Religion and Spirituality in Society Newsletter, February 2012

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Headline News

Anglicanism and Homosexuality As a special offer, all orders placed by 31 March 2012 receive the introductory price of US$20 (RRP US$30). You can order online here. Faith, Belief, and Scripture: Anglicanism and Homosexuality by Rob James is now available as part of the Religion in Society series. The Anglican Communion has been tearing itself apart over the issue of homosexuality since the Lambeth Conference in 1998 and rumblings of discontent stretch back years before that. Most Anglican debate on homosexuality focuses the argument on the Bible. Does the Bible allow homosexuality or not? This book begins by taking one step back from the argument. It looks at what it means to approach a text as scripture, from the standpoint of faith. It then examines why the Bible is used to claim such radically different positions and why those who argue for either position can legitimately claim to find their argument supported by reading the Bible. Anglicans (and others) who disagree about what their scriptures claim need to understand why there is a disagreement. It is only by stepping back from the argument and trying to understand why it exists hat any sort of resolution can ever be found. Rob James began his studies of religion at the University of Kent at Canterbury, gaining a first class degree in 2001. He then studied Eastern Christianity at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London and then at Cambridge. He then returned to SOAS to write his PhD on modern African Christianity. Rob teaches undergraduates as a visiting lecturer at the University of Wales, Newport and is a member of the part-time tutor panel of Oxford University.

Community News

The Accidental Universe: Science’s Crisis of Faith By Alan P. Lightman via Harper’s Magazine In the fifth century B.C., the philosopher Democritus proposed that all matter was made of tiny and indivisible atoms, which came in various sizes and textures—some hard and some soft, some smooth and some thorny. The atoms themselves were taken as givens. In the nineteenth century, scientists discovered that the chemical properties of atoms repeat periodically (and created the periodic table to reflect this fact), but the origins of such patterns remained mysterious. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that scientists learned that the properties of an atom are determined by the number and placement of its electrons, the subatomic particles that orbit its nucleus. And we now know that all atoms heavier than helium were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars. The history of science can be viewed as the recasting of phenomena that were once thought to be accidents as phenomena that can be understood in terms of fundamental causes and principles. One can add to the list of the fully explained: the hue of the sky, the orbits of planets, the angle of the wake of a boat moving through a lake, the six-sided patterns of snowflakes, the weight of a flying bustard, the temperature of boiling water, the size of raindrops, the circular shape of the sun. All these phenomena and many more, once thought to have been fixed at the beginning of time or to be the result of random events thereafter, have been explained as necessary consequences of the fundamental laws of nature—laws discovered by human beings. More…   On Neutrinos and Angels By Pervez Hoodbhoy via The Express Tribune Pervez Hoodbhoy The news from CERN was stunning: the European nuclear science laboratory had just discovered (September 2011) that particles known as neutrinos — called so because they are neutral and carry no charge — habitually travel a little bit faster than light. This threatened to shake the very foundations of Einstein’s theory of relativity, which had laid the basis for the atomic bomb, nuclear energy, and most of modern day physics. Relativity theory starts from the postulate that the speed of light is the absolute maximum that anything can travel at. Pakistanis are generally unmoved by developments in the world of science. But this time the excitement was palpable. A TV channel called me up, requesting an interview. Fine, I said, specifying the time when I would be available. The producer was profoundly apologetic: this was exactly when they would be interviewing Dr Zakir Naik, an Islamic scholar who frequently pontificates on issues of science and religion. Would I therefore please give another time? Since the good doctor’s claim to fame is his understanding of religious texts rather than of physics, I declined and do not know what transpired subsequently. Speed of light issues have often moved sections of religious people in rather strange ways. Way back in 1973, as a young physics lecturer at Quaid-i-Azam University, I had been fascinated by the calculation done by the head of our department. Seeking the grand synthesis of science and faith, this pious gentleman — who left on his final journey last month — had published calculations that proved Heaven (jannat) was running away from Earth at one centimeter per second less than the speed of light. His reasoning centred around a particular verse of the Holy Quran that states worship on the night of Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Revelation) is equivalent to a thousand nights of ordinary worship. Indeed, if you input the factor of 1,000 into Einstein’s famous formula for time dilatation, this yields a number: one centimeter per second less than the speed of light! More…

