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Gary Lease (1940-2008): An Appreciation

Gary Lease, former two-term NAASR Executive Secretary/Treasurer (1995-2004), and Treasurer and Executive member of the International Association for the History of Religions (1997-2007), died on Friday, January 4, 2008, in Santa Cruz, CA. He was 67.

Gary, who had already survived a bout of prostate cancer a decade ago, was diagnosed several months back with esophageal cancer; despite aggressive treatments with radiation and chemotherapy in San Francisco and Santa Cruz, his tumor was recently determined to be inoperable. Gary is survived by his son, Dylan, and by his wife, Dorothea Ditchfield, who was by Gary's side throughout his illness.

Gary was born in Hollywood, CA; he was the son of Rex Lease (1903-1966), an early twentieth century actor known for playing the lead in Western cliffhangers. Gary earned his bachelors degree at Loyola University and his doctorate at the University of Munich (1968). After directing the John XXIII Institute for Ecumenical Theology (Chicago) for a year, he was hired as an Assistant Professor of Theology at Loyola University (Los Angeles). As that program's Chair, he transformed its major in Theology to Religious Studies; as a result, after just three years he was fired for heresy. In 1973 he was hired by the University of Santa Cruz, chairing its Religious Studies program for several years, up until the program was disestablished based on the recommendations of outside reviewers (which included Ninian Smart). Transferred to UCSC's internationally recognized History of Consciousness Department, Gary became its Chair in 1998, eventually serving also as UCSC's Dean of the Humanities Division (1990-1995) and again as Interim Dean of Humanities (2004-5).

Although his expertise covered a wide range of historical periods and topics--from Mithraism, Christian origins, the history of Christianity, and archeology to such other areas as modern German intellectual history, the history and theology of the Roman Catholic Church, and ritual sacrifice--it all converged on the interconnections between what, in ther Preface to his 1995 book, he term "the tortuous relationship between politics and religion," prompting him to work on his own theory of religion and violence. Among his publications is Witness to the Faith: Cardinal Newman on the Teaching Authority of the Church (Duquesne University Press, 1971) as well as essay collection,"Odd Fellows" in the Politics of Religion: Modernism, National Socialism, and German Judaism (published in 1995 as the thirty-fifth volume in Mouton de Gruyter's prestigious Religion and Society series); he was also the co-editor of the essay collection, Reinventing Nature? Responses to Postmodern Deconstruction (Island Press, 1995). During the last few years he had been working on a book length manuscript for Equinox Publihers on the quest for origins, tentatively entitled The Wars of Religion: A Report from the Front. Gary's most recent publication, an essay on the place of autobiographical self-disclosures in scholarship, was "Telling the Truth Can Be Dangerous Business," which was completed in the early Fall of 2007 and appears in a Festschrift in honor of Jonathan Z. Smith.

Gary, whose presence in any room was difficult to overlook, is remembered for his tremendous love of big game hunting, the pithy and pointed commentaries that accompanied emails forwarding news stories in which power and religion intersected, an unwavering generosity toward friends, students, and colleagues, as well as his dogged critique of those whose scholarship he deemed shoddy--often exemplified in his fearless questions at conferences. He was fond of the rapid fire comedy of Lenny Bruce, never tired of watching his father's old films, and had an unrivaled appetite for sharing (at times loudly and in public) an outrageous anecdote from his many travels and academic battles--tales usually accompanied by fine food and even better drink.

Gary was a classically trained scholar, a gifted raconteur, a kind host, and a person who almost anyone would want beside them if they ever found themselves in a foxhole, an intellectual skirmish, or staring down a lion. He will be missed greatly by his family as well as friends and colleagues around the world.

(For an additional notice on Gary's life and accomplishments, please visit this link. A memorial service for Gary is taking place in Santa Cruz on February 2, 2008, and a special issue of Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, in his honor, is currently in preparation.)














Pictured above left is the auditorium during the February 2, 2008, memorial for Prof. Lease, at Merrill College on the campus of the University of California, Santa Cruz. Pictured above right are members of the audience, including (in profile, far left to right), NAASR members Rosalind Hackett, Donald Wiebe, and Marsha Hewitt. (Photos posted with the permission of Bill Lovejoy, photographer for the Santa Cruz Sentinel.) Read and article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel on the February 2, 2008, memorial for Prof. Lease.

