RELIGIOUSELIGIOUS STUDIESTUDIES NEEWSWS

October 2007 Published by the American Academy of Religion Vol. 22, No. 4 Annual Meeting News

Meet Me in San Diego ...... 7 Highlights of the City on Annual Meeting Countdown ...... 7 IN THIS ISSUE: Important Dates and Deadlines The Religion Major International Focus ...... 8 Chinese Scholars and Scholarship and Liberal Education Plenary Addresses ...... 9 Begins on page 21 This Year’s Featured Speakers New Program Units ...... 10 Eight New Units to Offer Sessions Leadership Workshop ...... 10 The Religion Major and Liberal Education From the Editor ...... 3 Chairs Workshop ...... 11 Diversifying Your Faculty Officer Elections ...... 3–6 Performances and Exhibitions ...... 12 Candidates for Vice President, Secretary, and Student Director Chinese Dancers and a Photo Documentary Reel Religion ...... 12 In Memoriam 14 Jesus Camp and Magnolia, among Others ...... Emilie Townes Remembers Letty Mandeville Russell Religion on Display in San Diego ...... 12 Events and Exhibits Eating and Drinking ...... 13 Briefs ...... 15 Dinner and Nightlife in San Diego News from Around the Academy

Annual Meeting Survey Ends October 15...... 16 FEATURES AAR Surveys Members on Aspects of Independent Meetings Research Briefing ...... 27 Hindu Discourses of Religious AAR Advocates for Humanities Funding ...... 16 Self-Representation A Report on Humanities Advocacy Day 2007 In the Public Interest ...... 28 Transformative Education in a Prison AAR Announces Four New Task Forces...... 16 From the Student Desk ...... 29 Governance, Placement, Sustainability, and LGBT Exploring the Intersecting Spaces of Culture and Religion in Academia Utah State University Launches Religious Studies Program ...... 17 Academy Announces Annual Awards...... 18–19 Journalism, Book Awards, Excellence in Teaching, Marty Award

Regional Meetings and Calls for Papers...... 20 Regions Meet in Spring 2008

IN THIS ISSUE OF Spotlight on Teaching: Diversifying Knowledge Production: The Other within Christianity 2 0 0 7 2007 Member Calendar AAR Staff Directory Dates are subject to change. Check www.aarweb.org for the latest information. Kyle Cole Director of College Programs October November 17–20. Annual Meeting, San And keep in mind E-MAIL: [email protected] Diego, CA. Held concurrently with the throughout the year… TEL Religious Studies News October issue. : 404-727-1489 Society of Biblical Literature, comprising Regional organizations have various deadlines Joe DeRose Spotlight on Teaching Fall issue. some 11,000 registrants, 200 publishers, and Director of Membership and Technology Services throughout the fall for their Calls for Papers. E MAIL 150 hiring departments. - : [email protected] October 1–31. AAR officer election period. See www.aarweb.org/About_AAR/Regions. TEL: 404-727-7972 Candidate profiles will be published in the November 19. Annual Business Meeting Toby Director October RSN and online. at the Annual Meeting. See the Program In the Field. News of events and opportunities Research Project Coordinator for scholars of religion. In the Field is a members- E-MAIL: [email protected] October 15. Excellence in Teaching award Book for time. only online publication that accepts brief TEL: 404-727-9503 nominations due. For more information, see announcements, including calls for papers, grant Ina Ferrell www.aarweb.org/awards/teaching_awards. December Associate Director of Finance and Administration news, conference announcements, and other E-MAIL: [email protected] October 22. EIS preregistration closes. Journal of the American Academy of Religion opportunities appropriate for scholars of religion. TEL: 404-727-2331 December issue. Submit text online at www.aarweb.org/ John Fitzmier November December 1. New program unit proposals due. publications/inthefield/submit1.asp. Executive Director E-MAIL: [email protected] November 1. Research grant awards announced. December 7–8. Program Committee meet- Openings: Employment Opportunities for TEL: 404-727-3049 November 15. Executive Committee ing, Atlanta, GA. Scholars of Religion. Openings is a members- Carey J. Gifford Director of Theological Programs meeting, San Diego, CA. December 15. Submissions for the March only online publication listing job announce- E-MAIL: [email protected] November 16. Fall Board of Directors meet- 2008 issue of Religious Studies News due. For ments in areas of interest to members; issues TEL: 404-727-2270 are viewable online from the first through the ing, San Diego, CA. more information, see Stephanie Gray www.aarweb.org/publications/rsn. last day of each month. Submit announce- Office Manager November 16. Chairs Workshop at the ments online, and review policies and pricing, E-MAIL: [email protected] Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. December 31. Membership renewal for 2008 TEL: 404-727-3059 at www.aarweb.org/openings/submitad1.asp. due. Renew online at www.aarweb.org/ Steve Herrick November 16. Leadership Workshop at the Director of External Relations Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. members/dues. E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: 404-727-7948 Myesha D. Jenkins Associate Director of Theological Programs E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: 404-727-3026 Aislinn Jones Annual Meeting Program Director E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: 404-727-8132 Deanna Lord Administrative Assistant E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: 404-727-3049 Deborah Minor Director of Finance and Administration E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: 404-727-7954 Robert Puckett Assistant Director of the Annual Meeting Program E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: 404-727-1461 Shelly C. Roberts Associate Director of Professional Services E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: 404-727-4707 Susan Snider Associate Director of External Relations E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: 404-727-4725

Religious Studies News (USPS 841-720) is pub- lished quarterly by the American Academy of Religion in January, March, April, and October. Letters to the editor and features examining profes- sional issues in the field are welcome from all read- ers. Please send editorial pieces in electronic uncom- pressed file format only (MS Word is preferred) to: [email protected]. Subscriptions for individuals and institutions are available. See www.aarweb.org/publications/rsn for more information.

Deadlines for submissions: January October 15 March December 15 April February 15 October July 15 Advertising For information on advertising, please see www.aarweb.org/publications/rsn. Publisher: American Academy of Religion RELIGIOUS STUDIES NEEWSWS 825 Houston Mill Road NE, Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30329 USA Executive Editor Religious Studies News is the newspaper of record for the field especially designed to serve the professional needs of Kyle Cole persons involved in teaching and scholarship in religion (broadly construed to include religious studies, theology, and Editor sacred texts). Published quarterly by the American Academy of Religion, RSN is received by some 11,000 scholars and Shelly Roberts by libraries at colleges and universities across North America and abroad. Religious Studies News communicates the © AAR, 2007 important events of the field and related areas. It provides a forum for members and others to examine critical issues in education, pedagogy (especially through the biannual Spotlight on Teaching), research, publishing, and the public understanding of religion. It also publishes news about the services and programs of the AAR and other organizations, POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Religious Studies News including employment services and registration information for the AAR Annual Meeting. 825 Houston Mill Road, Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30329. For writing and advertising guidelines, please see www.aarweb.org/publications/rsn. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, GA.

2 • October 2007 RSN NEWS

FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers, Don’t Let As we approach the Annual Meeting, we find ourselves in very busy times as reflected by this large October issue of RSN. October always brings news of and about the Annual Meeting, this year in San Diego. Registration forms, what to do, and Time Get Away features on the international focus on China are all inside. Additionally, don’t forget to vote in our elections — the dead- line is November 1. As always, we have a solid slate of candidates, but please let your voice be heard and vote on the future from You! volunteer leadership of the AAR. Register for the Employment In Focus, we examine the complexities of “The Religion Major and Liberal Education.” Supported by a Teagle Foundation Information Services Center by grant, a working group has organized and is taking steps to eventually craft a “white paper” on the topic. This section dis- October 22. The EIS Center at cusses the project, and encourages all AAR members to get involved. There are so many contexts from which we all work — the Annual Meeting is an efficient public or private institutions, large state flagships, small liberal arts colleges, departments, combined departments, pro- way for candidates and grams within other departments, etc. — that we need to hear from you. At the Annual Meeting there are two opportuni- employers to communicate and ties for extended conversation — one is the leadership workshop on Friday, November 16, and another is a wildcard ses- participate in job interviews. sion scheduled for 1 PM Saturday, November 17. Those who register by the deadline will receive the A pioneer in the field, Letty Russell, died recently; President-elect Emilie Townes offers a wonderful tribute in a beautifully following benefits. written piece. Also in this issue is a Spotlight on Teaching titled “Diversifying Knowledge Production: The Other within Christianity.” EMPLOYERS: Spotlight guest editor is Zayn Kassam, who has produced for us an important issue written by a variety of learned authors. Unlimited use of the interview hall This marks the last issue for which I will serve as executive editor and Shelly Roberts will serve as editor. We have enjoyed the opportunity to serve the Academy in this capacity. Carey Gifford and Stephanie Gray will assume our responsibilities. I
hope you will submit any thoughts, letters to the editor, comments, and criticisms concerning Religious Studies News to Placement of job Gifford at [email protected]. advertisement in the Annual Meeting edition of Openings
Kyle Cole Seven months of online access to candidate CVs organized by Executive Editor, Religious Studies News specialization
Ability to use the message center to communicate with registered candidates AAR Officer Elections CANDIDATES: Opportunity to place CV online for employer review Call for Nominations Vice President A Message from the AAR
The Nominations Committee will contin- The Vice President serves on the Personal copy of registered job Nominations Committee ue its practice of consultations during the Executive and Program Committees, as advertisements and employers’ Annual Meeting in San Diego, California well as on the Board of Directors. She will interview plans The Nominations Committee is to begin the process for selecting nominees be in line to be confirmed President-Elect
pleased to place six excellent names for Vice President to take office in in 2008 and President in 2009. During Ability to use the message center on the ballot this year for Vice November 2008. The committee takes seri- her tenure, the Vice President will have to communicate with employers President, Secretary, and Student ously all recommendations by AAR mem- the opportunity to affect AAR policy in Director. We are grateful to all of bers. powerful ways; in particular, during the For more information about the them for their willingness to serve the presidential year, the incumbent makes all Employment Information Services The following characteristics regularly surface Academy in this way. appointments of members to openings on Center, and to register, see in discussions of candidates for Vice President: committees. www.aarweb.org/eis. Once again, AAR members will be (a) Scholarship: “represents the mind of the able to vote by electronic ballot. A Academy,” “international reputation,” paper ballot will be mailed to mem- Secretary “breadth of knowledge of the field,” “wide- bers whose e-mail addresses are not ly known.” The Secretary is responsible for recording on file. Please know that we guarantee and verifying the official records of the the privacy of your vote. (b) Service to the Academy: “serves the meetings of the members, the Board of Academy broadly conceived,” “gives We expect a large number of our Directors, and the Executive Committee. papers regularly,” “leads sections,” “chairs members to vote in this election. The Secretary serves a three-year term and committees,” “supports regional work.” Please be among them. is eligible for reelection to one additional (c) General: “electable,” “one the average three-year term. Hans Hillerbrand, Chair member of the Academy will look Nominations Committee upon with respect,” “one whose schol-  Student Director Remember to arship and manner is inclusive rather than narrow, sectarian, and/or exclu- The Student Director is a member of the register for the sive.” Board of Directors, representing the particular concerns and issues of AAR Annual Meeting student members at large. In addition, the How to Vote Student Director works with the Student before the Liaison Group and Graduate Student All members of the Academy are Committee. entitled to vote for all officers. The rates rise on elected candidates will take office at October 16. the end of the 2007 Annual Meeting. Please vote online at www.aarweb.org. ☛ Paper ballots are sent only to those Registration information See page 4 for without e-mail addresses on file or candidates’ statements can be found at by special request (please call www.aarweb.org/jump/am. 404-727-3049). Vote by November 1, 2007, to exercise this important membership right.

October 2007 RSN • 3 Religious Studies News

Candidates for Secretary Michel Desjardins David C. Ratke Michel Desjardins is Professor of Religion and Culture at Wilfrid David C. Ratke is Associate Professor of Religion at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, and past Chair of that Hickory, North Carolina. Ratke earned his BA in history from the University department. His PhD in Religious Studies is from the University of of Alberta (1985), MA in theology from the Graduate Theological Union Toronto (1987). (1992), MDiv from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (1993), and PhD Professor Desjardins has published mainly in the area of Christian ori- (summa cum laude) from University of Regensburg (1998). His areas of gins. He is currently engaged in a multi-year project on the intersection research interest are public theology, the scholarship of teaching and learning of religion and food across living traditions. religion, the relationship of religion to the liberal arts, ecclesiology, religion and culture, and religion and science. Ratke has published articles on ecumenical He is the recipient of teaching awards from the University of Toronto theology, Lutheran history and theology, contemporary systematic theology, (1991) and Wilfrid Laurier University (2001), and is the only scholar teaching religion, and the relationship of faith and learning in higher educa- of religion to have been named a 3M National Teaching Fellow tion. He is the author of Confession and Mission, Word and Sacrament as (2001) by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher well as other edited volumes, and is on the editorial board of Dialog: A Journal of Theology. He Education, recognizing teaching excellence and educational leadership. currently serves on the AAR Committee for Teaching and Learning and has been active in the Professor Desjardins was a founding Board member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Nineteenth-Century Theology Group. Ratke’s most recent AAR presentation was on teaching the Federation of Canada. He also served as Secretary of the Canadian Corporation for Studies introductory religion course. in Religion (1993–2000), the publishing arm of Canadian academic societies for the study of religion. Statement on the AAR He became an executive member of the Eastern International Region of the AAR in 1990, and served as President of that region in 1991. From 1997 to 2003 he was a member of the HE AMERICAN ACADEMY of As somebody who works in a church- AAR’s Committee on Teaching and Learning, for which he developed, then managed, the Religion is a large and diverse organ- related, liberal arts college, I like to think Syllabus Project. Since 2004 he has served as a member of the AAR’s Program Committee. T ization. Its members teach in diverse that I understand the unique and distinc- fields, work in diverse disciplines, and are tive contributions that such institutions employed at diverse institutions. Nobody’s bring to the academy, to their sponsoring background and experience could possibly religious bodies, and to the public square. be as diverse as the AAR. Nonetheless my Statement on the AAR As somebody who was educated at a background allows me to appreciate and denominational seminary — and yes, I’m value the richness of the AAR. I was born AM EXCITED by the possibility of The newly constituted Board had many ordained — I like to think that I under- and raised in western Canada and main- serving as the Secretary of the AAR. lengthy discussions concerning how to stand and value the place and contribu- tain my Canadian citizenship. I earned my Following is an overview of how I represent the voices of both humanists tion of those types of institutions in high- I BA at a large, publicly funded institution might fit that position. and social scientists, lobby the federal er education. of approximately 30,000 students; my and provincial governments effectively, Some of the traditional secretarial MA was at a private ecumenical graduate Indeed, my involvement in the AAR and and manage the yearly academic meet- responsibilities are certainly part of the school. I have an MDiv from a denomina- its Annual Meetings has opened my eyes ing that is now attended by over 8,000 job description, i.e., accurately recording tional seminary. My doctorate was at in significant and profound ways to the delegates from nearly 70 academic what is said in the Board meetings and another large, public institution eclectic nature of religious scholarship and societies. in some of our Standing Committees. (University of Regensburg), but in another teaching. Presenting papers and chairing Having had two long terms as secretary In addition to capturing and recording country (Germany). Finally, I teach in a panels has afforded me the opportunity to in other academic organizations, I information, the AAR Secretary also small liberal arts church-related college. meet scholars that I might not have met would welcome this responsibility. I find contributes to committee discussions otherwise. The sheer range of papers, pan- Most AAR members come from one of the role of secretary in some ways to be and will work closely with John els, sessions at the Annual Meeting, and these types of institutions: large, publicly remarkably similar to my academic Fitzmier, our new executive director. To the variety of essays in the Journal of the funded universities, graduate religious pro- research, e.g., discerning what Matthew make an informed choice in this elec- AAR has pointed me to new insights that grams, or church-related colleges. said about Jesus, or what Foucault wrote tion, you need to know a bit more have enriched my teaching and my schol- Moreover, the AAR, despite having about sex, or what Sikhs tell me about about other matters that are dear to my arship. I’m deeply appreciative for these “American” in its name, is arguably the the function of langar in their gurd- heart. opportunities and would work to extend it premier organization in the world for waras. That is to say, I love the challenge to others. I am actively engaged in both research scholars of religion. A significant number of understanding something and and teaching. Trained as a biblical schol- of scholars from other nations attend the I think that one of the challenges for the describing it; moreover, I find that the ar, I have long been interested in any- AAR Annual Meeting. As a Canadian citi- AAR as it moves forward will be to find more experience I have, the better able I thing and everything that sheds light on zen who has been educated in three differ- goals and a vision that all its members am to place things in context, and get it human constructions of religion. ent nations, I like to think that I’m with all of their different contexts can right. Or at least not get it completely Currently I am keenly interested in find- attuned to the needs of international believe in. As different as my church-relat- wrong! In this case, I would bring to ing ways to make sense of the ways in scholars or at least that I’m willing to lis- ed college is from a large, publicly funded this position more than 20 years of which food contributes to people’s reli- ten carefully. university like the University of North involvement in the AAR, starting with gious lives. I have recently done field- Carolina, the religion scholar at that insti- the first meeting I attended in 1984, As somebody who has benefited from work on that topic in India, Cuba, and tution as well as at institutions all over the extending to my participation on vari- publicly funded education, I like to think the Middle East, and this past summer I world shares a common commitment with ous committees. that I honor and appreciate the challenges was in Indonesia. In addition, like many me: being a scholar of religion. of working and learning in those institu- Getting it right is particularly important of you I am passionate about teaching, tions as well as honoring the benefits they The AAR, I think, will be pulled in many dif- as the AAR continues to grow, especially which includes learning with and from bring to a democratic society. ferent directions. Its challenge will be to dis- as it moves to its first stand-alone meet- students, and from experts in instruc- cern common goals to work toward. I want to ing next year, amidst ongoing member- tional development. My current project be part of that process of discernment. ship uncertainty and unrest over this is to work with my colleagues on issue. Active listening to all the voices, embedding a teaching stream into our including those from our vibrant stu- institution’s doctoral program that dent base, is crucial to our future health. would coherently integrate “teaching” The secretary has an important role to and “research” throughout the four-year play in representing the many voices program. that comprise the AAR, through our The AAR is also dear to my heart, and it committees and elsewhere. I feel ready would be an honor to serve this society to take on that challenge, because of my as its secretary. previous AAR responsibilities, and also because of other experience I have had, including my work with two Canadian national groups that represent diverse constituencies. I remember, for instance, the Board meetings of the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada in the mid-1990s, when we cre- ated a new organization out of the ashes of two previous academic lobby groups.

4 • October 2007 RSN ELECTION

Candidates for Vice President

Sheila Greeve Davaney Ann Taves Sheila Greeve Davaney is the Potthoff Professor of Theology at the Iliff Ann Taves received her BA in Religious Studies from Pomona College in School of Theology in Denver. She is the author or editor of 11 volumes 1974. After completing a year of medical school, she left to pursue the including most recently Historicism and Pragmatic Historicism. Recent study of religion, entering the University of Chicago Divinity School in edited volumes include The Pragmatic Century (with Warren Frisina) 1978. She joined the faculty at the Claremont School of Theology in and Identity and the Politics of Scholarship in the Study of Religion 1983, teaching there and at the Claremont Graduate University for 22 (with Jose Cabezón). Her scholarly work has focused on historicism, prag- years. Since 2005, she has been the Virgil Cordano OFM Professor of matism, and feminist thought. Catholic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Davaney has served on the AAR’s Board of Directors, chaired the Long- California at Santa Barbara. Her scholarly interests include the history Range Planning and Development Committee and Regions Committee, of modern religious thought, theories of religion, and the history of and served on the Finance Committee, the Nominations Committee, and Christian practice with a focus on the interplay between religious experi- Search Committees for editors of JAAR. She was, for eight years, the ence and psychology. Her publications include The Household of Faith Book Review Editor of JAAR. She chaired the Theology and Religious Reflection Section of the (Notre Dame, 1986) and Fits, Trances, and Visions (Princeton, Academy for six years. Davaney is an Editor of Blackwell’s Religion Compass Journal. She has 1999). The latter won the 2000 Association of American Publishers Award for Best been elected to the American Theological Society. Davaney co-directed the Ford Foundation- Professional/Scholarly Book in Philosophy and Religion. She is currently at work on two books. supported project “The Study of Religion in a Global Context.” Currently she is the Director of a From Mediums to Mystics will offer an alternative narrative of the rise of the psychology of new web-based forum, Religion Dispatches, bringing scholarly voices into the public arena. At religion. Experiencing Religion: Studies in Cognition, Culture and Personality deals with Iliff, she has directed the MA Program and the Joint PhD Program with the University of questions of method in the study of experiences deemed religious. Denver.

Statement on the AAR Statement on the AAR

HE AAR STANDS at a momentous opportunity to build closer institu- HE AAR and the study of religion While the growth of science and reli- point in its history. The study of reli- tional relations with other scholarly are in transition in several ways. As gion studies in recent years has been gion is more relevant than ever organizations including SSSR, T an organization, we are still work- truly astounding, relatively little of this today. Every major issue confronting our MESA, and IHST. T ing through the logistical and adminis- work is presented at the AAR. world is deeply intertwined with religious II. Centennial Strategic Initiatives trative effects of the decision to meet Foundations have been funding beliefs, practices, histories, and communi- independently of the SBL. As a disci- research and conferences; popular ties. Moreover, the AAR is about to The AAR has adopted a Centennial Plan pline, we have engaged in several decades books — often by scholars without embark upon its most significant new to chart its priorities from 2004–2009. I of serious self-critique, and there are training in religious studies — have direction since its founding — an inde- would devote particular attention to signs of interest in rebuilding in new been garnering public attention. In the pendent Annual Meeting — which signals enhancing the internationalization efforts ways. While religion has arguably been context of the AAR, however, we have a new identity for the Academy. The role of the AAR and supporting the increased of continuing interest to the general not critically engaged this work as of elected officers will be crucial as the diversification of the Academy, especially public, it is now a topic of renewed fully as we might, either in terms of Academy makes these transitions and posi- in leadership roles. interest throughout the academy, on plenary speakers, program units, or tions the AAR to play a greater role in the As Director of the AAR Project on “The both ends of the political spectrum, and initiatives that would increase our creation and dissemination of knowledge Study of Religion in a Global Context,” in the media. familiarity with the natural sciences. about religions. There are many areas that the importance of greater international This is an area of study that the AAR require strong leadership today. In particu- In light of these transitions, my aims participation in AAR meetings, increased needs to engage more fully if we want lar, I will focus my attention on the fol- would be as follows: scholarly exchanges, and deeper intersoci- to stay on the cutting edge of scholar- lowing issues: etal engagement became ever clearer to 1. To work with the Board and executive ship and influence broader social I. The Annual Meeting me. The work of the International director on unresolved issues of gover- trends and policy decisions arising out Connections Committee deserves strong nance and logistics that emerged in of research in this area. The move to an independent meeting support if the AAR is to continue to be a the wake of the decision to meet inde- offers the AAR new possibilities. It also I would bring considerable familiarity world leader in the study of religion. We pendently of the SBL. As the current presents the following challenges: with disparate groups within the AAR to must engage international scholars and president has indicated, there are a these tasks. Having taught in a theologi- 1. Finances. The independent meet- seek funds for extending our efforts in this number of practical matters having to cal school associated with a cluster of lib- ing will introduce new uncertain- area. do with meeting dates, rates, and loca- eral arts colleges and a private graduate ties concerning AAR finances. The tions, and whether or how often meet- I am also deeply committed to the strate- university for over 20 years before mov- AAR’s elected leadership must work ings should be coordinated with the gic initiative of diversifying AAR leader- ing to a religious studies department in a with the staff and Board to respond SBL that still have to be worked out. I ship. The AAR has become more diverse public university, I have first-hand expe- to these financial realities through support the current president’s interest in the last two decades. But the Board and rience of the spectrum of institutions in proactive actions including cultiva- in considering how the AAR compares leadership remain less than fully represen- which we are employed. I have served tion of new members, foundations, with similar organizations in terms of tative of the Academy as a whole. I am the AAR in a number of capacities over publishers, etc. The financial well- governance, particularly as it relates to committed to broadening such representa- the past 25 years, including section co- being of the Academy remains the input from the membership regarding tion both through appointments to com- chair, unit steering committees, AAR primary responsibility of its leaders. major decisions. I would want to work mittees and in working to increase the committee work, and unit reviews. I with the Board and executive director 2. Programming. An independent diversity of new scholars. have been involved with various ATS to ensure continuity in working out meeting provides expanding pro- (Association of Theological Schools) ini- III. Transparency these issues as thoughtfully and gram options, a more workable tiatives and have served or am serving on responsibly as possible. size, and the potential for new con- There have been strong reactions, both the executive committees of smaller versations. The most important positive and negative, to the move to an 2. To foster conversations within the dis- organizations associated with the study task will be to ensure that our new independent meeting. But no matter cipline that look forward in light of of religion, such as the IACSR meetings are the most exciting and where we come out on the decision, most decades of diversification and internal (International Society for Cognitive efficient possible. Central ways that members have been confused about how it critique and do so while building Science and Religion). presidents can contribute to this was made. We must implement transpar- stronger relations with other disci- include appointment of broadly ent processes that include the input of our plines, especially in the social and nat- representative committees, clear constituencies and model democratic dis- ural sciences. We have made tremen- communication about emerging cussions and decision making. dous strides in terms of making the opportunities, and cultivation of AAR more inclusive and more globally IV. Public Outreach cross-disciplinary conversations aware. While our ties to cultural stud- concerning broad shifts in the The study of religion has never been more ies and some of the social sciences are study of religion. important than now. It is imperative that strong, our ties to the natural sciences we seek ways to disseminate and make are comparatively weak. Scientific 3. Collaboration with other scholarly available the knowledge produced by our advances in cosmology, evolutionary organizations. While not meeting members in ever more accessible and pub- theory, and especially brain research, annually with SBL, we nonetheless licly effective ways. The public outreach of are regularly discussed in the media need to repair relations with our the Academy should be a central priority and excite widespread public interest. long-term scholarly partner. in the coming years. Importantly, there is also now an

October 2007 RSN • 5 Religious Studies News Candidates for Student Director

Annie Blakeney-Glazer Nichole Renee Phillips Annie Blakeney-Glazer is a doctoral candidate in Religion and Culture at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She received a BA in English Nichole Renee Phillips is a doctoral candidate in Religion, Psychology, from Michigan State University (2001) and an MA from UNC in and Culture in the Graduate Department of Religion (GDR) of Religion and Culture (2004). Her Master’s thesis investigated how the Vanderbilt University. She received her AB in Biochemistry and Religion works of Deleuze and Guattari might assist Foucauldian investigations of from Wellesley College (1993), and an MDiv from Harvard Divinity religious phenomena. Annie has served as AAR student liaison for the past School (1999). Her master’s thesis entitled “Brands Plucked Out of the two years. While holding this position, she organized information sessions Burning: An Analysis of the Healing Narratives of Three Antebellum for entering graduate students, conference paper proposal workshops, and Black Women,” received honors. mock presentations. She has presented papers at AAR national and region- Nichole has served as an AAR student liaison and as the GDR represen- al conferences, as well as Popular Culture conferences. At UNC, Annie tative to the Student Committee on Personnel and Policy of Vanderbilt held several teaching and research positions, most recently teaching a course Divinity School. She holds memberships in the Person, Culture, and entitled “Introduction to Religion and Culture: American Evangelicals and Sports in the 20th Religion Group (PCR) of the AAR, the Society for Pastoral Theology, the Century.” She is currently writing a dissertation on this topic, exploring Christian athletic organi- Society for the Social Scientific Study of Religion, and other scholarly organizations. She has zations in post-World War II America. Her project focuses on gender as an important evangelical presented papers at regional meetings of the AAR and has held teaching fellowships and and sporting category and queries the relationship between conservative Christian gender logic research assistantships. Her dissertation project continues the ethnographic research she conduct- and the growing presence of evangelical Christian sportswomen in the male-dominated athletic ed as a student participant of the “Religion and Politics” Project for Vanderbilt’s Center for the world. Study of Religion and Culture and will focus on mourning practices and death rituals in the West Tennessee community where she is presently doing fieldwork.

Statement on the AAR Statement on the AAR OR THEIR FIRST assignment in for those of us thinking of entering the entation skills, et al. That director can also my class last semester, I asked my job market in the coming years. This is N Transforming Practice: Pastoral advocate for increased opportunities for students to attend a sporting event something the AAR must address. Are Theology in an Age of Uncertainty, F junior professors and senior graduate stu- and look for religion. Their findings were religious studies departments producing British pastoral theologian Elaine I dents to present papers nationally, for the as diverse as the competing definitions of more PhD candidates than the job market Graham (1996, 32) queries: Is postmoder- design of a space for on-line interinstitu- religion developed by scholars. Some can handle? What can we do about this nity a successor phase to modernity; a col- tional networking between students, for pointed to bodily practices like kneeling discrepancy? If the academy in general is lapse and negation of the project of the teaching of skills needed by a techno- in prayer, pointing up after a score, or becoming more interdisciplinary, how can modernity; or a critique and revision of logically savvy professoriate of religion, making the sign of a cross as evidence of the AAR encourage interdiscipinarity modernism, drawing out ambivalences and for discussion of the relationship religious devotion. Some highlighted the without losing its identity or blurring the and contradictions present at the heart of between religious institutions, the intensity of crowd elation as a way to boundaries of the field beyond recogni- Enlightenment thinking? Although I will Academy, and society. These are some, compare fan excitement and religious tion? I hope that in serving as student not presently venture a response, Graham’s among many, of the issues I would seek to experience. Still others looked to sports as director, I will have an opportunity to fos- series of questions provoke me to consider address if elected as student director. character-building enterprises that resem- ter discussion on these issues. features of the postmodern condition. ble religious training in ethics and morali- Such characteristics have become funda- Another trait of a “postmodern” student The AAR currently provides excellent ty. This small example demonstrates that mental to my vision of leadership in the director is a willingness to listen to the resources for graduate students. For exam- today’s undergraduates are more than will- twenty-first century, and thus, my percep- voice of the “Other,” i.e., students who ple, the Syllabus Project and Openings are ing to connect religion and popular cul- tion of a “postmodern” Student Director. are not part of the majority in their reli- great assets for students as they contem- ture, and are increasingly adept at doing gious affiliations, ethnicities, gender, race, plate professionalization. The Syllabus One hallmark of a “postmodern” student so. In my myriad conversations with stu- sexual orientations, or career goals. A stu- Project demonstrates the diversity of the director is sensitivity to context. For the dents, I noticed that they do not see reli- dent director needs to be open to “differ- field and numerous opportunities within past two years, I have realized much of my gion and culture as distinct entities but ence” because “difference” can enrich an it for innovation. However, for many of “interculturality” — a term, coined by instead as interlocking and important organization. For instance, when asked us, Openings is a reminder that the field Ghanian and Afro-British pastoral theolo- methods of self-awareness. how the AAR/SBL makes a “difference” in changes slowly and that traditional teach- gian Emmanuel Lartey, which identifies her life, a dissertation-stage student How does this relate to the AAR? An ers are often in demand. The AAR, as the persons as influenced by and birthed out replied: important emphasis in recent scholarship professional organization for scholars of of different contexts — working as stu- and teaching is interdisciplinarity. We are religion, is in a position to address the dent liaison at Vanderbilt University. This “Careers are an important element of the encouraged, if not required, to be histori- challenges of pursuing a career in religious role has sharpened my awareness of the AAR/SBL. One of the most helpful ses- ans, anthropologists, cultural theorists, studies today. responsibilities and demands of being a sions I attended was that on alternative textual critics, sociologists, and more. And student director who encourages increased careers in religion. Since I plan to pursue As students comprise nearly 30 percent of while interdisciplinarity can illuminate communication between students, knows library work, I am interested in support AAR members, student interests are vital exciting connections and new avenues for what is happening in the field of religion, for those of us who might not be seeking to the continued relevance of the AAR. In study, it can also cause anxiety about dis- and can envision changes that are needed full-time teaching work but are interested addition to job market anxieties, graduate ciplinary boundaries. Definitions of “reli- for the betterment of the student popula- in continuing our own research and writ- students are concerned with the ethics of gious studies” are vague and various, and tion being served. ing. I think the AAR/SBL would be well- the interview process; how to keep up students and faculty are likely to find their served to support those following alterna- with researching, teaching, and publishing Having the opportunity to engage doctor- work more closely aligned with those in tive career paths.” demands; adequately preparing for confer- al students in the Graduate Department other departments than with those down ence involvement; offsetting costs of con- of Religion as well as the Vanderbilt Pastoral theologians Bonnie Miller- the hall from them. What will religious ference attendance; and the particulars of Divinity School community, I have come McLemore and Herbert Anderson (1995, studies look like in the future? How can negotiating a split AAR/SBL conference. to recognize and appreciate the concerns 105) remind us that regarding humanity, the AAR both expand the boundaries of As the researchers, teachers, publishers, of both. Those concerns include opportu- “at stake is . . . the question of the human the field and preserve the security of our clergy, administrators, and professionals of nities for intellectual engagement with capacity to live with difference among discipline? the future, graduate student anxieties more senior scholars, career development, persons in a planet that continues to During my two years as student liaison, I arguably represent the field as whole, and AAR’s visibility and access to the student shrink.” noticed graduate students in my depart- their concerns must be taken seriously as community, and funding for travel to For the next two years, the AAR will need a ment increasingly concerned with the state the AAR continues to grow and change. national and regional meetings. This last student director who is a “bridge builder” — of the job market. The employment sur- Past student directors have done much to issue will potentially become the source of an empathic listener who is able to work on vey data in the March 2007 Religious foreground these issues, and I hope to increased economic hardship for students developing linkages where there are none and Studies News caused considerable anxiety continue this important work. with separate 2008 AAR/SBL meetings. A who sees the value in strengthening connec- student director must advocate for more tions that already exist. I believe the interdisci- forums dedicated to teaching students the plinary nature of my studies and the intercul- skills needed to navigate the academy, tural character of my service as a student have such as getting proposals accepted, devel- equipped me to be that bridge builder, that is, oping mentor/mentee relationships, pres- AAR’s “postmodern” student director.

