6TH AASR CONFERENCE IN AFRICA Religion, Ecology, and the Environment in Africa and the African Diaspora

University of Cape Town, South Africa
July 30-August 3, 2014
http://www.a-asr.org/meetings/

CALL FOR PAPERS

The African Association for the Study of Religion (AASR) invites
proposals for indi­vid­ual papers, panels, roundtable, and poster
presentations for its biannual conference to be held at the University
of Cape Town, South Africa, from July 30 to August 3, 2014. The AASR
returns to the theme: Religion, Ecology, and the Environment in Africa
and the African Diaspora to un­derscore its commitment to the growing
environmental crisis and the impact it has on all areas of life and
society in Africa and the African Diaspora. As scholars of religion, we
have an im­portant responsibility, in collaboration with other scholars
in other disciplines to study religion, ecology, and the environment.
This conference offers participants to present research, engage in
dialogue, develop relevant curricula and inform public policy on this
vital and critical issue.

Religion and the stu­dy of religions, ecology, and the environment in
Africa are a major concern for reasons that include radical climate
change; the disappearance of vegetation and wetlands; ex­tensive
exploitation of natural resources; frequent and severe draughts; the
impact of cli­mate changes on population density in major cities; water
and food crises. The field of religious studies offers a variety of
methodological and theoretical approaches to understand and interpret
such phenomena and developments.The aca­demic study of religions as a
field provides an opportunity to examine these issues on different
levels: the­o­ret­ical, methodological, experiential, pedagogical, and
the pragmatic. We believe that unique insights will emerge if religion
is deliberately made a lens through which to unlock the reality of the
preceding themes within the context of the African continent and its
Diaspora.

We invite papers from scholars of religions, the social sciences, the
natural sci­ences, interdisciplinary research groups, and institutes
focusing on ecological and en­vironmental issues that will address,
among other things, the state of knowledge and science on ecology and
environment, ecological and environmental degradation, man­age­ment and
sustainability, and ways of establishing scholarly dialogue on
ecological balance. Papers and round tables could also study and analyze
current and past projects on the continent that relate to religion,
ecology, and the environment. Examples of these would be the tree
planting and ecological ministries of the Christian wing of the
Zimbabwean Institute of Religious Research and Ecological Conservation
(ZIRRCON), or large national initiatives like the Green Belt Movement.
Papers might explore the aims of the projects, current status, their
finances, as well as the environmental challenges that may be posed by
the projects themselves and the prospects for sustainability.

Sub themes and related topics to be considered include the following:

Climate change and the debates on climate change
Nature, nature religions, and sacred spaces and environmental challenges
Religious authority and environmental challenge
Eco-feminism and religious dialogue
Religion, the environment, and food security
The environment and the crisis of safe drinking water
Ecology and economics in religious perspective
Religious, philosophical, and ethical perspectives on ecology
Comparative religious view of environmental action
Theology, ecology, and environmental challenges and promise
Environmental ethics
Faith Based Organizations and sustainable development
Ecology, environment, and political responsibility
Religion and the economics of climate change
Religious perspectives on pharmacopeia, health, medicine and the environment
Religion, biodiversity, and global bio-politics
Religion and environmental pollution
Religion Education and the Environmental Crisis
Critical Religious Terms (rituals, myths, spaces) and Ecology

Abstracts

We invite abstracts of proposed panels, papers, and poster presentations
of two hundred and fifty (250) words. Abstracts should include the title
of the presentation, indicate if audio-visual equipment will be needed
for the presentation and include the author’s contact information
(institutional af­fil­iation, email address and phone number). All
abstracts should be submitted online by November 30, 2013 and full
papers and power point presentations should be submitted by March 30,
2014 on the following:

Online Abstract Submission:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1U7yMexjmqrQDF8YyypVuAaqtu2dtjWKL_xAdOuMV09M/viewform

Papers submitted for publication after the conference will go through a
peer review process when the editors find a publisher.

Accommodation, Registration and Meals

The Conference will be held in Cape Town at the Conference Facilities of
the Breakwater Lodge. A number of rooms have been set aside for the
Conference at this hotel at preferential rates. When booking, mention
the AASR. There are also numerous hotels around this site. Further
options will be posted here soon. Lunches and Dinners will be organized
at additional costs. Arrangements are being made with the hotel
management, and will be posted on this page.

Looking forward to your participation in Cape Town!

Planning Committee:
Adbulkader Tayob: abdulkader.tayob@uct.za
Madipoane Masenya