Religion, Gender, and Reform

Participants in this cluster will be engaged in the investigation of the relationship between women, religion, and social effect. For the academic year 2008-09, meetings will be held the last Friday of every month.

The meetings will serve a several goals: 1) to introduce our own work to the other members, share our ideas on the topic, deconstruct, debate and analyze issues that unfold. This type of interaction will help each participant to consider other perspectives and meanings, narrow research focus, and resolve unforeseen challenges. 2) to present our findings at academic conferences and consider publishing an edited volume of work, dependent on the result of our collaboration; thus making a stronger commitment to the group alliance. 3) to brainstorm ideas for the upcoming conference on “gender and secularism,” as well as propose a few suggestions on how the group can contribute to it through some participation. 4) to invite two speakers to ASU for public engagements on the topic. The choice of speakers would consider diverse views as well as diverse disciplinary approaches to the topic, within the Humanities.