6 • October 2007 RSN ANNUAL MEETING NEWS

Annual Meeting Countdown

Important Dates  Mailing of the Annual Meeting badge mate- rials to all preregistered attendees began in mid-September. Materials include your name badge and drink ticket. Contact Experient Registration & Housing at ANNUAL MEETING 2007 [email protected] if you did not receive your materials. Come for the convention, stay for the vacation.  Third-tier (“regular”) registration rates go into effect on October 16, so register early to get the best rate. SAN DIEGO WAS RECENTLY RECOGNIZED AS THE NATION’S TOP CONVENTIONS AND MEETINGS  November 17–20 is the Annual Meeting in San Diego! Check www.aarweb.org/jump/am DESTINATION, PROMPTING THE SLOGAN “COME FOR THE CONVENTION, STAY FOR THE VACATION.” for up-to-date information about the meet- BOASTING 70 MILES OF BEACHES, 92 GOLF COURSES, AND OVER 100 CULTURALLY DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS, ing. VISITORS TO SAN DIEGO LOVE TO EXPLORE THIS URBAN PLAYGROUND. CONSIDER ATTENDING THE ANNUAL MEETING AND STAYING TO ENJOY THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY IN SUNNY SAN DIEGO. Checklist for your arrival at the Annual Meeting Golf  Name Badge Holders. If you received your With over 90 courses located throughout the region, San name badge by mail, all you need to do is Diego has quickly become a golf lover’s delight. Named swing by the Registration area in the San “One of the Top 50 Golf Destinations in the World” by Diego Convention Center to pick up a name Golf Digest, the region has a variety of courses that showcase badge holder. Then you are ready to attend stunning San Diego views. The destination also plays host sessions and visit the Exhibit Hall. to two PGA tour events: the Buick Invitational at Torrey  Onsite Registration. If you did not receive Pines and the Accenture Match Play Championship at La your badge materials or need to register, visit Costa. To find the perfect course, go to www.signon- the AAR & SBL Meeting Registration count- sandiego.com/sports/golfguide/. er.  Annual Meetings At-A-Glance. Pick up a Beaches copy of the Annual Meetings At-A-Glance A trip to San Diego just isn’t complete unless you’ve booklet. This booklet shows the updated pro- combed the beautiful beaches. A perfect combination of gram and room locations for all sessions. fresh air and warm water, the gorgeous shores offer the Updates or changes will be marked by gray ideal setting for surfing, kayaking, or soaking up the shading. This is an invaluable addition to California sun. To find the best beach for you, see your Program Book! /. www.signonsandiego.com/feature/42  Book of Abstracts. Interested in a session’s topic? Want to learn more before heading to Seaport Village the session? Check out the Book of Abstracts, Whether whiling away a whole day or just stepping out for located in the bins near registration, for more an hour, these 50-plus diverse shops and 17 unique eateries information. will more than satisfy. Alongside four miles of tree-lined,  Tote Bag. Tote bag tickets were mailed with bayside paths you’ll find all sorts of entertainers doing their Gaslamp Quarter the name badge materials. Tote bags are thing. Bands, singers, dancers, magicians, whatever. Come available while supplies last. explore Seaport Village’s sprawling tropical grounds and The historic Gaslamp Quarter is the city’s hottest dining  Find-A-Friend. Visit the Find-A-Friend find everything under the sun. and entertainment center. Several city blocks feature a vari- boards in the Registration area to find ety of restaurants serving everything from traditional steaks whether your colleagues are attending. Plaza del Pasado in Old Town to eclectic ethnic fare, all just seconds away from the con- AAR Member Services. Visit the AAR vention center.  San Diego Member Services desk if you have any other San Diego Zoo questions. Experience a taste of San Diego’s rich history — in more  Enjoy the meeting! ways than one — at Plaza del Pasado. Located in Old Long recognized as one of the best zoos in the United Town San Diego State Historic Park, Plaza del Pasado is a States, the San Diego Zoo features animals from around salute to the simpler and more sanguine lifestyle of old San the globe. They have created numerous habitats housing Diego’s pioneering residents. At your leisure, explore the tigers, sun bears, and apes, among many others. Don’t miss four-acre historic park with its many museums, shops, and the new Monkey Trails and Forest Tails exhibit, a naturalis- . u restaurants. Taste traditional Mexican cuisine, browse for a e

tic home to more than 30 species of birds, mammals, r one-of-a-kind merchandise at the charming international u B

reptiles, and amphibians. You’ll also want to visit the giant s shops, or simply relax in the open courtyard soaking up r o t panda research station and the Polar Bear Plunge exhibit. i s San Diego’s endless sunshine, festive ambience, and histori- i The San Diego Zoo is open every day of the year, including V d

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A visit to the Wild Animal Park is like magically stepping n a from the hustle and bustle of Southern California into the S e h t

mysteries of exotic, faraway lands. Try the Journey into f o y

Africa Tour, designed to give you a glimpse of the amazing s e t r

diversity found in Africa, the second largest continent on u o Earth. You’ll see eye to eye with wildlife and get a new c s o t

appreciation for just how huge a rhinoceros or Cape buffa- o h lo is. Also consider the Kilimanjaro Safari Walk and the P Hidden Jungle. October 2007 RSN • 7 Religious Studies News

Sessions with a Trilogy in a Century: Religious Studies in Focus on Chinese Mainland China Scholars and Scholarship Chen Xia, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China Academy of Social Sciences. It was China’s first stance had other ideological resources. Between King of Masks (A16–402) professional institute for religious studies. The the two sides, a lot of ink was spilled over the disadvantage, however, was that Mao stipulated difference between harmful drug and pain- Studies of World Religions in Mainland religious studies must be guided by Marxism, in reliever. This debate was positive. Despite their China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan other words by atheism. The purpose of reli- differences, both sides were opposed to (A17–101) gious research was to criticize. attempts to equate religion with reactionary Dign–aga in China (A17–113) politics. This was helpful for the policy of free- Furthermore, due to the political pressures of dom of religious belief, and for attempts to bet- Rituals in Indian and Chinese Cultures the time, “criticism” lost its original meaning ter understand the function of religions. (A17–125) and became associated with catchphrases such as “absolute denial,” “fierce attacks,” and even Instead of understanding religion as opium, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum “completely sweeping away.” Such critique of scholars’ consensus is to regard it as culture. In Walking Tour (A17–131) theology went beyond academic studies of the- the late 1980s, influenced by the intense popu- Chinese Scholarship on the Dunhuang ism and atheism, calling instead for a political lar interest in culture, scholars of religious stud- Manuscripts: New Perspectives on movement to destroy religion. Scholarly critics ies began to take the view not only that reli- Buddhism (A17–205) Chen Xia is a research fellow at the stressed the need for the political overthrow of gion was culture, but also that a nation’s reli- religion, which was, in Marx’s words, the gion was an important part of its culture. The Power of “Religion” in China Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of opium of the people — an especially loaded Though such notions were hardly original, (A17–212) Social Sciences. She teaches the course “The Sacred in China” for CIEE Study Center phrase in China. During this period, there they broke the association of religion with reac- Self-Representation/Misrepresentation: at Central University for Nationalities. Her were no courses about religion in universities, tionary politics that had led it to be valued neg- Muslims in the Chinese Cultural specialty is religions in China and Chinese no professional journals, and almost no new atively. The understanding of religion as culture Context (A17–309) philosophy. She has authored and co- books on religion published. As an independ- helped to further emancipate the mind, and to authored several published books and con- ent discipline, religious studies withered in encourage people to understand religion more Performing Harmony: Interpreting tributed more than 40 papers to various mainland China. broadly. Religion is approached not only from Daoist Ritual (A17–326) journals. Her current projects include the perspectives of philosophy, politics, and After the Cultural Revolution, also known as The Revenge of Han Xin: A Daoist Mystery Daoism and Ecology, the History of ethics; it is viewed from the angles of econom- the “ten years of turmoil,” China restored the (A17–405) Philosophical Daoism, and Laozi’s Political ics, literature, art, etc. This shift largely right to freedom of religious belief. Religious Philosophy. widened the field and involved scholars from Regional Religion, Local Society, and worship was once again permitted, albeit under many disciplines. Ritual Practice: A Consideration of officially approved religious bodies, and monks Patrice Fava’s film The Revenge of Han ELIGIOUS STUDIES in China and nuns were able to resume an openly reli- Today, while Chinese and Western scholars Xin: A Daoist Mystery (A18–114) started in the early twentieth centu- gious life. In recent years, religious observance share many issues in common, religious studies ry as the country began to seek grew in popularity in Mainland China, partly in China are more likely to be concerned with Tibetan Religion in China: Past and R ways to modernize. Thinkers and revolu- due to the disorder of social values and crisis of typically Chinese beliefs. These include the Present (A18–124) tionaries at that time introduced Western belief wrought by the Cultural Revolution. relationship between Confucianism and reli- The Problem of Evil in Neo- Enlightenment ideas into China and The rebirth of China’s religions, and their rapid gion, and between religion and imperial poli- Confucianism (A18–211) emphasized that getting rid of traditional cul- development, led to an urgent need to study tics, as well as the adaptation of various reli- ture, including religion, was a precondition for them. gions within China. Since China today views China’s “Isms”: Studies in the modernization. Religious studies in China itself as a socialist country under the leadership Production of Difference and Unity Under the new policies of reform and opening therefore had a strong antireligious element of the Communist Party which is atheistic in (A18–212) up to the outside world, the minds of religious from the beginning, as religious ideas were a nature, the question of how religion coordi- scholars were equally freed, and open to facing Electronic Resources for the Study of target for revolutionaries. In order to criticize nates with socialism has also become an impor- up to their subject matter. These changes pro- Chinese Religions: Reflections on religion, they studied it, investigating and cri- tant one. Furthermore, traditional religious vided the conditions for the recovery and Current and Future Impact and tiquing its nature and function. Furthermore, beliefs face contemporary pressures. Conflicts development of religious studies in the 1980s. Directions (A18–264) those inside China’s various religious traditions have arisen between the demands posed by tra- Chinese scholars no longer understood Marxist naturally began to produce new theologies in ditional beliefs and life in a fast-growing econo- Decoding Dunhuang: Material Culture ideas of religion one-sidedly and dogmatically. response to these attacks. Besides these two my, or the need for population control, such as and Religious Worlds along the Silk groups, there were also scholars like Tang A reflection of the new mood can be found in the one child policy. Route (A18–271) Yongtong, Chen Yinke, Chen Yuan, Hu Shi, the early 1980s debate on the meaning of China’s restored religious activities are also The Reformed Presence in China: New Wang Ming, and Chen Guofu who were out- Marx’s saying that “Religion is the opium of changing under the influence of Western cul- Perspectives on Mission (A18–325) side the radical movements focused on the the people,” a debate that was jokingly called ture, and of foreign religions spreading in study of scriptures, religious doctrines, and the the Opium War. To grasp the supercharged Christianity in Chinese Society China. The environment for traditional reli- history of China’s various religions. The main nature of the subject for Chinese scholars, one (A18–328) gions is also being transformed by the collapse focus of their research tended to deal more need to remember it was China’s defeat in the of the kinship towns, and of whole villages and Chinese Dancers? (A18–405) with Buddhism and Daoism as these two two Opium Wars that forced the country open communities. Urbanization has prompted faiths have had the greatest impact on China. to foreign influence and led to its decline Daoist Studies in China (A19–100) Chinese peasants to leave their hometowns, Their contributions were mainly in the fields under pressure from the West and Japan. and their religious beliefs may appear in anoth- Establishing “Authority” and of historical, textual, and evidential studies of Questioning the appalling nature of opium er guise as a result. Christianity in China and “Legitimacy” in Twentieth-Century religions. was not easy, and the debate was a timid one, the mutual relationships and adaptations Chinese Buddhism: Modernity in the but nonetheless significant. Scholars attempt- Religious studies were almost wholly suspend- between Christianity and its Chinese believers Reinvention of Tradition (A19–103) ing to emerge from the ideological world of the ed in China during the years 1949–1976. The is another topic that needs to be researched. Cultural Revolution put forward two different Confucianism: What Is at Stake in It as only purpose of studying religion was to wipe These multiple social changes pose new tasks objections to the radical left stance. One group a Religion? (A19–214) it out. After the victory of the Chinese for researchers. They require new methods and argued that such sayings by Marx shouldn’t be Communist Party (CCP) in 1949, all kinds of approaches in humanities and social sciences Daoism, Medicine, and Healing understood as his main point and lead to the academic work became inseparably linked to besides the traditional textual and evidential (A19–225) absolute denial of religion. Regarding religion the party, and were conducted under the guid- studies. only as a drug meant that religious believers Sacred Space in China: Past and Present ance of Marxism, Leninism, and Maoism. were no different from drug dealers or drug Under these new circumstances, the field of (A19–227) Many academic fields were viewed as having, addicts. If religion was equivalent to opium, it religious studies has been making encouraging and therefore contributing to, the party spirit. Making Sense by Comprehending should be wiped out, just like opium. This was progress. Chinese scholars of religious studies Academic studies became monistic and politi- Sensibility: A View of Chinese Religions the ideological background for the radical left. are mainly from the humanities, not from the- cized. (A19–300) ological spheres or the churches, so the field The second line of argument was that Marx In 1963, Mao Zedong issued an edict on reli- has greater independence from religious beliefs. New Perspectives on Chinese Religions did admit religion’s anesthetic function. It was gious matters. He said that a critique of theolo- In recent years, scholarly books have been writ- (A20–104) that opium was seen in Europe as a medicine gy was essential to write good global history, ten, such as A General Survey of Religious to relieve pain at the time when Marx wrote and to grasp the history of literature and philos- Studies edited by Lu Daji, and Principles in the his famous phrase, so the drug had some posi- ophy. The positive effect of Mao’s instruction Study of Religions edited by Chen Linshu and tive connotations back then. These scholars was that he recognized the historical impor- Chen Xia; foreign-language religious classics also held that the spiritual opium of religion tance of religion, and this led to the creation of did not need to be wiped out. The radical left See XIA p.16 the Institute of World Religions at Chinese

8 • October 2007 RSN ANNUAL MEETING NEWS

Plenary Addresses

The Covenant with Black America Afghanistan — and in determining whether these societies Making Sense by Comprehending (A17–132) can transition to functioning democracies with modern Sensibility: A View of Chinese economies. She holds a DPhil in international relations Religions (A19–300) Saturday, 11:45 AM–12:45 PM from Oxford University and was an adjunct professor at Monday, 4:00–6:30 PM Tavis Smiley, Los Angeles, CA American University. Zayn Kassam is the author of Introduction to the World’s Major Religions: Islam. She has Mu-Chou Poo, Academia Sinica From his celebrated conversations published several articles, has lectured widely, and is work- with world figures to his work to Mu-Chou Poo was born and educated ing on a book on gender issues in the Muslim world. Nelly inspire the next generation of leaders, in Taiwan, received a BA in history Van Doorn-Harder, Valparaiso University, will preside. The as a broadcaster, author, advocate, and from National Taiwan University in program includes substantial time for questions from the philanthropist, Tavis Smiley continues to be an outstand- 1975 and PhD in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins audience. ing voice for change. Newsweek profiled him as one of the University in 1984. He is a Research Fellow at the Institute “20 people changing how Americans get their news” and How Social Justice Got to Me, and of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, and adjunct dubbed him one of the nation’s “captains of the airwaves.” Why It Never Left (A18–402) professor at the Graduate Institute of Religion, National Smiley hosts the late-night television talk show Tavis Smiley Cheng-chih University, Taipei. He has taught as visiting Sunday, 7:15–8:15 PM on PBS and radio show The Tavis Smiley Show on Public professor at UCLA, Columbia, Grinnell, and Hong Kong Radio International, making him the first American ever Nicholas Wolterstorff, Yale University Chinese University. Research interests include society and to simultaneously host signature talk shows on both public religion in ancient Egypt and China. Recent research takes Nicholas Wolterstorff received his BA television and public radio. He also created the Tavis a comparative approach to ancient history and religion. He from Calvin College in 1953 and his Smiley Foundation, whose mission is to enlighten, encour- has published both in Chinese and English. Major English PhD in philosophy from Harvard age, and empower black youth, as well as Tavis Smiley publications include Wine and Wine Offering in the Religion University in 1956. Before taking up Presents, a subsidiary of The Smiley Group, Inc., that of Ancient Egypt (Kegan Paul International, 1995); In Search his current position as Noah Porter brings ideas and people together through symposiums, of Personal Welfare: A View of Ancient Chinese Religion (State Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale, he taught for seminars, forums, and town hall meetings. In addition, he University of New York Press, 1998); and Enemies of 30 years at his alma mater, Calvin College. After concen- has authored ten books and made publishing history when Civilization: Attitudes toward Foreigners in Ancient trating on metaphysics at the beginning of his career, he a book that he edited, The Covenant with Black America, Mesopotamia, Egypt and China (State University of New spent a good many years working primarily on aesthetics became the first nonfiction book by a black-owned pub- York Press, 2005). and philosophy of art. In more recent years, he has been lisher to reach #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. concentrating on epistemology, philosophy of religion, and Welcoming the Stranger: Why Presidential Plenary and Awards political philosophy. In fall 1993 he gave the Wilde Immigrants Are More Than a Ceremony: The Folly of Secularism Lectures at Oxford University, and in spring 1995 he gave Luxury (A19–400) (A17–404) the Gifford Lectures at St. Andrews University. He has Monday, 7:15–8:45 PM been president of the American Philosophical Association Saturday, 7:45–9:00 PM (Central Division) and of the Society of Christian Ernesto J. Cortés Jr., Austin, TX Jeffrey Stout, Princeton University Philosophers. Ernesto J. Cortés Jr. serves as south- Jeffrey Stout is the author of The Religious Mobilizations west regional director of the Flight from Authority, Ethics after Babel, (A18–403=M18–125) Chicago-based Industrial Areas and Democracy and Tradition, as well Foundation (IAF), and has worked to organize communi- Sunday, 8:15–9:15 PM as co-editor of Grammar and Grace: ties in the poor neighborhoods of Texas and throughout Reformulations of Aquinas and Wittgenstein. He is now work- Charles Taylor, Northwestern the Southwest. In 1974, Cortes moved to San Antonio, his ing on a sequel to Democracy and Tradition, tentatively University, McGill University native city, where he founded the Communities Organized titled Walking in Our Sleep. Stout’s interests include theo- for Public Service (COPS), the well-known and highly Charles Taylor, Northwestern ries of religion, religious and philosophical ethics, philoso- effective church-based grassroots organization. Possessed of University and McGill University, is phy of religion, social criticism, political thought, modern a deep respect for the dignity of the people he seeks to the 2007 Templeton Prize winner for theology, and film. He is a contributing editor of the help, he adheres to what he calls the “iron rule” of com- his long-standing efforts to examine Journal of Religious Ethics. munity activism: Never do for others what they can do for the role of spiritual thinking in modern society. His work themselves. Rather than seek to impose an outsider’s view is a standard in philosophy, theology, and the social sci- Islamic Feminism (A18–226) of what a community needs, he helps citizens to organize ences, and it provides a map of the central issues of debate into trusting relationships and to develop the tools they Sunday, 3:00–4:30 PM in the historical development of the understanding of the need to exercise power on their own behalf. Ernesto Cortés self and the relations between the religious and the secular. Isobel Coleman, Council on Foreign has successfully translated his passion for justice into help- Taylor argues against the idea that the rational movement Relations ing the politically disenfranchised of all races and faiths that began in the Enlightenment renders morality and discover their political strength. Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for spirituality as anachronisms. Problems such as violence and U.S. Foreign Policy and Director of bigotry can only be solved by considering their secular and the Women and Foreign Policy spiritual dimensions, and wholly depending on secularized Program at the Council on Foreign viewpoints leads to fragmented, faulty results. Taylor insists Relations, will be interviewed by Zayn Kassam, Pomona that a narrow, reductive sociological approach wrongly College. Coleman’s forthcoming book, Paradise beneath Her denies the full account of how and why humans strive for Feet: Islamic Feminism in the Middle East, examines the role meaning. His latest book, A Secular Age, was published by of women in bringing reform to the Muslim world — Harvard University Press. specifically in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and

Sponsor a South Kudos to Co-sponsors

Asian Scholar The AAR congratulates the following institutions for their generous co-sponsorship of Chinese scholars. Such sup- in 2008 port immeasurably strengthens the international dimension of our Annual Meeting. College of New Jersey Lafayette University Next year’s Annual Meeting international focus is South Zhihua Yao, Chinese University of Hong Kong Yen-zen Tsai, National Chengchi University Asian contributions to the study of religion. The Columbia University and the University of Chicago University of Pennsylvania International Connections Committee is soliciting partner- Xin Yu, Fudan University Xiang Chu, Sichuan University ships with departments and institutions for co-sponsoring specific scholars of religion from South Asia, to lecture at Humboldt State University and Indiana University, Harvard University and Princeton University the co-sponsoring institution as well as participate in the Bloomington Chunwen Hao, Capital Normal University Annual Meeting. Co-sponsorship will allow your depart- Weichi Zhou, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences ment to hear from these fine scholars while they are already in the United States. To co-sponsor or for more information, please contact Kyle Cole at [email protected]. October 2007 RSN • 9 Religious Studies News Leadership Workshop New Program Units Examines Religion Major Exciting sessions are on offer at the Annual Meeting by the following new program units. Qur’an Group Research Sites, Opportunities, and Problems in Borderlands Pentecostalism HE ACADEMIC RELATIONS of the Religion Department at Boston The Qur’an and Interpretation (A17–317) (A17–122) Committee (ARC) is co-sponsoring a University, as keynote speaker. Saturday, 4:00–6:30 PM Saturday, 9:00–11:30 AM workshop at the AAR Annual Meeting T Joining Renick and Prothero are Dena The Qur’an and Cultural Translation Co-sponsored by the Religion in Latin in San Diego this year to address the rela- Pence, Executive Director of the Wabash (A19–223) America and the Caribbean Group tionship between the liberal arts and the reli- Center, Richard Carp, Appalachian State Monday, 1:00–3:30 PM gion major. The workshop, “The Religion University and ARC member, and the mem- Major and Liberal Education,” is part of the Religion and Cities Consultation bers of the working group for the project. A two-year Teagle Foundation-funded project Buddhism in the West Consultation The Religion Factor in Urbanization and preliminary agenda is printed below in the of the same name. The working group on New Perspectives on Buddhist Modernism the Structure of Cities (A18–129) registration form. the project, led by Timothy Renick of in the West (A17–324) Sunday, 9:00–11:30 AM Georgia State University, is co-sponsoring “Some of the topics on the agenda include Saturday, 4:00–6:30 PM the event with ARC. the challenges to conceiving of and establish- Religion and Migration ing a major in religion, the nature of the The Friday, November 16 workshop will Mormon Studies Consultation Consultation major amid different institutional contexts bring together a distinguished group of Teaching Mormon Studies: Theory, Topics, Creative Crossings: Religious and missions, and the connection between experts to lead a daylong and interactive dis- and Texts (A17–227) Transmutations in Latin America and the the religion major and other departments cussion of the religion major. Through ple- Saturday, 1:00–3:30 PM Caribbean (A17–318) and programs,” Renick said. “Clearly, there naries, panels, and breakout sections, partici- Saturday, 4:00–6:30 PM is no one right way to conceive of the reli- pants will explore and share challenges, best Co-sponsored by the Religion in Latin gion major, but there is a lot that we can North American Hinduism practices, success stories, and failures. America and the Caribbean Group learn from each other. I hope that the work- Consultation “There are central questions that most of us shop can provide a forum for this continu- Creating (and Sustaining) North American Religion on the Move: Migration, face on a daily basis regarding the nature of ing discussion.” Hinduisms (A18–127) Displacement, and Identity (A18–130) the religion major; just what are we trying to Sunday, 9:00–11:30 AM Sunday, 9:00–11:30 AM The cost for the workshop is $75, which accomplish and why?” Renick said. includes the entire day of sessions and lunch. Hindu Texts in North American Contexts “Unfortunately, we rarely have time to pause (A18–224) Space, Place, and Religious Meaning and consider the answers. The workshop will This leadership workshop is one of two Consultation Sunday, 1:00–2:30 PM provide participants with an opportunity to workshops the Academic Relations Co-sponsored by the Yoga in Theory and Spatial Constructions of Religious Identity engage in an extended discussion about the Committee approved for the 2007 Annual Practice Consultation across World Traditions (A17–229) religion major.” Meeting. A chairs workshop, “Best Practices: Saturday, 1:00–3:30 PM Diversifying Your Faculty — Honest Renick will lead the workshop and the com- Conversations,” is also being offered. Pentecostal-Charismatic Movements Sacred Space in South Asia: Sites of Vision, mittee has secured Stephen Prothero, chair Consultation Sites of Experience (A20–124) Native American, U.S. Latino, and Mexican Tuesday, 9:00–11:30 AM Pentecostalism in the North American Co-sponsored by the Sacred Space in Asia Borderlands (A19–230) Group Monday, 1:00–3:30 PM

THE RELIGION MAJOR AND LIBERAL EDUCATION LeaWORdershipK SHOP Friday, November 16, 2007, San Diego, CA TO REGISTER Amid changing global and academic contexts, what is the nature and role of the Complete the information below, arrange payment, and send via fax or surface mail. religion major? What are its goals, and how do they relate to the goals of a liberal You can also register online as a part of the Annual Meeting registration process: education? How do we know if we are succeeding in meeting these goals? This work- www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2007. shop will bring together a distinguished group of experts to lead a daylong, interac- tive discussion of the religion major. Through plenaries, panels, and breakout ses- sions, participants will explore and share challenges, best practices, success stories, Name and failures. The workshop is part of a two-year joint AAR/Teagle Foundation proj- ect to study the religion major. Department LEADERS AND PANELISTS WILL INCLUDE: Institution Richard Carp, Interdisciplinary Timothy Renick, Chair of Religious Studies, Appalachian State University Studies, Georgia State University, Registration is limited to the first 75 participants. Send your registration form and and principal investigator for the payment of $75.00 *** before October 31, 2007 ($100.00 after and onsite). Dena Pence, Executive Director of the AAR/Teagle initiative on the Religion Wabash Center Major and Liberal Education PAYMENT INFORMATION Stephen Prothero, Chair of Religious Working Group Members, ❒ Studies, Boston University, and author Check: (payable to “AAR Annual Meeting,” memo “Leadership Workshop”) AAR/Teagle initiative on the Religion of Religious Literacy Major and Liberal Education Credit Card (check one): ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ PRELIMINARY AGENDA: Visa Mastercard American Express Discover Introduction: Why Religious Lunch Studies? Credit Card Number Expiration Date The Major in Different Establishing the Religious Studies Institutional Contexts/Different Major: Stories from the Trenches Models for the Major (interactive CID* (interactive session) session) Religious Studies across the What Has Worked? What Has Cardholder Signature Curriculum: The Interdisciplinary Not? (panel discussion followed by a Nature of the Major (panel break-out session) Name on Card (Please Print) discussion) Summary: What Have We Learned * Card Identification Number (required for Discover cards): 4 digits on front of American Express; 3 digits on back of other cards — as a Discipline and Today? Register online (as part of Annual Meeting registration): www.aarweb.org/jump/am The workshop will be of benefit to a range of participants: faculty, administrators,  and graduate students. The goal is to bring a diverse group of AAR members togeth- Register by Fax: 330-963-0319 er in a lively and open discussion about what it means to major in religion, what our  field contributes (and should contribute) to the education of our students, and how
Register by surface mail: we can be better at what we do. AAR Leadership Workshop • c/o Experient • 2451 Enterprise PKWY • Twinsburg, OH • 44087 • USA

10 • October 2007 RSN ANNUAL MEETING NEWS Annual Meeting Chairs Workshop Best Practices: Diversifying Your Faculty — Honest Conversations

HE ACADEMIC RELATIONS Committee is co-sponsor- School of Theology, will lead the workshop. The event is The workshop will feature several speakers who’ve dealt ing its chairs workshop with the Committee on the Status of based upon the online AAR Career Guide for Racial and with a variety of diversity opportunities and issues. TRacial & Ethnic Minorities in the Profession during the Ethnic Minorities in the Profession, which will be printed Sharon Watson Fluker, vice president for doctoral pro- Annual Meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the and given to workshop participants. grams and administration at the Fund for Theological Society of Biblical Literature in San Diego on Friday, November 16, Education; Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Brite Divinity School; “Many academic institutions lament the lack of diversity 2007. Edwin Aponte, Lancaster Theological Seminary; and among student body and/or the faculty,” De La Torre Fumitaka Matsuoka, Pacific School of Religion, are all The daylong workshop, “Best Practices: Diversifying Your Faculty said. “Here is an opportunity for chairs to discover the scheduled to address attendees. — Honest Conversations,” will deal with issues of recruiting nuts and bolts on how to better diversify their institu- majors as well as recruiting and retaining faculty of color, and will tion, and the pitfalls to avoid when making such a com- The workshop will then move to breakout sessions led feature several breakout sessions. Miguel A. De La Torre, Iliff mitment.” by Aponte; De La Torre; Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Moravian Theological Seminary; and Akintude Akinade, High Point University. The workshop will conclude with all speakers in conversation with the participants in a panel discussion. AN ANNUAL MEETING CHAIRS WORKSHOP Fred Glennon, chair of the Academic Relations Committee, said the committee was enthusiastic about Friday, November 16, 2007, San Diego, CA co-sponsoring this important workshop with the Status of Racial & Ethnic Minorities in the Profession Committee. 7 Best Practices: “Recruiting and retaining racial and ethnic minority fac- Diversifying Your Faculty — Honest Conversations ulty is a concern for most departments, as is the need to recruit more racial and ethnic minority students into the Leader: Miguel A. De La Torre, Iliff School of Theology Breakout discipline of religious studies,” Glennon said. “This Panelists: Edwin Aponte, Lancaster Theological Seminary; Stacey Session Leaders: Akintunde Akinade, High Point University; Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Moravian Theological workshop and the guide developed by CREM should Floyd-Thomas, Brite Divinity School; Sharon Watson Seminary prove to be an invaluable resource.” Fluker, Fund for Theological Education; Fumitaka Matsuoka, Pacific School of Religion Registration is limited to the first 75 participants. The cost for the workshop is $75, which includes the entire day of sessions, lunch, and a printing of the Career PRELIMINARY PROGRAM Guide. This chairs workshop is one of two workshops the Legal issues, conflicts, and life cycles will be addressed for individual, department, and administration concerns. Academic Relations Committee approved for the 2007 Annual Meeting. A leadership workshop, “The Religion 9–9:15 Welcome – Miguel A. De La 11–11:45 Recruitment of Faculty of Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Moravian Major and Liberal Education,” was developed in Torre, Iliff School of Color – Edwin Aponte, Theological Seminary, and Theology Lancaster Theological Seminary Akintunde Akinade, High response to the Teagle Foundation’s award for a two-year project to study that issue. 9:15–10 Recruitment of Majors – 11:45–12:30 LUNCH Point University Sharon Watson Fluker, Fund 12:30–1:15 Retention of Faculty of AAR Career Guide for Racial for Theological Education Color – Fumitaka Matsuoka, and Ethnic Minorities in the 10–10:45 Reality of Faculty of Color – Pacific School of Religion Profession – Miguel A. De La Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Brite 1:15–2 Break-out sessions: Torre, Iliff Wildcard Sessions Divinity School Helping pretenured – Edwin 2–2:15 BREAK 10:45–11 BREAK Aponte, Lancaster Theological 2:15–3:45 Panel discussion with four Wildcard sessions are one-time sessions proposed by Seminary major speakers individual AAR members on topics outside of the Think through institutional Annual Meeting program unit structure. This year, citizenship & mentoring – the AAR is pleased to add 14 wildcard sessions to our program. TO REGISTER Radical Life Extension: Implications for Complete the information below, arrange payment, and send via fax or surface mail. Eschatological Visions of the Religions (A17–202) You can also register online as a part of the Annual Meeting registration process: www.aarweb.org/jump/am. The Religion Major and Liberal Education (A17–230) Restorative Justice and the U.S. Penal System Name (A18–201) Islamicate Apocalypsis: Textual, Historical, and Department Methodological Considerations (A18–203) Institution Serving as Chair since Number of faculty in department The Holy Child: Traditions of the Infant and Child Registration is limited to the first 75 participants. Jesus (A18–225) Send your registration form and payment of $75.00 *** before October 31, 2007 ($100.00 after and onsite). The Place of the Practitioner in the Academy (A18–250) PAYMENT INFORMATION Theological Readings of Economics (A18–251) ❒ Check: (payable to “AAR Annual Meeting,” memo “Chairs For more information, contact Kyle Cole, Director of Horizons in Religious Studies: Theorizing Hip-Hop Workshop”) College Programs, at [email protected], or by phone at 404-727-1489. (A18–305) Credit Card (Check one): The Chairs Workshop is arranged by the Academic Liberation Theologies at the Dawn of the Twenty- ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ Visa Mastercard American Express Discover Relations Committee of the American Academy of First Century: Between Sex, Gender, Class, and Religion, chaired by Fred Glennon. Race (A18–306)

