CFP: Digital Religion Symposium

[Monique Ingalls]

CALL FOR PAPERS

Digital religion

The Donner institute will arrange a Symposium
13-15 June 2012 in Åbo / Turku, Finland

Place:
Åbo Akademi University, Asa
Fänriksgatan 3 / Vänrikinkatu 3
Åbo / Turku/Finland


The theme we have chosen for the Donner Institute 23rd Symposium is
Digital Religion.
The conference “Digital Religion” aims to explore the complex
relationship between religion and digital technologies of
communication. Digital religion encompasses a myriad of connections
between religion and digital technologies of communication and the
goal of the conference is to approach the subject from multiple
perspectives.

Developments in digital technologies are having a noticeably growing
impact on the very character and nature of contemporary religious life
and practice across the globe. Digital technologies of communication –
epitomized in the continuing development and proliferation of the
Internet and online modes of communication – are providing religious
communities of virtually all strands with new means, environments and
arenas within and through which to interact, express, and communicate
their message in ways unknown to previous generations.

For many religious communities, this development has undoubtedly
brought a whole host of challenges. Many religious communities today
find themselves struggling with how to come to terms with a rapidly
expanding Internet-based communications environment that challenges
traditional understandings of religious mediation and religious
authority. Nevertheless, there are also religious communities that
have faced the challenges head on and come to thrive thanks to the new
technologies or whose very existence is dependent on e.g. the
Internet.

From a scholarly perspective, this development is intimately connected
to ongoing debates about the impact of accelerating processes of
mediatization and digitalization on contemporary religious life and
practice. Though religion has colonized many different forms of
digital media, it has also doubtlessly been altered by the media. This
process is, however, complex and moves in several directions. Though
digital technologies no doubt transform religion and the contemporary
religious landscape, religion too can be argued to have an impact on
the digital world.

Subjects for papers include but are not limited to the following:

- Theoretical, methodological and historical approaches to “digital
religion”
- Empirical studies of “religion on line”, “online religion”, and the
relation between “online” and “offline” religion
- New media and transnational religious networks
- Challenges and/or opportunities for religions by digital media
- The Internet as an arena for religious/spiritual community
- Authority and legitimacy in digital religion
- Technological development and religious change
- Religion and digital media: appropriations, configurations, impacts
- Digital religion: generational, demographic, and geographical
aspects
- Religious communicational strategies and digital technologies

Keynote speakers:
Ass. Prof. Heidi Campbell, Texas A & M University, Texas
Prof. Mia Lövheim, Uppsala University, Sweden
Prof. Jolyon Mitchell, University of Edinburg, UK
Dr. Marcus Moberg, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
Dr. Alexander Ornella, University of Hull, UK
Prof. Michael Pye, Phillips-Universität Marburg, Germany
Dr. Sofia Sjö, Åbo Akademi University, Finland

Application:

Please send your application to give a paper, with a short abstract
included, to the Donner Institute no later than February 15 2012.

20 minutes will be reserved for your lecture followed by 10 minutes
for discussion.

Finally, we would like to inform you that the lectures will be
published, in English, French or German, in volume 25 of the Donner
Institute series Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis. The published
version of your lecture may be longer than the one you present at the
symposium. We will be happy to receive a digital and publishable
version of your lecture already at the symposium but no later than
October 31 2012.

Registration:

The registration fee is 150 €. (75 € for accompanying person)

The fee should be paid by the end of April 2012.
Account number: Nordea FI 12 20571800020055 NDEAFIHH
Name of the accountholder: Stiftelsen för Åbo Akademi (Foundation of
Åbo Akademi University)

The registration fee includes an excursion and a banquet organised in
connection with the symposium.

Please indicate in your registration whether you wish to participate
in the excursion and the banquet.

Address:
Donner institute
PB 70
FIN-20501 Åbo / Turku
Finland
E-mail: donner.i...@abo.fi
Tel.: +358 20 786 1450

WELCOME

Tore Ahlbäck, Joakim Alander, Björn Dahla,
Ruth Illman and Anna Nyman

Åbo/Turku 08.11.2011