Global Change, Peace & Security CALL FOR PAPERS Special Issue on State, Society and Religion in the Asia–Pacific region Guest Editors: Dr Sven Schottmann and Monika Winarnita, Centre for Dialogue La Trobe University
The nature of relations between state, society and religion has long been contested, but never more so than in the current period of transition characterised by the apparent ‘resurgence of religion’ and corresponding ‘retreat of the secular.’ While religious discourse and practice have found renewed vigour and dynamic expression everywhere in the second half of the twentieth century, debates on the relationship between state and religion have particular resonance in the religiously hyper-plural Asia-Pacific. This resurgence appears counterintuitive to the expected pattern of the eclipse of public religion and relegation to the unseen, personal sphere of ‘faith.’ Yet, from communist China to the Arab world, religions have found ever greater public visibility. How we perceive the ‘proper’ relationship between state, society and religion will be of central importance to regional developments in the coming decades. Amid the concomitant rise of religious politics and revived spirituality, we seek to understand the impact of these developments on the political futures in the Asia-Pacific, defined here as including West Asia, South Asia, East Asia (including the Russian Far East), Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and the islands of the South Pacific. Key issues to be explored include: • Citizenship and identity issues arising from conflicts over state management of religion, whether in the attempt to suppress or co-opt. How do these processes affect religious identities and practices? • The role of the state in administering and regulating religious life in some of the world’s most rapidly developing societies. • The historical and ideational trajectories underlying the triangular relationship state-religion-society in these countries. • Responses of state, religious authorities (old and new) and the wider civil society to these events, including emergence of new religious movement (NRM). • The challenges and opportunities for dialogue between ‘moderate,’ ‘extremist’ and ‘plural’ voices, often, in a highly contested, sometimes violent public space Papers for the Special Issue should be submitted to [email protected] by 1 October 2012 with a covering letter indicating that the paper is for this Special Issue. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/gcps. Manuscripts are subject to peer review prior to publication. All enquiries regarding the Special Issue should be sent to: Monika Winarnita, [email protected]
