Afro American Religious History Group Panels, AAR Meeting, 2007


Saturday - 9:00 am-11:30 am
MM-Del Mar
Kamasi Hill, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary,Presiding

Theme: Go West: African Americans and Religion in the West

Larry G. Murphy, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Thematic Prisms for Exploring African American Religious History in the US

West Julius Bailey, University of Redlands
Imagining the American West: Benjamin T. Tanner and the Politics of Racial Destiny in the AME Church

Lerone Martin, Emory University
"It Is Wonderful!" out West: Father Divine, the Peace Mission Movement, and California

Responding: Randi Jones Walker, Pacific School of Religion
Business Meeting: Moses N. Moore, Arizona State University, Presiding

Afro-American Religious History Group
Sunday - 3:00 pm-4:30 pm
CC-29D;
Ian B. Straker, Howard University, Presiding

Theme: Sight and Sound, Sacred and Secular: African American Religion in Music and Film in the Twentieth Century

David Daniels, McCormick Theological Seminary
Sound and the Church of God in Christ: Defining Black Religion through Sound

Judith Weisenfeld, Princeton University
Hollywood Be Thy Name: African American Religion in American Film, 1929-1949

Daniel E. Beaumont, University of Rochester
Preaching Blues: Son House and the Struggle between the Church and the Blues


Afro-American Religious History Group and Religions, Medicines, and Healing Group
Sunday - 5:00 pm-6:30 pm
CC-29C; Joan M. Martin, Episcopal Divinity School and Rosemary D. Gooden, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Presiding

Theme: Book Discussion: African American Folk Healing, by Stephanie Mitchem

Panelists: Yvonne Chireau, Swarthmore College
Linda L. Barnes, Boston University
Linda E. Thomas, Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago

Responding: Stephanie Y. Mitchem, University of South Carolina

Listings by Earliest Closing Date

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE Department of Religion and the Program in African and African American Studies (AAAS) invite applications for a half-year, visiting position. This joint position will run from January 2008 to June 2008, and involve teaching four courses, two courses in each of Dartmouth's Winter and Spring quarters. Rank is open. Qualifications include Ph.D. or near-completion of Ph.D. requirements. We seek an engaging teacher with demonstrated abilities. For AAAS, the successful candidate will teach an inter-disciplinary, introductory level course in African Studies or a comparative survey of Black Atlantic or African Diaspora studies. The Department of Religion will give preference to candidates who specialize in sub-Saharan Africa and indigenous African religions. Dartmouth College is an outstanding research institution of 4100 undergraduates, with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. Dartmouth students come from 54 countries, represent a range of faith communities, half are women and more than a quarter are students of color. The institution is committed to diversity, and encourages applications from persons of color, women, and members of other under-represented groups. Please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference. Evidence of teaching experience and effectiveness (including course evaluations and syllabi) is required. Mail a hard copy of your application to Professor Susan Ackerman/Chair, Department of Religion/6036 Thornton Hall/Dartmouth College/Hanover, NH 03755 or Professor Deborah King, African and African American Studies Program, 6134 Silsby Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755. Review of applications will begin October 10, 2007 and continue until the position is filled.

CLAREMONT SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY wishes to welcome to our faculty a creative and productive scholar/teacher in any field of theological or religious studies whose scholarship is contextualized in relation to African American Studies and/or African American experience. The position is full-time, tenured/tenure-track, and open at any rank. Responsibilities include teaching and advising in M.Div., M.A., D.Min., and Ph.D. programs. Joint appointment at Claremont Graduate University possible. Available July 2008. See full job description and application process on-line: www.cst.edu. AA/EO.

