Call for papers : « ISA ANNUAL CONFERENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA, MARCH 26-29, 2008. "THE POLITICS OF SECULARISM, THE POLITICS OF RELIGION"

Much recent work on religion in IR has concentrated on investigating the nature and implications of the 'global resurgence of religion', the extent to which this resurgence challenges assumptions about the secular character of international politics, and the role played by religion in modern politics. What has received less attention, however, is the political impact and role of secularism as a set of doctrines and practices, and the possible connections between the politics of secularism and the resurgence of religion. Discussion of religion in IR would be arguably enriched through research into not only the identity and politics of religion(s) and the behaviour of religious actors, but also the nature of secularisms and their role in political life.

This panel seeks to explore the assumptions implicit in different conceptions of secularism (laïcité, common ground secularism, civic religion etc), the political effects they produce, and their relationship with religion(s).

Questions addressed might include:

- What is secularism, what forms does it take and what role does secularism play in modern politics?

- Where, and on what basis, is the boundary between the secular and the religious drawn?

- How do varieties of secularism influence the nature of political interventions by religious actors? How do they define what constitutes acceptable forms of religion?

- How do perceptions and interpretations of religion(s) affect the politics of secularism?

- To what extent has secularism contributed to the resurgence of religion, or  vice versa?

This panel aims to contribute to the debate on religion in international politics through exploring its relationship with secularism. We welcome both theoretical and empirical explorations of these issues.

Please contact us if you would like more information; if you would be interested in presenting a paper please send an abstract by Friday 25th May. We also invite offers to contribute to the panel as chair or discussant.

Luca Mavelli

PhD Candidate

Department of International Politics

University of Wales, Aberystwyth

Convenors: Luca Mavelli, PhD Candidate University of Wales, Aberystwyth

<lum03@aber.ac.uk>; Ed Frettingham, PhD Candidate University of Wales,

Aberystwyth <ejf05@aber.ac.uk>.