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Andrew Murphy, Rutgers University, armurphy@polisci.rutgers.edu

This year’s APSA Annual Meeting Theme, “The  Politics of Hard Times:  Citizens, Nations, and the International System under Economic Stress,” directs our attention to the political dynamics and relationships that arise in “hard times,” and the ways in which such dynamics play out in various contexts.  Scholars of religion and politics have long analyzed the important roles that religious belief and practice play in addressing economic hardship and insecurity, and the conference theme offers an outstanding opportunity to showcase the many ways in which our research sheds light on issues central to twenty-first century life.  One can imagine many ways in which proposals might explore issues raised by the conference theme.  For example, how has religion served as a vehicle of social cohesion, or dissension, during hard times?  Under which conditions have religious actors proved to be forces for change, consensus, violence, or protest during such difficulties?   How have economic hard times exacerbated or mitigated religious and political tensions either in the United States or around the world?  Does the current economic downturn hold particular lessons for scholars of religion and politics vis a vis previous recessions or depressions?  How do “hard times” affect the legal status of religion, the intersections between religion and the state, or foreign policy debates?  Do such dynamics play out differently in Western and non-Western contexts?  Do particular historical or theoretical perspectives shed unique light on the religio-political dimension of our current economic downturn? 

In addition to proposals specifically addressing the conference theme, I also welcome submissions that highlight the variety of methodologies and perspectives that have always characterized our section’s commitment to the scholarly investigation of politics and religion.  Proposals from all the main subfields of the discipline will be welcomed, as will those that incorporate inter- or cross-disciplinary insights into the study of religion and politics.