ÿþ<html><head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-16"> <title>North American Association for the Study of Religion</title> </head><body leftmargin="0" topmargin="0" bgcolor="#ffffff" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" height="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="4" valign="top" bgcolor="#99ccff" height="31"> <h1> North American Association for the Study of Religion</h1> </td> </tr> <tr> <td rowspan="4" valign="top" width="10%" align="center" bgcolor="#99ccff"> <img src="images/logo4.gif" width="84" height="323"> </td> <td colspan="3" valign="center" bgcolor="#99ccff" height="24"> <p><a href="http://www.naasr.com/about.html">About NAASR</a> | <a href="http://www.naasr.com/membership.html">Membership</a> | <a href="http://www.naasr.com/conferences.html">Conferences</a> | <a href="http://www.naasr.com/publications.html">Publications</a> | <a href="http://www.naasr.com/worldcongress.html">World Congress</a> | <a href="http://www.naasr.com/mtsr.html" target="_blank">MTSR</a> | <a href="http://www.naasr.com/links.html">Links</a> | <a href="http://www.naasr.com/news.html">News</a> | <a href="http://www.naasr.com/index.html">Home</a></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top"> <h1>RECENT NAASR PANELS</h1> <p><a href="#2011"><b>NAASR Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2011</b></a></p> <p><a href="#SBL2010"><b>NAASR at the SBL,Montréal, 2010</b></a></p> <p><a href="#2010"><b>NAASR Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 2010</b></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.naasr.com/worldcongress.html"><b>IAHR World Congress, August 2010</b></a></p> <p><a href="#2009"><b>NASSR Annual Meeting, Montréal, CAN, 2009</b></a></p> <p><a href="#SBL2009"><b>NAASR/SBL Panel, New Orleans, LA, 2009</b></a></p> <p><a href="#2008"><b>NASSR Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, 2008</b></a></p> <p><a href="#sbl08"><b>NAASR/SBL Panel, Boston, MA, 2008</b></a></p> <p><a href="#2007"><b>NAASR Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2007</b></a></p> <p><a href="#2006"><b>NAASR Annual Meeting, Washington, DC 2006</b></a></p> <p><a href="#2005"><b>NAASR Annual Meeting Philadelphia, 2005</b></a></p> <p><a href="#SSSR2005"><b>NAASR/SSSR Panel, Rochester, NY, 2005</b></a></p> <p><a href="#2004"><b>NAASR Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, 2004</b></a></p> <p><a href="#2003"><b>NAASR Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 2003</b></a></p> <p><a href="#SSSR2003"><b>NAASR/SSSR Panel, Norfolk, VA, 2003</b></a></p> <p><a href="#SSSR2002"><b>NAASR/SSSR Panel, Salt Lake City, UT, 2002</b></a></p> <p><a href="#AARSBL2002"><b>NAASR/AAR/SBL Panels, Toronto, ONT, 2002</b></a> </p><p><a name="2011"></a> <h2>2011 Annual Meeting, at the AAR San Francisco<br> Schedule of Meetings</h2> <a href="http://www.naasr.com/NAASRFlyer2011.pdf">Click here for pdf of the 2011 Call for Papers</a> <p><b>Executive Council Meeting</b> <br>Friday, November 18, 9-11 a.m. Room: Hilton Union Square-Yosemite C</p> <p><b>Panel 1: &#8220;Curses and Blasphemy&#8221;</b> <br>Friday, November 18, 1-3:30 p.m. Room: Hilton Union Square-Yosemite A</p> <p>Chair: Frank Korom, Boston University </p><p>Gustavo Benavides, Villanova University: &#8220;The Violence of Religious Language&#8221; </p><p>Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati, University of Zürich: &#8220;Controversial Mary: &#8216;Blasphemy&#8217; between the Public Sphere and the Study of Religion&#8221; </p><p>Steven Engler, Mount Royal University: &#8220;Curses, Cures and Agency in Three Brazilian New Religions&#8221; </p><p>Respondent: Frank Korom, Boston University </p><p><b>Panel 2: &#8220;Hoc Est Enim Corpus Meum: Biopolitical Fantasies of Community Then and Now&#8221;</b> <br>Friday, November 18, 4-6:30 p.m. Room: Hilton Union Square-Yosemite A</p> <p>Chair: Laura Levitt, Temple University </p><p>Jennifer Rust, Saint Louis University: &#8220;Political Theologies of the Corpus Mysticum: Schmitt, Kantorowicz and de Lubac&#8221; </p><p>Kathleen Biddick, Temple University: &#8220;The Flesh of Treason: Biopolitics of the Eucharist Then and Now&#8221; </p><p>Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas: &#8220;Corpus, Body and Sense in Nancy, Deleuze and Charles H. Long&#8221; </p><p>Respondent: Jeffrey W. Robbins, Lebanon Valley College </p><p><b>NAASR Members&#8217; Reception, sponsored by Equinox Publishing</b> <br>Friday, November 18, 7-9 p.m. <br>Restaurant Lulu, 816 Folsom Street, San Francisco </p><p><b>Panel 3: &#8220;The &#8216;Evidence&#8217; of Religion in North America: A Round Table&#8221;</b> <br>Saturday, November 19, 9-11:30 a.m. Room: Hilton Union Square-Yosemite A</p> <p>Chair: Thomas Tweed, University of Texas at Austin </p><p>Kelly J. Baker, University of Tennessee, Knoxville: &#8220;The Good, the Bad, the (Un)Dead: The Klan, Zombies, and the Problem of Legitimate Evidence&#8221; </p><p>Lauren F. Winner, Duke Divinity School: &#8220;Reading Recipes for Religion: Cookbooks and the Sensory History of American Religion&#8221; </p><p>Jennifer Hughes, University of California, Riverside: &#8220;The Object as Evidence in American Religion&#8221; </p><p>Laura Levitt, Temple University: &#8220;Juridical Evidence and the Question of History, Or Justice and Empiricism&#8221; </p><p><b>Business Meeting</b> <br>Saturday, November 19, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Room: Hilton Union Square-Yosemite A</p> <p><b>Panel 4: &#8220;Editors Meet Critics: <i>After Secular Law</i> by Winnifred Sullivan, Robert Yelle, and Mateo Taussig-Rubbo&#8221; (Stanford U.P. 2011)</b> <br>Sunday, November 20, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Room: Moscone Center 2024.</p> <p>Coordinator/moderator: Rosalind I. J. Hackett (University of Tennessee)</p> <p>Panelists:</p> <p>Jason Bivins (North Carolina State University) <br>Elizabeth Castelli (Barnard College) <br>Janet Jakobsen (Barnard College) <br>Randall Styers (University of North Carolina)</p> <p>Response by Winnifred Fallers Sullivan (University at Buffalo Law School ) and Robert A. Yelle (University of Memphis)</p> <p><b>NAASR co-sponsored AAR panels: </b></p><p><b>with the Queer Studies in Religion Consultation</b> </p><p>&#8220;Implications of Jasbir K. Puar&#8217;s Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times, for the Study of Religion&#8221; <br>Saturday, November 19, 1-3:30 p.m. Room: Moscone Center West-2010</p> <p>Chair: Melissa M. Wilcox, Whitman College </p><p>Panelists: </p><p>Rosemary Hicks, Tufts University <br>Joseph A Marchal, Ball State University <br>Nayan Shah, University of California, San Diego <br>Brock Perry, Chicago Theological Seminary <br>Maia Kotrosits, Union Theological Seminary </p><p>Respondent: Jasbir Puar, Rutgers University </p><p><b>with the Cultural History of the Study of Religion Group and the Bible and Cultural Studies Unit of the Society of Biblical Literature</b> </p><p>&#8220;Biblical Studies and the Modern Invention of &#8216;Religion&#8217;&#8221; <br>Saturday, November 19, 4-6:30 p.m. Room: Marriott Marquis-Yerba Buena 9</p> <p>Presiding: Tomoko Masuzawa, University of Michigan </p><p>Panelists: </p><p>Elizabeth A. Clark, Duke University <br>Karen L. King, Harvard University <br>Suzanne Marchand, Louisiana State University <br>Halvor Moxnes, University of Oslo <br>Brent Nongbri, Oberlin College <br>Yvonne Sherwood, University of Glasgow</p> <hr> <p><a name="2010"></a></p> <p><h2>NAASR Annual Meeting, 2010</h2> (including) <h2>Special Reception in Honor of J.Z. Smith</h2> The American Academy of Religion, the North American Association for the Study of Religion, and Equinox Publishers invited all NAASR members to attend a reception in honor of Jonathan Z. Smith, Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor of the Humanities at the University of Chicago and former President of both NAASR and the Society of Biblical Literature, on the occasion of his "Lifetime of Learning" Plenary Address to the American Academy of Religion. <p>Location: AAR Presidential Marquis Suite # 4630, Atlanta Marriott, <br />265 Peachtree Center Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303 <br />Date: Sunday, October 31 <br />Time: 8:30-10:30 p.m. <br />Refreshments were provided.