'Religion, Nature, and Art': Call for Papers

‘Religion, Nature and Art’
Sponsored and in Cooperation with the Vatican Museums
13-14 October 2011, Rome Italy
Information & Call for Paper Proposals

This conference, jointly sponsored by the Ethnological Museum of the Vatican Museums, headed by Prof. Nicola Mapelli, and the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, seeks to examine the complex intersections of religion, nature and art. Sessions will focus on broad cultural and geographic areas: “Asian Religions, Nature and Art,” “Renaissance Art, Religion and Nature,” “Indigenous Religions, Nature and Art,” “Spirituality-based Environmental Activism, Nature and Art”. Some general areas of presentation could include: art symbolizing religious aspects of nature, nature itself as religious art, nature-themed religious art, art that expresses religious-based resistance to environmental destruction.

The conference will also include two unique opportunities to view art in the Vatican Museums. We will visit the exhibit “Rituals of Life: the culture and spirituality of aboriginal Australians” with the curator, Professor Nicola Mapelli (conference co-director), and co-curator, Professor Katherine Aigner, and on the concluding night we will tour the Vatican Museums (one family member is invited to this tour as well). The two-day conference offers the opportunity, either preceding or following the conference, to collaborate with other scholars in this area or to engage in research (pre-arranged individually) at the Vatican. In addition each conference registrant will receive a copy of Katherine Aigner’s acclaimed documentary “Australian Atomic Confessions.” Confirmed speakers include Professors Bron Taylor, Kocku von Stuckrad, Laura Hobgood-Oster, Rick Stepp, Arnold Nesselrath, Nicolla Mapelli, and Katherine Aigner.

Proposals should be submitted to Nicola Mapelli, for review, with a copy to Katherine Aigner. Proposals should be no more than 250 words in length and should indicate directly how they relate to the theme. Proposals are due by June 1, 2011. Anticipated registration fee is 100 euro, 50 euro for students and others demonstrating financial need. For more information contact fr. Mapelli or conference co-coordinator Laura Hobgood-Oster.

Registration information will be available soon at the website for the International Society of Religion, Nature, and Culture.