Sociologists "Get Religion"

An interesting report on one of our sister disciplines is found in the story Sociologists Get Religion in today's Inside Higher Ed. It describes sociologists as becoming more interested in studying religion, and using it in more significant ways in accounting for phenomena. It is worth your time to read.

Survey Research Workshop

Researchers interested in surveys of American religion are invited to apply for a workshop to be held at Calvin College June 3-9, 2010. Travel and lodging will be covered for approximately 15 awardees. More details are available at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion website.

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/.

Pentecostal & Charismatic Research RFP

The University of Southern California Center for Religion and Civic Culture proposals examining Pentecostalism and other renewal movements that stem from Christianity. The awards are large, offering up to $500,000 for regional centers, and $100,000 to individual scholars. Funding is through the John Templeton Foundation. More information is available at http://www.usc.edu/pcri. Letters of intent are due by August 1, 2009.

Multiple Announcements

I have several announcements to share, so will briefly mention several items here.


Oxford University is holding a small grant competition for projects addressing cognitive science and religion. Awards are in three categories: Junior Scholar Grants, One - Year Grants, and Two - Year Grants. Awards can be applied to supplies, research assistance, etc. They expect to award 800,000 pounds total.

Duke University's Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health still has room in its summer workshop series. Workshops will address things ranging from resources on spirituality and health, to obtaining funding for research, to working with the media. If you are interested in religion and health, it is worth a visit to see if the workshops are right for you.

Duke also is hosting the first annual meeting of the Society for Spirituality, Theology and Health. This will be June 25-27, 2008, at Duke.

Richard Koenigsberg announces a symposium on evil April 4, 2008, at Fordham University. If you are in the area, it sounds like a fascinating symposium.