Context of Religious Research

Vol. XI, No. 1, December 2001

 

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Columbus, Ohio proved to be the perfect setting for the 2001 joint meeting of the Religious Research Association and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Overall attendance was comparable to that of recent years, despite the terrorist attacks of September 11. Yes, there were some cancellations, and some traveled by car rather than fly. If you did not attend, for whatever reason, you missed a great conference - stimulating and informative sessions, the always-enjoyable annual banquet, Columbus tours, opportunities for conversations among friends and colleagues, and a great sense of camaraderie.

Robert Beckley, RRA Program Chair for 2001, deserves our sincere thanks for the work he did, in collaboration with SSSR Program Chair Mark Chaves, in organizing an excellent program. Coupled with SSSR's offerings, there were sessions to satisfy a wide variety of interests.

A large, attentive, and appreciative audience attended RRA's plenary session to hear David Roozen's H. Paul Douglass Lecture, entitled "10,0001 Congregations: H.P. Douglass, Strictness, and Electric Guitars." Dave provided fascinating details regarding the Faith Communities Today (FACT) project conducted at Hartford Seminary plus historical material about Douglass's pioneering work. SSSR's plenary featured a timely presentation by Mark Juergensmeyer on how some forms of religion may be linked with terrorism.

Note that our 2002 meeting will be at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center (formerly the Doubletree). Please see the Call for Papers elsewhere in this newsletter. Program Chair Mike McMullen has already begun planning and making contacts. The theme "Theory and Applied Research" is broad enough to cover a wide range of interests, but specific enough to reflect RRA's distinctive mission. YOU are invited and encouraged to make plans now to attend and participate.

The RRA Board at its annual meeting voted unanimously to appoint Patricia Wittberg as the next Review of Religious Research editor, based on the recommendation of our editor search committee, chaired by Ed Lehman. Her first issue will be September 2002. The Board unanimously expressed appreciation to current co-editors Darren Sherkat and Chris Ellison for the high quality of their work during their 3-year term. Perhaps the most visible legacy of their editorship is the journal's attractive new look. Thanks to Darren and Chris! And best wishes to Pat as she takes over the editorship of the RRR.

Overall, the RRA is in good shape, with Executive Officer Bill Swatos ably handling administrative affairs and Treasurer David Roozen keeping track of investments. RRA's several committees were successful in accomplishing their various tasks. Thanks to all for their good service. The results of this summer's election are provided elsewhere in this newsletter. Thanks to all nominees - and congratulations to those elected! Ed Lehman also completed his service in the position of Past President. Thanks to Ed for his outstanding leadership over the years!

The Board has approved a modest increase in the amount budgeted for Jacquet awards in 2002 and also charged the Awards committee with the task of reviewing policies and procedures, and developing recommendations for improvements for the Board to consider. These will not affect the 2002 competition.

D. Paul Johnson
Texas Tech University

 

FUNDING

Constant H. Jacquet Research Awards

The RRA will make $10,000 available this year on a competitive basis for applied and basic research. Priority is given to applied projects, and funding over $2,000 to any one proposal is granted only in cases of exceptionally high merit and significance. In this competition, applied research is defined as a project that has an identifiable organizational or institutional client who will use the research results for specific goal-centered activities. The Committee especially welcomes proposal submissions from scholars who are in the early stages of their careers, as well as proposals from students.

Funding may be used for research expenses and release time, but not for supplemental income or capital equipment. Because funds are limited, applicants are also encouraged to seek support from alternative sources of funding. Applicants are required to be members of the RRA. Full-time students may join the Association at the time of their application. All others must hold membership in the RRA for at least one full year prior to the application deadline.

Applications must include four copies of: (a) a requested Awards Application Form, completed and signed; (b) a narrative summary of the proposed project, no longer than five double-spaced, typed pages; and (c) a one-page detailed budget. Materials will not be returned.

The required Application Form can be obtained from the RRA website http://rra.hartsem.edu or by writing: Jerome R. Koch, SASW Box 41012, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 49409; email jkoch@ttacs.ttu.edu. Your application must be received by 1 April 2002. If you have reflections on the Jacquet program for the future, in regard to such things as the amounts of individual grants, grantee priorizing, granting foci, etc., these should also be directed to Jerry as soon as possible.