</p> <hr> <h2>NAASR panels at the AAR,<br>Atlanta, GA Oct-Nov 2010</h2> <p><b>Special Extended Executive Council Meeting</b></p> <p>Friday, October 29, 10:00 to 12:00 noon and 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Hyatt Regency - Kennesaw. <br />Open only to members of the NAASR Executive Council and Advisory Committee.</p> <p><b>Panel 1: &ldquo;Theorizing Religion&rdquo;</b> <br />Friday, October 29, 4:00-6:30 p.m. Marriott Marquis - International 4. <br />Chair: Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, University at Buffalo</p> <ul> <li>Ann Burlein, Hofstra University: &ldquo;Knowledge is Made for Cutting: Using Foucault's <i>Birth of the Clinic</i> to Re-Situate the Contemporary Prominence of Cognitive Science Accounts of Religion&rdquo;</li> <li>Gustavo Benavides, Villanova University: &ldquo;Linguistic vs. Discursive Grounds for the Systematic Neglect of Theories of Religion&rdquo;</li> <li>Arthur McCalla, Mount Saint Vincent University: &ldquo;Benjamin Constant: Theorist of Religion and Modernity&rdquo;</li> <li>Respondent: Nancy Levene, Indiana University</li> </ul> <p><b>NAASR Business Meeting</b> <br />Saturday, October 30, 11:45-12:45 p.m. Marriott Marquis - International 8. <br />All NAASR members are encouraged to attend and vote for new officers.</p> <p><b>Panel 2: &ldquo;Talal Asad, Three Decades in Review: The Use and Abuse of <i>Anthropologies of Islam, Genealogies of Religion, and Formations of the Secular</i>&rdquo;</b> <br />Saturday, October 30, 1:00-3:30 p.m. Marriott Marquis - International 3. <br />Chair: Arvind Mandair, University of Michigan</p> <ul> <li>Ananda Abeysekara, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: &ldquo;The Untranslatability of Religion, the Untranslatability of Life: What Remains Unthought about Talal Asad&rsquo;s Thinking within Religious Studies&rdquo;</li> <li>Markus Dressler, Istanbul Technical University: &ldquo;From Sacred-Profane Binaries, Towards the Religo-Secular Continuum, and Back&rdquo;</li> <li>Rosemary Hicks, Tufts University: &ldquo;Asad, W.C. Smith, and Liberal Critiques of Individualist Ethics and Studies of Islam&rdquo;</li> <li>Ruth Mas, University of Colorado at Boulder: &ldquo;The Distanciation of the Secular&rdquo;</li> </ul> <p><b>Panel 3: &ldquo;The Legacy of L&eacute;vi-Strauss&rdquo;</b> <br />Saturday, October 30, 4:00-6:30 p.m. Marriott Marquis - International 3. <br />Chair: Paul Johnson, University of Michigan</p> <ul> <li>Jens Kreinath, Wichita State University: &ldquo;Bricolage and the Fractal Dynamics of Ritual: Claude L&eacute;vi-Strauss and his Legacy for the Study of Religion and Practice&rdquo;</li> <li>Christopher I. Lehrich, Boston University: &ldquo;Overture and Finale: L&eacute;vi-Strauss, Music, and Religion&rdquo;</li> <li>Paul-Francois Tremlett, Birkbeck College, University of London: &ldquo;L&eacute;vi-Strauss and Religious Studies&rdquo;</li> <li>Respondent: Ivan Strenski, University of California at Riverside</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <a name="SBL2010"></a> <p><b>NAASR at the Society of Biblical Literature: <br />&ldquo;Translation, Anachronism, and Ideology in Scholarship on Early Christianity&rdquo;</b> <br />Saturday, November 20, 4:00-6:30 p.m. <br />Hyatt Regency - Edgewood <br />Willi Braun, University of Alberta, Presiding</p> <ul> <li>Jennifer Eyl, Brown University: &ldquo;Filling in the Semantic Voids and New Testament Translation&rdquo;</li> <li>Erin Roberts, University of South Carolina: &ldquo;Considerations of Hamartia as  Sin in Proto Christian Texts&rdquo;</li> <li>Paul Robertson, Brown University: &ldquo;De Spiritualizing Pneuma: Modernity, Religion, and the Consequences of Anachronism&rdquo;</li> <li>Heidi Wendt, Brown University: &ldquo;Paganism Must Really End, and Not Because Theodosius Says So! Methodological Implications of the Term  Pagan in Modern Academic Vocabulary&rdquo;</li> <br />All papers will be 30 minutes. </ul> </p><p><a name="2009"></a> </p><p>NAASR Annual Meeting, 2009 <br>(including) <br><a href="#Joint2009">Joint Round Table with The Critical Theory and Discourses in Religion Group of the AAR</a> <a name="2009"></a> </p><hr> The Annual NAASR/Equinox Reception for Members and Guests was on 7:30 on Friday, November 6th at L'Auberge le Saint Gabriel. It was a great success and many thanaks are due to Luther Martin for his organization and to Janet Joyce of Equinox Publishing for her much appreciated support. <br><a href="http://www.naasr.com/NAASREquinoxReceptionDirections2009.pdf">See this pdf document for links and directions</a>. <hr> <b>NASSR Annual Meeting <br>November 7th - 10th 2009 <br>Montréal, Québec, Canada </b><hr> <b><b><center>All NAASR meetings take place in Palais des Congrès de Montréal (PDC) 201 Avenue Viger West, except for one in La Centre Sheraton (LCS) 1201 Boulevard Rene-Levesque West.</center></b> </b><hr> <p><b><b>North American Association for the Study of Religion, <br>Executive Council Meeting <br>Friday, November 6, 2009 <br>9:00 AM - 12:00 PM <br>M6-103: PDC 512C</b></b></p> <p><b><b>Working Group on Secularisms and Pluralisms <br>Friday, November 6, 2009 <br>10:00 - 12:00 PM <br>M6-107: LCS Jarry</b></b></p> <p><b><b>Session One: Friday, November 6, 2009, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM <br>Particular American Politics and Universal Religious Freedom: <br>"Judeo-Christians," "Abrahamic Traditions" &amp; the International Religious Freedom Act <br>M6-200: PDC 513C</b> <br><br>Panelists: </b></p><ul><li><b>Erika W. Dyson, Harvey Mudd College:<br>"The Magic of Regulation: Spiritualists, Immigrants and Legislating Religion in 1920s NY."</b></li> <li><b>Jodi Eichler-Levine, University of Wisconsin:<br>"Raising Up Citizens of Memory: Girlhood in Jewish and Palestinian American Children s Literature,1945-2007."</b></li> <li><b>Rosemary Hicks, Columbia University:<br>"Judeo-Christians and Abrahamic Traditions in the Cold War U.S. and Canada."</b></li> <li><b>Rick Moore, University of Chicago:<br>"Genres of Religious Freedom: Narrative and Tensions in the International Religious Freedom Reports, 1999-2008."</b></li> <li><b>Respondent: Sylvester Johnson, Indiana University, Bloomington.</b></li> <li><b>Chair: Daniel Vaca, Columbia University.</b></li></ul> <p></p> <p><b><b>Session Two: Friday, November 6, 2009, 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM <br>Disenchantment and Reenchantment in Political Theology: <br>Diagnosing the Crisis of Liberalism <br>M6-305: PDC 510D</b> <br><br>Panelists: </b></p><ul><li><b>Benjamin Lazier, Reed College:<br>"Miracles and the Crisis of Liberalism between the Wars and Beyond."</b></li> <li><b>Kurt Anders Richardson, McMaster University:<br>"Legislation and Affection: On the Anthropological Dimensions of a Political Theology."</b></li> <li><b>Bruce Rosenstock, University of Illinois:<br>"Hegel and Modern Political Theology."</b></li> <li><b>Robert Yelle, University of Memphis:<br>"Liberalism Has No Charisma: Critiques of the Political Theology of Modernity in Max Weber, Carl Schmitt, and Philip Rieff."</b></li> <li><b>Respondent: John Milbank, University of Nottingham.</b></li> <li><b>Chair: Nancy Levene, Indiana University.</b></li></ul><p></p> <p><b><b>Session Three: Saturday, November 7, 2009, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM <br>Postcoloniality, Secular Critique, and Democratic Futures <br>M7-111: PDC 517B</b> <br><br>Panelists: </b></p><ul><li><b>Ananda Abeysekara, Virginia Tech:<br>"Im-possibility of Secular Critique, Future Memory of Postcolonial Religion."</b></li> <li><b>Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas:<br>"'Vodou' Economics: Haiti and the Future of Democracy."