Credit Card Number Expiration Date Registrants for the workshop will receive the AAR Martin Luther and the Lutheran Theological Career Guide, which will be sent prior to the workshop. Tradition: Current Issues (A18–307) CID* Southeast Asia: Transforming Religion and Religious  Register online (as part of Annual Meeting registration): www.aarweb.org/jump/am Identities (A18–308) Cardholder Signature The Holy Child Jesus and Charism: Foundations and Register by Fax: 330-963-0319 Evolutions of a Contemporary Tradition  (A18–329) Name on Card (Please Print)
Register by surface mail: AAR Chairs Workshop Is Humanism a Dead Topic in the Study of Religion? c/o Experient * Card Identification Number (required for Discover cards): 4 digits on front of American (A19–302) Express; 3 digits on back of other cards 2451 Enterprise PKWY Twinsburg, OH 44087 Religious and Theological Reflection upon Musical USA Meaning (A19–328)

October 2007 RSN • 11 Religious Studies News

Reel Religion Annual Meeting Performances, Exhibitions

Please see the Annual Meeting Program HE AAR is showcasing the following performances and Book or the Program Highlights page at www.aarweb.org/jump/highlights for more exhibitions during this year’s Annual Meeting. information. T Chinese Dancers (A18–405)

Sunday, 8:30–10:00 PM Jesus Camp (A16–401) Join us for an exciting evening featuring a Los Angeles Chinese Friday, 7:30–9:00 PM folk dance troupe. Dancers will perform and information in This documentary film provides a window the dances and their religious connotations will be available. into life at the Pentecostal youth camp Kids on Fire and by extension also portrays some Golden States of Grace: Prayers of the Disinherited of the most controversial religious and politi- (A18–404) cal aspirations of evangelical Christians in Sunday, 8:30–10:00 PM America today. How do those on the margins of society find faith, sanctuary, and community? Through Golden States of Grace: Prayers of the King of Masks (A16–402) Disinherited, a photo-documentary and traveling exhibit hailed "Challah," from Golden States of Grace. Photo courtesy of Rick Nahmias. Friday, 7:30–9:00 PM by the Los Angeles Times as “a veritable United Nations of spiri- This touching and provocative film, set in a tuality,” social documentarian Rick Nahmias sums up three remote part of China during the 1930s, tells years of work documenting 11 different marginalized groups, worship. Nahmias will present a multimedia program created the story of an elderly street performer who across 8 faith traditions. From the elderly to the executable, exclusively for this event, combining images, audio, and music makes a marginal living by plying a unique from sex workers to refugees of genocide, from the rural poor from the project, as well as insight into how the body of work craft of mask-making which has passed from to recovering addicts, Golden States of Grace artfully looks at came together logistically and creatively. There will be a ques- father to son for generations. religion from the bottom up, smashing stereotypes and asking tion and answer period following the presentation. For more questions about who “belongs” in our society and houses of info please visit goldenstatesofgrace.com. The Revenge of Han Xin: A Daoist Mystery (A17–405) Saturday, 8:30–10:00 PM Religion on Display The Revenge of Han Xin: A Daoist Mystery Future AAR documents a sacrificial ceremony as it is per- formed today in central Hunan province. It is in San Diego Annual Meeting based on a local epic of Han Xin’s revenge against the first emperor of the Han Dynasty, Daoist Ritual in the Ordorver show, where all artwork is Gaozu. available for purchase. Dates and Sites AAR and SBL attendees are cordially invited to rare, public performances of Daoist ritual San Diego Natural History Museum, Magnolia (A17–406) at San Diego State University. The perform- 1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101; ______2007 ances, featuring Daoist priests from Taiwan, 619-232-3821. Admission: $9 for adults, Saturday, 9:00–10:30 PM will draw from the Offering (jiao) ritual for $7 for seniors, $6 for students, military, and November 17–20 Sponsored by the Religion, Film, and Visual universal harmony and from the Pacifying youth ages 13–17, $4 children ages 3–12, San Diego, CA Culture Group the Dragon (anlong) rite for the establish- free for children 2 and under and for Magnolia’s moving portrayal of 24 hours in ment and dedication of sacred space. members. 2008 San Fernando suburbia is an unlikely theo- ______logical gem, drawing out biblically epic Sunday, November 18 at 10 AM The Swallow (La Rondine) (Offering ritual) and 2 PM (Pacifying the November 1–4 themes of sin, regret, hope, reconciliation, San Diego’s Lyric Opera breathes life into Dragon ritual), with public reception to and redemption. the inspired operetta from the composer of Chicago, IL follow. Visitors welcome throughout the Madame Butterfly. Devised in 1913 by day. Scripps Cottage, San Diego State Italy’s most famous living composer of the Water (A18–406) University (maps and directions at 2009 day, The Swallow endures as the only ______www.cal.sdsu.edu/contact/maps.htm). From Sunday, 8:30–10:00 PM operetta written by the great Giacomo the Convention Center, take the Blue November 7–10 Sponsored by the Religion, Film, and Visual Puccini. Unfolding in three acts and tran- Line trolley northbound to Old Town, Culture Group spiring in a demimonde of 1870s Paris, The Montreal, QC switching to the Green Line eastbound Based in 1938 India, Water tells the story Swallow tells the tale of love and loss, depar- to SDSU (trolley map and schedule at of the second-class status of widows in ture and return — like the perennial home- 2010 www.sdcommuter.com/Rider_Information/tr Hindu society, delving into the notions of coming of the swallow. ______oppression, cultural norms, and Hindu prac- olley/trolleymap.asp). For more informa- tices. tion, contact Julius Tsai, San Diego State North Park Theatre, 2891 University AVE, October 30– University, 619-594-5185, Ste. 1, San Diego, CA 92104; 619-239- November 2 [email protected]. 8836. November 9–18, 2007, 7:30 PM Renewal (A19–401) evening shows, 2:30 PM matinees. Atlanta, GA Maya: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth Admission: $30–$50. Monday, 8:30–10:00 PM Discover the art and architecture of the 2011 Sponsored by the Religion and Ecology “Picturing Eden” ______Group ancient Mayan people at the Museum of Man. The contemporary artists featured in November 19–22 This documentary will present dynamic pro- “Picturing Eden” examine the many facets San Diego Museum of Man – Balboa Park, files of people acting out of deep, religious of paradise, from a place of contemplation San Francisco, CA conviction to reduce environmental degrada- 1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101; 619- and restoration to a site of loneliness and tion and build more sustainable communities. 239-2001. Admission: $8 for adults, $6 for despair. The exhibition is organized in four students/seniors/military w/ID, $4 for ages Please renew your membership sections: Paradise Lost, Paradise 6–17, kids under 6 and members free. now, and consider making an The Mormons (A19–402) Reconstructed, Despairing of Paradise, and additional contribution to the Contemporary Israeli Photography Paradise Anew. By looking at the notion of AAR’s Academy Fund. Monday, 8:30–10:00 PM paradise and the garden through the photo- Perfectly timed to complement the Dead Membership dues cover less Sponsored by the Mormon Studies graphic lens, “Picturing Eden” highlights Sea Scrolls exhibit, Ordorver Gallery has than 30 percent of Consultation original lost innocence, the ongoing teamed up with the San Diego Natural programs and services. The Mormons is a four-hour exploration into significance of a humanistic, culturally History Museum to present Contemporary Renew online at the richness, the complexities, and the contro- charged environment, and its place in the Israeli Photography. Through the eyes of www.aarweb.org/renewal. versies of the Mormons’ story as told through history of art. interviews with members of the church, lead- top Israeli photographers we are allowed an Or contact us at ing writers and historians, and supporters intimate view of Israel’s religious rituals, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego TEL: 404-727-3049 and critics of the Mormon faith. ancient architecture, and the faces of its peo- Downtown, 1001 and 1100 Kettner E-MAIL: [email protected]. ple. The cost of admission to the museum BLVD, San Diego, CA 92101; Please see the membership page, grants access to this cultural destination, and 858-454-3541. Tues–Sun 10:00 AM–5:00 www.aarweb.org/membership. although admission to the Dead Sea Scrolls PM; Thursday 10:00 AM–9:00 PM. exhibit is separate, select images from its Admission: $4–$6; children under 12 and photography section are also being featured military free. 12 • October 2007 RSN ANNUAL MEETING NEWS Eating and Drinking in San Diego

PRICE GUIDE (FOR AVERAGE ENTRÉE): Fillipi’s Pizza Grotto Los Panchos de Charley $ = up to $10 $$ = $11–20 1747 India ST 431 E ST $$$ = $21–30 $$$$ = $31 and over A San Diego tradition for more than 50 Authentic Mexican dining and live enter- years, family members of the restaurant’s tainment that has been a part of the San original founders continue to serve Italian Diego community for almost 30 years. $$ favorites at Fillipi’s Pizza Grotto. $ Moose McGillycuddy’s Greek Islands Cafe 535 Fifth AVE 879 W. Harbor DR EATING Originally established in downtown  A charming cafe on the water’s edge, Greek Waikiki, Moose McGillycuddy’s offers a Aqua Blue 734 Fifth AVE Islands Cafe touts outdoor dining, import- relaxed atmosphere and a variety of sand- ed beers and wines, and free sunsets. $ wiches and burgers. $ The sister restaurant of Bella Luna, Aqua Greystone Steakhouse Blue specializes in Pacific Rim cuisine and 685 Fifth AVE seafood with Asian influences. $$$ Bondi Greystone is a multilevel steakhouse serving DRINKING 333 Fifth AVE prime-aged meat, seafood, and pasta. $$$$  Harbor House Dublin Square Pub Bondi, a restaurant serving authentic Aussie 831 West Harbor DR 554 Fourth AVE cuisine and beer, is the creation of an An authentic Irish pub with a variety of Australian exchange student who wrote the The Harbor House serves fresh fish, shell- beer and live entertainment. business plan for the restaurant as a course fish, premium steaks, and local draft beers. assignment while studying in the United They offer informal dining upstairs and on Henry’s Pub States. $$ the outside decks as well as tablecloth/quiet 618 Fifth AVE dining downstairs. Come and enjoy the A friendly bar and restaurant with nightly Cine Cafe great city and harbor views. 412 K ST entertainers, Henry’s Pub attracts an eclec- tic crowd of regulars in both board shorts A popular city cafe boasting made-to-order House of Blues 1055 Fifth AVE and business attire. sandwiches and large cups of coffee. $ Dussini Mediterranean Bistro Known for its soulful food and soulful Red Circle Cafe 275 Fifth AVE music, the House of Blues serves dinner 420 E ST nightly, and it offers a gospel brunch with a Designed to reflect a past-era Russian An intimate steakhouse and Italian restau- Southern-style buffet and gospel choir vodka bar, Red Circle Cafe serves rant located on the site of the former Old every Sunday. $$ Mediterranean cuisine and specialty Spaghetti Factory. $$ cocktails.

Noteworthy Releases in Religious Studies from Baker Academic

FOUNDATIONS IN REFORMED AND REFRAMING THEOLOGY RITUAL STUDIES ALWAYS REFORMING AND FILM A READER FOR STUDENTS THE POSTCONSERVATIVE NEW FOCUS FOR AN EMERGING OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP APPROACH TO EVANGELICAL DISCIPLINE Paul Bradshaw THEOLOGY Robert K. Johnston, editor and John Melloh, editors Roger E. Olson 9780801032400 • 336 pp. • $24.99p 9780801034992 • 224 pp. • $22.99p 9780801031694 • 240 pp. • $19.99p The study of theology and film “This collection of essays gathers “Olson has become a major inter- has been in existence for fewer together some of the classic texts preter of American evangelical than three decades. What, then, in ritual studies. Every student theology and an advocate of a does the future hold for this evolv- and professor of Christian wor- postconservative approach. What ing subject? Johnston has drawn ship will want to have this book we have lacked is a clear guide to together more than a dozen schol- ars who regularly write and teach as a reference in their library.” this perspective within evangeli- on the topic in order to explore —Judith M. Kubicki, Fordham calism. In his new book, Olson how the discipline of theology and University sets forth a genuinely evangelical theology that rejects modernity film can flourish and mature. and fundamentalism. . . . Anyone interested in a truly gospel-oriented RESOUNDING TRUTH theology will benefit from engaging with his arguments.”—Alan G. WHAT WOULD JESUS CHRISTIAN WISDOM IN Padgett, Luther Seminary DECONSTRUCT? THE WORLD OF MUSIC THE GOOD NEWS OF Jeremy S. Begbie POSTMODERNISM 9780801026959 • 416 pp. • $22.99p FOR THE CHURCH “Begbie has published a number John D. Caputo of fine books in which he, as both 9780801031366 • 160 pp. • $19.99p a Christian theologian and a prac- “Caputo brilliantly manages to ticing musician, reflects on music; bring thought to life and life to but this is his finest. It is theolog- thought. He wears his learning ically acute, deeply informed by J and scholarship so lightly that one both the history of music and the A DIVISION OF BAKER PUBLISHING GROUP has the impression of returning history of reflections on music, to a flesh-and-blood world where Available at your local bookstore, www.bakeracademic.com, and throughout displays Begbie’s Jesus deconstructs and recon- or by calling 1-800-877-2665 wide-ranging engagement with music of many kinds from both the structs our lives. Challenging, compassionate, witty, and wise. This past and the present.”—Nicholas Wolterstorff, Yale University Subscribe to Baker Academic’s electronic newsletter book is compulsory reading for anyone concerned about the future of (E-Notes) at www.bakeracademic.com Christianity.”—Richard Kearney, Boston College

October 2007 RSN • 13 Religious Studies News

In Memoriam Letty Mandeville Russell, 1929–2007 Emilie Townes, Yale Divinity School

ETTY MANDEVILLE RUSSELL, ence and to break the bars that keep us community.” Kwok said that Russell was the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, one of the world’s foremost feminist apart. [Others] want what we want. They instrumental in founding Pacific, Asian and Taiwan were models of deep construc- L theologians and longtime member of want to work, they want to change the and North American Asian Women in tive theological engagement that takes the Yale Divinity School faculty, died social structure. They want hospitality Theology and Ministry (PANAAWTM) in seriously partnership based on a thorough- Thursday, July 12 at her home in with justice.” 1984 and for 13 years served with going commitment to genuine mutuality Guilford, Connecticut. She was 77. As Shannon Clarkson as the coordinator and in the household of God. Past AAR president Peter J. Paris noted that noted in her 1999 festschrift, Liberating fundraiser for the group. “Letty was a wise he could “think of no one who has done Perhaps no better place to understand the Eschatology, her influence on contempo- mentor and beloved colleague for many more in helping to develop and promote impact of Russell’s work is the incredible rary theology is “monumental” and she Asian Christian women. She exemplified the work of African and African American role she played as mentor to literally hun- had an “uncanny ability to articulate a what solidarity in global sisterhood means. women theologians than Letty Russell. She dreds of men and women in theological vision of the church that is radical in its . . . Letty never retired. As she said, she has gained immortality in their eyes and education and the church. Kristen Leslie, feminist-liberationist critique but that just rewired. Even cancer could not slow has made an indelible mark on the lives of associate professor of pastoral care and coun- nonetheless remains anchored in the his- her down. She was still traveling to teach all who knew her including myself. Most seling at Yale Divinity School and represen- toric traditions and communities of the the DMin program and finishing other important, she embodied all the best moral tative of a younger generation of scholars, Christian church.” Also a leader for many work between chemo during her last year. and spiritual virtues so much needed in our commented, “Letty’s international scholarly years in the ecumenical movement, she Her passion for life and her dedication to contemporary world. Thus, we are all work was matched by her significant teach- remained active in ecumenical circles until mending God’s creation is inspiring.” diminished by her departure.” ing and mentoring of students and col- her death, working for the World Council leagues. As both her student and then her of Churches and the World YWCA. A colleague, I recognize the world has been global advocate for women, Russell was a changed by Letty’s willingness to speak truth member of the Yale Divinity School to power.” Recent Union Theological Women’s Initiative on Gender, Faith, and Seminary doctoral graduate and Yale Responses to HIV/AIDS in Africa and Divinity School alumna Kate M. Ott wrote, was co-coordinator of the International Letty was a rare person who “Letty was a rare person who actually lived Feminist Doctor of Ministry Program at actually lived what she what she preached and expected others to do San Francisco Theological Seminary. preached and expected so as well. . . . I feel responsible — responsi- Russell was one of the first women “ ble to carry on a small piece of her amazing ordained in the United Presbyterian others to do so as well. . . . vision for a just world. If we indeed inherit Church and served the East Harlem I feel responsible — our mother’s gardens, those of us who are Protestant Parish in New York City from daughters and sons of Letty’s teaching and 1952–68, including ten years as pastor of responsible to carry on a mentoring have the phenomenal task of the Presbyterian Church of the Ascension. small piece of her amazing nurturing a global landscape, rooted deep in She joined the faculty of Yale Divinity biblical tradition, bearing fruit of a mended School in 1974 as an assistant professor of vision for a just world. creation. The world is different because theology, rose to the rank of professor in Letty is gone from it. By the guidance of her 1985, and retired in 2001. In retirement, — KATE M. OTT, spirit, my hope is that the world will contin- she continued to teach courses at Yale UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ue to be different through our work.” Divinity School as a visiting professor. Letty Mandeville Russell Russell graduated with a BA in biblical his- Margaret Farley, the Gilbert L. Stark tory and philosophy in 1951 from Wellesley Professor of Christian Ethics emerita at ” College, and she was among the first women Yale Divinity School and a friend and col- to receive an STB from Harvard Divinity Attridge joins them in noting that Russell league of Russell for three decades, said, In 1999, the Presbyterian Church School, in theology and ethics, in 1958. She “was a beloved member of the YDS com- “She leaves a legacy of wisdom, integrity, (U.S.A.) bestowed Russell with its Women earned an STM from Union Theological munity who inspired generations of stu- and indomitable hope. Voices will rise of Faith award, and Union Theological Seminary in New York in Christian educa- dents with her passion for the Gospel’s from women and men throughout the Seminary in New York named her a tion and theology in 1967, and two years message of liberating justice and her prac- world to bear witness to her gifts to them, Unitas Distinguished Alumna. She was later received a ThD in mission theology tice of warm hospitality. Through her pro- not the least of which is her gift of faithful recognized as a distinguished alumna with and ecumenics from Union. lific scholarship and her active engagement friendship. There is perhaps no other fem- the Rabbi Martin Katzentein Award from with major issues in the life of the global The author or editor of over 17 books, her inist theologian who has been more dedi- Harvard Divinity School in 1998. Christian community, she made dramatic book Church in the Round: Feminist cated to ecumenical, interfaith, and inter- Wellesley College named her the first contributions not only to feminist theolo- Interpretations of the Church and her co- national theological dialogue. Hers has recipient of its Emmavail Luce gy but also to the overall revitalization of edited work Dictionary of Feminist been the influence not of imposition but Severinghaus Award for Work in Religion the church in our day.” M. Shawn Theologies characterized her commitment of partnership. Yet her work has chal- in 1986. Copeland, an African-American scholar to feminist/liberation theologies and to lenged everyone, not only because of its At Yale Divinity School, Russell’s influence and associate professor of systematic theol- the renewal of the church. In 2006, she substance but because of her own com- extended far beyond the confines of the ogy at Boston College, said, “Letty Russell co-edited a book with Phyllis Trible of mitment to making the world both more classroom. She was the inspiration behind has been the towering feminist theologian Wake Forest University entitled Hagar, just and more hospitable.” the creation of the school’s international of her generation. She devoted her theo- Sarah and Their Children: Jewish, Christian In her last major public address in May travel seminar program where students logical career to making it possible for and Muslim Perspectives. 2006, “Encountering the ‘Other’ in a travel to countries, frequently impover- women in various parts of the world to do Russell was born in Westfield, New Jersey, World of Difference and Danger,” at the ished ones, for direct encounters with the theology, to dialogue and to collaborate in 1929. She was predeceased by her sister, annual Paul Tillich Lecture at Harvard realities of religion on the world stage. Yale with one another, and with all women and Jean Berry of New Jersey, and her former University (where she was a member of Divinity School dean Harold Attridge said men of good will in mending creation. husband, the late professor Hans the first class of women to be admitted to that, through the travel seminar, Russell’s The seeds she has sown have flowered and Hoekendijk. She is survived by her part- Harvard Divinity School in 1955), Russell “legacy of commitment to a universal will bear fruit for years to come.” ner, Shannon Clarkson; her sister, remained unequivocal in denouncing vision of engaged theology will continue as Her insistence that theological work focus Elizabeth Collins of Salem, Oregon; 7 injustices. Displaying her usual wide range a vital part of Yale Divinity School.” on the mending of creation grew out of nieces and nephews; 14 great-nieces and of sources from James Luther Adams, Russell’s deep commitment to justice- her experiences in East Harlem where her great-nephews; and 1 great-great niece. In Audre Lorde, George Lakoff, Paul Tillich, making globally in ecumenical dialogues ministry focused on equipping her pre- addition, Russell felt that her wider family and George Webber (among others), and theological education was noted by dominately black and Latino/a congrega- included generations of feminist and Russell questioned the postmodern use of the General Secretary of the World tion to claim their voices as leaders in the womanist activists and scholars around the the Other, saying, “In my perspective Council of Churches, the Reverend Dr. parish and the community. The interna- world. She believed and lived that free- there are no ‘others,’ for all are created by Samuel Kobia, and noted Asian feminist tional dialogues and conversations of dom is coming. God; no one is an other.” For Russell, the theologian Kwok Pui-lan. For Kobia, which Russell was both a creator and par- action of othering is the radical misuse of Russell’s books “centered around her theo- ticipant in Africa, Austrailia, Fiji, Hong difference. Ultimately, said Russell, “Our logical and ecclesiological vision of the Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, struggle is to overcome the fear of differ- church as inclusive and justice-seeking Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand,

14 • October 2007 RSN NEWS

B RI E F S Templeton Research Kentucky; and at Samford University, lished an online guide, “The Religious Gillis named to Birmingham, Alabama, he was chair of the Engagements of American Undergraduates” Lectures grants Department of Religion and Philosophy. (http://religion.ssrc.org/reguide/), which was Georgetown Catholic derived from a series of essays it commissioned awarded In 1996, Leonard joined the faculty of Wake Studies Chair from leading authorities in the field of religion Johns Hopkins University and Boston Forest University with joint appointments in Georgetown University recently announced and American higher education, as well as University were recently selected as the 2007 the Divinity School and Department of the appointment of Chester L. Gillis, theol- from a review of current scholarship. recipients of the Templeton Research Lectures Religion, and in 1999, he was named the ogy professor and a member of the AAR’s grants. The universities will receive up to founding dean of the Wake Forest University The guide presents the perspectives of leading Academic Relations Committee, as the first $500,000 to promote science and religion con- Divinity School. thinkers such as Alan Wolfe, director of the Joseph and Winifred Amaturo Chair in versations. Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Catholic Studies and the founding director Leonard is the author or editor of 15 books, Life at Boston College; journalist Diane of the Program on the Church and Stephen Gross, an associate professor at Johns including Word of God Across the Ages: Using Winston, who has co-edited a major work on Interreligious Dialogue, a new initiative of Hopkins, will lead the “Evolution, Cognition, Church History in Preaching; God’s Last and religion in urban centers; and Princeton sociol- the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and and Culture” project, which will explore the Only Hope: The Fragmentation of the Southern ogist Robert Wuthnow, an authority on reli- World Affairs. explosion of interdisciplinary research in the Baptist Convention; and Baptist Ways: A History. gious diversity. Consisting of eight sections and cognitive science of religion and its implica- His most recent book, Baptists in America, was “This is an important appointment,” said opening with a preface by SSRC president tions — specifically for religion, public policy, published in 2005 by Columbia University Jane McAuliffe, dean of Georgetown Craig Calhoun, it examines basic questions and the general understanding of evolution, Press. He has also authored more than 400 College and a past AAR president. “Gillis such as whether or not the college experience cognition, and culture. articles, published in a variety of journals, peri- brings a rich background in the theology of affects students’ religious beliefs and how reli- odicals, and books. religious pluralism to this significant uni- “Researchers are only just beginning to under- gion should be incorporated into the college versity initiative in Catholic studies.” stand the complex interactions among evolu- curriculum. It also addresses the current situa- tion, cognition, and culture; and religious tion on college campuses: How do Evangelical Gillis began his tenure as the Amaturo belief and practice has provided some of the Guggenheim names students engage with college life? How open Chair on July 1. The funding for this chair most fertile ground for thinking about these can professors be about their own religious is provided through a gift from Joseph and matters,” Gross said. “This exciting interdisci- 2007 Fellows beliefs? Finally, it provides some much-needed Winifred Amaturo of Fort Lauderdale, plinary work not only promises to shed light The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial historical perspective, tracing the origins of Florida. on the role of religiosity in human lives, but Foundation recently announced its 2007 fellow- America’s many religious colleges. Designed to Gillis has served on the Georgetown faculty also offers a particularly fruitful site for reflec- ship winners, which include five AAR members. be read online, the guide also features an anno- since 1988 and was chair of the tion on the place and limits of a scientific The foundation, which was established in 1925 tated bibliography with links to key references. Department of Theology from 2001 to understanding of ourselves.” by Senator Simon Guggenheim, offers fellow- 2006. He holds degrees in philosophy and ships to scholars, artists, and scientists to assist Robert Neville, a professor of philosophy, reli- religious studies from the Catholic them in their scholastic and artistic endeavors. gion, and theology, will head the Boston University of Louvain in Belgium and University grant. The “Religious and Decisions are based on the recommendations of earned his PhD from the University of Psychological Well-being” project will investi- hundreds of advisers, and this year’s fellowship Chicago. His research interests include gate four topics: religious experience, character winners include 189 individuals selected from comparative religion and contemporary development, meaning construction, and ther- almost 2,800 applicants for awards totaling Roman Catholicism. apeutic models/spiritual places. $7,600,000. “The grant provides the opportunity to for- The following AAR members received fellow- malize the interdisciplinary connections we ships: have been building informally over the years,” Catherine Anne Brekus, associate professor at Neville said. “Few problems at the interface of the University of Chicago Divinity School, psychology and religion are as intriguing as the studying evangelicalism and the Enlightenment integration of psychological and spiritual mod- in eighteenth-century America els of ‘well-being,’ and a better understanding Please Renew Your of this has immediate application in practical David Frankfurter, religious studies and history help for people seeking well-being.” professor at the University of New Hampshire, AAR Membership examining Christianization in late antique Egypt for 2008 Today! Bill J. Leonard receives Susan Ashbrook Harvey, religious studies pro- service award fessor at Brown University, researching Biblical www.aarweb.org/members/dues women and women’s choirs in Syriac tradition Already renewed? At its annual meeting Michael L. Satlow, associate professor of Confirm your membership status at: each year, the Baptist religious studies and Judaic studies at www.aarweb.org/members/my_account History and Heritage Brown University, studying Jewish piety in Society presents its late antiquity most prestigious award, The AAR is encouraging members to take advantage of the W. O. Carver David Gordon White, religious studies profes- online renewal because renewing online . . . Distinguished Service sor at the University of California, Santa Award. On June 8, at Barbara, researching Indian yogi 200 BC–2000 • Helps the environment Campbellsville CE. University, Online renewal is a sound environmental choice because it replaces pro- Campbellsville, Kentucky, the society present- duction and delivery of over 10,000 renewal packets. ed the 2007 award to Bill J. Leonard, dean and • Helps the whole Academy professor of church history at Wake Forest Online guide probes University Divinity School, Winston-Salem, rise of religion The funds saved by every online renewal can be applied to services and North Carolina. on campus programs that benefit the study of religion. Leonard has had much influence on the • Helps you According to a 2007 Higher Education Baptist History and Heritage Society. As a Research Institute (HERI) survey, 83 percent The online submission is instant (immediately gain access to online serv- longtime member, he has participated as a of American college students are affiliated with ices), accurate (no handwriting confusion or transcription mistakes), and speaker at the society’s annual meetings, writ- some denomination or religion, and nearly ten articles for Baptist History and Heritage, safe (secured with strong encryption). Additionally, it frees staff time to four in five say they believe in God. and authored society publications. assist directly with member needs. Evangelicalism — often in the form of extra- Leonard earned a BA degree from Texas denominational or parachurch campus groups Wesleyan College, an MDiv from — has eclipsed mainstream Protestantism. If you still wish to renew by paper, we are, of course, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Catholicism and Judaism, too, are thriving, as and a PhD from Boston University. He served are other faiths. happy to serve your needs. You can print a membership as professor of church history, associate dean, To make sense of the plethora of faith commu- form directly at www.aarweb.org/members/dues. president of the faculty association, editor of nities on today’s college campuses, the Social Or you can contact us at [email protected] or Review and Expositor, and W. W. Brooks Science Research Council (SSRC), with sup- Professor of American Religion at Southern 404-727-3049 to have forms mailed or faxed to you. port from the Teagle Foundation, has pub- Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville,

October 2007 RSN • 15 Religious Studies News

Annual Meeting Survey Ends October 15 XIA, from p.8 have been translated, and popular books about religion published. Religious studies September 2007 Costs may rise. Hotels are keen for our Thanksgiving-week con- institutions have been set up in social sci- vention business, but rates earlier in the fall are more competitive. Dear AAR Members and Friends, ence academies and in universities such as How do members feel about all of this? Beijing University, Nanjing University, In the spring of 2003, the Board of the American Academy of 2) Impact on AAR Services. Meeting independently will have an Sichuan University, People’s University, Religion decided to hold some of the Academy’s Annual Meetings impact on some of the functions served by the Annual Meeting. Central University of Nationalities, etc. independently from the Society of Biblical Literature. Both organi- Some of our book exhibitors have told us that they cannot afford Professional journals like Studies in World zations have contracts committing them to meet at different times to attend both the AAR and the SBL Annual Meetings. With the Religions and Religious Studies are also being from 2008 to 2010 and again in 2012, and would face six-figure AAR and the SBL no longer planning to run the Employment produced. fines if they broke the contracts. The AAR and the SBL have Information Service jointly, some members are concerned that agreed to meet simultaneously in San Francisco in November of In 1979, the Chinese Association of this will disrupt their searches or force some job candidates to 2011, but independently — meaning, most importantly, that they Religious Studies was established. Religious make difficult choices about which meeting to attend. Others will not be collaborating on the production of a single program studies now draws on different disciplines. have expressed concerns about the fate of additional meetings, book. After experiencing decades of hardship, related scholarly organizations, and school receptions that count religious studies in China is growing and The decision to meet independently was a controversial one, and on attendance from both AAR and SBL members. How strongly flourishing. In the new century, it has many members continue to express concerns over the content of do members feel about these issues? become a promising field of study. the decision, the way in which it was reached, or the AAR’s gover- 3) Simultaneity. In its spring 2003 meeting the Board decided to meet nance structure. The Board of Directors is addressing these con- Thanks to the papers “The Retrospect and with the SBL on some future occasions and to consider meeting cerns in two ways. Prospect of Modern China Religious with other professional societies at times, as well. But with what Studies Over the Last Century” by Lu Daji First, the Board has convened a Governance Task Force, which we other professional societies should we consider meeting? And in in Jiangsu Social Science 2002 (3), and shall co-chair, to review the structure and functions of the AAR the long run, how often should we aim to meet with the SBL in “Religious Studies in China for One Board and, where necessary and appropriate, to recommend the way we are planning to meet in San Francisco in 2011 — Hundred Years” by He Guanghu, changes. Our aim is to insure that the AAR conducts itself demo- independently but in the same city on the same weekend? Academic Forum 2003 (3). Thanks also to cratically. It is clear that the Board will need to take all of these issues into Mary Hennock at 1-on-1 Mandarin, Second, the Board wants to invite our members to say in detail account when deciding on future meetings. The Board needs your Beijing. what considerations they think the Board should take into account help to make sure we have all of the relevant considerations in view when deciding on future Annual Meetings and how much weight and to determine how much weight each of the various considera- each of the considerations should have. For this reason, the Board tions should be given. The survey will be available online from decided at its spring 2007 meeting to conduct a survey of our September 15th until October 15th. To take the survey, go to members. The survey has been designed with the assistance of pro- www.aarweb.org/Members/Surveys/Annual_Meeting/ fessionals who are familiar with such instruments. The results of the survey will be discussed at the November meeting It is a survey, not a referendum, because the issues are too compli- of the Board and will then be made public. Our hope is that all cated to be reduced to a single question. In 2003, the big yes-or-no members will take the seven to ten minutes that will be required to question was about meeting independently. Today, planning for fill out the survey and submit it. The higher the response rate, the future meetings by our Board and Executive Staff has been compli- easier it will be for the Board to take members’ views into consider- cated by the emergence of three clusters of logistical challenges: ation, as we wish to do. 1) Dates and Rates. Moving away from our traditional meeting time — the weekend before Thanksgiving — poses logistical prob- lems. Some of the dates contracted for future meetings conflict Sincerely, with national election days. Many members, whose institutions Jeffrey L. Stout, President take a Thanksgiving break, may, on the new plan, have to use Emilie M. Townes, President-elect parts of two teaching weeks to attend the independent Annual Meeting.

