http://www.aarweb.org/meetings/annual_meeting/Past_and_Future_Meetings/2004/highlights.asp
2004 Program Highlights
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Plenary and Presidential Addresses Sessions on Professional Practices & Institutional Location Sessions with a Focus on Latin American Scholars and Scholarship |
Plenary and Presidential Addresses
TEXTureS, Gestures, Power: Orientation to Radical Excavation
(A20-21)
Saturday, 11:30 am-1:00 pm
Vincent Wimbush, Claremont Graduate University
Vincent L. Wimbush is professor of religion and director of the recently established Institute for Signifying Scriptures at Claremont Graduate University. His teaching and research interests include: the "New Testament" and "Early Christianity" as ancient and modern literary-rhetorical-ideological formations; the ideologies and politics of ancient and modern asceticisms and renunciations; and the practices and politics involving the making and engagement of "scriptures." For eight years Wimbush directed the New York City-based African Americans and the Bible Research Project. In Claremont he has expanded upon this project with the establishment of the ISS, whose agenda is to facilitate research into "scripturalizing" across communities world-wide, with focus upon historically dominated peoples. Recent publications include: The Bible and African Americans: A Brief History (2003); Editor, with the assistance of Rosamond Rodman, African Americans and the Bible: Sacred Texts and Social Textures (2000, 2001); and co-editor, with Richard Valantasis, and Asceticism (1995, 2003).
Presidential Address: Reading the Qur'an with Fidelity and Freedom
(A20-128)
Saturday, 7:00 pm-8:15 pm
Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Georgetown University
Jane Dammen McAuliffe is dean of Arts and Sciences at Georgetown University and Professor in the Department of History and the Department of Arabic. She came to Georgetown in 1999 from the University of Toronto where she was Chair of the Department for the Study of Religion and Professor of Islamic Studies in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations. McAuliffe has published primarily in the areas of Qur'anic studies and Muslim-Christian relations. Recent titles include Abbasid Authority Affirmed: The Early Years of al-Mansur (SUNY, 1995) and With Reverence for the Word: Medieval Scriptural Exegesis in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Oxford, 2003). Presently she is the general editor of a five-volume Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an (Brill, 2001-). McAuliffe’s work has been supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship (1992), a Mellon Foundation fellowship (1994), a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship (1996), and a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship (1997).
Islam in the West: The North American Context
(A21-128)
Sunday, 7:15 pm-8:15 pm
Tariq Ramadan, University of Notre Dame
Ramadan lives in Geneva, where he was born. He studied as imam in Cairo and, back in Switzerland, took an undergraduate degree in French literature and two doctorates, in Islamic studies and the philosophical thought of Friedrich Nietzsche. He teaches at the University of Geneva and the University of Fribourg and is the Luce Professor of Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame. Since 1993, he has dedicated himself with growing intensity to preaching in Switzerland, France, and Belgium, with frequent engagements in the United States. He is the author of over a dozen books: the one entitled To Be a European Muslim, published in 1999, has been translated into 14 languages. He is listened to as an expert at the European Parliament.
A God of Incredible Surprises
(A22-127)
Monday, 7:15 pm-8:15 pm
Virgilio Elizondo, University of Notre Dame
Father Virgilio Elizondo, a Mexican-American theologian from San Antonio, Texas, has had a worldwide impact upon Hispanic religion through his writings, lectures, and internationally televised bilingual worship. As rector of his city’s San Fernando Cathedral for over 12 years, Elizondo became a leader in bringing Mexican religious customs and traditions into the Catholic service. Still, Elizondo struggled with the church’s paternal attitude toward Mexican Americans and vowed to go beyond simply elevating cultural traditions in church services. His most influential and widely accepted book to date, The Future of the Mestizo – Life Where Cultures Meet (2000), discusses the outcome of the blend of Mexican, Spanish, indigenous, and Anglo cultures in the U.S. and its effect upon the Catholic Church. As a founder of the Mexican American Cultural Center in San Antonio, he has built a model for community-based religious education that extends worldwide. In 1997, Elizondo was honored with the highest honor a Catholic can receive in the United States, Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, becoming the first Latino given this honor. As the author of 12 books and editor of many others, Elizondo has introduced new and creative ways to teach Americans the concepts of peace, acceptance and faith through art and the teachings of the Bible.
The Science and Religion Dialogue: Where It Stands Today -- and Why It
Matters
(A22-131)
Monday, 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm
George F. R. Ellis, University of Cape Town
George F. R. Ellis, the 2004 Templeton Prize Laureate, is professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town. He is a leading theoretical cosmologist renowned for his bold and innovative contributions to the dialogue between science and religion. Ellis has advocated balancing the rationality of evidence-based science with faith and hope, a view shaped in part by his firsthand experiences in South Africa as it transformed from apartheid to multi-racial democracy without succumbing to civil war. He describes that history as a "confounding of the calculus of reality" that can only be explained as the causal effect of forces beyond the explanation of science, including issues such as aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, and meaning. He is the author of The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time (with Stephen Hawking), On the Moral Nature of the Universe (with Nancey Murphy), and editor of The Far-Future Universe, examining cosmological, biological, human, and theological aspects of the future.
