Star Island Conference

The next Star Island Conference will be held July 26 - August 2, 2008. The conference has a reputation for being an ideal "working vacation", where you can exchange ideas with fascinating people in a beautiful location off the coast of New Hampshire. Though not explicitly dealing with the psychology of religion, the theme for this year's conference has significant overtones for psychologists interested in religion, morality, and human potential. A friend who has attended previous Star Island conferences raves about them and said that it fills up quickly, so don't delay registering.

Sexual Orientation and Religion at Georgia Tech

The question of state support of some religious beliefs over others is in news coming from Georgia Tech. According to the article, a federal judge has determined that materials used by the "Safe Space" program at the university promoted certain interpretations of religion over others, and in doing so were unconstitutional. The lawsuit was brought by two students who were backed by The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a group that cites its core issues as being the sanctity of human life, traditional family values, and defending religious freedom.

Georgia Tech says that the Safe Space program no longer uses the materials that the students and ADF found objectionable; The ADF claims that other universities have comparable materials, and it vows to continue to fight against such materials. A lawyer and former university administrator critical of the court's decision is quoted as saying that while the ADF wishes to contribute to public discussion of religion, it appears as though the ADF actually wishes to use "the tools of law to shut down the other side." In all likelihood, we will hear more about this issue in the future.

Another Quaker Fired at Cal State

Earlier this year a faculty member was fired from Cal State East Bay over the wording of a loyalty oath. The oath states that the employee defend the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. In February, Marianne Kearney-Brown, a Quaker, inserted the word "nonviolently" in the oath and was dismissed as a math instructor. Later she was reinstated as part of a compromise involving the state Attorney General.

The L.A. Times now reports that another Quaker at Cal State has been fired over the same passage in the loyalty oath. The state apparently requires all employees sign the oath, although there is evidently wide latitude among state agencies in terms of how they handle objections, which typically come from Quakers and Jehovah's Witnesses. The L.A. Times story documents several such cases over the years, one involving a Methodist minister who has on three separate occasions butted heads with the law.

That the state allows its agencies great latitude in how they interpret the law adds to the confusion. Some school districts apparently ignore the law altogether, while Cal State University strictly enforces it, allowing no alterations or clarifying statements be added by the employee. In between these extremes is the University of California, which offers suggestions to people who object regarding how they can add a statement such as "This is not a promise to take up arms in contravention of my religious beliefs," or "I owe allegiance to Jehovah," according to the Times report. The resulting confusion needlessly complicates the lives of people who take their beliefs and actions seriously.

Implications of Genetic Testing of Polygamous Parents

A book is planned regarding the ramifications of genetic testing being done by Texas authorities on the FLDS parents and children. The issue seems timely, and there are many social-psychological aspects that would seem relevant, such as stereotyping, ingroup-outgroup dynamics, and many others. Having done some research on people's views of polygamy, and written an op-ed commentary published in the Salt Lake Tribune on a related issue, I would like to write an essay for this book. Sadly, I'm overcommitted right now, and it isn't realistic for me to meet their deadline. Please, if you have thoughts on the issues, consider submitting it for inclusion in this volume. I would love to see some good psychological and social-scientific perspectives be included in this book.

- - -

GENETIC TESTING OF THE MORMON CHILDREN OF POLYGAMOUS PARENTS:
The Legal, Psychological, Anthropological, and Journalistic Ramifications
edited by Herbert Richardson
978-0-7734-5028-8
$39.95 soft cover
Order direct from publisher
716.754.2788
www.mellenpress.com

Call for Essays

Texas state officials take 400 children from the parents of a fundamentalist Mormon group into "protective custody." A Texas court orders DNA testing of all the children to determine their biological parents before bussing them to destinations which, says the state, cannot be revealed.

These events are described in detail by the media but without background analysis or editorial comment. One might have anticipated an expression of outrage or at least a request for explanation. But, apparently these events are felt to be self-explanatory and morally tolerable (since they are perpetrated on people unlike ourselves).

