News and Announcements

Florida State University, Department of Religion, invites applications for a position in American Religious History. Rank is open. While open to a variety of specializations, we are particularly interested in religion in the southern U.S. and in intersections between religion and race. We seek a scholar able to contribute at all levels of a comprehensive program (B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. levels.) Send statement of interest, vita, at least three letters of recommendation, and samples of research and teaching materials to: American Religious History Search, Dept. of Religion, Florida State University, Dodd Hall M05, 600 West Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1520. For full consideration, all materials must be received by October 11, 2002.

Emory University announces the 2002 Conference, Lynching and Racial Violence in America: Histories and Legacies, October 3 ­ 6, 2002, Atlanta, GA. This international conference will focus scholarly attention on lynching and racial violence both within and beyond the United States. For more information visit the conference website or contact Jennifer L. Freeman, Conference Coordinator, Emory University, 315 Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta GA, 30322; 404.712.8768; jlfreem@emory.edu.

Costly Grace: Race and Reparations -- Theological and Ethical Readings of Communities, a conference at Union Theological Seminary, October 10 and 11, 2002. Participants include Derrick A. Bell, Jr., James A. Forbes, Jr., Daisy Machado, Emilie M. Townes, Patricia J. Williams, among others. Call 212/280-1591 for more information and check the "What's New" listing at Union's website <http://www.uts.columbia.edu/>.

Conference on African Genealogy & Genetics: Looking Back to Move Forward," McNamara Alumni Center, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus, June 21- 22, 2002
This national conference will engage geneticists, genealogists, social scientits, and ethicists to discuss the importance and implications of using genetic technologies and genealogical methods to reconstruct an African identity. Continuing education credits are available. For program details, registration, and lodging information, contact the Center for Bioethics at 612-624-9440 or visit the conference website at http://www.bioethics.umn.edu/events/af_gen.html.

The 12th Berkshire Conference on the History of Women will take place on June 6-9, 2002 at the University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Academic Positions:

Macalester College, Dean of Multicultural Studies. We are searching for an individual at the Associate/Full Professor level who will have primary responsibility for helping the College develop, implement, and oversee a strategic plan by which to enhance existing curricular efforts related to multiculturalism and diversity.

In this tenure-track position with half-time administrative duties, the Dean will report directly to the Provost and will work with the coordinators of African American Studies and Comparative North American Studies as well as other programs and departments to strengthen the reach of multiculturalism across the academic divisions of the College. In addition, this position involves working closely with the Dean of Multicultural Life, who reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs, to develop greater correlation between curricular and extra-curricular activities on issues related to multiculturalism.

While disciplinary expertise and departmental or program affiliation are open, we are looking for a scholar/teacher, with a strong publication record, who will make a curricular contribution to the African American Studies and/or the Comparative North American Studies program. Furthermore, the successful individual should be conversant with contemporary discourses of multiculturalism in the US and have an active interest in developing a multicultural program that is interdisciplinary in nature.

Women and minority group members are strongly encouraged to apply. Interested candidates should direct inquiries to the chair of the search committee, Prof. Anthony Pinn (pinn@macalester.edu) and completed applications should be received by October 15, 2002. Applications should include a curriculum vitae, statements of teaching and research interests and three letters of recommendation. Materials should be sent to Prof. Anthony Pinn, Chair of Dean of Multicultural Studies Search Committee, Department of Religious Studies, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN 55105.

Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. Tenure track position in Africana Studies (African American and/or African Diaspora studies) beginning August 2003. We expect to hire at the assistant professor level but are open to an appointment at the associate or full professor level. This position will ideally complement another for which we are searching in disciplinary perspective(one in social science and one in humanities) and in terms of location of inquiry (U.S. based and global). The faculty in these positions will be responsible for teaching, in rotation, the introductory Africana Studies course, and courses in their own discipline or area of expertise. Bowdoin College is a small, liberal arts college with highly motivated students, a two-course teaching load per semester, and support for serious scholarly engagement by faculty. Ph.D. prior to appointment preferred. To apply, please submit a cover letter that includes courses one would be interested in teaching, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, examples of published research or works in progress, and evidence of teaching effectiveness to Randolph Stakeman, Director, Africana Studies Program, Bowdoin College, 7200 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011-8472. No electronic submissions. We will begin to read applications on October 15 and will continue until the position is filled. Bowdoin College is committed to equal opportunity through affirmative action. Women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply.