New AAR Task Forces AAR Goes to Capitol Hill to Advocate for The AAR Board of Directors has approved the and to recommend improvements in EIS and other creation of four new task forces. aspects of the process; 2) to review current graduate program reporting on graduates and to create guide- Humanities Funding Governance Task Force lines for best practices regarding public disclosure of placement records; 3) to create a list of recommenda- N MARCH, the AAR and 36 other associations involving Chairs: Jeffrey L. Stout, Princeton University, AAR tions for how graduate programs in religion can higher education cosponsored Humanities Advocacy Day, an President realign their curricula to respond to current (and Iannual event in Washington organized by the National Emilie M. Townes, Yale Divinity School, AAR future) job placement realities; and 4) to investigate Humanities Alliance (NHA). President-Elect how the AAR might best assist people being trained in The AAR, along with other members of the NHA, is advocating religious studies to prepare for and find jobs outside of Charge: The Governance Task Force will study the a budget of $177 million for the National Endowment for the religion and theology departments, seminaries, and adequacy of the current AAR by-laws and governance Humanities in fiscal year 2008. This figure would restore NEH divinity schools. practices and make recommendations to the Board appropriations to their peak reached in 1994 and would repre- concerning how the AAR and its regions might organ- Status of LGBT Persons in the Profession sent an important step forward in restoring NEH funding to its ize and govern themselves so as to best serve their historic levels. The NEH is the largest funder of humanities pro- members. The objective of the task force is to achieve Task Force grams in the United States. the ideal balance among the following values: repre- Chair: Melissa Wilcox, Whitman College The AAR also supports FY 2008 funding of $12 million for the sentation of the membership as a whole, representa- Charge: This group recommends policies and good National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The tion and protection of women and minorities within practices to assure the full access and academic free- NHPRC is the grant-making arm of the National Archives and the profession; representation of the regions; the dom of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Records Administration and for the past three years has received expertise required to fulfill the fiduciary responsibili- persons within the Academy and develops programs to only minimal funding for staff to administer current grants, after ties of the Board; the ability of the Board to conduct enhance their status in the profession. which the program would be terminated. its business efficiently; and the need to give members of the AAR ample opportunity to influence and con- Sustainability Task Force The AAR participants were board members Frederick Denny of test important decisions made by the AAR Board and the University of Colorado, Boulder (emeritus) and Stacy Patty staff. Chair: Sarah McFarland Taylor, Northwestern of Lubbock Christian University, member Scott Collins-Jones of University Princeton Theological Seminary, and AAR staffers Steve Herrick Job Placement Task Force and Shelly Roberts. They met on Capitol Hill with congressional Charge: The Sustainability Task Force fosters attention to staff from Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In addi- Chair: Deanna A. Thompson, Hamline University the issues associated with sustainability throughout the tion, Denny represented the AAR at the NHA’s annual meeting AAR. This group makes proposals to the Academy for ini- Charge: In consultation with the relevant standing held the day before. tiatives for contributing to teaching about sustainability committees, this task force is charged: 1) to review the and for developing best practices for conducting sustain- As of the RSN copy deadline, the House of Representatives has full experience of the placement process for candidates able meetings and regional meetings. approved bills funding NEH at $160 million for FY 2008 and NHPRC at $10 million. The full Senate has yet to vote. 16 • October 2007 RSN NEWS Utah State University Launches Religious Studies Program

Charles S. Prebish and Norman L. Jones

Since the Religious Studies Program began ulty, additional funding is currently being with courses already in existence in the uni- sought to provide additional endowed chairs versity curriculum, it graduated its first major, in Judaism and the Hebrew Bible, Islamic Trevor Alvord, a 26-year-old student from studies, Hindu studies, and Christian studies. Ogden, in May 2007. Alvord came to USU Because religious studies regularly draws on because of the Folklore and Religious Studies faculty from within the disciplines of sociolo- Programs. He has said, “I think religious gy, languages, art history, English, philosophy, studies will be the best thing that’s happened history, psychology, and anthropology, the to Utah State in a long time. The community university already provides a wide range of here is so passionate about religion, and this courses in these disciplines, staffed by a group will add an academic level to it.” of nationally and internationally acclaimed scholars, including such individuals as Because religion is such a profoundly sensitive Norman Jones, Richard Sherlock, Richley issue in Utah, Gary Kiger, dean of the College Crapo, and Bonnie Glass-Coffin. Utilizing all of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and facilities and faculty currently available to it, university president Stan Albrecht sought and Charles S. Prebish holds the Charles Redd Norman L. Jones is Professor and Chair of the Religious Studies Program is offering an received much input from the local religious Endowed Chair in Religious Studies at Utah History and Director of Religious Studies at incredibly balanced and comprehensive study communities and surrounding universities State University. Previously, he taught at the Utah State University, where he has taught for of religion. Pennsylvania State University for 35 years. He 29 years. He came to USU after taking degrees prior to beginning the movement to launch is the author or editor of 19 books, and more at Idaho State University, the University of the Religious Studies Program. Virtually every- Hardy Redd, trustee of the Charles and than 50 refereed articles and chapters. He is Colorado, and Cambridge University. He has one was enthusiastic and supportive of the Annaley Redd Foundation and a 1961 Utah the founding Co-Editor of the Journal of held visiting fellowships at Harvard University, endeavor, leading Kiger to remark, “Utah State graduate has said, “A well-educated per- Buddhist Ethics and the Journal of Global the Huntington Library, the Folger Library, State is the perfect place for a religious studies son ought to have a basic understanding of Buddhism. Between 1996 and 2006 he was the University of Geneva, and Oxford program. We have the credibility, the each of the world’s religions. Historically, the the Co-Editor of the Routledge “Critical University. Fascinated by the connections resources, and the reputation.” So far, he has religious impulse to believe in a supernatural Studies in Buddhism” series which has pub- between ideas and behavior, he chose to study been correct. Enrollments have been packed or divine being and to construct a purpose for lished more than 60 titles on various aspects of the Reformation because those interactions are to the limit for religious studies courses, and human existence is found in all peoples Buddhism. He was an officer in the more obvious in that era than in some others. the demand for future courses is overwhelm- throughout all of recorded history. This International Association of Buddhist Studies His books exploring the relationship between ing. The unit has already gained many majors, impulse is deeply felt by many today, both for and co-founded the Buddhism Section of the religion and culture in early modern England and students enrolled in the university’s hon- good and ill. A religious studies program will American Academy of Religion. He has held include Faith by Statute: Parliament and the the Numata Chair of Buddhist Studies at the Settlement of Religion, 1559; God and the ors program have chosen to select religious begin the process of asking why we believe University of Calgary and a Rockefeller Moneylenders: Usury and Law in Early studies courses as part of their curriculum. and act as we do.” To that end, we hope that Utah State University’s new Religious Studies National Humanities Fellowship at the Modern England; The Birth of the Although the new program has its two Program will continue to be an exciting University of Toronto. He was recently honored Elizabethan Age: England in the 1560s; and endowed chairholders as its current core fac- by his colleagues with a “festschrift” volume The English Reformation: Religion and place of inquiry, learning, and sharing. titled Buddhist Studies from India to Cultural Adaptation. He teaches a range of America: Essays in Honor of Charles S. courses on Medieval and Reformation history, Prebish. as well as the history of Christianity.

N THE SUMMER 2004 issue of Utah well-known Buddhist studies scholar who had State Magazine, Jane Koerner wrote, taught at the Pennsylvania State University I“When history department chairman for more than 35 years and had recently been ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Norm Jones and his colleagues proposed a honored by his Buddhist studies colleagues religious studies program for Utah State with a “festschrift” volume titled Buddhist University, one skeptic after another said Studies from Indian to America: Essays in DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY the idea would never fly in a state where Honor of Charles S. Prebish. Prebish joined the AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES politics mirrors deep religious fault lines. faculty in January 2007. The Leonard They were wrong.” The Religious Studies Arrington Chair was filled by Harvard-edu- BALL STATE UNIVERSITY Program was approved by the university’s cated Philip Barlow, a Utah native and LDS Institutional Board of Trustees on April 8, Church member who has carved out a highly MUNCIE, INDIANA 2005, and opened its doors to students for productive career at Hanover College in the fall semester 2006. Indiana, where he has taught since 1990. Barlow joined the USU faculty for the fall Tenure-track position available August 22, 2008, in East Asian Buddhism. On its way to official status, in addition to 2007 semester. By accepting the Arrington Major responsibility: teaching load of six courses per year (3/semester). internal planning, Utah State University con- Chair, Barlow becomes the first person in a Typical teaching duties include two sections per semester of “Introduction to sulted well-known religious studies scholars: public institution to be specifically hired to Religion and Culture,” and one upper-level survey course (e.g., “Religions Robert Orsi, chair of the Committee for the study the history and culture of Mormonism. and Cultures of East Asia” or “Buddhism”) or a topic in the candidate’s area Study of Religion at Harvard University; of competency or expertise. The departmental focus is Religion and Culture, Peter Kaufman, from the Department of The interdisciplinary religious studies major especially the modern period. Minimum qualifications: earned doctorate in Religious Studies at the University of North consists of 36 credits, 9 of which are earned religious studies or comparable discipline with specialty in East Asian Carolina; and Jan Shipps, a USU alumna and by taking three required courses: “Religion Buddhism by August 20, 2008; competency in one or more of the following- emerita professor at Indiana University- and Culture,” “Introduction to Religious popular religion, performance studies, ethnography, gender studies, religion Purdue University Indianapolis. Studies Methodology,” and a “Religious and social theory, and cultural studies; depth and breadth of training in reli- Studies Capstone” seminar. The remaining 27 The Religious Studies Program, which is the gious studies expected along with ability to conduct research in appropriate credits are earned by taking new and existing first such degree program in the languages (e.g., Chinese or Japanese). Preferred qualifications: experience courses in three areas: Cultural Inquiry, Intermountain West, was enhanced by a num- mentoring undergraduate students; experience in diversity issues; dedication Scientific Inquiry, and Doctrinal Inquiry. In ber of generous endowments. Initially, a $1.5 to teaching and research. addition, a religious studies minor is being million gift from the Charles and Annaley offered, consisting of 15 credits, and requiring Send letter of application, curriculum vitae, graduate school transcripts, three Redd Foundation established the university’s the first two of the three required courses list- letters of recommendation writing sample, and a brief statement of teaching first chair in religious studies and first appoint- ed above for the major. It is expected that stu- philosophy and research interests to: Dr. Jeffrey Brackett, Search Committee ment solely in religious studies. The Charles dents completing the religious studies major Chair, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Ball State University, Redd Chair in Religious Studies was quickly will understand the influence upon culture Muncie, IN 47306. Review of applications will begin September 15, 2007, augmented by the Leonard J. Arrington Chair and the influence of culture upon religion; for initial screening at November AAR. (www.bsu.edu/religiousstudies) in Mormon History and Culture, sponsored analyze the influence of religious value sys- by more than 45 donors. In addition, a The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks to attract an tems on individuals; apply appropriate meth- $600,000 gift from the Tanner Charitable active, culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber. Ball ods of research and argumentation to ques- Trust has provided the new Religious Studies State University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and is tions concerning religion and culture; com- Program with an endowment for purchasing strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community. municate their findings in clear, well-reasoned library materials to support its curriculum. writing; and express cultural literacy concern- In 2006, the Charles Redd Chair was filled ing the major religions of the world. by the appointment of Charles S. Prebish, a October 2007 RSN • 17 Religious Studies News AAR Honors Journalists for Best In-Depth Reporting

ENNIFER GREEN of the Ottawa topics.” Said one judge, “This writer has lent writing skills,” and offers “serious Kevin Eigelbach of the Cincinnati Post Citizen, Jason Byassee of the Christian an enormous amount of talent and a exploration of American religion.” His placed third in this year’s opinion-writing JCentury, and Robert Sibley of the reporter’s keen eye for detail, the good stories have “good perspective, a strong contest. One judge said of his work, Ottawa Citizen have won the 2007 quote and the added insight that makes sense of character and color,” remarked “Pithy and to the point. An entry illustrat- American Academy of Religion Awards for readers keep reading.” one judge. ing how religion and religious studies Best In-Depth Reporting on Religion. relate to so many facets of life.” Another Sibley, who placed second in last year’s Asra Q. Nomani, a freelancer based in remarked, “With verve and an admirable Green won the contest for journalists at contest for news outlets with more than Morgantown, West Virginia, placed sec- talent for economy, this writer’s columns news outlets with more than 100,000 cir- 100,000 circulation, submitted opinion ond in this year’s opinion-writing contest. pack a punch — and a lot of information culation or on the Web; Byassee for jour- articles from a series on faith, nihilism, “This writer’s works all deal with aspects — into a short space.” nalists at news outlets with less than and wonder; and from a series marking of Islam, but in such a way, and with such 100,000 circulation; and Sibley for opinion the fifth anniversary of September 11, authority, that they become relevant to Each contestant submitted five articles writing. The awards recognize well-written, which included essays on intellectuals in non-Muslim readers as much, if not more, published in North America during 2006. well-researched newswriting that enhances the aftermath of September 11 and on than to Muslim readers. A valuable serv- Names of contestants and their news out- the public understanding of religion. multiculturalism. The judges called ice,” said the judges, who praised her lets were removed from submissions prior Sibley’s work “deeply informative,” noting entries as “well-written with great perspec- to judging. Each of the first-place winners Green submitted stories on the Saint that “each piece is solid and thoughtful,” tive and depth.” receives $1,000. John’s Bible project; the split in the and praising him for illustrating “the Anglican Church over same-sex unions Omar Sacirbey, a freelancer based in The judges for the contest for news outlets essential voice of religious studies scholars and gay clergy; conservative faith and Boston, placed third in the contest for with over 100,000 circulation included in general coverage of religion.” public discourse in Canada; a Baylor news outlets with more than 100,000 cir- Gayle White, a reporter for the Atlanta University scholar and the repercussions of Jennifer Garza of the Sacramento Bee culation. “Like few other newspaper writ- Journal-Constitution, and Larry Witham, expressing his views on Southern Baptists; placed second in the contest for news out- ers today, this author has taken readers author and former reporter for the and how Mary, the mother of Jesus, is lets with more than 100,000 circulation. into the world of American Islam in won- Washington Times. The judges for the con- revered by some Muslims. The judges “Lively, engaging writing,” said the judges, drous detail. The stories flow, and the test for news outlets with less than highlighted Green’s “thorough reporting, commenting on Garza’s “good sense for quotes ring truth,” remarked one judge. 100,000 circulation and for the opinion- good writing and interesting choice of the news” and “strong use of the newspa- “Insightful coverage . . . takes readers writing contest included David Gibson, topics,” calling her a “gifted journalist” per ‘profile’ that takes readers into a set- below the surface and behind the scenes,” author and former reporter for the Star- with an “impressive set of entries.” ting and hears the reporting with a sense noted another. Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), and Cecile of that environment.” Summed up one Holmes, a professor of journalism at the Byassee submitted stories on emergent Adam Parker of the Post and Courier judge, “This writer takes the reader to the University of South Carolina and a former churches; Protestant theologians convert- (Charleston, South Carolina), placed third scene in every article.” reporter for the Houston Chronicle. Ronald ing to Catholicism; the meaning of social in the contest for news outlets with less Thiemann, a professor of theology at justice to hospitality workers; prison min- G. Jeffrey MacDonald of the Christian than 100,000 circulation. The judges were Harvard Divinity School, served as the istries and the lives of prisoners; and a Science Monitor won second place in the impressed with Parker’s entries, saying his third judge on all three contests. Hispanic immigrant seeking sanctuary in contest for news outlets with less than “strong reporting and varied sourcing” Thiemann is a member of the AAR a Methodist church. “An excellent body of 100,000 circulation. The judges said made his work “stand out.” One com- Committee on the Public Understanding work,” said the judges, noting Byassee’s MacDonald “confronts a wide variety of mented that the “terrific writing draws the of Religion. “confident tone about a wide variety of challenging topics head-on and with excel- reader into each subject’s world.”

Bellah Wins Marty Award

OBERT Bellah is best known for his seminal essays NEELLY “Civil Religion in America” (1967) and R BELLAH — “Religious Evolution” (1964). He won the sociologist, moralist, Sorokin Award from the American communitarian, and Sociological Association for Broken Covenant: Episcopal deacon — American Civil Religion in a Time of Trial will be honored at the (1975) and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Annual Meeting as for Habits of the Heart: Individualism and the recipient of the Commitment in American Life (1985). His Martin E. Marty other publications include Tokugawa Religion: Award for the Public Understanding of The Values of Pre-Industrial Japan (1957); Religion. Beyond Belief (1970); Emile Durkheim and Morality and Society (1973); The New Religious As award winner, Bellah will be featured at the Consciousness (1976); Varieties of Civil Religion Marty Forum on Sunday, November 18 from (1980); The Good Society (1991); Imagining 1:00 to 2:30 PM, where he will be interviewed Japan: The Japanese Tradition and Its Modern about his work by Randall Balmer, the Ann Interpretation (2003); and most recently, The Whitney Olin Professor of Religion, Barnard Robert Bellah Reader (2006). AcademicAcademic programprogramm grgroundedroundedounded in faith College, Columbia University. Besides being a prolific scholar, Bellah also The Committee on the Public Understanding InternationallyIInternternationally rrespectedespectedspected scholars won the Harbison Award for Gifted Teaching of Religion chose Bellah from nominations from the Danforth Foundation. In 2000, submitted earlier this year. Awarded annually eological and confessionalnfessional President Bill Clinton awarded Bellah the since 1996, the Marty Award recognizes out- National Humanities Medal for raising “our standing contributions to the public under- awareness of the values that are at the core of DegreeDegrreeee emphasis in: standing of religion. The award goes to those democratic institutions and of the dangers of whose work has a relevance and eloquence that individualism unchecked by social HHistorHistoryiistorryy speaks not just to scholars but to the broader responsibility.” eolog eologygyy public as well. The Committee on the Public Understanding Bellah is the Elliot Professor of Sociology of Religion enthusiastically solicits nomina- PPastoralastoral CCounselingounselingng Emeritus at the University of California at tions for future recipients. Nominees need not Berkeley, where he taught sociology of religion be AAR members or academics. Nominations CCongrCongregationalongrregationalegational and was the director of the Center for Japanese can be made online at www.aarweb.org/ and Korean Studies. Educated at Harvard MMissionission and Leadershiprship programs/awards/marty_award. where he taught for 10 years, Bellah moved to Berkeley in 1967 and served there until 1997. He has done cross-cultural work on religion in Japan and in American society.

18 • October 2007 RSN NEWS AAR Honors Eight Authors in Floyd-Thomas to Receive Its Annual Book Awards Excellence in Teaching Award

HE AMERICAN ACADEMY of Religion offers Awards for Excellence in order bringing students into touch with necessary to give recognition to new scholarly publications that make significant contribu- and interesting information. Ttions to the study of religion. These awards honor works of distinctive originality, intelligence, creativity, and importance — books that affect decisively how religion is A former student testifies to the continuing examined, understood, and interpreted. influence of her teaching by observing that “nearly every day of my life I encounter Awards for Excellence are given in four categories: Analytical–Descriptive, some phenomenon — an idea, a situation, Constructive–Reflective, Historical, and Textual Studies. Not all awards are given every an opportunity — that I am better able to year. More than one book may win an award in a given category. In addition there is a handle because of the effectiveness of her separate competition and prize for the Best First Book in the History of Religions. For teaching” especially because her teaching eligibility requirements, awards processes, and a list of current jurors, please see the “stretched my sensitivity to ‘the other’ in Book Awards rules on the AAR Web page, human society.” www.aarweb.org/programs/awards/book_awards. Her students and colleagues at Brite and The AAR is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Awards for Excellence in Virginia Tech have recognized the quality Religion and the Best First Book in the History of Religions: TACEY FLOYD-THOMAS will and impact of her teaching by selecting her receive the Excellence in Teaching for awards that recognize excellence in Award at the 2007 Annual Meeting S teaching. Another colleague remarks that Analytical–Descriptive Historical (Co-winners) of the American Academy of Religion. such “capacity to teach with excellence in Floyd-Thomas is Associate Professor of two very different kinds of institutions” is Ethics and Black Church Studies at Brite impressive evidence of Floyd-Thomas’s Divinity School, where she has taught since ability and adaptability. 2002. She has also taught at Virginia Tech. At Brite she has taught courses on Floyd-Thomas is an excellent example of Christian Social Ethics, Contemporary dedicated and innovative teaching, both in Theological Ethics, Feminist Theology and the classroom and beyond it. Along with Ethics, and African American Experience in the previous winners of the AAR Social Ethics, among others. Excellence in Teaching Award — Tina Pippin, Eugene V. Gallagher, William Floyd-Thomas has written essays and pre- Placher, Janet Walton, Timothy Renick, sented papers on various teaching and cur- Zayn Kassam, and Patricia Killen — she David ricular issues, including “Teaching to demonstrates the wide range of creative Frankfurter. Evil Transform: From Volatility to Solidarity in Catherine Albanese. A Republic of Mind and deeply engaged teaching in the Incarnate: Rumors of Demonic Conspiracy an Interdisciplinary Family Studies and Spirit: A Cultural History of American Academy. and Satanic Abuse in History. Classroom” and “Interdisciplinarity as Self Metaphysical Religion. Yale University Princeton University Press, 2006. and Subject: Metaphor and The Committee on Teaching and Learning Press, 2006. Transformation.” To support her efforts to has been impressed by the fine candidates Constructive–Reflective (Co-winners) improve and re-shape teaching at her own who have submitted materials for consider- institutions and in the broader profession, ation; the commitment and energy that she has received several grants, including they bring to their vocations as teachers awards to support interdisciplinary teach- demonstrate the range, pedagogical sophis- ing and a grant to support “an African- tication, and intellectual vitality that mem- American Dialogue Concerning the bers of the Academy bring to the teaching Influences of Blackness in Theological of religion. Education Teaching Practices.” Eugene V. Gallagher, Chair of the One colleague notes how Professor Floyd Committee on Teaching and Learning Thomas’s teaching “represents a delicate encourages chairs and colleagues to nomi- balance between forceful instruction and nate faculty for this significant award. The patient guidance” and commends her guidelines for this award are listed on the Caroline Walker Bynum. Wonderful untiring search for more effective ways of AAR website at www.aarweb.org/Programs/ John D. Caputo. The Blood: Theology and Practice in Late teaching and more compelling modes of Awards/Teaching_Awards. Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event. Medieval Northern Germany and Beyond. Indiana University Press, 2006. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006.

Textual Studies THE COMMITTEE ON TEACHING AND LEARNING SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR THE AAR AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE John Clayton (deceased). Compiled by IN TEACHING. Anne Blackburn and Thomas Carroll. Kristofer Schipper and Religions, Reasons, and Gods: Essays in Franciscus Verellen, eds. Cross-cultural Philosophy of Religion. Nominations of winners of campus awards, The Taoist Canon: A Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Historical Companion to Studies in Religious Traditions, 2006. or any other awards, are encouraged. the Daozang. University of Chicago Press, 2004. Procedures for the nomination process are outlined on the AAR Web site at Best First Book in the History of Religions www.aarweb.org/programs/awards/teaching_awards. Leela Prasad. Poetics of Conduct: Oral Narrative and Moral Being in a South Indian Town. Columbia University Press, 2006.

October 2007 RSN • 19 Religious Studies News Regional Meetings and Calls for Papers

Proposal Submission cover letter please add any other infor- mation that may help us weigh your Please send proposals by e-mail attach- submission. ment to Natalie Houghtby-Haddon at [email protected] no later than 5. You will have approximately 35 minutes November 1, 2007. You may submit no to present your paper (whether by read- more than two proposals to the Program ing it or by interactive discussion) and Committee. Since we review proposals as to respond to questions. Since the aver- they arrive it is advantageous to send pro- age person reads one double-spaced, 10- posals as soon as possible. font page, without notes, in 2.5 min- utes, your paper should not exceed 12 Mid-Atlantic Regional Awards double-spaced pages. This will allow a As has become our custom, MAR–AAR few minutes at the end for questions. will award $200 to the most innovative Please do not exceed this limit. proposal for a group session (or panel) 6. We regret that we cannot supply any dealing with peace issues or women’s stud- audiovisual equipment due to prohibi- ies; the deadline for submission is tive rental costs so please plan accord- November 1, 2007. To help foster gradu- Eastern International ingly. In lieu of audiovisual equipment, ate student participation, the Executive Information on the 2008 Eastern consider bringing photocopied hand- Committee of the MAR–AAR will again International Regional Meeting is not yet outs to your session. award the Robert F. Streetman Prize of available. For more information, please see $200 for the best student paper presented For ongoing updated information please New England–Maritimes www.aarweb.org/about_AAR/regions/ by an AAR regional member. Those inter- consult our website at Instead of holding a NEMAAR regional eastern_international. ested in the Streetman prize should sub- www.aarweb.org/About_AAR/Regions/Mid- meeting in 2007–2008, the region will co- mit their entire paper by November 1, Atlantic. sponsor conferences proposed and organ- 2007, and clearly indicate they are sub- ized by regional members. Events for this mitting the paper for prize consideration. coming year include: Preregistration “Jerusalem of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims — An Evening of Common Online preregistration will be available in Roots,” organized by Richard A. Freund, December. You will be notified when our Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies of the preregistration is live. We hope you will University of Hartford, West Hartford, take advantage of online preregistration CT. September 16, 2007. Contact: since it saves a lot of on-site work for us! Richard A. Freund at [email protected]. Hotel Information “On Black Religion in the American The Hyatt Regency New Brunswick will Diaspora,” organized by Emilie M. Mid-Atlantic offer online hotel room registration as Townes, Serene Jones, Yolanda Smith, and March 27–28, 2008 well. Again, we will notify you when the Diana Swancutt. Yale University Divinity Hyatt Regency New Brunswick site is active. Alternatively you may call School, New Haven, CT. April 3–5, 2008. New Brunswick, NJ Hyatt at 800-233-1234 to reserve rooms. Midwest Contact Emilie M. Townes at Please indicate that you are attending our April 4–5, 2008 [email protected]. We cordially invite you to submit propos- conference. Discounted hotel rooms Dominican Priory Conference Center als for the 2008 AAR Mid-Atlantic “The Wormy Corpus: Worms, Parasites, ($129) will be held until March 5, 2008. River Forest, IL Regional Meeting at our usual northern and the Body in Religion, Medicine, and Since the normal room rate is $179 and venue in New Brunswick, NJ. While we Our 2008 theme, “Religion and the History,” organized by Brenda Gardenour only 40 discounted rooms have been welcome rigorous proposals in any area of State,” is intended to solicit papers and and Misha Tadd. Boston University reserved, we strongly encourage you to the academic study of religion, this year panels exploring such topics as: legislation Department of Religion. April 19–20, reserve rooms early. we are especially interested in proposals on religion; religious rights and freedoms; 2008. Contact Misha Tadd at that address the theme Paradox as a Submission Guidelines religion and national identity; challenges [email protected]. Driving Force in the Religious Impulse. In of globalization; religious justifications for 1. Paper Proposals (250–500 words) We welcome proposals from regional this vein, papers might address one of state-sponsored violence; theocracies in should include full name, title, institu- members related to any of the following many classic religious issues such as theod- historical and sociological perspective; tion, phone number, fax number, e- kinds of events. icy, free will and divine authority, fatalism reexamining Civil Religion; disestablish- mail, and mailing address. The proposal and hope, repeated final comings, peti- ment and the New Christian Right; spiri- For this year’s call: Our goal is to sponsor should state, as fully as possible, the tionary prayer, time and timelessness, tuality, politics, and the New Religious events in different parts of the region, to proposal’s purpose and how the argu- apocalyptic irony, holy warfare, love and Left; religion in campaigns and elections benefit the greatest possible number of ment will proceed. Provide enough con- law, unconditional covenant, prophetic more generally; and the role of religion in members. Such events will be organized text to show that you are aware of the irreverence, explanation by indirection, Presidential Decision 2008. by members and supported with regional basic literature in the field and summa- exclusive inclusivity, multiplicity and sim- financial and promotional assistance, pro- rize the argument of your presentation. Papers/panels on other topics are of course plicity, flexible canons, and other ways in vided that the event is open to any region- An abstract of the paper (150 words) also invited. Submissions should be made which religion embodies and draws energy al member. Faculty, and graduate students should also be included. Accepted as early as possible, but before December from apparently conflicting aims and ide- with a faculty mentor, are all eligible to abstracts will be posted online. 15, 2007. Younger scholars and students ologies. apply. We have set a rolling deadline to are especially encouraged to submit pro- 2. Proposals for a Panel Session should make it possible to submit an application Our 2007 Baltimore conference included posals and participate in the conference; include abstracts (150 words) and con- at any time. If you have an idea or inquiry sessions on the academic study of religion, senior scholars are encouraged to serve as tact information for each individual and want feedback, please send it to African religions, African-American reli- session chairs and respondents. For further participant. A “panel” is a session with regionally elected director Linda Barnes at gion, comparative and historical studies in information, contact Vice President and one announced theme and a list of par- [email protected]. Applications should religion, history of Christianity, philoso- Program Chair Tom Pearson at ticipants who address that theme but do be sent to individuals listed in the call. phy of religion, religion and the arts, reli- [email protected]. not present separate formal papers. gion and psychology, religion and spiritu- Co-Sponsoring Conferences: Instead of Online submissions only, please. Submit ality, religion in America, religions of Asia, 3. Proposals for a Paper Session should organizing a single annual regional meet- your response to the call for papers at religious ethics, religion and social science, include the name of the designated ses- ing, which relatively few people attend, www.aarweb.org/About_AAR/Regions/ study of Islam, study of Judaism, theology, sion head and should include abstracts NEMAAR will function as a co-sponsor Midwest/Call/menu.asp. and women and religion. You are also wel- (150 words) and contact information of conferences proposed by members come and encouraged to propose new ses- for each individual participant. A ses- around the region. NEMAAR’s contribu- sions, panel sessions, or paper sessions (see sion with separately arranged paper tion will involve a) NEMAAR grants of guidelines below). titles is considered a “paper” session. up to $800 to help support conference- related costs; b) assistance with resources 4. If you have not presented a paper before to facilitate conference planning, includ- a learned society you must send the ing best-practice planning schedules; and paper you plan to present (12 pages max) by November 1, 2007. In your See REGIONAL MEETINGS p.32

20 • October 2007 RSN RELIGIOUSELIGIOUS STUDIES NEEWSWS FOCUSON The Religion Major and Liberal Education

The Religion Major in Transition Tim Renick, Georgia State University IN THIS ISSUE giously literate so that they can [bet- and social responsibility (including eth- ter] judge public policy issues.” ical reasoning and action, intercultural The Religion Major in Former secretary of state Madeleine knowledge, and civic knowledge and Transition ...... 21 Albright wrote that a failure to engagement) than the field of religion. Tim Renick, Georgia understand other religions “poses one There also are few academic fields that State University of the great challenges to our public are more diverse, with undergraduate diplomacy.” In the face of oftentimes programs of religion variously situated A Conversation ...... 23 mystifying acts of religious violence in liberal arts colleges, religiously affili- Chopp, Kassam, and Lowe globally, American colleges and uni- ated colleges, research universities, and Discuss Challenges versities increasingly turned to the theology schools. academic field of religion for reason In 2000, the American Academy of Complexities of and insight. Religion Major ...... 24 Religion, with a grant from the Lilly Excerpts of Grant The impact on the discipline has Endowment, examined the present Proposals Offer Insight been profound. Time magazine has state of the field in its Census of traced a large and widespread increase Religion and Theology Programs. Tracking Undergraduate Timothy Renick is Chair and in enrollments in religious studies With a 79 percent response rate, the Religion Majors . . . . .25 founder of the Department of courses at the university level since census revealed diverse conceptions of Religious Studies at Georgia State September 2001. On many campus- the major curriculum and a range of Darby Kathleen Ray, University. He is the recipient of Millsaps College es, religion courses have emerged as approaches to achieving what are, at the 2002 Outstanding University the most popular electives. In not times, very different learning out- Teacher Award for the State of only private colleges but also state comes. Some member programs have Georgia and the 2004 AAR universities, courses in the field are added requirements that students Award for Excellence in Teaching. increasingly required as a part of core undertake coursework in world reli- Renick is the Principal requirements, thus impacting all gions, non-Western religions, Islam, Investigator of the Teagle aspects of undergraduate education. religious violence, or ethics. Others Foundation funded project, "The Several new degree programs have have begun to expect that students Religion Major and Liberal Education." sprung up. engage in study-abroad experiences or conduct fieldwork in local religious The Challenge communities. Still others mandate UR JOB DESCRIPTION that students engage in service learn- changed six years ago. Many to the Field ing as a component of their studies of us in the field of religion through internships in nonprofit, reli- O With the rapid growth of the major in had struggled for years to convince gious, and community organizations. religion, with the unique place it occu- secular colleagues, skeptical adminis- pies in the modern academy, and with Despite the survey and the wealth of trators, and a suspicious public of the significant changes in the national and approaches it revealed, there has been importance of educating undergradu- global context in which Americans little opportunity for a sustained fol- ates about religion, often to little view religion, there is a need for the low-up discussion about the nature of avail. We were all familiar with the field to reassess the relationship the major, the effectiveness of various arguments against religious studies. between the goals of the concentration approaches in impacting student Religion was too personal, too pri- and those of liberal education. The learning, and alternate steps that vate. Scholars were too liberal, too Teagle Foundation grant on “The might be considered. There also has critical. Departments of religion were Religion Majors and Liberal been little opportunity to disseminate a luxury, an anachronism, or a threat Education” provides a unique opportu- information about the success or lack to church-state separation. nity for members of the American of success of approaches that have Until 9/11. On a single day, the con- Academy of Religion to engage in a been tried by member institutions, versation about religion changed in sustained dialogue regarding our cen- leaving each institution, in effect, to this country. Arguments we had been tral role in shaping the religious and reinvent the wheel. These steps are making for years no longer fell on cultural literacy of the next generation particularly crucial given the changes deaf ears. In fact, they began to be of Americans. wrought onboth the nation and the made by others. The news media field by the events of 9/11. They also There is perhaps no academic field began to turn to scholars of religion are crucial given the increasingly more centrally involved in addressing on a daily basis to clarify the seem- prominent role that undergraduate essential learning outcomes involving ingly overwhelming complexities sur- courses in religion play in shaping the not only intellectual and practical skills rounding religious sects and move- cultural literacy of a broad range of (such as critical inquiry, written and ments. The Times of London urged Americans, from journalists and oral communication, and problem U.S. universities to take steps to aid solving) but also the areas of personal See RENICK p.22 Americans “to become more reli-

