[Air-l] CFP - Global Communication of Fundamentalist Knowledge

Sun Jun 25 09:37:55 PDT 2006

Dear AoIR-ists,
I cordially invite your attention to the following - please distribute to
interested colleagues and students

NTNU Globalization Programme and The Norwegian Air Force Academy
Invitation and Call for Papers to the Conference:

 Global Communication of Fundamentalist Knowledge

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
December 1416 2006, Trondheim, Norway

Conference website:
<www.hf.ntnu.no/cofu>

Fundamentalism and globalisation are two widely contested concepts. While
some analysts claim that both terms refer to increasingly powerful political
forces, others argue that neither refers to anything empirically real. This
conference seeks to address the following questions: What distinguishes
modern fundamentalism from other forms of religious revivalism and political
activism? How do global media communicate ³fundamentalist knowledge²?
Participants are invited to address these wider questions within the three
thematic areas outlined below:
1. Community, people and state
Since religious communities are constituted in contexts of peoples, states
and territories, their aims and ambitions are necessarily worked out in
relation to these entities. What is specific to fundamentalism in its
relation to these entities? We solicit proposals addressing this question in
relation to the following issues:
* Concepts of power, religion and law in formations of communities and
states. 
* Concepts of power, religion and law in territorial disputes and
international relations.
2. Fundamentalism and exegesis
The fundamentalist principle of ³return to scripture² is usually associated
with literal readings, but it also means bypassing literal readings in order
to acquire scripture¹s hidden (esoteric) knowledge and to empower ³true
believers² in relation to their ³others². Proposals are solicited which
analyse fundamentalist hermeneutics in relation to the following themes:
* Principles of epistemic and communal authority in exegesis.
* Esotericism, aestheticism and linguistics in exegesis.
* Exegeses and changes in communities, societies, states, and international
relations. 

3. Media and fundamentalist knowledge
Through global media, individuals can avail themselves of a wide range of
sources, including religious websites and scriptures. Is this development
changing the way religion serves ethnic and national interests? Or is it
challenging ethnic and national interests and creating new forms of
religious and political activism? Proposals are solicited which seek to
define fundamentalism from the following perspectives:
* The ways in which religious actors (whether states or trans-national
networks) use global media to serve ethnic and national interests.
* The ways in which non-religious actors (whether states or trans-national
networks) use global media to defend ethnic and national interests against
religion 

Keynote Speakers 

Robert A. Pape, Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago.
Professor Pape is author of Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide
Terrorism (2005); "Soft Balancing against the United States," International
Security (2005); "Explaining Costly International Moral Action" (with Chaim
Kaufmann), International Organization (1999); Bombing to Win: Air Power and
Coercion in War (1996).
David S. Katz, Professor of History, Tel-Aviv University.
Professor Katz is founder of the Global Security Group and author of The
Occult Tradition from the European Renaissance to American Fundamentalism
(2005), God¹s Last Words: Reading the English Bible from the Reformation to
Fundamentalism (2004) and Messianic Revolution: Radical Religious Politics
to the End of the Second Millennium (1999)
Stewart M. Hoover, Professor of Journalism and Adjunct Professor of
Religious Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder.
Professor Hoover is author of The Electronic Giant (1979), Mass Media
Religion: The Social Sources of the Electronic Church (1988) and Religion in
the News: Faith and Journalism in American Public Discourse (1998), and is
co-editor of Religious Television: Controversies and Conclusions (1990) and
Rethinking Media, Religion, and Culture (1997).

Deadlines

September 15, 2006: Deadline for abstracts (300-400 words). Abstract
proposals should include a provisional title, full name of author(s),
institutional affiliation, correspondence details and should be sent to
global at hf.ntnu.no <mailto:global at hf.ntnu.no>
 Paper presentations must not exceed 20 minutes.

September 30, 2006: Replies to proposals

November 20, 2006: Deadline for registration for all participants (with and
without papers) to global at hf.ntnu.no <mailto:global at hf.ntnu.no> Please use
the registration form on the conference website [address of website]

Practical information

There is no conference fee.

The conference will cover the cost of coffees and lunches but participants
are expected to cover the costs of all other meals. Dinner reservations will
be organized by the conference committee.

Conference hotels: Quality Hotel Augustin, Kongensgt 26, NO-7011 Trondheim
                  Tel.:(+47) 73547000, Fax: (+47) 73547001, nok 800 (single)
900 (double)
        hotel-augustin at hotel-augustin.no
<mailto:hotel-augustin at hotel-augustin.no>
        www.hotel-augustin.no
       P-hotels, Nordregate 24, NO-7010 Trondheim, Tlf.:(+47) 73 80 23 50
       Fax  (+47)  73 80 23 51, nok 585 (single) 700 (double)
      post at p-hotels.no <mailto:post at p-hotels.no>
Accomodation should be booked and paid for by participants. Special rates
for this conference have been agreed with the two hotels above, where
participants are encouraged to stay.

Venues

The conference will be held at the following locations:

 Thursday 14th December: The Norwegian Air Force Academy, Persaunetveien 61.
  Bus number 20 from Dronningens gate.

 Friday 15th and Saturday 16th December: NTNU, Dragvoll Campus.
Bus numbers 5, 9 and 66 depart from Trondheim city centre (Munkegate Street)
to Dragvoll every 15 minutes

Contact

Website: www.hf.ntnu.no/cofu <http://www.hf.ntnu.no/cofu>
Postal Address: NTNU Globalization Programme
  NTNU Dragvoll, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway

E-mail: global at hf.ntnu.no <mailto:global at hf.ntnu.no>

Trondheim Sites

About NTNU:
http://www.ntnu.no/indexe.php <http://www.ntnu.no/indexe.php>

About Trondheim: 
http://www.trondheim.com/engelsk/ <http://www.trondheim.com/engelsk/>
http://www.trondheim.no/content.ap?thisId=1117612882
<http://www.trondheim.no/content.ap?thisId=1117612882>
Global Communication of Fundamentalist Knowledge

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
December 1416 2006, Trondheim, Norway

Preliminary program - may be reviewed on the conference website,
<www.hf.ntnu.no/cofu>

Cheers!

Charles Ess

Distinguished Research Professor,
Interdisciplinary Studies <http://www.drury.edu/gp21>
Drury University
900 N. Benton Ave.              Voice: 417-873-7230
Springfield, MO  65802  USA       FAX: 417-873-7435
Home page:  http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html

Co-chair, CATaC'06: http://www.catacconference.org
Co-chair, ECAP'06: http://www.eu-cap.org

Professor II, Globalization and Applied Ethics Programmes
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
http://www.anvendtetikk.ntnu.no/pres/bridgingcultures.php

Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23