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CALL FOR PAPERS
Society for the Anthropology of Religion Spring Meeting: "The Re-Enchantment of the World?"
April 13-16, 2007
Wyndham Phoenix Hotel, Phoenix, Arizona
Set amidst the spectacular scenery of the Sonoran desert, Phoenix is a dynamic and cosmopolitan city, with many art galleries and museums. Our meeting program promises to be lively and stimulating. Professor Jean Comaroff of the University of Chicago will deliver the Rappaport Lecture on April 15, 2007. We hope to see you there!
"THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF THE WORLD?"
Borrowing a phrase from the philosopher Friedrich Schiller, Max Weber wrote in 1918 that "The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the 'disenchantment of the world?'" (Science as a Vocation). For much of the twentieth century, it was taken as axiomatic by many scholars in the social sciences that the decline of religion and its replacement by secular paradigms were inevitable, constitutive, facets of modernization. Despite the popularity of the secularization thesis, grassroots evidence --especially that provided by anthropologists -- has always tended to suggest a much more complex picture of what might be meant by religious belief, practice, and the apparent loss of faith. Furthermore, religion has (re-)gained a high profile in the public sphere in many contexts over the past few years. To cite only a few examples: the florescence of New Religious Movements in Europe, North America and Japan since the 1960s; the
ongoing influence of the Christian Right in US politics; the transnational explosion of Pentecostalist and Charismatic Christianities; the power of Hindu nationalisms and diasporas; and the increasing global significance of Islam in the twenty-first century; all indicate that religion remains a key component of both group and individual identities. It may be, as Latour suggests, that 'we have never been modern', and that what we should actually study are the purifying practices and ideologies that have come misleadingly to define modernity and aspects of the social sciences.
At the 2007 meeting of the Society for the Anthropology of Religion, we seek to critically evaluate the notions of disenchantment and religious re-enchantment, asking questions such as:
- Are we witnessing a renewal of religious worldviews, or did they ever decline?
- What are the contours of contemporary religious landscapes, in the West and elsewhere?
- What do current developments tell us about the relationship between religion, science and nature in the contemporary world?
- How can we conceptualize emergent relations between the religious and the political that do not fit the paradigm of secularization?
- Does the high profile of religion in many parts of the world present particular opportunities and/or dilemmas for anthropologists of religion?
Both individual papers (15 minutes) and full panels (1 hour and forty-five minutes) on these and related topics are welcome. Please also send suggestions you may have for less formal sessions involving workshops, roundtable discussions, film screenings, or other events. Younger scholars are particularly encouraged to suggest papers. The deadline for submitting papers and panel suggestions is Friday December 22, 2006, but earlier submissions are helpful.
The format for abstracts and panels is based on that of the AAA meetings, and no more than 250 words are permitted for individual paper or overall session abstracts. We suggest that session organizers provide their panelists with a list of questions to address in order to encourage integrated discussion. All paper and panel abstracts should provide three keywords. Please send abstracts and panel proposals to:
Professor Simon Coleman
Program Chair, SAR Spring 2007 Meetings
Department of Anthropology
Arts C
University of Sussex
Falmer
Brighton BN1 9SJ
UK
Tel.: +44-(0)1273-678371
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Electronic submissions are strongly encouraged! Note that all student abstracts will be entered in a competition for an award of $500 for the best abstract -- students, please identify yourself as a student on your abstract.
A conference registration form is attached to this message.
To reserve a room at the Wyndham Phoenix at the conference rate of $159/night, single, double, triple or quadruple occupancy, please call 1-800-359-7253 and mention that you are attending the SAR conference. (Four people can share a room, each paying $40!) Reservations can also be made online at http://www.wyndham.com/groupevents/271SAR/main.wnt
Ellen Badone
SAR President
Simon Coleman
SAR Program Chair, Spring 2007 Meetings
Further information at
http://www.aaanet.org/sar/
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