A symposium entitled “Teaching and Studying Religion: Choices and Challenges” will be held in London at the British Sociological Association on 15 December 2011.
The organisers write:
Religion is not a neutral subject. As with other significant constituents of identity, such as sexuality, gender, ethnicity, or class, the subject of ‘religion’ as a topic for study is not straightforward. And yet, we study it, deconstruct it, analyse, and measure it, recognising as we do that definitions are bound to be contested, fluid, and sometimes slippery. What are the particular challenges and choices this presents in different disciplines, in different places and times? And what are the ethical, political and methodological implications of this?
To find out more about how participants from a variety of disciplines and contexts have engaged with the choices and challenges of teaching and studying religion, join us on 15 December at the British Sociological Association Meeting Room in London, for a BSA Socrel symposium, chaired by Abby Day (Department of Religious Studies, University of Kent and Department of Anthropology, University of Sussex) and Anna Strahan (Department of Religious Studies, University of Kent). We are grateful to the Higher Education Academy for funding. It won’t be your usual ‘stand-and-deliver’ event. Our presenters have worked hard to condense their work into short summaries that will be distributed to all participants in advance of the day. All participants will be expected to read the summaries and come prepared for a full day of engaging in vibrant exchanges across disciplines, countries, methods and other conventional boundaries.
The keynote lecture will be given by Adam Dinham, Director of Goldsmiths Faith and Civil Society Unit and Programme Director for the ‘Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education’ programme.