7/31/2009
APA in Toronto
If you are headed to Toronto for APA next week, consider visiting the Royal Ontario Museum. Among their exhibits is The Dead Sea Scrolls, which drew 18,000 visitors in its first 9 days. Here is more info about the exhibit. Sure, visit CN Tower and enjoy the rest of the city, but how often will you have a chance to see the famous scrolls?
7/28/2009
Religion among College Students - NBER Report
The National Bureau of Economic Research has released a new report on religion among college students. Among their findings: students who are religious are more likely to enroll in college than are nonreligious students; that religious students who major in physical & biological sciences are not less likely to attend services, but do rate religion as being slightly less important than do other majors; and that majors in the humanities and social sciences appear to be least religious. You can purchase a copy of the report at the link above, or read more at Inside Higher Ed.
7/27/2009
RSSSR Call for Papers
Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion is soliciting
manuscripts for a special section for its 2011 volume on the topic of
"Spiritual Struggles and Negative Religious Coping”. Empirical and
conceptual articles are welcome. Ever since Allport reported
differential effects for internal versus external religious motivations,
research has noted different outcomes for how religion and spirituality
relate to both positive and negative outcomes. This is an old topic in
religion and spirituality with the Bible stating that “Fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom”, and then early Christian writers
distinguishing between “servile and filial” fear. The former they
saw as related to distress and the latter to a close attachment to God.
Our hope is that the section will bring clarity to understanding some of
the contrary aspects of religion and spirituality as they influence
human behavior, cognition, feelings, and motivation.
Empirical articles should address any of the variables currently
receiving significant attention in the social sciences. Such topics
might include, but are not limited to, emotional distress, seeing God as
abandoning or punishing, negative religious organizations, religious
sacrilege and abuse, or desecration. Theory articles will advance
methodological issues for the social sciences in studying the connection
between spirituality and religion, or provide models that could bear
heuristic fruit for future work.
Manuscripts will be received for this section until June 1, 2010. RSSSR
can accommodate longer reports, and section editors will determine
optimal length in terms of the number of acceptable submissions. Authors
should submit their manuscripts to a section editor in electronic form
and in APA style. The section editors are Joseph W. Ciarrocchi, PhD
(jwc [at] loyola.edu), Gina Brelsford, PhD (gmy103 [at] psu.edu), and Gabriel
Dy-Liacco PhD (gdyliacco [at] loyola.edu). The Journal address is Loyola
College in Maryland, Department of Pastoral Counseling, 8890 McGaw Road,
Suite 380, Columbia, MD, 21045.
manuscripts for a special section for its 2011 volume on the topic of
"Spiritual Struggles and Negative Religious Coping”. Empirical and
conceptual articles are welcome. Ever since Allport reported
differential effects for internal versus external religious motivations,
research has noted different outcomes for how religion and spirituality
relate to both positive and negative outcomes. This is an old topic in
religion and spirituality with the Bible stating that “Fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom”, and then early Christian writers
distinguishing between “servile and filial” fear. The former they
saw as related to distress and the latter to a close attachment to God.
Our hope is that the section will bring clarity to understanding some of
the contrary aspects of religion and spirituality as they influence
human behavior, cognition, feelings, and motivation.
Empirical articles should address any of the variables currently
receiving significant attention in the social sciences. Such topics
might include, but are not limited to, emotional distress, seeing God as
abandoning or punishing, negative religious organizations, religious
sacrilege and abuse, or desecration. Theory articles will advance
methodological issues for the social sciences in studying the connection
between spirituality and religion, or provide models that could bear
heuristic fruit for future work.
Manuscripts will be received for this section until June 1, 2010. RSSSR
can accommodate longer reports, and section editors will determine
optimal length in terms of the number of acceptable submissions. Authors
should submit their manuscripts to a section editor in electronic form
and in APA style. The section editors are Joseph W. Ciarrocchi, PhD
(jwc [at] loyola.edu), Gina Brelsford, PhD (gmy103 [at] psu.edu), and Gabriel
Dy-Liacco PhD (gdyliacco [at] loyola.edu). The Journal address is Loyola
College in Maryland, Department of Pastoral Counseling, 8890 McGaw Road,
Suite 380, Columbia, MD, 21045.
