The call for papers is now live for our 2014 conference on ‘Explaining Nonreligion and Secularity in the US and Beyond’ to be held 19-20 November 2014 at Pitzer College, Claremont,CA.
Full details can be found here: http://nsrn.net/2014-conference/
Please circulate widely. Thanks!
ASSOCIATION FOR THE SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
76th Annual Meeting: RELIGION AS A SOCIAL FORCE
August 13-15, 2014. J.W. Marriott Union Square, San Francisco, CA
PROGRAM CHAIR: Jeremy Uecker, Baylor University, Jeremy_Uecker@baylor.edu
Over the past three decades, a number of scholars have underscored the apparent role of religious institutions, practices, beliefs, and values in shaping social institutions and human behavior. This strand of work has been collectively labeled the “strong program” in the sociology of religion. Theorists and researchers working within this program have explored the role of religion with regard to a wide array of domains, including social movements and politics, social stratification, immigration, health and well-being, and many others. Notable contributions have come from scholars whose main specialization is the sociology of religion, and from others who are known for their scholarship in other areas, but who have come to recognize the relevance of religion for their own work. Others have critiqued the “strong program” on a number of important grounds. The 2014 ASR meeting will explore what can be learned by viewing religion and spirituality as independent influences in social life, as well as the potential pitfalls of doing so, along with the many other approaches that flourish within the highly pluralistic sociology of religion.
Papers and discussion sessions on all topics within the sociology of religion are welcome, but especially those related to the meeting theme, including, but not limited to the following:
DEADLINES: Session Proposals are due by March 31, 2014 (submit to Jeremy_Uecker@baylor.edu)
Paper Proposals and abstracts are due by April 30, 2014 (submit through the Member Portal at www.sociologyofreligion.com)
Meeting registration is due by July 1, 2014 (submit through the Member Portal at www.sociologyofreligion.com)
Thursday 6 February 2014
Daniel Weinstock will deliver the first in the RAPT (Religion and Political Theory) lecture series (see below for full details of the series and news of upcoming lectures). Weinstock is Professor in the Faculty of Law and Director of the Institute for Health and Policy at McGill University. He was previously Professor of Philosophy and director of the Research Centre on Ethics, both at Université de Montréal (CRÉUM), and he has held the Canadian Research Chair on Ethics and Political Philosophy. He has published extensively on the question of cultural and religious diversity in liberal democracies.
Unless otherwise stated, all lectures take place at 5pm and will be held in the Council Room, School of Public Policy, The Rubin Building, 29-30 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9QU.
All are welcome. If you wish to be added to our mailing list, please email Aurelia Bardon (a.bardon@ucl.ac.uk) or Lois Lee (lois.lee@ucl.ac.uk). To attend, please register at www.uclspp.eventbrite.com
Tuesday 25 March 2014
‘Religious Exemptions and Self-Respect’
Jonathan Seglow, Royal Holloway, University of London
*Venue tbc*
Wednesday 28 May 2014
‘Religious Freedom and Fairness: An Egalitarian View’
Jocelyn MacLure, Université Laval
Wednesday 4 June 2014
‘Modes of Secularism’
Slavica Jakelic, University of Virginia
Thursday 3 July 2014
‘Hinduism, Christianity, and Religious Liberal Toleration’
Jeff Spinner-Halev, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CFP: Religious Indifference
The Emmy-Noether-Project, “The Diversity of Nonreligion,” (www.nonreligion.net) is happy to be hosting a workshop on “religious indifference” in Frankfurt am Main, from November 13th to 15th.
The concept of religious indifference has been used to describe a specific mode of nonreligiosity that is an expression of extremely low concern for religion. As such “indifference” is to be distinguished from religiosity on one hand and avowed atheism on the other. Furthermore, religious indifference can take various modes, for example that of “existential” or “cognitive” indifference (Pollack, Wohlrab-Sahr, and Gärtner 2003).
As with other modes of nonreligiosity, the social status of religious indifference varies according to the constitution of the religious field and the general socio-cultural context (Quack 2013, 2014). Referring to the British case, Bagg and Voas (2010) argue that current indifference is primarily the result of changes in the religious landscape of Britain and the increasing religious and social acceptance of people who do not practice any religion. Conversely, if religion is deeply embedded in civil culture, religious indifference might be negatively perceived as a form of social dissent (Wohlrab-Sahr and Kaden 2013). Bullivant (2012) by contrast, has introduced an alternative meaning of religious indifference by hinting at the seemingly paradoxical situation of rising interest and concern with religion in European secularized societies; what is at stake here is not a positioning towards personal religious belief, behavior, or belonging, but the (dis)interest in public-political manifestations of religion.