If you are interested in donating to the Gary Lease Fellowship Fund please make your gift payable to "UC Santa Cruz Foundation" with "Lease Fellowship" written in the memo line of the check, and send it to:

Liz Sandoval
Humanities Dean's Office
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064

Or call Tracy McCullough in Gift Administration at 831-427-4765 to make a gift with a credit card by phone.

Report from the NAASR Business Meeting
San Diego, CA, November 17, 2007

The annual meeting of NAASR was called to order by Robert Yelle, the new NAASR Executive Secretary and Treasurer, at 11:45 a.m. As per Article VI of the Bylaws, those NAASR members present at the business meeting constituted a quorum. In his opening remarks, Yelle noted the transition in the Executive Sectary's office due to Russell McCutcheon's retirement from that office after serving three years of his first five-year term. McCutcheon is to be commended on his service to NAASR. During his tenure, among other important initiatives, NAASR membership and finances were placed on a more secure footing.

1. Based on McCutcheon's written report, Yelle reported that, in 2007, NAASR had 132 paid members, including 28 life members and 17 six year members. Additionally, 49 members have already renewed for 2008. This represents a substantial increase over the membership figures in years prior to 2006.

2. Vice-President Bryan Rennie reported that the 2007 program was a success, with five sessions altogether, comprised of three panels, the Executive Council Meeting, and the Business Meeting. Rennie mentioned the importance of publicizing the call for papers in order to maintain and increase the number and quality of proposals submitted, so that the success of the annual program can be sustained.

3. A report on the NAASR-sponsored series with Equinox Publishers, Key Thinkers in the Study of Religion, was given by series editor Steven Engler. The series continues apace and is interested in receiving proposals for new volumes not already published or contracted. Matthew Day, the recently appointed editor of Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, the journal sponsored by NAASR, presented a report. Despite some problems associated with the transition of editors, the journal is on track and stands poised for further successes.

4. Donald Wiebe, Director of the 2010 International Association for the History of Religions World Congress Secretariat, reported on significant progress made in planning for the congress. Arrangements for hotel accommodations, congress finances and registration fees, and other logistical matters are proceeding. Luther H. Martin, who, together with Ingvild Gilhus, is the co-chair of the World Congress's Program Committee, gave a brief description of that committee's progress on the call for papers and other associated matters.

5. Yelle reported the Executive Council's decision to continue to hold NAASR meetings in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion. The next AAR meeting will be November 1-3, 2008. The Society of Biblical Literature has invited NAASR to meet with them during their annual meeting in Boston, November 21-25, 2008. NAASR President Tomoko Masuzawa discussed plans to organize a panel at the SBL in honor of Jonathan Z. Smith, former NAASR President (1996-2002) and current SBL Vice President.

6. Yelle reported on the appointment of two new members of the Executive Council to fill the positions vacated by his change of office and by Ann Taves's resignation due to her election to the office of AAR Vice-President. Jeppe Jensen was appointed to fill the remaining year of Yelle's term, and Winnifred Sullivan was appointed to fill the remaining two years of Taves's term. Two further positions on the Executive Council were up for election due to the expiration of the terms of Jason Slone and Leslie Smith. The Executive Council nominated Nancy Levene and Randall Styers to these positions. There were no further nominations from the floor, and Levene and Styers were elected by a majority of the members present by a show of hands.

7. Matthew Day reported on the previous night's meeting of the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion, of which NAASR is a constituent member and Russell McCutcheon is the current President. The CSSR budget may require an increase in subscription rates for the CSSR Bulletin and the Religious Studies Review, which could adversely impact NAASR's finances, as membership rates are currently fixed in the Bylaws, which do not allow NAASR to pass along to its members any increased cost of subscription to these CSSR publications.

8. Bryan Rennie led a discussion of the call for papers for next year's program. Several potential themes were discussed, and Rennie said that he would prepare the call accordingly for advertisement in MTSR.

9. The meeting ended with the announcement that the annual NAASR reception was that evening, thanks once again to the planning of John Rundin.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m.

New MTSR Editor and NAASR Executive Secretary/Treasurer


Early in 2007, Dr. Matt Day, of Florida State University, was appointed by NAASR as the next editor of Method and Theory in the Study of Religion (his contact information can be found on this page).

