European Association for the Study of Religions Conference (2023) Open Panel

Call for Papers: Islands, Religion, and Identity (OP06)

Conference dates and location: Vilnius, Lithuania, Sept 4th-8th 2023.

Convenors:
Ernils Larson (Uppsala University)
Thomas Dolan (University of York)

Deadline for Paper Proposals: 23:59 (CET) 31st Jan, 2023.

Submit your proposal here: https://www.easr2023.org/programme/#format-open-panel.

(Guidance for submitting proposals can be found here: https://www.easr2023.org/call-for-papers/)

Short Abstract:

This panel will explore the role of religion in the formation of identity in island territories. The panel invites papers from scholars focusing on different cultural and geographical areas, with islands serving as the common denominator.

Long Abstract:

Islands tend to be liminal zones, often serving as the scene for sustained encounters between different states, cultural influences, and systems of belief. Islands that end up between competing powers often exhibit differing outlooks and internal dynamics. One can think of island nations such as Malta and the Maldives, but also islands that retain a sense of identity whilst existing within overarching national units or frameworks, such as Sicily or New Zealand. Divided islands are conspicuous, such as Cyprus and Ireland. Then there are islands in the periphery of former empires, such as Okinawa, the Falklands, or the Faroe Islands. Island identities are typically the product of cross-fertilisation and synthesis; created in relation to other groups present in the territory, but also vis-à-vis larger neighbouring cultural spheres or in relation to the governing state. Religion often plays an integral role in the process of identity construction in such territories, serving as a marker of unity with a larger community or embraced so as to signal territorial uniqueness and, often, opposition to a powerful overseas influence.

This panel will explore the role of religion in the formation of identity in island territories. How is identity formed on islands situated between larger, typically dominant territories? What happens when religion becomes a marker of affiliation with one of several competing cultural spheres? Has the concept of the island, of a discrete territorial unit, bounded by water, influenced or informed religious thought and conceptions of identity within island territories?

The panel invites papers from scholars focusing on different cultural and geographical areas and historical periods, with islands serving as the common denominator. The panel will explore the potential for future collaborative work on religious identity-making in island territories, with the long-term goal of gathering a group of scholars for an anthology project.