</b></li> <li><b>Laura Levitt, Temple University:<br>"American Jews, Religious Pluralism, and the Secular Public Sphere: Reconsidering the terms of Democratic Inclusion."</b></li> <li><b>Arvind Mandair, University of Michigan:<br>"Infecting Democracy: Indian Secularism and the Problem of Interdiction."</b></li> <li><b>Respondent: Tim Fitzgerald, University of Stirling, Scotland.</b></li> <li><b>Chair: Daniel Douglas Miller, Syracuse University.</b></li></ul><p></p> <p><b><b>North American Association for the Study of Religion, Business Meeting <br>Saturday, November 7, 2009, 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM <br>M7-124: PDC 516C</b></b></p> <p><b><b>Co-Sponsored Session with the Study of Islam Section <br>Saturday, November 7, 2009, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM <br>Theories and Methods in the Academic Study of Islam <br>A7-207: PDC 516C</b> <br><br>Panelists: </b></p><ul><li><b>Ayesha Chaudhry, Colgate University</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Juliane Hammer, University of North Carolina, Charlotte</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Ruth Mas, University of Colorado</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Robert Rozehnal, Lehigh University</b></li><li> <b> </b></li><li><b>Noah Salomon, Yale University and the University of Chicago</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Presiding: Rosemary Hicks, Columbia University</b></li></ul><p></p> <b><a name="Joint2009"></a> </b><p><b><b>Co-Sponsored Session with the Critical Theory and Discourses in Religion Group of the AAR. <br>Saturday, November 7, 2009, 4:00 - 6:30 PM <br>Round Table on Theoretical-Critical Issues in the Study of Religion <br>A7-315: PDC 517D</b> <br><br>Panelists: </b></p><ul><li><b>Gustavo Benavides (Moderator), Villanova University </b></li><li><b>Hans Kippenberg, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Nancy Levene, Indiana University, Bloomington</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Bryan Rennie, Westminster College, PA (substituting for Kevin Schilbrack)</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Ivan Strenski, University of California, Riverside</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Kocku von Stuckrad, University of Groningen, Netherlands</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Ann Taves, University of California, Santa Barbara</b></li> <b> </b><li><b>Robert Yelle, University of Memphis</b></li></ul> <b><a href="http://www.naasr.com/RoundTable.html">Further Information on the Round Table.</a></b><p></p> <p><b><b> NAASR Working Group on the Implementation of Theory <br>Saturday, November 7, 2009, 6:45 PM - 8:30 PM <br>M7-401: PDC 517D</b></b></p> <p><b><b> NAASR Working Group on the Semiotics of Religion <br>Sunday, November 8, 2009, 6:45 PM - 8:45 PM <br>M8-402: PDC 512B</b></b></p> <b><a name="SBL2009"> </a></b><hr> <p align="center"><b><a name="SBL2009"><b>NAASR panel at SBL in New Orleans, Louisiana, November 21-24: Theme: The Bible in the Study of Religion</b> </a></b></p><ul><li><b><a name="SBL2009">Willi Braun, University of Alberta, Presiding</a></b></li> <b><a name="SBL2009"> </a></b><li><b><a name="SBL2009">William Arnal, University of Regina: "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? The Origins of Christianity and the Study of Religion" (30 min)</a></b></li> <b><a name="SBL2009"> </a></b><li><b><a name="SBL2009">Stanley Stowers, Brown University: "The History of Ancient Christianity as the Study of Religion" (30 min)</a></b></li> <b><a name="SBL2009"> </a></b><li><b><a name="SBL2009">Francis Landy, University of Alberta: "The Bible and the Critique of Religion" (30 min)</a></b></li> <b><a name="SBL2009"> </a></b><li><b><a name="SBL2009">Robert Yelle, University of Memphis: "Biblical Studies in the Postcolony: The Implications for Religious Studies" (30 min)</a></b></li></ul><p></p> <p></p><center><b><a name="SBL2009"><img src="images/NAASRSBLNOLA.bmp"> <br>The NAASR panel at SBL in New Orleans.<br>Left to right: Robert Yelle, Stanley Stowers, Willi Braun, William Arnal, Francis Landy.</a></b></center><p></p> <p><b><a name="2008"></a> </b></p><hr> <b><b>NASSR Annual Meeting<br> October 31-November 1, 2008<br> Chicago, IL</b><br> <a href="http://www.naasr.com/callforpapers2008.pdf" target="_blank"><br> Call for Papers</a> (PDF)<br> <br> <br> <b>M31-102<br> Friday, October 31, 2008<br> 9:00-11:30 a.m.<br> Hilton Chicago, Pullman Boardroom</b><br> <br> NAASR Executive Council Meeting<br> <br> <br> <b>M31-200<br> Friday, October 31, 2008<br> 1:00-3:30 p.m.<br> Hilton Chicago, Boulevard C</b><br> <br> Academic Session 1: "The Case(s) of Turkey: From Secularization to De-Secularization?"<br> <br> <i>Presiding</i>: Tim Jensen, University of Southern Denmark<br> <br> Michael Brett Wilson, Duke University<br> "Secularism and the Qur'an: Dealing with an Arabic Qur'an in the Context of Turkish Nationalism"<br> <br> Ivan Strenski, University of California, Riverside<br> "Is the Secular Study of Religion in Turkey a Western 'Imposition?'"<br> <br> Refika Sarionder, University of Bielefeld<br> "Alevis and Turkish Secularism"<br> <br> Jens Kreinath, Wichita State University<br> "Body Symbols and Media Events: How Islamicist Politics and Women's Veiling Became a Major Constitutional Challenge of Turkish Secularism"<br> <br> <br> <b>M31-304<br> Friday, October 31, 2008<br> 4:00-6:30 p.m.<br> Hilton Chicago, Boulevard C</b><br> <br> Academic Session 2: The Testability of Cognitive Theories of Religion<br> <br> <i>Presiding</i>: Luther H. Martin, The University of Vermont<br> <br> Justin L. Barrett, Oxford University<br> "So Counterintuitiveness Helps Explain Religion: What's the Evidence?"<br> <br> Emma Cohen, Oxford University<br> "Do Spirits Have Bodies? Or, Are Ghost Concepts Really Minimally Counterintuitive?"<br> <br> Robert N. McCauley, Emory University<br> "The Importance of Being 'Ernest'"<br> <br> <i>Responding</i>: Brian McCorkle, Boston University<br> <br> <br> <b>M1-106<br> Saturday, November 1, 2008<br> 9:00-11:30 a.m.<br> Palmer House Hilton, LaSalle 5</b><br> <br> Academic Session 3: Religious Institutions in the Context of Finance Market Capitalism<br> <br> <i>Presiding</i>: Bryan Rennie, Westminster College<br> <br> Terry Rey and Suzanne Parlier, Temple University<br> "What Is Religious Capital? Looking for Answers from Bourdieu to Stark"<br> <br> Anne Koch, University of Munich<br> "Neo-Institutionalist Theses on a German Regional Yoga-Market"<br> <br> Jeremy Carrette, University of Kent<br> "Global Institutions, Religious NGOs, and the United Nations: A Study of Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) Economic and Political Influence"<br> <br> Rachel McCleary, Harvard University<br> "Religion and Economic Development: A Two-Way Causation"<br> <br> <br> <b>M1-120<br> Saturday, November 1, 2008<br> 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.<br> Palmer House Hilton, Red Lacquer Room</b><br> <br> NAASR Business Meeting<br> <br> <br> <b>Annual NAASR Reception</b><br> <br> <br> <br> </b><p></p> <b><a name="sbl08"></a> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b><b>NAASR Panel at SBL 2008</b><br> <br> NAASR is sponsoring a panel at the 2008 annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (Boston, MA).<br> <br> <b>22-68<br> Saturday, November 22, 2008<br> Westminster - HI</b><br> <br> "A Quarter Century of Interrogating Religion: From <i>Imagining Religion</i> (1982) to <i>Religion: Beyond a Concept</i> (2008)" <br> <br> <i>Presiding</i><br> <br> Tomoko Masuzawa, University of Michigan<br> <br> <i>Panelists</i><br> <br> Jonathan Z. Smith, University of Chicago <br> Hent de Vries, Johns Hopkins University<br> Russell McCutcheon, University of Alabama<br> Elizabeth Clark, Duke University<br> Yvonne Sherwood, University of Glasgow<br> Winnifred Sullivan, SUNY Buffalo </b><table border="0"><tbody><tr> <td width="360"><img src="images/NAASR_SBL_2008_1.jpg" width="350" height="250"> <br><font size="2">Left to Right: Elizabeth Clark, Hent de Vries, Russell McCutcheon, Winnifred Sullivan, J. Z. Smith, Yvonne Sherwood, Tomoko Masuzawa.