News and Events

Posted on by Beth Calls for Papers, News and Events

CFP: EASR Conference 2014 NSRN Panel Call for Papers

EASR Conference 2014 NSRN Panel Call for Papers

Nations and Nonreligions – Understanding ‘Secular Europe’

Panel sponsored by the Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network, chaired by NSRN co-director, Dr Lois Lee (UCL)

Whilst the vitality of religion was the chief interest emerging out of the secularisation paradigm, recent years have seen growing interest in the new populations that emerge from secularisation processes. This enables the historicisation of these populations and allows scholars to attend to the specificities and contingencies of non- or irreligious cultures and of people’s experience of secularity and secularism. This panel considers these experiences and cultures in national context and will enable cross-national comparison by bringing case studies from different national settings together, allowing continuities and discontinuities to emerge. The panel scrutinises the extent to which national variation is a useful way to differentiate nonreligious cultures.

We invite empirical papers, contemporary or historical, that explore nonreligious cultures or secular experiences within a national context from famously ‘secular’ Europe as well as theoretical papers investigating the relationship between nationalism and secularity and/or nonreligious in general.

Abstracts of no more than 150 words and a short biography should be sent to Dr Lois Lee at lois.lee@ucl.ac.uk by Wednesday 27 November 2013.

This panel is sponsored by the Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network (NSRN). The NSRN is an international and interdisciplinary network of researchers, founded in 2008 to centralise existing research on the topic of nonreligion and secularity and to facilitate discussion in this area. The NSRN co-runs an academic journal Secularism and Nonreligion (Ubiquity Press; run in partnership with the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC)) and a book series, Religion and Its Other: Studies in Religion, Nonreligion and Secularity (De Gruyter)

Posted on by Beth News and Events

Event: LSE: Governing Difference through Rights: The Politics of Religious Freedom

FORUM ON RELIGION SEMINAR

Governing Difference through Rights: The Politics of Religious Freedom

Speaker: Elizabeth Shakman Hurd (Northwestern University)

Chair: Mathijs Pelkmans

Date: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Time: 6.30-8.00pm
Venue: Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE, WC2A 2AE

What happens when social difference is conceived through the prism of religious rights and religious freedom? Far from occupying an autonomous sphere independent of religious affairs, human rights advocacy is a site of difference and governance that implicates religion in complex ways. This paper explores the consequences of a religious rights model for both politics and religion. It argues that this model regulates the spaces in which people live out their religion in specific and identifiable ways: singling out groups for legal protection as religious groups; moulding religions into discrete “faith communities” with clean boundaries, clearly defined orthodoxies, and seniorleaders who speak on their behalf; and privileging a modern liberal understanding of faith. The right to religious freedom is a specific, historically situated mode of governing difference through rights.

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd teaches and writes on the politics of religious diversity, the intersection of law and religion, the history and politics of US foreign relations, and the international relations of the Middle East including Turkey and Iran. She is the author of The Politics of Secularism in International Relations (Princeton, 2008), which won an APSA award for the best book in religion and politics (2008-2010) and co-editor of Comparative Secularisms in a Global Age (Palgrave, 2010) which will appear in paperback in 2013. Recent publications include “International politics after secularism” in Review of International Studies (2012) and “Contested secularisms in Turkey and Iran” in Contesting Secularism: Comparative Perspectives (Ashgate, 2013). Hurd is currently writing a book on the “strategic operationalization” of religion in international affairs and its implications for religion, law and public policy.

The event is free and open to all. For further information, please contact Dr Mathijs Pelkmans, m.e.pelkmans@lse.ac.uk.

Posted on by Chris News and Events

NSRN Annual Lecture: The Sociology of Irreligion: Past and Present

You are cordially invited to the NSRN Annual Lecture 2013. It will be given by Professor Emeritus Colin Campbell in conversation with Dr Lois Lee on 5 December at Conway Hall in London. The title of the lecture is The Sociology of Irreligion: Past and Present. The lecture will be followed by a launch for the republication of Toward a Sociology of Irreligion. 

The important details:

We do hope you will join us. Please RSVP to Dr Stacey Gutkowski, stacey.gutkowski@kcl.ac.uk, if you would like to attend. The event is free but places are limited.