Matt replaces Jeff Ruff, who served in this role for four years.



As of the November 2007 business meeting in San Diego, Dr. Robert Yelle, of the University of Memphis, became NAASR's next Executive Secretary and Treasurer.

He replaces Russell McCutcheon, who served in this role for the past three years. Note: all membership issues/dues payments and general queries about NAASR should now be directed toward Dr. Yelle. His contact information can be found here.

New Executive Council Members, November 2007

At the 2007 meeting in San Diego, Jeppe Sinding Jensen (Aarhus University, Denmark) and Winnifred Sullivan (SUNY - Buffalo) were appointed to fill the slots vacated by Robert Yelle and Ann Taves, respectively (Robert moving to the position of Executive Secretary and Ann stepping down to carry out her new duties as Vice President of the American Academy of Religion).

With Jason Slone and Lelie Smith cycling off the Council after each serving their three year terms, the Nominating Committee named Nancy Levene (Indiana University) and Randall Styers (UNC) as nominees and they were confirmed at the Business Meeting.

For more information on these new Council members, go here.

Report from the NAASR Business Meeting
Washington, DC, November 18, 2006

The annual meeting of NAASR was called to order by Russell McCutcheon (NAASR Exec. Secretary/Treasurer) at 11:30 a.m. For the first time the meeting took place during its own time slot, rather than during the final 30 minutes of the Saturday morning academic session. As per Article VI of the Bylaws, those NAASR members present at the business meeting constituted quorum. He opened by noting that, due to illnesses in her extended family, NAASR President Tomoko Masuzawa was unable to attend the business meeting but that he had met with her the prior day to inform her of developments at the Executive Council meeting,

1. McCutcheon reported that, for 2006, NAASR had 136 paid members, which includes 25 life members and 18 six year members. In 2005 NAASR had a total of 92 paid members, including 16 life members and 9 six year members. Year-to-year faculty and grad student memberships have also grown in 2006, the former now 57 (up from 35 in 2005) and the latter 30 (up from 26 in 2005). In addition, NAASR currently has 6 retired faculty who are members.

2. It was reported that the 2006 program was the most ambitious NAASR annual program to date, involving 9 sessions (which include the Executive Council's meeting, the Business Meeting), which includes one working group session. Due to participants' illnesses and scheduling conflicts, the inaugural Presidential Plenary had to be canceled. Outgoing Vice President Julie Ingersoll is to be thanked for her work over the past 3 years to routinize the process by which the program is established each year, as is her 2006 committee: Bill Arnal, Winni Sullivan, and Tom Tweed. A tenth session was booked by NAASR for the IAHR's Executive Committee to meet with the 2010 World Congress Secretariat's representatives to discuss planning the next IAHR Congress, to meet in Toronto. (More information on the Congress can be found here.) As part of her role in planning the program, Vice President Julie Ingersoll reported on Executive Council discussions to define further the working group option. A document detailing the parameters of working groups is being drawn up by the Executive that may be proposed to the membership as a bylaws change, so as to clarify the nature of working groups.

3. A report was presented by Jeff Ruff, editor of MTSR, and a report was presented by Steven Engler, editor of NAASR's book series, Key Thinkers in the Study of Religion. The former continues to do well (Ruff and McCutcheon were scheduled to meet with a representative from Brill later that day) and although the latter has only recently been established, it already has four titles contracted. Concerning MTSR subscription, several NAASR members described difficulties obtaining the discount from Brill ($50 for MTSR); McCutcheon reported that he would pursue this with Brill at his meeting that day. More news on MTSR is posted here.

4. Donald Wiebe, Director of the 2010 World Congress Secretariat, reported on significant progress made in planning the next congress of the IAHR. Prior to the business meeting an information session was held for all NAASR members interested in learning more about the planning, so Wiebe merely summarized his report at the business meeting. He also reported that, on the day following the business meeting (i.e., Sunday, November 19), representatives of the Secretariat were scheduled to meet with the officers of the IAHR's Executive, to finalize initial plans and to appoint the co-chairs of the World Congress's Program Committee (Ingvild Gilhus and Luther H. Martin).