Pre-Conference Workshops
Chairs Workshop – Being a Chair in Today’s Consumer Culture: Navigating
in the Knowledge Factory
(A19-1)
Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Sponsored by the Academic Relations Task Force
The workshop will revolve around the themes in Richard Ohmann’s influential book, Politics of Knowledge: The Commercialization of the University, the Professions, and Print Culture (Wesleyan University Press, 2003). The workshop will deal with the increasing privatization of education and the increasing corporatism of higher education. The increasing commercialization of the universities is challenging the relative autonomy of all academic disciplines. “Increasingly, universities rank their internal colleges and departments on the basis of productivity schemes designed to measure activities that generate revenue even as they produce new knowledge.” Changes such as these have challenged the relative autonomy of all academic disciplines to determine what is worth investigating. The privatization of human knowledge for business profit is constraining and de-skills professional knowledge workers. This commodification of knowledge and how chairs can administer and promote their departments within this culture, will be the focus of the workshop.
Separate registration is required. Registration form will be available online July 15.
Religion and Media Workshop – Film and the Possibilities of Justice:
Documentary Film In and Out of the Classroom
(A19-3)
Friday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm
This day-long workshop brings several scholars and documentary filmmakers to the AAR who are concerned with issues of social justice. The day's events will include lectures, a film screening, and plenty of time for questions, answers, and further conversation. Topics covered include: relation of religious studies to documentary filmmaking; how to be objective while simultaneously being an "activist" media-producer; and several insights on the use of documentary film in the religious studies classroom and in community groups.
Separate registration is required (requires PDF).
Women's Caucus Workshop
(A19-4)
Friday, 12:00 pm-3:30 pm
Sponsored by the Women’s Caucus
This annual workshop, sponsored by the Women's Caucus, provides an excellent opportunity for women to network with other women in the field. Bring your lunch and learn strategies in the following areas: Writing the Dissertation while Balancing Family and Academia by Grace Kim; Getting Published by Barbara McGraw; Finding a Job in the Academy by Harriet Luckman; Using Feminist Pedagogy as an Adjunct Instructor by Paula Trimble Familetti; and Gaining Tenure by Rebecca Moore.
Genes, Ethics, and Religion: A Blueprint for Teaching
(A19-5)
Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Sponsored by the Public Understanding of Religion Committee
Everything you ever wanted to know about genetics but were too busy to ask!
In this workshop you will learn about ethical, legal, and social issues that bring religious concerns together with genetic ethics. The goal of the workshop is to enable you to include material about genetic ethics in your current curricula and course offerings. This “small bite” approach will help you get started and will give you the resources you need. For more information, please contact Dena Davis at dena.davis@law.csuohio.edu.
Panelists:
Dena S. Davis, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Presiding
Michael J. Dougherty, Hampden-Sydney College
Suzanne Holland, University of Puget Sound
Sondra Wheeler, Wesley Theological SeminaryThere is no registration fee. Through a generous grant from the National Institutes of Health, we are able to offer each participant a $150 stipend and free materials. We are limited to 25 participants so please register early. Registration is required. Please register by sending an e-mail to the Annual Meeting Program Director at annualmeeting@aarweb.org with your name, institution, and e-mail address.
EIS Center Orientation
(A19-101)
Friday, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Sponsored by the EIS Advisory Committee
The EIS Center orientation will feature a short presentation which will include an overview of the Center, an explanation of how to best utilize the Center, and a question and answer session. After the presentation, the Center will be open for use, with the exception of the Interview Hall. Employers will be able to review candidate credentials, leave messages for registered candidates, and make reservations for booth space. Candidates will be able to pick up their copy of the Annual Meetings Special Edition of Openings, and leave messages for employers. The Center will also be accepting onsite registrations at this time. Employers and candidates are encouraged to participate in orientation but are not required to attend.
Special Topics Forums
Navigating the News Interview: Scholars as Primary Sources
(A20-7)
Saturday, 9:00 am-11:30 am
Sponsored by the AAR’s Religion and Media Center and The Pew Charitable Trusts
Journalists are increasingly seeking religion scholars to add context and expertise to stories they write. The AAR-sponsored Religionsource Web site has made it easier for journalists to contact scholars to interview and quote in their stories. In this session, learn how journalists work and how to handle journalists’ questions. Reporters and scholars participate in this interactive session. No registration is required. Contact Kyle Cole at kcole@aarweb.org for more information.
Planning Your Retirement Income
(A20-8)
Saturday, 9:00 am-11:30 am
Sponsored by American Express Financial Services
This workshop is for people who are considering retirement within the next three to five years or who are interested in learning more information about managing money prior to retirement. The workshop is designed to help the participants learn: how Social Security works and how much you might be able to count on; what you need to know about your Required Minimum Distributions; what you need to know about your Retirement Plan Distributions; ways to keep your money at work after you retire; financial planning tactics during retirement; ways to protect your retirement nest egg; and how to provide yourself with a stream of income during retirement. Ample time will be provided for questions.