African American and African Studies, University of California, Davis: Professor (Open rank.) The University of California, Davis invites applications for the position of Professor (Open rank), in African Studies, to begin July 1, 2008. Candidates should have earned Ph.D. in African Studies or a social science discipline with emphasis on Africa by June 30, 2007. We are especially interested in candidates working in areas of applied social science such as public policy and governance, law, religion, public health, immigration, development studies, and international relations. Applicants may possess expertise and/or training in any of a broad range of allied disciplinary areas (e.g. Law, Religion, History, Sociology, Economics, Population Studies, Political Science, Anthropology, and International Relations). Candidates should be prepared to teach undergraduate and graduate courses with cultural, political, social, and economic dimensions of the contemporary African experience as their focus. The successful appointee is expected to demonstrate academic commitment through excellence in teaching and outstanding research progress. In order to be considered for appointment at the Associate or Full Professor rank, an applicant's record of scholarship must meet the standards for tenure at the University of California. Interested candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, description of research interests, a 20- to 30-page writing sample from recent research (published or under contract with a publisher), copies of syllabi and teaching evaluation summaries from 3 recent courses, and 3 letters of recommendation. Candidates should submit application packet to Professor Milmon Harrison, Chair, Search Committee, African American and African Studies Program, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, 2201 Hart Hall, Davis, California 95616. Final filing date has been extended to October 19, 2007, and review of applications will continue until the position is filled. The University of California, Davis, and the African American and African Studies Program are interested in candidates who are committed to the highest standards of scholarship and professional activities, and to the development of a campus climate that supports equality and diversity. The University of California is an Affirmative Action, equal opportunity employer. Visit our home page at http://aas.ucdavis.edu/.

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Assistant Professor in Religious Studies and African American Studies. The Religious Studies Program and the African American Studies Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) at Iowa State University invite applications for the position of assistant professor. Although this is a multidisciplinary search (Anthropology, Economics, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology), the department hopes that the position will be filled by a scholar of religious studies, in which case the appointment would be in both African American Studies and the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. We are interested in candidates with a teaching and research emphasis on the religions of the African Diaspora/Black Atlantic world, broadly conceptualized, or the religions of Africa and the African American Religious Experience. A new faculty member in Religious Studies and African American Studies Program will sustain an active program of scholarship in their area of specialization and teach courses and mentor students in both the program and the department. The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in Religious Studies, or a closely related discipline, by the beginning date for the appointment (August 16, 2008), possess expertise in African American Studies, and demonstrate the potential to achieve excellence in scholarship and teaching. Review of applications will begin on October 31, 2007 and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should (1) arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to ISU and (2) submit the following application materials: (a) a letter of application including statements of teaching philosophy and research interests, (b) a curriculum vitae, (c) samples of recent publications or creative work, and (d) a summary of graduate courses completed that are relevant to religions of the Africa Diaspora/Black Atlantic world and/or to African and African American Religions. Application materials should be forwarded to: Cindy Bartleson, Attn. African American Studies Program, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 202 Catt Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-1050, cmbartl@iastate.edu. Questions about the position or the search may be directed to Doug Epperson (dle@iastate.edu), Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; questions about the program may be directed to Tunde Adeleke (tadeleke@iastate.edu), Director, African American Studies Program; and questions about the department may be directed to Mary Sawyer, Professor in Charge of Religious Studies. Iowa State University is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage women and members of under-represented groups to apply.

Full Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies
The Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies (AAADS) at Indiana University-Bloomington invites applications for the position of Full Professor, effective August, 2008. We will consider applications from scholars whose work focuses on African American issues and/or the entirety of the Black Diaspora. We invite applications from those working in all areas of the humanities and social sciences, such as public policy, health, law, transnational migration-immigration, religion, literature, philosophy, gender and sexuality, and art history. The department seeks a dynamic leader with a distinguished scholarly or creative activity record who will contribute to both undergraduate and graduate studies, advance the research and creative arts agenda of the department, and help enhance our proposed PhD program currently under administrative review.The department is formally linked to and has the support of campus programs, centers and departments, such as the Black Film Center/Archive, African Studies, and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, American Studies, English/Creative Writing, Comparative Literature, History, and Communication & Culture. Hires in the last year at the junior level exemplify program linkages, as well as a growing strength in interdisciplinary and comparative scholarship and teaching in areas national and international. For the preliminary review interested candidates should send a letter of application describing research interests and teaching experiences, a curriculum vitae, the names and e-mail addresses of six references to Professor John McCluskey, Jr., Chair, AAADS Faculty Search Committee, Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies, Memorial Hall East, M28, 1021 E. Third Street, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405. Review begins November 1, 2007 and will continue until the position is filled.

