What does it mean to believe?

International Symposium

8th –10th March 2012

Organised by the Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, University of Kent, and the British Council

Applications are invited for a limited number of funded places (covering UK travel, food, and accommodation) to attend this symposium being held at the University of Kent, March 8-10 2012 in Canterbury, UK. International scholars and practitioners will explore the theme: ‘What does it mean to believe?’ in the context of inter-cultural relations. Applicants will be post-graduate students or early career scholars in the Humanities, Social Sciences or Sciences or early career practitioners from charities, business, professional networks, media, galleries, museums, government, and NGOs. A particular focus will be on recent events in Egypt and Tunisia with students, scholars and practitioner’s from the region attending.

Belief is construed here as an inclusive, far reaching-term that changes meaning through time and across cultural context, encompassing for example, faith, trust, values, identity  and emotional attachment. Political or religious convictions, ideologies and cultural identities, for example, are all sub-sets and different manifestations of belief.  Belief can be the glue that holds cultures and groups together, and also marks the boundaries between groups to set them apart. How is belief used to promote cohesion or discord in pluralistic cultures of diversity, and what can we learn from those experiences?

This intensive symposium will be led by Dr Abby Day, AHRC British Council Fellow, Senior Research Fellow (Religious Studies), University of Kent. Keynote speakers include Prof. Eileen Barker, London School of Economics, Dr Ariela  Keysar,    who will discuss shifting, international patterns of religiosity in the United States and elsewhere, and Prof. Gordon Lynch, Director, Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, University of Kent, UK , who will discuss ‘the sacred’ in contemporary society.  Other presenters will explore aspects of belief viewed through a holistic model incorporating seven dimensions or perspectives : time, place, content, sources, practice, salience, function.

Participants will be invited to engage throughout with paper presenters, key notes and plenary speakers to consider perceptions and behaviours that guide, both explicitly and implicitly, our understanding of what it means to believe: what does this mean to me in my practice/position? What are implications for inter-cultural relations, teaching, research, practice, policy?  What needs to be done and what can we do about that?

Applicants should send, by 10 February 2012, a one-page application with name, address, affiliation (university or other organisation) and a brief statement (no more than 200 words) covering reasons for attendance to: Dr Abby Day:  [log in to unmask]