5. Russell McCutcheon reported that the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR), of which NAASR is a constituent member and which publishes the CSSR Bulletin and Religious Studies Review, has appointed a new Executive Director to replace Prof. Dena Pence, who will soon move into her new position as Director of the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion; the new Executive Director is Prof. Andrew Fort of Texas Christian University.

6. Because NAASR dues are listed in the Bylaws (Article V), the dues increase recommended at the 2005 business meeting, and which had therefore been announced to the membership a year before the 2006 business meeting, was voted on in the form of a Bylaws amendment. Julie Ingersoll made the motion to increase the dues and Donald Wiebe seconded it. The vote passed unanimously. As a result, the new dues structure will go into effect as of 2007 and can be found here.

7. Because of such developments as the Key Thinkers series, McCutcheon reported that other Bylaws amendments will likely have to be made (e.g., detailing how the Key Thinkers series editor is appointed, his/her length of term, etc., just as the MTSR editor's role is currently part of the NAASR Bylaws [see Article IV]). Such amendments will be developed by the Executive Council and, as per the Bylaws (see Article VI Section 3) proposed to the membership at least 30 days prior to the 2007 annual meeting.

8. It was announced that the Executive Council empowered McCutcheon to search for a webmaster for the NAASR site. He reported that a search to fill this role would begin in the new year.

9. It was also reported that, at the request of the NAASR President, Tomoko Masuzawa, a new NAASR logo was designed, which now appears on the NAASR site.

10. Finally, an election was held for three openings on the NAASR Executive: Vice President (for the annual program) and two annual positions on the Executive Council. The Executive, which constitutes the Nomination Committee, nominated Bryan Rennie to follow Julie Ingersoll as NAASR Vice President. Because no other candidates were nominated, Bryan was appointed to this three year position. At the previous day's meeting the Executive decided to rely on nominations from the floor of the business meeting for the two positions on the Executive. Aaron Hughes and Ann Taves were the sole nominees and so were appointed to three year terms on the Executive as Councilors. Bryan Rennie and Winni Sullivan, who cycled off the Executive Council, were thanked for their service, as was Julie Ingersoll who served as Vice President at a time of significant growth within NAASR.

11. The meeting ended with the announcement that the annual NAASR reception was that evening, thanks once again to the planning of John Rundin. The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 p.m.

NAASR to Co-Host 2010 World Congress of the IAHR

In mid-February 2006, and on behalf of the IAHR's Executive Committee, Tim Jensen, General Secretary for the IAHR, emailed Don Wiebe--who took the lead on writing the proposal on behalf of, and with the input of, NAASR, the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, the Société Québécoise pour l'Étude de la Religion, and the Sociedad Mexicana para el estudio de las Religiones, along with the cooperation of the University of Toronto's Centre for the Study of Religion (CSR)--to say the following:

"First of all, I want to thank you and all the associations, institutions, and persons in support of the proposal as of January 26, 2006 to host the IAHR XXth Quinquennial World Congress. Those who have taken the initiative and those who have put their time, energy and skills into the proposal. The IAHR Executive Committee has carefully studied the proposal from the NAASR, the CSSR, the SQER and the CSR to (with the kind and generous support of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Office of the Provost, and the Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion [an Institute established by Don Wiebe]) host the IAHR XXth Quinquennial World Congress. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be in the position to tell you that the IAHR Executive Committee unanimously has agreed to accept the proposal, -- with gratitude. The Executive Committee finds the proposal very solid, very well prepared and very well structured, and it leaves no doubt about the seriousness, responsibility, commitment, and skills of the associations, persons, and institutions in question."

An initial meeting of representatives of some of the co-sponsoring parties took place in Toronto on March 24, 2006. As with other co-sponsoring organizations, interested NAASR members will have the opportunity to learn more about the meeting throughout 2006; the NAASR information session will be held at the 2006 annual meeting in Washington DC.

In October 2006, as part of the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Religion (EASR), the IAHR Executive met to discuss the proposal for the World Congress program that was developed by the World Congress Secretariat. A meeting between representatives of the Secretariat and the IAHR Executive is scheduled for November 19/06 in Washington D.C. A separate meeting will also be arranged, for later that day, so that the Secretariat can update representatives of the Congress's host societies.

