Topical issue on “Religion and Racism: Intercultural Perspectives”, Open Theology journal

CALL FOR PAPERS
for the topical issue of Open Theology journal
RELIGION AND RACISM – INTERCULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Open Theology (http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opth) invites submissions for the topical issue ‘Religion and Racism – Intercultural Perspectives,’ under the general editorship of Dr. Daniel White Hodge (North Park University).

The area of religion and racism presents a dearth of scholarship which critically examines the role of racism, even more so, institutional racism, within religion. Religiously speaking, God talk and rhetoric plays an uncanny role on both sides of justice-seeking and continued violence. For example, Darren Wilson—the police officer accused of the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO — claimed it was “God’s will”, while protesters and activists on the ground claim God as being “on their side.” Is God “another White cop waiting to beat my ass,” as the rapper and Hip Hop prophet Tupac Shakur poignantly suggested? Does religion, more generally, have a role in spreading racism? And, what role has God-rhetoric played in racial injustice in cities such as Ferguson in the U.S., and around the world?

Therefore, we invite submission addressing one or more of these questions or issues. Although we welcome papers speaking to other topics related to religion and racism, some possible featured issues are as follows:

· The problem of religion and racism in history (e.g. missionary movements; colonialism; how missionaries saw ethnic minorities)

· Racism in official statements of faith communities

· The effect of White Western evangelistic movements on various countries (e.g. China, Kenya, Nigeria)

· Emerging religions that openly criticize the hegenomic religious establishments

· Sacred texts and the interpretation of them in evil-doing (e.g. slavery)

Some potential – but certainly not to limit – questions to consider are:

· Does the color of God’s skin matter?

· What is the significance of racial rhetoric within religious discourse?

· How ought religion and race be theorized and discussed? What role do they play? In which lives do they matter? What role does the sacred/profane binary play as a rhetorical strategy and political designator?

· How has media shaped religious and racial perceptions in the public sphere in Ferguson, Baltimore and beyond? How has Black rage been projected in these spaces? What does religion have to do with this?

We welcome essays critically exploring such questions and issues from multiple perspectives, approaches and methods of analyses.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submissions are due January 31, 2016. To submit an article for the special issue of Open Theology, authors are asked to access the on-line submission system at: http://www.editorialmanager.com/openth/

Please choose as article type: “Special Issue Article: Religion and Racism”.

All contributions will undergo critical review before being accepted for publication.

Authors publishing their articles in the special issue will benefit from:

· transparent, comprehensive and fast peer review

· efficient route to fast-track publication and full advantage of De Gruyter Open’s e-technology,

· no publication fees,

· free language assistance for authors from non-English speaking regions.

Further questions about this thematic issue can be addressed to Dr. Daniel White Hodge at dwhodge@northpark.edu. In case of technical questions, please contact journal Managing Editor Dr. Katarzyna Tempczyk at katarzyna.tempczyk@degruyteropen.com.