Call for papers

Date: April 24 – 26, 2018

Venue: Uppsala University, Sweden

Abstract Submission Deadline: October 31, 2017

The Impact of Religion conference offers an interdisciplinary forum for sharing recent research on the role of religion in both the public and the private sphere – locally, nationally and internationally. Particular attention is paid to the links between religion, the law and wider social developments.

The religious landscape of Europe is continually changing. Migrations, provoked by international conflicts and poverty, have brought new challenges to secular states regarding the handling of religious and cultural pluralism. Religious traditions and convictions raise new issues for states, local governments, lawyers, healthcare workers, and teachers – in practice for all citizens. At the same time secularist counter-reactions oppose religious visibility in the public sphere and religious/ethnic pluralism is questioned by right wing groups. Increasing racism related to religion and religiously motivated terror, adds energy to growing polarizations. Additionally, new existential issues appear due to feelings of insecurity arising from war, terror, global warming and advancing technology. In such circumstances, religion appears in a positive as well as negative light.

The Uppsala conference provides an opportunity to disseminate, share and discover a wide range of data and ideas within this expanding field. We expect contributions from lawyers, human rights experts, social scientists, specialists in social policy, health and welfare, philosophers and scientists, as well as those engaged directly in theology and religious studies. We are particularly interested in how religion (in all its diversity) influences different sectors of society and how they in turn influence religion. The conference marks the end of the 10-year research program The Impact of Religion: Challenges for Society, Law and Democracy, and the merging of the Impact program with Uppsala Religion and Society Research Centre. Results from the IMPACT program will be presented and discussed in joint sessions along with contributions from other researchers attending the conference.

Call for papers

Abstracts for paper presentations are invited on the following themes:

• Religion and migration
• Religion in the public sphere, media and politics
• Religious diversity, non-religion, secularism
• Religious freedom versus other human rights
• Religion and youth, family, gender, sexuality
• Religion and racism, discrimination, segregation
• Religion and violence, terror and the security state
• Faith based organizations as welfare providers, civil society, social capital
• Existential health and well-being
• Science and religion, relativism and absolutism
• and other related themes….

Comparative papers are particularly welcome. Theoretical, methodological and substantive issues will be given equal consideration. Thematic sessions will be developed as submitted abstracts arrive. The conference language is English. Selected papers will be published!

The conference is hosted by The Impact of Religion Program and Uppsala Religion and Society Research Center at Uppsala University.

Deadline for the submission of abstracts (max 200 words): October 31^st 2017

Information on abstract format and delivery, program, registration, venue etc. will be available at: www.impactofreligion.uu.se