Our thanks to Don--who is the Director of the World Congress Secretariat, which will be planning the confernece--for all of his initial work to make this happen.

Further updates on the planning for the World Congress are posted here.

Report from the NAASR Business Meeting
Philadelphia, PA, November 19, 2005

The annual NAASR business meeting was called to order at 11:00 a.m. on November 19, 2005 (after the conclusion of the final NAASR panel), by Greg Alles, outgoing NAASR President. After welcoming members and informing them that his term as President was ending, and that a vote would soon take place to name his replacement, he turned the meeting over to Russell McCutcheon, NAASR Executive Secretary/Treasurer.

The following was reported, much of which was a development from the previous day's two and a half-hour long executive council meeting:

1. Although the motion passed two years ago, the executive council recommended to the membership that MTSR subscription costs not be included in annual NAASR membership dues. It was felt that, at this important time of NAASR membership growth, one of the keys to members' interest in NAASR is the low cost of membership. It was reported that Brill's discounted subscription rate for MTSR ($50 US) already applies to NAASR (and all other IAHR-affiliated) members. The motion was made by Russell that NAASR members agree to rescind the prior vote, and was seconded by Gary Lease. The motion passed. Because the result of the prior vote was never included in the Bylaws, no Bylaws change is necessary to rescind it.

2. Steven Engler, whom the executive council appointed as the inaugural editor of the "Key Thinkers" book series was invited to describe the series. He described it as a series of books that provide a brief introduction to "classic" and contemporary scholars, aimed at senior undergraduate and graduate students. He noted Equinox Publishers interest in the series and reported that he already had informal agreements from potential authors along with interest from scholars willing to serve on the editorial advisory board. Russell reported that both he and Steven would meet in Philadelphia with Janet Joyce, Director of Equinox Publishing, to finalize the details so that the series would soon be contracted with NAASR. Russell reported that the next task is to include a section in the Bylaws, similar to that already included for MTSR, to specify the series editor's term of appointment, duties, role of the editorial advisory board, division of royalties, etc.

3. Donald Wiebe was invited to report on the proposal to host the 2010 World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR) in Toronto during the summer of that year. This proposal, which the executive council agreed to support, already has the agreement of one of Canada's two IAHR-affiliated societies (Don reported that he is hopeful that the support of the other will soon be forthcoming); to ensure that this is a North American proposal, Don is also seeking the involvement of Mexico's IAHR-affiliated society. He reported that, although this would not require financial input from NAASR, if the proposal is accepted by the IAHR (a decision expected in the Spring of 2006), it would require personnel from NAASR who were willing to serve on a number of working committees. As the incoming President's first order of business, it was suggested that a NAASR liaison ought to be appointed to the proposal's steering committee, now being formed by Don. Bryan Rennie, executive council member, seemed to speak for a number of members present when he voiced his strong support for the proposal.

4. Julie Ingersoll, NAASR Vice-President, was invited to report on the executive council's request that she form an ad hoc committee that, over email, will discuss the future of working groups within NAASR. Although Article III section 2 of the Bylaws describes working groups, the executive council decided that there is a need for further clarity that will provide the Vice-President with assistance in determining guidelines for accepting proposal. Because the 2005 meeting was the first time that NAASR funds were used to book a meeting space for a working group, the executive council agreed that the committee must also recommend the degree (and manner) to which NAASR financially supports a working group's ongoing activity. Julie reported that Luther Martin (who first developed the idea of NAASR working groups) and Greg Alles were willing to serve on the committee and she solicited members to speak with her after the meeting if they too were willing to serve.

5. John Rundin, an executive council member who had just completed his term, was invited to speak to the possibility of developing a NAASR fund-raising campaign. In the past, the 6 Year and Life membership categories were understood as fund-raising mechanisms, but Rundin, who has past experience fund-raising, advised the executive council at the previous day's meeting, that income form dues (whether yearly or Life) ought only to be used for the day-to-day costs of running the organization (e.g., paying dues to the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion [CSSR] and the IAHR, booking annual meeting room space, funding an annual reception, etc.), and that a separate fund-raising initiative ought to be undertaken if NAASR wishes to develop an endowment. He also recommended that a mailing be sent to all lapsed NAASR members, alerting them of NAASR's renewed level of activity. He reported that he would be willing to work with the incoming President if a fund-raising initiative was a goal.