Interviewing: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
(A20-9)
Saturday, 9:00 am-11:30 am
Sponsored by the Student Liaison Group
In addition to advice about formal interviewing procedures, PhD students entering the job market also appreciate hearing stories about actual interviewing experiences from those who have successfully navigated the troubled waters of academic interviewing and from those who have served on search committees (the other side of the interview process). This session’s panel includes religion professors who have fairly recent experience in the job market, those with experience interviewing at multiple institutions, and others who bring valuable experience from their service on search committees. This session offers personal stories and advice about what is not usually covered in preparing students for interviewing: a behind-the-scenes look at the process.
AAR Student Luncheon: Alternative Careers for Religion Doctoral
Students
(A20-22)
Saturday, 11:45 am-1:00 pm
Sponsored by the Student Liaison Group and the American Theological Library Association
Religion doctoral students possess transferable skills and abilities highly valued in the world beyond the academy, skills that may bring even greater financial rewards in nonacademic careers than comparable academic positions. Successfully landing an alternative career, however, necessitates approaching the job search in a way tailored to nonacademic interests and expectations: learning to assess realistically one’s own interests and qualifications; researching available positions and companies; and presenting oneself to best advantage both on paper and in person. This session will outline these basic steps, present personal stories from panelists with doctorates in religion who currently work in nonteaching positions, and offer suggestions about current job opportunities for religion graduates beyond the academy. This session is limited to the first 100 students who register online.
When Reconciliation Fails: Global Politics and the Study of Religion
(A20-50)
Saturday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
Sponsored by the Journal of the American Academy of Religion
This forum continues the conversation started last year in the session "Contesting Religion and Religions Contested." In this session, our international panel will discuss how the study of religion enters into real global political struggles that are violent, often intractable, and seemingly impervious to negotiations. Do religious traditions offer something more than any other narrative in order to mend the fragile bonds between humans? Or is this merely triumphalist sentiment that privileges religion above other discourses? Given that the political and the religious overlap in innumerable ways in today's world, the question can be posed whether religion and religious communities have a role to play in reconciliation between communities, societies, and cultures. If so, how is such reconciliation envisaged? Or we could perhaps ask the more alarming question: given the level of global conflict, has reconciliation already failed? This panel wishes to provoke a range of questions to interrogate this issue.
Hidden Spectacles: Disabled/Disability Viewings of Gibson's
The Passion of the Christ
(A20-51)
Saturday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
Sponsored by the Religion and Disabilities Task Force
Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and its place in the context of contemporary religion has been widely discussed. One aspect of the movie that has not been examined, however, is the wide range of disability concerns that play a role in the movie’s impact. These issues will be examined through the role of suffering in spirituality, contemporary pop culture and film, bibical scholarship, and the emerging field of disability studies. It is hoped that this session will encourage religion scholars to explore disability concerns where they may not seem relevant on first examination.
AAR Excellence in Teaching Forum: A Conversation about Teaching with
This Year's Winner of the AAR Excellence in Teaching Award
(A20-52)
Saturday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
Sponsored by the Committee on Teaching and Learning
This new session will focus on discussion of materials about teaching (e. g. a personal statement, sample syllabi, and assignments, etc.) posted on the web site of the AAR's Virtual Teaching and Learning Center by the winner of the 2004 Excellence in Teaching Award. Atttendees are encouraged to review the materials and come prepared to participate in an interactive session with a colleague who has been recognized for excellent teaching.
Latinas' Experiences and Lives in Literature and Theology: A Reading by
Sandra Cisneros
(A20-100)
Saturday, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm
Latina women's lives and experiences are central to the work of Latina theologians and writers of novels and short stories. In this panel, we will first hear a reading by reknown novelist Sandra Cisneros, author of Caramelo. She will then engage Latinas who teach theology, ethics, literature, and biblical studies in a conversation about the use of Latinas' experience in her work and the work of Latina theologians. Latina culture is alive in the experiences of its women. Sharing these experiences is a perfect vehicle for teaching the broader society Latina values and way of life.
Racial and Ethnic Minority Scholars and the Relation between the Study
of Religion and the Study of Scriptures
(A20-101)
Saturday, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm
Sponsored by the Status of Racial & Ethnic Minorities in the Profession Committee
The recent decision by AAR to hold stand-alone meetings beginning in 2008 has raised many issues, both professional and intellectual, for racial and ethnic minorities in the AAR and SBL. This special topics forum addresses the following: What does the study of scriptures contribute to the study of religions as living traditions? What influence has the low representation of racial and ethnic minorities in the study of sacred texts had on the larger field of religion and in the panelists’ own contexts as scholars? Panelists include Charles H. Long, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara; Rita Dasgupta Sherma, Binghamton University; Kwok Pui-lan, Episcopal Divinity School; Daniel Boyarin, University of California, Berkeley; Tazim Kassam, Syracuse University; Vincent L. Wimbush, Claremont Graduate University; Nikky Singh, Colby College; and Rüdiger Busto, University of California, Santa Barbara.
