Research in Religious Studies Conference Schedule

It’s Our Tenth Anniversary! 

As in previous years, we have a great selection of papers from across the broad spectrum of Religious Studies and its many associated disciplines. This is the second year running that we have nearly fifty papers on the schedule, and their variety and sophistication clearly shows the depth of research conducted in undergraduate and Masters level programs in Canada.

The conference itself has been a tremendous success, developing from a rather humble meeting of around half a dozen students in 2003 to what it is today. In the past several years only about one quarter of the presenters come from Lethbridge, and so our conference is clearly addressing a need for students to find venues for their work outside of the classroom as well as the need to compare notes, make connections and friends in the larger world of academia.

We owe a tremendous debt to Prof. Anne Moore of the University of Calgary and the many students there who have supported our efforts so enthusiastically over the past six or seven years. A quick look at this year’s lineup reveals their investment in the meeting! It is also encouraging to see students travel from the East and West coasts and many points in between.

With the increasing size of the conference came increasing complications in organization and rising costs. A great thank you goes out to Bev Garnett, our admin assistant, for doing so much of the work and putting up with me. And thanks once again to Jessica Swann, our student volunteer and other students, current and past, who have agreed to host sessions and otherwise help out. Our gratitude also goes out to the various academic departments in the University of Lethbridge for their interest and to Conference Services, Sodexho caterers, Printing Services, and others who have provided so much of the infrastructure for our meetings.

As always, Chris Nicol, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, has found room in an increasingly tight budget to generously support our conference. So too has Mike Mahon, the new president of the University of Lethbridge.

Special thanks to Prof. James McGrath, our keynote speaker this year, for venturing here all the way from Butler University in Indianapolis. I’m sure we will truly enjoy his talk on “Religion in Star Trek and Doctor Who: From a Gallifreyan God to the Enlightened Enterprise”!

And, once again, thanks to you for your own interest and involvement. We look forward to this year, and the next ten years.

Saturday MAY 5 

8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast/Registration AH175 

8:50 a.m. OPENING COMMENTS AH 117 John Harding Chair, Dept. of Religious Studies, University of Lethbridge

SESSION 1 RELIGION IN MODERN MEDIA AH 117 Jessica Swann, University of Lethbridge, presiding

9:00-9:30 Virtuous Vampires: Religion and Agency in the Twilight Series Brooke Brassard, University of Victoria

9:30-10:00 Sacred Space: There’s An App For That Alex Tkach, University of Regina

10:00-10:30 The “Ninja” Women in the “Other’s” Side: Depictions of Muslim Women in North American Political Cartoons Erendira Cervantes-Altamirano, University of Alberta

15 Minute Break 

SESSION 2A ISLAM AH 117 Atif Khalil, University of Lethbridge, presiding

10:45-11:15 Hadrami in Indonesia Ron McTavish, University of Lethbridge

11:15-11:45 The Myth of an Andalusian “Golden Age”: The Status of Non-Muslims in Ummayad Spain Imran Mohiuddin, University of Calgary

11:45-12:15 Development through Contestation: the Consequences of Interaction between Shi’ism and Sunnism between 9th and 11th Century Nabila Islam, York University

SESSION 2B HINDUISM AH 118 Nicole Hembroff, University of Lethbridge, presiding

10:45-11:15 The Unveiled Self: Removing the Illusion Within Prakṛti Amidst Puruṣa Sharon Mann, University of Manitoba

11:15-11:45 Radha’s Strength and the Status of Women in the Vaisnava Bhakti Tradition Eileen March, University of Calgary

11:45-12:15 Bhunda in Himachal Hills- Story of Faith and Beliefs in the Himalayas Kuldeep Singh, Himachal Pradesh University

SESSON 2C RELIGION AND HEALING AH 176 Hillary Rodrigues, University of Lethbridge, presiding

10:45-11:15 Grasping for the Goddess in Ecofeminism Crystal Mackenzie, University of Calgary

11:15-11:45 The Religion-Health Dialogue: Understanding Ancient Infanticide Gina Carroll, University of Calgary

11:45-12:15 Mediums and Mental Health: The Need for Traditional Buddhism in Cambodian Refugee Mental Health Treatment Savhanna J. Wilson, University of Saskatchewan

SESSION 2D HEBREW BIBLE AH 177 James Linville, University of Lethbridge, presiding

10:45-11:15 The Dichotomy of Hannah: A Comparative Study of the Greek and Hebrew Texts of 1 Samuel Christie Fredrick, University of Alberta

11:15-11:45 “Truth” and Memory: The Implications of the Josianic Narrative in Second Kings Jessica Swann, University of Lethbridge

11:45-12:15 “I Want What She Has!”: An Exploration of the Sororal Rivalry Between Rachel and Leah Fong H. Lopaschuk, University of Alberta

LUNCH 12:15-1:00 

SESSION 3A METHODOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES 1 AH 117 Anne Moore, University of Calgary, presiding

1:00-1:30 The Bible: Broken Scripture, Unbreakable Icon Shaun Fowler, University of Calgary

1:30-2:00 You Have Your Religion, and I Have Mine: Studying Religion without Remainder Roxanne Korpan, University of Regina

SESSION 3B LDS STUDIES AH 118 Kurt Widmer, University of Lethbridge, presiding

1:00-1:30 “In Columbia we are free:” The Hope and Failure of Religious Freedom for Mormons in Western Canada James Forbes, University of Lethbridge

1:30-2:00 Alberta’s Wild Rose: The Life and Times of Zina Woolf Hickman Brooke Brassard, University of Victoria

SESSION 3C BUDDHIST STUDIES AH 176 John Harding, University of Lethbridge, presiding

