Religion and Memory Unit
Religion, Memory, and Activism
The Religion and Memory Unit invites paper, panel, or roundtable proposals on the intersections of religion, memory, and activism. We are interested in explorations of these intersections across religious traditions, geographic contexts, and time (both contemporary and/or historical). How have memories of religious histories inspired activist work? How do memories of religious activism in the past propel religious actors in the present? How have activists sought to change collective religious memory? How have religious activists been remembered within and outside of their communities?
The Religion and Memory Unit and Religion and Economy Unit invite paper or panel proposals on the “costs of memory.” Inspired by the metaphor for things that are painful and costly for victims to remember and articulate, we invite proposals studying religion and the capital costs of remembering and the ways that the economies of religion and memory are tied to power. We invite proposals focusing on examples in any time period or geographic location.
We also welcome papers, panels, and roundtables on other issues of religion and memory in any time period and any geographic context.
This unit considers memory’s role in the making of religions and the ways in which religions make memories. It explores the construction and representation of narratives of the past as memory in relation to religious practices, ideologies, and experiences. We encourage critical reflection on religion in relation to ideas of memory, heritage, and public history. We are interested in examining these topics across broad geographical areas, religious traditions, methodological practices, and historical eras.
| Chair | Dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Cantwell | ccantwell1@luc.edu | - | View |
| Rachel Gross | rbgross@sfsu.edu | - | View |