A reception hosted by the Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession Committee directly follows.
Religion and Public Life in the Southwest/Southern Crossroads
Region
(A21-4)
Sunday, 9:00 am-11:30 am
Sponsored by the Regions Committee
Featuring the authors of a new volume in the Religion by Region series, this session focuses on the religious heritage of the Southwest/Southern Crossroads region and the ways in which that heritage finds expression in public life. Historically, the region is an area of intersecting and conflicting national and cultural boundaries, including boundaries delineating Indian Territory from the United States, as well as Spanish and French domains from their Anglo-American counterparts. The religious heritage and the ways in which that heritage finds expression in regional public life reflect certain characteristics that set the Crossroads apart from other areas. Both cultural exchange and cultural clash are evident in the religious patterns of the Crossroads, where a pronounced fusion that is not so strongly evident in the Southeast characterizes religious and cultural life, and where a heritage of frontier voluntarism and religious conflict also decisively shapes the religious character of the area.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaborative Teaching: Challenges and Successes in
Co-Teaching Courses in "Religion and _________"
(A21-5)
Sunday, 9:00 am-11:30 am
Sponsored by the Committee on Teaching and Learning
This session will address pedagogical issues and questions that arise in the process of cross-disciplinary co-teaching when study of religion is involved. Roundtable speakers will initiate discussion by reflecting on their experiences of teaching courses with colleagues from such disciplines as anthropology, art history, studio art, chinese language and culture, economics, English, history, law, literature, martial arts, political science, science, and sociology. Participants will address the conceptual and practical challenges that arise when working with colleagues to plan and teach cross-disciplinary courses, as well as the rewards and benefits of these experiences. They will share strategies for developing syllabi and assignments, and will reflect on negotiating differences in discipline-specific methodologies and pedagogical styles. The members of the Teaching and Learning Committee invite and encourage Annual Meeting attendees who have co-taught across disciplines, or would like to do so, to join this discussion.
Posters Session
(A21-50)
Sunday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
New this year, AAR is pleased to present a posters session. Posters allow the presenter an opportunity to go beyond the textual and into the graphic and interactive. Posters will be available to view beginning Saturday afternoon through Monday morning. Presenters will be on hand to explain their work in-depth on Sunday from 1-3:30 pm.
Introducing the Teaching Portfolio
(A21-51)
Sunday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
Sponsored by the Student Liaison Group
A candidate’s teaching portfolio plays an important role in the evaluation process for doctoral students (and others) interviewing for academic positions. It can also be a useful tool for thinking about and improving your teaching practice. This session will identify and explain the various components of teaching portfolios and will provide practical advice for assisting job applicants in compiling portfolios that best demonstrate their own teaching qualifications. The presentation will include review and critique of sample teaching portfolios.
Professional Development: Religious Studies' Contribution to
Professional Service
(A21-100)
Sunday, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm
We want to help our colleagues to see how far the study of religion can reach; that it needs to be incorporated into professional school curricula. The understanding of religions can and even should play a role not only in the public square of discourse, but also in the public and private offices of professionals where people from different religious backgrounds also meet. Not only are clientele now more diverse, so are the professionals themselves. In other words, the study of religions can ease professional relationships and services by avoiding misunderstanding through extending understanding of different ways people view the world. Beyond that, although world-views differ, religions share a good deal ethically. To understand what religions share serves to break down barriers to understanding and good professional service.
Our panel will address these issues with panelists who are professors in professional schools.
Critical Reflections on the Status of Women in the Profession
(A21-101)
Sunday, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm
Sponsored by the Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession
In this session, the Status of Women in the Profession Committee will highlight its newest initiative: mapping the status of women in the field. Panelists will reflect on their perspective on how things have changed for women in the profession over the last fifteen years during which membership by women in the AAR has grown significantly but the percentage of women members has remained constant. Areas of focus will include challenges women face today in the corporatized world of higher education especially regarding hiring and tenure, diversity issues, publishing, parenting, and many other factors central to status of women in the profession today.
Ask the Experts: Turning the Dissertation into a Marketable
“Scholarly Trade” Book
(A21-126)
Sunday, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm
Sponsored by AAR, SBL, and Publishers Weekly
As university presses feel the squeeze of financial constraints and the library market shrinks with each passing year, young scholars face more pressure than ever as they launch their careers and face the old admonition to “publish or perish.” In this special publishing session, a panel of acquisition editors and authors will discuss the topic of turning a dissertation into a marketable “scholarly trade” book, answering some of the most common questions posed by young scholars: what is a “publishable” dissertation topic? How can I find and query a publisher? How should I revise my dissertation to make it more accessible to a general audience? Should I broaden my topic? What are the hot projects right now that editors are seeking to acquire? This panel will be useful to young scholars who are currently revising their dissertations for publication, but also to graduate students who are still choosing a topic or writing their dissertations. At least half an hour will be devoted to an “ask-the-experts” session where panelists will answer audience members’ questions.
