One thing I wish I had known while doing my doctoral program was how to use Zotero - the reference management software. I thought I wouldn't need it because I knew how to cite my references manually. Only a year or so ago, I realized how wrong I was. Zotero is an incredible tool that helps collect, organize, and cite your references. If you haven't started using it, take my word for it and learn how to use it. Our library offers workshops on Zotero (Youtube has some useful tutorials, too!) and other essential resources that can save you a ton of time. Please take advantage of those resources.
In addition to the workshops offered at the library, we have the Professional Development Program workshops that you can take advantage of. There is no need for prior preparation or RSVP. So, please make an effort to join as you are able.
PDP Workshops
The aim of the workshops for this term is to prepare you for professional life beyond the GTU. Ranging from “How to Draft a Diversity Statement?” to maintaining your social media presence, the workshops this term will cover various aspects that'll help as you prepare yourself for the job market.
In February, Dr. Pravina Rodrigues led the first workshop on writing, "From A Thesis Statement to An Essay." The art of good writing is a skill needed during your time at the GTU and after you graduate. You may find the link to the recording of the presentation below:
Emily Pothast led the second workshop on how to write a successful conference proposal. Please check out the recording as you prepare your paper proposals for AAR/SBL and other conferences. Please find the link to the recording below:
The workshops for March cover a couple of elements usually required for an academic job application, viz., teaching philosophy and diversity statement.
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Call for Papers
The deadline to submit your proposals is March 14, 2023. Please find the Program Units here.
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The deadline to submit AAR proposals has been extended to March 8, 2023. Please find the Program Units here.
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Religion and Spirituality in Everyday Life
“Open Theology” (https://www.degruyter.com/opth) invites submissions for the topical issue “Religion and Spirituality in Everyday Life.” This Special Issue seeks to put in dialogue research focusing on religious and spiritual practices that take place outside institutional frameworks and in people’s everyday lives.
You are invited to submit papers that contribute to the reflection about the places and contexts where religious and spiritual experiences take place in contemporary societies, which will contribute to widening the limits of what we call “religion” today. Some of the possible topics are:
Manifestations of religious nature or resemblance, such as sacralisation and rituals, that take place outside “temples” and in everyday life.
Interpretations and appropriations of religious and/or spiritual symbols in non-traditional practice contexts.
Uses and negotiations of the categories of religion and spirituality in specific contexts.
Ways in which the religious and/or spiritual shape or transform tangible or intangible heritage in public and private space.
Submissions will be collected until May 15, 2023, via the on-line submission system at http://www.editorialmanager.com/openth/
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Women in Religion: From Spiritual Leadership to Female Empowerment
It is more than a cliché that gender plays a crucial role in religion, as most religious orders in the world were, and currently are, dominated by men. The role of women in cultic settings is, as a rule, secondary, as is also the authority of female ministers of religion, while the social benefits of those appointed with religious duties are also incomparable with the privileges received by men. This year, we invite proposals that explore the female share in leadership roles related to religion (saints, prophetesses, priestesses, nuns, preachers, witches, shamans and more), and emphasize how their achievements are reflected in history and art. How prominent female figures have compromised men’s secured positions of power in socioreligious structures? What was their role in shaping gender-responsive societies? We encourage also papers that examine through gender lens the impact of religion on civic life by analysing the deeds of women of faith from a political perspective, or deal with cases of political power over religion, in cases of women who achieved to change traditional religious concepts, practices, customs or symbols. We welcome papers that deal with all religious systems from ancient to present times.
To submit a proposal for a paper or a poster, please send an abstract of 350 words or less to icsahcy1@gmail.com by March 30th, 2023.
The proposed contributions should not have been previously published or accepted for publication elsewhere. Abstracts should include a title, a summary of the presentation, name of the author/s, institutional affiliation and email.
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You can find more CfPs and other resources at the following websites:
The Religious Studies Opportunities Digest
UPenn: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/category/religion
RelCFP: https://relcfp.com/
Grants and Scholarships
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.
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As congregations are declining in size and numbers, taking care of beloved old buildings can be crippling. Many sacred places are closing, being repurposed for non-religious uses, or even being demolished, although there is no hard data on this. There is concern among neighbors and civic leaders about what might happen when the church that was the anchor of a neighborhood is gone or the temple that was so central to the social fabric of a community closes. What happens to the service programs that were housed there—what is the impact on their clientele? There is very little research (quantitative or qualitative) to back up anecdotal evidence on the cumulative effects of the loss of sacred places.
