The overall purpose of this seminar is to promote interreligious and interdisciplinary collaboration on global migration from theological perspectives and how it begins to reshape the interpretations of the Ultimate reality, as it is envisioned in various religious traditions in dialogue with diverse traditions of ethics and pastoral responses to the refugee crisis. This seminar’s focus or theme is on the intersection of borders, migration, religious practices and how all of those are being reenvisioned and reinterpreted through dialogical theological reflection in interfaith perspectives. The work of the seminar addresses one of most critical issues of our time, and we believe that religion plays an essential role in understanding the meaning of these changes. This new seminar will continue to encourage different and creative approaches, such as comparative theology and theologies of religious diversity, to explore the meaning of our times.
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Religions, Borders, and Immigration Seminar
Call for Proposals
Religions, Borders, and Immigration seminar invites papers for AAR 2023 focusing on the following themes: the exploration of migrants’ lived religious/spiritual experiences and religious/theological reflection emerging from the migratory lifeworlds; analysis of migrants’ agency in communities of faith and society; the intersection of race and religion/spirituality in the context of forced migration; religious/theological reflections on migration due to environmental degradation and global political and economic instability; religious/theological analysis of connections between mobility and privilege; the intersections of religion/spirituality and populism as a cause of forced migration and as a religious/theological/ethical challenge for receiving societies.
The seminar is working toward publishing an interdisciplinary essay collection at the intersection of global migration and religion/spirituality/theology. We welcome various religious and methodological perspectives and, in particular, are looking for interreligious and intercultural engagements. Authors whose proposals are selected for presentation at AAR 2023, will be expected to submit their papers by November 10, 2023 for pre-circulation.
Statement of Purpose
Chairs
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Loye Ashton, Aoyama Gakuin University1/1/2020 - 12/31/2025
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Kristine Suna-Koro, Xavier University1/1/2019 - 12/31/2024
Steering Committee Members
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Anne Blankenship, North Dakota State University1/1/2019 - 12/31/2024
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Helen Boursier, College of St. Scholastica1/1/2019 - 12/31/2024
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Michael Canaris, Loyola University, Chicago1/1/2020 - 12/31/2025
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Kirsteen Kim, Fuller Theological Seminary1/1/2019 - 12/31/2024
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Mary Beth Yount, Neumann University1/1/2019 - 12/31/2024