N.J. Demerath III (‘Jay’), former president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (1997-99), and winner of two SSSR distinguished publication awards (article 1992; book 2002), passed away February 5, 2021 in Leeds, Massachusetts.

Wendy Griffin (September 23,1941-February 12, 2021), a longtime member of the SSSR died peacefully at home. Wendy is best known for her research on the Goddess movement and her work in establishing contemporary Pagan studies as its own interdisciplinary field. She published numerous articles and book chapters, and was the editor of Daughter of The Goddess: Studies of Healing, Identity, and Empowerment (AltaMira, 2000).

James Arthur Beckford FBA (December 1, 1942 - May 10, 2022) was a British sociologist of religion. He was Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Warwick and a Fellow of the British Academy. In 1988/1989, he served as President of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, and from 1999 to 2003, as the President of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion. He was President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in 2010. Apart from general writings on the sociology of religion, Beckford was a prolific author of books and articles on new religious movements and society's responses to them. He also researched and wrote about religious issues affecting prison inmates.

A native of Massachusetts, James D. Davidson earned his Ph.D. at University of Notre Dame in 1969. He specialized in the sociology of religion, studying religious stratification and trends among American Catholics.

The National Survey of Religious Leaders (NSRL) dataset is now publicly available from both the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)!

Cambridge Scholars Publishing are inviting proposals for academic books and edited collections in Humanities and Social Sciences. We publish in all major fields of academic research and practice: Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Health Sciences. To submit a book proposal, please visit our website, where you can complete a Book Proposal Form.

In 2024, the University of Pennsylvania Press will become the publisher of the journal Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, the official journal of the Association for the Academic Study of New Religions, Inc. (AASNR). The journal is hosted on Project MUSE.

Nominations are invited for the 2025 Boniuk Institute Senior Scholar. The Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance’s Senior Scholar Award is given annually to the senior scholar who has made outstanding contributions to the public understanding of religious pluralism and tolerance, and who most exemplifies Boniuk Institute’s mission to understand the conditions which lead to religious pluralism, conflict, and violence, and help people apply its findings in their lives and communities. The Senior Scholar will join the Boniuk Institute at Rice University in the Spring of 2025 for about three days, where they will participate in a variety of Institute programs and give a public lecture followed by a reception in their honor, where they will be presented with an award and an honorarium.

An open access journal Open Theology published by De Gruyter (https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/opth/html) invites applications for Section Editors for the following sections: - Psychology of Religion - Sociology of Religion - Philosophy of Religion - Biblical Studies - Patristics

The Louisville Institute is excited to announce NEW and UPDATED opportunities for the 2025 grant and fellowship season. As part of renewed funding, LI will continue to support pastoral leaders, researchers, early career and seasoned scholars, and many others in the United States and Canada whose work resonates with LI’s mission to bridge Church and academy. LI has reimagined many of the existing programs and expanded funding to allow for a greater impact. We are also excited to announce a NEW opportunity: Grant for Researchers. We have six funding opportunities available for 2025.

The International Studies Concentration at Soka University of America (SUA) invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position as Assistant Professor of Middle East and North African Studies (MENA), effective August 1st, 2025.

The International Studies Concentration at Soka University of America (SUA) invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position with expertise in Middle East and North African Studies at the rank of Assistant Professor, effective August 2025.

Session Title: Religion and the Culture Wars: Transnational Perspectives "Since sociologist of religion James Davison Hunter published the first academic account of the culture wars in America in 1991, the phenomenon has seemingly only intensified, with religion enduring as a key factor. Some US-based research argues that the divisions exist more in the civil sphere than individual attitudes. Yet, some similar patterns of conflict between “conservatives” and “liberals” on moral and social issues have also emerged in other societies in the twenty-first century. To what extent is the culture wars a useful frame beyond (and within) America? Are there direct connections between contexts? What role does religion play in differing contexts and transnational connections contributing to culture wars? This panel aims to explore these dynamics."

