Comparative Studies in Religion Unit

We invite papers on the topics below. Submissions for panels or roundtables not listed here are also welcome.

Freedom and/as Constraint in Hagiological Sources, Christopher Jensen, christopherjensen@cunet.carleton.ca

In keeping with the 2025 AAR conference theme, this panel aims to explore the concept of freedom as it pertains to saints and other exemplars. When such figures behave in ways that seem antisocial, idiosyncratic, or even "mad", what does this freedom mean and what is it constrained by? Is freedom a meaningful category for discussing hagiological sources (life narratives, songs / poems, visual art)? Preference will be given to submissions that are either explicitly comparative (internally) or whose authors would be interested in engaging in a collaborative writing/editing process with other panelists. 

Religion and the Astronaut Experience, Ben Overmeire, ben.van.overmeire@dukekunshan.edu.cn

Astronauts sometimes report life-changing experiences in Outer Space. Known as the "Overview Effect," such experiences have been understood by the scholar Thore Bjornvig as mystical experiences. The application of this comparative category to make sense of what happens to individuals in outer space opens up vistas of further possibilities: what other tools can religious studies offer to understand what happens to individuals in outer space. Potential topics include religious ritual in outer space (e.g. icon worship by cosmonauts), close-readings of astronaut autobiographies utilizing tools from religious studies, and so on.

Love of Neighbor in Dialogue Across Religions, Yudit Greenberg, ygreenberg@rollins.edu

This session explores the concept of "Love of Neighbor" as a fundamental ethical and spiritual principle across religious traditions. Through a comparative analysis, panelists will examine how this idea(l) is articulated in the sacred texts of their respective traditions and the specific practices that exemplify and embody it. Questions to be addressed include: Who is considered a "neighbor"? What obligations does this love entail? And what historical, cultural, and social contexts influence the interpretations and practices of this ideal.

Comparison in AI, David Schones, dschones@austincollege.edu

Artificial intelligence has a growing presence in many cultural contexts, including the field of Religious Studies. This panel will explore how AI impacts the study of religious texts, traditions, and the comparisons made between different religious communities. By exploring how scholars analyze different traditions using AI, understand or conceptualize AI within these traditions, or even incorporate AI in classroom learning, this panel hopes to explore how comparative study of religion can deepen our understanding of the complexities surrounding AI, both as a focus of scholarly analysis and as a pedagogical tool.