Busy tutorial convention with publishers, alums, and colleagues

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Every year, the weekend earlier than Thanksgiving is the time for a tutorial convention bringing collectively students of faith. In reality, it’s a set of conferences, together with the American Academy of Faith, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the North American Affiliation for the Examine of Faith, amongst different organizations. This yr’s model introduced many people to San Diego, California, for five busy days of shows, networking, and e book displays.

The want checklist of issues to do and folks to see this yr mirrored the work for the previous decade or so. A number of panels grew to become alternatives to listen to colleagues and alums of our MA program current. In reality, 4 alums of our MA program not solely attended however contributed to this system. One of many later panels on the convention additionally featured present and former college from the division, discussing Educating within the Examine of Faith and Past, for which many people contributed chapters.

Sierra Lawson in white shirt and colorful scarf at podium, glancing at screen with presentation title "Beyond Textual Literacies: Envisioning Religion through Afro-Peruvian Archives." — Sierra Lawson, presently ending her dissertation at UNC Chapel Hill and Faith in Tradition MA alum, offered on her analysis in archives in Peru.

Jacob Barrett, MA in Faith in Tradition alum and PhD pupil at UNC Chapel Hill, presenting on digital archives

Panelists sitting at table, during panel presentation, with rows of people in audience facing them. — Jack Bernardi, furthest to the appropriate), presently a PhD pupil at Virginia Tech, and Prof. Mike Altman (in center holding iPad) offered at a North American Affiliation for the Examine of Faith panel.

Six panelists standing arm in arm — Panelists after discussing the chapters they contributed to *Educating within the Examine of Faith and Past*, l to r, Russell McCutcheon, Emily Crews (presently Director of the Marty Heart at Chicago), Jacob Barrett, Steven Ramey, Mike Altman, Vaia Touna.

The fellows and mentors from American Examples workshops additionally gathered in San Diego for a reunion, of kinds, and an opportunity to debate future potentialities for this system. Listening to about varied successes and the help that they’ve obtained by means of the AE program is at all times encouraging.

Large rectangular table in hotel ballroom seating about 30 American Examples alums and mentors — American Examples Fellows and Mentors discussing this system at AE breakfast.

Tutorial conferences generally embody a big e book exhibit, with a wide range of tutorial publishers. It’s a nice likelihood to attach with editors to get updates on current books and to debate future initiatives. There’s additionally the joys of discovering books that colleagues have labored on (authors, editors, sequence editors, and so forth.) in addition to discovering new releases.

Book cover of Fabricating Authenticity at Equinox book display — Newly launched *Fabricating Authenticity*, edited by REL BA alum Andie Alexander and Jason Ellsworth, is in Vaia Touna’s *Working With Tradition on the Edge* sequence.

Three books displayed in Critical Primer Series, Tradition, Evil, Enchantment — Books within the *Crucial Primer* sequence edited by Merinda Simmons.

Coauthors holding Religions of the World textbook with Equinox Publishers banner in the background — Coauthors Steven Ramey and Leslie Dorrough Smith (Dean at Avila College) thrilled to see their newly launched textbook on show.

Critics not Caretakers lying on top of Studying Religion An Introduction (both new editions by Russell McCutcheon) — New editions of two of Russell McCutcheon’s books have been accessible on the Routledge show.

Regardless of the challenges of cross-country journey and the lengthy walks between classes unfold between resorts and the sprawling San Diego Conference Heart, this yr’s conference was a unbelievable alternative to make new connections and renew long-term connections with colleagues throughout the tutorial research of faith. The networking and panels additionally gave us alternatives to speak with students in regards to the opening in our division within the Computational Examine of Faith. The expertise checked off extra objects on our want lists than we’d have anticipated.