[Air-L] Call for papers

[nadja.miczek at zegk.uni-heidelberg.de]

last try :-) don't know what happened to the attachment, sorry.


Call for Papers


"Religions on the Internet - Aesthetics and the Dimensions of the Senses"


Special issue of "Online ? Heidelberg Internet Journal", due for  
publication in October 2010


We herewith invite scholars from Religious, Cultural, Social, Media  
Studies and other related disciplines to hand in proposals for  
possible articles which deal with questions of the aesthtics and  
sensual dimensions of religions and rituals on the Internet.
When we look on the various representations of religious groups and  
individuals on personal homepages, in weblogs, in virtual worlds or  
the like and when we follow their communications on religious topics  
online, the visual and auditive aspects of the medium seem to play a  
major role. Using pictures, videos, icons, as well as music and other  
sounds, the internet users can design a multisensual virtual  
environment which might implicate its own notion of 'aesthetics'. This  
might be the case in e.g. a virtual Church environment which is  
embedded in an area with plashy waterfalls and bird sound instead of  
organ music or for religious groups in social networks who link to  
home-made Youtube videos, online games and other homepages. But we  
also must not forget the connection to these sensual dimensions that  
refer to and rely on the (offline) bodies of religious practitioners.  
Religions and rituals on the Internet might most probably provoke  
emotional or other physical reactions. Furthermore, in transfer  
processes between the offline and online realm there might be a  
redefinition of what seems to be an 'appropriate' design for religious  
settings.
As the aesthetic and sensual dimensions of religions and rituals on  
the internet are so far a mostly neglected area of research, we call  
upon theoretical and methodical reflection as well as on empiric  
studies referring to these topics. We are looking forward to receive  
the title and a short abstract (max. 250 words) of the planned article  
until 31st of March 2010.

Further important dates and deadlines are:
April 15th: 	Notification on the acceptance of your proposal by the editors
August 31st: 	Submission deadline for full article
September 15th: Deadline for comments, requests of revisions by the  
editors (if
necessary)
September 31st: Submission deadline for revised articles
November, 1st: 	Publication of the Online Journal

Please send your abstract to the following Email-addresses:
Simone.Heidbrink at zegk.uni-heidelberg.de
Nadja.Miczek at zegk.uni-heidelberg.de





-- 
Nadja Miczek M.A.
SFB 619 Ritualdynamik - Teilprojekt C2
Institut für Religionswissenschaft
Universität Heidelberg
Akademiestr. 4-8
D - 69117 Heidelberg

Tel.: ++49-(0)6221-547682
Fax.: ++49-(0)6221-547624

E-Mail: nadja.miczek at zegk.uni-heidelberg.de
http://www.rituals-online.uni-hd.de/
http://www.sl-research.de