Call for Undergraduate Participants: Online Seminar on Religion and Critical Theory

Call for Undergraduate Participants: Online Seminar on Religion and Critical Theory 



The Practicum Blog invites advanced undergraduates in the academic study of religion to participate in an experimental online seminar. The central aim of this seminar is to expose students to critical theory and to help them integrate critical perspectives into their senior/honors theses (and beyond). As such, all applicants should have a specific research project they hope to develop.

This is an online seminar and will consist of two meetings (roughly two hours each). During these meetings, students are able to interact directly with scholars in various stages of their careers who will provide feedback and suggestions that should help the students create more rigorous and insightful scholarship.

Each student will read the assigned material before the meeting and then listen to a brief lecture (no more than thirty minutes), followed by a roundtable discussion where the scholar helps students integrate critical theory into their research. Students will not only get direct input from scholars versed in critical theory, but student participants are invited to publish what will probably be their first publication, as all undergraduate participants will have the opportunity to write a blog for Practicum where they reflect on the material and its relevance for their current projects.

The schedule consists of:

First meeting: February 6, 2015, from 1:00-3:00 PM (EST)

·         Craig Martin on “Critical Theory and the Academic Study of Religion”

·         Russell McCutcheon on “Classification Matters”

Second meeting: February 13, 2015, from 1:00-3:30 PM (EST)

·         Christopher Cotter and David Robertson on “Classify and Conquer: Rethinking the World Religions Paradigm”

·         John Lardas Modern on “‘Secularity’”

·         Concluding thoughts moderated by the Practicum editors

To apply, please submit the following materials in electronic form to practicumreligionblog@gmail.com by January 24, 2015.

·         One-page cover letter explaining your interest in the weminar. Include a summary of your interests and describe your senior/honors project. Also, identify your goals for participating in the conference.

·         C.V.

·         Names and contact information for two references.

We will notify applicants of their status by January 29, 2015.

Please direct all questions to practicumreligionblog@gmail.com.