<br><br></font></td> <td width="360"><img src="images/NAASR_SBL_2008_2.jpg" width="350" align="top" height="250"> <br><font size="2">Yvonne Sherwood, Winnifred Sullivan, J. Z. Smith, Tomoko Masuzawa. <br>(Photographs courtesy of Willi Braun)<br><br></font></td> </tr></tbody></table> </p><p><b>For information on the SBL's annual meeting, click <a href="http://www.sbl-site.org/meetings/default.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.<br> </b></p> <b><a name="2007"></a> </b><hr> <p><b><b> NAASR Annual Meeting 2007<br> San Diego, CA<br> November 16-17<br> </b><br> To members of the AAR the room locations for the following sessions are currently available only if one logs into their online <a href="http://www.aarweb.org/" target="_blank">program book</a> (found under Meetings). However, the roomns appear below as a service to NAASR members.<br> <br> <b>Note</b>: details on these sessions still appear in the back of the AAR/SBL program book (under Additional Meetings) but they also appear in the AAR's section of the program book (inasmuch as NAASR is recognized as an affiliated academic society of the AAR)--hence the two different session numbering systems: M = Additional Meetings; A = AAR meeting).<br> <br> All NAASR meeting are either in the Marriott &amp; Marina Hotel or the San Diego COnvention Center. Find them on the following <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;time=&amp;date=&amp;ttype=&amp;q=Marriott+Marina+Convention+Center&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=44.47475,95.800781&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;near=San+Diego,+CA" target="_blank">map</a> (on the map B = Convention Center and C = Marriott &amp; Marina).<br> <br> <br> <i> </i><b>M 16-9<br> Friday, November 16, 2007<br> 9:00-11:00 a.m.<br> MM (i.e., Marriott &amp; Marina) - Torrey 1</b><br> <br> <i>Executive Council Meeting</i> (Tomoko Masuzawa, President; Robert Yelle, incoming Executive Secretary/Treasurer)<br> </b></p> <b> </b><p><b><b><br> M 16-53 (also listed as A 16-201)<br> Friday, November 16, 2007<br> 1:00-3:30 p.m. </b><br> <b>CC (i.e., Convention Center) 23A</b><br> <br> <i>Academic Session 1. Ritual Transformation of Agency</i><br> <br> Chair: TBA<br> <br> Jens Kreinath, Wichita State University and University of Heidelberg<br> "Mimesis, Fractal Dynamics, and Agency in Yoruba Spirit Possessions"<br> <br> Gustavo Benavides, Villanova University<br> "Priestly, Institutional, and Material Agency in Roman Catholic Sacramental Practice"<br> <br> Steven Engler, Mount Royal College and Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo<br> "Patronage and Distributed Agency in Brazilian Spirit-possession"<br> <br> <i>Respondent</i><br> Ivan Strenski, University of California, Riverside<br> <br> <br> <b>M16-103 (also listed as A 16-300)<br> Friday, November 16, 2007<br> 4:00-6:30 p.m.<br> Convention Center 23A</b><br> <br> <i>Academic Session 2. Novelty, Presence, and History: Brief Pre-Modern Discourses on Method and Theory</i><br> <br> Chair: TBA<br> <br> Alison Frazier, Department of History, University of Texas, Austin<br> "Saintly Presence: The Wager of Latin Hagiography in Renaissance Italy"<br> <br> Nancy Levene, Department of Religious Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington<br> "Traces of History in St. Anselm"<br> <br> Constance Furey, Department of Religious Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington<br> "Utopian History"<br> <br> <i>Respondent</i><br> Nathan Rein, Ursinus College<br> <br> <br> <b>M 17-24 (also listed as A 17-137)<br> Saturday, November 17, 2007<br> 9:00-11:30 a.m.</b><br> <b>Convention Center 28A</b><br> <i><br> Academic Session 3. Taxonomies in the Study of Religion</i><br> <br> Chair: TBA<br> <br> Craig Martin, Department of Religion, Syracuse University<br> "Strategic Uses of 'Religion': Taxonomy and Metonymy in Political Discourse"<br> <br> Leah Payne, Vanderbilt University<br> "Time on Their Side: Using Philosophy of Time to Understand Distinctions Between Early American Pentecostals and Fundamentalists"<br> <br> Thomas B. Ellis, Appalachian State University<br> <br> "Spirituality Redescribed, Self-esteem Misrecognized"<br> <br> <i>Respondent</i><br> Aaaron Hughes, University of Calgary <br> <br> <br> <b>M 17-37<br> Saturday, November 17, 2007<br> 11:45-12:45 p.m.<br> Convention Center 28A</b><br> <br> <i>NAASR Annual Business Meeting</i> (Robert Yelle, incoming Executive Secretary/Treasurer)<br> <br> <br> <b>Saturday, November 17, 2007<br> 7:00 p.m.<br> </b><br> <i>Annual NAASR/<a href="http://www.equinoxpub.com/books/browse.asp?serid=38" target="_blank">Equinox</a> Reception</i><br> <br> To be held at <a href="http://www.dublinsquareirishpub.com/home.html" target="_blank">Dublin Square Irish Pub</a>, 554 Fourth Ave., San Diego--just a block north and three blocks east of the Convention Center (see <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-18,GGLR:en&amp;um=1&amp;q=dublin+square&amp;near=San+Diego,+CA&amp;fb=1&amp;cid=0,0,8073831820833220888&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=local_result&amp;resnum=1&amp;ct=image" target="_blank">map</a>). Drink tickets will be distributed on site for one free drink. </b></p> <b><a name="2006"></a> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b> <font size="3"><b>NAASR Annual Meeting <br> November 17-18, 2006<br> Washington, DC</b><br> <br> This year, panel and individual paper proposals were accompanied by a newly developed <a href="http://www.naasr.com/cover%20sheet%202006.pdf">cover sheet</a> [PDF], including hardcopies of all required supporting materials; proposals were only accepted from March 15 through April 15, 2006.<br> <br> Although only two program units traditionally comprised this meeting (one Friday afternoon and another Saturday morning), followed by a brief business meeting, for the past two years NAASR has successfully hosted three program units (and one working group) in addition to its annual business meeting. Given the increased number of strong proposals submitted this year to NAASR and the increased number of NAASR members, Vice President Julie Ingersoll (along with her 2006 Program Committee: Bill Arnal, Winni Sullivan, and Tom Tweed) have arranged the 2006 annual meeting to consist of four program slots and a working group. Other elements to the meeting will be: an executive council meeting, a general business meeting of the membership, and a Saturday evening reception. <br> <br> <br> <b> PROGRAM</b><br> <br> <b>NAASR Executive Council Meeting<br> Friday, November 17, 2006<br> 9:00-11:30 a.m.</b><br> <b><i>Renaissance Washington, Meeting Room 2</i></b><br> <br> An agenda will be created (with input from the Executive) during the summer and distributed to Council members prior to the meeting. Councilors are requested to arrange their travel to make attendance at this important meeting possible.<br> <br> <br> <b> Academic Session 1<br> Friday, November 17, 2006<br> 1:00-3:30 p.m.<br> <i>Washington Convention Center 149A</i></b><br> <br> Theme: Egregious Elephants?: Unexplained Oversights and Omissions in the Academic Study of Religion<br> <br> Chair: Leslie Smith, University of California, Santa Barbara<br> <br> Bryan Rennie, Westminster College<br> <i>"Iranian Eschatology and Middle Eastern Religion: Explaining the Relative Absence of the Zoroastrian Tradition from Mainstream Anglophone Biblical and Religious Studies"</i><br> <br> Greg Alles, McDaniel College<br> <i>"Hindutva and History: On the Adverse Effects of Political Ideology on Writing the History of Hinduism"</i><br> <br> Jeffrey J. Kripal, Rice University<br> <i>"'Wild Facts': Some Thoughts on our Taming Neglect of F.W.H. Myers and Ian Stevenson"</i><br> <br> Respondent: Ivan Strenski, University of California, Riverside<br> <br> <br> <b> Academic Session 2<br> Friday, November 17, 2006<br> 4:00-6:30 p.m.