Academic Freedom and Academic Responsibility in the Study of Religion
(A22-5)
Monday, 9:00 am-11:30 am
In a number of recent instances people identifying with various religious communities or beliefs have responded quite forcefully to works written about them by scholars who may not personally have been aligned with those traditions or views. Each case has been different, but a common element in each is that people from within the particular religious community have felt offended by the scholarship and have said that it misrepresents, dishonors, or degrades their religious sensibilities. A key issue here for us as a scholarly and professional organization centers on the sometimes difficult relationship between the imperatives of academic freedom and the responsibility to those whose religion is under study. In this forum, widely-respected scholars will present their thoughts on this question and ample time will be given to audience participation. One of our objectives is to envision and articulate the Academy's proper role regarding this important issue.
Contested Sacred Space: The National Park Service in San Antonio and
Beyond
(A22-6)
Monday, 9:00 am-11:30 am
Sponsored by the Committee on the Public Understanding of Religion
This session focuses on the National Park Service's interpretation of sacred sites at the San Antonio Missions National Park and nationally. Some of the issues to be addressed include access to sacred sites by religious groups, church/state controversies, and how religion fits into the interpretive narratives of historical sites.
Latin American Discourse: Contributions to the Study of Religion
(A22-50)
Monday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
Sponsored by the International Connections Committee
The academic study of religion in Latin America has developed in the context of vibrant and critical scholarship in such areas as liberation theology and postcolonial studies and increasing social scientific studies of rooted indigenous and healing traditions and new evangelical movements. This panel provides a forum for reflection and discussion on the critical role of Latin American thinkers in shaping discourse that influences the study of religion. How has the study of religion in Latin American socio-historical environment influenced the study of religion among intellectuals in centers of learning in Latin America? In reflecting on the field of religious studies in several Latin American countries, this forum will highlight particular contributions and approaches to the study of religion that will be discussed in relation to the internationalization of religious studies.
Publishing in the Five AAR/OUP Book Series
(A22-51)
Monday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
Sponsored by the Publications Committee
The AAR publishes five books series with Oxford University Press: Academy Series; Cultural Criticism; Reflection and Theory in the Study of Religion; Teaching Religious Studies; Texts and Translations. This forum provides an opportunity to become familiar with the five series and to meet the series editors. Those attending will be able to determine if their current or proposed book project might fit into one of the series, and learn the steps needed to submit a book proposal.
The Marty Forum: A Conversation with Huston Smith
(A22-52)
Monday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
World religions scholar Huston Smith, Syracuse University, emeritus, recipient of the 2004 Martin Marty Award for outstanding contributions to the public understanding of religion, will discuss his work and career with journalist Diane Connolly.
Rethinking Religious Education and Plurality in Europe and the United
States
(A22-101)
Monday, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm
Sponsored by the International Connections Committee and the Religion in the Schools Task Force
The role of religion in primary and secondary education has been addressed in various ways throughout western culture. In recent history, however, the subject has been significantly affected by the explosion of pluralism in its many forms, particularly by religious diversity. Approaches to religion and ethnicity, moral and civic education, state funding for religious education, and religious literacy are among the most crucial of the issues raised by pluralism. This panel will focus on these challenges in Europe, particularly the UK, as they are described in Robert Jackson's book Rethinking Religious Education and Plurality: Issues in Diversity and Pedagogy. Panelists from Denmark, South Africa and the U.S. will discuss the implications for education about religion in their home countries.
Arts Series and Tours
Arts Series Event: The Holy Artwork
(A20-6)
Saturday, 9:00 am-Tuesday 11:30 am
German video-artist Christian Jankowski approaches a religious leader in the San Antonio area and poses the ultimate question: what makes a work of art holy? The video piece is formed by the ensuing dialogue between artist and minister, each bringing their expertise and experience to the conversation. Leaving room for poetics, humor, irony, and sincerity, the work addresses questions of spirituality and the divine. What may seem an unlikely topic for contemporary art in the Twenty-First century generates a larger narrative about artistic inspiration and transformation. Videotaped in the format of an evangelical television program, The Holy Artwork evokes the legacy of religious art while presenting a contemporary take on the religiosity of art (or perhaps the art of religiosity) in today’s society.
Arts Series Performance: (SAVAE) San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble and
Mexican Folklorico Dancing
(21-132)
Sunday, 8:30 pm-10:00 pm
Ancient Echoes from the Middle East: SAVAE (San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble)
Efforts to recover the devotional music of the ancient Middle East have had several ground-breaking proponents such as A.Z. Idelsohn and Suzanne Haik-Ventoura. Now to these we add Christopher Moroney and SAVAE. With "Ancient Echoes," Moroney and SAVAE attempt to recreate music of the Judeo-Christian-Muslim Mediterranean world. The texts that SAVAE sings come from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Torah, the Peshitta, and the Qur'an — sung in ancient dialects of Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic. SAVAE also accompanies itself on reproductions of ancient instruments. Angela Mariani, producer of the nationally syndicated radio program "Harmonia" said: "In 'Ancient Echoes' we find one of those rare instances in which scholarly research, abundant creativity, and a high level of musicianship have been combined to create an important work of historical interest, sheer musical beauty, and great spiritual depth."
