pl
Deadline for registration: 15 June 2012
Full name, academic title, home institution, contact details, address, e mail, telephone, title of paper, abstract (1000-1800 characters)

 

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Publication: Is There a Crisis of Secularism in Western Europe?

Please see below for details of an electronic advance publication of Tariq Modood’s talk at the the annual conference at Chester SocRel.  On a personal note I can attest to how thought provoking and insightful I found this lecture, Modood invites comments and it would be interesting to hear people’s thoughts via the NSRN-Discuss.

2011 Paul Hanly Furfey Lecture

Is There a Crisis of Secularism in Western Europe?

Tariq Modood
Sociology of Religion 2012

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RESEARCHING THE CONTEMPORARY MORAL LANDSCAPE – Apply now for this AHRC and RSA funded training week.

Researching the Contemporary Moral Landscape: Concepts, Methods and Approaches to Public Engagement

An intensive residential training programme for doctoral students and early career researchers run by the Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, University of Kent in conjunction with the RSA

Monday 10 – Friday 14 September, 2012

The AHRC’s Care for the Future research theme emphasises the importance of studying the ‘ethical, moral, cultural and social landscapes’ of contemporary life. How do we engage with this challenge conceptually, though, or practice research in ways that engage effectively with these complex phenomena? What public audiences do these questions matter to and how can we communicate our work in creative and useful ways?

This week-long intensive training workshop, delivered in conjunction with the RSA, will provide doctoral students and early career researchers with a unique opportunity to address these questions through workshop sessions with a range of experienced researchers. The programme content will include a range of disciplinary perspectives and will aim not so much to provide a comprehensive framework, but diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives which can act as a stimulus for participants’ future research.

Speakers at the event will include Louisa Bolch, Abby Day, Adam Dinham, Lois Lee, Gordon Lynch, David Morgan, and Linda Woodhead. Specific areas to be covered in the programme will include:

  • forms of ‘belief’ in everyday life
  • visual and material culture as media of moral life
  • understanding the contemporary moral landscape through literature and the arts
  • the good life and the ‘social brain’
  • the contemporary significance of the sacred and the profane
  • new forms of ritualization in contemporary society
  • the policy context for understanding the contemporary moral landscape

Other training sessions will also explore different approaches to public engagement through print, digital and broadcast media.

The event will run from the morning Monday 10 September until the end of the afternoon on Friday 14 September at the RSA’s offices just off the Strand in central London. There is no registration fee. Lunch and dinner will be provided free of charge, and free overnight accommodation will also be provided in central London for those participants who require it. Delegates’ travel costs within the UK will also be met.

We anticipate a high degree of interest in this programme, and the deadline for applications is Monday 4 June.

Further information on the programme, and how to apply for it, is available athttp://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/researchcentres/crcs/moral_landscape.html

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Publication: What is a good death? Ritual, whether religious or not, still counts

Perhaps of interest to the network, Dr Matthew Engelke writes for the Guardian on his work with the British Humanist Association Celebrants.

“As an anthropologist, one of the reasons I wanted to study the BHA is because of this commitment to the experiential and embodied side of being non-religious. As an increasing number of philosophers within the atheist and humanist ambit have stressed, much of the god debate over the past six or seven years has been dominated by a hyper-intellectualised version of what it means to do without Him. But godless dons have funerals – most of them do, at any rate. And so do other non-religious people.”

Read the full article on the guardian site