Applicants will be notified of the disposition of their applications within 60 days and will be asked to submit a written acceptance of their awards within two weeks of notification. Recipients should plan to expend the grant within one year after accepting the award and should note RRA support in all reports of the research for which they received the grant. Award recipients are encouraged to submit their research reports for possible publication in the Review of Religious Research, subject to editorial review.

2001 awardees were Al Herzog, Elaine Howard, Ted Jelen, David Yamane, and Fenggang Yang.

Joseph H. Fichter Research Awards

The Association for the Sociology of Religion will make available $13,000 this year for promising research on gender issues, women and religion, and feminist perspectives in the study of religion. Applicants must be members of the ASR at the time of application. Dissertation research is included within the purview of the award. Those who have recently earned the doctorate are especially encouraged to apply.

A proposal of not more than five double-spaced, typed pages should outline the rationale and plan of research. A detailed budget should be attached, as should a vita. Deadline: 1 March postmark.

Send four copies of the proposal to: James V. Spickard, 30545 Bridlegate Drive, Bulverde, TX 78163. For further information: spickard@mcguire-spickard.com.

SSSR Research Awards

The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion has authorized several thousand dollars for its 2002 research awards competition (with a maximum of $2,000 for a single grant). At least a one-fourth of the grants will go to persons who are graduate students or have held the doctorate for less than five years. Awards are intended to cover research expenses, travel, student assistance, and up to $1,500 in stipend.

Applicants must have been SSSR members for at least one year at the time they submit their proposals, which are limited in length to a maximum of five double-spaced, typed pages, including abstract and budget. The budget should include a rationale for expenditures. In addition, applicants should enclose a brief curriculum vitae listing their research and publications. Grant recipients have two years to spend their awards and are expected to submit a brief report on their research.

Three copies of the complete application should be sent to Rodney Stark, 170 Camino Rayo del Sol, Corrales, NM 87048, prior to 5 February 2002. For further information: 505-980-5271; socstark@aol.com.

 

MEETINGS

The British Sociological Association Sociology of Religion Study Group's annual conference will be held 8 - 11 April at Birmingham University, in conjunction with the Worship in Birmingham project. The theme is Religion in an Urban Ecology. The BSASRSG's Web site is: www.socrel.org.uk. The Conference Web site is http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/mstringer/conf.htm.

Queer Visions in the Americas: A Conference on LGBT/Queer Studies in Religion will be held May 24-26 at the University of California Santa Barbara. The conference will include plenary speakers and panels, discussion sessions, an evening film presentation, and paper panels. Contact Melissa Wilcox at wilcox@humanitas.ubsb.edu.

ISA Research Committee 22 (sociology of religion) will meet in the context of the XV ISA World Congress of Sociology, Brisbane, Australia, 7-13 July. Details of the themes and conveners of the various sessions are posted on the ISA Congress Web site: www.ucm.ex/info/isa/congress2002/rc/rc22.htm.

The Association for the Sociology of Religion will meet 15-17 August in Chicago. The theme is Freedom and Control. Plenary events include the Presidential Address of Eileen Barker and the Paul Hanly Furfey lecture by Michael Sells. Contact: Grace Davie, Department of Sociology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK: g.r.c.davie@exeter.ac.uk. The call for papers is also on the ASR Website: www.sociologyofreligion.com. Deadlines: 15 January for session proposals, 15 February for paper abstracts. The ASA Sociology of Religion Section also meets in Chicago. For up-to-date information on the Section's activities, including the sessions for this meeting, consult the site www.asanet.org/section34/index.html.

The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion meets with the RRA 31 October-2 November. The program theme is Practicing Religion in the 21st Century. Contact: Penny Edgell Becker, Department of Sociology, Cornell University, 323 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850; peb4@cornell.edu. Deadlines: 15 January for session proposals, 15 March for paper abstracts.