</b><br> <i><b>Washington Convention Center 149A</b></i><br> <br> Theme: Context: 'Religion' as a Colonial and Postcolonial Category<br> <br> Chair: Marie Eisenstein, Indiana University Northwest<br> <br> Tim Fitzgerald, University of Stirling<br> <i>"Encompassing Religion, Privatized Religions, and the Invention of Modern Politics" </i><br> <br> John Zavos, University of Manchester<br> "'Bin Laden is one of us!' Representation and the Play of Identities at the Parliament of the World's Religions" <br> <br> Jun Isomae, Japan Women's University<br> <i>"Critiquing Current Critiques of the Field of Religious Studies"</i><br> <br> Respondent: Tom Pearson, Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Working Group<br> Friday, Noovember 17, 2006<br> 4:00-6:30 p.m.<br> <i>Renaissance Washington, Meeting Room 5</i></b><br> <br> Theme: Current Directions in the Economic Study of Religion<br> <br> Convenor: </font><font size="3">Anne Koch, University of Munich</font></b></p> <b> </b><p><b><font size="3"> Speaker: Laurence Iannaccone, George Mason University<br> <i>"Current Directions in the Economic Study of Religion"</i><br> <br> Respondents: Steven Engler, Mount Royal College, and John Rundin, University of California, Davis<br> <br> The economics of religion is one of two approaches in the study of religions today that most vigorously tries to explain religious thought and behavior by constructing models to identify mechanisms, rooted in universal human processes, from which that thought and behavior result (the other approach is cognitive science). The last survey of the field was an article written by Laurence Iannaccone in 1998 (<i>Journal of Economic Literature</i> 36 [1998]: 1465-1496). This working group allows Iannaccone, one of the foremost economists who studies religion, to bring members up to date. In a manner that is accessible to people with little formal training in economics, he will introduce current directions in the economic study of religion, reflect on possible emerging trends, and identify areas where scholars whose professional location is in religious studies can fruitfully collaborate with scholars in other parts of the academy interested in this enterprise. Following Iannaccone's presentation, two scholars located within religious studies will respond as a means to initiate discussion of current and possible future work, including work being carried out by members of the group.<br> <br> Four PDFs of Prof. Iannaccone's work are posted below; they are to be read by working group participants prior to the meeting:<br> <br> <a href="http://www.naasr.com/Iannaccone2006.pdf">"Vodoo Economics? Reviewing the Rational Choice Approach to Religion"</a><br> <a href="http://www.naasr.com/Iannaccone2006b.pdf">"Economy" </a><br> <a href="http://www.naasr.com/Iannaccone2006c.pdf">"Religious Extremism: The Good, the Bad, and the Deadly"</a><br> <a href="http://www.naasr.com/Iannaccone2006d.pdf">"Rational Choice: Framework for the Scientific Study of Religion"</a><br> <br> Although audience members are welcome to attend this session, NAASR Working Groups (as defined in Article III Section 2 of the <a href="http://www.naasr.com/bylaws.html#workinggroups">Bylaws</a>) are intended to provide opportunities for scholars interested in a common topic to pursue collaborative work.<br> <br> <br> <a name="congress"></a><b>Information Meeting for NAASR Members<br> "Planning for Toronto's 2010 World Congress of the <a href="http://www.iahr.dk/" target="_blank">IAHR</a>"<br> Saturday, November 18, 2006<br> 7:30-8:30 a.m.<br> <i>Renaissance Washington, Meeting Room 13</i></b><br> <br> This session provides an opportunity for interested NAASR members to learn more about the upcoming IAHR event, to be hosted at the University of Toronto in 2010 (of which NAASR is one of the <a href="http://www.naasr.com/news.html#worldcongress">co-sponsors</a>) and to offer input at this early stage of its planning. The discussion will be led by Donald Wiebe, Director of the World Congress Secretariat, headquartered in Toronto. (Coffee will be provided.) Click here for <a href="http://www.naasr.com/news.html#worldcongress">news</a> of this Congress.<br> <br> <br> <b> Academic Session 3<br> Saturday, November 18, 2006<br> 9:00-11:30 a.m.<br> <i>Renaissance Washington, Meeting Room 13</i><br> </b> <br> Theme: A Conversation with Daniel C. Dennett's <i><a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780670034727,00.html" target="_blank">Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon</a></i><br> <br> Organizer: Benjamin Bennett-Carpenter, Catholic University<br> <br> Chair: Christine Scott, Georgia State<br> <br> Panelists<br> <br> Luther Martin, University of Vermont<br> Matthew Day, Florida State University<br> D. Jason Slone, Webster University<br> Donald Wiebe, University of Trinity College<br> <br> For more information on this book, see the following <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_the_Spell" target="_blank">description</a>.<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Business Meeting<br> Saturday, November 18, 2006<br> 11:30-12:45 p.m.<br> <i>Renaissance Washington, Meeting Room 13</i></b><br> <br> <br> <b> Academic Session 4<br> Saturday, November 18, 2006<br> 1:00-3:30 p.m.<br> </b><b><i>Renaissance Washington, Meeting Room 13</i></b><br> <br> Theme: Hybridity: Critiques and Alternatives<br> <br> Chair: Gustavo Benavides, Villanova University<br> <br> Ipsita Chatterjea, Vanderbilt University<br> <i>"Hybridity, Race, Insider Discourse: The African Methodist Episcopal Church"</i><br> <br> Jens Kreinath, University of Heidleberg<br> <i>"Colonial Displacement, Subversive Agency, Ritual Mimesis: Hybridity and the Hauka"</i><br> <br> Steven Engler, Mount Royal College<br> <i>"Hybridity, Essentialism, Temporality: The Case of Umbanda"</i><br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Presidential Plenary Panel</b><b><br> Saturday, November 18, 2006<br> 4:00-6:30 p.m.<br> <i>Renaissance Washington, Auditorium</i></b><br> <br> Theme: Religion, Law, and the Public Sphere</font><font size="3"><br> <b><br> NOTICE: </b>This session is canceled, due to illness on the part of two panelists and a scheduling conflict for a third.<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Reception<br> Saturday, November 18, 2006</b><br> 6:00-8:00 p.m.<br> <br> <a href="http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/" target="_blank">McCormick &amp; Schmick's Seafood Restaurant</a><br> 901 F Street, NW<br> Washington DC 20004<br> <br> Hors d'oeuvres will be served and a limited number of drink tickets will be pre-distributed at NAASR events. Thanks to John Rundin for kindly volunteering to arrange this reception--last year's was a great success! This year it is again co-sponsored by <a href="http://www.equinoxpub.com/homemain.asp" target="_blank">Equinox Publishers</a>, publisher of <a href="http://www.equinoxpub.com/books/browse.asp?serid=38" target="_blank">NAASR's Key Thinkers book series</a>. <b>Note</b>: the event is at the restaurant's "<b>F Street</b>" location, and not its "K Street" location.<br> <br> <br> <i>Question about the content of the 2006 program can be directed to NAASR VP, <a href="mailto:jingerso@unf.edu">Julie Ingersoll</a>.<br> <br> Questions about the scheduling of the events can be directed to <a href="mailto:russell.mccutcheon@ua.edu">Russell McCutcheon</a>, NAASR Executive Secretary/Treasurer.</i></font><br> <br></b></p> <b><a name="2005"></a> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b> <font size="3"> </font><b>NAASR ANNUAL MEETING 2005<br> </b> <br> NAASR's annual meeting was held in Philadelphia, PA, on November 18-19, 2005. Looking for <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_america/philadelphia/" target="_blank">information</a> on what to do in Philadelphia? Want <a href="http://www.frommers.com/destinations/philadelphia/0023010001.html" target="_blank">more</a>?