Trinity University announces a tenure-track position at rank of assistant professor in the Department of Religion, beginning in August 2003, with primary specialization in Islamic Studies preferred. Other possible areas of specialization include: African Religions, African-American Religions, Religion in the Middle East, Religion in Southeast Asia. Must be able to teach a course on the Islamic tradition. Recent Ph.D. or equivalent in Religion preferred. Demonstrated teaching abilities and scholarly research also preferred. Must demonstrate strong commitment to undergraduate teaching in small Liberal Arts institution. Participation in First-Year Seminar program likely. Salary competitive. Send letter of application, CV, up-to-date graduate institution transcript(s), three letters of reference, statement of teaching philosophy (maximum 300 words), and teaching evaluations if available to: Dr. C. Mackenzie Brown, Department of Religion, Trinity University, 715 Stadium Dr., San Antonio, TX 78212-7200. Postmark deadline for applications for optimal consideration: October 4, 2002, including letters of reference and other required materials. EOE, WMA

The Harvard Divinity School is extending its current search in African American Religious Studies (originally announced in November 2001) into the 2002-03 academic year. In addition to senior candidates already under consideration and any new senior candidates who wish to be considered, the search committee seeks qualified candidates at the assistant or associate professorial level. The expectation is that at least one candidate, and possibly two candidates in this search, will be offered an appointment of appropriate rank to begin in the 2003-04 academic year. The field of specialization is open, but scholarly accomplishment, publications, and demonstrated teaching excellence in the area of African American Religious Studies are required.

The search committee will resume consideration of candidates in September. Letters of application or nomination, accompanied by a recent curriculum vitae, letters of recommendation, and writing sample and/or publications should be sent to Professor Ronald F. Thiemann, Chair, African American Religious Studies Search Committee, c/o Monica Beatty, Faculty Search Coordinator, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138. Applicants are encouraged to submit full dossiers by October 1, 2002.

Harvard Divinity School is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Applications from women and/or ethnic minority and international candidates are especially encouraged.

James Madison University invites applications for an assistant professor or lecturer of religion. One-year appointment beginning 20 August 2002. Religion specialization open with preference given to South Asian Religion, American Religion, or methods. Successful candidate will teach two general education courses and one upper division course per semester. Ph.D. (ABD considered). Proven teaching excellence expected. Send application letter, dossier, curriculum vitae, evidence of teaching excellence, and three letters of recommendation to: Dr. Sallie King, Chair, Search Committee, Department of Philosophy and Religion, MSC 7504, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807. Review of application will begin 1 June 2002. James Madison University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, equal access employer and especially encourages applications from minorities, women and persons with disabilities.

 

Fellowships and Grants:

Emory University's Robert W. Woodruff Library offers short term fellowships to support scholarly use of the Library’s research collections in Modern Literature and in African-American Studies. Closing date for applications: June 1st.

The fellowships have a value of $1,000 to $2,000 and are meant to help defray expenses in traveling to and residing in Atlanta during the duration of the fellowship. The length of the fellowship will depend on the applicant’s research proposal, but is normally one month. For application information, visit the fellowship websiet at http://info.library.emory.edu/Special/fellowships.html.

Calls for Papers:

The new, online, academic Journal of Religion and Popular Culture is now accepting manuscripts for peer review. The journal is "committed to the academic exploration, analysis and interpretation, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, of the interrelations and interactions between religion and religious expression and popular culture, broadly defined as the products of contemporary mass culture." Full information is posted on the JRPC website, http://www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc/.

Gender & History seeks submissions for an upcoming special issue on African Diasporas to be published in November 2003. We seek essays that theorize the concept of diaspora and problematize ways in which the term has typically been deployed in Western scholarship. We welcome analyses of sexuality and masculinity as well as investigations of regions beyond the Atlantic world. Finally, we invite submissions from scholars in other disciplines whose work has a strong historical focus.
The co-editors for this special issue are Tiffany Ruby Patterson (Binghamton University) and Michele Mitchell (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor). Please send abstracts only (three copies) no later than October 1, 2002 to:

Gender & History
Institute for Research on Women and Gender
Lane Hall, 204 S. State Street
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1290
Phone: 734-623-9976
Fax: 734-647-4881
Email: mmitch@umich.edu

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) announces its thirteenth annual Essay Contest for graduate and undergraduate students. The 2002 Essay contest is sponsored by Dr. Norma Solomon White, the 25th National President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. All full time undergraduates and full time graduate students may enter. Three cash prizes of $350, $300, and $250 will be awarded with expenses to attend and participate in the 2002 ASALH annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, October 2-6. The winning essays will be presented in a special session.

For full details on requirements and entry process, see the contest web site. Deadline for Submission: June 28, 2002. Winners will be notified by July 31, 2002

Mail entries to:

Ardie Myers, Contest Chair
ASALH
7962 Eastern Avenue Suite 301
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301 587-5900
Email: ardie@erols.com

Recent and Forthcoming Books

Hans A. Baer and Merrill Singer, African American Religion Varieties of Protest and Accommodation, Second Edition (Tennessee, 2002).