 

ELECTIONS AND NOMINATIONS

Results of the 2001 RRA general elections are: 2003-2004 President: Nancy Nason-Clark; Secretary: James K. Wellman, Jr.; Directors-at-Large, Diana Garland and Fred Kniss; Nominating Committee, Stephen Hart and Melinda Bollar Wagner. The Board in addition re-elected treasurer David Roozen and executive officer Bill Swatos, to two- and four-year terms, respectively.

The 2002 Nominating Committee seeks member input. This year a new nominating committee chair, two board members, and two nominating committee members will be elected. If you wish to offer a name (including your own), contact Kirk Hadaway at UCC, 700 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115-1100; hadawayk@ucc.org. The Committee will be happiest to hear from you as close after the start of 2002 as possible.

RRA FUTURE

As a result of the membership survey the ad hoc committee on RRA's future conducted in 1999, the idea of merging RRA with SSSR is no longer salient. At the same time, the survey results led to a strong affirmation of the desire to continue our mutually beneficial relations with SSSR, particularly in terms of annual joint meetings.

The survey results were also reflected in the boards decision to seek to strengthen RRA's distinctive identity and mission by exploring possibilities for collaborating with appropriate new groups or constituencies interested in "applied" type religious research. The committee's major recommendation last year was that we pursue this goal by making use of existing network ties between RRA members and key people in other groups or organizations representing various applied constituencies. What this recommendation really means is that the future development and expansion of RRA's mission and membership is a challenge for all of us, not just a single ad hoc committee. With this in mind, President Johnson decided to disband the ad hoc committee on RRA's future, with thanks to all who have served (Carl Dudley, Ben Johnson, Dan Olson, Craig This, Jim Wellman, Pat Wittberg, and Cynthia Woolever).

As you know, RRA already includes the interests of many colleagues involved in applied research. As we plan for our future as an organization, including our 2002 annual meeting, the Board hopes that many of you will talk with your colleagues in applied settings regarding what RRA has to offer . . . and how RRA might serve their needs even more effectively in the future.

THE RRR

New manuscripts for the RRR should now be directed to Patricia Wittberg, Sociology, Cavanaugh 303, IUPUI, 425 University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202. Until further notice, the manuscript specifications currently found in the Review remain in effect. The new book review editor of RRR is Dana Fenton. Books for review should be sent to her at Apt 13G, 530 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021. Persons wishing to serve as book reviewers should also contact Dana as soon as possible. Please be mindful that sending manuscripts or books for review to outdated addresses only slows the process, and in the case of books for review - where timeliness is particularly important - may result in an otherwise worthwhile book not being reviewed.

 

OPPORTUNITIES

A member with a complete set of journals from vol. 30 (1988/89) forward needs to dispose of his collection. He will ship them at his own expense to a member or an institution that would like to have them. Contact the Executive Office if you are interested.

A New Researchers Network for graduate students and beginning career academics working in the sociology of religion has been established under the auspices of SISR/ISSR. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewResearchersNetwork.

 

NEWS OF MEMBERS

Edward Bailey's book Implicit Religion in Contemporary Society, which went quickly out of print after its original publication in 1997,has been reprinted by the Belgian firm of Peeters; contact peeters@peeters-leuven.be.

Dane S. Claussen has been appointed Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Program, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Point Park College, Pittsburgh.

Steve Hart has published Cultural Dilemmas of Progressive Politics: Styles of Engagement among Grassroots Activists (University of Chicago Press).

Dean Hoge, Bill Dinges, Mary Johnson, and Juan Gonzales have recently published Young Adult Catholics: Religion in the Culture of Choice (University of Notre Dame Press).

Leonard Volenski, psychologist of religion and sometime member of RRA, died this past summer.

David Yamane has published Student Movements for Multiculturalism: Challenging the Curricular Color Line in Higher Education (Johns Hopkins University Press).

The following members have received Louisville Institute grants during the past year: John Bartkowski, Jim Cavendish, Carl Dudley, Kate Harvey, Deborah Kapp, and Jim Wood. Information on current Louisville Institute funding opportunities may be obtained by consulting its Web site: www.louisville-institute.org.

 

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