October 2007 RSN • 21 Religious Studies News

RENICK, from p.21 2008, when there will be a special open Five interesting perspectives on the major forum to discuss the completed White will be heard, with scholars representing The Religion Major and lawyers to government employees, busi- Paper. Ideally, the impact of the initiative church-related colleges, public universi- Liberal Education Working ness leaders, and clergypersons. will extend years beyond this initial peri- ties, community colleges, and liberal arts Group Members od. All told, in addition to regular meet- institutions. Please attend the session and This project has, in one sense, a very sim- ings of a distinguished and diverse “work- join in the dialogue. ple goal: to promote a sustained public Timothy Renick (Principal Investigator), Chair ing group,” there will be a total of five dialogue within the field concerning how Fourth, in spring 2008 and led by work- and founder of the Department of Religious significant public undertakings that the the concentration in religion can serve ing group members, a White Paper will Studies at Georgia State University and a member Teagle Foundation grant will make possi- the evolving goals of liberal education be written discussing the state of the reli- of the Teaching and Learning Committee of the ble. All of these undertakings afford and the needs of American society. The gion major and outlining findings and AAR opportunities for participation by AAR project seeks to encourage broad and best practices that have surfaced from the members, and some are already under- Lynn Schofield Clark, Assistant Professor of Mass diverse participation within the AAR in seed grants, workshop, and paper session. way. Communication and Director of the Estlow considering the following questions: This White Paper will be distributed to International Center for Journalism and New First, a series of ten $500 seed grants all AAR members before the 2008 1. How might we invigorate learning in Media, Denver University, and author of From were awarded to individual institutions to Annual Meeting. the field in light of recent global Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media, and the promote the discussion of the religious events? Finally, at the 2008 Meeting, a special Supernatural (2005) and co-author of Media, studies majors on a diverse group of cam- session will be held to discuss the White Home, and Family (2004), editor of Religion, What is the role of the concentration puses. The call for these proposals went Paper and map out issues for AAR mem- Media, and the Marketplace (2007) and co-editor in promoting intercultural knowledge out in this publication and in the AAR e- bers to consider in the years ahead. of Practicing Religion in the Age of the Media (2002) and competence among students? bulletin this spring. Over 30 proposals were submitted, and members of the Kyle Cole, Director of College Programs, 2. In a context of growing religious vio- AAR’s Academic Relations Committee Why This Project? American Academy of Religion lence and radicalism, how can we ranked the top 10. For those of us who encourage students to engage ethical Perhaps too often, our participation in Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, ordained American read through the proposals, it is clear issues in a way that is both academical- the AAR serves to remind us of our dif- Baptist minister, Associate Professor of Religious both that there are a large number of ly rigorous and morally constructive? ferences — differences in institutional Education, Claremont School of Theology, and challenges facing our field — from diffi- and religious affiliation, methodological author of Hispanic Bible Institutes and co-author of 3. How can we best create learning envi- culties getting programs started to grow- approach, and disciplinary expertise. It’s A Many Colored Kingdom: Multicultural Dynamics ronments which encourage students to ing pains as existing programs evolve into clear, though, that there are certain issues for Spiritual Formation intelligently and critically engage the something new — and also a great deal that unite us. We all care about the reli- moral, religious, and spiritual issues of creativity, ideas, and enthusiasm in Gene Gallagher, Rosemary Park Professor of gious literacy of our students. We all central to humanity while in the major response to these challenges. The reports Religious Studies at Connecticut College, and believe that what our discipline does is and throughout their lives? of the 10 institutions receiving seed Chair of the Teaching and Learning Committee of genuinely important. We all are commit- grants will be integrated into the final the AAR 4. How can the concentration enhance its ted to being better at what we do. White Paper. role in promoting practical skills cen- Mitch Leopard, CNN correspondent on interna- Through the support of the Teagle tral to liberal education such as written Second, a daylong Leadership Workshop tional issues, MA in Religious Studies Foundation, the current project provides and oral communication, critical think- on “The Religion Major and Liberal us resources to explore these common Gene Lowe, ordained Episcopal priest, Assistant to ing, and problem solving? How might Education” will be held on Friday, goals in a sustained fashion. It provides us the President of Northwestern University and the promotion of these outcomes with- November 16, in San Diego, the day with a context to learn from each other, Senior Lecturer in Religion in the major be integrated with achiev- before the official start of the 2007 both with regard to what is working and ing the personal and social outcomes Annual Meeting. The workshop will pro- Darby Ray, Associate Professor of Religious what is not. The project will only be a outlined above? vide a forum for a sustained discussion of Studies at Millsaps College and Director of the success, though, with your participation. the goals of and the challenges to the Faith and Work Initiative, author of Deceiving the 5. In light of the growing number of I hope you will contact me major, as well as interactive sessions Devil: Atonement, Abuse, and Ransom (1998) and institutions that require undergraduates ([email protected]) or other members of the exploring what is working and what is Christic Imagination: An Ethic of Incarnation and to take courses in religion, what should working group with ideas and sugges- not on individual campuses. The keynote Ingenuity (forthcoming), and editor of Theology be the shape of foundation or core tions, and I hope you will participate in speaker will be Stephen Prothero of That Matters: Ecology, Economy, and God (2006) courses in the field? the workshop, the paper session, and the Boston University, author of Religious various other forums we have planned. Amna Shirazi, senior partner in the Shirazi Literacy. All signs point to this being the Group, a law firm specializing in immigration law, Multiple most popular AAR workshop ever, with Recent world events present our field with a and an undergraduate major in Religious Studies Opportunities for over 40 people already registered, but unique opportunity to reconsider and seats are still available. We hope you can potentially to redefine our roles and respon- Chava Weissler, Philip and Muriel Berman Participation attend. sibilities. How we respond to this opportu- Professor of Jewish Civilization in the Department The project formally will extend almost nity will not only shape the future of our of Religion Studies, Lehigh University, author of Third, a special paper session on “The two full years, from the initial convening profession but also the religious literacy of Voices of the Matriarchs: Listening to the Prayers of Religion Major and Liberal Education” of the working group in early 2007 to the the next generation of Americans. Early Modern Jewish Women (1999), and a teacher will be held at the 2007 Annual Meeting AAR Annual Meeting in November at Lafayette College, DeSales University, and [Saturday, November 17, 1:00-3:30 PM]. Moravian College

Wildcard Session Features Center for the Study of Law and Religion Papers on Liberal Education From Silver to Gold: As part of the project “The Religion Major and Liberal Education,” a wildcard session has been scheduled for The Next 25 Years of Law and Religion the 2007 Annual Meeting in San Diego. The session has a variety of papers addressing the evolving place of the religion major in the modern academy — from discussing influences of the institutional context upon the reli- A Silver Anniversary Celebration gion major to addressing how the religion major better prepares students to meet the needs of liberal education, October 24-26, 2007, Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia the professions, and society. The world’s leading scholars will: Themes they will address: Timothy Renick, Georgia State University and principal investigator for the project, will preside. Five papers will be presented: • Anticipate and articulate the hardest • Religious liberty, human rights, questions of law and religion to be faced and church-state relations • “The Religious Other and the Goals of the Liberal Arts” by Katherine Janiec Jones, Wofford College during the next quarter century. • Sex, marriage, and family life • “For Sapiential Literacy: The Role of Religion at Public Colleges” by Anthony Mansueto, Collin County • Formulate how these questions might be • Christian, Jewish, and Islamic Community College best approached and answered. legal studies • “The Place and Purpose of Religion at a Church-Related College” by David C. Ratke, Lenoir-Rhyne College Conveners: John Witte, Jr., Director, Center for the Study of Law and Religion Frank Alexander, Founding Director, Center for the Study of Law and Religion • “A Reconnaissance of Religious Studies in Three Settings: Developing Discursive Values” by David Reinhart, DePaul University Seats are limited. Register at www.law.emory.edu/cslr/silveranniversary • “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Religious Studies and the Community College” by Steve Young, McHenry Registration deadlines: early/September 21; late/October 21. County College Free to Emory faculty, staff, students, and alumni/ae. Fees apply to non-Emory registrants. For more information, go to www.law.emory.edu/cslr or call 404-712-8710. “The Religion Major and Liberal Education” is a two-year project to reassess the relationship between the goals and objectives of undergraduate concentrations in religion and those of liberal education. As The Center for the Study of Law and Religion is such, the AAR wants to involve as many as possible in the conversation. You are encouraged to attend home to world-class scholars and forums on the this session and the leadership workshop to discuss this important initiative. religious foundations of law, politics and society.

22 • October 2007 RSN FOCUS The Religion Major and Liberal Education: A Conversation

The AAR’s Working Group for The Religion Major and Liberal Education project believed a conversation among three scholars with deep ties to religious studies would help to illuminate the intricacies involved in the project. To demonstrate the complexities and commonalities of scholars in different academic positions, we are fortunate to publish this interview with Colgate University’s Rebecca Chopp, Northwestern University’s Eugene Lowe Jr., and Pomona College’s Zayn Kassam.

RSN: In order to function as a contribut- existential realities. Their significance and methodological selfconsciousness about the into, and generate new stories that are related ing member to society, are there some cen- meaning changes with each generation in data of religious experience and community. In to the source story but also different in intrigu- tral ideas and concepts that every under- response to and conversation with contextual the United States, I think this means a famil- ing ways. What are the afterlives of the text? graduate — regardless of major — should factors: religions are dynamic. In the past, reli- iarity with the role of Christianity and the What happens when religions migrate through know about religion? If so, have these ideas gion may have been construed as an essence Bible in American history, and the ironies and conquest or immigration? How does the con- and topics changed over the past genera- that was comprised of unchanging beliefs, and paradoxes associated developing from a histori- text create a new story? How do humans make tion? a set of rituals that were cast in stone. Now we cally Christian culture, to becoming the most sense of tragedy? What kinds of stories are cre- know that subjectivity and context alter how a diverse religious country in the world, while ated to mobilize exercises in power? What are Rebecca Chopp: More than ever, under- belief is understood and that rituals similarly maintaining a dominant identification with its the shadows they create? graduates need to master the basic assumptions both structure a person’s frame of reference and Christian past. Over the last generation, as and become handy with some of the skills RSN: How can we know if we are effective- are themselves structured by the participant’s forces of economic, intellectual, and communi- involved in religious studies and in theological ly teaching these central ideas and skills to subjectivity and context. The connection of cations globalization have reshaped our world- studies. Over the past generation religion has our students? How can we best show others religion to an observer’s subjectivity and con- views, the field of religious studies has further emerged as a significant force for societal, cul- that we have done so? text suggests that while there is no aspect of expanded its reach. Now an undergraduate tural and personal meaning. One of the many that person’s life that is not infused explicitly or major needs also to have experience interpret- Chopp: The study of religion includes disci- implications of 9/11 is that few Westerners can implicitly with religious ideas, values, behav- ing the ways in which religion and culture plinary practices and perspectives shared with afford the luxury of thinking that religion will iors, and practices, at the same time, social, interact in settings outside the United States. I the social sciences and the humanities. Almost disappear or be reduced to the fringes of society. political, cultural, economic, and legal systems would further add that a religion major should all social science and humanities disciplines are Secularization theses, once so popular in the are themselves shaped by, in conversation with, develop basic competence in the interpretation impossible to assess in order to yield hard-core academy, now seem largely irrelevant and dan- expressed as, and interpreted within religious of religious texts in at least one, and preferably quantitative data. If the point of intellectual gerously outdated. Globalization has included frames of reference, and all subjects, whether two, of the major religious traditions. thought and spiritual practice in a religious tra- the realization that religions are a real force in religious or not, live within these systems. Does dition is wisdom gained over a lifetime, then our contemporary period and we have to this mean that everything boils down to reli- assessment must be an eschatological event! understand how meaning operates differently in gion? No. It means simply that religion cannot Still and all, I do think we can assess whether different religions of the world. However, 9/11 Eugene Y. Lowe Jr. is be compartmentalized: that in meaning mak- Assistant to the or not a student has learned the basic facts of and subsequent events are not the only reasons ing, regardless of what a specific religion’s President of the study of religion as determined by a partic- religion is alive and well on our campuses. Most founders or sacred texts teach, religions both Northwestern ular program: if she can think critically about undergraduate students, according to the HERI structure reality and are themselves understood University. He also religion and within a religious tradition study “Spirituality in Higher Education,” are according to context and subjective realities. holds faculty (whether or not it is her own); if he can treat a “religious and/or spiritual” and are asking ques- And once religious ideas, values, practices, and appointments in the religious event or practice from a multidiscipli- tions about meaning, practice, and community. modes of expression are institutionalized in sys- Religion nary perspective, and if she can give an account More and more faculty in departments such as tems, even if their connections to religion are Department in of a religious event within a particular histori- political science, physics, and geology and pro- lost to public memory, the systems continue to Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts cal situation. I think assessment has to be fessional schools including law, medicine, pub- shape and be shaped by those living within and Sciences, and the School of shaped to fit each school. I have not seen evi- lic health, and business consider some aspect of those systems, whether these persons are explic- Education and Social Policy, where he dence to suggest that we can have a “one size religion as subject matter. The immigration of rses in higher education itly religious or not. teaches cou fits all” assessment that works for all programs new religions in America is, as Diane Eck says, administration and the history and phi- of religion in all schools. “marbleizing” our culture. Finally, some of the losophy of higher education. A historian major ethical-political-cultural issues of our day, Zayn Kassam is of American religion, his writings about including the environment, stem cell research, Associate Professor religion, race, and American culture have and health care, require religious analysis and of Religious appeared in a number of books and jour- Rebecca S. Chopp theological reflection. Undergraduate students Studies at nals, including the Anglican Theological was named need to know how to think about religions as Pomona College. Review and Church History. His book, President of Colgate cultural forces (the subject of religious studies) She has won the Promise and Dilemma: Perspectives on University on July and they also need to know how persons inter- Wig Award for Racial Diversity and Higher Education 1, 2002. Colgate’s nal to the religion act and believe (the subject of Distinguished (Princeton University Press, 1999) is fifteenth president, ork sponsored by the Andrew theological studies). Teaching twice at based on w she joined the col- Pomona College, as well as an W. Mellon Foundation. He received his lege from Yale Eugene Lowe Jr.: Over the last genera- American Academy of Religion AB in Religion from Princeton University University where tion, academic institutions and academic disci- Excellence in Teaching Award. Her and the MDiv and PhD from Union she served as Dean of the Yale Divinity plines have engaged questions of diversity from publications include the volume on Theological Seminary in New York. School. Prior to joining Yale, Chopp a number of vantage points. Beginning with Islam in Greenwood's series, spent 15 years at Emory University, issues of access by underrepresented groups, Introduction to the World's Major where she held the positions of Provost Kassam: While in the past every under- colleges and universities also faced questions Religions (2006). Her current research and Executive Vice President for graduate major in religion might have been about diversity requirements in the curriculum is on religion and the environment, Academic Affairs. Chopp received her expected to identify the key beliefs and prac- and in student life programs. The study of reli- and gender issues in Muslim societies. BA from Kansas Wesleyan University, tices of the major religious traditions, which gion, which from the beginning have exercised her MDiv from St. Paul School of number about five or six, now every religious such a shaping influence on the development Theology, and her PhD from the RSN: Similarly, are there central skills that studies major should emerge with a sense of of American culture, provides an important University of Chicago. In recent years every undergraduate major in religion wonder at the sheer diversity of ways in which opportunity for undergraduates to engage her research and publication have should possess? If so, have these skills human beings are religious. Yes, of course, a l- questions about values, diversity, community, focused on changing structures and cu changed over the past generation? student should know the central figures, the tures of higher education, on the role of and tolerance. While I do not anticipate a authoritative texts, the key rituals and obser- liberal arts in democratic society, and resurgence of interest in the idea of a core cur- Chopp: As I suggested above, I think all stu- vances, the organizing institutions, and the sig- on religion and higher education. riculum, I do think that an undergraduate dents graduating in the twenty-first century nificant material and devotional forms of Chopp has written numerous books education should include exposure to the ways need to understand the critical thinking skills expression of the major world traditions. and articles in the area of women’s in which the religious heritages of the United offered by religious studies and theological However, all of these must be related to the studies, Christian theology, and the role States generate both centripetal and centrifugal studies. I think undergraduates need to under- historical and cultural context in which they of religion in American public life. pressures on our quest for a common culture. stand how religions can be forces for good and arose and a sense of the issues they were grap- Again, in the U.S. context, religion also pro- evil and how religions are both social-cultural pling with. In addition, and this is what makes vides a lens for focusing on issues of race, realities and individual constructs of meaning. the study of religion so exciting for me, seeking immigration, and social change. Since large Study of intellectual thought, aesthetic per- Lowe: I think a good test of our teaching is to understand how people have understood numbers of public and independent institu- formance, ethical codes, and communal prac- how students learn to take on and analyze and found ways to be religious in connection tions claim as part of their mission the educa- tices should be included in undergraduate questions that address experiences and values with their existential realities through the ages tion of effective citizens of a democracy, study study of religion. different from their own. In a time when up to the present time is what makes the study of religion and U.S. culture provides a way of accountability looms as an important question Lowe: It seems that religious studies scholars of religion not only fascinating, but also central illustrating formative tensions in our national for many stakeholders outside colleges and uni- are always asking questions about what we to understanding human civilization. The experience. versities, being able to explain and justify out- should study and how. This fact creates both image that comes most readily to mind is the comes is important. We need to exercise cau- Zayn Kassam: Religions are sets of intellectual dynamism and the danger of inclu- one invoked by Salman Rushdie in Haroun tion here, and make clear that religious studies beliefs and practices that provide larger organi- sive incoherence. A coherent undergraduate and the Sea of Stories, in which the source sto- as a part of the academic humanities does not zational frameworks within which to perceive program in religious studies provides the ries generated by the ocean of stories continual- as well as deal with questions of meaning and opportunity for students to develop critical ly interact with, meld with, infuses fresh life See INTERVIEW p.26

October 2007 RSN • 23 Religious Studies News

Proposals Offer Insight into Complexities of Religion Major

ARLIER THIS YEAR, 31 religious studies departments submitted proposals to secure a “seed grant” to study their unique academic environment vis-à-vis the religion major and liberal education. The working group for the project, with advice from the Academic Relations Committee, selected ten programs to receive the seed grants, funded by the AAR Ethrough the Teagle Foundation grant it received for the Religion Major and Liberal Education Project. Here, we are reprinting portions of the grant proposals from some of those programs to give readers an idea of what is envisioned.

Religious Studies at the al marginalization and privatizing of reli- University will train students in the gion; identifying appropriate course offer- methodologies and literature current in the Community College ings and linking them with Illinois top religion programs in the academy. Steve Young, McHenry County (IL) Articulation Initiative and programs at Seed Grant Oversight for curricular development will College four-year schools; and generating and sus- come from Jeffrey Mallinson, dean of the taining sufficient enrollment for new cours- winners: Close to half of all American college stu- School of Theology. The primary faculty es in religious studies. dents attend community colleges, and the member to direct the process will be Frank • Colorado Christian University, bulk of these young men and women com- The religion major is central to a liberal Ames. . . . Planning will emphasize the role School of Theology plete the majority of their general educa- education in America. Students must of the study of fundamentalisms, and tion requirements before transferring to a become more religiously literate to better strategies to ensure academic freedom with- • Eckerd College, Letters four-year institution. Approximately 70 understand the root belief systems of other in a confessional institution. Long term, Collegium, Religious Studies percent of these transfer students will cultures, the foundations of their own cul- our goal is to create a center for the under- discipline ture, and intelligently and ethically judge standing of American Evangelicalism with- change their major at least once as an • Lafayette College, Religious the pressing public policy issues of the day in the movement, in order to provide stu- undergraduate. From this it follows that (a) Studies Department in a more global context. Community col- dents with the academic tools for produc- community colleges are poised to play an leges can be decisive in offering religious tive and sensitive self-criticism. • Louisiana State University, important role in developing the pool of studies courses to serve as a foundation to Philosophy and Religious potential religious studies majors at four- baccalaureate-seeking transfer students who Religious Studies in Texas: Studies Department year institutions, and (b) a large percentage will continue this field of study at a four- • McHenry County College, of teaching about the academic study of year institution. To that end, by fostering a A Mission without a Major Philosophy Department religion that students ever receive as non- sustained dialogue over the challenges listed Rebecca Raphael, Texas State majors will occur in the community college above, and based on the popularity of the University–San Marcos • University of Minnesota, “Religions of the World” course thus far, Classics and Near Eastern setting. No public university in Texas has an inde- the Philosophy Department hopes to Studies Department McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, pendent department of religion. Only one, explore the possibility of instituting a much Illinois, contributes to this trend more the University of Texas at Austin, has a reli- • University of New Mexico, broader religious studies program at today than ever before. Located in one of gion major. Attempts to establish majors Religious Studies Program McHenry County College. the fastest growing counties in Illinois, the and departments often meet with (Interdisciplinary) college now serves a younger, more tradi- entrenched opposition at both the local and • Santa Clara University, tional student body. Since the mid-1990s, Religion at Colorado state level. The purpose of this project is Religious Studies Department it has experienced a 64 percent increase in Christian University: twofold: first, to examine the barriers to the fulltime, associate degree-seeking candi- expansion of religious studies at Texas State • Texas State University, dates and a 47 percent increase in those The Challenge University–San Marcos; and second, to Philosophy Department students who plan to transfer to a four-year Jeffrey Mallinson and Frank Ritchel explore what the American Academy of • Wofford College, Religion institution. Meanwhile, the Humanities Ames, Colorado Christian University Religion can do to support religious studies Department Department has seen a 109 percent in the absence of a major or department. The American Academy of Religion’s mis- increase in annual credit hours. Most Since the second most populous state is sion “welcomes all disciplined reflection on notably, “Philosophy 261: Religions of the unlikely to support departments in the near religion — both from within and outside World” — the cornerstone to building a future, the AAR should plan outside the of communities of belief and practice — trators to determine perceptions about reli- larger religious studies program at MCC — department-centric model of religious stud- and seeks to enhance its broad public gion studies. The survey and follow-up has grown apace from 466 annual credit ies in the liberal arts. understanding.” Colorado Christian interviews will determine the relative hours enrolled for in 1995–1996 to averag- University’s School of Theology is arguably In 1999, the Philosophy Department hired importance of several factors (e.g., percep- ing over 1,000 credit hours each year from located near the geographical epicenter of Rebecca Raphael as the only religious stud- tions about constitutionality or the aca- 2001 through 2006. North American Evangelicalism. The chal- ies scholar on the faculty of Texas State demic quality of the field) in obstructing Yet in their first two years of college, most lenge, in this context, is to help students University. She revised courses formerly development of a major. The results should students at MCC are exposed to religious and community members understand the taught by local ministers, obtained normal also provide the AAR with insight into how studies mostly and indirectly through other tools of the academic study of religion to academic funding for all of them, and to promote the study of religion in the disciplines. For example, different aspects the extent that it can become appropriately became the coordinator of the department’s absence of a major or a department. of Islam might be touched upon in an self-critical, even within a community of interdisciplinary minor in religion. Texas State University trains more public introductory course on the history of belief and practice. This proposal solicits Enrollment in the minor has increased six- school teachers than any other university in Western civilization, an English course on much-needed help toward creating a viable fold, and average course enrollment has Texas. The presence or absence of religious comparative literature, or even during art and respectable religion major despite the tripled. In spite of this demonstrated studies in its curriculum thus directly history class. More in-depth teaching — to historic difficulties of such work within the demand, the department’s proposals to affects what prospective elementary and promote intercultural knowledge, to engage evangelical academy. A seed grant would establish a tenure line and to move toward secondary teachers take into their future the moral and spiritual issues central to help our academic unit formulate a strong a major have been consistently rejected by classrooms. Finally, the AAR still needs to humanity, or to invigorate more critical and proposal for a religion major, complete administrators. In fact, the religion minor attend to suspicion of religious studies, constructive learning in light of recent with guidelines for preserving academic remains the only minor in the university especially in the public university system of global events — is not, however, offered in freedom and the integrity of scholarship not supported by at least one tenure line. such a large and influential state as Texas. the core coursework most students will alongside confessional restrictions. We During the 2007–2008 academic year, the complete before transferring to a four-year believe this process will produce both a suc- principal investigator will organize two institution. cessful religion program as well as an inter- Religious Studies in public panel discussions. One will bring esting report to the American Academy of The challenges for religious studies at biblical scholars and First Amendment spe- a Jesuit Context Religion regarding the unique challenges of MCC, therefore, are similar to those at cialists to campus to discuss academic study Paul G. Crowley, SJ, Santa Clara University a comparative religion program at a dis- many other community colleges. And of the Bible in the state’s public high tinctly Christian institution, especially Santa Clara, a Jesuit University in the heart attempts to identify and address these chal- schools and universities. The other will ini- regarding programmatic emphases on the of California’s Silicon Valley, is the oldest lenges should be useful for both MCC and tiate a dialogue on how a liberal arts cur- nature of fundamentalisms. institution of higher learning in the State of potentially for other community colleges as riculum, absent a religion major, can better California. Santa Clara is today a compre- well. The key challenges we face at MCC After careful planning and study, the address the urgent public need for better hensive master’s university with some 5,500 are as follows: few course offerings in reli- School of Theology hopes to inaugurate a knowledge of the world’s religions. Speaker undergraduate students, most of whom are gious studies; few faculty trained in reli- religion major. This will differ from those invitations will draw on experts familiar enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences, gious studies; difficulty in finding qualified confessional institutions that use the term with the issues in Texas, e.g., Mark the remainder in the Schools of Business adjunct instructors; coordinating the inter- “religion” as an umbrella for a variety of Chancey of SMU or Douglas Laycock of and Engineering. As part of the Santa Clara disciplinary study of religion; addressing dogmatic, historical, and textual studies the University of Michigan School of Law. Core Curriculum, all undergraduates take the appropriateness of religious studies at a within Christian theology. Rather, the reli- In addition, the principal investigator will secular educational institution given cultur- gion program at Colorado Christian conduct a survey of students and adminis- See SEED GRANTS p.25

24 • October 2007 RSN FOCUS Do You Know Where Your Students Are? Tracking Undergraduate Religion Majors

Darby Kathleen Ray, Millsaps College

and brain drain caused by such efforts; enjoy an agility in interpreting or interro- tracking religion majors, says Chris about the homogenizing and flattening of gating “religion” as it presents itself in the Stanley of Saint Bonaventure University in program types, expectations, and learning complexities of today’s world?) New York, is an institution’s alumni office. that can come about when we all march When contact information for graduates is I expect many of us would be interested to to the same drummer (or accreditation out of date or difficult to access, tracking know this sort of thing about our students rubric, as the case may be); about the loss one’s students becomes that much more and, by extension, the long-term impact of risk-taking courses, teachers, scholars, arduous. of our teaching. But are any of us actually and students. asking the questions and considering the Based on my preliminary, unscientific answers? What strategies of inquiry seem review of the field, informal and formal to work best, and what difference does the strategies for keeping track of religion information make? My preliminary majors appear to produce similar conclu- On the whole, it queries indicate that most departments sions. By and large, graduates of our pro- track their majors (and minors, in some grams have good feelings about the time appears that assessment cases) only informally. We know what our they spent with us learning about religion; practices that can graduates are doing because we bump into though they are not without complaint or Darby Kathleen Ray is Associate Professor “ them at a homecoming football game or constructive criticism, our alums feel like of Religious Studies and Director of the yield meaningful are asked to serve as references for them as they were well served by their major. One Faith & Work Initiative at Millsaps longitudinal they pursue a new trajectory. Often, and trend many institutions report these days College in Jackson, Mississippi. She teaches as a colleague at Wartburg College in Iowa is an increase in double majors — stu- a wide range of courses including History of information about notes, “it’s really more a matter of [stu- dents who major in religion because Christian Thought, The Meaning of Work, the religion major are dents] keeping track of us than of our they’re genuinely interested in the subject and Suffering, Tragedy, and Liberation in keeping track of them.” They send us the matter but who also accrue a “safer” (i.e., the Ancient World. She writes in the area of relatively rare in occasional e-mail, invite us to keep up more marketable) major. The choice of constructive theology. Her publications our field at this time. with their blogs, send us a wedding invita- the nonreligion major seems to depend in include Deceiving the Devil: Atonement, Given the increased tion, or drop by our office when they pass large part on the particular strengths, pro- Abuse, and Ransom (1998); Theology through town. grams, character, and priorities of individ- That Matters: Ecology, Economy, and emphasis on assessment ual departments. Not surprisingly, under- God (2006); and Christic Imagination: Increasingly, and often under the impress graduate religion majors do a variety of An Ethic of Incarnation and Ingenuity in higher education, of accrediting bodies, religion departments things after graduation. It appears that up (forthcoming 2008). are developing more formal tools. Most however, this to one-third of them pursue religion-spe- often, these take the shape of exit inter- cific vocations, most often in the church situation is bound views for graduating seniors and brief sur- UTCOMES. Assessment. or the academy; and roughly another third veys for alums. Seattle Pacific University, Feedback loops. Like it or not, we to change work in a human services field (social for example, sends surveys to religion in higher education have had to work, Peace Corps, counseling, nonprofit O major alums at two years and five years add these terms to our lexicon. Some of us work, etc.). The final third engage in a after graduation, while in Minnesota, the are undaunted, even excited, by the new wide range of pursuits, from medicine and College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s challenges and possibilities. We are gen- law to arts administration and exercise Whatever our attitude toward the assess- University conducts a senior exit survey. uinely curious to know how we’re doing: physiology. ment wave, we are inevitably in its wake. An abiding concern in relation to such We know what we’re trying to teach, but ” Even those who register dissent about its tools is the rate of response or overall The time is ripe for considerations of what are our students actually learning? motivations or methods might still benefit number of responses, which can under- whether and how best to track our under- And what are they doing with that knowl- from considering this question: How does mine the statistical significance of the data graduate religion majors. My initial edge and skill set once they graduate? Are the fact that our students studied religion collected. On the whole, it appears that inquiries revealed a surprisingly high level we preparing them well for their diverse as undergraduates inform their post-bac- assessment practices that can yield mean- of interest in the topic among my col- postbaccalaureate lives in a complex, glob- calaureate working and living? (e.g., Do ingful longitudinal information about the leagues around the nation, most often alized world? We wager that answers to they tend to pursue discipline-related religion major are relatively rare in our motivated by the recognition that tradi- such questions will help us improve our work? Do they employ a “religious stud- field at this time. Given the increased tional anecdotal methods may well need teaching, our curriculum, and maybe even ies” knowledge base or set of methodolog- emphasis on assessment in higher educa- to be augmented by more systematic and the reputation, vitality, and utility of our ical tools in their professional or personal tion, however, this situation is bound to thorough approaches. discipline. Others of us are not so san- lives? Do they pay special attention to or change. A key partner in the work of guine. We worry about the time, energy,

