Sunday, August 30, 2009

Conference presentations

Including our plenary speakers but not counting poster presentations, there are 47 presenters (for 45 papers), based in Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, France, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, the USA, Australia and Brazil. They are established academics, independent scholars and postgraduate researchers. The disciplines represented include anthropology, census and survey research, comparative studies, computing, education, ethnology, European Studies, folklore, history of art, human geography, Irish studies, psychology, religious studies, sociology and theology.

A call for poster presentations is still open.

The conference registration form can now be printed or downloaded from this site.

Welcome address: Professor Tom Inglis (University College Dublin), "A sociological map of religion in contemporary Ireland"

First plenary lecture: Professor Eileen Barker (London School of Economics), Cults, sects and / or new religions: "Curioser and curioser!" cried Alice. "Well, yes and no," replied the sociologist ....

Second plenary lecture: Prof. Paul Heelas (Lancaster University), "Spirituality and the New Age"

Attended poster session (call open until September 21st)



Conference papers:

Anthony d'Andrea (Dept. of Sociology, University of Limerick), New Age as self-reflexivity: the post-traditional in the religious field

Brian Bocking (Study of Religions Dept., University College Cork), Catholicism as a new religious movement

Ruth Bradby (University of Chester, UK), "A course in miracles": channelling, legitimation, therapy and self-help

Anja Bratuz (Science and Research Centre, University of Primorska, Slovenia), A new challenge for the ecological consciousness: the impact of Pogacnik's method of earth healing

Attracta Brownlee (Dept. of Anthropology, NUI Maynooth), Irish Travellers, NRMs and the New Age

Jenny Butler (Folklore and Ethnology Dept., University College, Cork), Irish neo-paganism: world-view and identity

Daniel Caldwell (Carraig Eden Theological College, Greystones), Patrick: prototypical Pentecostal?

Patrick Claffey (Dept of Mission Theology and Cultures, Milltown Institute, Dublin), Pentecostal charismatics in Ireland

Frances Clynes (Computing, IT Tallaght / Sophia Centre, University of Wales Lampeter), Cyberspace and religion

Olivia Cosgrove (Dept. of Sociology, University of Limerick), A crucial site of difference? New religious movements and attitudes to globalisation in Ireland

Laurence Cox / Maria Griffin (Dept. of Sociology, NUI Maynooth), The Wild Irish girl and the "dalai lama of Little Thibet": Irish Buddhism in world-systems context

Nadja Furlan (Science and Research Centre, University of Primorska, Slovenia), Feminist spirituality and Goddess-focussed religious philosophy

Bozena Gierek (Centre for Studies of Comparative Civilizations, Jagiellonian University, Poland), Celtic spirituality: between New Age and Christianity

John Healy (School of Humanities, Charles Sturt University, Australia), Seekers and accidental seekers

Alice Herron (independent scholar), Too much mother's love, too little father's guidance: psychological drivers for new religious movements?

Fergus Hogan (Centre for Social and Family Research, Waterford IT), From confessional spaces to the synchronicity of self healing through forgiveness

Ruth Jackson (University of Manchester, UK), The emperor's new clothes? An appraisal of a Christian new religious movement in the Republic of Ireland

Jurek Kirakowski (Dept. of Psychology, University College Cork), What makes an accident into a cult? A psychological analysis of attitude and belief

Carmen Kuhling (Dept. of Sociology, University of Limerick), From the parish hall to the shopping mall: consumption and re-enchantment in post-Celtic Tiger Ireland

Jonathan Lacey (Dept. of Sociology, Trinity College Dublin), In search of legitimacy: aims and strategies of a neo-Sufi movement in Ireland

Mika Lassander (Religious Studies, Open University, UK), Modern paganism as a legitimating framework for post-materialist values

Marina Lopes (Human Geography, AJES, Brazil), And the oak casts a shadow: the specialization of neodruidic imaginary in the city of Sao Paolo, Brazil

Dominic McCambridge (University of London, UK), Spiritual but not religious: an historical and psychological approach to the phenomenon

Malcolm Macourt (Centre for Census and Survey Research, University of Manchester), The "new religious landscape" and the "New Irish": the census – a useful tool?

