[KS] Call for Papers: Religious Innovation in East Asia

[Dane Alston]

International Conference: Call for Papers


    Religious Innovation in East Asia

The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

November 28-30, 2007

In the last few decades, the religious scene across East Asia has 
changed in fundamental ways. Changes in government administration, 
communications technologies, the degree of urbanisation, levels of 
education, and increasing wealth have run parallel to a burgeoning of 
religious life. These years have seen a growth in new religious 
movements, new varieties of existing religions and new forms of 
religiosity. They have also seen an increased public presence and 
awareness of religious groups through involvement in mainstream 
politics, in opposition to the state, and by violent interventions as 
well as simply becoming more visible on the streets, in the media and on 
the web.

This conference seeks to explore these changes in China (including 
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau), Japan, South Korea and Vietnam and amongst 
their diasporic communities, and the background to them. Some of the 
themes on which papers may be suggested are:

• New religious movements

• New formations of Buddhism, Islam and other established religions

• Cultivation and self-cultivation, especially qigong and related activities

• Religious innovation in the diasporas

• Theoretical and methodological issues related to religious innovation

• Popular religion in contemporary societies

Major speakers will be invited from China, Japan and South Korea.

Suggestions for papers should be submitted to Anthony.Garnaut at anu.edu.au 
<mailto:Anthony.Garnaut at anu.edu.au> by May 31, 2007. Some travel funding 
is likely to be available for participants, including graduate students, 
from Australia and New Zealand.

Organizing Group: John Jorgensen (Griffith University), Benjamin Penny 
(The Australian National University), Judith Snodgrass (University of 
Western Sydney), Philip Taylor (The Australian National University).

We acknowledge support from the East Asia Forum, ANU


-- 
Dane Alston
PhD Scholar
Division of Pacific and Asian History
Research School of Pacific and Asian History
Australian National University

T: +61 2 6125 4096
F: +61 2 6125 5525
W: http://rspas.anu.edu.au/~dane/