Mexican Folklorico Liturgical Dance
(Cancelled)Mexican folklorico dance flourishes in San Antonio where the majority population is Hispanic. Examples of folklorico liturgical dance will be given with some explanations of how local Christian worship has been enriched by these traditions for over twenty-five years. There will also be examples of difference dances peculiar to states of Mexico.
Tour: Bus Tour of San Antonio Religious Sites
(Tour is Full; Tour Registration is Closed)
(A22-76)
Monday, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm
San Antonio is a noteworthy center of Latino/a Catholicism, civil religion, and increasing religious diversity. Popularly known as "the Alamo City" in honor of the shrine that memorializes the famous 1836 battle, it is also home to Spanish colonial missions, the recently-renovated San Fernando Cathedral, and the private shrine of La Capilla de Nuestro Senor de los Milagros, all of which predate the Alamo battle by as much as a century. This year's tour will feature all these sites, along with St. Joseph's Catholic Church, a nineteenth-century structure known both for its role in the large community of Germans who migrated to San Antonio as well as its parishioners' staunch resistance to relocation during the development of the city's Riverwalk and Rivercenter Mall.
Films
What Do You Believe? American Teenagers, Spirituality, and Freedom of
Religion
(A19-102)
Friday, 7:00 pm-8:30 pm
In this engaging and poignant new documentary, a religiously diverse group of teens reveal their most personal struggles and beliefs about faith, morality, suffering and death, prayer, the purpose of life and the divine. Without a hint of dogma these intelligent, thoughtful youth candidly discuss everything from hormones to heaven, deflating misperceptions and stereotypes at every turn, and making a strong case for a more tolerant America. What Do You Believe? weaves in-depth portraits of Buddhist, Muslim, Pagan, Native American, Jewish, and Catholic teens with perceptive and humorous commentary from scores of young people. It paints a broad picture of the religious and spiritual lives of American teens, and at the same time delves deeply into the issues that are at the heart of being human.
Directed by Sarah Feinbloom, 2003, 50 minutes (color, USA).
Alambrista
(A20-130)
Saturday, 8:30 pm-10:30 pm
Robert M. Young's critically acclaimed 110-minute film Alambrista (1977) depicts the harsh realities of Mexican life on both sides of the border. Following the birth of his first child, a young Mexican slips across the border into the United States in search of the American dream for himself and his family. He finds heartbreak, exploitation, and disappointment, but also friendship, affection, and help along the way. When first released, Alambrista received critical praise and a number of awards, including a Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. For the University of New Mexico Press release, a distinguished group of scholars has packaged a new director's cut of the film with a book of essays devoted to immigration and the U.S.–Mexican borderlands.
Directed by Robert Young, 1977, 110 minutes (color, Mexico; Spanish with English subtitles).
The Passion of the Christ
(A20-129)
Saturday, 8:30 pm-11:00 pm
The Passion of the Christ, released amid tremendous controversy, went on to set box office records. It focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film begins in the Garden of Olives where Jesus has gone to pray after leaving the Last Supper. Jesus is then seen resisting the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to a death that is filmed a very graphic manner. One might consider the fervor surrounding the making of the film as more interesting than the film itself.
Directed by Mel Gibson, 2004, 127 minutes (color, USA; Aramaic with English subtitles).
Santitos (Little Saints)
(A21-129)
Sunday, 8:30 pm -10:30 pm
This is a magical film from Mexico that deals with religion, love, loss, and women's lives. Esperanza is a young widow whose teenage daughter Blanca dies under mysterious circumstances at a hospital in Vera Cruz, Mexico. St. Jude appears to Esperanza to tell her that her daughter is not dead, but alive. Esperanza believes that Blanca has been sold into sexual slavery, and she becomes a prostitute in order to infiltrate brothels to find her daughter. Her journey takes her to Tijuana and then to Los Angeles before returning home to Vera Cruz. In the end, faith and love prevail in this wonderful story.
Directed by Alejandro Springall, 1999, 105 minutes (color, Mexico; Spanish with English subtitles).
Luther
(A21-130)
Sunday, 8:30 pm -10:30 pm
A film about the sixteenth century priest Martin Luther, who led the Christian Reformation and opened up new possibilities in exploration of faith. The film begins with his vow to become a monk, and continues through his struggles to reconcile his desire for sanctification with his increasing abhorrence of the corruption and hypocrisy pervading the Church's hierarchy. He is ultimately charged with heresy and must confront the ruling cardinals and princes, urging them to make the Scriptures available to the common believer and lead the Church toward faith through justice and righteousness.
Directed by Eric Till, 2003, 113 minutes (color, USA; Latin/English).
