Publicly Engaged Scholarship in the Study of Religion Seminar
In keeping with the Presidential theme of “Freedom,” the Publicly Engaged Scholarship in the Study of Religion Seminar invites papers and/or panels that explore:
· Roundtable discussions on recently published books (2-3) that focus on engaged methodologies and processes in research. Proposals may include a specific book or books for consideration. In the proposal authors may wish to include a list of possible respondents who can wrestle with the themes/findings of the books. We encourage early career scholars, manuscripts and edited volumes, and content across times, geographies, and disciplinary focus.
· A discussion on academic freedom and civil disobedience in the context of engaged pedagogy and research. This might include the politics and ethics of engaged methodologies, scholarship as a form of activism, and/or the logistics and challenges of coordinating teaching and research activities with communities engaged in extra-legal activities. Papers may present distinct case studies but should also discuss the ethical conundrums surrounding how scholars manage the distinction between our roles as educators, activists, and as citizens or change-makers.
This seminar creates a multi-disciplinary space to explore the intersections between publicly engaged research, collective knowledge production, and relations of power in the study of religion. As part of broader conversations about the relationships between social change and the public humanities, the seminar is organized around diverse ideas of “the public” and interrogates the forces of racialized and colonial power that shape our fields. Whereas disciplinary training often privileges postures of political neutrality, we orient conversations around what it means to do scholarship that has political stakes, who we do that work with, and how we can strengthen that work. The seminar aims to generate a space for those with broad interests in the theoretical, methodological, and historical foundations of knowledge production in the study of religion and its political and public impacts. The seminar provides a nexus for collective consideration of processes of social change and social justice as they relate to theories of religion. The space will also interest those with practical interests in how to establish and sustain community and/or politically-engaged research and teaching programs within and beyond the academy.
| Chair | Dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Johnston | johnstlf@wfu.edu | - | View |
| Rebecca Bartel | rbartel@sdsu.edu | - | View |