Thursday, August 23, 2012

Call for Papers


The Baha'i Studies Cloud Conference Series


Call for Papers

The current call for papers invites scholars in every discipline to submit proposals for scholarly papers or presentations directly relevant to any aspect of the Baha'i Faith, to be presented at one of the forthcoming conferences, which are anticipated to take place quarterly beginning in October 13. 

The presentations will be by video link in a very easy to use platform requiring only a web-cam and access to the Internet. You will be able to speak directly as well as use Powerpoint, distribute handouts and even use an on-line whiteboard live. Speakers will be able to interact with one another and take questions live from the audience, with a chairperson moderating. All this will be administered by the organisers, speakers only having to speak to camera and if appropriate progress through their slides. Technical help will be on hand in the unlikely case it is needed.

Outstanding papers and presentations will be published in the Baha'i Studies Review, subject to editorial approval and peer review.

Submissions from young scholars such as, but not in any way exclusively, graduate students, are particularly welcome.

What can be presented?

Themes for the conference can include any of the following and any others that may be pertinent:

Foundational research:
  • Baha'i history: including all periods and all degrees of Baha'i connection, biography, community histories, contextual studies.
  • Baha'i scripture and authoritative guidance: including manuscript history, provisional translations, vocabulary analysis and conceptual analysis.
  • Baha'i theology: including doctrines, ethics, principles of Baha'i administration, metaphysics, etc.

Correlational research:
Connecting Baha'i ideas, practices, institutions and models to issues, concepts, practices, approaches, models and institutions in any field of human endeavour such as:
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Natural sciences
  • Social sciences
  • Law
  • Community building
  • Sustainable development
  • Business 
  • Agriculture
  • Tourism
  • Indigenous rights, traditions and perspectives
  • Medicine
  • Arts

Comparative research:

Studies that compare Baha'i ideas, institutions or practices to those of other communities, traditions, institutions, philosophies, etc.

Descriptive research:

Studies that capture the way the Baha'i community operates in practice, including approaches such as:
  • Ethnography
  • Sociology - quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods
  • Action research
  • Appreciative inquiry

Who to contact?

Those interested should contact Ismael Velasco with a proposal, ideally with an abstract, although at this point an expression of interest will be adequate. It would be greatly appreciated if you would collaborate in the dissemination of this call for papers across your relevant networks and contacts.

With high hopes of your support and scholarly contribution to this potentially historic new development in Baha'i scholarship,

Ismael Velasco

4 comments:

  1. Sounds great - I wish you every success and thanks for the post.

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  2. For the many who can't afford the $30, and there will be many, is there any means for them to participate?-Ron Price, Tasmania

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I am trying to get around the limitations of the platform, I'm using and creating a facility for voluntary contributions instead. I am quietly hopeful I will manage it.

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