 

Posted on by Beth Calls for Papers, News and Events

CFP: BSA Annual Conference 2014: Changing Society

BSA Annual Conference 2014: 
Changing Society
Sociology of Religion Stream
Keynote Plenary: Professor Adam Dinham
Adam Dinham is director of the Faiths and Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he is Professor of Faith & Public Policy. He is policy advisor to a number of faith-based agencies and policy bodies, including the Faith Based Regeneration Network and the CoExistence Trust in the House of Lords, and has advised central government on issues of public faith. Professor Dinham’s recent publication Faith and Social Capital After the Debt Crisis (2012) examines the impact of viewing faiths as social capital, exploring whether faith can help rebalance society by drawing communities together.
Call for Papers
Submissions 
The role of religion in social change has been one of the key questions in sociology ever since Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. What role is religion currently playing in producing change in contemporary society? And how are religious individuals, communities and institutions responding to recent changes in society? What might such responses suggest about the future of religion in the public sphere? How might this reconfigure the religious/secular divide? This event will encourage discussion of the particular religious contributions, and responses, to a changing society.
 
We invite papers on topics that may include (but are not limited to) the following:
 
·       Relationship between religious and secular institutions
·       Religion in the public square
·       Evolving role and status of religious organisations
·       Faith communities and social action
·       Religion and welfare
·       Religion and politics
·       Religion and education
·       Religion and technology
·       Theoretical perspectives on religion and social change
How to submit
All paper abstracts and proposals for other events can be submitted online at:
 
The deadline for submission of abstracts is 18 October 2013.
 
For further information contact the Sociology of Religion stream coordinators
Jo McKenzie   E: j.m.mckenzie@durham.ac.uk
Titus Hjelm   E: t.hjelm@ucl.ac.uk
 
Alternatively, contact the BSA Events Team   E: events@britsoc.org.uk
Posted on by Beth News

CFP: BSA Annual Conference 2014: Changing Society

BSA Annual Conference 2014: 
Changing Society
Sociology of Religion Stream
Keynote Plenary: Professor Adam Dinham
Adam Dinham is director of the Faiths and Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he is Professor of Faith & Public Policy. He is policy advisor to a number of faith-based agencies and policy bodies, including the Faith Based Regeneration Network and the CoExistence Trust in the House of Lords, and has advised central government on issues of public faith. Professor Dinham’s recent publication Faith and Social Capital After the Debt Crisis (2012) examines the impact of viewing faiths as social capital, exploring whether faith can help rebalance society by drawing communities together.
Call for Papers
Submissions 
The role of religion in social change has been one of the key questions in sociology ever since Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. What role is religion currently playing in producing change in contemporary society? And how are religious individuals, communities and institutions responding to recent changes in society? What might such responses suggest about the future of religion in the public sphere? How might this reconfigure the religious/secular divide? This event will encourage discussion of the particular religious contributions, and responses, to a changing society.
 
We invite papers on topics that may include (but are not limited to) the following:
 
·       Relationship between religious and secular institutions
·       Religion in the public square
·       Evolving role and status of religious organisations
·       Faith communities and social action
·       Religion and welfare
·       Religion and politics
·       Religion and education
·       Religion and technology
·       Theoretical perspectives on religion and social change
How to submit
All paper abstracts and proposals for other events can be submitted online at:
 
The deadline for submission of abstracts is 18 October 2013.
 
For further information contact the Sociology of Religion stream coordinators
Jo McKenzie   E: j.m.mckenzie@durham.ac.uk
Titus Hjelm   E: t.hjelm@ucl.ac.uk
 
Alternatively, contact the BSA Events Team   E: events@britsoc.org.uk
Posted on by Beth Calls for Papers, News, Uncategorized

Funding opportunity: The John Templeton Foundation is launching a competition to advance the scientific study of religious cognition.

The John Templeton Foundation is launching a $3m funding competition to
advance the scientific study of religious cognition.

Purpose and scope: Scientific descriptions of how people think about God
and gods are currently fragmented across sub-disciplines of the
psychological, cognitive, and social sciences. This competition is
designed to promote integration of ten existing lines of research and to
generate and test new hypotheses that emerge from this integration.
Applicants may request up to $250,000 for empirical or conceptual projects
of up to 30 months in duration.

Eligibility: The competition is open to researchers worldwide. Proposals
are encouraged from — but not limited to — scholars in the disciplines
of psychology, cognitive science, anthropology, religious studies,
sociology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science.

Deadline for online funding inquiries (letters of intent): October 1, 2013

Full details are available at
http://www.templeton.org/what-we-fund/funding-competitions/gods-in-minds-the-science-of-religious-cognition

============================================================================================
NSRN members: note that this special call includes how atheists think
about supernatural agents; note also the general open-submission call for
grant proposals, to which proposals on all aspects of non-religion are
welcomed.
Note also that the Fall Funding Cycle for open submission is now open, and
that proposals relating to all topics within the Foundation’s core funding
areas (which range from quantum physics to religious nones to archaeology)
are also welcome; visit https://portal.templeton.org/login to apply. The
deadline for core area online funding inquiries is also October 1.

