Dear all,
I do hope you and yours are keeping well.
As we approach the third month of this global lockdown, it comes with both hopeful possibilities and a grim reality. Slowly parks and shops have begun to open, but with new measures to prevent further spread. Yet, in the background of these positive movements towards a return to normalcy is the heavy cloud of the stark situation in the United States, and the resulting movement which has spread into Canada and elsewhere around the globe. I know for myself, with black family members, the difficulties during this time have only increased.
However, I am here today to share with you the latest news from our community. Many of you have told me about new positive developments in your area, from South Africa to India and more. Below you will find some interesting developments relevant to our community I do hope you find useful and that you share them with your own networks.
- New book launch:
- Science and Development in Thai and South Asian Buddhism by David L. Gosling. You can read more about this book, including a 20% discount code here: https://www.issr.org.uk/science-religion-news/new-book-science-and-development-in-thai-and-south-asian-buddhism-by-david-l-gosling/
- Call for papers:
- The International Journal for the Study of Religion has a call for papers for their special issue titled, “Transhumanism and the Study of Religion”. Please find the relevant information for this call here: https://www.issr.org.uk/news/cfp-dossier-transhumanism-and-the-study-of-religion/
- The Polish Society for the Study of Religions and the Institute for the Study of Religions at Jagiellonian University in Kraków and The Faculty of Humanities, AGH – University of Science and Technology, invites you to participate in The Sixth International Congress of Religious Studies. Belief – Imagination – Knowledge. New Paths of Religious Studies in the 21st Century. The congress will take place between 25th and 30th May 2021 in Kraków and the submission deadline 1st December 2020. We would like to invite scholars from different areas of study to present their papers reflecting on the foregoing and other questions contributing to a better understanding of religious phenomena in social and cultural contexts. Please find attached the call for papers – all the necessary information can be also found on our website: https://kongres.religioznawstwo.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/
- The World Congress on Logic and Religion, whose third edition conference will happen (in principle) in November of this year in Varanasi, India, has opened its call for papers. More details can be found here: https://www.logicandreligion.com/3rd-world-congress
- Obituary:
- It is with regret that I announce to our community that Sir John Houghton has died. ISSR Fellow Bob White, along with additions from Sir John’s wife, has written an obituary which can be found here: https://www.issr.org.uk/news/obituary-sir-john-houghton-frs-1931-2020/
As always, please email me if you have anything you would like to share with the ISSR community. Sharing our work and others work with our friends and colleagues is at the heart of what makes ISSR strong. I encourage you all to send anything of interest to the community to me at admin@issr.org.uk. Further, if you have an idea for a blog post, such as an excerpt from a new book or a research project you would like to share, do let me know.
Take care,
Anthony K Nairn
ISSR Administrator
