CFP: Social media and the Sacred

Social Media and the Sacred
Special Guest Speaker: Heidi Campbell
‘When Religion Meets New Media (2010)’

The Open University Centre, Camden Town, London 28-29 June 2010

How do religious and spiritually-oriented groups use social media? What impact does this use have on their relationship with the sacred? And how are religious and other discourses of the sacred positioned and mobilised in social media such as discussion forums, blogs, Facebook, Twitter and virtual worlds?

These are the main questions that we are seeking to address in the re-launch and expansion of this network which brings together key scholars in the field. Papers and presentations in relation to any religious or spiritual tradition and from any disciplinary/analytic orientation (e.g. sociology, anthropology, politics, religious studies, media studies) are welcome.

This year the conference is held in collaboration with the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society project on ‘Media Portrayals of Religion and the Secular Sacred’ (based at the University of Leeds), and there will be an opportunity to hear about its findings.

Travel, accommodation and subsistence bursaries are available for a limited number of contributors.
Abstracts (up to 300 words) for papers to be presented as 20 minute presentations send to Anita Greenhill A.Greenhill@manchester.ac.uk by 30 April 2010.

This conference is organised by the Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change (www.cresc.ac.uk) at The Open University and University of Manchester in collaboration with the AHRC/ESRC project ‘Media Portrayals of Religion and the Secular Sacred’ at the University of Leeds, Birkbeck College, Amsterdam University, Groningen University, University of Colorado