While anti-clericalism or other anti-religious expressions have visibly accompanied processes of secularization, indifference seems to be an important yet unaccounted feature of contemporary societies. In the upcoming workshop, we seek to bring together different scholars who wish to (further) engage with the concept of religious indifference.
The workshop will take place in Frankfurt am Main, from November 13th-15th.
Please note that the workshop’s primary goal is to develop a joint publication. In order to do so, we suggest that all participants write a draft article and distribute it to the other participants prior to the workshop. These articles will be discussed during the workshop itself. We welcome theoretical contributions and methodological and methodic reflections as well as case studies from different national or regional contexts.
Please send a short abstract for consideration to schuh@em.uni-frankfurt.de. Deadline for application is February 28th.
Further dates of importance:
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Inform Anniversary Conference
Minority Religions:
Contemplating the Past and Anticipating the Future
New Academic Building, London School of Economics, London
Friday 31 January – Sunday 2 February 2014
Inform is celebrating over a quarter of a century of providing information that is as reliable and up-to-date
as possible about minority religions with an Anniversary Conference to be held at the London School of Economics, UK.
Registration for the full conference (including Friday Ashgate-Inform book launch and reception with refreshments, Saturday and Sunday tea/coffee/lunch) is
£100 standard and £75 concession for students and unwaged. Tickets booked after January 6th will be £120 or £85.
We are offering single day registrations for £45, or £55 after January 6th.
Inform will also be hosting an Anniversary Dinner at Dicken’s Inn, St Katharine Dock, near the Tower of London on Saturday 1 February.
The cost, which is not included in the registration fee, of the three course set meal and coffee is £38.50. The menu for the dinner can be seen here. Dietary requirements can be catered for.
Drinks are not included although there will be a cash bar. Booking and payment for the dinner must be done by January 6th and is non-refundable.
How to Pay: Registration for the conference and Saturday evening dinner can be completed online here, using a credit/debit card or through a PayPal account if you have one
or by posting a completed booking form and cheque made out to Inform in pounds sterling and sent to ‘Inform, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE’
A full programme will be posted soon.
For more on the Ashgate-Inform book series, please visit the website www.ashgate.com/inform.
Draft Programme Outline (20/11/13)
Friday 31 January 2014
15.00: Registration opens
15.30: Tour of the LSE campus
16.30: Introductory talk about the LSE
17.30: Welcome and Plenary Panel A: a Word from our “Stakeholders” when representatives of some of the sections of society that have used Inform will briefly describe what they have gained from their association with Inform and what they would like Inform and students of minority religions to focus on in the future:
The Established Church: The Right Reverend Graham James, Lord Bishop of Norwich
The Media: Dr Damian Thompson, Editor of Telegraph Blogs and a Director of the Catholic Herald
Politics: Stuart Hoggan, Deputy Director, Integration Division, Department for Communities and Local Government
The Police: Ron Gilbertson, former police officer
The Law: Philip Katz QC, Barrister
Academia: Professor Conor Gearty, Professor of Human Rights Law, LSE
19.30: Launch of the Ashgate/Inform Series on Minority Religions and Spiritual Movements and a reception with refreshments
Saturday 1 February 2014
Registration from 9.00
9.30–11.15: Plenary Panel B: Members or former members of new religious movements with high visibility in the 1980s. Richard Barlow, former member of the Unification Church; Abi Freeman, formerly a spokesperson and member of The Family International (TFI); Gauri das, executive secretary of ISKCON; and Terrill Park, Scientology Freezone will talk about how their respective movements have changed over the past 25 years and how they envision their future.