Ilha da Magia: Nature, Spirit, and Belief on Santa Catarina Island,
Brazil
(A22-128)
Monday, 8:30 pm -10:00 pm
This film project documents the interaction between religion and nature at a variety of sites on Santa Catarina Island in Southern, Brazil. Three films from the project – one in its entirety and clips from the other two, will be screened Dreaming with Santo Daime is about a post-colonial Christian sect indigenous to Brazil that melds popular Catholicism and nineteenth-century European Spiritualism with native and Afro-Brazilian traditions. The Healing Words of the Benzedeiras is about the Benzedeiras, literally “Blessers”, who heal through a form of incantation or verbal blessings inspired by the Holy Spirit. Surfing with Yemanja documents Brazilian surfers as they prepare for the world famous Direitas do Campeche, a tricky winter swell formed by Antarctic currents that cause long undulating waves to move north along the Campeche coastline on Santa Catarina Island in southern Brazil.
Sessions on Professional Practices and Institutional Location
Strengthening the profession, qua profession, is a continuing focus for the Academy. This year’s Annual Meeting includes new opportunities to engage a range of issues around professional practices and the relationship between institutional location and intellectual identity.
Chairs Workshop
(A19-1)
Religion and Media Workshop
(A19-3)
Women’s Caucus Workshop
(A19-4)
EIS Center Orientation
(A19-101)
Planning Your Retirement Income
(A20-8)
Interviewing: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
(A20-9)
AAR Student Luncheon: Alternative Careers for Religion Doctoral
Students
(A20-22)
Learning and Teaching in the Abrahamic Traditions
(A20-71)
Racial and Ethnic Minority Scholars and the Relation between the Study
of Religion and the Study of Scriptures
(A20-101)
Identity, Practice, and Location: Sound Pedagogy and Robust Learning in
Secular and/or Confessional Contexts
(A20-102)
Teaching Inside-Out: Demographic Changes and Methodological Challenges
in Teaching the Religions of South Asia
(A20-108)
Cross-Disciplinary Collaborative Teaching: Challenges and Successes in
Co-Teaching Courses in "Religion and _________"
(A21-5)
Pushing the Envelope: Frameworks and Strategies for Better Teaching
(A21-6)
Introducing the Teaching Portfolio
(A21-51)
Thinking beyond Books: Exploring Media in Teaching Islam
(A21-53)
Professional Development: Religious Studies' Contribution to
Professional Service
(A21-100)
Experiences of Disability and the Teaching of Religion: A Roundtable
Discussion
(A22-25)
The Classroom as Borderland/Borderlands in the Classroom
(A22-53)
Rethinking Religious Education and Plurality in Europe and the United
States
(A22-101)
Teaching Black/Being Black: Influences of Blackness on Best Teaching
Practices
(A22-102)
Buddhist Education: Teaching, Texts, and Bodies in Tibet, Sri Lanka,
China, and Thailand
(A22-103)
New Directions in the Study of American Judaism
(A22-107)
Viewing the World and the Academy through Japanese Religions
(A22-119)
Theory and Method in the Study of Women and Religion
(A23-8)
Sessions with a Focus on Latin American Scholars and Scholarship
San Antonio Ritual Drama and Dance: Hispanic Roots and Contemporary
Flowering
(A20-53)
Spiritual Practice in Latino/a Art and Devotion
(A20-60)
Looking for Justice in Latin America: Balancing the Demands of Justice
and Peace
(A20-75)
Latinas' Experiences and Lives in Literature and Theology: A Reading by
Sandra Cisneros
(A20-100)
Alambrista and the U.S.-Mexico Border: Film, Music, and Stories of
Undocumented Immigrants
(A20-130)
Mujerista Theology, A Theology of Struggle and Liberation: The Work of
Ada María Isasi-Díaz
(A21-20)
Nos Iriamos o Nos Quedariamos: The Ethics of Border Crossings and Global
Trade
(A21-75)
Beyond the Borders: Religion and Ecology in Latin America
(A21-68)
Transmodern Dialogues: A Panel in Celebration of Enrique Dussel's 70th
Birthday
(A21-69)
Latin American Liberation Theology: The Next Generation
(A21-119)
Santitos (Little Saints)
(A21-129)
Latino/a Religiosity: Public Ritual and American Catholicism
(A22-22)
Gender and Geography in the Study of Indigenous Mexico and Southwest
United States
(A22-24)
Latino Studies and Wesleyan Studies
(A22-27)
Latin American Discourse: Contributions to the Study of Religion
(A22-50)
Evangelicalism in Latino/a and Latin American Communities
(A22-64)
Ekklesia and/as Koinonia: The Ecclesiological Influence of Latin
American Theologies in North America
(A22-114)
Re-Inventing America at the Borders
(A22-117)
A God of Incredible Surprises
(A22-127)
Ilha da Magia: Nature, Spirit, and Belief on Santa Catarina Island,
Brazil
(A22-128)
Books under Discussion
Sandra Cisneros, Caramelo
(A20-100)
Lynn Schofield Clark, From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the
Media, and the Supernatural
(A21-74)
Daniel Dubuisson, The Western Construction of Religion
(A20-113)
Marie Fortune, Sexual Violence: The Unmentionable Sin
(A21-15)
William Hutchison, Religious Pluralism in America: The
Contentious History of a Founding Ideal
(A21-12)
Douglas G. Jacobsen, Scholarship and Christian Faith:
Enlarging the Conversation
(A21-102)
Mark Noll, America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham
Lincoln
(A20-105)
Anthony Pinn, Children of Nimrod
(A21-109)
Friedrich Schleiermacher, The Christian Faith
(A21-121)
William Schweiker, ed., Blackwell Companion to Religious
Ethics
(A20-13)
Jon Stewart, Kierkegaard's Relation to Hegel Reconsidered:
Critique and Appreciation
(A20-67)
Jeffrey Stout, Democracy and Tradition
(A20-17)
Mark Lewis Taylor, Executed God
(A20-59)
Receptions
Friends of the Academy Reception
(A20-126)
Saturday, 5:30 pm-6:30 pm
Individuals whose generosity allows us to continue many of our special programs are invited to a reception hosted by the AAR Board of Directors.