<br> <br> As usual, NAASR will sponsor three program units, two of which will be on the Friday afternoon and one on Saturday morning, followed by the annual business meeting. New this year is a NAASR-sponsored "working group."<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Executive Council Meeting<br> Friday 9:00-11:30 a.m.<br> Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Rm. 310</b><br> <br> Note: this Executive Council meeting is <i>not</i> listed in the "Additional Meetings" information in the AAR program book.<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Session 1<br> Friday 1:00-3:30 p.m.<br> Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Rm. 409<br> <br> Spectacle and Speculum: Papal Visits and Papal Death in Comparative Perspective</b><br> <br> Organizer: Steven Engler, Mount Royal College<br> <br> Chair: Mary Alyson Prude, University of California Santa Barbara<br> <br> "Papal Liturgies of Death"<br> Gustavo Benavides, Villanova University<br> <br> "The Politics and Morality of the Media Icon: Pope John Paul II and the Culture Wars"<br> Scott Kline, St. Jerome's University - University of Waterloo<br> <br> "'Go With God' But Keep the Corpse in Sight: A Pope On Display"<br> Gary Laderman, Emory University <br> <br> "Papal Ritual, Death, and Politics in Brazil"<br> Steven Engler, Mount Royal College<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Working Group<br> Friday 1:00-3:30 p.m.</b><br> <b>Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Adams Room</b><br> <b> <br> Post-Analytic Philosophy and the Study of Religion</b><br> <br> This working group examines the application of post-analytic philosophy (as represented in the work of Donald Davidson, Robert Brandom, and John McDowell) to the study of religion and investigates how Holistic Semantics addresses both cultural diversity and epistemic unity.<br> <br> The group welcomes observers to attend the session.<br> <br> Participants<br> <br> Jeppe Sinding Jensen, University of Aarhus, Denmark <br> Gabriel Levy, UC Santa Barbara<br> Kevin Schilbrack, Wesleyan College<br> G. Scott Davis, University of Richmond<br> Terry Godlove, Hofstra University<br> Nancy Frankenberry, Dartmouth College<br> <br> Read the <a href="http://www.naasr.com/jensen.pdf">call for papers</a> (PDF) associated with this working group<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Session 2<br> Friday 4:00-6:30 p.m.<br> Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Rm. 409<br> <br> Evaluating D. Jason Slone's <i>Theological Incorrectness: Religious Beliefs and Human Cognition</i></b><br> <br> Organizer and Chair: James A. Van Slyke, Fuller Theological Seminary<br> <br> "Gods, Ghosts, and Globalization: From Corpse to 'Theologically Incorrect' Concepts"<br> William W. McCorkle Jr., Institute of Cognition and Culture<br> <br> "Theological Incorrectness Among the Early Christians"<br> Luther H. Martin, University of Vermont<br> <br> "Theological Incorrectness and Explicit Cognition: Challenging the Modular View of the Mind"<br> James A. Van Slyke, Fuller Theological Seminary<br> <br> Respondent: D. Jason Slone, University of Findlay<br> <br> Learn more about the book <a href="http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/PsychologyofReligion/?view=usa&amp;ci=0195169263">here</a>.<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Reception<br> Saturday 6:00 p.m.-...?</b><br> <br> The Irish Pub<br> 1123 Walnut St.<br> Philadelphia PA (near the convention center, main hotels, and the Alexander Inn)<br> <br> <br> <b>NAASR Session 3<br> Saturday 9:00-11:00 a.m.<br> Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Rm. 415<br> <br> Reconsidering Theories: Yoga, Transcendence, and Olympic Oratories</b><br> <br> Chair: D. Bruce MacKay, University of Lethbridge<br> <br> "When Religious Truth Claims Become Scholarship ýÿ Again: 'Yoga' as an Ideal Category"<br> Jeff Ruff, Marshall University<br> <br> "Overcoming 'the Transcendent' as a Critical Category: Bruce Lincoln's 'Theses on Method,' Everyday Experiences, Spirits/Deities"<br> Tennyson Jacob Wellman, University of Pennsylvania<br> <br> "On the Representation of Gods: A Comparison of Ancient and Modern Theories, with Particular Attention to Dio Chrysostom's Twelfth ('Olympi') Oration"<br> Roger Beck, University of Toronto<br> <br> </b></p> <b> </b><p><b><b>NAASR Business Meeting<br> Saturday 11:00-11:30 a.m.</b><br> <br> <br> Questions about the annual meeting program can be directed to Prof. Julie Ingersoll, NAASR Vice President and Program Chair, at <font size="3"><a href="mailto:jingerso@unf.edu">jingerso@unf.edu</a></font>.<br> <br> An agenda for the business meeting will be posted prior to the meeting. Suggestions for the agenda can be sent to NAASR Executive Secretary/Treasurer, at <a href="mailto:russell.mccutcheon@ua.edu">russell.mccutcheon@ua.edu</a>.<br> <b> </b><br> A copy of the 2005 call for papers as a PDF can be found <a href="http://www.naasr.com/2005callforpapers.pdf">here</a>.<font size="3"><br> </font></b></p> <b><a name="SSSR2005"></a> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b><font size="3"> <b>NAASR/SSSR Meeting<br> Rochester, NY<br> November 4-6, 2005</b><br> <br> <b>"The Cognitive Science of Religion"</b><br> (date and time of session to be announced)<br> <br> Luther H. Martin, University of Vermont<br> Convener and Chair<br> <br> "It's Hard to Imagine What God Looks Like: Imagery Effects on the Recall of Counterintuitive Concepts"<br> D. Jason Slone, Webster University<br> <br> "Stupa, Relic, and Hungry Ghosts: Can I Borrow Your Agency for a Second"<br> William W. McCorkle, Jr., Queen's University Belfast<br> <br> "God from the Machine"<br> William Sims Bainbridge, National Science Foundation<br> <br> "Are the Neurosciences Essential for the Study of Religion"<br> Donald Wiebe, University of Toronto<br> <br> More information on the annual SSSR meeting can be found <a href="http://las.alfred.edu/%7Esoc/SSSR/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br> <br> For a number of years, SSSR has accepted proposals from NAASR members, for NAASR panels at the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Although NAASR members are expected to register with the SSSR for the meeting, traditionally they have not also been expected to be current SSSR members (though some NAASR members are, of course, also members of the SSSR).<br> </font></b></p> <b><a name="2004"></a> </b><hr> <b> <font size="3"><br> <b><a href="http://www.thealamo.org/"><img src="images/sanantonio.jpg" width="130" align="left" border="0" height="84"></a> NAASR Meets in San Antonio, Texas<br> </b></font><font size="3"><b>November 19-20, 2004 </b><br> <br> Below are the details on the three substantive sessions plus annual business meeting.<br> <br> <b><br> NAASR Executive Meeting<br> <br> </b>The NAASR Executive meeting will be held in the Marriott Rivercenter (Conference Room 12) on Friday, November 19, 2004, from 7:30-9:30 pm.<br> <b> <br> <br> Session I<br> Current Work of NAASR Members</b><br> <b>Friday, November 19, 1:00 to 3:30 pm<br> </b></font><b><font size="3">San Antonio Convention Center, Room 007A</font></b><font size="2"><br> <br> Convener: <b>Winnifred Sullivan<br> </b>University of Chicago<br> <br> This panel is devoted to presenting some of the ongoing work of NAASR members, working on a variety of topics and historical periods.