Staff and doctoral researchers in the Department of Religious Studies have been involved in convening panels and presenting work at two major American conferences this autumn.
Dr Abby Day, Lecturer in Religious Studies convened and spoke at an invited panel on ‘What does it mean to believe?’ for the annual conference of the Scientific Study of Religion in Phoenix, Arizona (Nov 9-11), which built on her recent AHRC Fellowship on belief and cross-cultural communication with the British Council. Ruth Sheldon also presented a paper at the same conference on reflexivity and multi-site ethnography, drawing on her current doctoral project on student activism relating to Israel-Palestine.
Later this month, Professor Gordon Lynch will convene a panel on new directions in the study of material religion for the American Academy of Religion, in Chicago.
Prof Lynch will present a paper at this panel on the significance of household material cultures in shaping religious sensibilities, and Steph Berns will also present a paper in this session on sacred connections that visitors experience with religious objects on display at the British Museum.
Professor Lynch is also giving a paper at the same conference on the sociology of the sacred for a panel commemorating the centenary of the publication of Emile Durkheim’s ‘The Elementary Forms of Religious Life’.