March 2024 Newsletter

Dear Members,

I hope this email finds you well. As the communication liaison for the Society for the Anthropology of Religion, I’m excited to bring you the latest updates and announcements for the month of March.

We value your involvement and contributions to the Society, and we’re excited to continue fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing within our community.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or contributions for future newsletters, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your continued support!

Best,
Shahana Munazir
PhD Candidate in Anthropology, UW-Madison


Society for the Anthropology of Religion
Section of the American Anthropological Association

15th March 2024, Friday

News and Announcements

The SAR announces the 2024 juried competition for the Clifford Geertz Prize to encourage excellence in the anthropology of religion by recognizing an outstanding recent book in the field. Deadline for submission of books is April 1st, 2024. See the link for more details.

The SAR welcomes three new additions to the board and two returning board members who will serve terms from November 2023 to November 2025, following the AAA meetings in Toronto in November 2023.

Read a new article published in Anthropology News by our new SAR President, Mayfair Yang:
“Buddhist Environmentalism and Indigenous Cosmology in Taiwan”

 New Books and Articles

Portrait: Mayfair Yang My Intellectual Endeavors
Mayfair Yang, Peter Van Der Veer, Francois Gauthier, Prasenjit Duara, and Susan Brownell
2023
Journal of Religion and Society

Engaged Buddhism in Mountain Monasteries: Templestay as Wellness Tourism in South Korea
Kyoim Yun
2023
Asian Ethnology

Politics as Worship: Righteous Activism and the Egyptian Muslim Brother
Sumita Pahwa
November 2023
Syracuse University Press

Holy Wells of Ireland: Sacred Realms and Popular Domains
Celeste Ray and Finbar McCormick (ed)
October 2023
Indiana University Press

Karma and Grace: Religious Difference in Millennial Sri Lanka
Neena Mahadev
October 2023
Columbia University Press

Perilous Intimacies: Debating Hindu-Muslim Friendship After Empire
Sher Ali-Tareen
September 2023
Columbia University Press

Rebuilding Community: Displaced Women and the Making of a Shia Ismaili Muslim Sociality
Shenila Khoja-Moolji
July 2023
Oxford University Press

Placing Islam: Geographies of Connection in Twentieth Century Istanbul
Timur Warner Hammond
May 2023
University of California Press

Queer Judaism: LGBT Activism and the Remaking of Jewish Orthodoxy in Israel
Orit Avishai
March 2023
New York University Press

Call for Proposals and Opportunities

The Society for the Anthropology of Religion (SAR) column in Anthropology News invites submissions that convey short stories about religion inspired by fieldwork, popular media, or current events. Accepted submissions will be published in 2024 and 2025.

The UCSIA Summer School, Religion, Culture, and Society invites applications for their upcoming religion and politics workshop (August 25-30 2024) in Antwerp, Belgium. The edition is titled ‘God on our Side? Questioning Theological Narratives of Nationalism, Populism and Conservatism.’ ​​The UCSIA Summer School is a one-week mentoring programme that encourages doctoral and postdoctoral students to explore interdisciplinary ways of analysing the relationship between religion, culture and society. Apply here
Application Deadline: April 15th 2024

University of Toronto is hosting an International Symposium titled, ‘Securitizing the Sacred: Pilgrims’ Trails across Digital Landscapes’ from August 22nd to 24th, 2024. This three-day event invites abstract submissions exploring the intersection of pilgrimage and global security in the digital age. The symposium invites contributions from scholars, practitioners, and stakeholders interested in topics such as data justice, mobility, and the role of digital technologies in pilgrimage experiences with various formats available including papers, posters, sessions, and alternative formats. For inquiries and submissions, contact securitizingthesacred@gmail.com. The Symposium, supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Grant, offers free registration and ensures accessibility for all participants.
Application Deadline: April 20, 2024

Religion and Society is seeking submissions for their upcoming special issue.
Application deadline: May 1, 2024.