<br> <br> <b>Zane Pushaw Altman</b><b><br> </b>University of Colorado, Boulder<br> "Creating the Enemy at Waco"<br> <br> <b>Nathan Baruch Rein<br> </b>Ursinus College<br> "'For our Confession Rests as Much on the Small Things as on the Great': <i>Sui Generis</i> vs. Naturalistic Views of Religion, circa 1549"<br> <br> <b> Jeppe Sinding Jensen<br> </b>Aarhus University<br> "On Modeling Models: The Generation of Comparability" <br> <br> <br> <b>Session II<br> New Conceptual Models</b><br> <b>Friday, November 19, 4:00 to 6:30 pm<br> San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, Conference Room 13</b><br> <br> Organizer: <b>Theodore Vial<br> </b>Virginia Wesleyan University<br> <br> Chair: <b>Jeffrey C. Ruff<br> </b>Marshall University</font> </b><p><b>Students in graduate schools of religion in the 1980s and 1990s were told that the era of big theory was over, and that they should instead set their sites on building a useful toolbox of smaller or partial theories. Since that time at least two major big theories have emerged on the scene: the cognitive science of religion, and the application of economic theory (Stark/Bainbridge). This panel is designed to do two things: 1) to provide a sophisticated orientation to these theories and other live options for NAASR members; and 2) to be the occasion for reflection on the theoretical state of the field, and whether big theory is useful or possible. </b></p> <b> </b><p><b><font size="3"> <b>Theodore Vial<br> </b>Virginia Wesleyan College<br> "How Does the Cognitive Science of Religion Stack Up as a Big Theory, a la Freud or Durkheim?" <br> <br> <b>Greg Alles<br> </b>McDaniel College<br> "The Costs of Religious Concepts: A Possible Application of Economics in Cognitive Science?"<br> <br> <b>Robert Yelle<br> </b>University of Toronto<br> "Rhetorial, Communicological, and Other Semiotic Approaches to Religion"<br> <br> <b>Catherine Bell<br> </b>Santa Clara University<b><br> </b>"Culture: What Do I Do with it Now?"<br> <br> <b>Laurie Patton</b><br> Emory University<br> Respondent </font><font size="3"><br> <br> <br> <b>Session III<br> Religion, Agency, and Order</b><br> <b>Saturday, November 20, 9:00 to 11:00 am<br> </b></font><b><font size="3">San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, Salon E</font></b><font size="3"><br> <br> Organizer/Respondent: <b>Steven Engler</b><br> Mount Royal College<br> <br> Three issues will be addressed: 1) To what extent is religion concerned with, or constituted by, relations between individual and collective human agency, on the one hand, and views of order, on the other? That is, to what extent is correct agency (i.e., obedience to divine commands, action in emulation of sacred models, ritual propriety, godly self-interest, etc.) held to constitute--or incorrect agency (idleness, immorality, idolatry, etc.) to threaten--social and political order? 2) To what extent have transformations of these relations played a role in religious history? 3)To what extent is this hypothesized linkage predominantly western? <br> <br> Panelsists<br> <br> <b>Gustavo Benavides<br> </b>Villanova University<br> <br> <b>Mary Keller<br> </b>University of Wyoming<br> <b><br> John Rundin<br> </b>University of Texas, San Antonio<br> <br> <b>Randall Styers<br> </b>University of North Carolina<br> <br> <br> <b>Session IV<br> </b></font><b><font size="3">NAASR Business Meeting<br> Saturday, November 20, 11:00 to 11:30 am<br> San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, Salon E<br> </font></b><font size="3"><br> <br> Questions about the program can be directed at the NAASR Vice President for the Program, <b>Julie Ingersoll</b>, at <a href="mailto:jingerso@unf.edu">jingerso@unf.edu</a>.<br> <b><br> </b> Visit the <a href="http://www.sanantoniocvb.com/" target="_blank">San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> or consider doing some advance ethnographic work on <a href="http://www.sanantonio.com/dining/" target="_blank">San Antonio restaurants</a> and <a href="http://www.sanantonio.com/hotels/" target="_blank">hotels</a>. Need a <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?location=9wy75SajjwDZHkPVCetaVYRMsPhUWINJskPc2XDeP3LPblvSsNQSJ43YzCBm0ALgCf962%2b%2fEI7o%3d&amp;address=&amp;city=San%20Antonio&amp;state=&amp;zipcode=&amp;country=US&amp;addtohistory=&amp;submit=Get%20Map" target="_blank">map</a>?</font></b></p> <b><a name="2003"></a> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b><font size="3"> <b>NAASR 2003 ANNUAL MEETING</b><br> <br> NAASR's annual meeting was held in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 21 and 22, 2003, immediately prior to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature. This year marked the first time that NAASR sponsored three (instead of two) panels at its annual meeting (two of which will be on Friday afternoon and one will take place Saturday morning, followed by the NAASR business meeting).<br> <b><br> Annual Executive Meeting</b><br> <br> The NAASR executive will have its annual meeting following the last academic session on Friday, Nov. 21, 2003. It will be a dinner meeting at <a href="http://www.maxlagers.com/" target="_blank">"Max Lager's,"</a> a local brew pub located one block north of the Hyatt Regency, on the corner of Peach Tree and West Peach Tree. The meeting will commence at 7:00 pm and last until the cows come home.<br> <br> <b>Schedule for the Academic Sessions of the 2003 Annual Meeting<br> <br> 1. Friday, November 21, 1:00-3:30 pm<br> Marriott Marquis, Copenhagen Room</b><br> <br> <i><b>Evaluating the Ritual Form Hypothesis</b></i><br> <br> <b>Jason Slone</b>, University of Findlay, Presiding<br> <b>Robert N. McCauley</b>, Emory University<br> <b>Brian Malley</b>, University of Michigan<br> <b>Harvey Whitehouse</b>, Queens University, Belfast<br> <br> This panel presents experimental, ethnographic, and historical evidence to test the "ritual form hypothesis" of Robert N. McCauley and E. Thomas Lawson's <i><a href="http://www.cup.org/titles/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521016290" target="_blank">Bringing Ritual to Mind</a></i>.<br> <br> <br> <b>2. Friday, November 21, 4:00-6:30 pm<br> Marriott Marquis, Copenhagen Room</b><b><br> </b> <br> <i><b>Putting Theory in its Place: The Role of Method and Theory in the Religious Studies Curriculum</b></i><br> <b><br> Tomoko Masuzawa</b>, University of Michigan, Presiding<br> <b>Mark Hulsether</b>, University of Tennessee, "Teaching Cultural Theory in a Master's Program in Religious Studies"<br> <b>Julie Ingersol</b>l, University of North Florida, "Does Religious Studies Make Sense without Theory and Method? Issues in a Religious Studies Minor Program"<br> <b>Jeppe Sinding Jensen</b>, Aarhus University, "Who Do We Think We Are? On the (Necessary) Construction of Genealogies and Pedigrees for the Study of Religion"<br> <b>Manuel Výÿsques</b>, University of Florida, "When Lakatos Meets Foucault: Pedagogy, Criticism, and the 'Growth' of Knowledge in Religious Studies."<br> <br> As a follow-up to last year's panel on how scholars integrate theory into their introductory courses, this panel is an opportunity to discuss the ways in which people working in very different institutional settings--from an undergraduate minor in the study of religion to a terminal MA program, a newly instituted doctoral program, and a well-established doctoral program--incorporate theoretical analysis into their program's curriculum.<br> <br> (NAASR's Executive meeting follows, at 7:00 pm; see details above)<br> <br> <b><br> 3. Saturday, November 22, 9:00-11:30 am (to be followed by the annual business meeting)</b><br> <b>Hyatt Regency, Lenox Room</b><br> <br> <i><b>Expert Witnessing by Religion Scholars in US Courts: What are We Doing and Who are We Working For?</b></i><br> <br> <b>Winnifred Sullivan</b>, University of Chicago, Presiding<br> <b>Philip Arnold</b>, Syracuse University, "Rethinking Religion: Collaboration with Onondaga in Defense of the Landscape"<br> <b>Carl Ernst</b>, University of North Carolina, "Redefining Religion in Court: The Case of the Missing Sufi Master"<br> <b>Susan Gooding</b>, University of Wisconsin, Title to be announced<br> <b>Bruce Lawrence</b>, Duke University, "What Expert Witnesses Have in Common with Religion Scholars: They Are Paid to Disagree"<br> <b>Eileen Barker</b>, London School of Economics, "The WHOLE Truth? So help me, God!"<br> </font><font size="3"><b>Frank Reynolds</b>, University of Chicago, Respondent<br> <br> This panel will bring together several religion scholars who have served as expert witnesses, addressing questions of the academic integrity of this practice and the ethical obligations of scholars.