1:00-1:30 Tea Ceremony as Religion Kelsey Nawrot, University of Lethbridge

1:30-2:00 Yakṣas in Early Buddhism Adeana McNicholl, University of Manitoba

Break: 10 Minutes 

SESSION 4A METHODOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES 2 AH 117 Ron McTavish, University of Lethbridge, presiding

2:10-2:40 Mysticism and Methodology Campbell Peat, University of Lethbridge

2:40-3:10 Myths of Mahayana’s Origins: A Dead End for Scholars of Religion Michael Ruecker, University of Regina

SESSION 4B ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDIES AH 118 Hillary Rodrigues, University of Lethbridge, presiding

2:10-2:40 Religion in the Midst of Borderland Violence Brenda Garcia, University of Lethbridge

2:40-3:10 “Minkisi: Stewards of the Kongo” Jenny Davison, Mount Saint Vincent University

SESSION 4C EARLY CHRISTIANITY AH 176 James McGrath, Butler University, presiding

2:10-2:40 Revelation, Classification, and Redescription: Tenable Futures for the Study of Religion Jesse Bailey, University of Regina

2:40-3:10 Play On Words: Acts of Andrew Target Audience Ryan Kerr, University of Calgary

Break 10 Minutes 

SESSION 5A MODERN CHRISTIAN IDENTITIES AH 117 Ron McTavish, University of Lethbridge, presiding

3:20-3:50 “Authentically” Christian: Missions, Conversion, and the Diversification of Evangelical Ethnicity in America Saliha Chattoo, Wilfrid Laurier University

3:50-4:20 The Concept of “Orthodox Diaspora” and Development of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Canada: an Example of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada Yuriy Kirushok, University of Saskatchewan

SESSION 5B THE ROMAN GOD AND THE IMPERIAL CHRISTIAN AH 118 Tom Robinson, University of Lethbridge, presiding

3:20-3:50 A Roman God: An Examination of the Nature of Pre-Christian Monotheism in the Greco-Roman World Zak Stinson, University of Lethbridge

3:50-4:20 The Portrait of Constantine Painted by Eusebius, Shaped by Roman Oratio Brittany DeMone, University of Calgary

SESSION 5C PHILOSOPHY AH 176 Anne Moore, University of Calgary, presiding

3:20-3:50 Why Kant Women Be Rational? Implications of Kant’s Ideology Concerning Gender Christie Mellan, University of Calgary

3:50-4:20 For Tenderness Christopher Schillling, University of Manitoba

6:00 p.m. BANQUET, ANDY’S PLACE (AH-100), ANDERSON HALL Keynote Speaker: James McGrath

“Religion in Star Trek and Doctor Who: From a Gallifreyan God to the Enlightened Enterprise”

SUNDAY, MAY 6 

8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast AH175 

SESSION 6A EARLY CHRISTIAN LITERATURE AH 117 Tom Robinson, University of Lethbridge, presiding

8:45-9:15 “We Left Everything to Follow You!”: Home, Household and Mobility in Mark’s Gospel Miriam L. C. Fry, University of Calgary

9:15-9:45 Speak of the Devil and the Pharisees Appear: An Examination of “Satan” within the Gospel of Matthew Allan Wright, University of Regina

9:45-10:15 The Mystique of Melchizedek Nairn McLean, University of Calgary

SESSION 6B PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY AH 118 Anne Moore, University of Calgary, presiding

8:45-9:15 The Deity in the Church of Hobbes Stephen Woodcock, University of Lethbridge

9:15-9:45 Theological Contours: The Shape of Rabbinic Thought in A.J. Heschel’s Torah Min haShamayyim Zvi Andrews Pardes, University of Calgary

9:45-10:15 Where Was God? Jewish Responses to the Shoah Stacy Hill, University of Calgary

SESSION 6C GO WEST, YOUNG BUDDAH AH 176 John Harding, University of Lethbridge, presiding

8:45-9:15 Jodo Shinshu in Japan And Canada: Ongoing Challenges Within Changing Societies Jessica Swann, University of Lethbridge

9:15-9:45 The Systematic Dynamics of the Guru/Disciple Hierarchy in Traditional Tibet and Modern America Christopher Emory-Moore, University of Calgary

9:45-10:15 —-

SESSION 6D MIND MATTERS AH 177 Campbell Peat, University of Lethbridge (Graduate), presiding

8:45-9:15 Meditation in Today’s World: Study and Practice Kelsey Nawrot, University of Lethbridge

9:15-9:45 The Kundalini System: “Esoteric Anatomy” and its Psychospiritual Function Sharon Mann, University of Manitoba

9:45-10:15 Transformative Sounds: A Comparison of Tibetan Buddhist Mantra & the Icaros of the Peruvian Mestizo Ayhuasceros Matthew Koczkur, University of Calgary

Break 15 minutes. 

SESSION 7 CRITIQUING THE RELIGIOUS CONSTRUCTION AND AH 117 REPAIR OF WOMEN AND THE FEMININE Hillary Rodrigues, University of Lethbridge, presiding

10:30-11:00 Fire and Water: Exploring Conceptualizations of Sexuality and the Feminine in the Daodejing and Spiritual Feminism Christie Mellan, University of Calgary

11:00-11:30 Second Class Citizens: The Construction of Women in Roman Catholicism Sarah Frances Hagel, University of Regina

11:30-12:00 Breasts for Sale Crystal Mackenzie, University of Calgary

12:00-12:15 Closing Comments, John Harding, Chair, Dept. of Religious Studies University of Lethbridge

FOR A PDF OF THE SCHEDULE WITH ALL THE ABSTRACTS CLICK HERE