Call for Papers: Feminist Review - Religion & Spirituality Issue
Feminist Review has announced a special issue on religion and spirituality, edited by Lyn Thomas and Avtar Brah. Here is the announcement that I received:
FEMINIST REVIEW
Religion and Spirituality Issue: CALL FOR PAPERS
This issue of Feminist Review, edited by Lyn Thomas and Avtar Brah, will explore a range of religious and spiritual practices through the lens of gender, and will encompass both theoretical and empirical approaches. We hope to engage with feminism's long history of critique of the patriarchal nature of world religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and more recent problematisations of these approaches in light of feminism's relationship to the Enlightenment and to colonialism.
Recent work on the gendering of secularisation theories and on women's practice of faith and spirituality has complicated and nuanced feminist approaches to religion; this issue will address these questions, while attempting to broaden the debate beyond the binary oppositions and alignments of religion (and most notably Islam) with tradition and 'backwardness', and of feminisms with modernity and secularism. The issue will also probe the possibilities of secular spiritualities for women, and the diversity and evolution of religious beliefs and practices in the context of global cultural exchanges through migration, media and travel.
Some of the areas we hope to address are:
- women's practice of spirituality within and outside faith traditions
- women's relationships with, and role in organised religion and religious institutions
- Contemporary and historical feminist critiques of, and participations in, established religions
- Religious identities, gender, class, 'race' and ethnicity
- Religion, gender, diaspora
- LGBTQI spiritualities and relationships to religion
- 'new age' spiritualities and gender
- sexuality and spirituality
- Feminist readings of sacred texts
- Women's writing of spirituality and religious experience
- Gendering representations of religion
Submissions for the issue are welcomed from now until FEBRUARY 28th 2010. Articles should be between 6,000-7,000 words in length. An abstract of 200-300 words should accompany the article, plus a list of up to six keywords suitable for indexing and abstracting services.
Detailed instructions on how to submit (electronic submission only) can be found at http://www.palgrave-journals.com/fr/index.html
We also welcome shorter pieces of creative or analytical writing (up to 1000 words, or 4000 words for interviews) or visual material on the theme for our 'Open Space' section. These pieces may be topical and/or polemical. They are not sent out to be peer-reviewed, but are selected by the editors of the issue.
Enquiries about the issue should be sent to Dr Lyn Thomas
(l.thomas [at] londonmet.ac.uk).
FEMINIST REVIEW
Religion and Spirituality Issue: CALL FOR PAPERS
This issue of Feminist Review, edited by Lyn Thomas and Avtar Brah, will explore a range of religious and spiritual practices through the lens of gender, and will encompass both theoretical and empirical approaches. We hope to engage with feminism's long history of critique of the patriarchal nature of world religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and more recent problematisations of these approaches in light of feminism's relationship to the Enlightenment and to colonialism.
Recent work on the gendering of secularisation theories and on women's practice of faith and spirituality has complicated and nuanced feminist approaches to religion; this issue will address these questions, while attempting to broaden the debate beyond the binary oppositions and alignments of religion (and most notably Islam) with tradition and 'backwardness', and of feminisms with modernity and secularism. The issue will also probe the possibilities of secular spiritualities for women, and the diversity and evolution of religious beliefs and practices in the context of global cultural exchanges through migration, media and travel.
Some of the areas we hope to address are:
- women's practice of spirituality within and outside faith traditions
- women's relationships with, and role in organised religion and religious institutions
- Contemporary and historical feminist critiques of, and participations in, established religions
- Religious identities, gender, class, 'race' and ethnicity
- Religion, gender, diaspora
- LGBTQI spiritualities and relationships to religion
- 'new age' spiritualities and gender
- sexuality and spirituality
- Feminist readings of sacred texts
- Women's writing of spirituality and religious experience
- Gendering representations of religion
Submissions for the issue are welcomed from now until FEBRUARY 28th 2010. Articles should be between 6,000-7,000 words in length. An abstract of 200-300 words should accompany the article, plus a list of up to six keywords suitable for indexing and abstracting services.
Detailed instructions on how to submit (electronic submission only) can be found at http://www.palgrave-journals.com/fr/index.html
We also welcome shorter pieces of creative or analytical writing (up to 1000 words, or 4000 words for interviews) or visual material on the theme for our 'Open Space' section. These pieces may be topical and/or polemical. They are not sent out to be peer-reviewed, but are selected by the editors of the issue.
Enquiries about the issue should be sent to Dr Lyn Thomas
(l.thomas [at] londonmet.ac.uk).