Partners for Sacred Places is seeking researchers who can look at the flip side of the Halo Effect—what is lost when a sacred space and its stewards are gone? Research is being sought to begin this documentation through five research grants. The timeline is relatively short and the stipend modest, although it is hoped that this could be part of other research projects. Research could be at the macro or micro level, looking at larger trends or individual case studies—quantitative or ethnographic. There might be opportunity for researchers to present their findings at an event in April, 2024, and of course publication is encouraged.
For more information, please contact Dr. Katie Day (kday@uls.edu)
Timeline:
Deadline for 300 word abstract of idea: April 1, 2023
Awards announced: May 1, 2023
Research period: May 2023-January 2024
Deadline for paper (8000 words): March 1, 2024
Stipend: $ 2000
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CARe Grants - Spring 2023: CARe is now accepting applications for grants that range up to $ 2,000 in support of GTU student and faculty projects that center on religion and the arts. Projects might include travel to a conference to present a paper or to conduct research, funding to assist with an art workshop, or fees related to a theatrical performance. Learn more and apply now at www.gtu.edu/caregrants. Deadline Monday, March 6, 9 am.
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The Whizin Prize in Jewish Ethics will be awarded for the best essay, research paper or curriculum addressing a contemporary ethical issue from a Jewish perspective. The prize includes an award of $1,800 and publication on the Center’s website. Submissions of any length are welcome, including those written in fulfillment of class requirements.
Entries should be mailed or emailed to the Center for Jewish Ethics, 1299 Church Road, Wyncote, PA 19095 or JewishEthics@RRC.edu. Name, address, email and title should be on a separate sheet so that the judges do not see them. International entries are welcome, but all submissions must be in English. All entries must be received no later than March 15, 2023. The winner will be announced by May 1, 2023. More details can be found here.
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The Laura Bassi Scholarship, which awards a total of $8,000 thrice per annum, was established by Editing Press in 2018 with the aim of providing editorial assistance to postgraduates and junior academics whose research focuses on neglected topics of study, broadly construed. The scholarships are open to every discipline and the next round of funding will be awarded in April 2023:
Application deadline: 31 March 2023
Results: 12 April 2023
All currently enrolled master’s and doctoral candidates are eligible to apply, as are academics in the first five years of full-time employment. Applicants are required to submit a completed application form along with their CV through the application portal by the relevant deadline. Further details, previous winners, and the application portal can be found at: https://editing.press/bassi
job Opportunities
American River College is hiring adjunct faculty to teach F2F the following courses in the Fall 2023 semester: HUM 330 - Humanities of the Americas; HUM 320 - Asian Humanities; RLST 301 - Introduction to World Religions; RLST 310 - Introduction to the Hebrew Bible; RLST 311 - Introduction to the New Testament; RLST 313 - Introduction to Islam. The descriptions for these courses can be found in the attached PDF. The 2022-2023 salary schedule can be found in this attached PDF.
Interested students may apply to the district-run adjunct hiring pool. The link is here: https://jobs.losrios.edu/postings/17132. After completing the district-level application, please send your CVs and an introductory email to Dr. Bill Zangeneh-Lester, one of our alumni, who is the chair of the department, at zangenw@arc.losrios.edu. You can also reach Bill if you have any questions.
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Santa Clara University is seeking applications for Religious Studies Summer Session Quarterly Adjunct Lecturers. Check out the announcement here for more details. Also, check out the job posting for Coordinator of the Instituto Hispano position at JST/SCU here.
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San Jose is accepting applications for the Humanities Lecturer Pool to teach courses in religious studies. Please check out the details here: https://jobs.sjsu.edu/en-us/job/500329/humanities-lecturer-pool-religious-studies.
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California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA, is seeking to hire a Director of Religious Diversity and Spiritual Life. Reporting to the University Pastor, the Director will collaborate with the Campus Ministry team and campus partners by utilizing their experience working with faith communities and embodying CLU's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. More details here.
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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 with regard to the workshops or any suggestions to improve this newsletter, please email me: cmotupalli@gtu.edu. Thank you! - Chai