SEED GRANTS, from p.24 Studies, African Studies, etc.). And other emphasize assessment of learning outcomes our department interacts in order to discuss departments, including Classics, History, more explicitly than the current system how reforms of our major curriculum three courses in the department, one of the English, and Political Science, offer some does. might work in concert with their program largest units in the university. courses for the major. Finally, the depart- objectives. By March 2008, the end of win- Each of these challenges, in turn, will affect ment cooperates with the Bannan Institute ter quarter, the department will produce a our major: (1) by stressing interdisciplinari- We find that we are a unique department and the Markkula Center for Applied working model for the major based on ty in a structured way; (2) by providing among Catholic and even Jesuit universities. Ethics in arranging for programming and these meetings, and on the completion of structures for focus and concentration cooperative efforts, including community- the department’s own curricular review and The department strongly identifies itself as within the major; and (3) by situating the based learning and international immersion new Core requirements, particularly those a “religious studies” department, and offers major, or parts of it, within the Core programs. . . . regarding assessment of the goals of the courses in areas broadly defined as Curriculum, and not alongside it. The major. This leaves much work to be done, Theology, Ethics and Spirituality; Scripture While our program has proven successful, portfolio in particular can be incorporated particularly the coordination of our major and Traditions; and Religion and Society. . . due in no small part to excellent teaching into new Core structures and receive a with the new Core Curriculum, but this . Several faculty and their courses make use and scholarship, we are facing three chal- more rigorous and useful framing, especial- would establish a foundation from which of the department’s own Local Religion lenges that are leading us to a review of the ly for purposes of assessment. to work. Project, which connects local religious com- major: (1) a review of our departmental The department will meet in early munities (Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, curriculum, including the “area” structure September for an all-day retreat to discuss etc.) with academic projects in the class- of the department, with a view toward item no. 2 above (the relation of theologi- room. In addition, faculty (and their cours- deeper interdisciplinarity within the depart- cal to religious studies in the curriculum, es) participate in various interdisciplinary ment; (2) an interest within the department including within the major). This depart- programs on campus (Women & Gender to explore the shape and function of theo- mental retreat will be followed by two Studies, Asian Studies, Catholic Studies, logical studies in relation to other meetings in fall quarter with representatives Ethnic Studies, Environmental Studies, the approaches to religion; and (3) new Core of interdisciplinary programs with which newly forming Islamic and Near Eastern Curriculum at Santa Clara, which will

October 2007 RSN • 25 Religious Studies News

INTERVIEW, from p.23 trains far more students than it produces majors, so showing how tools with which we study them. We have begun to embrace seri- many students actually take religious studies courses, and how ously the diverse experience of men and women within any one make simplistic claims about outcomes. Our goal is to illuminate well they do in those courses, is one way to measure whether stu- religious tradition. We have also embraced studying popular reli- and critically analyze central questions about the meaning in dents are even being exposed to the skills necessary to read reli- gion as well as official religion. The greatest difficulty is that we human experience across the ages and around the world. gion, let alone master such skills. That said, I prefer to take the are still too nervous about engaging our students in theological longer view. Is the study of religion being mainstreamed into the reflection — in understanding how and why persons create Kassam: I’m not much interested in quantifying excellence, larger academy sufficient that every student, regardless of major, meaning within a religious tradition. Many of the undergraduates although I realize that it is necessary to do so for administrative feels they must take at least one course in religious studies? How is I talk with wish faculty members would be more open to this purposes. What interests me is what goes on in the classroom, as religion being factored into the theorizing being done in other kind of discussion in and outside of the classroom. that is our first point of contact with students. We are lucky in disciplines? Education about religion is so critical, more so today that the study of religion in the academy continues to evolve and Lowe: As a field that uses several disciplines and modes of than ever before, so to me the best indicator of effective teaching continues to surface the many complexities associated with the analysis in the examination of ideas, practices, and texts, we are a about religion is when you have opinion makers in society who study of religion, which now is no longer just the study of diverse community of scholars. The more diverse we become, the can talk intelligently about religion. I’m afraid I don’t think we are “essences,” if I might use that term. We have been so greatly more we are vulnerable to merely describing differences, and not there yet. enriched through appropriating multidisciplinary approaches to taking the time to analyze and make critical distinctions and eval- the study of religions, bringing in the wealth of fields such as RSN: What do you think is the greatest strength about the uations. The susceptibility across many traditions to terrorism is a anthropology, political science, cultural studies, economics, fine way our field currently trains its undergraduates? What is the case in point. We need to be able to point out ways in which reli- arts, theater, music, philosophy, gender studies, ethnic studies, lin- greatest weakness? gion is a “problem.” guistics, literature, media studies, and others. So, effectiveness in Chopp: Our greatest strength is the incredible expansion of Kassam: Our greatest strength — and concomitantly, our teaching the central ideas and skills pertaining to the study of reli- our field and the sheer creativity of the scholarship over the last 30 most vulnerable area — is and will continue to be our faculty. gion all depends on what is done in the classroom, as a first indi- years. We have expanded the number of religions studied and the Creative and innovative ways in teaching students how to engage cator. Religious studies are by and large a service department that with, think about, study, understand, and explore religion and ways of being religious have the greatest impact on what a student takes away from perhaps just that one class in one’s entire career as an undergraduate. No matter how small the institution, and how low the numbers of faculty teaching religious studies, the quality of the faculty member matters. We need continually to pay atten- tion to faculty development. In addition, it is clear to me that 2007 ANNUAL MEETINGS educational institutions have to make a concerted effort to include religious studies as part of their curriculum, and the field AMERICAN ACADEMY OF RELIGION as a whole needs to be strengthened in that area. I also think that the move to include a lived understanding of religion in addition SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE to the traditional text-based curriculum is a move in an enriching November 17th – 20th direction, and we need much more of that, whether through the incorporation of films, site visits, ethnographic accounts, and so (Booth # 714) forth. What we need much more of are study abroad programs that will allow students to participate in, observe, discuss, debate, Theology and Religious Studies Journals from Cambridge University Press experience, and add to the complexity of the variety of under- standings of religions. We need to work with the study abroad Cambridge publishes a strong range of some of the most prestigious Theology and Religious Studies Journals programs at our institutions to see if there are ways that the study in the world. We invite you to visit our stand at this year's event to review their quality for yourself. of religion could be incorporated into their programs. A third area is the study of languages. To be able to read source texts or news- papers in their languages of production is so critical to under- New Testament Studies Scottish Journal of Theology standing the nuances of what is going on. Published under the auspices of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas Published on behalf of Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd For the last 50 years, the original articles and short studies An international journal of systematic, historical and biblical RSN: Harvard University recently has been in the news for published here by leading scholars have covered a wide range theology, publishing original research articles and serving as an revamping its undergraduate core curriculum. How do you of issues pertaining to the origins, history and theology of the ecumenical forum for debate, since its founding in 1948. New Testament. This is truly the champion of Religious Studies see the needs and nature of liberal education evolving? Is this journals. Ecclesiastical Law Journal a good thing? Published for The Ecclesiastical Law Society AJS Review Chopp: After spending five years in a residential liberal arts col- Particular emphasis is given to the regulation of the Church of lege, I think that this type of school (not only Colgate, but others The Journal of The Association of Jewish Studies England and worldwide Anglican Communion, but the range Publishes articles from the broadly defi ned fi eld of Jewish of coverage includes comparative studies of the laws of other as well) should be the model for all undergraduate education. Studies – of interest to both academic and lay audiences. Topics faiths and of the interface between law and religion in a global What I have learned from faculty members and students at range from biblical and rabbinic textual and historical studies to perspective. Colgate about the evolution of liberal arts is three-fold: 1) modern history, social sciences, the arts and literature. Politics and Religion Creative thought can and must be married to integrative thought. The twenty-first century may be about disassembling information Harvard Theological Review Published for the American Political Science Association Published on behalf of the Faculty of Harvard Divinity School This new peer-reviewed journal provides original research into but is always and everywhere about recreating. Synthesizing will Founded in 1908, this journal offers research in the history the impact of religion on political attitudes; topics range from be as important as the specialization of knowledge which has and philosophy of religious thought, including Judaic Studies, abortion laws, sex education in schools and stem-cell research, dominated since the 1950s; 2) Technology shapes not only to Hebrew Bible, New Testament, early Christianity, archaeology, to transnational terrorism, morality, social justice and human whom we convey knowledge but how we manage and produce world religions, comparative religious studies, theology and rights. ethnicity. it; and 3) The liberal arts, according to tradition and contempo- Church History rary aspirations, teach the obligation of being a citizen-leader in The Journal of Ecclesiastical History Published for the American Society of Church History society. To educate for leadership, which seems to be the require- Publishes material on all aspects of the history of the Christian This quarterly peer-reviewed journal publishes original research ment of the liberal arts in the twenty-first century, means forma- Church, dealing with the Church both as an institution and in its articles and book reviews covering all areas of the history of tion of skills, values, and habits as well as the mastering of critical, relations with other religions and society at large. Christianity and its cultural contexts in all places and times, creative, and integrative thinking. including its non-Western expressions. Religious Studies Lowe: The idea of liberal education has been evolving for cen- An international journal devoted to the problems of the In addition Cambridge publishes a number turies. The Harvard effort, which is still a work in progress, is a philosophy of religion as they arise out of classical and of journals covering broader subject areas contemporary discussions and from varied religious traditions. reminder both that we should resist a simplistic consumerism in that contain a religious component. undergraduate education, and that it very difficult to get faculty to agree about anything. The educational principle of “In loco paren- tis” — which is very out favor — had some good things about it; This annual event is the very best place to review all academic religious texts. one is that students should not be expected to know everything Make sure you visit the Cambridge stand (booth #714) to collect your FREE about what is good for them before they matriculate in college! sample copies of these titles. Reduced rate subscriptions and discounts on Kassam: Liberal education faces the challenge of striking a individual titles will also be made available to delegates. balance between traditional subjects and newer epistemologies that become increasingly relevant as societies change and new Want to learn more? Visit: journals.cambridge.org/aar fields of analysis and knowledge open up. We need to bring the fields of religious studies and environmental studies to the atten- tion of the intellectual community for, regardless of whether one is religious or concerned about global warming, one needs to understand the currency, the issues, and the ways in which each of these exercises significant power in creating and exacerbating the challenges of the 21st century and simultaneously, in pro- www.cambridge.org viding the means to address them.

26 • October 2007 RSN FEATURES

Research Briefing The Role of Multicultural Festivals in the Creation of Hindu Discourses of Religious Self-Representation Meritxell Martín-i-Pardo, Sewanee: The University of the South

Instead, they epitomized the local government’s message: 2004 was characterized as the year in which diversity was celebrated without alluding to what this diversity was actually composed of. In other words, the local paper portrayed 2004 within the rhetoric of French multiculturalism, which allows the government to express the undeniable fact that France is made up of peo- ple who came from different places without really acknowledging a specific expression of that cultural difference. It dawned on me that during my first round of interviews, I had only asked about what had happened, instead of what had not happened, and guessed that that might explain my informants’ evasiveness. .

Meritxell Martín-i-Pardo earned her PhD in o

In my second round of interviews, I read some d r

the History of Religion at the University of a P -

of these newspaper headlines to my informants i -

Virginia in 2005. A research affiliate of the n í t

(choosing articles that reported on an event I r

University of the South, where she taught for a

knew they had been involved with) and simply M l five semesters, she is currently teaching and l e

asked how they felt the articles portrayed the x t i

conducting research in her native Barcelona. r

event. They started talking. Many could not e

Her research on the formation of religious M stop talking. Most could not shake the feeling f self-identity considers the intersection of social o y

that their show had been stolen. Because the s e

institutions such as public policy with dias- t r

different Indo-Guadeloupean and Hindu u poric Hindu worldviews. o c

members of the organizing committee had let o t o

their worldviews and hopes for 2004 interfere h P Y PROJECT was to explore how in their relationship during the planning the commemoration of the 150th months of the commemorative events, the local A Hindu officiant conducts a puja (an act of worship) at the Monument of the First Day on December 24, 2005. The monument, built at the port of Pointe-à-Pitre in 2004, commemo- Manniversary of the arrival of the government had taken on the role of mediator. rates the arrival of the Aurélie, the first convoy transporting Indian and Hindu immigrant first Indian immigrants to Guadeloupe, This role, many informants claimed, allowed it labor to Guadeloupe on December 24, 1854. French West Indies, in 2004 impacted Indo- to control how the events of 2004 were por- Guadeloupean and Hindu discourses of reli- trayed. In this way, there had been a surplus of gious self-representation. During my disserta- rhetoric. Because there was not a unified voice tion field research in 2002–03, I found that to speak for and represent their hopes for 2004, Indo-Guadeloupeans and Guadeloupean the commemorative events became an example Hindus expected that 2004 was going to be a of republican diversity instead of an opportuni- year of recognition of their role and status on ty for Indo-Guadeloupeans and Guadeloupean the island. They dreamed, for example, that Hindus to make self-identity claims. Hinduism would emerge with the same status I further discovered that while Indo- January 28–30, 2008 as Catholicism, the dominant religious tradi- Guadeloupeans and Guadeloupean Hindus tion. They actively pursued these goals by plan- had not been able to claim their religious differ- ning events that would market Hinduism as a Albert Outler and the Wesleyan Spirit ence in 2004, Hindu discourses of self-repre- nonthreatening religion. My research in 2005 sentation did change. Ironically, the multicul- A scholarly conference on the occasion sought to examine whether the organizers’ tural festivals that had been designed to high- expectations were fulfilled and how the multi- of the centennial of the birth of light local Hinduism allowed Indo- cultural festivals and public religious rituals Albert Cook Outler Guadeloupean, Guadeloupean Hindu, and organized to commemorate the 150th anniver- Guadeloupean audiences to discover the global sary had participated in the creation of new context of Guadeloupean Hindu religious prac- understandings of Hinduism in Guadeloupe. his conference for scholars, pastors, church and tices. For decades, Indo-Guadeloupeans and academic professionals, and laity will critically My informants were delighted that I had Guadeloupean Hindus had been bullied by T examine Outler’s work and assess his contributions to Wesley returned “to study” them but clearly disap- Afro-Guadeloupeans because of their role in the pointed that my goal was to examine 2004 and history of the island’s economy. In addition, studies, Christian history, Protestant theology, ecumenism and its impacts. This puzzled me. When I had left because their religious practices involved animal the church. Speakers include: Guadeloupe a year and a half earlier, 2004 was sacrifice, Hindus were likened to sorcerers and all that mattered to most of them. Now they Hinduism to sorcery. But this changed in 2004 William Abraham Bishop Scott Jones avoided talking about 2004 and preferred to when events such as the film festival allowed Ted Campbell Sarah Lancaster talk about the upcoming sugar cane harvest. Guadeloupean audiences to become familiar, Paul Crow Leicester Longden Why were they choosing to talk about an for example, with Hindu Bollywood piety (for Lyle Dabney Aquiles Martinez annual event and avoid one that had occurred example, that of Paro and Devdas) and under- Donald Dayton Rebekah Miles only once in 150 years? stand Guadeloupean Hindu piety in a similar Richard Heitzenrater Elaine Robinson. light. And, soon, many Guadeloupean stereo- After failing to get them to speak about 2004, I types of Hindus and Hinduism became obso- decided to see what I could find in the island’s Registration opens November 5. lete. While many of the worldviews of local archives. The records I needed, however, Guadeloupean Hinduism remain little under- had not been microfilmed and I had to beg the stood amongst general Guadeloupean audi- island’s newspaper to let me use their archival ences, 2004 changed the way Hinduism was For more information: copies. As I took digital photos of the columns, perceived. smu.edu/theology I made notes of my first impressions of the Southern Methodist University Q Perkins School of Theology headlines, articles, and advertisements. Typical P.O. Box 750133 Q Dallas, TX 75275 headlines such as “Eloge de la diversité cul- 1.888.THEOLOGY turelle” or “Année de l’Inde: le métissage à l’honneur” revealed nothing of the hopes that Indo-Guadeloupeans and Guadeloupean Hindus had expressed to me in 2002–03.

October 2007 RSN • 27 Religious Studies News In the Public Interest Transformative Education in a Prison Lawrence Mamiya, Vassar College

needed such as proper grooming and personal For a long period of time Christianity was the Obviously, the students learn a lot about the hygiene, how to apply for Social Security only religion recognized by prison officials. prison experience and the criminal justice sys- cards and driver’s licenses, how to create a The turbulent decade of the 1960s led to law- tem in the United States and for some of resume, current events awareness, and role suits by members of the Nation of Islam that them their participation has been a transfor- playing in job interviews and parole board helped to pave the way for Muslims, Jews, mative experience. But the question is often hearings. As the program evolved, other dis- and others to have their religious traditions raised: what do the incarcerated men get out cussion group topics included Domestic and practices recognized. Anyone who has of these discussions? First, since more than Violence, Fatherhood, Family, done volunteer work in a prison recognizes half of all incarcerated persons in New York Communications Skills, Victims Awareness, that there is a multiplicity of religious groups State prisons do not receive any visitors from and Changing Gender Roles in Society. The — including Protestant and Catholic groups, the outside, these college students are their peer counselors became highly skilled teach- Rastafarians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, only visitors and contact with the outside ers, effective at communicating and putting Moorish Science, Five Percenters, Santeria, world. As community volunteers they also the students at ease. Students are also required African Hebrew Israelites, etc. Over the years serve as a check on what is going on in state to lead some of the discussions as well as do at Green Haven, Vassar students have partici- prisons. The recent trend towards using more presentations on research topics. The last 20 pated in the Islamic Therapeutic Program and more “for-profit private prisons” has led minutes of every two-hour discussion group (ITP) that used Islamic principles to deal with to a rise in the beatings and abuse of incarcer- Lawrence Mamiya is the Paschall-Davis is set aside as a “free for all” where the stu- alcohol and drug abuse. They have also sat in ated persons, poorly trained guards, poor Professor of Religion and Africana Studies at dents and the men can ask each other any zazen sessions with the members of the Lotus food and health care, lack of programs, and of Vassar College. The Vassar prison program questions they want to about each other’s sangha, the first Zen Buddhist group estab- course no outside community volunteers. derives from his activist background as a com- respective environments. lished in an American prison. Second, the students also serve as resource munity organizer in Harlem, civil rights persons about what is happening in the out- worker in the Southwest Georgia Project, and side world, bringing in current events for dis- minister to young adults at the Glide cussion. They do research on topics like Memorial Methodist Church during the The level of civilization in a society domestic violence, children of incarcerated Haight-Ashbury youth counterculture. He is parents, jobs, and housing resources in New best known as a co-author with C. Eric can be judged by entering its prisons. York City, and share their findings with their Lincoln of The Black Church in the African group. Third, the men also appreciate the American Experience (1990). His more “ — FYODOR DOESTOEVSKY recent publications include co-author, The courage of the students and their willingness History of the Riverside Church of the to come into a maximum security prison every week in spite of the attempts by correc- City of New York (2004) and River of For the first 20 years of the program, Vassar Incarceration in a maximum security prison tions officers and other prison officials who Struggle, River of Freedom: Trends in students participated for a half unit of Field over a long period of time constitutes a major often portray the incarcerated men as dehu- Black Churches and Black Pastoral Work credit. As the program expanded in crisis that often brings a person to a crossroad manized savages and brutes. For most of the Leadership (monograph published by Pulpit popularity, the prison began to place enroll- in their lives. They must”decide whether they American public, prisons are “out of sight and and Pew Research on Pastoral Leadership at ment limits since at one point there were over are going to change and transform themselves out of mind,” the most neglected institutional the Duke Divinity School, Durham: 2006). 60 students per semester participating in the positively, taking responsibility for their He is currently working on a book on sector of society. Finally, the students have program. Professor Mark Cladis, now at crime, and leaving the street life behind. Or African-American Muslim movements. also had the student newspaper publish the Brown University, helped to run the program they can choose to become worse — better at poetry and short stories that the men have for ten years. The program was converted doing the negative things without getting written, giving them a voice in the public. from Field Work to the Africana Studies caught. Since the prison experience involves HE VASSAR COLLEGE prison pro- Program, which provided an academic base this crossroad, a major choice point in life, Since 1999, the 20th year of the program, gram began in fall 1979 at the Pre- and a Sunday evening class that met every many incarcerated persons seek some form of Green Haven/Vassar Alumni/ae Reunions Release Center of the Green Haven T third week from 5 to 7PM on campus. The spirituality and discipline in making the have been held annually, bringing back to maximum security prison in New York State class shared pizza together, watched films on change. This is the main reason there are so campus the men who had been released, the with planning sessions for dialogue groups on prisons, discussed their prisons experiences many religious groups. Even those who don’t Vassar alums that worked with them, com- Friday afternoons between college students and required readings, and heard guest lectur- wish to join an institutional religion will seek munity activists on prison issues in the Mid- and incarcerated men. It grew out of class ers on writing in prison, women in prison, to construct some form of personal spiritual Hudson Valley, and current students. field trips each semester to local prisons to and public policy issues. The students were worldview for themselves that can help them Interested faculty and administrators are also provide concrete illustrations of the concept required to keep a detailed ethnographic through the transformation. Most incarcerat- invited. About 100 persons, 30 of whom are of “institutional racism.” In prisons the racial prison journal about their feelings and ed persons seek to transcend the harsh and formerly incarcerated men and women, inequalities were blatant: 85 percent of the thoughts of going to the prison, discussion brutal prison environment whether it is by spend the first Saturday in April discussing incarcerated men were African American and groups, readings, films, and lectures. writing poetry, doing art, singing, praying, or prison, criminal justice, and public policy Latino; 10 percent white; and 5 percent, participating in a group religious ritual. issues with speakers, panels, and workshops. other. Moreover, 99 percent of the prison In recent years the prison program has Religious volunteers from the outside consti- guards and administrators were white. During expanded to include the Otisville medium tute the largest percentage of civilian volun- the past 28 years of its continued existence, security prison and the Dutchess County Jail. Transformative teers in all prisons. the prison program has become highly rele- Additional interested faculty members have Education for College vant since American society has been experi- been recruited to provide adult supervision at Vassar students have been fortunate because encing a “crisis of mass incarceration,” a 900 these prisons. they meet and work with peer counselors Students percent increase from 270,000 incarcerated who are in the process of positive self-trans- While not all students have been profoundly persons in 1970 to more than 2.2 million at Religion in Prison formation. These peer counselors, who lead impacted by the prison program, many have the present time. African-American and the discussion groups, share their personal cited its influence in their decisions about Latino families and communities have been Religion is closely related to the establishment stories of changes they have made in their future studies and careers. Publications such greatly affected by this crisis. of prisons in the United States. The origin of lives. Over the years, both students and facul- as the Vassar Quarterly and the Miscellaney the term “penitentiary” derives from its reli- ty participants have reported that when work- News have documented their stories. As an The Pre-Release Center was created by the gious usage of doing penance and repentance ing with oppressed people, the experience is outstanding student athlete, Nancy Mezey incarcerated men themselves as a result of while incarcerated. The Quakers of so deep and powerful that it can provide ’84 had the men at Green Haven write a rec- forming a “think tank” that came up with Pennsylvania and Auburn, New York, influ- opportunities for their own self-transforma- ommendation for her application for a new programs and ideas of reforming New enced the policies of the first state-run peni- tion — for changing views of the world and Rhodes Scholarship. The Rhodes Board was York State prisons after the Attica Rebellion. tentiaries or prisons, which involved solitary how they relate to people. deeply impressed by their recommendation Their reform ideas included college in prison confinement, working in silence, and reading and she made it to the final round until a programs, self-help groups for alcohol and For the largely white, upper-middle-class the Bible. Religion as a principle for the refor- West Point cadet won in her section. Nancy substance abuse, opening the prisons to civil- Vassar students, the issues of race and class are mation of character received a priority in the spent two terms (four years) with the Peace ian volunteers, the use of peer counselors and sharply represented in the dialogue groups. Auburn system. In fact the Auburn system Corps in Mali. She went on to complete a a prerelease program that would provide four For them and for the incarcerated men, the also gave priority to using prison chaplains as PhD program in sociology and is teaching at months of preparation for release prior to a dialogue groups are often the first time that counselors. In both plans, the Quaker Monmouth University. She is also doing vol- person’s parole hearing. Our initial group dis- they have been able to talk to and learn from emphasis on silence in worship became the unteer work at the Taconic Women’s Prison. cussions between students and incarcerated each other across race and class boundaries undergirding principle for daily life among men started with the basic Group Transitional over an extended period of time. See MAMIYA p.32 the incarcerated persons. Preparation (GTP), covering topics the men

28 • October 2007 RSN FEATURES From the Student Desk Student Liaison Group, Fall 2007

Exploring the Intersecting Spaces of The Student Liaison Group (SLG) is composed of AAR graduate student members who are appointed or elected by their department to serve. Currently, the SLG is open to stu- Culture and Religion in Academia dents enrolled in a PhD program. Student liaisons are a resource for students who need Néstor Medina, University of Toronto information about AAR’s programs and services. They also report on the needs and activi- ties of students to the student director and participate in efforts to expand student involve- ment in the Academy. If you would like more information about how your PhD program asking, and their experiences did not res- can be represented, contact Myesha D. Jenkins at mjenkins@ aarweb.org. The next appoint- onate with mine. Although I found great ment period is January 2008. affinity with writers from Guatemala (and Latin America) and other places, I real- Baylor University, Cameron Jorgenson McMaster University, Sherry A. Smith ized that my context was also different Boston College, Bede Bidlack University of Missouri, Kansas City, from theirs and that they could only help University of Cambridge, Jason A. Fout Day Lane me map out possible answers for my con- Catholic University of America, Jay Carney University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, cerns. In the midst of this process, isolat- Megan Goodwin ing and at times frustrating, I arrived at University of Chicago, Bernard Dorsey the conclusion that knowledge is cultural- Claremont Graduate University, University of Oxford, B. Franklin Curry ly and contextually bound and construct- Brent Smith Pacifica Graduate Institute, Joe Good ed, and that every experience of reality is Columbia University, Rosemary Hicks Princeton University, Asuka Sango culturally conditioned. Concordia University, Laurie Lamoureux Princeton Theological Seminary, Elías I found this was particularly true in the Scholes Ortega-Aponte Néstor Medina, who has recently finished study of religion and theology. Often, I Duke University, Susanna L. Drake Southern Methodist University, writing his dissertation, is a PhD candi- encountered authors for whom religion Emory University, Matthew Bersagel Braley Mary C. Moorman date in religion/theology and culture at could be studied simply as an academic Florida State University, Kathleen Hladky Stanford University, David Levinsky Emmanuel College, Toronto School of intellectual exercise, playing a peripheral Fuller Theological Seminary, Matt Hamsher Syracuse University, Holly White Theology, at the University of Toronto. You role in understanding people groups. But University of Toronto, Smita Kothari may contact him at netto.medina@ as I reflected more carefully, I concluded University of Florida, Eleanor Finnegan utoronto.ca. Graduate Theological Union, Erin Brigham Union Theological Seminary & — oddly enough with the help of Presbyterian School of Christian Harvard University, Linford Fisher Antonio Gramsci and others — that cul- Education, Tammie Marie Grimm ture is a medium for religion: religious RIGINALLY BORN in Iliff School of Theology, Stephanie Yuhas beliefs and practices are intertwined to Vanderbilt University, Nichole Phillips Guatemala, I migrated to University of Iowa, Calvin Lane such a degree that faith expressions are University of Virginia, Timothy P. Canada 18 years ago, at the age Loyola University, Chicago, Andrea O cultural expressions. Every religious McConnell of 22. Not long after my arrival I chose Hollingsworth expression is colored by the rich process University of Waterloo, Mandy Furney to pursue further education. As I of socialization of people, which includes attempted to integrate into my newly the passing down of religious beliefs, adopted society, I became acutely aware understanding of reality, and perceptions of my Guatemalan roots and culture. of ultimate realities. Religious symbols Although I always admired and enjoyed would not make sense without the rich sharing life with people from other cul- infusion of meaning by the cultural group tural backgrounds, this time it was differ- to which people belong. In the same way, MARK YOUR CALENDARS ent. It was not as if everything I did was I also learned that people are not passive perfunctory, paying little attention to the subjects in this dynamic process of cultur- way I acted or what I did. In fact, it was 2007 ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAMMING* al construction and dissemination. the exact opposite. I lived according to Cultural groups are actively constituted SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA the complex set of social rules and cultur- collectives of people who reproduce, al codes of conduct that I had inherited ESPECIALLY FOR STUDENTS interact with, and challenge commonly from my original background, but in a held beliefs, cultural values, and princi- different geographical context. I lived as a ples. This internal dynamic and uneven SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2007 Guatemalan in Canada and began to relationship between the members of cul- A17–133 change as I acquired new cultural symbols tural groups creates new avenues for fur- Career Alternatives Luncheon: Focus on and codes. This became more evident ther cultural development. Religion & Journalism when I began to engage questions con- 11:45 AM–1:00 PM cerning the role of culture in the study of In important ways, then, my initial Sponsored by the Graduate Student Committee and religion and theology. I did not under- migration into a different society allowed American Theological Library Association stand why, for some inconceivable reason, me to encounter and appropriate my own I could not think, function, or process cultural lenses. I would not have been as A17–200 information as most of my Anglo- keenly aware of some of the intricacies Special Topics Forum European peers did. It was impossible for pertaining to my cultural reality were it Introduction to the AAR me to be as “objective” as the academy not because of my own journey and expe- 1:00–3:30 PM required. My concerns and questions rience as a former refugee and immigrant. about reality were different, and so was At the same time, as I engaged these A17–409 the manner in which I engaged them. It questions academically, I was launched Student Members’ Reception took some time, but I came to the realiza- into a process of self-discovery. Although 9:30–11:00PM tion that whatever I understood as culture I do not think the central role of culture Don’t forget your free drink ticket! was fluid and changeable; it was not in human activities is clearly defined in something that I produced alone as an academia, my studies have helped me bet- SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2007 individual, separated from the communi- ter understand and articulate my own ty and society to which I belonged. experience. It is in this way that my own A18–132 life experience and my studies of religion Student Teacher Luncheon As a result of my newly found conscious- AM PM have together contributed to my forma- 11:30 –1:00 ness, and in the interest of understanding tion as an academician. Sponsored by the Graduate Student Committee and better the role of culture in all of my Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion activities, I started questioning the episte- mological bases and ways of framing and STUDENT LOUNGE acquiring knowledge prescribed by the The Graduate Student Committee will again host the AAR Student Lounge, academy. I was tremendously enriched by Saturday through Monday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. Stop by for a drink and conversation. the knowledge imparted to me by the The Lounge will be located in the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, Business European and Anglo-American authors Suite 2. with whom I interacted. But there was still a gap that needed to be filled. These *Event locations will be available onsite in the At-A-Glance publication. authors, with very few exceptions, did not respond to some of the questions I was

October 2007 RSN • 29 Religious Studies News Academy Fund The AAR thanks these loyal contributors. Your generous gifts help us realize our goals. This list reflects donations received from July 1, 2006, through August 31, 2007.

