CALL FOR PRESENTERS: 2021 INTERNATIONAL SIMULATION THEORY eCONFERENCE DATES: March 20–21, 2021 The Global Center for Religious Research (GCRR) is hosting the 2021 International Simulation Theory eConference, which will bring together scholars, specialists, and philosophers from all over the world to discuss the different problems, proofs, and solutions in current simulation theory. The purpose of this multidisciplinary virtual conference is to advance the scientific and philosophical understanding of how the simulation hypothesis may or may not answer important cosmological, metaphysical, and even theological questions plaguing humanity.

N.J. Demerath III (‘Jay’), former president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (1997-99), and winner of two SSSR distinguished publication awards (article 1992; book 2002), passed away February 5, 2021 in Leeds, Massachusetts.

Wendy Griffin (September 23,1941-February 12, 2021), a longtime member of the SSSR died peacefully at home. Wendy is best known for her research on the Goddess movement and her work in establishing contemporary Pagan studies as its own interdisciplinary field. She published numerous articles and book chapters, and was the editor of Daughter of The Goddess: Studies of Healing, Identity, and Empowerment (AltaMira, 2000).

Along with the earlier rounds Religion IV is now freely available from the GESIS archive . . .

We are excited to welcome a new Editor-in-Chief for the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Korie Little Edwards, PhD!

Please welcome Karen Hutchison, CAE, M.A., who will take over as SSSR's Executive Officer starting May 1, 2021.

Call for Presenters!

Strategic Engagement Associate Position at PRRI

Call for Proposals: Course Development Grants in Science and Theology

Call for Papers: Antisemitism in the Fourth Gospel (Book Anthology)

BOOK: Studies in Religious Trauma: Causes, Manifestations, and Treatments

The Sociology Department of Georgetown University is recruiting for a Full Professor and Chair.

With an increase in academic programs related to viniculture and brewing science, the time is ripe for contributions from the humanities and social sciences. We believe the theories and methods of religious studies have important contributions to offer studies of alcohol. Thus, we seek to bring together scholars from across disciplines to examine the historical, social, ritual, economic, political and cultural relationship between religion and alcohol across time periods and around the world. The goal of the workshop is to create an edited volume with broad appeal that will advance research on religion and alcohol. Submissions: To submit a proposal for consideration, please email an abstract of approximately 250 words and a brief C.V. (2 pages) to ryan.r.lemasters@wmich.edu. The title of your abstract should be your last name and be sent as a PDF. The subject line of the email should appear as follows “Holy Waters.” The deadline to submit is October 1, 2021. Those selected for inclusion will be notified by the organizing committee by October 11, 2021.

The Global Center for Religious Research (GCRR) is hosting the 2021 International eConference on Sex, Eroticism, and Religion, which will bring together erotic book authors, historians, philosophers, specialists, and students from all over the world to discuss the latest in a very taboo subject

The Global Center for Religious Research (GCRR) is hosting the 2nd Annual International eConference on Atheism, which will bring together authors, social-scientists, historians, philosophers, specialists, and students from all over the world to discuss the theme of "God and Suffering."

The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics seeks applications from junior scholars and recent Ph.D. graduates for up to four postdoctoral fellowships in residence at Washington University in St. Louis.

The Lake Institute on Faith & Giving is requesting your assistance in communicating to Ph.D. students the 2022-2023 Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship opportunity. The Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship supports the last year of dissertation research that engages issues within religion & philanthropy or faith & giving. Applicants representing all fields of study are encouraged to apply. Please share with potential candidates, on your listserv, newsletter, social media, and/or website the information below regarding the annual $25,000 award for the Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship.

Our friend and colleague, Wade Clark Roof, died on August 24 of this year at the age of 80. He was a giant in our field, and for those who knew him, he was also a thoughtful collaborator, an insightful commentator on our work, and a genuinely warm, kind human being.

The University of Chicago Divinity School invites applications for tenure-track position(s) from early-career scholars whose work brings together race and religion, for an appointment date of July 1, 2022.  We understand both of these terms, race and religion, capaciously and are open to work across methods, disciplines, periods, and geographies.  Candidates are expected to have the interest and ability to engage in interdisciplinary conversations with other scholars of religion and in other fields and areas within the University.

