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).

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

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.

A native of Massachusetts, James D. Davidson earned his Ph.D. at University of Notre Dame in 1969. He specialized in the sociology of religion, studying religious stratification and trends among American Catholics.

This is an open call for papers for the Research Committee 22 on the Sociology of Religion Program at the International Sociological Association World Congress that will take place in Melbourne, Australia from June 25th to July 1st, 2023.

On August 13th, the Association of Religion Data Archives will launch a completely redesigned website that offers enhanced reports, improved mapping, updated and expanded GIS tools, and more detailed information on religious groups, including greatly expanded and now interactive family trees.

PRRI is announcing an opportunity to join a diverse cohort of 16 non-residential Public Fellows who are engaged in public scholarship at the intersection of religion, culture, and politics. As a part of PRRI's Religion and Renewing Democracy Initiative, the organization 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 Public Fellows.

The 14th HudHud International webinar on "Islamic mysticism and Theory of being-centered Leadership". We're looking forward to seeing you online on Monday, 8th May 2023, 10:30 am, EST time, 4:30 pm CET time Here is the link of Registration: https://vdars.com/en/knysh/

The Religion and Social Change Lab at Duke University is looking to hire a postdoc with expertise in qualitative methods and substantive interests in the sociology of religion and/or education. The postdoc will focus on data collection and analysis for several large, longitudinal research studies focused on Mainline Protestant clergy and congregations, including a mixed-methods study of seminary education. The ideal candidate will have experience with in-depth interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in religious contexts. Familiarity with Nvivo and team-based qualitative analysis is a plus. Knowledge of and interests in clergy, congregations, and/or seminary education is also a plus. This is a 2-year postdoc, with the possibility of a one-year extension. The selected candidate will be expected to relocate to the Durham area and to travel for fieldwork in the Southeastern US. Please feel free to contact Erin Johnston (Senior Research Associate with RaSCL) with any questions: erin.johnston1@duke.edu Link to apply: https://careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-POSTDOCTORAL-ASSOCIATE-NC-27710/1027549000/

The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2023-2025 Young Scholars in American Religion cohort! Beginning in the fall of 2023, a series of seminars devoted to the enhancement of teaching and research will be offered in Indianapolis. The aims of all sessions of the program are to develop ideas and methods of teaching in a supportive workshop environment, stimulate scholarly research and writing, and create a community of scholars that will continue into the future. Learn more about the program and apply here: https://raac.iupui.edu/programs/young-scholars-in-american-religion/2023-25-ysar-application/

The Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance is pleased to be hiring an Associate Director of Operations who will lead the operations of the Boniuk Institute, in particular developing plans and strategies to implement the vision of the faculty director.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate for a postdoc position within a project funded by the Templeton Foundation and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, granted to Dr. Brian Ostafin and Prof. Dr. André Aleman. We offer a contract of 12 months, with an extension of 12 additional months being possible.

This is an opportunity to become the leader of an emerging national growth organization that is passionate about the well-being of young people at the intersections of their inner and outer lives, and that supports those who are helping young people navigate their religious, spiritual, and mental health. As the Director, you will report to and work in close collaboration with the President/CEO.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY invites applications for the Martin Luther King, Jr., Professor of Religion and Black Studies, a full-time, tenured faculty position at the rank of Full Professor, to begin in Fall 2024. The Professorship honors Dr. King by modeling the moral authority, prophetic vision of justice, peace, and love, ethical leadership, and global consciousness that he advocated for and embodied. The successful candidate will be an outstanding scholar, holding a PhD, ThD, or appropriate equivalent degree, whose research and teaching contribute to the School of Theology, Boston University, and the Academy in the work of religion and Black studies and to models and practices of ethical leadership.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY invites applications for a full-time tenure track assistant professor position in religion and society or practical theology, with a specialization in Black Church Studies and/or African American religious communities.

The National Survey of Religious Leaders (NSRL) dataset is now publicly available from both the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)!

New interdisciplinary initiative at Baylor University focused on disability and faith. Our goal is to carry out research, training, resource development, and leadership that promotes the flourishing of people with disabilities, as well as their families and faith communities.

Cambridge Scholars Publishing are inviting proposals for academic books and edited collections in Humanities and Social Sciences. We publish in all major fields of academic research and practice: Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Health Sciences. To submit a book proposal, please visit our website, where you can complete a Book Proposal Form.

In 2024, the University of Pennsylvania Press will become the publisher of the journal Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, the official journal of the Association for the Academic Study of New Religions, Inc. (AASNR). The journal is hosted on Project MUSE.

The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IUPUI invites applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Fellow research position. The appointment is for one year with an option for renewal, which is preferred. The target start date is January 1, 2024.