Conference News

2012 Religion Conference, Vancouver Location and Date The 2012 Religion Conference will be held in Vancouver, Canada at UBC’s Satellite in downtown Vancouver: Robson Square from 20-22 February. For more information, please visit www.Religion-Conference.com Plenary Speakers We are currently working on our plenary speaker line-up. Please visit our website for updates and further information. Call for Papers If you intend to present a paper at the conference, your participation begins with submission of a paper proposal. For information on proposals, presentation types, and other options, please click here. To submit a proposal click here and follow the online instructions. If your proposal is accepted, you will then need to register for the conference. Registration Those who submit paper proposals should register following the acceptance of the proposal. Conference delegates who do not intend to present may register at any time. For registration options, or to register for the 2012 Religion Conference, click here. Themes The themes for the International Religion and Spirituality in Society Conference are loosely grouped into four categories: Religious Foundations Religious Community and Socialization Religious Commonalities and Differences The Politics of Religion More details on these themes can be seen online here. Please do note that these themes are meant to be rather broad so as to encompass a larger group of interests. Scope and Concerns The Religion Conference scope and concerns is outlined here. Contact Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have. We can be reached by email at support@religioninsociety.com or by phone at +1 (217) 328-0405.

Publishing News

Religion and Spirituality in Society Journal Submissions Open We are accepting submissions for The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society. The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society aims to create an intellectual frame of reference for the academic study of religion and spirituality, and to create an interdisciplinary conversation on the role of religion and spirituality in society. It is intended as a place for critical engagement, examination, and experimentation of ideas that connect religious philosophies to their contexts throughout history in the world, places of worship, on the streets, and in communities. The journal addresses the need for critical discussion on religious issues – specifically as they are situated in the present-day contexts of ethics, warfare, politics, anthropology, sociology, education, leadership, artistic engagement, and the dissonance or resonance between religious tradition and modern trends. Papers published in the journal range from the expansive and philosophical to finely grained analysis based on deep familiarity and understanding of a particular area of religious knowledge. They bring into dialogue philosophers, theologians, policymakers, and educators, to name a few of the stakeholders in this conversation. Refereeing of submitted papers will commence shortly so start the submission process early by submitting your proposal. Paper submission guidelines and timelines are available online. The Promotion of Devotion: Saints, Celebrities and Shrines As a special offer, all orders placed by 31 March 2012 receive the introductory price of US$25 (RRP US$35). You can order online here. The Promotion of Devotion: Saints, Celebrities and Shrines by Donn James Tilson is available as part of the Religion in Society series. What do St. Francis, Oskar Schindler, Princess Diana and Smokey Bear have in common? Religion, communication and devotion form an inseparable trinity of being, interwoven strands of a tapestry that has enveloped all faiths through the ages. A closer examination of ancient-to-modern-day culture, including such “folk-hero-saints” as St. Francis and others, suggests that religion and devotion – oftentimes coated with a layer of promotion – lie at the heart of much of the history of communication and of civilization itself. Written in a lively yet informative style, The Promotion of Devotion is the first comprehensive analysis of the convergence of religion and promotional communication from historical origins to modern times. Ten chapters take the reader on a journey through unexplored territory from an introduction to sainthood across faith traditions, the interplay of religion and communication in the making of saints – religious and secular (and animal) – discussions of town and vestment partnerships, road tours of the sacred, the use of the arts to promote devotion, to heavenly endorsements, lost shrines and re-animation. A concluding chapter reflects on the implications of the intersection of devotion and communication. Chapters provide a look at the sacred across a wide spectrum of faith traditions, illustrated with a selection of intriguing photos. Donn James Tilson, an associate professor of public relations at the University of Miami’s School of Communication, has published and lectured internationally on public relations and religion and is considered the leading scholar in the field. A member of the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows and Religion Communicators Council, he served as a public relations manager for BellSouth prior to joining UM, directing the company’s philanthropy program in Florida.

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