Gender in Theology and Religion: a Success Story?! Report from a Conference

In January 2011 some fifty scholars from different parts of Europe met in Groningen, the Netherlands for an expert meeting entitled Gender in theology and religion: a success story?! to analyze the factors that contribute to the successful mainstreaming of gender in a theological discipline and to reflect on the future of gender studies in theology and religious studies. Different speakers highlighted the many successes of gender studies in theology and religious studies: its power to 'trouble' the disciplines and their heuristic categories; its contribution to the development of other disciplines such as queer studies and postcolonial studies; the many PhD studies produced; the number of significant publications that had appeared over the last years. All indicate that gender studies in theology and religious studies have matured. But the participants also pointed towards the ambiguity of the success of gender studies in the academy: the indeterminacy of the institutional position and positions of gender studies in the theological disciplines in seminaries, departments faculties and universities; the lack of male scholars’ engagement in gender studies, which is expressed by their absence in these studies and/or the low reception of gender studies publications in their disciplines. Both ambiguities represent a danger for the future of gender studies, according to the participants in the meeting. In order to further the success of gender in theology and religion they formulated the following recommendations: to analyze the position of these studies in their institutions from the perspective of the implied audience (church, academy, ordinary theologians); engage men in gender studies; embrace the cultural turn in religious studies; develop interdisciplinary cooperations with gender studies in the humanities; engage creatively with the changing role of religion in contemporary society; analyze whose perspective one follows and authorizes in the perception of theology, religious studies and gender studies themselves; record the history of women’s and gender studies in theology and religion, and honor and celebrate the successes.

Religion as Culture? How European and American High Courts Endorse Majority Religion

This paper examines a trend in European and American High Courts to endorse majority religion by transforming it into “culture”, and thus by secularizing it. To dissociate religion and state is the hallmark of the liberal state. However, no state has ever managed a perfect separation, not even the American. Under conditions of mounting religious pluralism and ongoing secularization, there is pressure on the state to live up to its “neutrality”. A main strategy to square the circle of neutrality and incomplete dissociation from religion is to declare it “culture”, which gives the state the license to associate or even identify with it (as guardian of nationhood). The paper compares recent American and European High Court rules on religious symbols (especially crucifixes) that exhibits this strategy, addressing similarities and differences as well as the limits and pitfalls of “culturalizing” religion.

Made in God's Image! - What Does It Mean? Science and Religion in Conversation

How can we best interpret the traditional Christian affirmation that human beings are made in God's image in light of contact and dialogue between religion and science? And what, if any, are the environmental implications of this conversation between the two?

The Christian philosopher; or, The connection of science and philosophy with religion ... Illustrated with upwards of one hundred and fifty engravings.

Mode of access: Internet.

The religion of geology and its connected sciences /

Mode of access: Internet.

Twelve lectures on the connection between science and revealed religion : delivered in Rome /

Mode of access: Internet.

The power of literature and its connexion with religion: an oration, delivered at Bristol College, July 23, 1834, before The Philologian Society.

Cover title.

The Christian philosopher; or, The connection of science and philosophy with religion.

"List of popular works on the different sciences treated of in this volume": p. 391-399.

The Christian philosopher; or, The connection of science and philosophy with religion.

"List of popular works on the different sciences treated of in this volume": p. 391-399.

The Christian philosopher : or, The connection of science and philosophy with religion /

Bibliography: p. 393-400.

Twelve lectures on the connexion between science and revealed religion.

Mode of access: Internet.

Naturalism and religion,

Mode of access: Internet.

A doubter's doubts about science and religion,

Mode of access: Internet.

The Christian philosopher; or, The connection of science and philosophy with religion. Illustrated with engravings.

Mode of access: Internet.