2014
Esther Acolatse’s new book
Esther E. Acolatse 2014, For Freedom or Bondage?: A Critique of African Pastoral Practices.
Grand Rapids: Wm.B. Eeerdmans, 233 pp., ISBN ISBN: 978-0-8028-6989-0 (pbk), $39
In Ghana today, many people who suffer from a variety of human ills wander from one pastor to another in search of a spiritual cure. Because of the way cultural beliefs about the spiritual world have interwoven with their Christian faith, many Ghanaian Christians live in bondage to their fears of evil spiritual powers, seeing Jesus as a superior power to use against these malevolent spiritual forces. In For Freedom or Bondage? Esther Acolatse argues that Christian pastoral practices in many African churches include too much influence from African traditional religions. She examines Ghana Independent Charismatic churches as a case study, offering theological and psychological analysis of current pastoral care practices through the lenses of Barth and Jung. Facilitating a three-strand conversation between African traditional religion, Barthian theology, and Jungian analytical psychology, Acolatse interrogates problematic cultural narratives and offers a more nuanced approach to pastoral care.
REVIEW by Emmanuel Y. Lartey, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
“In this thoughtful, carefully researched, and much-needed book Esther Acolatse enters into critical engagement with African Christian pastoral practices, especially ‘deliverance’ ministries. . . . Her robust theoretical and practical approach, illustrated with actual contextual cases, avoids the dangers of over-spiritualization, under-psychologizing, and cultural irrelevance, which have marred effective care of souls in contemporary African cultures. For Freedom or Bondage? scratches exactly where African Christians currently itch. It should be required reading for all who have pastoral and educational responsibilities for persons influenced by African cultures.”
2014
John Templeton Foundation: Call for funding proposals
The John Templeton Foundation (JTF) will distribute more than $150M of funding in 2015 (up from $93M in 2013) for topics that range from quantum physics to the evolution of cultural complexity. A proportion of these funds are dedicated to topics relating to the social scientific study of religion (including non-religion), including sociological, psychological, anthropological, and economic approaches.
JTF gives grants for up to 3 years in duration and for projects ranging in scope from $50,000 to more than $5,000,000. There are no constraints on the nationalities of the principal investigator or project members. The application process begins with an Online Funding Inquiry (essentially a letter of intent); applicants who are successful at this first stage are invited to submit a more detailed full proposal. The process includes peer review and is highly competitive: ~85% of proposals considered in the Human Sciences portfolio are rejected at the first stage and ~50% are rejected at the second stage.
To apply visit https://portal.templeton.org/login. Deadline for applications: April 1, 2014
Learn more about JTF’s grantmaking process here:
http://www.templeton.org/what-we-fund/our-grantmaking-process
Learn more about Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision here:
http://www.templeton.org/sir-john-templeton/philanthropic-vision
2014
JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION, Call for Papers
The Editor Prof. JA Smit, University of KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa, would like to invite you to submit an article for consideration in the Journal for the Study of Religion (JSR) 2014. JSR is an accredited journal and the official journal of the Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa (ASRSA). The theme explored in this issue is:
2014
36th ASRSA Annual Congress, 27-29 August 2014, Potchefstroom, South Africa
This is the Call for Papers (CFP) for the 36th Annual Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa (ASRSA) Congress. This year the congress will take place at North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus) from 27-29 August 2014. The theme for this year is “Religious Freedom and Human Rights: Law, Education and Civil Society”.
Note that the closing date for abstract submission is 1 July 2014.
You will also find included in the CFP important information regarding registration as well as a list of possible accommodation venues.
2014
Jim Cox: Nonreligion among Australian Aboriginals
Most interest in nonreligion and secularity is focused on the West and its dominant cultures; it is argued, in fact, that such concepts have limited meaning in any other settings. Launching the Non-religion among Australian Aboriginal Peoples series</strong>, James Cox challenges this view, arguing that much can be learned by taking nonreligion as the starting point in research with other populations — Australian Aboriginals, in the case of his own work.