The University of Chicago Divinity School invites applications for tenure-track Assistant Professor position(s) from scholars whose work brings together race and religion, for an appointment date of July 1, 2022. We understand both of these terms, race and religion, capaciously and are open to work across methods, disciplines, periods, and geographies. Candidates are expected to have the interest and ability to engage in interdisciplinary conversations with other scholars of religion and in other fields and areas within the University.

The University of Chicago Divinity School invites applications for tenured Associate or Full Professor position(s) from scholars whose work brings together race and religion, for an appointment date of July 1, 2022. We understand both of these terms, race and religion, capaciously and are open to work across methods, disciplines, periods, and geographies. Candidates are expected to have the interest and ability to engage in interdisciplinary conversations with other scholars of religion and in other fields and areas within the University.

The purpose of this call for articles is to roll out this American Voices Project (AVP)-based qualitative analysis by opening up the AVP dataset to qualified scholars and analysts. We welcome research on the many topics—including health, poverty, politics, protest, employment, coping, and anomie—that the AVP interviews can assist in understanding.

The goal of this grant program is to support innovative work examining the diversity of Black religious communities and cultures, past and present. Crossroads emphasizes the diverse landscape of African American religions, reflecting the voices and leadership of those not featured in traditional accounts and engages a geography beyond the US, recognizing the historical and contemporary impact of African American religious connections to Africa and the Americas and the influence of immigration from the Caribbean and Africa on religious life in the United States.

This one-year grant is given annually to support a graduate student whose research engages and intersects issues within religion and philanthropy or faith and giving. It is intended to support the final year of dissertation writing for a doctoral candidate at a U.S. graduate school.

Pew Research Center has an immediate need for a Research Associate to work collaboratively as part of a team studying the role of religion in U.S. society.

“We” & “They”: Cross Cultural Conversations on Identity June 25 to July 2, 2022, Star Island, NH

West Virginia University’s Sociology Ph.D. Program is recruiting graduate students for our 2022-2023 cohort. Our program has four research specializations: Sociology of Religion; Crime, Law, and Deviance; Inequality, Diversity, and Equity; and Social Psychology and Group Processes. The Sociology of Religion specialization covers a variety of subareas including religious identity and behavior; religion and communities; religion, science, and society; religion and crime, discrimination, and victimization; and religion and health. Students in this area have the opportunity to collaborate on publications and conference presentations, have access to unique data, and opportunities for funded research assistantships. For more information check out our program website https://soca.wvu.edu/students/graduate-students and our Religion & Society research group page https://www.raswvu.com/

CALL for PRESENTERS! The Global Center for Religious Research (GCRR) is hosting the 2nd Annual International eConference on Religious Trauma, which will bring together specialists, psychiatrists, and researchers from all over the world to discuss the causes of religious trauma, as well as its manifestations and treatment options for those afflicted with the often adverse and disruptive effects associated with religion. The purpose of this multidisciplinary virtual conference is to advance the clinical and psychological understanding of religious trauma. This two-day conference will provide an interdisciplinary platform for scholars, educators, and practitioners to present their research to international audiences from all different backgrounds. And because the virtual conference is held online, scholars and students can attend from the comfort and safety of their own home without having to worry about travel and lodging expenses. PRESENTERS WANTED! We encourage the following people to submit an abstract proposal (200-500 words) to present at this year’s international academic conference: ~Psychologists / Psychiatrists ~Counselors / Therapists ~Religious Trauma Survivors ~Social-Scientists ~Historians ~Philosophers ~Researchers ~Professors ~Authors ~Theologians ~Graduate Students ~Other Specialists in this Field of Study Upon passing peer-review and acceptance by the Conference Committee, all academic research presentations will be published in an upcoming issue of the peer-reviewed academic journal, Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERM). Presenters can also feature and promote their own publications during the conference for free! Abstract Proposal Deadline: March 1st, 2022 For more information, visit: https://www.gcrr.org/religioustraumaconference2022

The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis invites applications for one or more open rank, tenure track positions in American religion and politics. The search committee welcomes applications from scholars from a variety of fields and disciplines including, but not limited to, African and African-American Studies; Anthropology, Asian American Studies; Hispanic Studies; History; Islamic Studies; Jewish Studies; Law; Literature; Philosophy; Political Science; Religious Studies; Security Studies; Sociology; Theology; and Women/Gender/Sexuality Studies.