11.15–11.40: tea/coffee
11.40–13.25: Parallel Sessions I
13.25 –14.15: lunch
14.15 –16.00: Parallel Session II
16.00–16.30: tea/coffee
16.30–18.15: Parallel Session III
19.00: Anniversary Dinner (the cost of this is not included in the registration fee. Booking for dinner must be completed by January 6)
Sunday 2 February 2014
Registration from 9:00
9.30–11.15: Parallel Session IV
11.15 -11.40 coffee/tea
11.40–13.25: Parallel Session V
13.25–14.15: lunch
14.15–16.15: Plenary Panel C: a Word from the “Cult Watchers” with Dr Michael Langone of the International Cultic Studies Association, Professor Gordon Melton of the Institute for the Study of American Religion, Professor Eileen Barker of Inform, Mike Kropveld of Info-Secte, Professor James T. Richardson of University of Nevada, Reno, Dr Massimo Introvigne of CESNUR
16.15: Conference ends
http://www.uu.se/en/jobs/?positionId=29394#
Church Growth and Decline in a Global City: London, 1980 to the Present
A Colloquium organised by the Centre for Church Growth Research
Cranmer Hall, St Johns College, Durham University and
by the Institute of Historical Research, University of London
Date: 2 May 2014, 10 am to 4 pm
Venue: Room 349 Senate House, University of London
Cost: £50 (£35 for post- and under-graduate students)
Speakers include:
Professor David Martin (LSE)
Professor John Wolffe (Open University)
Dr Peter Brierley (Brierley Consulting)
Dr Lois Lee (University College, London)
Dr Alana Harris (Lincoln College, Oxford)
Dr Andrew Rogers (University of Roehampton)
Rev Dr Babatunde Adedibu (RCCG)
For detailed information and to book a place, visit: www.durham.ac.uk/churchgrowth.research
Church Growth and Decline in a Global City: London, 1980 to the Present
A Colloquium organised by the Centre for Church Growth Research
Cranmer Hall, St Johns College, Durham University and
by the Institute of Historical Research, University of London
Date: 2 May 2014, 10 am to 4 pm
Venue: Room 349 Senate House, University of London
Cost: £50 (£35 for post- and under-graduate students)
Speakers include:
Professor David Martin (LSE)
Professor John Wolffe (Open University)
Dr Peter Brierley (Brierley Consulting)
Dr Lois Lee (University College, London)
Dr Alana Harris (Lincoln College, Oxford)
Dr Andrew Rogers (University of Roehampton)
Rev Dr Babatunde Adedibu (RCCG)
For detailed information and to book a place, visit: www.durham.ac.uk/churchgrowth.research
Symposium on Atheism: the Contemporary Debate
The Florida State University Program for the History and Philosophy of Science, the Friends of the FSU Libraries, the FSU Center for the Humanities and Society and the FSU Libraries will host a symposium titled “Atheism: The Contemporary Debate.”
This event is a celebration and exploration of major themes addressed by “The Oxford Handbook to Atheism.” The book was edited by Stephen Bullivant, senior lecturer in theology and ethics, St. Mary’s University College, London, who will address the symposium, and Michael Ruse, Florida State’s Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor and director of the university’s Program for the History and Philosophy of Science, who will serve as the symposium’s master of ceremonies.
The symposium will take place:
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
9 A.M.-4:45 P.M.
STROZIER LIBRARY
SCHOLARS COMMONS READING ROOM
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
TALLAHASSEE, FLA.
The schedule, subject to change, is as follows:
8:45-9:15 a.m.: greetings and coffee
9:15-9:30 a.m.: introductions
9.30-10:25 a.m.: John Schneider, Professor Emeritus of Religion, Calvin College, “Aesthetic Goods, God, and Evolutionary Evils”
10:30-11:25 a.m.: Stephen Bullivant, Senior Lecturer in Theology and Ethics, St. Mary’s University College, Twickenham
11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Kimberly Blessing, Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, SUNY Buffalo State, “Theism, Atheism, and The Meaning of Life”
12:30-1:45 p.m.: lunch
1:45-2:30 p.m.: Jeffrey O’Connell, Ph.D. Student in Philosophy, FSU, “Nietzsche and Atheism”
2:35-3:10 p.m.: Kirk Essary, Ph.D. Student in Religion, FSU, “The Silence of God from Calvin to Cormac McCarthy”
3:10-3:30 p.m.: tea break
3:30-4:25 p.m.: John Kelsay, Professor of Ethics and Religion, FSU, “Atheism in the History of Religions”
For more information contact Sarah A. Buck Kachaluba at sbuckkachaluba@fsu.edu or (850) 645-2600.
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