Call for Papers 2022

CALL FOR PAPERS

2022 Eastern International Regional Meeting of the American Academy of Religion

May 13-15, 2022

Queens University

Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6

Deadline for submissions is February 1, 2022

The Eastern International Region of the AAR invites you to submit proposals for the 2022 Regional Meeting. The theme for the 2022 Conference is Dualism —Cosmic Battle. The aim is to spark conversations on the ways that fundamental dualisms – good and evil, light and darkness – shape society and culture through texts, material culture, practices, etc. Rather than treating dualism as a problem to be solved, we are interested in exploring dualism as an organizing principle in a variety of domains, from media to political theology.

Conference theme-related topics could include: the history of esotericism; magic and ritual; binaries and dualism across Buddhism, Hinduism, Gnosticism, Manicheanism, Zoroastrianism, etc.; conceptions of heaven, hell and the afterlife; creative re-conceptualizations of anti-dualism in the study of religions; intersections between nationalism and gender, race, sexuality; the use of science in support of nationalist politics (e.g., eugenics); religion, violence, and extremism; the nature of religious change and secularization across traditions. Proposals that do not relate to the 2022 conference theme are also welcome. All methodological approaches and areas of study are encouraged.

Scholars from any region or association may submit a proposal. Only proposals received by the deadline will be considered for inclusion in the program. Undergraduate-only panels are encouraged – please see instructions below. The Program Committee also welcomes proposals for non-traditional sessions such as roundtables, dialogues, book discussions, etc.

FORMAT FOR PROPOSALS

· One-page abstract (250 words maximum) describing the nature of the paper or panel.

· Cover page that includes the submitter’s full name, title, institution, status at the institution (undergraduate, graduate student, faculty, staff, etc.), phone number, and email address.

· If you require technological support for your presentation/panel (such as an Internet connection or audio and projection equipment), you must note this in your proposal.

· For panel proposals, identify the primary contact person.

· Proposals must be sent to eiraarsubmission@gmail.com by the February 1, 2022 deadline.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

As a general rule, the Region discourages panels comprised of scholars from a single institution. Exceptions to this rule would include a presentation from a research team or a panel based on other types of collaborative research, or an undergraduate-only panel (see below).

Presentations are limited to twenty minutes, with ten minutes allowed for questions.

EIR PARTNERS

The EIR will once again meet concurrently with SCRIPT (the Society for Comparative Research on Iconic and Performative Texts). Proposals for SCRIPT papers should respond to the call for papers at www.script-site.net.

UNDERGRADUATE PANELS

The EIR welcomes submissions from undergraduates in the field of Religious Studies or on the theme of the conference. Presentations in undergraduate sessions must be 15 minutes long. Each proposal should contain the following in a single e-mail attachment in Word format:

· One-page abstract (300 words maximum) describing the nature of the paper or panel

· Letter from a faculty member who has supervised the student’s work

· Cover page that includes the student’s full name, institution, phone number, e-mail, and mailing address. For panel proposals, identify the contact person

Please send your proposal to eiraarsubmission@gmail.com. The deadline for Undergraduate Panel submissions is February 1, 2022.

STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION

Graduate and undergraduate students in the Eastern International Region are invited to enter the student paper competition. Please note that to be eligible the student must attend a college or university in the Eastern International Region. The graduate student award and the undergraduate student award will be formally presented at the business meeting on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Submissions for either student award should follow the same procedure.

To enter the competition, please attach a short note to your proposal indicating that you wish to enter your paper into the contest. The deadline for proposals is February 1, 2022, and the final draft of the paper must then be submitted to Cynthia Hogan, Regional Coordinator for the EIR at chogan@washjeff.edu by April 15, 2022. To be eligible for this award the student must read the entire paper at the meeting, which means the paper and presentation must conform to the time limit of twenty minutes (= roughly 2,500 words) or 15 minutes for undergraduate papers (roughly 2,000 words).