Racial and Ethnic Minority AAR Members' Reception
(A20-127)
Saturday, 6:15 pm-7:00 pm
The Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession Committee invites interested persons to a reception celebrating the contributions of racial and ethnic minority scholars in the Academy.
AAR Members’ Dance Party
(A20-131)
Saturday, 9:00 pm-12:00 am
AAR members are invited to join one another at the AAR Members’ Dance Party for music and dancing. Don’t forget the free drink ticket that will be mailed with your name badge!
Women’s Caucus Reception
(A20-132)
Saturday, 9:00 pm-11:00 pm
Sponsored by the Women’s Caucus
Interested persons are invited to a reception honoring women’s contributions in the Academy.
Student Members’ Reception
(A20-133)
Saturday, 10:00 pm-11:30 pm
AAR and SBL student members are invited to drop by for conversation with fellow students. Beer, wine, soda, and light snacks will be provided.
AAR New Members’ Continental Breakfast
(A21-1)
Sunday, 7:30 am-8:45 am
New (first-time) AAR members in 2004 are cordially invited to a continental breakfast with members of the Board of Directors.
AAR Retired Members’ Reception
(A21-127)
Sunday, 5:30 pm-6:30 pm
All members of the AAR who are retired from full-time employment are cordially invited to an open house hosted by Barbara DeConcini, executive director, and Jane McAuliffe, president.
JAAR Editorial Board Reception
(A21-131)
Sunday, 8:30 pm-10:00 pm
JAAR Editorial Board members are invited to a reception in their honor.
International Members’ Continental Breakfast
(A22-1)
Monday, 7:30 am-8:45 am
All AAR international attendees are invited to an information session and continental breakfast hosted by the AAR’s International Connections Committee.
AAR Program Unit Chairs and Steering Committee Members’ Reception
(A22-130)
Monday, 9:00 pm-10:30 pm
Program unit chairs and steering committee members are invited to a reception in their honor hosted by the Program Committee.
Especially for Students
Student Liaison Group Meeting
(A20-1)
Saturday, 7:30 am-9:00 am
Appointed and elected Student Liaison Group members will gather to discuss business.
Interviewing: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
(A20-8)
Saturday, 9:00 am-11:30 am
This session’s panel includes religion professors who have fairly recent experience in the job market, those with experience interviewing at multiple institutions, and others who bring valuable experience from their service on search committees. This session offers personal stories and advice about what is not usually covered in preparing students for interviewing: a behind-the-scenes look at the process.
AAR Student Luncheon: Alternative Careers for Religion Doctoral
Students
(A20-22)
Saturday, 11:45 am-1:00 pm
Sponsored by the American Theological Library Association
Religion doctoral students possess transferable skills and abilities highly valued in the world beyond the academy, skills that may bring even greater financial rewards in nonacademic careers than comparable academic positions. This session will outline the basic steps for repackaging your career skills, present personal stories from panelists with doctorates in religion who currently work in nonteaching positions, and offer suggestions about current job opportunities for religion graduates beyond the academy. Attendance is limited to the first 100 students who sign up. Please register online.
Student Members’ Reception
(A20-133)
Saturday, 10:00 pm-11:30 pm
AAR and SBL student members are invited to drop by for conversation with fellow students. Beer, wine, soda, and light snacks will be provided.
Wabash Student-Teacher Luncheon
(A21-31)
Sunday, 11:45 am-1:00 pm
The Wabash Center cordially invites student attendees to gather for conversation and a light lunch. Attendance is limited to the first 75 students who sign up. Please RSVP online.
Introducing the Teaching Portfolio
(A21-51)
Sunday, 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
A candidate’s teaching portfolio plays an important role in the evaluation process for doctoral students (and others) interviewing for academic positions. This session will identify and explain the various components of teaching portfolios and will provide practical advice for assisting job applicants in compiling portfolios that best demonstrate their own teaching qualifications.
