International conference “Contesting Religious Identities”

Utrecht University, October 13th-15th, 2010

Organized by the Research Institute for Theology and Religion (INTEGON) of
the Department of Religious Studies and Theology of Utrecht University.

Conference Abstract:

In the Western world, religion has come strongly to the fore again. It is
back on the public stages of ‘secular’ society, influencing political and
social discourses by raising questions about identity, power, rationality,
law and safety. Its ‘return’ however is rather ambiguous. On the one hand,
shifting cultural and political frameworks (re-)shape, (re)invent and
appropriate religious identities. On the other hand these identities enhance
and re-inform cultural and political frameworks. How to understand these
different roles religions play? How to understand the ambiguous return of
religion on the stages of Western society?

To explore these questions, the Research Institute for Theology and Religion
(INTEGON) of Utrecht University organizes the international conference
‘Contesting Religious Identities’. The aim of the conference is to build on
interdisciplinary insights to analyze the historical and cultural production
of religious identities. The organizing committee has chosen three foci:

1.         Bodies, Gestures & Rituals,

2.         Media, Images & Texts, and

3.         Territories, Movements & Diasporas.

Keynote Speakers:

Main Theme:

- Prof. Nilüfer Göle (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris),

- Prof. Joerg Rieger (Southern Methodist University, Dallas)

Bodies, Gestures & Rituals:

- Prof. Tina Pippin (Agnes Scott College)

Media, Images & Texts

- Prof. dr. Jolyon Mitchell (Edinburgh University)

Territories, Movements & Diasporas

- Prof. Claudia Camp (Texas University),

- Prof. Patrick Eisenlohr (Utrecht University)

Deadline for proposing relevant papers: 30 March 2010

----------------

Further information concerning the conference can be found at the conference
<http://www.uu.nl/EN/faculties/Humanities/contestingreligiousidentities/Page
s/default.aspx>  website:

http://www.uu.nl/EN/faculties/Humanities/contestingreligiousidentities/Pages
/default.aspx

There is also a Call
<http://www.uu.nl/EN/faculties/Humanities/contestingreligiousidentities/call
forpapers/Pages/default.aspx>  for Papers that can be found here:

http://www.uu.nl/EN/faculties/Humanities/contestingreligiousidentities/callf
orpapers/Pages/default.aspx