CALL FOR PAPERS
"RELIGIOSITY IN THE SECULARIZED WORLD"
12th annual conference of the ARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT OBJEKTIVE HERMENEUTIK e.V.
21 to 23 March 2003, Frankfurt am Main/Germany
In contemporary sociology of religion, there is a vivid controversy about
the thesis of secularization. While there seems to be agreement about the
existence of a "functional differentiation" or an autonomization of spheres
of conduct in the course of the universal process of rationalization or
modernization, the thesis of an irresistible secularization has for some
time been contested: One group of scholars interprets contemporary
religious phenomena as expressions of a continued secularization, others
consider these phenomena proof of the irrelevance of this thesis.
Considering the increased pressure on individuals in modern societies to
find unique answers for questions concerning their conduct of life, the
individual's conduct has been an important issue in this debate.
This conference will provide a platform for these issues with respect to
the following questions: If there is such a thing as a process of
secularization, is this process restricted to the state, the society, and
its institutions-or does this process not also extend to the individual's
life conduct? It is impossible to separate the thesis of secularization and
questions relating to the development of the major world religions.
Considering the process of rationalization as described by Max Weber and
others following him, is it possible to locate different religions on
different levels within the process of secularization? How does one grasp
the emergence of, for example, Islamic fundamentalism which seems to be a
reaction to the confrontation with "Western culture"? Numerous questions
also arise with respect to the development of law. Finally, the thesis of
secularization bears implications for the relationship between state and
religion.
We invite sociologists as well as scholars in other fields who are working
on issues of secularization and modern religiosity to participate in this
conference. Conference languages will be German (with english translation)
as well as English. For information about the Arbeitsgemeinschaft objektive
Hermeneutik e.V. see: www.objektivehermeneutik.de
DEADLINE for the submission of manuscripts or abstracts is October 31, 2002.
CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS: Manuel Franzmann, Christel Gärtner, Nicole Köck und
Andreas Müller-Tucholski
Please direct questions to Christel Gaertner, [log in to unmask]
frankfurt.de
For further information see:
http://www.rz.uni-frankfurt.de/~hermeneu/index2.htm
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