Forwarded message from David Harvey <[log in to unmask]>:

EMERGING GEOGRAPHIES OF BELIEF
Thursday 14th- Friday 15th September 2006

The Cultural and Historical Geography Research Group
School of Geography, Archaeology and Earth Resources
The University of Exeter
Convenors: Dr. Adrian R. Bailey, Dr. Catherine Brace, Dr. Sean Carter, 
Dr. David C. Harvey, Dr. Jude Hill, Dr. Pau Obrador Pons, Dr. Nicola 
Thomas.

Keynote Speaker: Professor Lily Kong, National University of Singapore.

Themes:
This interdisciplinary symposium seeks to bring together new research that 
explores questions of knowledge, belief, ethos and religion. Participants 
will include researchers and practitioners whose work focuses on 
theoretically informed cultural and historical analyses of religion, 
society and space. The aim is to create a forum for the presentation of 
work in progress, focusing on new or revised theoretical approaches and 
methodologies.

Recent research into religious faith and practice has focused on the 
complex interactions of the political and poetic dimensions of sacredness 
in contemporary societies. Taking this research agenda forward, the aim of 
the conference is to understand how religious and secular beliefs inform 
and construct social identities, public knowledge and modes of 
governance.  In particular, there is an urgent need for a critical 
understanding of how terms such as 'religion', 'faith', 'fundamentalism' 
and 'secularism', for example, inform public debates and foster 
constructive engagements with faith groups. 

Moreover, we welcome research that explores the mediation and articulation 
of beliefs, religious identities and institutional frameworks, through a 
specific focus on narrative forms, theological doctrines, material 
practices, forms of embodiment, performance and affectivity. With 
reference to these general aims, we invite contributions that address the 
following themes:

· Citizenship and religious education;
· Geopolitics and religious belief;
· The body, affect, and performance; 
· Participatory research with religious groups and faith based 
organisations; 
· Materialities of belief; 
· Landscapes, belief and credulity;

Papers in the first instance, should take the form of an abstract of no 
more than 250 words. These should be emailed to Dr. Adrian R. Bailey - 
[log in to unmask] The Deadline for submission is 12th June 2006. The 
selection committee will inform authors of the decision by 1st July
2006.

This conference is FREE to all participants. Please also note that we will 
pay reasonable travel and accommodation costs for all speakers.

For further information, contact Dr Adrian R. Bailey - [log in to unmask]