"Leaps of Faith: When Mania Meets Modernity”
 
 This panel will interrogate the upsurge of the new(?) homicidal/suicidal
 religiosity in the West. Possible perspectives are political,
sociological, activist, and philosophical. Approaches can cover the full
range from critical analysis to prescriptions for political action. Some
possible ideas, not intended to restrict ideas but just to spur thinking
on a few possible approaches:
 
 - the suicide bomber as Kierkegaardian hero
 - religious mania as a reaction to/ byproduct of Western modernity
 - leaps of technological faith: the new high-tech cargo cults (Heaven's
 Gate, etc)
 - the faith of Abraham vs the faith of Andrea Yates
 - when religion comes to power: implications from the Taliban to the
 Christian Right

Abstracts to be submitted to Stephen Gallagher, jeng_steveg_at_hotmail.com by
5/15/09.

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Received on Wed Feb 18 2009 - 17:30:40 EST