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PDP Newsletter Dec 2022

Happy December! The fall 2022 term will be in the books in just a few more days. So far this term, we have covered various topics in the PDP workshops: Excellence in Academic Writing, Introduction to the Doctoral Council, Comprehensive Exams, Newhall Fellowships, How to Prepare Conference Presentations? and Networking. If you wish to check out any of the recordings of the previous workshops, you may do so by going to the newsletters that live on the Professional Development webpage. You will find the webpage under the Students tab on the gtu.edu website.

PDP Workshops

We had two workshops in November. The first one was on how to prepare presentations for conferences, and it was facilitated by Dr. Scott MacDougall. His insights are useful not only for conferences but also for class presentations. Please check out the recording of the workshop below.

The second workshop was geared toward students attending AAR/SBL and other conferences. The theme was networking. Payson Johnston, CEO of Crowdz, facilitated the workshop. I am sure his tips are helpful for a newbie in academia or a seasoned professional. The recording is linked below.

The final workshop for this term is on Wednesday, December 7, 10 - 11 am. Dr. Arthur Holder and Dr. Wendy Arce will facilitate the workshop. Please attend if you want to learn about Human Subjects Protocol and tips for successful dissertation writing and defense.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Congratulations to Emily Pothast on winning this year's Chan Essay Prize for her essay entitled "Magic, Money, Ink, and Blood: Mediating the Social Body in the Case of Simon of Trent." Also, congratulations on her chapter in the upcoming book from Routledge, Religious Dimensions of Conspiracy Theories: Comparing and Connecting Old and New Trends: https://www.routledge.com/Religious-Dimensions-of-Conspiracy-Theories-Comparing-and-Connecting-Old/Piraino-Pasi-Asprem/p/book/9780367637705. She also got an article published in the current issue of Maggot Brain called "The Sonic Theology of Buffy Sainte-Marie." Way to go, Emily!

If you wish to share your work with peers, please email me the link(s) for the publication(s) along with a brief background.

Call for Papers

Contemplative Practice and Writing about Race - The American Religion and Literature Society (ARLS) invites papers for a panel at the 2023 American Literature Association Conference, May 25-28, 2023 in Boston. The conference aims to address the following questions: What role does reflection on the human self’s nature, situatedness, antecedents, and interconnectedness play in the writer's struggle against racism? How have authors from different positionalities mobilized their search for increased awareness of divinity to reimagine racial identities, scripts, and relationships? What challenges do they face? What guidance does American literature—drawing on a host of widsom traditions, and perhaps even secular forms of mindfulness and meditation—offer the spiritual aspect of readers' anti-racist work? Please submit an abstract and short bio to Benji de la Piedra (bedelapiedra@gmail.com) by January 6, 2023.

Mythology in Contemporary Culture - Popular Culture Association National Conference - April 5-9, 2023 - San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, Texas. The Mythology in Contemporary Culture area is dedicated to exploring mythological stories, figures and themes from all cultures and historical periods in all areas of popular culture. The frequent appearance of mythological motifs in popular culture speaks to the notion that mythologies, far from being relics of the past, continue to have significance. Proposals that pertain to the general theme of Mythology in Contemporary Culture are welcome. Potential presenters seeking inspiration for a paper topic might reflect on the mythological aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic or recent changes in governments around the world or about the many “-isms” that underlie discrimination of all kinds. For individual papers, please submit a title and 100-250 word abstract, and the deadline for submissions is December 20, 2022. If you have questions, please reach out to Kate Rittenhouse at earth2k8@mac.com. More details about the conference can be found here: https://pcaaca.org/conference/2023.

Centered around the theme Interdependent Bodies: Disability, Creation, and Reimagining Relationality, the second annual Accessing the Divine conference on March 3, 2023 at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Chestnut Hill, MA invites participants to reimagine what it means to be human through the lens of disabled embodiment. Proposals on critical issues and themes from graduate students, faculty, religious leaders, activists, and academics in a variety of fields, such as disability theology, practical theology, liberation theology, systematic theology, comparative theology, religious studies, disability studies, area studies, sociology, ethics, psychology, and related subject matters are welcome. Proposals which consider methodological reflections on approaches towards disability, interdependence, and climate are also invited. Please email all submissions to btistudentconference617@gmail.com by December 31, 2022, and indicate which category you are submitting under. For more conference details and to view a formal call for papers, please see the Boston Interreligious Theological Consortium website here: https://bostontheological.org/conferences

Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary e-Journal New Issue. Articles, essays, book and media reviews, short notes, and bibliographies from all disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences are welcome. Submissions are concurrently accepted and should be made by e-mail to: Dr. Dina Ripsman Eylon, Editor-in-Chief, Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary Journal, Email: dina.eylon@alum.utoronto.ca. The journal can be accessed at http://www.womeninjudaism.org.