6. Winni Sullivan, member of the executive council, was invited to report on the executive council's request that she investigate NAASR's incorporation as a non-profit organization in the state of Vermont (documents posted here). Given that NAASR has now begun to grow in its membership, the executive council agreed that it is time to investigate whether NAASR now ought to revise the manner in which it is incorporated. Winni reported that she would discuss these matters with a lawyer familiar with Vermont law and would report back to the executive council.

7. Russell reported that, in light of the executive's recommendation that members agree to rescind the previous vote to include MTSR fees within NAASR membership, the executive also recommended that annual membership fees be increased. Fees have not been increased in approximately a decade. The new fees (in U.S. funds) were recommended as:

$35 Yearly Faculty
$15 Student/Retirees
$180 6 Year
$350 Life

Further, because the CSSR charges approximately double the cost to mail the CSSR Bulletin and Religious Studies Review to international members (periodicals that all NAASR members receive), the executive further recommended a $15 postage fee for all international members (i.e., those outside North America). After brief discussion, during which Gary Lease wanted to know if, before the end of the year, Life memberships could still be purchased at the old rate (to which Russell replied that yes, a fire sale on Life memberships was now on!) the motion passed. (Note: Because the new fees must be included in the Bylaws, and because all Bylaws changes must be announced 30 days prior to a vote, after the business meeting the executive council began discussing how best to implement the new fees. Their decision, posted on the membership page, is to hold the vote to amend the Bylaws at the 2006 annual meeting in Washington, DC. Until that time, the current dues are the old dues.)

8. Russell requested that NAASR members who are not receiving the CSSR Bulletin and RSR ought to contact him; he noted that the CSSR had a hectic year catching up (after the untimely death of its Executive Director, David Truemper, at Valparaiso University) but that the organization is once again up and running, in its new home at Rice University in Houston (hosted by its Department of Religious Studies) and with its new, and very active, Executive Director, Dena Pence Frantz. In his capacity as NAASR Executive Secretary, Russell reported that he sends quarterly membership name/address updates to the CSSR to ensure that all current NAASR members receive these periodicals. Finally, Russell reported that like Jeff Ruff (editor of MTSR), Scott Elliott--NAASR member and CSSR Bulletin editor--is very interested in receiving strong submissions, from NAASR members, of articles that are of wide interest/relevance to members of the field. (Note: earlier in the meeting, Greg Alles had announced that Russell is the new President of the CSSR.)

9. Nominations were then made to fill the regularly occurring 2 vacancies on the executive council, created by Steven Engler and John Rundin completing their 3 year terms. In its capacity as the nominating committee, the executive council nominated Ted Vial and Robert Yelle. Nominations form the floor were opened and Willi Braun nominated Tim Murphy, who agreed to serve if elected. Nominations were closed; the three nominees were present and each spoke briefly, and ballots were distributed. The vote was counted by Greg Alles and Jeff Ruff, who reported to Russell that the two new members of the executive council, each serving until 2008, were Ted Vial and Robert Yelle.

10. At this point nominations were made for NAASR's new President, also serving until 2008. The executive council/nominating committee nominated Tomoko Masuzawa and no nominations came from the floor. Unopposed, she was acclaimed as the new President of NAASR; Tomoko spoke briefly to the general membership, noting some of her goals for the organization and her interest in receiving input and feedback from all members.

11. The meeting was adjourned at approximately noon. (Russell, in an absent-minded stupor, had forgotten to thank Greg Alles for his three years of service to NAASR as its President, during a crucial time in its history. With membership now at just under 100, three regular panels at its annual meeting, working groups now deeloping, and the business meeting attended by over 30 people, the organization is clearly the most active it has ever been and Greg has played a key role in assisting this growth and in helping the organization to further professionalize itself. These minutes, then, become the opportunity to thank Greg for his service. Finally, John Rundin is to be thanked for setting up the venue for the NAASR reception on the evening of November 19 [co-sponsored by Equinox Publishers], which was very successful [attended by more than 60 people], and also to Gustavo Benavides [NAASR member and co-editor of Brill's journal Numen] for assisitng John in finding the Alexander Inn, where many NAASR members happily stayed while in Philadelphia.)