Lewis V. Baldwin and Amiri YaSin Al-Hadid, Between Cross and Crescent: Christian and Muslim Perspectives on Malcolm and Martin (Florida, 2002).

Michael J. Beary, Black Bishop: Edward T. Demby and the Struggle for Racial Equality in the Episcopal Church (Illinois, 2001).

Angella Current, Breaking Barriers: An African American Family and the Methodist Story (Abingdon, 2001).

David Brion Davis, In the Image of God: Religion, Moral Values, and Our Heritage of Slavery (Yale, 2001).

Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith, Divided By Faith:Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America (Oxford, 2001).

Randy Finley and Thomas A. DeBlack, eds, The Southern Elite and Social Change Essays in Honor of Willard B. Gatewood, Jr. (Arkansas, 2002).

Stephen D. Glazier, ed., Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions (Routledge, 2001).

Stephen R. Haynes, Noah's Curse: The Bibilical Justification of American Slavery (Oxford, 2001).

Graham Russell Hodges, Black Itinerants of the Gospel: The Narratives of John Jea and George White, second edition (Palgrave, 2001).

Valentino Lassiter, Martin Luther King in the African American Preaching Tradition (Pilgrim, 2001)

Audrey Thomas McCluskey and Elaine M. Smith, eds., Mary McLeod Bethune: Building a Better World, Essays and Selected Documents (Indiana, 2001).

Mrs. Edward Mix, Faith Cures and Answers to Prayers, edited and with an introduction by Rosemary D. Gooden (Syracuse, 2002).

James M. O’Toole, Passing for White Race, Religion, and the Healy Family, 1820–1920 (Massachusetts, 2002).

Anthony B. Pinn, ed., Moral Evil and Redemptive Suffering: A History of Theodicy in African-American Religious Thought (Florida, 2002).

Albert J. Raboteau, Canaaan Land: A Religious History of African Americans (Oxford, 2001).

Rosalind Shaw, Memories of the Slave Trade: Ritual and Historical Imagination in Sierra Leone (Chicago, 2002).

Mary A. Ward, A Mission for Justice: The History of the First African American Catholic Church in Newark, New Jersey (Tennessee, 2002).

 

Dissertations

Veronica Lynn Adams-Cooper, "A Multi-Case Analysis of Factors Explaining the Implementation of Community Economic Development by Black Churches in Dayton, Ohio" (Jackson State University, 2001).

Wallace DeNino Best, "Passionately Human, No Less Divine: Racial Ideology and Religious Culture in the Black Churches of Chicago, 1915-1963" (Northwestern University, 2000).

Edward Earl Curtis, IV, "Toward an Historical Islam: Unviersalism and Particularism in African-American Islamic Thought" (University of South Africa, 2000).

Hilda Rehnee Davis, "'Long as I got King Jesus': African-American Women's Health, Spirituality, and the Black Church" (Vanderbilt University, 2001).

Gloria Brown Frederick, "Organizing Around Faith: The Roots and Organizational Dimensions of African-American Faith-Based Community Development Corporations" (Rutgers University, 2001).

Marla Faye Frederick, "The Cultural Politics of Religious Experience: African American Women's Spirituality and Activism in the Contemporary United States South (South Carolina)" (Duke University, 2000).

Sandra Jean Graham, "The Fisk Jubilee Singers and the Concert Spiritual: The Beginnings of an American Tradition" (New York University, 2001).

Alphonso Simpson, Jr., "Shine On Me: The Teaching and Learning Strategies of One Afro-American Gospel Youth Choir" (University of Wyoming, 2001).

Nikki Marie Taylor, "'Frontiers of Freedom': The African American Experience in Cincinnati, 1802--1862" (Duke University, 2001).

 

Articles

L. Rowe Cyprian, et. al., "African-American Spirituality and Liturgical Renewal," U.S. Catholic Historian, 19 (Spring 2001), 1-143. Special Issue

Dennis B. Downey, "The Lord's Messenger: Racial Lynching and the Church Trial of Robert Elwood," Journal of Presbyterian History, 79 (Summer 2001), 135-149.

John Giggie, "Disband Him from the Church': African Americans and the Spiritual Politics of Disfranchisement in Post-Recontruction Arkansas," Arkansas Historical Quarterly, 60 (Autumn 2001), 245-64.

R. Marie Griffith, "Body Salvation: New Thought, Father Divine, and the Feast of Material Pleasures," Religion and American Culture, 11 (Summer 2001), 119-153.

Claude F. Jacobs, "Folk for Whom? Tourist Guidebooks, Local Color, and the Spiritual Churches of New Orleans," Journal of American Folklore, 114 (Summer 2001), 309-330.

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