On behalf of the Società Italiana di Storia delle Religioni (SISR), we are pleased to invite you to take part in the 9th EASR and IAHR Special Conference, due to be held at Messina from 14 to 17 September. The chosen theme, Religion in the History of European Culture, aims to encourage debate on the role played by the religious phenomenon in the long and diversified cultural history of Europe. At the same time - in line with the aims of the EASR - the intention is to emphasise how the formation and development of the history of religions has been specifically influenced by its "European identity". In terms of comparative methodology and its definition of the subject "religion", the discipline is in fact the result of academic movements which arose and developed within the environment of European culture in the 17th century, although with significant forerunners in previous centuries and in the Greek and Roman world.
Since 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Raffaele Pettazzoni, founder of the SISR, and co-founder and President of the IAHR, a section of the Conference will be dedicated to assessing his scholarship and role in the history of the discipline.
Suggested topics to which panels and papers may relate :
1. "Religious Europe" in the Mediterranean context : between Asia and Africa. Contacts and influences.
a. Antiquity and Late Antiquity.
b. The Middle Ages.
c. The Modern Age.
d. The Contemporary Age.
2. The history of "History of Religions".
a. A European "invention" ?
b. Reflections on the religious phenomenon and theories of culture.
c. Methodologies and theories on the origin and nature of religion : the contribution of European culture and the current scientific debate.
3. Meeting and conflicts between peoples and cultures ; the role of religions in the European scenario. From Antiquity to the present day.
4. Europe : centre for the "diffusion" of religious traditions and pole of "attraction". From Antiquity to the present day.
5. The role and contribution of a "European Association for the Study of Religions" (EASR) within the world scenario of the IAHR : reflections and observations on a decade of experience.
6. Raffaele Pettazzoni : an Italian scholar in the international context of the IAHR.
Proposals for papers and panels may be submitted via the online registration form. We encourage participants to submit their proposals as early as possible to the Conference Secretary (easr09@unime.it). The deadline for the submission of communications and panels is March 2009. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 15 May 2009.
The Conference languages are : Italia, English, French, German, Spanish. The official language for conference information and for their Keynotes is English. Each Keynote will be given 45 minutes. Each paper will be given 20 minutes with 10 minutes discussion.
Those scholars who wish to organise a panel should give their e-mail address to the Conference Secretary.