</font><b><font size="3"> </font></b> </b></p> <b><a name="SSSR2003"></a> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b><b><font size="3"><b> Report on the 2003 SSSR/NAASR Meeting</b><br> <b>Greg Alles, NAASR President</b> <br> <br> </font></b><font size="3">Together, the sessions made up a cognitive theory feast!<br> <br> <img src="images/sssr1.jpg" width="180" align="left" height="135">The first session was devoted to a discussion of Scott Atran's <i>In Gods We Trust</i>. I'm reluctant to say too much about it, because I was the first of the three panelists. However, an issue that was raised recurred in the third session in a question by William Sims Bainbridge: do cognitive theorists actually engage with any other body of social scientific theory? Although they claim to be open to doing so, it is not clear to everyone that this is indeed happening.<br> <img src="images/sssr2.jpg" width="180" align="right" height="135"><br> The second session consisted of three very interesting papers in experimental psychology. Two of the panelists who presented their research were Melanie Nyhof and Jesse Bering (picture on the right). Their careful empirical studies are much needed complements to the grand theorizing.<br> <br> <img src="images/sssr3.jpg" width="180" align="left" height="135">The third session was devoted to just this grand theorizing. (Pictured on the left above: Tom Lawson, Bob McCauley, Ted Vial, and Harvey Whitehouse; pictured left below: Bob McCauley during his presentation.) In fact, it was the first time Harvey Whitehouse was able to respond in public and talk with Bob McCauley and Tom Lawson since the appearance of their new book, <i>Bringing Ritual to Mind</i>, but the discussion was rather inconclusive. While both appealed to growing mounds of empirical evidence to support their theories, they failed to take full account of examples offered by those in attendance which would seem to fall outside their theorizing. To a specialist in shamanic rituals Lawson and McCauley used the old definitional strategy: We need to think carefully whether these rituals are really rituals. And Whitehouse seemed not to get the force of an objection to his claim that mid-periodicity rituals (from every 3 months to once yearly) are rare: in Virginia and throughout the old South, they're not rare; once every quarter is the most common way for Baptists to celebrate communion.<br> <br> (Photos thanks to Greg Alles; see below for the program of this event)</font><b><br> </b></b></p> <b> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b><b> Meeting in Conjunction with the<br> Society for the Scientific Study of Religion<br> <br> </b><font size="3"> NAASR will once again co-sponsored panels at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion's annual meeting (<a href="http://las.alfred.edu/%7Esoc/SSSR/" target="_blank">SSSR</a>), held in Norfolk, VA, October 23-26, 2003. This year the NAASR/SSSR panels were all devoted to the application of the cognitive sciences and the study of religion; two of these panels focus on recent books.</font><b><font size="2"><br> <br> <b>1. Current Cognitive Research in Children's Development of Religious Concepts</b><br> <br> </font></b><font size="3">Justin Barrett, University of Michigan, Presiding<br> Paul Harris, Harvard University<br> Melanie Nyhof, University of Pittsburgh</font><b><font size="3"><br> <br> <b>2. Cognitive Science and Ritual Theory: <i><a href="http://www.cup.org/titles/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521016290" target="_blank">Bringing Ritual to Mind</a></i> by Robert N. McCauley and E. Thomas Lawson</b><br> <br> </font></b><font size="3">Jason Slone, University of Findlay, Presiding<br> Harvey Whitehouse, Queen's University, Belfast<br> Justin Barrett, University of Michigan, Respondent<br> Robert N. McCauley, Emory University, Respondent<br> E. Thomas Lawson, Western Michigan University, Respondent</font><b><font size="3"><br> <br> <b>3. Cognitive Science and the Evolution of Religion: <i><a href="http://www.oup-usa.com/search/jsp/docread.jsp?k2dockey=http%3A//www.oup-usa.org/isbn/0195149300.html@oup&amp;querytext=Atran,+Scott" target="_blank">In Gods We Trust</a></i> by Scott Atran</b><br> <br> </font></b><font size="3">Theodore M. Vial, Virginia Wesleyan College, Presiding<br> Greg Alles, McDaniel College<br> Karen Johnson, University of Michigan<br> Jesse Bering, University of Arkansas<br> Paulo Sousa, University of Michigan, Respondent<br> </font></b></p> <b><a name="SSSR2002"></a> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b><font size="3"> </font><b> Meeting in Conjunction with the<br> Society for the Scientific Study of Religion</b><br> October 2, 2002<br> Salt Lake City, Utah <br> <br> <b>"The Academic Study of Religion during the Cold War"</b><br> <br> Lubos Belka, Masaryk University, Czech Republic<br> "The Czech Academic Study of Religions: Past and Present"<br> <br> Donald Wiebe, Trinity College, Toronto<br> "Ideological Subversion of Rational Inquiry? The University in Cold War America"<br> <br> Russell T. McCutcheon, University of Alabama<br> "The Cold War, the Humanistic Study of Religion, and the Fallacy of Insufficient Cynicism"<br> <br> Discussant: Luther H. Martin, The University of Vermont</b></p> <b><a name="AARSBL2002"></a> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b> <b>Meeting in Conjunction with the<br> American Academy of Religion and the<br> Society of Biblical Literature</b><br> November 23, 2002<br> Toronto, Ont., CANADA<br> <br> <b>"Bridging the Gap: Teaching Controversies in the Study of Religion"</b><br> <br> Karen deVries, UC Santa Cruz (Chair)<br> <br> Craig Prentiss, Rockhurst University<br> "Better Half the Story than No Story at All: Incorporating Research Methods into Undergraduate Instruction"<br> <br> Michael Bradley, Decatur, Georgia<br> "Naturalizing the Golden Rule: Teaching Christian Ethics as Moral Law Folk Theory"<br> <br> Tim Murphy, University of Alabama<br> "Cultural Understandings of 'Religion': The Hermeneutical Context of Teaching Religious Studies in North America"<br> <br> Paul C. Johnson, University of Missouri (Respondent)</b></p> <b> </b><hr> <b> </b><p><b><b>Meeting in Conjunction with the<br> American Academy of Religion and the<br> Society of Biblical Literature</b><br> November 24, 2002<br> Toronto, Ont., CANADA<br> <br> <b>"Cognition and Culture: Implications of the 'Modes of Religiosity' Theory for the Study of Religion"</b><br> <br> Luther H. Martin, The University of Vermont (Organizer and Chair)<br> <br> Harvey Whitehouse, The Queen's University of Belfast <br> "The 'Modes of Religiosity' Theory"<br> <br> William E. Paden, The University of Vermont<br> "Implications of the `Modes of Religiosity' Theory for the Comparative Study of Religion"<br> <br> Theodore Vial, Virginia Wesleyan College <br> "Implications of the 'Modes of Religiosity' Theory for the Historical Study of Religion"<br> <br> Gregory D. Alles, Western Maryland College<br> "Implications of the 'Modes of Religiosity' Theory for the Social-Scientific Study of Religion"<br> <br> Donald Wiebe, Trinity College, Toronto<br> "Implications of the `Modes of Religiosity' Theory for the Scientific Study of Religion"<br> <br> Harvey Whitehouse, The Queen's University of Belfast (Respondent)</b></p> <hr> <b> </b><p><b> <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html" target="_blank"> <img src="images/adobereader.gif" width="88" align="left" border="0" height="34"> </a> <font size="1">Some documents on this site <br>are in PDF format, requiring <br>Adobe Acrobat Reader.</font></b></p> <b> </b></td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="20%" height="1">&nbsp;</td> <td valign="top" width="20%" height="1"></td> <td valign="top" width="50%" height="1"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </body></html>