James B. Wiggins Paul L. Swanson David E. Klemm  Justin Arft ✧ indicates current board members Glenn E. Yocum  Mark Lloyd Taylor Douglas A. Knight Sungkon Bak  indicates current committee Sarah McFarland Taylor ✧  ★ Lynne Kogel Linda L. Barnes ✧★ members, JAAR editorial board, Curtis L. Thompson Robert Kossler Robert M. Baum Gifts of $100 or more ✧ ★ ★ or jurors Deanna A. Thompson  Nadia M. Lahutsky Stephen C. Berkwitz Anonymous ★ ★ Mary Evelyn Tucker Sarah Heaner Lancaster Charles Bernsen • indicates current program unit Susan Abraham★ Charles I. Wallace John Lang Balbinder Bhogal chairs or steering committee • Ernest Z. Adelman Samuel Wells Jennie Latta • Ana Maria Bidegain members Peter J. Awn Paul B. Whittemore Baruch A. Levine Maria Clara Lucchetti Bingemer • indicates current students Margaret Ayers • Richard John Wiebe Christo Lombard Colleen Birchett • Alvord M. Beardslee Charles H. Long Kathleen Bishop ★ David S. Blix J. Rebecca Lyman Peter Bisson Barbara Boyd Gifts of $50 or more Francis Madsen Brian Black Kent Brintnall • Michael Allison Joan M. Martin Macon Boczek Gifts of $1,000 or more Frank Burch Brown Loye Ashton Eunice T. McGarrahan • Susan Power Bratton Robert A. Bruttell Alice Bach Ann Marie B. Bahr  Mark A. McIntosh Laura E. Brock • Barbara DeConcini  & Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley Elizabeth Barberi Kristin Meekhof Rita Nakashima Brock Walter Lowe ★ Debra Campbell Victoria Barnett Alan G. Meyers Leila Leah Bronner John R. Fitzmier ✧  Gary L. Campbell Barbara Bernstengel Gordon S. Mikoski Anne Clarke Brown William J. Cassidy Bonnie Birk Hans J. Hillerbrand ✧  Madelon Miles • Don S. Browning Peter Cha Philip Blair Kenneth H. Miller Harry M. Buck Francis X. Clooney ✧  ★ Beth Blissman Max Miller Grace G. Burford ★ Gifts of $500 or more John B. Cobb ★ Donald L. Boisvert ★ Merrill P. Miller Juan E. Campo ★ Eugene V. Gallagher ✧  David S. Cunningham Tom W. Boyd Mozella G. Mitchell Katie G. Cannon Lafayette College Edward E. Curtis ★ Ken Brooker Langston Leslie A. Muray Alejandro Chaoul Julianna Lipschutz Wade Dazey Sidney Brown ★ Vijaya Nagarajan★ B. Hyun Choo Martin Marty Bruce Duncan Raymond F. Bulman Paul Nagy Young Ho Chun ★ ★ Peter J. Paris  ★ Malcolm David Eckel  José I. Cabezón  Kathleen S. Nash Reginald Crenshaw Emilie M. Townes ✧  ★ George Elder David W. Cain Mutombo Nkulu-Nsengha Helen Crovetto Andrew O. Fort Melinda Campbell • Dennis A. Norlin Kristine A. Culp Edmund T. Gilday Dolores L. Christie Vivian-Lee Nyitray Leslie Cunningham Gifts of $200 or more Fred Glennon ✧  ★ David Clairmont Benjamin W. Owens Russell Dalton Anonymous Roy Hammerling Malcolm Clark Sandra V. Padilla Nancy Danger • Rebecca Alpert  Marcia Hermansen ★ David L. Coleman Thom Parrott-Sheffer E. Randolph Daniel Robert D. Baird Betty Holley • Paul Collins ★ Kusumita P. Pedersen Michael I. N. Dash Mary F. Bednarowski Victor Sogen Hori Don H. Compier David B. Perrin Teresa Delgado Irvin J. Borowsky Robert Hughes Francis Connolly-Weinert Thomas V. Peterson Mara E. Donaldson John E. Burkhart Jerry A. Irish M. Shawn Copeland ★ Vicki Cass Phillips Donald Dreisbach G. Byrns Coleman Diane Jonte-Pace Donald A. Crosby Andrew P. Porter Elizabeth Drescher • Allison P. Coudert ★ Tazim Kassam  ★ Maria T. Davila Patrick Pranke Jerry Dell Ehrlich Charles C. Dickinson Kerri A. Kor Gary Delaney Deangelis Rodney Purvis Wilis Rengganiasih Endah Ekowa • William G. Doty Bruce B. Lawrence  ★ Corinne Dempsey ★ Anthony G. Reddie ★ Constance Elsberg Chris Downing John K. Leonard Toby Director Martha J. Reineke James L. Empereur Diana L. Eck ✧  Lynne Faber Lorenzen ★ George F. Dole Yuan Ren Carl D. Evans Ina Ferrell David W. Lotz Riggins R. Earl Frank Reynolds Antoine Faivre ★ Martha L. Finch ★ Lawrence Mamiya  ★ Tibor Fabiny Susan A. Ross Paul Joseph Fitzgerald Warren G. Frisina Theresa Mason Eileen M. Fagan Lynn Ross-Bryant Aileen Fitzke Joseph C. Hough Jane Dammen McAuliffe  ★ James L. Fitzgerald Martin Rumscheidt ★ Richard Gelwick Amir Hussain  ★ Michael M. Mendiola Amy Flynn Don E. Saliers David L. Gitomer Zayn Kassam  Julie Miller Jim Fodor Lamin Sanneh ★ Margareth Glad Francis Landy Linda A. Moody Peter Foley Elizabeth A. Say ★ Larry Golemon  Sang Hyun Lee Anne Moore Peter Francis Karen D. Scheib Sigridur Gudmarsdottir • Charles L. Lloyd Mary Elizabeth Moore David Noel Freedman Robert Schenck Daniel Hardy ★ Michael B. Lukens ★ Ebrahim E.I. Moosa  Jerome A. Frumento David Schultenover William David Hart  ★ William K. Mahony Robert C. Neville ★ Jun Fukaya Alan Segal Joel Hecker ★ Charles Mathewes ✧  Gordon D. Newby ★ Stephen Garfinkel John C. Shelley Henry Heffernan E. Ann Matter ★ Tokiyuki Nobuhara Sunil Goonasekera  Laura K. Simmons Philip Hefner Andrew McCoy Hester E. Oberman Cecilia Gossen • David T. Stewart Susan E. Henking  Rachel Fell McDermott Jim O’Connor Rebecca Kneale Gould Stephen Stine • Joan M. Henriksen Hellyer Douglas R. McGaughey ✧ Carl Olson John I. Goulde ★ Robert L. Stivers Naoko Frances Hioki • Mary McGee Christopher Osgood R. Marie Griffith  ★ Jacqueline I. Stone Peter C. Hodgson ★ ★ David L. Miller Parimal G. Patil John A. Grim Shigekazu Suganuma • Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton  Robert N. Minor Stacy L. Patty  Natalie Gummer Rose M. Tekel Gail Hopkins Mary Moorman • Judith B. Perkins Mark Hanshaw Thomas Thangaraj John George Huber Lewis S. Mudge Karl E. Peters Vincent Harding Gregory Thomas • Robert Hunt Vasudha Narayanan  ★ Anthony B. Pinn ✧  ★ J. Barney Hawkins Terrence W. Tilley Ishii Kiyozumi Patrick Nichelson Fred N. Reiner John Helgeland Karen Jo Torjesen Robison B. James ★ Peter Ochs Cornish R. Rogers Rayner W. Hesse Emmanuel K. Twesigye E. H. Jarow Jacqueline Pastis ✧  Louis A. Ruprecht  Barbara A. Holdrege ★ James L. Waits Pamela Jones • Richard Pilgrim Judy Saltzman Jess Hollenback Michael J. Walsh Felix Ulombe Kaputu Sally M. Promey Kathleen M. Sands Susan T. Hollis George Weckman Thomas P. Kasulis Jill Raitt Richard S. Sarason Mary Jo Iozzio Traci C. West Felicity Brock Kelcourse ★ Timothy M. Renick  ★ Philip C. Schmitz Richard L. Jeske W. Waite Willis Don-Sik Kim Charles H. Reynolds Susan L. Schwartz Roger A. Johnson Hyung Rak Kim • Marian Ronan Nathan A. Scott Charles B. Jones Richard King ★ Jonathan Z. Smith Vanina G. Sechi Emanuel J. Karavousanos Gifts of $25 or more Ursula King Mary Ann Stenger Herbert B. Strange Mari Kim • Elizabeth J. Adams-Eilers Sandra L. Kistler-Connolly • Jesse Terry Todd Frederick J. Streets Charles A. Kimball Afe Adogame Henry F. Knight Catherine Tinsley Tuell • Winnifred Sullivan ★ Nathan Kirkpatrick Maria Antonaccio Paul V. Kollman

30 • October 2007 RSN CONTRIBUTORS

Kristen E. Kvam ★ Angella Son Mary Earle January Kiefer • Hans Pfeifer Kwok Pui Lan ★ Horace H. Stoddard Andrew Mark Eason Heerak Christian Kim Matthew Pierce • Andrew J. Lane Britt-Mari Sykes Ignatius Aniekanabasi Edet • Hwansoo Kim Kim Elaine Power Day Lane • Kyoko Tatsuguchi Koenraad Elst Kye Jai Kim Patricia Puder Elizabeth Lemons Barbara Brown Taylor Patrick Emmett • Sarah Kim Frederick Quinn Michael Lodahl ★ John Thatamanil  ★ R. Daren Erisman • Keith Knapp ★ Virginia Kaib Ratigan Grace Cumming Long Fred P. Thompson Herbert Fain Yaroslav Komarovski • Randal Rauser Miguel Luna Hideto Tomabechi John P. Falcone Julia Konstantinovsky Giselle Remy Bratcher Emily Lyon Benjamin Valentin ★ Bruce L. Fields Michihiko Kuyama Eric Repphun • F. Rachel Magdalene Ken Vandergriff Judith Fleck Nate Landis • Jean Richard Lois Malcolm Katharina von Kellenbach ★ Gavin Flood ★ Carmen Lansdowne • Darryl Roberts • Mabrouk Mansouri Rudolf von Sinner Frances X. Flynn • David Lantigua • Douglas Robinson • Ulrika Martensson C. Howard Wallace Joe Forman Joseph LaRose • Roberta Rorke Richard C. Martin ★ Dale Wallace • Andrew Durwood Foster Emmanuel Lartey Nancy M. Rourke Barbara Jo McClure Andrew Finlay Walls Jennifer Frederick Spencer Lavan Angela Rudert • Crystal Elaine McCormick • Michael Walsh Marla Frederick Terri Laws • Sadakane Keiji H. John McDargh Zhihe Wang • Nathan French • Maurice Lee  ★ Saito Chizuko Gary Meegan Watanabe Manabu ★ Stephen Fugitt Richard Lennan Erik E. Sandstrom David Mellins Caroline B. Webster Maura Gallagher A. David Lewis • Roger L. Schmidt Larry Menyweather-Woods • Michele White • Guillermo Garcia Todd T. Lewis Heiko Schulz Jerry D. Meyer Alex Wright Greg Garrett Maria Lichtmann Richard Schumacher Alex Mikulich Lee H. Yearley Laurie Wright Garry Daniel Liechty Aditi Sengupta Rochelle L. Millen Edward A. Yonan Abilio Jose Gaz K. Renato Lings Kim Shively Charles Milligan Tyanna Yonkers Day • James V. Geisendorfer Maria Claudia Livini David Simmons Paul D. Molnar Sakena Young-Scaggs • Lynken Ghose Paul Edwin Lockey Weston M. Sitotombe Laura B. Moore Wojciech Zalewski Alice Gibson Jeffery D. Long Anthony Solaqua • Raymond T. Moreland Michael Gibson • Kathryn A. Lyndes Linda Spencer • Gwyn Moser Amon Gill Elenora Mackey Cushenberry • George S. Spink Gifts up to $25 Eric Mount Beverly Janet Goines • Stanley Maclean • Charlene M. Spretnak Gwinyai Muzorewa ★ Valerie A. Abrahamsen Naomi R. Goldenberg Tim Macquiban ★ Evelyn Steiner Sánchez • Kathleen Davis Niendorff Ibrahim Abu Bakar Elizabeth Goodine Anna Madsen Dan Stiver Emilio Antonio Núñez • E. Obiri Addo Greer G. Gordon • Sterry David Mahaffey Allison Stokes Mary Jane O’Donnell • Daniel Ali Michael Gottsegen • Wilson Maina Bev Stratton Kang-nam Oh Ahmed Azzi June-Ann Greeley Timothy Mallard • Heinz Streib Hilmi Okur • Julia Basedow • Adam Greer Elias D. Mallon Laura S. Sugg Okuyama Michiaki  Heather Blair • Sidney Griffith ★ Susan M. Maloney ✧ Yui Suzuki Maura O’Neill Michael Bos Michael Gueno • Victor Marsh Joanne M. Swenson Lieve Orye Jean-Pierre Brach ★ Margaret Eletta Guider Heather R. Martin • Richard N. Taliaferro Robert Y. Owusu Kathlyn A. Breazeale Antoinette Gutzler Jeremy Martin Sutadhara Tapovanaye Paul J. Oxley David A. Buehler Juliane Hammer Sheila E. McGinn Kate Temoney • Laurie Louise Patton  ★ Sharon Peebles Burch Susan A. Handelman James McGown • Caroline Tolton Richard K. Payne Helene Businger-Chassot Dan Hanson Alexander C. McKay Jeffery L. Tribble Karen Pechilis  Bruce Buttler Nicole Hanson Ryan McLaughlin • Yuan-lin Tsai Martyn Percy Ellen Cahn Muhammad Haq Jamie T. McMillan • Norma Turner Ronald E. Peters Michael Canaris • Gail M. Harley Steven Meigs • Umeda Yoshimi Regina Pfeiffer Amy Carr Joan R. Harrell • Jeffrey F. Meyer Anne Vallely Sarah M. Pike ✧  ★ Jeremy R. Carrette Sita Hidayah • Catherine R. Michaud Thomas Adam Van Wart Tina Pippin Guy C. Carter R. J. Himes-Madero Robert Mickey Alana Vincent • Scott Prinster • Mark Alan Chancey Devan M. Hite • Albert G. Miller  Cynthia Visscher • Michael Raposa Dean Chiasson • Billy Honor • Amy S. Miller Dirk von der Horst • Stephen G. Ray ★ Gail Chin Adam Hood Paul Mitchell • Jeffrey Wallman Leah Renold Emily J. Choge Steven C. Horine Stephanie Y. Mitchem  ★ Diana Walsh-Pasulka Cynthia Rigby ★ Ruth J. Chojnacki Krista Hughes • Yuki Miyamoto Charles D. Walters Ann Riggs Brian Clark • Sylvia Hutcherson Maddox Zafer Mohammad Caleb Webster • Tyler T. Roberts ★ Brian P. Clarke George Ille Brian Mooney Justin Whitaker ★ • Daniel Rodriguez Angela Coco Massimo Introvigne Nelson Moore Douglas Whitcher Rosetta E. Ross  ★ Nancy H. Corcoran Marinus Iwuchukwu • Kenneth Morgan Hans-Joachim Wiens • Andrea Gail Rossin • S. Donald Corcoran Melanie Johnson-Moxley • Lucinda Mosher John R. Wilcox Letty M. Russell John W. Crossin Ann Johnston Nathaniel S. Murrell Preston N. Williams Robert J. Russell Wardene M. Crowley David Lee Jones Cherrie Namy • Gayraud S. Wilmore Noel A. Salmond Nancy Dallavalle Jaewan Joo Peter Nash Charles A. Wilson Jonathan D. Sarna Noelle Damico Afrie Songco Joye Mary Kaye Nealen Renate Wind Sasaki Kei David Damrel Sung Sook Kang Karen Nelson Villanueva • Gary Andrew Woodruff • Joseph Schaller Arni Svanur Danielsson • Stephen Kaplan Rowshan Nemazee • Yohan Yoo William Schweiker Susan E. Davies Howard Karesh Scott Nesbitt Joonho Yoon • William L. Secrest Therese B. DeLisio • Cleo McNelly Kearns ★ Greer Anne Wenh-In Ng Jickhong Yun • Mark Shaw • Pamela A. Detrixhe Laurel D. Kearns  Vivian Nixon • Alfred P. Zarb Neelima Shukla-Bhatt ★ William Rory Dickson • Ralph Keen Christine Nobiss • Cosimo Zene Chase Skorburg  • Damian L. Dietlein Catherine Keller  ★ June Elizabeth O’Connor Zhu Caifang • Frederick M. Smith Sandra Lee Dixon ★ Mary Keller Gnimbin Ouattara • Robert London Smith John Doutre Minowa Kenryo Moses Paul Peter Penumaka Sodiq Yushau Eric Dubuis Aaron Kerr • Albert C. Petite •

We strive for accuracy in our records. Please notify the AAR of any incorrect listings. You can contribute to the Academy Fund online at www.aarweb.org/about_AAR/support_AAR or call us at 404-727-3049.

The AAR thanks these generous members for supporting the work of the Academy through Sustaining and Supporting Annual Memberships: Sustaining Supporting Richard J. Mouw Kerri A. Kor Jeffrey L. Stout

October 2007 RSN • 31 Religious Studies News

MAMIYA, from p.28 from economic privilege, I’d really never thought much about prison. Stepping into Insightful and Challenging Myriam Brulot ’92 became a lawyer in one was an amazing experience. It really broke Canada and is working with incarcerated First my heart to see people who had great things to Nations men and women in Canadian pris- contribute to the world — and who had made The Messiah ons. Kaia Stern ’96, who went to Green some very bad mistakes — being denied the In Early Judaism and Christianity Haven three times a week, received a PhD in opportunity to contribute.” After graduation, MAGNUS ZETTERHOLM, Editor Ethics from Emory University, writing her dis- Fishman worked as a caseworker with San Leading scholars—John J. Collins,Adela Yarbro sertation on the more than 100 graduates of Francisco’s nonprofit Center on Juvenile and the New York Theological Seminary Masters Criminal Justice. She is currently working on Collins, Magnus Zetterholm, Karen Hedner- of Professional Studies Program at Sing Sing appeals of death penalty cases in California. Zetterholm, and Jan-Eric Steppa offer essays Prison, the first academic study of this long- “I needed to see the real-life workings of the on the traditions that shaped Jewish and term program. She has also included a course criminal justice system. The Green Haven pro- Christian belief. on prisons in her teaching. After graduation, gram is a great example of a well-rounded aca- Sarah Fromm ’02 wanted to combine her 978-8006-2108-7 192 pp pbk $18.00 demic experience. It was touching. It hit me interests in women’s studies and prisons. She like a brick, and it changed my life,” said Rob applied for a job with the Women’s Prison Dinah’s Lament Justin Martyr Hope ’00. Hope recalled how easy it was to Association and is now deputy director of the The Biblical Legacy of Sexual give up his initial pretenses with the men from and His Worlds organization. She spoke to our prison class and Violence in Christian Interpretation Green Haven. Coming from a suburban SARA PARVIS and PAUL FOSTER, Eds. led our workshop on Women in Prison at the JOY A. SCHROEDER Midwestern background, Hope at first A state-of-the-art study of the great reunion. Shows Christian interpretations about apologist and his engagement with thought he needed to “pretend like I knew rape can be more disturbing than the Gnostic Christianity, Judaism, and the Ron Armwood ’02, an African-American what they were talking about. But the men biblical texts themselves. Roman Empire. Vietnam veteran and a member of a Special were so nonthreatening; they were straightfor- 978-8006-3843-6 325 pp pbk $35.00 978-8006-6212-7 256 pp hc $35.00 Forces “hunter-killer” team, became addicted ward and encouraged honesty.” After gradua- to narcotics after he was wounded on a mis- tion, he worked for several years for the Vera sion behind enemy lines and his team mem- Institute for Justice in New York City. He now The Literature The Ways That bers injected him with morphine over several works for nonprofit organizations focused on of the Sages Never Parted days to keep him quiet and manage his pain. criminal justice issues on the West Coast. Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity He spent 27 years as a heroin addict in New Second Part: Midrash and Targum; David Jaeger ’97 said, “Before my senior year, Liturgy, Poetry, Mysticism; Contracts, and the Early Middle Ages York City but his survival skills kept him from prisons were not on my radar screen. I got an Inscriptions, Ancient Science and the ADAM H. BECKER and ANNETTE being arrested. He eventually turned his life insight into an institution that a lot of Language of Rabbinic Literature YOSHIKO REED, Editors around, went to LaGuardia Community Americans trust but don’t know much about.” Compendia Rerum Judaicarum Foreword by Martin Goodman, College, and transferred to Vassar. As a partici- He has referred to the Green Haven program ad Novum Testamentum Simon Price, and Peter Schäfer pant in the prison program for four semesters, as his “antiracist education” at Vassar. Jaeger SHMUEL SAFRAI, ZEEV SAFRAI, “This outstanding collection, with its he often said to himself that he could easily be has been involved in fundraising, grant writ- JOSHUA SCHWARZ, and lucid and incisive introduction, offers one of the incarcerated men. He graduated ing, and volunteer outreach for the Prison PETER J. TOMSON, Editors students and scholars an exciting with honors in urban studies and went to Book Program in Boston. Explores the literary creation of range of new approaches to the Columbia Law School. Ron is now a director thousands of the often anonymous history of western culture.” of addiction services in New York City. The Vassar College prison program has been Sages of late antiquity and the —Elaine Pagels an experiment in transformative education. It Amie Fishman ’98 said, “In Green Haven, I Middle ages. 978-8006-6209-7 424 pp pbk $29.00 has created a model that can be replicated by had one of those moments when I felt the 978-8006-0606-X 772 pp hc $79.00 other colleges and universities. The words of path of my life turn sharply.” As an ethnob- an incarcerated person named Brickhouse pro- otany major, Fishman said her two semesters vide the most fitting conclusion to this article: at Green Haven “has fueled all of my work “Service to others is the rent you pay for the since then. It just wasn’t an option not to con- space you occupy on this planet.” At bookstores or call 1-800-328-4648 fortresspress.com tinue the work. As a white person coming

REGIONAL MEETINGS, from p.20 series, held in different parts of the region, website for the PNW Region. Participants in focusing on the work of regional authors the Pacific Northwest AAR/SBL and ASOR c) access to regional e-mailings to publicize (these can be works in progress). Regional Meeting must have the appropriate the event. Proposals should be sent to Grove NEMAAR will provide a) grants of up to academic credentials and must be registered Harris at [email protected], $400 to help support related costs; and b) for the meeting to participate. Paper propos- and should include a conference title, an access to regional e-mailings to publicize als (panels and special topics session sugges- abstract, a list of projected speakers, sched- the series. Proposals should be sent to tions are welcome!) not fitting into any of the ule, contact person, and a budget that indi- Michael Hartwig at [email protected], categories below should be sent directly to cates how the NEMAAR grant will be used. and should include a title, abstract, list of Doug McGaughey, Willamette University, If submitted by graduate students, a faculty authors and/or facilitators, schedule, con- Salem, OR 97301, USA; mentor must be identified. Rolling deadline. tact person, and a budget that indicates [email protected]. how the NEMAAR grant will be used. If Teaching Workshops: The topics of great- Archaeology of the Ancient Near East submitted by graduate students, a faculty est interest to our members include course (ASOR): All topics related to art and archae- mentor must be identified. Rolling dead- development and teaching skills. If you ology are appropriate. Emphasis on faunal line. would like to organize a teaching work- and floral remains, depictions, etc., are wel- shop, NEMAAR will provide a) If you have an idea that is not listed here come. Proposals should be submitted elec- NEMAAR grants of up to $800 to help but that you feel is consistent with these tronically at the region’s online website to the support conference-related costs; b) assis- goals, please send an inquiry! For a list of chair, Gloria London, [email protected]. tance with resources to facilitate confer- currently scheduled events, see the New Asian and Comparative Studies: There will ence planning, including best-practice England-Maritimes Region page at be a panel on religious violence and Japanese planning schedules; and c) access to www.aarweb.org/about_AAR/regions/ religions with a special focus on modern regional e-mailings to locate presenters new_england-maritimes. Japan since the Meiji Restoration. Papers on and/or to publicize the event. Proposals this topic are encouraged. Proposals should be should be sent to Barbara Darling Smith Pacific Northwest submitted electronically at the region’s online at [email protected], and should (AAR/SBL/ASOR) website to the chair, Nicholas F. Gier, include a workshop title, abstract, list of May 2–4, 2008 University of Idaho, [email protected]. projected speakers and/or facilitators, George Fox University schedule, contact person, and a budget Hebrew Scriptures: Papers are welcomed in Newberg, OR that indicates how the NEMAAR grant any topic related to Hebrew Scriptures. Early will be used. If submitted by graduate stu- Submit a 150-word abstract for each pro- proposals are especially solicited to assist in dents, a faculty mentor must be identi- posed paper as well as any equipment require- organizing 1) a panel discussion on a regional fied. Rolling deadline. ments for your presentation by January 19, colleague’s recent book; 2) a roundtable dis- 2007, to the electronic paper submission cussion on current regional research trends or Salon Series: A lunch and/or dinner

32 • October 2007 RSN NEWS

future directions for revaluing biblical studies in Thinkers in Contemporary Philosophical and higher education; and 3) special topic sessions. Theological Discourse; 2) Reanalyzing Jung SACRED ORDER/SOCIAL ORDER, Proposals should be submitted electronically at and Freud: Examining Intersections of VOLUME 2 the region’s on-line website to the chair, Heidi Psychological Traditions with Szpek, Central Washington University, Philosophy/Theology; 3) Exploring the Trinity: The Crisis of the Officer Class [email protected]. Considering the Knowability of God and the The Decline of the Tragic Sensibility Sacred; 4) Science New and Past: The Scientific History of Christianity and North American Philip Rieff Traditions in Philosophical and Theological Religions: Papers are welcomed in any area of Kenneth S. Piver, General Editor Perspective; 5) A Feminist Era: Reflections on History of Christianity and North American Edited and with an Introduction by Alan Woolfolk the Contributions of North American Feminist Religions. Proposals are especially solicited on Letty Russell; and 6) Rerouting Philosophy: the the following themes: 1) Religion and social “Rieff, who died this past year at age eighty-three, was Eastern Influences of “Western” Philosophical indisputably one of the most powerful American intellects justice, with special interest in (but not limited and Theological Discourses. Proposals should of the past century, a man of almost staggering erudition to) papers addressing the Quaker church and be submitted electronically at the region’s on- who developed a faith-based critique of modernity and its traditions of social activism; 2) Ecumenism line website to the co-chairs, Dennis Jowers, postmodernity that we ignore at the peril—let me say it— (given that this year is the 60th anniversary of Faith Seminary, [email protected]; and of our souls. His theory of the rise of ‘psychological man,’ the World Council of Churches); 3) Religion, Mari Kim, Emory University, or . . . ‘the therapeutic,’ is one of the most durable concepts ecology, and greening religious communities; 4) [email protected]. we have for grasping the inner dynamics of our culture.”—BookForum Religion, politics, and elections; and 5) Topics related to early church history, including but Women and Religion: AAR: We invite indi- January not limited to ecumenism, social justice, and vidual papers or panels on any aspect of the $34.95 cloth the relationship between church and state. study of women and religion. This section Proposals should be submitted electronically at especially welcomes proposals that facilitate the region’s on-line website to the co-chairs, cross-disciplinary and/or religious traditions in BEWILDERED TRAVEL Suzanne Crawford-O’Brien, Pacific Lutheran the study of women. Papers exploring feminist University, [email protected]; and pedagogy are also welcome. SBL: We invite The Sacred Quest for Confusion Priscilla Pope-Levison, Seattle Pacific University, proposals on women in religious literature Frederick J. Ruf [email protected]. including, but not limited to, ancient Greek and Roman, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and “An extraordinary book. . . . A rare and inviting combination of Interreligious Dialogue with the Natural Asian religions. Papers exploring the connec- scholarly gravitas and heartfelt introspection that makes one Sciences: Papers for this section should focus tion between sacred texts and violence are espe- think much more deeply about travel, religion, and religious on conceptual dialogue with the natural sci- cially welcome. Proposals should be submitted travel.”—Timothy K. Beal, Case Western Reserve University, ences from the perspective of the traditions electronically at the region’s website to the co- author of Roadside Religion: In Search of the Sacred, the normally included under the academic disci- chairs, Ardy Bass, Gonzaga University, Strange, and the Substance of Faith pline “history of religions.” Accordingly, papers [email protected]; and Kendra Irons, George written from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Studies in Religion and Culture Fox University, [email protected]. If you Islamic, and Chinese religious perspectives in $49.50 cloth, $16.50 paper would like to receive our e-mail newsletter, dialogue with the natural on such broad topics please contact us at the e-mail addresses given as cosmology, evolution, stem cell research, above. ecofeminism, the relation between mind and body, the problem of suffering in light of the SACRED CLAIMS theory of evolution, the anthropic principle, Repatriation and Living Tradition and the problem of consciousness are especially welcome. Proposals should be submitted elec- Greg Johnson tronically at the region’s on-line website to the co-chairs, Paul Ingram, Pacific Lutheran “This is one of the smarter books I’ve read on Native American religion. I will reserve a space for it next to University, ; and Mark [email protected] Brown’s Who Owns Native Culture? Like that book, this Unno, University of Oregon, munno@dark- one refuses to ‘seal off [anyone’s] claims from analysis,’ wing.uoregon.edu. including those of Native Americans seeking to negotiate New Testament and Hellenistic Religions: within/across a hegemonic situation. This book is refresh- We welcome papers reflecting the research ing and bold and succeeds because of the author’s superb endeavors of New Testament and Hellenistic and steady intelligence and analytical rigor.” Religions scholars in the Pacific Northwest, and —Joel Martin, University of Massachusetts, author of we especially invite papers on fresh approaches The Land Looks after Us: A History of Native American Religion to classic issues or new methodologies that con- tribute to meaningful biblical interpretation. Studies in Religion and Culture For a second year, we invite papers for a special $55.00 cloth, $19.50 paper session involving “Literary and Theological Readings of the Fourth Gospel.” Papers last year included Levinasian and Bakhtinian read- ings of John, and we welcome further interdis- DOING JUSTICE TO MERCY ciplinary contributions along these lines. Rocky Mountain–Great Plains Proposals should be submitted electronically at (AAR/SBL/ASOR) Religion, Law, and Criminal Justice the region’s on-line website to the chair, Paul N. March 28–29, 2008 Edited by Jonathan Rothchild, Matthew Anderson, George Fox University, Denver Seminary Myer Boulton, and Kevin Jung [email protected]. Denver, CO It is often assumed that the law and religion address different Religion and Society: All topics related to The Regional Program Committee cordially spheres of human life. Religion and ethics articulate complex ethics, ethical decision making, particular ethi- invites you to submit proposals for papers systems of moral reasoning that concern norms, deliberation cal issues, and ethical methodology and theory and panels to be presented at the 2008 of ends, cultivation of disposition, and transformation of are welcome. We especially would welcome Regional Meeting in Denver, CO. The moral agency. Law, in contrast, seeks to govern human con- papers on religion and the environment, peace deadline for submissions is November 1, duct through procedural justice, rights, and public good. issues, and ethics in storytelling. Proposals 2007. Each proposal should consist of a Doing Justice to Mercy challenges this assumption by pre- should be submitted electronically at the one-page abstract describing the nature of senting the reader with an urgent conversation between the region’s on-line website to the chair, Gary the paper or panel and sent as an e-mail law and religion that yields a constructive approach, both theoretically and practically, to the Chamberlain, Seattle University, attachment in MS Word format to complex role of mercy in our legal process. Authored by legal practitioners, activists, and [email protected]. [email protected]. Please be theorists in addition to theologians and ethicists, the essays collected here are informed by sure to include reliable contact information. timeless principles, and yet they could not be timelier. Theology and Philosophy of Religion: While If you require technological support for proposals for papers, panels, and book sessions Studies in Religion and Culture your presentation (such as Internet connec- on all aspects of the disciplines of theology and $49.50 cloth, $19.50 paper tion, or audio and projection equipment), the philosophy of religion are welcome, propos- you must request it with your proposal. als this year are especially solicited for sessions Proposals are welcome in all areas of reli- being anticipated on the following themes: 1) gious and biblical studies. The Program The French Connection: Critical Explorations UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PRESS of the Contributions and Influence of French Continued on p.34 800-831-3406 www.upress.virginia.edu

October 2007 RSN • 33 Religious Studies News

Continued from p.33 South Santa Fe DR, Littleton, CO, 80120, USA; W 303-762-6916; F 303- Committee also welcomes proposals for 761-8060; helene.dallaire@ panels and thematic sessions in the follow- denverseminary.edu. OC@ >G OCCPM>C • Religion and Popular Culture • Religious Rhetoric and Violence • Women and Religion • The Bible and Cognate Literature • Comparative Studies in Religion • Pedagogical Methods and Technologies • Syro-Palestinian Archaeology Only those proposals received by the deadline will be considered for inclusion in the program. Presentations are limited to 20 minutes, with a brief amount of time allowed for questions. Student Paper Awards: Graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals. There will be awards for the best AAR and SBL student papers. The awards are presented during the luncheon on Saturday and carry a stipend of $100 each. To be con- Southeastern sidered for the award, a student should (AAR/SBL/ASOR/SE) submit a copy of the completed paper, March 7–9, 2008 along with an abstract, by October 15, Marriott Century Center 2007. (Papers not chosen for an award Atlanta, GA will be considered for the program.) A student’s name and contact information The following sections and program units should appear only on the cover page of invite members who wish to present a the paper; student papers will be judged paper or coordinate a session to submit anonymously. The paper should be 12–15 proposals (1–2 pages) or completed man- pages double-spaced (for a 20-minute uscripts to the appropriate section chairs presentation). Please submit the paper as by the call deadline, October 1, 2007. an e-mail attachment in MS Word format Each member is limited to one proposal. to [email protected]. Please use the proposal submission form Requests for supporting technology available on the SECSOR website (Internet connection, projector, etc.) must (www.secsor.appstate.edu). Proposals for accompany your proposal. 978-0-06-089027-8 (hc) joint sessions should be sent to all chairs. The Program Committee also invites $27.95 ($32.95 Can.) • 400 pages Please note that unless otherwise indicat- undergraduate papers for the “Theta ed, papers must be of such a length as can Alpha Kappa National Honor Society be presented and discussed within 45 Undergraduate Panel.” There will also be minutes. an award for the best paper in the panel. “A book which left an indelible Please submit a completed paper as an e- Planned use of audiovisual equipment mail attachment to helene.dallaire@den- must be noted on the submission form. imprint on my thinking.” verseminary.edu by October 15, 2007. Because of the very high cost of renting audiovisual equipment, presenters who Regional Scholars Award: The SBL offers —Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wish to use such equipment must provide a Regional Scholars award ($1,000 plus it themselves. SECSOR will provide a national recognition as a Regional limited number of designated AV rooms First published in 1907, Christianity and the Social Scholar) for an outstanding paper present- with a screen, cart, and cords; however, ed at the regional meeting by a PhD can- Crisis was a clarion call for those seriously concerned presenters must bring their own projec- didate or recent PhD (four years or tion, audio, and other AV equipment. So about social justice and an inspiration to such leaders fewer). If you are interested in competing it is still necessary for program planners to in the Regional Scholars competition, you as Reinhold Niebuhr, Martin Luther King Jr., know which presenters are planning to use must indicate so with your paper propos- AV equipment so they can be scheduled Mahatma Gandhi, and Bishop Desmond Tutu. al. See the regional website for more infor- in appropriate rooms. It is imperative that mation (www.rmgp.org). we have all information concerning AV Christianity and the Social Crisis in the 21st Century Program Committee Meeting: The equipment on proposal forms. This allows brings this classic to a contemporary audience with the Program Committee will meet during the us to plan “AV rooms” where sessions with AAR/SBL Annual Meeting in San Diego, similar needs can be scheduled. AV costs addition of new essays by leading religious thinkers who CA, on Saturday evening, November 17, are based on a per room, per day basis. By have continued the legacy of Walter Rauschenbusch and from 9:00–11:00 PM in the San Diego blocking rooms, SECSOR can save sub- Marriott Hotel and Marina, Conference stantially on conference costs. Thank you the Social Gospel Movement: Joan Chittister, James A. Suite 1. All members of the AAR/SBL for your cooperation. Rocky Mountain–Great Plains Region Forbes Jr., Stanley Hauerwas, Richard Rorty, Phyllis The copying of handouts is also the who are willing to serve on the Program responsibility of the presenter. Trible, Jim Wallis, and Cornel West. Committee and review proposals are asked to notify Hélène Dallaire (helene.dal- All program participants must be preregis- [email protected]) or Rick Hess tered for the meeting. ([email protected]), Program Suggestions for new program units or spe- Co-Chairs, by November 1, 2007. cial speakers should be sent to SECSOR’s Proposals and student papers will be sent executive director or to the vice presi- as e-mail attachments to Program dent/program chair of the respective socie- Committee members for their evaluation ty (see list of regional officers below). in early November. It is hoped that at least one faculty person from each of the Consultation on Teaching An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers participating schools in the region will Feminism/Womanism serve on the Program Committee. The consultation invites proposals for 90- Visit www.HarperAcademic.com to sign up for our free e-bulletins. Please send all proposals and inquiries to: minute interactive workshops emphasizing Hélène Dallaire, Denver Seminary, 6399 practical aspects of womanist/feminist peda-