Learn more about JTF’s grantmaking process here:
http://www.templeton.org/what-we-fund/our-grantmaking-process

Learn more about Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision here:
http://www.templeton.org/sir-john-templeton/philanthropic-vision

============================================================================================

Posted on by Beth Calls for Papers, News and Events

CFP: Minority Religions: Contemplating the Past and Anticipating the Future

CALL FOR PAPERS

Less Than One Week to Deadline!

 

 

Inform’s Anniversary Conference

Minority Religions: Contemplating the Past and Anticipating the Future

London School of Economics, WC2A 2AE

31 January – 2 February 2014

 

Celebrating over a quarter of a century of providing information that is as reliable and up-to-date as possible about minority religions, Inform invites you to submit a (maximum) 200-word abstract and 150-word CV on topics relevant to the title of the conference to inform@lse.ac.uk. The deadline for papers is Tuesday 1st October 2013, with decisions by 1st November 2013. Participants who wish to organise special (90 minute) sessions should submit the name, abstract and CV of each of the contributors to their sessions.

Unfortunately no subsidies can be offered to participants, who will be responsible for making their own arrangements for travel and accommodation.

Registration will open on 1st November 2013. See www.Inform.ac for further details and http://www.lse.ac.uk/sociology/research/INFORM/forthcomingEvents.aspx

Draft Programme Outline (21/9/13)

 

Friday 31 January

 

15.00:  Registration opens (tea and coffee will be available)

15.30: Introductory talk about the London School of Economics and tour of the campus

17.30: Welcome and Plenary Panel A: “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 Jones, Lord Bishop of Norwich

The Media: Dr Damian Thompson, columnist for the Daily Telegraph

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: Reception and Launch of the Ashgate/Inform Series on Minority Religions and Spiritual Movements

 

Saturday 1 February

 

09.30–11.00: Plenary Panel B: Members or former members of new religious movements

with high visibility in the 1980s (the Unification Church; the Church of Scientology; ISKCON; the Children of God/Family International) will talk about how their respective movements have changed over the past 25 years and how they envision their future.

11.00–11.30:   tea/coffee

 

11.30–13.00:  Parallel Sessions I

13.00 –14.00: lunch

 

14 .00 –15.30:  Parallel Sessions II

 

15.30–16.00: tea/coffee

 

16.00–17.30:  Parallel Sessions III

 

19.00: Anniversary Dinner (the cost of this will not be included in the registration fee)

Sunday 2 February

 

09.30–11.00:  Parallel Sessions IV

 

11.00:11.30 coffee/tea

 

11.30–13.00: Parallel Sessions V

 

13.00–14.00: lunch

 

14.00–15.30: Plenary Panel C:  “Cult Watchers”

 

15.30: Conference ends

Posted on by Per Smith News, Publications

Conference Guide: American Academy of Religion 2013

Last year we began publishing guides to some of the larger academic conferences to help interested scholars navigate the non-religion and secularity offerings at them. We are happy to announce the release of the conference guide to the 2013 annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion which is being held in Baltimore, Maryland (Nov 23-26).

As usual there are several relevant sessions, panels and papers to engage in Baltimore, but you may also wish to take special note of the four sessions granted to the brand new Secularism and Secularity Group this year. Those interested in contributing to their efforts (of fostering sustained work on such topics at AAR) should be aware that the group’s business meeting will be held immediately after the paper presentations of their third session, “Producing Secularism in Public Spaces” (Monday: 9:00 AM-11:30 AM). Happy navigating.

Posted on by Lorna Mumford News

Nonreligion and Secularity, the Official Blog of the NSRN

We are thrilled to announce that Nonreligion and Secularity, the official blog of the NSRN, is now live!

You can view the blog and read NSRN founder and director Lois Lee’s introductory post here: http://blog.nsrn.net/

The aim of Nonreligion and Secularity is to provide a platform for the publication of short articles on a broad range of topical issues relevant to the academic study of nonreligion and secularism. By combining the high professional standards associated with academic publishing with the more conversational tone of a blog, Nonreligion and Secularity aims to deliver an informative resource for both scholars and professionals working within this field, and also offers a space for the dissemination of research related information to a wider audience with an interest in the academic study of these topics.

We are really excited about this latest NSRN development and the blog’s potential to expand the field of N&S research in new directions and to reach new audiences.

Over the coming weeks we will be publishing an exciting line up of blog articles on a variety of topics related to N&S research so be sure to bookmark the page or sign up for email alerts of new content.

If you would be interested in writing an article for Nonreligion and Secularity we would love to hear from you. See the Submissions page on the blog website for more information and author guidelines. Additionally if you would be interested in becoming a member of our editorial review board please contact blog editor Lorna Mumford at lorna.mumford.10@ucl.ac.uk for more information.