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NAASR,
along with 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, will sponsor
the IAHR's twentieth
World Congress (an event that takes place every five years). The Congress
will take place on the campus of the University of Toronto in August
of 2010, with the cooperation of the University of Toronto's Centre
for the Study of Religion (CSR).
The event will be planned and hosted by the Institute for Advanced Studies
of Religion (IAS), which will be the home of the World Congress Secretariat
(whose Director is Donald Wiebe). It's theme is: "Religion - A
Human Phenomenon."
During NAASR's 2006 annual meeting, in Washington DC, a meeting was
held between the officers of the IAHR (Rosalind Hackett [President],
Tim Jensen [General Secretary], Ingvild Gilhus [Vice President], and
Gary Lease [Treasurer]) and the World Congress Secretariat, represented
by Donald Wiebe, Russell McCutcheon, Ivan Khan, and Marsha Hewitt. The
proposal for the academic program was accepted and the appointment of
Luther H. Martin (also attending the meeting) and Ingvild Gilhus as
co-chairs of the Academic Program Committee was formalized.
Visit
the Congress web site.
Report from NAASR's Representative to the Organizing Committee
In mid-2006, NAASR President, Tomoko Masuzawa, appointed NAASR's Past
President, Greg Alles, as NAASR's representative to the World Congress's
Organizing Committee (co-chaired by Tim Jensen and DOnald Webe).
To update all sponsoring associations, Donald Wiebe held a meeting in
Washington DC, during the 2006 NAASR annual meeting, which Greg attended.
He offers the following report:
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On Sunday afternoon, Nov. 19/06 I met with Tim Jensen, Don Wiebe, Russell McCutcheon, Ivan Khan and Leona Anderson, of the Canadian Societ,y to discuss plans for the upcoming Congress. There is very little to add to what Don had related to NAASR members concerning the structure of both the conference administration and the program. That material has now been reviewed and endorsed by the IAHR executive. I trust that Russell will make it available on the NAASR website in due time, since Don told us Saturday morning that it was public knowledge. Among the topics we discussed Sunday afternoon were the following: |
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(a) the title of the conference, which was uncertain on Saturday morning but is now "Religion: A Human Phenomenon;" |
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(b) ways to advertize the congress by the sponsoring societies and also by IAHR affiliates worldwide (e.g., via electronic and also by more traditional means); |
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(c) details of the submission and review process for proposals (most will be submitted electronically and automatically forwarded to the heads of the subdivisions) as well as web-based possibilities of paying for conference fees; |
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(d) possible incentives to encourage attendees to enroll and pay their fees early; |
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(e) the nature of activities on the Wednesday of conference week, when no papers are being presented (specifically, whether and to what extent opportunities should be made to visit religious institutions in Toronto and vicinity; |
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(f) opportunities for members of supporting societies to volunteer their services in planning and conducting the conference (these opportunities will be made available later, so be thinking of ways you would like to contribute to the effort); and |
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(g) a suggestion that I relayed to this group from Bryan Rennie that now, roughly 50 years after the Marburg statement, the IAHR should consider re-affirming its identity by adopting a similar statement. I have subsequently sent an official request, via email, to Tim Jensen, General Secretary of the IAHR, to take this suggestion to the IAHR Executive Committee. I'll keep you posted on these and all future developments. |
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The success of the conference depends in part on the support and enthusiasm of members of the supporting associations. Do take this support seriously, and don't hesitate to contact me or the conference organizers if you have comments or questions. |
Concerning item "g," NAASR members not acquainted with the document
produced at Marburg, and signed by a variety of scholars, may be interested
to read it here (PDF; originally published
in Numen 7/2 (1960).
Updates from Greg will be posted on this site.
Resources
Until the Congress web site is active, information of use to NAASR members
concerning this meeting will periodically be posted here.
2010 World Congress Organizational Chart
(PDF)
Past IAHR Congresses