The editor/s invite contributions to this special issue that engage with the following questions. Articles with an international comparative approach are especially welcome: Who are these highly religious young Catholics? How can they be characterized in terms of religiosity and in terms of a range of social issues (life choices, participation in society, relationship with others, etc.)? If there are differences between countries, which differences exist? How do they differentiate from their parents, relatives, and friends, from the other young Catholics, and from the whole youth? Are there really differentiating features? Are they young people like the others? What is the relation between religious identity and overall post-modern values and high pluralization? How do these young people interact with our modernity and its values? Do they look at modernity differently? Do they see it as a threat or an opportunity? How these young Catholics became so highly religious? What is the very nature of religious socialization that can explain this? Did they convert? May their life histories explain the nuances of their path towards high religiosity? What is their role in Catholic Church’s evangelization? Are they fundamental for the Catholic Church? What is their involvement in parishes organization and in ecclesial movements? Do they have a different involvement in civil society?

The purpose of the Sociology of Religion Unit of the American Academy of Religion is to generate cross-fertilization between the Sociology of Religion and Religious Studies. We are open to papers in all areas and therefore encourage submissions of any topic relevant to the sociology of religion.

Early-Career Fellowships in Religion and the Public Sphere Religion, Spirituality, and Democratic Renewal" "The Religion, Spirituality, and Democratic Renewal (RSDR) Fellowship of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) aims to bring knowledge of the place of religion and spirituality into scholarly and public conversations about renewing democracy in the United States. These fellowships are offered by the SSRC Program on Religion and the Public Sphere with the support and partnership of the Fetzer Institute.

The Religion, Spirituality, and Democratic Renewal (RSDR) Fellowship of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) aims to bring knowledge of the place of religion and spirituality into scholarly and public conversations about renewing democracy in the United States. These fellowships are offered by the SSRC Program on Religion and the Public Sphere with the support and partnership of the Fetzer Institute. Applications are due April 14, 2022, 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. Apply online at apply.ssrc.org.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Post-Doctoral Research Associates The Center on Religion and the Global East at Purdue University invites applications for four one-year postdoctoral research positions: Post Doctoral Research Associate — Japanese Christianity Post Doctoral Research Associate — Korean Christianity Post Doctoral Research Associate — Social Survey in East Asia Post Doctoral Research Associate — GIS and Spatial Studies These positions start as early as July 1, 2022 and are renewable for a second year. Review of applications will begin on March 15, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. These post-doctoral positions are embedded in the funded multi-national project “Global East Religiosity and Changing Religious Landscapes,” which includes surveys of individuals, mapping religious sites, and the comparative historical studies of Christianity in East Asian societies. Each of the four positions are described in detail below. To apply for one of these positions, please submit your application online and include the following materials: (1) letter of application that includes description of your research interests and experiences, 2) curriculum vitae, (3) a writing sample in English (Japanese or Korean writing sample also required for Japanese and Korean Christianity positions). Candidates should list the names and email addresses of three writers of letters of reference at the time of the application. Inquiries may be directed to Professor Fenggang Yang, Director of Center on Religion and the Global East at fyang@purdue.edu.

The Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations project has immediate openings for two post-doctoral researchers.

PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) is seeking applicants whose research agendas align with one of four principal vectors of PRRI's ongoing work: 1) religious, racial and ethnic pluralism; 2) racial justice and white supremacy; 3) immigration and migration studies; and 4) LGBTQ rights. In each area of scholarship, PRRI will select four fellows.

GCRR Press is inviting papers for a themed article collection relating to the New Testament Gospel of John for inclusion in a proposed scholarly anthology in the field of Jewish Studies.

The Network for the Sociological Study of Science and Religion (https://www.nsssr.org/) is hiring a postdoctoral fellow. Applications are due June 15 and the position will begin this August.

James Arthur Beckford FBA (December 1, 1942 - May 10, 2022) was a British sociologist of religion. He was Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Warwick and a Fellow of the British Academy. In 1988/1989, he served as President of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, and from 1999 to 2003, as the President of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion. He was President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in 2010. Apart from general writings on the sociology of religion, Beckford was a prolific author of books and articles on new religious movements and society's responses to them. He also researched and wrote about religious issues affecting prison inmates.