The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics seeks applications from junior scholars and recent Ph.D. graduates for up to four postdoctoral fellowships in residence at Washington University in St. Louis. The appointment is for one year, renewable for a second year. Eligible applicants must complete the Ph.D. by July 1, 2025, and are expected to have completed it no earlier than January 1, 2020. In exceptional cases a qualified applicant who completed the Ph.D. prior to 2020 may be considered. Research associates will spend most of their time pursuing research and writing for their own projects. They will also serve the intellectual life of the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics through participation in its biweekly interdisciplinary seminar and events hosted by the Center. Their teaching responsibilities will include: 1) developing one course per year to complement and contribute to the Center’s curricular offerings, and 2) possibly assisting in one additional course each year. Washington University in St. Louis is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and especially encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply.

The Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at the University of South Florida seeks candidates who specialize in global and/or comparative sociology to fill a nine-month, full-time, tenure-earning position as Assistant Professor to begin August 7, 2025. This position aligns with our department's strategic focus on global and transnational processes including citizenship, conflict, migration/immigration, place, politics, power, social movements, and human security. A variety of epistemological and methodological approaches will be considered. Qualified individuals with diverse experience and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Lake Institute on Faith & Giving is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship for doctoral students whose research engages issues at the intersection of religion and philanthropy or faith and generosity. While the intersection of faith and giving is key to our mission, we are glad to receive a broad range of proposals that consider these topics together. Lake Institute helps to build the field of faith and giving by supporting the work of emerging scholars. This one-year fellowship is given annually to support the final year of dissertation writing for a doctoral candidate at a U.S. graduate school. Learn more about the current fellows here.

Anthony J. Blasi (1946-2024) Anthony (Tony) Blasi was born April 3, 1946, in Dayton, Ohio to Emmanuel A. Blasi and Mary Ella (Marshall) Blasi, one of five children. He spent most of his childhood in Santa Clara County, California and graduated from St. Francis High School in Mountain View. One sister predeceased him. He earned the A.B. in history from St. Edward’s University in Austin,Texas, and taught at the secondary level in Sherman Oaks, California, and New Orleans, Louisiana. He completed the Ph.D. in sociology and anthropology at the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 1974. Most of his academic career was spent teaching at Tennessee State University.

I am a professor at Tulane University (learn about me at www.ilanahorwitz.com). I am seeking a graduate student in Economics or Sociology to assist with data analysis for a project on the socioeconomic trajectory of American Jews over the past 50-100 years. This position requires strong skills in analyzing data across multiple datasets. The ideal candidate will have an interest in social class, inequality, and mobility trends, with a focus on quantitative research.

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University invites applications for a full-time, Assistant Professor (tenure-track) appointment in sociology. The area of specialization is open. The preferred start date is August 2025. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to graduate level courses and mentorship in quantitative research methods, statistics, and data analysis in addition to offering other undergraduate and graduate courses. The Department of Sociology and Anthropology houses a PhD program in sociology featuring specializations in four broad areas: crime, law, and deviance; inequality, diversity, and equity; social psychology and group processes; and the sociology of religion. https://wvu.taleo.net/careersection/faculty/jobdetail.ftl?job=25622&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FNew_York

The editors invite proposals to contribute to the De Gruyter Handbook on Religion and Social Change, co-edited by Jeyoul Choi, Victoria Machado, Nelson Marin Alarcon, and Anna Peterson. The Handbook is a unique initiative that brings together authors from diverse disciplines to provide a broad overview of classic and emerging issues in the study of religion and social change. We are looking for authors of chapters of about 4000-6000 words on the following topics: Religion, social change, race, and racism Religion, women, gender, and sexuality Religion, war, and peace Religion, social change, and education We anticipate a deadline for draft chapters by June 1, 2025, but extensions are possible. If you have any questions or would like to submit a chapter proposal, please contact Jeyoul Choi at jeyoul@ufl.edu.

The Religion and Social Change Lab at Duke University is seeking a post-doctoral scholar to work on a large project studying student experiences in Theological Education. The position begins in summer 2025, and is for one-year, with the possibility for renewal. Apply: https://careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-POSTDOCTORAL-ASSOCIATE-NC-27710/1260071800/

We are excited to announce that applications are now open for the ISGAP-Oxford Summer Institute for Curriculum Development in Critical Contemporary Antisemitism Studies, taking place July 27 – August 8, 2025, at St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford. This prestigious program brings together scholars from around the world to engage in critical discussions on antisemitism and develop cutting-edge course syllabi.