Over the years, The Edwin Mellen Press, has published dozens of books which explain and defend new religions. Our goal is to stem the tide of thoughtlessness that pervades public opinion and dominates the news.

Therefore, we invite scholars to send us their essays on any aspect of the this Mormon issue: political, psychological, anthropological, journalistic, historical, and religious (3000-7500 words, before July 31). We will publish a selection of these essays in summer 2008.

Send your essay and CV to:
Herbert Richardson, Editor
The Edwin Mellen Press
415 Ridge Street,
Lewiston, NY, 14092-0450

Conference: Religion, Nature & Culture

A new conference announcement:

"Religion, Nature, and Progress"
3rd International Conference of the
International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature & Culture (ISSRNC)
at the University of Amsterdam
23-26 July 2009
www.religionandnature.com/society/conferences.htm

Conference Description and Thematic Focus

The intrinsic relation between ideas of progress and the impact that such progress has on ecosystems and natural environments is a central aspect of discussions about the ecological crisis. Notions of progress can take on quite different meanings, from economic progress to social improvements to progress in the natural sciences; religious discourses, too, often make use of metaphors of progress.

Usually, these discussions seem to imply that the concepts involved-- progress, nature, crisis, etc.--have a clear and simple meaning. Closer reflection, however, reveals that such concepts are themselves elements and products of a larger discourse, or worldview, that conceptualizes "nature" and the human relation with it in a particular way. Many underlying presumptions and evaluations have a long history in (western) culture, and often they are informed by religious views on the status of nature and humanity, views that vary widely and are often contradictory to one another. The western background of these concepts is apparent and should be the object of critical investigation.

This international conference addresses the critical intersections of religion, nature, and progress in a multidisciplinary way, in order to give insight into the different positions of these subjects both in history and vis-a-vis the current debates on climate change, environmental policy, and cultural development. It is increasingly acknowledged that religions and metaphysics, which inform worldviews and notions of progress, have played and still play an important role in these debates and that a clear understanding of them is indispensable for policies and practices striving to solve the environmental, climate, and
other crises. The overall theme provides a spectrum of subtopics and questions that can be engaged in a critical dialogue among various disciplines, such as the academic study of religion, history, anthropology, philosophy, cultural studies, the natural sciences, social sciences, economics, politics, architecture, urban planning, etc.

The conference will take place in Amsterdam, situated in one of the most densely populated areas in the world, facing many ecological challenges that ask for reflection and active response. The Netherlands have a long history of 'improving nature,' from protection against sea water to creating new land and learning to set up natural environments in highly populated spaces. The city of Amsterdam has committed itself to an ambitious plan of environmentally sustainable development. Therefore, the conference theme, although international and global in perspective, fits the conditions of this modern western well.

Information at: http://www.religionandnature.com/society/conferences.htm

"Rate My Professor" Ratings Correlate with Formal Ratings

This item does not address the psychology of religion, but will be of interest to you if you teach or take courses at a university. There is growing evidence (pdf file) that ratings provided at Rate My Professor show a substantial correlation with formal, in-class student ratings. A new article in Inside Higher Ed gives a good summary of the research, and provides the usual disclaimes (e.g., ratings of teaching effectiveness should not be based solely on student perceptions or satisfaction, etc.). If you teach college courses, you'll want to read this.

Political Extremism and Psychopathology

Two quick items:

1- Richard Koenigsberg offers an online publication, Political Violence and the Concept of Collective Psychopathology. Religion is among the factors he addresses in that document.

2- For those of you who are in the Washington, DC, area:

The 20th annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Philosophy and Psychiatry is meeting May 3 & 4, 2008, in Washington DC. The theme of the conference is "Political Extremism and Psychopathology". The group will meet at The Fairmont Washington, Executive Forum (2401 M. Street, NW, Washington DC). I am told there is no fee or registration required.

The program is available (pdf file) at http://www3.utsouthwestern.edu/aapp/Political%20Extremism2008.pdf. Several presentations deal with religion's role(s) in political extremism.