Report submitted/posted on December 1, 2005

Call for Papers: New Conceptual Modeling in the Study of Religion

Read the call (PDF)

Discounted Subscription to MTSR for all NAASR Members

Beginning with the 2005 year, NAASR has negotiated a 33% discount for its members to subscribe to MTSR. More information on this $50 US rate for NAASR members (and members of all IAHR affiliated associations) can be found here.

CSSR News

The editor, Scott Elliott (a NAASR member), has requested that the following notice be published:

The Council of Societies for the Study of Religion is a federation of learned societies in religion interested in enhancing coordination of the field as a whole; it seeks to initiate, coordinate, and implement projects to strengthen and advance scholarship and teaching and to support the activities of constituent societies and of their executive offices and officers. At present, the CSSR is comprised of seven constituent societies: the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education, the Catholic Biblical Association, the College Theological Society, the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion, the North American Association for the Study of Religion, the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, and the Society of Christian Ethics. In addition, there are also three affiliated societies: the Council on Graduate Studies in Religion, the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science, and Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Honors Society for Religious Studies and Theology.

The CSSR publishes two periodicals: the Bulletin and Religious Studies Review. The Bulletin is published four times per annum (February, April, September, and November) and has more than 3750 subscribers. A typical issue is roughly 20,000 - 22,200 words in length and is printed in an eight-and-a-half-by-eleven format. Our primary competitors are Teaching Religion and Theology and Religious Studies News. Now in its fourth decade, the Bulletin is designed to facilitate the goals of the CSSR and thus seeks to foster conversation across the field. A quick glance at previous issues will clearly demonstrate that we cover a vast array of topics. Given its wide circulation and the diversity of interests represented by its readership, the Bulletin represents not only a worthwhile but positively ideal place to publish articles and essays aimed at a wide audience.

We especially invite and welcome essays that focus on new developments in the field, reflect on pedagogical practices within the discipline, or provide a snapshot of important events, symposia, conferences, and conversations taking place in various sectors of the academic study of religion. We pride ourselves in being one of the leading "intellectual op-ed" journals among those who study religion. It is a proven fact that articles in the Bulletin get read. The reason for this, in large part, is that they are smart, pithy, and relevant.

If you are interested in publishing in the Bulletin, please send your essay to the editor, Scott Elliott, by email at selliott@drew.edu. Feature length articles should be approximately 4,000 - 4,500 words in length and composed in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. However, we regularly publish much shorter pieces when appropriate.

Deadlines for submissions are as follows:

December 1 for the February issue
February 1 for the April issue
July 1 for the September issue
September 1 for the November issue

Thank you for considering the bulletin. We look forward to reading your work.

Scott S. Elliott
Editor, CSSR Bulletin

NAASR Executive Council Secure Site

Executive members are invited to send periodic updates of progress made on their projects to be posted to a secure NAASR site. Updates, in Word document form, can be sent directly to the webmaster to be posted.

Log onto the NAASR Executive Council secure site

Report from the NAASR Business Meeting
San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, 2004

NAASR President, Greg Alles opened the meeting on Saturday, November 20, 2004, at 11:10 a.m., following the conclusion of NAASR's Saturday morning panel.

Because of Gary Lease's departure from the role as NAASR Executive Secretary/Treasurer, Alles reported that, at its Friday evening meeting, the NAASR Executive had nominated Russell McCutcheon to hold the position for a five year term. No other nominations were made at the business meeting and McCutcheon accepted the new role. At this point he took over from Alles in chairing the business meeting.

Relying on documents kindly sent in advance by Lease, McCutcheon reported that the NAASR budget is sound, taking in as much as it pays out for such annual expenses as CSSR dues, IAHR dues, along with the costs of hosting the annual meeting (e.g., room rental fees). He reported that NAASR membership lists and banking information was soon to be transferred to him and a NAASR account would be established in Alabama. He also noted that he would endeavor to routinize the membership renewal process.

McCutcheon introduced Jeff Ruff, editor of MTSR (appointed by the Executive to this role in 2003), who reported on the journal's production timetable and invited NAASR members to submit articles and book review suggestions to him.

