religion

Much of Walker Percy’s fiction and non-fiction writing is social commentary. At least two novels - Love in the Ruins and The Thanatos Syndrome - may be called dystopian or post-apocalyptic.  His numerous essays on race relations, on secular materialism, on misguided “self-help” books in a postmodern world seem to indicate that he suspected 20th century America was a dystopia itself.  Additionally, Walker Percy’s personal life included social action in his local community and through the Catholic Church.  Proposals addressing the SAMLA 88 theme "Utopia/Dystopia: Whose Paradise Is It?" in Walker Percy’s fiction, non-fiction, or life are welcome.  Send 300-word abstracts, brief bio, and A/V requirements to Dr.

The University of Virginia's College at Wise’s Medieval-Renaissance Conference is pleased to accept abstracts for our thirtieth conference.  The conference is an open event that promotes scholarly discussion in all disciplines of Medieval and Renaissance studies.  Papers by undergraduates covering any area of medieval and renaissance studies—including literature, language, history, philosophy, science, pedagogy, and the arts—are welcome.  Abstracts for papers should be around 300 words in length and should be accompanied by a brief letter of recommendation from a faculty sponsor (the latter can be mailed or emailed separately).  A branch campus of the University of Virginia, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise is a public four-year liberal arts c

This panel seeks proposals which address works (artistic, literary, historical, etc.) at the intersection of Catholicism and witchcraft (demons, devils, witches, magic, etc.) between 1500 and 1700 in England and/or Continental Europe. Of particular interest are works which link witchcraft and Catholicism; critique governmental or religious responses to witchcraft and/or Catholicism; and/or representations in literature or drama which compare witchcraft and/or Catholicism.

Are there really no Sundays west of St. Louis and is there no god west of Fort Smith? Representing a set of assumptions about the American Character, progress, law, order, and the conquest of nature, conflicts concerning the ideal and themes of redemption figure prominently in Westerns.  On the Western’s frontier, figures of power and subversion abound—lawmen and outlaws, gamblers and gunmen, cavalry wives and soiled doves, the Indian chiefs and buffalo scouts.

The Piety and Politics of Women’s Food Practices in a Changing South Asia

This book will explore issues related to gender, religion, work and identity in South Asia through the lens of food practices. Food has powerful discursive and ritual value across South Asian cultures and of course occupies an important place in the everyday lives of women across the class spectrum. It therefore offers a unique window into issues of gender difference, religious power, cultural identity, and social change in all South Asian communities and religious traditions—Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and others.