African Association for the Study of Religions

Call For Papers: New, provocative and comparative theories & methods of studying religion in Africa

Most of the literature in African Religions has argued that indigenous religions depend more on oral traditions. Recent scholarship demonstrates the different ways in which texts and artifacts provide narratives for some religious traditions. We invite papers (or panel proposals) that will discuss disciplinary approaches in the study of African Religion and/or the Bible in Africa and the Diaspora.

General Instructions: Papers and panel proposals should address the creative approaches to the reconstruction of religious texts and/artifacts as well as the methods and theories used by scholars to study them in Africa. They should interrogate this theme from a variety of perspectives including gender, religious independence & scripturalization of ATR." Papers should demonstrate what is new, provocative and comparative in the study of religion and/or Biblical scholarship.

Suggested Categories: 1) Interdisciplinary approaches driven by linguistic or cultural influence to recent studies of African Religion. 2) Documenting context-specific ethnographic research in ATR that clearly demonstrate ‘learning from people’ rather than ‘studying them’. 3) Scripturalization of ATR 4) Theoretical models and approaches to the study of gender and religion in Africa including research from the Circle (Circle of Concerned African Women theologians). 5) Interpreting African music for the study of religion and social justice as an applied discipline. 6) Reproduction/Representation of African Religions in Popular Culture and how this could be studied. 7) Re-reading African cultures and ATR in Colonial Archives: A Quest for useful methods and theories 8) African Independent Churches and the construction of hybrid identities All submission should be sent to Lilian Dube, ldube@usfca.edu by 20 Mar 2011. You will be notified by 31 Mar 2011.

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