7/15/2009
Free Speech and Religion on Campus
I learned today that a traveling evangelist has filed a complaint about requirements in order to use a campus free speech zone. The Religion Clause, a blog maintained by law professor emeritus Howard Friedman, reports that Benjamin Bloedorn objected to being required to apply for a permit to use the free speech zone, and to the campus reserving the right to reject such applications. You can read Friedman's summary, or you can read the complaint filed by the Alliance Defense Fund.
I am unfamiliar with the details of the complaint, but given that the case involves my employer I can't help but be interested in it. Like many universities, Georgia Southern University has designated zones for free speech, and procedures for securing permission to use the zone. I confess that it seems ironic to me that campuses have "free speech zones" and that one must apply for a permit to speak freely. But such policies seem increasingly common, particularly in the last several years. (This is my impression only; I do not know of data documenting the prevalence of these types of policies.) Proponents of the policies cite the need to ensure public safety and conduct business in an orderly manner. Critics object to limits to the constitutional freedoms of expression. It will be very interesting to see how these conflicting values are resolved in the case.
I am unfamiliar with the details of the complaint, but given that the case involves my employer I can't help but be interested in it. Like many universities, Georgia Southern University has designated zones for free speech, and procedures for securing permission to use the zone. I confess that it seems ironic to me that campuses have "free speech zones" and that one must apply for a permit to speak freely. But such policies seem increasingly common, particularly in the last several years. (This is my impression only; I do not know of data documenting the prevalence of these types of policies.) Proponents of the policies cite the need to ensure public safety and conduct business in an orderly manner. Critics object to limits to the constitutional freedoms of expression. It will be very interesting to see how these conflicting values are resolved in the case.
7/12/2009
Research Invitation: Spirituality, Creativity, and Mental Health
Dagmar Corry, a doctoral candidate in research psychology at the University of Ulster, is working with Dr. Christopher A. Lewis on a study of creativity, spirituality, and mental health. To that end he has already conducted some qualitative research as well as a pilot study in order to test two newly developed scales. He now seeks to carry out the main study, and would like your participation. Please take a moment to complete his study, and then let your students, friends and others know about the study.
Click Here to take survey
Click Here to take survey
7/07/2009
Religion 'Reality' Show
A planned reality television show in Turkey is set to pit religious leaders and atheists in a discussion to investigate beliefs. According to this Reuters report, the show will feature a Muslim imam, Christian priest, Jewish rabbi, and a Buddhist monk in a contest to see which man has the most success in converting the atheists. A new wrinkle threatens the show, however, as Turkish authorities may not allow it to go forward because it is too undignified and disrespectful to religion.
Hmm. I'll have to think about whether watching people try to convert each other is any more appealing than watching them try to sleep with each other, which seems to be the mainstay of reality TV. I'd rather watch volleyball myself.
Hmm. I'll have to think about whether watching people try to convert each other is any more appealing than watching them try to sleep with each other, which seems to be the mainstay of reality TV. I'd rather watch volleyball myself.
Codex Sinaiticus
If you love museums, old manuscripts, and history, be sure to visit the Codex Sinaiticus site to view the oldest surviving Christian Bible. You will find about 800 pages of this manuscript, written in the 4th century. You can view the original text in sequence, or use the site to skip to a specific book or chapter. Many of the pages include translations. The site is available in English, French, German, and Russian. Fascinating!
7/06/2009
Call for Papers: The Social Psychology of Religion
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
Special Issue: Call for Papers
The Social Psychology of Religion: The State of the Art
Editors: Adrian Coyle & Evanthia Lyons
In the Western world in recent years, concerns about the (potential and actual) social and political implications of the rise of 'fundamentalist Islam' have seen a range of questions being raised and culturally debated concerning the social risk/value of Islam in particular and religion in general and its role within the state. These debates have often become polarised, with anti-religious definitive positions attracting considerable attention. Some of the questions raised in these debates invoke standard social psychological concerns such as identity, group processes and intergroup relations, with a focus on trying to understand what fosters pro-social and anti-social behaviours that appear to be motivated and justified by religion. These questions have been studied by scholars within social psychology and within the psychology and sociology of religion, even if the complexity of the issues identified in this research has not always been reflected in cultural debates. It therefore seems an opportune time to review the substantive foci, the theoretical and methodological approaches and the achievements of social psychological work on religion. This constitutes the primary aim of the proposed special issue - to offer a 'state of the art' appraisal of the area and to use this as a basis for identifying possibly fruitful future directions. In addition, it will consider what contributions the social psychology of religion can make towards cultural debates on and social policy and practice related to religion and religious communities and towards social psychology generally.
