ISORECEA in cooperation with Vytautas Magnus University and Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religions
CALL FOR PAPERS
11th ISORECEA conference
RELIGIOUS DIVERSIFICATION WORLDWIDE AND IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
Kaunas, Lithuania, April 24-27, 2014
For a long time the secularization thesis dominated the field of studies of religions in contemporary societies. Many definitions and even more explanations of the process of secularization in contemporary societies led scholars of religions to search for new theoretical insights about the rapidly changing global social situation. Opponents of this paradigm claim that we are witnessing growing religious vitality at religious market or change in religion itself – here we find the privatization thesis, precarious religion or religious bricolage. Independently of how we approach it from theoretical perspective religious diversification is the process that is evident in the majority of contemporary societies. It is manifested through numerous religious traditions and new emerging religious communities not only within the religious traditions, but also at the individual level, as well as by the increasing number of non-believers and non-adherents, etc.
In many cases Central and Eastern European societies have been analyzed as places where the monopoly of scientific atheism was replaced by the monopolies of national churches. But after more than twenty years of the post-communist period, religious diversification processes within these societies is visibly emerging, despite the fact that the dominance of the so-called national churches is still obvious.
How do worldwide and CEE societies adapt to religious diversification? How do religious communities approach the diversification of religion? How do states react towards the changing situation? How do worldwide and CEE societies differ from each other in relation to religious diversification?
We would like to approach these questions in the forthcoming international conference and to encourage scholars from various parts of the world to share their theoretical and empirical insights about religious diversification.
In this conference we also invite discussion of the following topics:
Religious diversification and Church and State relations;
Religious tolerance and discrimination;
Religious minorities and majorities;
Religious diversification and human rights;
Religious diversification and social participation;
Religious diversification and social exclusion;
Religious diversification and media;
Religiosity or Spirituality – within or outside religious institutions.
Please submit a 250-300 words abstract of your presentation by e-mail to: isorecea2014@smf.vdu.lt by November 15, 2013.
If you are interested in another topic related to the study of religion in the CEE or worldwide, we encourage you to organize a session/panel. In this case, please submit a 200-300 words proposal by November 15, 2013 to the same email address.
Key dates
Submission of paper and session/panel proposals – November 15, 2013
Notification of acceptance and opening of the registration – December 15, 2013
The final date of the registration for the conference – January 31, 2014
Final program – February 20, 2014
More information at: http://www.isorecea.net.
