CFP — The Impact of Religion, Uppsala, Sweden

First announcement and call for papers

The Impact of Religion
Challenges for Society, Law and Democracy
An interdisciplinary conference at Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden, 20-22 May 2013

This conference offers a forum for sharing recent research on the role
of religion in both the public and the private sphere – locally,
nationally and internationally. Its design reflects the work of its
host: a multi-disciplinary research programme at Uppsala University
known as the Impact of Religion: Challenges for Society, Law and
Democracy. This programme pays particular attention to the links between
religion, law and wider social developments. For example, extensive
migration has brought new forms of religion to European societies
(including the Nordic countries) for many different reasons; their
presence raises new issues for lawyers, healthcare workers and other
service providers. At the same time, European populations live longer;
their families reconstitute themselves in new ways; the workplace
changes in nature; and the explorations of science render commonplace
what was unthinkable one or two generations earlier. All these shifts
interact with the changing nature of religion to make new demands on our
understandings of democracy, law, family life, healthcare, well-being,
welfare and science itself. Why, for instance, does legal pluralism
appear to challenge the democratic order considerably more than its
cultural equivalents? And how can we understand better the role of
religious agents in a Religion, it is clear, has become a crucial research area in a wide
variety of academic disciplines. The Uppsala conference provides an
opportunity to disseminate, share and obtain results 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 language is English

First announcement and call for papers

Submissions are invited on the following themes, which – broadly
speaking – mirror the Impact programme. Further sub-themes will be
developed as the submitted papers arrive; these will be displayed on the
conference website. Papers on comparative research are particularly
welcome. Theoretical, methodological and substantive issues will be
given equal weight.

A variety of formats are envisaged: plenary sessions, paper sessions,
roundtables, academic exchanges and policy debates. Please indicate your
preference when you submit your abstract. Pre-organised sessions are
welcome.

– Religious and social change – including the role of the media in these
shifts
– Integration, democracy and political culture
– Families, law and society
– Well-being and health
– Welfare models – their organization and values
– Science and religion

Deadline for the submission of abstracts (max 200 words): 30th November, 2012

The conference is hosted by The Impact of Religion programme and Uppsala
Religion and Society Research Centre at Uppsala University.
Up to date information on the programme, registration, abstract format,
venue etc. is available at:www.impactofreligion.uu.se, where you also
find more details about The Impact of Religion programme itself.