34 • October 2007 RSN NEWS

gogy, with special interest in the following “Reading Biblical Texts and Health.” Submit Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard College presents issues: 1) teaching for/as social change; 2) copies of proposal to chairs: Shelly Matthews THE GOLDEN RULE IN THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD men in the feminist classroom (e.g., men as (NT), [email protected]; N. Tuesday, April 15 — Thursday, April 17, 2008 teachers, students, authors of texts; men and Samuel Murrell (Am. Bib. Herm.), A conference chaired by Bruce D. Chilton and Jacob Neusner masculinity as an area of study/teaching; [email protected]. 2) Papers on all topics transgender and genderqueer issues in the related to Hermeneutics and the Bible will be with support of a grant from the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love feminist classroom); 3) feminism and feminist considered for open session. Send Keynote address: Defining the Golden Rule, William Scott Green, University of Miami pedagogy in foundations courses; and 4) proposal to [email protected] and engaged learning and the development of [email protected]. 3) Invited panel: Bible, HOW THE GOLDEN RULE FIGURES IN WORLD RELIGIONS relationships within the broader community, Science, and Public Policy. The Golden Rule in Ancient Israelite Scripture, Baruch A. Levine, New York University social movements, and organizations. (SBL/ASOR) Archaeology and the Ancient The Golden Rule in Graeco-Roman Religion and Philosophy, Robert Berchman, Workshop proposals may come from individ- Dowling College World (4 sessions) uals or groups, and should be designed to The Golden Rule in Graeco-Roman Religion and Philosophy, Carolyn Dewald, Bard College occupy the space of a full session (90 min- 1) Two open sessions. 2) Workshop on the utes). Submit proposals to co-chairs: Karak Resources Project. 3) Presidential The Golden Rule in Confucianism, Mark A. Csikszentmihalyi, University of Margarita Suarez, Meredith College, Address: John Wineland (Kentucky Christian Wisconsin-Madison [email protected]; and Letitia Campbell, University). Send title and abstract (150 The Golden Rule in Judaism, Jacob Neusner, Bard College

Emory University, [email protected]. words) or complete paper (required of first- The Golden Rule in Zoroastrianism, Mahnaz Moazami, Columbia University time presenters) to chair: Gregory L. Linton, (AAR) Academic Study of Religion and The Golden Rule in Earliest Christianity, Bruce D. Chilton, Bard College Johnson Bible College, 7900 Johnson DR, Pedagogy Knoxville, TN 37998, USA; [email protected]. The Golden Rule as the Law of Nature, from Origen to Martin Luther, Olivier du Roy, Paris

Themes: 1) Open call on Health, Healing, The Golden Rule in Islam, T. Emil Homerin, University of Rochester (AAR) Arts, Literature, and Religion Religion, and Teaching: Papers can include The Golden Rule in Buddhism [I], Kristen Scheible, Bard College, teaching about matters of health and healing Themes: 1) A joint session with the History in the religion classroom, the impact of teach- of Religions section concerning teaching The Golden Rule in Buddhism [II], Charles Hallisey, University of Wisconsin ing religion on one’s health and/or the health Asian religions through literature and film. 2) The Golden Rule in Hinduism, Richard Davis, Bard College of one’s students, the impact of health on Topics focused on the therapeutic uses of ANALYTICAL PERSPECTIVES one’s teaching/learning and/or the students’ artistic media in keeping with the overall Philosophical Perspectives on the Golden Rule, Daniel Berthold, Bard College teaching/learning of religion, teaching religion theme of the conference “Health, Healing, in a “sick” classroom or a “sick” building, etc. and Religion.” 3) Popular conceptions of Philosophical Perspectives on the Golden Rule, Jeffrey Wattles, Kent State University

Health may include but is not limited to Jesus in art and literature after the movie The The Golden Rules of Religion, David Sloan Wilson, The University of Binghamton physical health, mental health, psychological Passion of the Christ, either cultural reactions Why the Practical Wisdom and Moral Logic of the Golden Rule Works Succeeds Where health, and other forms of health/healing and to this film, comparisons, or revisions. 4) Contemporary Ethical Theories Fail, Stephen G. Post, Case Western Reserve University wholeness. 2) Open call on graduate students Open call. Submit proposals to co-chairs: and teaching religion: Papers may include Megan Summers, Berkeley Preparatory How the Golden Rule Can Lead to Reproductive Success: A New Selection Basis for Alexander’s “Indirect Reciprocity,” Chris Boehm, University of Southern California “best practices” by professors who teach grad- School, [email protected], and Adam Ware, uate students, papers by graduate students University of Georgia, [email protected]. Gold or Fool’s Gold? Ridding the Golden Rule of Absurd Implications, Harry Gensler, evaluating their pedagogical method in teach- (SBL) Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament John Carroll University ing religion, papers on being taught religion OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WITHOUT CHARGE as a graduate student, etc. Papers may focus 1) Two or three open sessions. We especially on any of the variety of places in which grad- encourage submissions for a session on Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000 uate students in religion-centered degree pro- “Healing, Health, and the Hebrew Bible.” 845-758-7279 [email protected] www.bard.edu/iat grams might teach or be taught, including For these sessions, please send proposals (or but not limited to undergraduate programs, completed papers if you have never present- graduate secular programs, graduate confes- ed) to Bryan Bibb, Religion Department, and film. 2) Healing in the religions of Asia Greenville, SC 29613, USA; sional/professional programs, places of wor- Furman Hall Suite 206, Furman University, and Africa. 3) Invited panel on Loyal Rue’s [email protected] ship defined widely, and so on. Greenville, SC, 29613, USA; bryan.bibb@fur- book Religion Is Not about God. 4) Religions 3) Open call on Teaching Islam post–9/11. 4) man.edu; and David Garber, McAfee School (AAR) Philosophy of Religion and in diaspora. 5) Open call. Submit proposals Books That Help Us Teach: Hebrew Bible of Theology, Mercer University, 3001 Mercer Theology to chair: Steven Ramey, University of Survey Courses (joint with Hebrew University DR, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA; Alabama, [email protected]. Themes: 1) Open call. 2) “Sin”/“Sickness” as Scriptures/Old Testament). 5) A joint invited [email protected]. 2) An invited panel on theological or philosophical category. 3) session with Academic Study of Religion and “Books That Help Us Teach: Hebrew Bible (AAR) Islam Atonement or Redemption as Healing. 4) Pedagogy on “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” Survey Courses” (Joint with Academic Study This new section was approved by SECSOR Science, Health, and Theology/Philosophy of Submit proposals to chair: Margaret Aymer, of Religion and Pedagogy). 3) An invited in 2007. Themes: Proposals on all topics will Religion. 5) An invited panel discussion of Interdenominational Theological Center, panel commemorating the life and work of be considered, but the following themes are Beth Felker Jones’s Marks of His Wounds: [email protected]. James Barr. 4) An invited panel on interpret- especially invited: 1) A joint session with Gender Politics and Bodily Resurrection. ing the Hebrew Bible in film. Submit propos- (AAR) African-American Religion Women and Religion on “Gender and Submit proposals to chair: Mark S. Medley, als to chair: David Garber, McAfee School of Islam.” 2) A joint session with Academic Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, 631 S. Themes: 1) Open Call. 2) New Directions in Theology, [email protected]. Study of Religion and Pedagogy on Limestone ST, Lexington, KY 40508, USA; the Study of African-American Religion: (AAR) History of Christianity “Teaching Islam post 9/11.” 3) Islam in the [email protected]. Papers are sought that offer new angles of West. 4) Islam and Modernity. 5) Islamic vision for the present and future study of A call for papers in the History of (AAR) Religion, Ethics, and Society Mysticism. 6) Topics in Islamic History. African-American religion. This includes Christianity on the general theme of “Health, Submit a copy of your proposal to co-chairs Themes: 1) Open call. 2) Health, Healing, engagement with interdisciplinary anthologies Healing, and Religion” in the Early Church, Juliane Hammer, University of North Religion, and Ethics. 3) Environmental and individual texts such as Gayraud S. Medieval Period, Reformation, or Modern Carolina at Charlotte, [email protected], Ethics. 4) A joint invited session with Wilmore’s African American Religious Studies, Christianity, especially considering the prac- and Rachel Scott, Virginia Tech, Academic Study of Religion and Pedagogy Eddie S. Glaude Jr. and Cornel West’s African tice of healing in modern Pentecostal and [email protected]. on “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” Submit a American Religious Thought, and the work of Charismatic movements, as well as theologies copy of your proposal to co-chairs Laura Anthony B. Pinn. 3) African Americans, of health and healing in Catholic and (SBL) New Testament Stivers, Pfeiffer University, laura.stivers@pfeif- Popular Religion, and Postmodernity: Papers Protestant writers. Submit proposals to chair: Themes: 1) Open Call. 2) Call for papers fer.edu, and Grace Kao, Virginia Tech, are sought that engage postmodern concerns Michael Simmons, Auburn University, bish- related to the theme of the New Testament, [email protected]. and popular religion among African [email protected]. health, and healing. 3) Call for papers on Americans. This includes Pentecostal expres- (AAR) Religion in America (AAR) History of Judaism (2 sessions) extracanonical texts related to issues of sions of Christianity, Christian fundamental- Christian origins. 4) Invited Panel on topic to Themes: 1) Open call. 2) Religion and ism, religious media, and popular representa- 1) Second Temple Judaism. 2) Open topics. be announced. 5) A joint session with the Popular Culture. 3) Religion and Family tions of African-American religion in litera- Submit proposals (or completed papers if you American Biblical Hermeneutics Section on and/or Religion and Politics. 4) Waco: 15 ture and popular culture. 4) Joint session with have never presented) to Gilya Schmidt, “Reading Biblical Texts and Health.” For Years Later. 5) Joint session with African- Religion in America: Invited panel featuring Department of Religious Studies, University theme #5, submit copies of proposal to chairs American Religion: Invited panel featuring Esrkine Clarke’s award-winning book of Tennessee, 501 McClung Tower, of both sections: Shelly Matthews (NT), Erskine Clarke’s award-winning book Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic. Submit Knoxville, TN 37996-0450, USA; [email protected], and N. Samuel Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic. Submit proposals to chair: Ronald B. Neal, Claflin [email protected]. Murrell (Am. Bib. Herm.), proposals to chair: Lynn S. Neal, Wake Forest University, [email protected]. (AAR) History of Religions [email protected]. All other submissions University, [email protected]. (AAR/SBL) American Biblical should be sent to chair: Shelly Matthews, Themes: 1) A joint session with the Arts, Continued on p.36 Hermeneutics Furman University, 3300 Poinsett HWY, Literature, and Religion section concerning Themes: 1) Joint open session with NT: teaching Asian religions through literature

October 2007 RSN • 35 Religious Studies News

content of films, novels, television series, Comparative and Asian Studies in paintings, etc. Is this a valid scholarly exercise? Religion: The Comparative and Asian SeminarsSeminars inin ChristianChhristian ScholarshipSchholarshhip Studies in Religion section invites paper pro- Papers are invited that explore this connection posals on any topic concerning all aspects of JoelJoel Carpenter,Carpenterr,, DirectorDirector between popular spiritual expression and schol- Asian religious practice and thought, both arly discourse: Are scholars of religious studies historical and contemporary. However, papers and/or the humanities qualified to examine in the areas of healing and medicine in Asian popular culture? What are the aims of such religions, Asian religions in America, women examination? Is this just fun or legitimate and Islam, and translations and interpreta- scholarship? Who is the audience for such SUMMER 2008 tions in comparative perspective are of special scholarly critiques? Is this scholarly attention to interest. (Some overhead projectors and slide popular culture condescending or a manifesta- projectors may be available; if using a Power tion of the postmodernist rejection of the dis- American Religious Diversity Point presentation, please make your own tinction between high and low culture? arrangement for a data projector). Please let R. Stephen Warner Presentations which address these questions in me know if you have any AV needs. Proposals a creative way — illustration with reference to should not exceed 500 words and should specific works, multidisciplinary collabora- include title, brief description, and an indica- Imaginative Reading and Preaching tion, for instance — will receive preference in tion of the main arguments of the presenta- selection for panels comprising two or three tion (Word attachment via e-mail preferable). Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. papers, organized by approach, theme, or Send proposals to: Ivette M. Vargas, Religious genre. Works in progress, experiments, or the- Studies Department, Austin College, oretical suggestions are also welcome. Please Sherman, Texas 75090, USA; (W) 903-813- send proposals/abstracts that identify the 2479; [email protected]. Christians and Muslims topic and nature of the paper/presentation to Theta Alpha Kappa: Student members of Katherine Downey, The Hockaday School, Theta Alpha Kappa chapters in the Lamin Sanneh [email protected] or katherine- Southwest Region are invited to submit [email protected]. papers for presentation at the regional meet- History of Christianity: The History of ing. Open to all topics. One session will be Check our Web site for the complete schedule. Christianity section has an open call for devoted to the best papers. Submissions must papers. While all submissions in the field will come from the chapter advisor and include 1) Seminars in Christian Scholarship be considered, papers in the following two the presenter’s name and contact information; areas are of special interest, as they reflect the 2) the entire paper (preferred) or an abstract Web site: calvin.edu/scs 450th and 350th anniversaries of the acces- of the paper (acceptable); and 3) name of the E-mail: [email protected] sion of Elizabeth I and the death of Cromwell school. Please include 4) the venue for which Phone: (616) 526-8558 respectively. First, the hundred years from the the paper was prepared (e.g., honors project, time of Elizabeth to the end of the senior thesis, etc.). In the event that there are Fax: (616) 526-6682 Commonwealth, a dynamic period in the his- more proposals than can fit in one session, tory of Christianity; second, African- local chapter advisors may be asked to select American Christianity, particularly the effect the one best submission from their schools. Creative scholarship, lively community, Christian purpose of the 1808 abolition of the U.S. slave trade Submit proposals electronically to: Nadia and how its effects contrasted with Great Lahutsky, Texas Christian University, n.lahut- Britain’s 1807 abolitionist movement. Send [email protected]. proposals to Art A. Torpy, 3605 East Brookview DR, Waco, TX 76710, USA; (W) Continued from p.35 254-235-4948; [email protected]. Philosophy of Religion and Theology: (AAR) Women and Religion Proposals are invited in all areas in philosophy Proposals on all themes will be considered, of religion or in theology. Proposals involving but the following themes are especially multiple presentations or panel discussions encouraged: 1) Woman and/as authority, or (no more than three participants) focused self-authorization; 2) Women writing theolo- upon a single topic, figure, or publication will gy; 3) Women and health (e.g., community be especially welcome (either have each pan- health initiatives, mental health, disability, elist provide an abstract, which is preferred, or women healers, sexuality); 4) Women’s com- supply credentials of panelists). Proposals that munities; 5) A joint session with the Islam feature interdisciplinary or interinstitutional Section on gender and Islam. Submit propos- participation, and that promise to stimulate als to co-chairs: Michelle Voss Roberts, productive discussion, will be favored. Rhodes College, [email protected], and Proposals should be no more than two pages, Emily Holmes, Emory University, Southwest with the title of presentation and some sense [email protected]. of the argument. Include a return address, March 14–16, 2008 contact number, and e-mail address. Please do Undergraduate Research Marriott Hotel, DFW Airport not submit proposals as e-mail attachments; Undergraduate students at institutions in the Irving, TX paste them into the body of the e-mail. Southeast Region are invited to submit papers Submit proposals to: Steve Oldham, The Southwest Commission on Religious for the Undergraduate Session, sponsored by University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Box 8422 Studies invites members of constituent organi- SECSOR. Open to all topics, the session will UMHB Station, 900 College ST, Belton, TX zations to submit paper proposals for the 2008 be composed of the papers considered the 76513, USA; (W) 254-295-4171; sol- Regional Meeting. Proposals should be submit- best submissions by an interdisciplinary com- [email protected]. ted to the person designated in each section. mittee. Students should submit completed Please indicate if the proposal is being submit- Ethics, Society and Cultural Analysis: Upper Midwest papers that reflect original student research of ted to more than one section. Proposals may Proposals for papers or panel discussions are (AAR/SBL) an appropriate length for presentation be submitted to more than one organization, invited on any topic in ethics or cultural March 28–29, 2008 (approximately 12 d.s. pages). No paper over but in order to accommodate as many people analysis, including: social ethics, environmen- Luther Seminary 15 d.s. pages will be considered. One submis- as possible, papers must not be read more than tal ethics, theological ethics, feminist/woman- St. Paul, MN sion per student. Please include on the cover once during the meeting. Unless otherwise ist ethics, philosophical ethics, the history of page contact information for the student and The program committee invites members indicated, the deadline for paper proposal sub- ethics, ethical issues in politics, sexual ethics, a faculty sponsor who has reviewed the sub- of the societies to submit proposals for mission is November 1, 2007. and the use of Scripture or tradition in ethics. mission. Electronic submission preferred. papers to be read at the regional meeting. Also of interest are reflections on capitalism Send submissions by December 15, 2007, to Arts, Literature, and Religion: In recent To submit a proposal, please complete the and globalization, the use and impact of race- chair Bernadette McNary-Zak, Rhodes years scholars in religious studies and the web-based form at http://umw-aarsbl.org/ class-gender ethical analysis, constructive College, [email protected]. Note: humanities have examined works of popular proposal.htm by December 15, 2007. treatments of contemporary ethical issues, Undergraduates may still submit proposals culture that express spiritual experience and Proposals of undergraduate papers are and pedagogical styles in ethics. Send propos- to other sections as well. theological content, applying to that analysis made by members of the societies on als to: Melanie L. Harris, Texas Christian the critical theories and tools of their discipline behalf of their students by completing the University, TCU Box 298100, Fort Worth, to elucidate the explicit and implicit religious form at http://umw-aarsbl.org/ TX 76129, USA; [email protected].

36 • October 2007 RSN NEWS

undergrad.htm. The region only accepts Religion and Science proposals submitted through this website. This section welcomes papers that analyze :DEDDEDVKDVK &&HQHQWWHUHU JOINT AAR/SBL SESSIONS: the various ways that science and religion )RRUU 77HHHDFKLQJDFKLQJ DDQGQG //HDUQLQJHDUQLQJ LLQQ 77KHRORJ\KHRORJ\ DDQGQG 55HOLJLRQHOLJLRQ intersect; topics may include (but are not Jewish Studies limited to) historical analyses, ZZZZZZZZDEDZDEDVKFHQWHUDVKFHQWHUUZDEDZDEDVKHGXDVKHGX The Jewish Studies section concerns itself theological/religious reflection on the with Jewish identity or identities. As such, implications of scientific theories and submissions are welcome on all aspects of methods, scientific theories of religion, and $$5$ 6%/6%/ Jewish ontology and praxis as they relate to examinations of social and political forces the questions of who is a Jew and what is that shape the intersection of science and Judaism. As elsewhere, this session’s religion in contemporary culture. $QQXDO 0HHWLQJJ (Y(YHQWVYHQWV description remains broad to include inter- Greg Peterson, South Dakota State disciplinary theoretical and methodological University, Brookings, SD engagement. )ULGD\  1RYHPEHU1RYHHPEHU  Religion and Ecology Daniel Maoz, University of Waterloo, ‡ 7HDFKLQJ 7KHRORJ\ DQG 5HOLJLRQ Waterloo, ON Submissions are welcome on any aspect of (GLWRULDO %RDUG 0HHWLQJ religion and ecology study, including the Multicultural Perspectives on Theology, role of politics, globalization, war, or legal Religion, and Biblical Interpretation decisions in the creation of and/or resist- 6DWXUGD\  1RYHPEHU  This section seeks papers that address the- ance to environmental degradation. Other ology, religion, or the Bible from diverse topics within the field are encouraged. ‡ 7HDFKLQJ ,QWURGXFWRU\ &RXUVHV $ racial, ethnic, and demographic perspec- :DEDVK &HQWHU :RUNVKRS Nancy Vitorin-Vangerud, United tives in conversation with analysis of other Theological Seminary, Minneapolis, MN  SP 5HJLVWUDWLRQ 5HTXLUHG forms of difference. Religion, Art, and Culture ‡ :DEDVK &HQWHU 5HFHSWLRQ Priscilla Eppinger, Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa Submissions are welcome on all topics that *+%DOOURRP &'(   SP examine the relationships between religion Teaching the Bible and Religion and cultural ideas, including but not limit- This session welcomes proposals on topics ed to, music, literature, and all forms of 6XQGD\  1RYHPEHU  that explore pedagogical issues specific to art, as well as the ways in which religion ‡ $$5 DQG 6%/ *UDGXDWH 6WXGHQW the teaching of the Bible or religion in shapes and is shaped by culture. /XQFKHRQ 0HHWLQJ undergraduate, graduate, or seminary set- Larry Harwood, Viterbo University, La tings. Analyses of educational theory, 5HJLVWUDWLRQ 5HTXLUHG Crosse, WI teaching practices, and the ways values ‡ /XQFK 7DEOH 7HDFKLQJ &RQYHUVDWLRQV affect teaching and learning are encour- Religion, Gender, and Sexuality aged. In addition to papers, presentations 5HJLVWUDWLRQ 5HTXLUHG Submissions are welcome on all topics that may include opportunities to engage par- explore the intersections between religious ‡ $QQXDO 'LQQHU IRU 1HZ 7HDFKHUV ticipants in activities or discussion. ideas and constructions of gender and/or %\ ,QYLWDWLRQ Matthew Skinner, Luther Seminary, St. sexuality. This section consolidates the Paul, MN Women & Religion and Religion & Sexuality sections. Undergraduate Research 0RQGD\  1RYHPEHU  C. Neal Keye, College of St. Scholastica, ‡ 2SHQ &RQVXOWLQJ RQ *UDQW :ULWLQJ The Upper Midwest regional meeting Duluth, MN includes undergraduate papers, reflecting  SP &&& the preponderance of undergraduate insti- Philosophy of Religion ‡ :DEDVK &HQWHU 5HOLJLRXVO\ $IÀOLDWHG tutions in the region. Members nominate Systematic Theology outstanding papers. Each institution is &ROOHJH DQG 8QLYHUVLW\ )DFXOW\ /XQFK This section invites papers that examine allowed up to two submissions. 5HJLVWUDWLRQ 5HTXLUHG the interface between philosophy and reli- Lori Brandt Hale, Augsburg College, gion, including both philosophical posi- Minneapolis, MN tions within religion and philosophy of religion more generally, as well as construc- 5HJLVWUDWLRQ ,QIRUPDWLRQ AAR SESSIONS: tive theological work in dialogue with both ZZZZZZZDEZDEDVKFHQWHUEDVKFHQWHUZDEDVZDEDVKHGXVKHGX Ethics historical traditions and aspects of the con- temporary context. This section welcomes papers from both practical and analytical perspectives on the Paul Capetz, United Theological Seminary, :RUNVKRRUNVKRSVRSV DQGDQG &ROOR&ROORTXLHVTXLHV effect of faith in the lives of individuals St. Paul, MN (agent ethics) and the impact of religion on World Religions  the common good (social ethics). Submissions are welcomed on any topics Mary Gaebler, Gustavus Adolphus College, related to religious traditions other than St. Peter, MN $$FFHFFHSWLQJSWLQJ $$SSOLFDWLRQSSOLFDWLRQQVV Judaism and Christianity, or topics that 'HDGOLQH'HDGOOLQH -DQXDU\   Historical Perspectives on Religion involve comparative reflection on more than one religious tradition. This year, we This section seeks papers dealing with the  &ROORTXLHV&ROORTXLHV DQGDQG :RUNVRUNVKRSVVKRSV RQRQ particularly encourage papers that address social, cultural, intellectual, and institu- pedagogical issues in world religions or 77HHHDFKDFKKLQJLQJ DDQGQG //HDUQLQJHDUQLQJ IIRURU tional history of all religious traditions. comparative religion courses; approaches to Submissions using traditional historical or ritual, sacred texts, and/or mysticism in ‡ 3RRVW7VW77HHHQXUHQXUH )DDFXOW\FXOW\ DDWW &&ROOHJHVROOHJHV DDQQQGG interdisciplinary methods are equally wel- Asian religions and/or Islam; and the rela- come. 8QLYHUVLWLHV tionship between globalization, politics, Jim Kroemer, Marquette University, and world religions. ‡ 33UH7UH77HHHQXUHQXUH 77KKKHRORJLFDOHRORJLFDO 66FKRROFKRRO )DDFFFXOW\XOW\ Milwaukee, WI ‡ 33UH7UH77HHHQXUHQXUH 55HHHOLJLRQOLJLRQ )DDFXOW\FXOW\ DDWW &&RROOOHJHVOHJHV DDQGQG Mark Berkson, Hamline University, St. Religions in North America Paul, MN 8QLYHUVLWLHV This section seeks proposals analyzing reli- gious traditions, practices, and communi- ties in North America from a wide range of $SSOLFDWLRQ$SSOLFFDWLRQ ,QIRUPDWLR,QIRUPDWLRQRQ disciplinary perspectives. Continued on p.38 ZZZZZZZDEZDEDVKFHQWHUEDVKFHQWHUZDEDVZDEDVKHGXVKHGX Murphy Pizza, UW–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI

October 2007 RSN • 37 Religious Studies News

Continued from p.37 awarded on a competitive basis. Details may be A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY requested when making a paper proposal. The Lived Religion of Christians in the First Two Thousand Years SBL SESSIONS: Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Modern Christianity to 1900 Exegetical studies of specific texts, theological A People’s History of Christianity,Volume 6 or thematic examinations, and methodological Edited by AMANDA PORTERFIELD proposals are welcome. DENIS R. JANZ, General Editor Paul Niskanen, University of St. Thomas, St. After the Reformation, Christians lived through Paul, MN wars of religion, the Enlightenment, and New Testament colonization. This volume explores the spread of Christianity to lands outside of Europe and the Exegetical studies of specific texts, theological or thematic examinations, and methodological Middle East, the new pluralism within Christianity, 50 illustrations proposals are welcome. index and the incredible transformation of the Americas 8-page color gallery Jeannine Brown, Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, MN and of Christianity in the Americas, including the Western 978-0-8006-3416-2 Daniel Scholz, Cardinal Stritch University, 350 pp hc $35.00 advent of Evangelical, African American, and March 29–31, 2008 Wauwatosa, WI Asian Christianities. Fuller Theological Seminary Christian Apocrypha Pasadena, CA $ Choice Outstanding Academic Titles, 2006 Welcomes papers on extracanonical texts, as The program committee of the AAR/WR subjects of literary and philological investiga- invites members of the AAR to consult the Volume 1 Christian Origins tion; as evidence for the history of religion, WECSOR (AAR/WR) website: Edited by RICHARD A. HORSLEY theology, and cult practice; and as documents www2.sjsu.edu/wecsor/ for conference informa- 978-0-8006-3411-7 hardcover 336 pp $35.00 of the sociosymbolic construction of religious tion and updates. You will be able to view the communities. full text of the call for papers, as well as the Volume 2 conference theme, and you will find links to Late Ancient Christianity Casey Elledge, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. submit proposals to the various section chairs Edited by VIRGINIA BURRUS Peter, MN 978-0-8006-3412-4 hardcover 336 pp $35.00 by September 15, 2007. Religion in the Ancient World Please send proposals to specific sections listed Volume 3 Volume 5 General or specific studies of the practice of on the WECSOR (AAR/WR) website. If you Byzantine Christianity Reformation Christianity religion in the Levant from Canaanite through have questions about the program, please e- Edited by DEREK KRUEGER Edited by PETER MATHESON the Byzantine periods. mail AAR/WR 2008 Program Chair Norris 978-0-8006-3413-1 hardcover 272 pp $35.00 978-0-8006-3415-5 hardcover 324 pp $35.00 W. Palmer at [email protected] or Glen Menzies, North Central University, Volume 4 Volume 7 Forthcoming WECSOR Secretary William Krieger at Minneapolis, MN Medieval Christianity Twentieth Century Global [email protected]. Edited by DANIEL E. BORNSTEIN Christianity Greek and Roman Religions 978-0-8006-3414-8 hardcover 350 pp $35.00 Edited by MARY FARRELL BEDNAROWSKI Theme: “Where the Mainstream Becomes a Proposals for papers on any aspect of the histo- Trickle: The Complex Relation of Center & ry of religions in Greek and Roman antiquity Periphery” are welcome. This year’s theme is intended to foster explo- At bookstores or call 1-800-328-4648 fortresspress.com Philip Sellew, University of Minnesota, ration of the many ways in which center and Minneapolis, MN periphery are related in all facets of the work we undertake: the fields we construct, the sub- Early Judaism and Judaic Studies jects we choose to study, the methodologies we The Early Judaism and Judaic Studies section employ, the ways in which we organize our ASSISTANT PROFESSOR concerns itself with the literatures, histories, professional guilds, societies, and journals, and and cultures of ancient Judaism. The breadth so forth. Are some aspects of our studies truly DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY of the section’s description is intentional, an central while others stand appropriately at the invitation to those in collateral fields to join in margins? What makes something central or AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES interdisciplinary interaction and scholarship peripheral to our interests and by what war- regarding virtually any aspect of ancient rants do we justify such arrangements? BALL STATE UNIVERSITY Judaism. The AAR/WR program committee invites MUNCIE, INDIANA Michael Wise, Northwestern College, St. Paul, members of the AAR to submit proposals MN directly to the section chairs in their subareas of interest. Proposals for special sessions or Archaeology and Excavation Reports Tenure-track position available August 22, 2008, in religion and culture with panel discussions should be sent to Norris W. (sessions co-sponsored by ASOR) specialization in Bible and cultural critical theory. Major responsibility: Palmer, 2008 AAR/WR Program Chair, teaching load of six courses per year (3/semester), undergraduate. Typical All topics pertaining to the archaeology of the [email protected]. Deadline for submis- semester teaching duties include two sections of “Introduction to Religion ancient Near East including excavation updates sions: September 15, 2007. and Culture,” and one upper-level course in the candidate’s area of expertise and summaries of work in progress. AAR/WR Student Paper Competition: or competency. The departmental focus is Religion and Culture, especially Mark Schuler, Concordia University, St. Paul, AAR/WR invites its graduate student members the modern period. Minimum qualifications: earned doctorate in religious MN to submit their accepted papers to compete for studies or comparable discipline with a specialty in Religion and Culture: first-, second-, and third-place awards. Awards Bible and Cultural Critical Theory by August 20, 2008; competency in one Multiple Submissions: (New policy) Scholars will be given to the papers that present the or more of the following — Bible and Film, Bible and Politics, Bible and may submit only one paper proposal to one most intellectually sophisticated and rigorous Popular Culture, Art of Biblical Interpretation, Bible and Colonialism, Bible session of the Upper Midwest regional meet- treatment of a topic related to the conference and Cultural Studies; depth and breadth of training in biblical and religious ing. Subsequent submissions will be declined. theme. All interested AAR/WR grad students studies is expected along with the ability to do research; ability to teach Questions and Other Topics: Questions who are attending the conference should send “Introduction to the Bible.” Preferred qualifications: experience mentoring about the upcoming meeting or the appropri- an e-copy of their finished papers to Jon R. undergraduate students; experience in diversity issues; dedication to teaching ate section for proposals should be directed to Stone, President, AAR/WR at jrstone@ and research. Deanna A. Thompson, Hamline University, csulb.edu. Deadline for submissions is no later Send letter of application, curriculum vitae, graduate school transcripts, 1536 Hewitt AVE, St. Paul, MN 55104, USA; than January 15, 2008. three letters of recommendation writing sample, and brief statement of [email protected]. Proposals for teaching philosophy and research interests to: Dr. Elizabeth Agnew, Search papers or topics not listed in the call for papers Committee Chair, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Ball are to be brought to her attention. State University, Muncie, IN 47306. Review of applications will begin Notice to Graduate Students: The Upper September 15, 2007, for initial screening at November AAR. Midwest region is pleased to announce the (www.bsu.edu/religiousstudies) availability of travel scholarships in the amount The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks to attract an of $100 and $250 for graduate students whose active, culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber. Ball papers are accepted for presentation at the State University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and is regional meeting. A limited number of these strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community. scholarships are available and they will be

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