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Explaining Nonreligion and Secularity in the U.S. and Beyond

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Explaining Nonreligion and Secularity in the U.S. and Beyond Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Explaining Nonreligion and Secularity in the U.S. and Beyond November 19-20, 2014 Pitzer College Claremont, CA NYU PRESS “SILVER” WINNER OF THE 2008 FOREWORD MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD, RELIGION CATEGORY Changing Faith The Post-Secular in Question The Dynamics and Consequences of Religion in Contemporary Society Society without God Americans’ Shifting Religious Identities EDITED BY PHILIP GORSKI, What the Least Religious Nations DARREN SHERKAT DAVID KYUMAN KIM, JOHN TORPEY Can Tell Us About Contentment “A fascinating glimpse into the changing reli- AND JONATHAN VAN ANTWERPEN PHIL ZUCKERMAN gious landscape in the U.S.” “An important contribution to the vast litera- “This glimpse of an alternate, secular reality is Jennifer Glass, ture on secularization and religion in contem- at once humbling and profoundly inspiring— University of Texas - Austin porary society.” and it comes not a moment too soon....Truly $24.00 • PAPER Sociology of Religion indispensable.” $55.00 • CLOTH Sam Harris, The New York Times Religious and Secular Co-published with the Social Science Research Council $23.00 • PAPER Reform in America Islam and Secularism The Atheist Ideas, Beliefs, and Social Change EDITED BY DAVID K. ADAMS Madalyn Murray O’Hair in the Middle East AND CORNELIUS A. VAN MINNEN EDITED BY JOHN L. ESPOSITO BRYAN F. LE BEAU “Should be of interest to anyone seeking a AND AZZAM TAMIMI “Belongs on the short shelf of books on fresh perspective on American history.” American atheism, church-state relations, Examines the origins and growth of the and school prayer.” Journal of the Academy movement to abolish the secularizing reforms for Evangelism of the past century by creating a political order The Journal of American History $25.00 • PAPER guided by Shariah law. $25.00 • PAPER $24.00 • PAPER Paranormal America Christopher Hitchens Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, A Doomsday Reader and His Critics Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities Prophets, Predictors, Terror, Iraq, and the Left in Religion and Culture and Hucksters of Salvation EDITED BY CHRISTOPHER BADER, EDITED BY TED DANIELS THOMAS CUSHMAN AND SIMON COTTEE F. CARSON MENCKEN AND JOSEPH O. BAKER Brings together pronouncements, edicts, and WITH AN AFTERWORD BY CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS “An in-depth analysis of beliefs and experi- scriptures written by prominent apocalyptic “There’s red meat aplenty for pro- and ences that lie outside the realm of maintream movements, offering an exceptional look into anti-Hitchens readers.” religion and science.” their belief systems. Publishers Weekly Paul J. Olson, Sociology of Religion $25.00 • PAPER $22.00 • PAPER $25.00 • PAPER ALL BOOKS AVAILABLE AS E-BOOKS. ANNOUNCING THE SECULAR STUDIES SERIES General Editor: PHIL ZUCKERMAN, Pitzer College There are more secular people in the world than ever before. And various forms and manifestations of secularity—atheism, agnosticism, humanism, skepticism, and anti-religious movements—are enjoying increased attention and scrutiny. The scholarly examination of secular identity, secular groups, secular culture(s), and political/constitutional secularisms—and how these all relate to each other, as well as to the broader social world—is thus more timely than ever. The Secular Studies series is meant to provide a home for works in the emerging field of secular studies. Rooted in a social science perspective, it will explore and illuminate various aspects of secular life, ranging from how secular people live their lives and how they construct their identities to the activities of secular social movements, from the demographic www.nyupress.org 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Explaining Nonreligion and Secularity in the U.S. and Beyond November 19-20, 2014 Pitzer College Claremont, CA WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 SESSION A2: Politics and the Secular – 1 Location: West Hall P101 7:15 a.m. Convener: Sean Dixon Breakfast and Registration Mohammad Abdel Haq, California State Location: McConnell Center University, Fullerton Title: The Collective Consciousness of Atheism 8:30-9 a.m. Andrew Fiala, Fresno State University Welcome and Housekeeping Title: Nonreligion, Secularism, and Cosmopolitanism Location: Benson Auditorium, Avery Hall Phil Zuckerman, Pitzer College Jeffrey Murico, San Diego State University Title: The Politics of Secularism and the Paradox of a Christian-American Ethos 9-10 a.m. Keynote & NSRN Annual Lecture Location: Benson Auditorium, Avery Hall 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Lunch Location: McConnell Center Lori G. Beaman, University of Ottawa Title: ‘In the Name of a Draconian Conception of State Neutrality’: Law’s Affirmation that