International Conference: Contesting Religious Identities
From 13 to 15 October 2010 the Research Institute for Theology and Religion (INTEGON) at Utrecht University organises the international conference ‘Contesting Religious Identities’. The aim of the conference is to build on interdisciplinary insights to analyse the historical and cultural production of religious identities. Scholars are invited to submit paper proposals before 15 April 2010.In the Western world, religion has come strongly to the fore again. It is back on the public stages of ‘secular’ society, influencing political and social discourses by raising questions about identity, power, rationality, law and safety. Its ‘return’ however is rather ambiguous. On the one hand, shifting cultural and political frameworks (re-)shape, (re)invent and appropriate religious identities. On the other hand these identities enhance and re-inform cultural and political frameworks. How to understand these different roles religions play? How to understand the ambiguous return of religion on the stages of Western society?
Programme
The conference will start with an opening session with keynote lectures by two outstanding scholars working in the broader field of the Humanities and Social Sciences: Prof. Nilüfer Göle (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris) and Prof. Joerg Rieger (Southern Methodist University, Dallas).Three interdisciplinary thematic sessions will be held, in which a keynote lecture as well as papers will be presented:
1. Bodies, Gestures & Rituals
keynote Prof. Tina Pippin (Agnes Scott College)
2. Media, Images & Texts
keynote Prof. dr. Jolyon Mitchell (Edinburgh University)
3. Territories, Movements & Diasporas
keynote Prof. Claudia Camp (Texas University) and Prof. Patrick Eisenlohr (Utrecht University) During the closing session, two eminent senior scholars from the field of religious studies will look back on the conference and present their conclusions and suggestions for further research: Prof. Gerd Theissen (invited) and Dr. Christoph Baumgartner, Utrecht University.
Call for papers
Scholars are invited to submit a paper proposal for one of the conference sessions. The proposals will be assessed by the organising committee in April 2010. Before 30 April 2010 you will hear whether or not your paper is accepted. Papers must be original pieces of scholarly work. A clear connection with the theme of the conference must be established. The committee will make a selection of the best papers to be included in the conference volume.
Deadline for submission is 15 April 2010.
website
For more information, see: http://www.uu.nl/EN/faculties/Humanities/contestingreligiousidentities/Pages/default.aspx
Organisation
The conference will be held within the framework of the INTEGON research programme 'The Construction of Religious Identities'.
Organising Committee
| Prof. Bob Becking | Research Professor for Bible, Religion and Identity, Utrecht University |
| Prof. Anne-Marie Korte | Professor for Religion and Gender, Utrecht University, current director of the Dutch Research School for Theology and Religion (Noster) |
| Dr. Lucien van Liere | Senior INTEGON–fellow for Intercultural Theology, Utrecht University |
| Ingeborg Löwisch MA | Junior INTEGON–fellow for Hebrew Bible Study, Utrecht University |
| Karin Hens | INTEGON-staff |
| Heleen Rippen MA | INTEGON-staff |
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