Papers are invited for a special issue of Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERM Journal) on the claims, achievements, challenges, failings, and the very possibility or desirability of a theology without walls. Papers from any discipline, including theology, philosophy of religion, anthropology, cognitive science, etc., are welcome, as are papers written from the perspective of other faith traditions outside of Christianity. The submission date is open, but ideally collected papers would be delivered to the journal no later than Spring 2024.

The Louisville Institute is now accepting applications for the 2024 Postdoctoral Fellowship, which provides early career theological educators with vocational and professional formation through a two-year job placement, usually as a visiting professor at ATS-accredited theological schools or a college or university in the United States and Canada. Applicants are typically scholars studying Christian faith and life, the practice of ministry, religious trends and movements, Christian and other faith-based institutions, and religion and social issues. As part of the Louisville Institute’s Vocation of the Theological Educator Initiative (VTE), Postdoctoral Fellows participate in intentional, focused, professional formation as they explore a calling to be a theological educator.

Boston University's Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA) is an interdisciplinary research center that encourages and supports research on the role of religion in public affairs. Supported by a substantial endowment and grants from various foundations, CURA has sponsored research projects on five continents, leading to the publication of over 150 books and many more articles.

The Sociology Department at the University of Memphis invites applications for a tenure track faculty position to be filled at the Assistant Professor rank beginning in Fall 2024. Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. in Sociology or a related field no later than August 2024. Area of specialization is open, although we seek a scholar who can teach core classes in sociological theory. Preference will be given to a scholar who will be active in the pursuit of grant funding. The Center for Community Research and Evaluation, an on-campus Center that is externally funded and connected with the Sociology Department, provides opportunities for collaboration on externally funded work.

The Department of Religion at Rice University invites applications for an Assistant Professor (TT) in the area of Science and Religion. “Science” in this sense is broadly understood to include a variety of disciplinary and methodological domains, such as the Philosophy of Science and Religion, the History of Science and Religion, Cognitive Science and Religion, Neuroscience and Religion, Religion and Environmental Science, and Religion and the Medical Humanities. Priority will be given to applicants whose work gives significant attention to questions of race, gender, or sexuality. Focuses on geographic area and religious tradition(s) are open, though applicants should be prepared to teach courses that reflect cultural and social diversity as well as methods in the study of religion. Excellence in teaching and research is expected. Rice is committed to diversity and inclusion, and women and historically underrepresented minority candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for three, full-time, one-year Postdoctoral or Research Fellow positions at the Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto). These funded positions are sponsored by the Lilly Foundation as part of their Pathways for Tomorrow Phase 2 grants and begin in January 2024. 

As one of eight tenure-line positions associated with Southern Methodist University’s faculty cluster in urban research, this position offers opportunities for rich interdisciplinary connections among new and existing SMU faculty [https://www.smu.edu/Dedman/Research/Clusters]. The cluster fosters research on cities and urbanization from local and global perspectives. SMU’s location in Dallas, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country, is an ideal setting for studying the opportunities and inequities that individuals, groups, and communities confront as they navigate and shape urban life.

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

Lake Institute on Faith & Giving is pleased to announce the 2024-2025 Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship for doctoral students whose research engages issues at the intersection of religion and philanthropy or faith and generosity. While the intersection of faith and giving is key to our mission, we are glad to receive a broad range of proposals that consider these topics together.

Rice University’s Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance is pleased to invite applications for sponsorship to the Rice Academy Postdoctoral Fellows Program. The two-year Rice Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to exceptional scholars who have recently earned a doctoral degree in any area and who want to pursue research with faculty at Rice University. Rice Academy Fellows application requires sponsorship by a Rice University faculty member in a dual sponsorship structure. This call is for consideration for sponsorship by the Boniuk Institute in the Institute’s area of interest and in specific disciplines for the Rice Academy of Fellows. If selected as a Fellow, Boniuk institute will fund 50% of the Fellow’s salary (the other 50% to be funded by the Rice Academy).

Heterodox Academy's Center for Academic Pluralism (CAP) invites applications for academic year 2024-2025 residential Faculty Research Fellowships in New York City, for scholars interested in exploring the theoretical and empirical foundations of pluralism in higher institutions of research and education, and sharing their findings with scholars, opinion leaders, and lay public around the world.

Louisville Institute is now accepting application for the 2024 First Book Grant for Scholars of Color. The First Book Grant for Scholars of Color (FBG) provides grants up to $40,000 to assist early career, pre-tenured religion scholars of color to complete a major research project about Christian faith and life, the practice of ministry, religious trends and movements, Christian and other faith-based institutions, and religion and social issues. Projects may be rooted in fields such as history, systematic and practical theology, social science, ethics, biblical studies, etc., or may be interdisciplinary in nature. Of particular interest to the Louisville Institute are projects that bridge academic scholarship and the life of the church in North America.