You Can’t be Good 1:15-2:45 p.m. without God PANEL SESSIONS: B Introduction: Lois Lee SESSION B1: The “Nones” Location: McConnell Founders Room 10:15-11:45 a.m. Convener: Christel Manning, Sacred Heart University PANEL SESSIONS: A Peter A. Huff, Centenary College of Louisiana Title: The Pope and the “Nones”: Pope Francis and the SESSION A1: Terminology New Age of Atheism Location: McConnell Founders Room Kevin Lenehan, Catholic Theological College Convener: Lois Lee, University College London Title: Nonreligion and Religious Pluralism in Australia: Charles Louis Richter, The George Washington University A New Context for Christian Identity and Dialogue Title: “I Know It When I See It:” Humanism, Secularism, and Joel Thiessen, Ambrose University College Religious Taxonomy Title: Religious Nones in Canada: A Qualitative Exploration Joseph Blankholm, Columbia University Title: Navigating the Nonbeliever Constellation: What’s at Stake in Labeling Nonbelievers and Secular Activists? John R. Shook, University at Buffalo Title: Polysecularity and Types of Nonbelief: Framing the Field of Secular Studies 2 SESSION B2: Spirituality and Morality 5-7:30 p.m. Location: West Hall P101 Dinner Convener: Isabella Kasselstrand Location: McConnell Living Room Lori L. Fazzino, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Title: What Happens in Vegas is... Moral Embattlement: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Irreligious Moral Performance as Cultural Resistance in Keynote Sin City Location: Benson Auditorium, Avery Hall Kathy Goodman, Miami University Darren Sherkat, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Title: Secular Students and Spirituality Title: Beyond Believing and Belonging: Trends and Predictors of Religious Belief and Belonging in the Catharine Christof, Loyola Marymount University United States. Title: Michel Foucault, Religion & the Theatrical Work of Jerzy Grotowski Introduction: Ryan T. Cragun 3-4:30 p.m. 8:45-9:45 p.m. – De Gruyter Sponsored Reception PANEL SESSIONS: C Location: Benson Auditorium Lobby, Avery Hall SESSION C1: Organized Nonbelievers – 1 Location: McConnell Founders Room Convener: Ryan T. Cragun, The University of Tampa Jacqui Frost, University of Minnesota Title: Atheist Churches: All of the Community with “None” of the Theology Jesse M. Smith, Western Michigan University Title: Atheist Churching: New Congregational Activity at the Sunday Assembly Björn Mastiaux, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Title: Organized Atheism in the US and Abroad – A Typology of Members from the Freethought- Secularist Movement SESSION C2: Imagining God (in a Lab) Location: West Hall P103 Convener: Andre Wakefield, Pitzer College Alex Uzdavines, Case Western University Title: The Hypothetical God: Asking Nonbelievers to Imagine a Divine Figure David F. Bradley, Case Western University Title: Self-Reported Reasons for Nonbelief in God’s Existence: A Quantitative Approach Julie J. Exline, Case Western University Title: If Given Clear Evidence for the Existence of a God, How Do Atheists and Agnostics Think They Would Respond? 3 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 10:15-11:45 a.m. PANEL SESSIONS: E 7:30 a.m. Breakfast SESSION E1: Prejudice Toward Nonbelievers Location: McConnell Center Location: Broad Performance Space, Broad Center Convener: Joel Thiessen, Ambrose University 8:30-10:00 a.m. Penny Edgell, University of Minnesota PANEL SESSIONS: D Title: Atheists Still Others? A 10-year Followup on the Findings of the American Mosaic Project SESSION D1: Secularity and the Middle East Evan M. Stewart, University of Minnesota Location: McConnell Founders Room Title: Looking for a ‘God-Shaped Hole’: The Political Convener: Christel Manning, Sacred Heart University Dimensions of Religiosity and Anti-Atheist Attitudes Catherine Caldwell-Harris, Boston University Kyle Thompson, Claremont Graduate University Title: Examining Low Religiousness Among University Title: How Christian Atheists Can Shed Light on Anti- Students in Istanbul Atheist Prejudice in America Jeffery T. Kenney, DePauw University Title: Transformations of Self and Society in Modern Egypt SESSION E2: Relationships and Meaning-Making Jeremiah Bowden, Claremont Graduate University Location: West Hall P101 Title: The Desacralization of the Middle-East: A Hybrid Convener: Lois Lee, University College London Theory of Secularization Exploring Levels of Religiosity in Nicholas J. Mac Murray, University of Nevada, Post-Khomeini Iran Las Vegas Title: Irreligious Death: Making Meaning without the SESSION D2: Cognitive Science, Memory, and Religion Theist Crutch Location: West Hall P105 Robin Allen, Boise State University Convener: Thomas Coleman, The University of Tennessee Title: What’s Love Got to Do With It? An Exploratory at Chattanooga Study of Religious Nones Experiences With Dating, Jonathan A. Lanman, Queen’s University Belfast Relationships and Marriage Michael Buhrmester, co-author Dusty Hoesly, University of California,
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