McCutcheon then reported on the previous evening's Executive meeting. At this meeting it was decided that:

- regular and substantive Executive meetings will take place on the Friday morning of each annual NAASR meeting, necessitating that Executive members must ensure that they arrive in the host city in time for this meeting

- NAASR would continue the practice (begun in 2003) of having three program slots (two on Friday afternoon and one on Saturday morning); Julie Ingersoll, Vice President for NAASR and Chair of its Program Committee, will soon release a "Call for Papers" for the 2005 meeting, a copy of which will be posted at the NAASR web site, as well as appear in MTSR, Religious Studies Review, and the CSSR Bulletin

- the Executive would be reinvented as a working committee, with specific roles assigned to each member; with this in mind, Steven Engler volunteered to become the NAASR web master. (Within days of the meeting he had secured "naasr.com" as the site's new domain name and the site's address will be switched shortly.) Apart from NAASR's annual meeting, organized by Julie Ingersoll, Bryan Rennie volunteered to investigate the likelihood of hosting a 2005 NAASR conference, aimed at undergraduate education, at his home institution, Westminster College. Luther Martin and Greg Alles volunteered to investigate establishing a program of visiting NAASR members willing to offer workshops, or training seminars lasting one to several days, on North American university campuses, for costs.

- a Friday evening NAASR reception will be planned in Philadelphia for the 2005 meeting, following the pattern set by Don Wiebe at the 2002 Toronto meeting

- investigations would be made as to whether a NAASR hotel could be organized for the 2005 meeting, following the pattern set by Don Wiebe's very successful arrangements for the 2002 Toronto meeting; John Rundin was thanked for his efforts to make such arrangements for the 2004 San Antonio meeting.

- discussions would continue with Brill to develop a link between NAASR membership and MTSR subscriptions; to this end, contact was made with Brill before the end of the AAR/SBL meeting and negotiations are currently underway. Because the NAASR membership voted several years ago in favor of linking the journal subscription to NAASR membership, McCutcheon announced that this arrangement would be made with Brill and members would be notified, for the 2005 year, of the new NAASR dues structure (i.e., life members, 6 year members, retired faculty, faculty, students). It is hoped that NAASR members who are faculty will be charged approximately $65 to $70 dollars annually (receiving MTSR, the CSSR Bulletin, and Religious Studies Review.

With the program in mind, Alles then suggested that, at next year's Philadelphia meeting, NAASR consider arranging a program unit devoted to theory and the study of ancient near eastern religions. Gustavo Benavides voiced support for the idea, which could involve an expert attending a NAASR panel and/or a visit to the University of Pennsylvania Museum, which has a large collection of Sumerian and other near eastern artifacts. It was decided that Alles, along with interested members, should consult with Ingersoll in suggesting this program unit for 2005.

Two new members of the Executive were then elected to a 3 year term: Jason Slone and Leslie Smith, who were both nominated by the Executive and received no competition from the floor, have therefore joined the Executive, replacing Herb Berg and Karen deVries--both of whom cycled off at the conclusion of their 3 year terms. Because the NAASR Executive decided to move toward using the executive as a working committee, Jason and Leslie will focus on helping to recruit new members, both faculty and graduate student. To that end, they will develop a new feature on the NAASR site called "The Profession," aimed at assisting graduate students with the task of professionalizing themselves to the field. (The NAASR President is currently considering appointing a small group of NAASR members to an ad hoc committee to assist in the development of this site.)

NAASR, as an IAHR affiliated society, has two representatives to the IAHR's International Committee. By virtue of their NAASR offices, Alles proposed that he and McCutcheon fulfill these roles and represent NAASR to the IAHR at the Spring 2005 Tokyo Congress. The membership agreed.

Because IAHR-affiliated organizations can also make their own nominations to the IAHR Executive (a body which nominates its own candidates to hold IAHR executive offices), the NAASR Executive nominated Don Wiebe to the position of IAHR President. After discussion a vote was taken among the NAASR membership and the nomination was defeated by a narrow margin. Winnifred Sullivan was then nominated, by Greg Alles, for a Member-at-Large position on the IAHR Executive; she accepted and her nomination was confirmed by the membership. (Subsequent to the business meeting, her nomination was communicated to Armin Geertz, the General Secretary of the IAHR. She will stand for election at the IAHR Congress in Tokyo in early 2005.)

The business meeting was concluded at 12:15 p.m.