Religion in the Age of Social Distancing - Sociology of Religion is issuing a call for papers for inclusion in a special issue on studies of religion in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The journal is interested in studies about how the widely invoked practice of “social distancing” has reshaped how individuals and communities engage with and practice religion, as well as how religion shapes responses to the pandemic and its related social issues. They are particularly interested in studies using innovative and rigorous sociological methods to study religion in relation to issues connected to the ongoing pandemic. Potential topics that studies may examine include, but are not limited to:

a) Changes to religious practices due to social distancing. These can include congregational practices, clergy practices, private social gatherings, or personal religiosity and spirituality. b) The role of religion (or lack thereof) for people who have been diagnosed with and are suffering from COVID-19. c) The role of clergy and chaplains in caring for the sick and their families. d) Changes to death, funerary, and burial rites due to social distancing. e) The impact of the pandemic on church finances, employment, and closures. f) The role of faith communities and faith-based organizations in caring for people through social support and resources during the pandemic. g) The sacralization of practices related to food production, preparation, and consumption. h) The influence of religious beliefs on social distancing practices and vaccine attitudes. i) The role of congregations and religious gatherings in the transmission of COVID-19. j) The claims and practices of faith healers in response to the pandemic. k) Legal and political analyses of claims and cases about religious freedom in relation to social distancing measures. l) The proliferation and spread of conspiracy theories relating to the pandemic. m) Systematic analyses of discourse from faith leaders about theodicy and suffering related to the pandemic. n) Studies of religion in relation to the pandemic undertaken at different levels of analytic scope, such as macro and comparative analyses.

The deadline for submissions to be considered as part of the special issue is January 31st, 2021. For inquiries, contact the editorial team at: sorjournal@gmail.com.

RHETORIC AND RELIGION AS RESOURCES FOR RESISTANCE: An Interdisciplinary Conference at The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, October 19-21, 2023. Deadline for abstract submission: March 15, 2023. If interested, learn more about the conference here.

You can find more CfPs and other resources at this website: The Religious Studies Opportunities Digest

Scholarships and Opportunities

A list of scholarships is available at: http://scholarships.gtu.edu. You can search the scholarship webpage based on your area of study, the stage in the program you are in, the deadline, or any other tags as listed in the sidebar.

Summer Seminars in Phenomenology and Revelation. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Attention Students of Asian Descent: Applications are open for the Asian Summer Theological Institute 2023 (ATSI). ATSI is a project of United Lutheran Seminary. Held on the the Seminary’s Philadelphia campus, it seeks to identify and encourage Asians/Asian Americans who are focused on theological education at the PhD and ThD level. The Institute functions as a doctoral seminar to test doctoral proposals/projects in the company of guest professors and scholars serving as mentors. This is unique in that it offers an Asian thematic focus for students who otherwise may not have the help and support of an Asian professor/faculty in their place of study. If you are interested, please get in touch with me or check out the following link: https://www.unitedlutheranseminary.edu/academics/institutes/asian-theological-summer-institute

job Opportunities

San Francisco State University, Department Race and Resistance Studies is inviting applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) Studies beginning August 9, 2023. More details are here.

Santa Rosa Junior College invites applications for Faculty Associates in Religious Studies. Check out the job details here.

History of Christianity / Christian Art in Religious Studies - Niagara University is seeking candidates for a full-time tenure-track position in Religious Studies. Research and teaching interests should be in the area of Christian History, with a specialization in the History of Christian Art, American Catholic History, Global Catholicism, History of Catholicism, Church and Culture or similar fields. The successful candidate will demonstrate their ability to capably teach undergraduate students introductory courses in Religious Studies as well as upper-level courses in specialized areas as mentioned. Applications will be accepted through January 2023 for a start date of September 2023. If you are interested, please refer to the Job Application page at: www.niagara.edu/job-openings

If you come across any calls for papers, job openings, or scholarships that might be relevant to your peers at the GTU, please share them with me. Also, if you have any questions concerning the workshops or suggestions to improve this newsletter, please email me at cmotupalli@gtu.edu. Thank you! - Chai

Comic Endnote

Created By
Chaitanya Motupalli
Appreciate

Credits:

Created with an image by Victoria Kondysenko - "Cup of coffee and book with autumn yellow leaf surrounded wool blanket on windowsill"