I am organizing a special series of conference sessions on computational,
experimental, and mathematical approaches to the study of religion. The
sessions would occur at the joint annual meetings of the Society for the
Scientific Study of Religion and Association for the Study of Religion,
Economics, and Culture -- October 19 - 21, 2006 in Portland, Oregon. Please
let me know if you'd like to participate as a presenter, discussant, or
session convener.
I hope to assemble at least one session on agent-based models, a second on
experimental methods, and perhaps a third on other methods. I also plan to
organize a panel focusing on William Bainbridge's recently-published book,
God from the Machine, which develops a theory of religion based on
agent-based models and and neural-net simulations. I am also seeking grant
support to help fund the publication of an edited volume and provide modest
honoraria for the session participants.
The ASREC-SSSR conference provides an ideal forum for sharing new ideas and
meeting first-rate scholars interested in social-scientific study of
religion. Although SSSR began as "club" for sociologists and psychologists,
ASREC has helped to broaden the meetings to include scores of outstanding
economists, political scientists, anthropologists, and others. The Portland
meetings will include more than 100 sessions and 500 participants. It's
time that we made simulation and experimental methods a regular part of the
conference ... and the field.
For more information, see the ASREC call for papers, at www.ASREC.org, or
contact me directly.
Best wishes,
-Larry
Laurence R. Iannaccone
Koch Professor of Economics at George Mason University Director of the
Center for the Economic Study of Religion www.theCESR.org &
www.economicsofreligion.com
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