Seeking an experienced and innovative researcher as Assistant Director for the new Or Initiative, with the goal of developing new alternatives for how young people are (dis)engaging from each other in learning and talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and antisemitism.

The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) seeks a dynamic and innovative leader to serve as its next Executive Officer.

Boniuk Institute now accepting nominations for the 2026 Senior Scholar Award.

The Young Scholars in American Religion program is designed to assist early career scholars in the improvement of their teaching and research and in the development of professional communities.

Creighton University, a Catholic, Jesuit institution, invites applications and nominations for the distinguished position of the Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization. The position is open to scholars from any discipline with expertise and emphasis in the study of Jewish Civilization. The Chair will play a vital role in advancing scholarship, teaching, and programming related to Jewish Civilization at Creighton University and will assume a pivotal role in advancing interdisciplinary initiatives related to Jewish Studies across the university. In addition, the Chair will actively contribute to educational activities sponsored or supported by the Jewish community and the Jewish Federation of Omaha. The successful candidate will be appointed in the appropriate department in Creighton's College of Arts and Sciences at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor with a reduced teaching load. Text: https://apply.interfolio.com/166276

Bryn Mawr College has an opening for a Postdoctoral Fellow.

Proposals are now being accepted for the 2026 International Studies Association’s Annual Convention from 22 - 25 March 2026 in Columbus, OH. This year’s convention seeks to encourage and support debate on the multiple crises of governance, institutions, aesthetics, morality, and ecology faced by the international community. Of particular interest to AAR members, may be the Religion and International Relations (REL) Section to which proposals may be submitted. REL is open to proposals that touch on issues related to religion and international studies, broadly construed. More information on the conference, including how to submit a proposal, can be found here: https://www.isanet.org/Conferences/ISA2026/Call#2026types. Any questions can be directed to the REL Section Vice Chair, Dr Jason Klocek (jason.klocek@nottingham.ac.uk).

The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) is an interdisciplinary academic association that stimulates, promotes, and communicates social scientific research about religious institutions and experiences. SSSR was founded at Harvard University in 1949 as the Committee for the Social Scientific Study of Religion. Today SSSR fosters interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration among more than a thousand scholars from sociology, religious studies, secular studies, psychology, political science, economics, international studies, gender studies, and many other fields. The Society's flagship publication, the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (JSSR), is a highly cited resource in the field. More information about JSSR is available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14685906 and www.sssreligion.org/journal. We are seeking an Editor-in-Chief (EIC) to begin service in January 2026 for a four-year term, with an additional period of training under the current editorial team during Fall 2025. To be eligible, candidates should hold a Ph.D. in one of the academic disciplines represented in our membership, and relevant experience in publication and editing. The EIC will be responsible for assembling an editorial team, also beginning at the same time. While the current team comprises an Associate Editor and a Book Review Editor, we are open to other staffing models that would also reflect the diversity of our constituency.

PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) is seeking 12 mid-career scholars whose research sits at the intersection of religion, culture, and politics. This 11-month, non-residential fellowship is designed for scholars who are interested in expanding the public reach of their work. Fellows receive an annual stipend, course release funds, microgrants to fund group projects, access to PRRI data, virtual trainings and workshops, and an expenses-paid, in-person convening in Washington, DC. Qualitative and mixed-method scholars are strongly encouraged to apply. Text: https://prri.org/open-call/

The Center for Congregations invites applications and nominations for the position of President. This is an exceptional opportunity for a visionary and collaborative leader with a passion for strengthening Christian congregations in Indiana.

Uruguayan society is an outlier when considering religious intensity among Latin American societies while presenting a paradox to sociologists of religion. Embedded in a continent characterized by relatively high religiosity and religious adherence historically, how do sociologists explain that Uruguay became an intensely secular society since the turn of the twentieth century? Modernity theory has developed into a very particular theoretical model for understanding history such that secularization is believed to be inevitable, linear, and isomorphic in that it produces predictable uniformity–which is Eurocentric. In contrast, this deviant case study offers a counterfactual understanding using Bourdieu’s concepts of field and capital to explain how secularization develops. This project contributes to the scholarly debate by showing that secularization is not an inevitable macro-social mechanical process imputed to impersonal and abstract forces, but is carried out by people and groups who manifestly want to laicize society and its sub-structures.