Call for Papers: God, Religion and Politics

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January 21, 2015 by Harnessing Chaos

From the details on the forthcoming God, Religion and Politics conference:

Just under a month before the next General Election in the UK, the (free) God, Religion and Politics conference (8-9 April, 2015) will present a range of speakers talking on discourses relating to religion and the Bible in contemporary politics (broadly defined as post-1945), with a particular (but not exclusive) reference to British politics.

The conference will address questions such as:

What assumptions about, and constructions of, ‘religion’ and ‘the Bible’ are made in political discourse?

To what extent do politicians engage with discourses relating to religion and the Bible?

Do different political parties and political traditions have notably different discourses about religion and the Bible?

How do discourses about religion and the Bible relate to, for instance, discourses about nationalism, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and disability?

How do pressure groups and think tanks relate to discourses about religion and politics?

How are discourses about religion and politics represented in contemporary culture (e.g. literature, film, TV, social media, newspapers)?

In what ways are historical understandings of political discourses tied in with historic understandings of the Bible and religion?

While there will be an emphasis on party and parliamentary politics, we also welcome critical papers on issues relating to, for instance, more politically radical traditions (e.g. anarchism, Marxism, direct action, Greenpeace, CND), far-right political movements, minority parties, and religious, church, and humanist groups. While there will be an emphasis on contemporary politics, we also welcome papers on historical influences, as well as philosophical, cultural, and exegetical (including historical critical) themes which relate to political debates. Proposals concerning a range of religious traditions will be considered.

Call for papers: if you wish to present a paper, please send an abstract of approximately 150-200 words to godreligionpolitics[at]gmail.com. The closing date for submissions is 2 March 2015. Papers will be around 25-30 mins long, with 10-15 mins for discussion.

The conference will be free of charge. Participants will be responsible for their own refreshments, food and accommodation, and there are plenty of reasonably priced local cafes, restaurants and hotels. If you could let us know if you intend to come, it would be helpful if you could email godreligionpolitics[at]gmail.com by 6 March 2015.