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American Academy of Religion
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October 2006 e-Bulletin
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A Message from the Executive Director
Greetings from Atlanta!
In this issue of the e-Bulletin you will find news about the activities of
the AAR and resources to support your work
in the study of religion. There is an important update on Tariq
Ramadan’s application for a visa, a link that allows you to nominate a
colleague for our Excellence in Teaching Award, news about our Employment
Information Services, a section designed “Especially for Students,”
a reminder about the AAR election, and a number of announcements about our
upcoming Annual Meeting in Washington,
DC. Speaking of Washington, this
year’s Annual Meeting promises to be a wonderful event. The breadth
and diversity of our program has increased; we will hear from a number of
engaging plenary speakers; and if early predictions are accurate, this joint
meeting with the SBL will be our largest ever, with well over 10,000 members
in attendance. Please review the information in this bulletin and if you
have any questions please feel free to contact our offices for assistance.
With every good wish, I remain
Yours,
Jack Fitzmier
Executive Director
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Annual Meeting
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The
Advance rate for Annual Meeting registration ends on October 15
– so register today at http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2006/registration.asp!
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U.S.
Government Renders Decision on Visa Application of Tariq Ramadan,
declining to provide a visa for the Oxford University Professor of Islamic
Studies. Hence, he will not be speaking, as previously scheduled, in a Sunday
evening 2006 Annual Meeting plenary. The AAR is consulting with its partners,
the ACLU, the AAUP, and the Pen Center, to identify further options that might be
pursued in support of Tariq Ramadan’s entry into the U.S. Together,
we are committed to the protection of academic freedom, and we recognize the
importance of having in-person discourse with international scholars of
religion. More information is available at http://www.aarweb.org/about/announce/2006/RamadanLawsuitIntro.asp.
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Take advantage of two AAR Panels at the Library of Congress on America’s
Religious Origins and International Religious Freedom. Both are on Monday, Nov.
20, at the Mumford Room, Madison
Building, Capitol Hill
(convenient subway travel there from Annual Meeting site):
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1:30 PM-3:30 PM: “Writing
the Story of America’s Religious Origins”: Catherine Albanese,
Susan Jacoby, Mark Noll, Stephen Prothero, and Jonathan Sarna;
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4:00 PM-6:00 PM: “Legislating
International Religious Freedom”: Thomas Farr, Allen Hertzke, Elizabeth
Prodromou, Timothy Shah, and Winnifred Sullivan.
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The Employment Information Services Center is accepting
preregistrations through October 23. Register early to receive full benefits.
For more information, see http://www.aarweb.org/eis/.
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Chairs
Workshop – Personnel Issues: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
will be conducted on the Friday before the Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Betty DeBerg, University of Northern Iowa, and Chester Gillis, Georgetown University,
will lead the interactive workshop, and Daniel Aleshire, Association of
Theological Schools, will join them as a panelist. To register and for more
information, please go to http://www.aarweb.org/department/workshops/2006Washington/.
Registration is $75 before October 31 and $100 thereafter. Discounts are
available for multiple registrants from the same department/program.
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As you make your Annual Meeting
plans, please remember to check In the Field (http://www.aarweb.org/publications/inthefield/current.asp)
for additional events that will be held during the Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
(You will need to log in to use this page, using your surname, “Gray,”
and member ID, “Z28679.”) To make a submission to In the Field, please visit http://www.aarweb.org/publications/inthefield/submit1.asp.
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Wildcard
Sessions: AAR is soliciting calls for wildcard sessions for the 2007
AAR Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Wildcard sessions are fully developed sessions on topics independent of
established program units. Wildcard session calls will be published in the 2007
Call for Papers and will invite people to submit papers or panel proposals in
response. All wildcard session calls are subject to approval by the Program
Committee at its December meeting. For more information about submitting a
wildcard session call, please e-mail annualmeeting@aarweb.org.
AAR Election
You should have already received notice of the
electronic ballot for the 2006 AAR elections.
Please vote for vice president now (and no later than November 1, 2006) at http://www.aarweb.org/membersonly/election/.
The successful candidate will take office at the conclusion of the 2006 Annual
Meeting.
CVs Online!
Openings
advertisers and EIS employers can now view EIS candidate CVs online. To access
the CVs, go to the “Additional Information” section at http://www.aarweb.org/eis.
Call for Papers JAAR Focus Issue: “Religion in Africa”
The Journal of the
American Academy of Religion seeks papers on all aspects of the
study of religion in Africa for a focus issue
to be published in 2007. Papers should be 6,000-8,000 words in length and
should be received at the address below, no later than Monday, February 5,
2007. Submissions should include three hard copies of the manuscript along
with a copy on disc (using a standard word-processing program in either PC or
Mac format). An abstract of not more than 150 words should accompany each
manuscript. Manuscripts without abstracts
will not be considered until an abstract is received. Please
provide full contact information, including email, on a detachable cover page; please do not put your name or any contact
information on the pages of the paper itself, for that would foil
the anonymous review process. All manuscripts accepted are subject to
editorial modification. To see the full call, go to http://www.aarweb.org/about/announce/2006/JAARcall.asp.
Please direct submissions to:
Journal
of the American Academy of Religion
Department of Religious Studies
University
of Virginia
PO
Box 400126
Charlottesville,
VA 22904-4126
Especially for Students
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Students are encouraged to attend
the “Especially for Students” program offerings at the 2006 Annual
Meeting. More information is available at http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2006/pbook/highlights-students.asp.
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All student members are invited to
the Decennial Celebration of the Student Liaison Group at the AAR’s
Annual Meeting. A conversation on the past, present, and future of student
participation and advocacy will be followed by a reception from 4:00 PM-6:30 PM
on Saturday, November 18.
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Online reservations are being
accepted for the following Annual Meeting Student Luncheons: Wabash Center Student-Teacher Luncheon (http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2006/RSVP/Wabash/)
and ATLA Career Alternatives Luncheon for
Doctoral Students (http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2006/RSVP/ATLA/).
Space is limited. Eligible students must reserve a space by Wednesday, November
15.
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Students should contact their
Student Liaisons for information particular to their institutional needs. Many
Student Liaisons are able to help students navigate arrangements for the Annual
Meeting. Student Liaisons, who represent institutions and programs granting
the PhD in Religion and Theology, serve as a vital link between student members
and the AAR. To locate your Student Liaison,
see the list at http://www.aarweb.org/students/slglist.asp.
If a Student Liaison does not currently represent your institution, the next
appointment period will be in January 2007. Please contact Myesha Jenkins at mjenkins@aarweb.org for more information.
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As always, all students are
invited to contact Davina C. Lopez at davina.lopez@gmail.com,
2006-2007 Student Director, with questions and concerns.
Excellence in Teaching Award
Nominate
a colleague for the AAR’s Excellence in Teaching Award:
The AAR’s Committee on Teaching and
Learning accepts nominees for its annual award, which recognizes the importance
of teaching and honors outstanding teaching in the field. The deadline for
nominating someone is January 10. See details at http://www.aarweb.org/awards/teaching/.
Your Membership Status
You have already renewed your membership for 2007.
Thank you. Members who have renewed online
for 2006 and 2007 by October 15, 2006
are eligible to win a free accommodations at the 2007 Annual Meeting! Membership
resources are available at http://www.aarweb.org/membership/.