We invite submissions in the form of critical reviews of theory and empirical work or original reports of research relevant to the special issue's focal themes:
(1) religion as ideology (and its correlates)
(2) religion as identity and implications for inter-group relations
(3) religious practices and their social and psychological implications
(4) religions as social movements
We are also open to work on other relevant topics. Empirical (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods) work should aim to obtain social psychological insight into the particularity of religion or to test social psychological theory in religious contexts. The special issue adopts an inclusive perspective on what constitutes 'the social psychology of religion'. Submissions are welcome not only from social psychology but also from the psychology of religion, political psychology, (the) sociology (of religion), anthropology, religious studies and other relevant domains.
To allow maximum efficiency in the review process, those interested in submitting a paper are asked to submit an outline abstract (no more than 250 words) by December 4th 2009. The editors of the special issue, in consultation with other researchers or practitioners where necessary, will review the abstracts in terms of their suitability and relevance to the themes of the special issue. Once selected, the deadline for submission of full papers is February 26th 2010 with a view to publication by the end of 2010. All full papers (no more than 7000 words including references and tables) will be subject to the usual process of peer review. Abstracts should be submitted electronically as a Word document to A.Coyle [at] surrey.ac.uk Please note that all submissions should
be in the house style of the Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. For information for authors, please see:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5625/home/ForAuthors.html
Special Issue: Call for Papers
The Social Psychology of Religion: The State of the Art
Editors: Adrian Coyle & Evanthia Lyons
In the Western world in recent years, concerns about the (potential and actual) social and political implications of the rise of 'fundamentalist Islam' have seen a range of questions being raised and culturally debated concerning the social risk/value of Islam in particular and religion in general and its role within the state. These debates have often become polarised, with anti-religious definitive positions attracting considerable attention. Some of the questions raised in these debates invoke standard social psychological concerns such as identity, group processes and intergroup relations, with a focus on trying to understand what fosters pro-social and anti-social behaviours that appear to be motivated and justified by religion. These questions have been studied by scholars within social psychology and within the psychology and sociology of religion, even if the complexity of the issues identified in this research has not always been reflected in cultural debates. It therefore seems an opportune time to review the substantive foci, the theoretical and methodological approaches and the achievements of social psychological work on religion. This constitutes the primary aim of the proposed special issue - to offer a 'state of the art' appraisal of the area and to use this as a basis for identifying possibly fruitful future directions. In addition, it will consider what contributions the social psychology of religion can make towards cultural debates on and social policy and practice related to religion and religious communities and towards social psychology generally.
We invite submissions in the form of critical reviews of theory and empirical work or original reports of research relevant to the special issue's focal themes:
(1) religion as ideology (and its correlates)
(2) religion as identity and implications for inter-group relations
(3) religious practices and their social and psychological implications
(4) religions as social movements
We are also open to work on other relevant topics. Empirical (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods) work should aim to obtain social psychological insight into the particularity of religion or to test social psychological theory in religious contexts. The special issue adopts an inclusive perspective on what constitutes 'the social psychology of religion'. Submissions are welcome not only from social psychology but also from the psychology of religion, political psychology, (the) sociology (of religion), anthropology, religious studies and other relevant domains.
To allow maximum efficiency in the review process, those interested in submitting a paper are asked to submit an outline abstract (no more than 250 words) by December 4th 2009. The editors of the special issue, in consultation with other researchers or practitioners where necessary, will review the abstracts in terms of their suitability and relevance to the themes of the special issue. Once selected, the deadline for submission of full papers is February 26th 2010 with a view to publication by the end of 2010. All full papers (no more than 7000 words including references and tables) will be subject to the usual process of peer review. Abstracts should be submitted electronically as a Word document to A.Coyle [at] surrey.ac.uk Please note that all submissions should
be in the house style of the Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. For information for authors, please see:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5625/home/ForAuthors.html
Templeton Neuroscience Grants
The Templeton Foundation is offering grants for neuroscientific explorations of positive psychology. In particular, they wish to fund proposals investigating positive psychology. Included among the areas are topics related to the psychology of religion, as well as "religious belief, prayer, and meditation: How do religious and spiritual practices affect neural function and behavior?"
For more information, go to http://www.posneuroscience.org/.
For more information, go to http://www.posneuroscience.org/.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