Catherine Maignant (Centre for Irish Studies, University of Lille, France), The fellowship of Isis: the Great Goddess and the New Humanity

Geraldine Moane (School of Psychology, University College Dublin), The contemporary development of shamanism in Ireland

Anne Mulhall (School of English, Drama and Film / Irish Studies, University College Dublin), The Feng Shui of Lough Derg: marketing spirituality in contemporary Ireland

Peter Mulholland (independent scholar), The cult of moving statues

John L Murphy (Humanities, DeVry University, USA), Imagining Celtic Buddhism

Áinéad Ní Mhuirthile (Roinn na Gaeilge, Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál, Ollscoil Luimnigh), Reiki healing: the response in Ireland

Sean O'Callaghan (University of Lancaster, UK), Navigating the "otherworld": listening for voices from Ireland in "dark occultural" cyberspace

Ciara O'Connor (Dept. of Sociology, NUI Maynooth), Relationships between feminism and the New Age in Ireland: from meditation room to marketplace

Sean O'Halloran (independent scholar), Spiritual discourse: an examination of sharing in Alcoholics Anonymous

Courtney Roberts (independent scholar), Astrology in Ireland in the postwar era

Oliver Scharbrodt (Study of Religions Dept, University College Cork), Islam in Ireland: establishing organisational frameworks for a diverse Muslim community in Europe

Laura Sherman (Milltown Institute, Dublin), Finding the divine feminine in current-day Ireland: a return to the Great Mother

Stephen Skuce (Cliff College, UK), Christian evangelism and NRMs in Ireland: a case study

Steven Sutcliffe (Dept. of Religion and Society, University of Edinburgh, Scotland), After the "world religions" taxonomy: "new age" beliefs and practices and the elementary forms of the religious life

Lyn Thomas (Institute for the Study of European Transformations), University College London), Returning to the fold? The Monastery in narratives of spiritual life

Diarmuid Verrier, Brian Hughes (School of Psychology, NUI Galway), Spirituality and schizotypy: how personality can influence beliefs and experiences

Audrey Whitty (National Museum of Ireland / Dept. of History of Art and Architecture, Trinity College Dublin), The Albert M Bender collection of Asian art in the National Museum of Ireland

Snjezana Zoric (Dept. for Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Zadar, Croatia), Intercultural and interreligious encounter in the ashram of Sai Baba

Conference timetable

The provisional timetable for the conference is as follows:

Friday 30th October, 2009
10.30 – 12.30: Attended poster session / registration

12.30 – 1.00: Welcome address:
Professor Tom Inglis (University College Dublin),
"A sociological map of religion in contemporary Ireland"

1.00 – 2.30: Lunch

2.30 – 4.00: Workshops, session 1

4.30 – 6.00: Workshops, session 2

6.00 – 7.30: Dinner

8.00: Public lecture:
Professor Eileen Barker (London School of Economics),
Cults, sects and / or new religions: some reflections on 40 years' research - or
"Curioser and curioser!" cried Alice. "Well, yes and no," replied the sociologist ....

Saturday 31st October, 2009
9.30 – 11.00: Workshops, session 3

11.30 – 1.00: Workshops, session 4

1.00 – 2.30: Lunch

2.30 – 4.00: Workshops, session 5

4.30 – 6.00: Workshops, session 6

6.00 – 7.30: Dinner

8.00: Public lecture:
Professor Paul Heelas (Lancaster University),
"Spirituality and the New Age"

Sunday 1st November, 2009
An excursion to local pre-Christian sites will be organised if there is sufficient interest.


A call for poster presentations for the conference is still open; see this link for details.