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY Assistant Professor (North American Religions/Tenure-track) Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. The department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks candidates for an Assistant Professor (North American Religions/Tenure-track) position. The position would begin in August 2008. Required Qualifications: Ph.D. in Religious Studies or a related field. Responsibilities: maintains an active record of publication; teaches two courses per semester, including frequently an introductory class in Western Religions and a survey of Christianity. The candidate’s area of expertise is open and could include, but is not limited to Southern, Native American, or African American religions, 19th century New Religious Movements, Gender Studies, or American Catholicism. An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. Application deadline is November 1, 2007 (for candidates wishing to interview at the AAR) or until candidate is selected. Applicants should send a letter of application, a CV (including e-mail address), three letters of recommendation, and dossier to: Gail Hinich Sutherland, North American Religions Search Committee, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Louisiana State University, Ref: #004389, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. LSU is an equal opportunity/equal access employer.  

American Studies: University of Notre Dame, Department of American Studies, Assistant Professor, Tenure-track, African American or Latino Studies. The Department of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professorship in African American or Latino Studies beginning August 2008. Exceptional candidates at other ranks may be considered. Candidates with strengths in religious studies and cultural history, including visual and material culture, will be especially competitive. Qualifications: Ph.D. in American Studies or a related discipline expected at time of appointment, with preference given to candidates with teaching experience, record of scholarly publications, and active research agenda. The Department of American Studies is a growing department with seven full-time faculty members in diverse disciplinary fields (visual and material culture, history, literature, journalism/political analysis, gender studies), as well as faculty affiliations in departments and programs including Africana Studies and the Institute for Latino Studies. Faculty teach two courses a semester, most in their areas of specialization. The department is one of the strongest undergraduate programs in the nation, averaging 150 majors per year. Located 90 miles from Chicago, the University of Notre Dame is an international Catholic research university and leading undergraduate teaching institution. It is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer that has a strong institutional commitment to racial, cultural, and gender diversity. For additional information see http://www.nd.edu and http://www.nd.edu/~amst. Applicants should submit materials by October 1 to be considered for preliminary interviews at the American Studies Association annual convention in Philadelphia (October 11-14). The final deadline for applications is November 1, 2007. To apply, send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and names of three references to: Professor Erika Doss, Chair, Department of American Studies, University of Notre Dame, 314 O'Shaughnessy Hall, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556

The Department of African-American and African Studies at Rutgers University-Newark is pleased to invite applications from scholars with expertise in African-American and African diasporic studies working in all areas of the humanities and social sciences. We will consider applications from candidates appropriate for appointment at the rank of tenure-track assistant professor as well as applications from established scholars appropriate for tenured appointment at the rank of associate or full professor. This position is for full-time appointment in the Department of African-American and African Studies. The department is particularly interested in emerging and established scholars who engage in work on African Americans and African diasporic populations. The department wishes to position itself at the forefront of new scholarship that is now taking place in diaspora and immigrant studies. Our distinguished faculty is comprised both of full and joint appointments, as well as of affiliate faculty from a range of academic departments, institutes and graduate programs. A Ph.D. is required by September 1, 2008. Review of applications will begin on December 3, 2007 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference to:
Professor Sterling Bland
Chair, African-American and African Studies Search Committee
Rutgers University-Newark
175 University Avenue, 304 Conklin Hall
Newark, NJ 07102-1814.
Rutgers University is an AA/EOE.

2008-09 Postdoctoral Fellowships.
The Center for African American Studies invites applications from all disciplines for two postdoctoral fellowships.  These fellowships will be awarded for the academic year 2008-09 to emerging scholars who will devote their ten-month residency at Princeton to writing about race in the national or global contexts and, with the approval of the Dean of the Faculty, will also be required to teach one undergraduate course. Postdoctoral Fellows will also participate with Center faculty members and affiliated graduate students in a seminar to discuss work in progress.  In addition, they will be invited to participate in other programs, including seminars, colloquia, and public lectures and will enjoy access to Firestone Library and to a wide range of activities throughout the University.  Applicants should have received the doctorate within the past five years, may not hold a tenure-track appointment, and cannot be in the process of writing a dissertation. The Postdoctoral Fellowship period extends from September 1, 2008 until July 1, 2009. The Postdoctoral Fellowship provides a competitive salary. A selection committee of Center for African American Studies faculty evaluates applicants on the basis of:
• the significance of their proposed research and its relevance to the purposes of the center;
• the quality of their previous research and their ability to benefit from the activities of the center;
• the contribution they are likely to make to higher education in the future through teaching and writing about race.

 How to apply:  Applicants must submit all of the following information by November 1, 2007:

1. a curriculum vitae;
2. a scholarly paper written in the past three years;
3. a statement of no more than 1,500 words describing the proposed research  project;
4. three letters of reference (at least one from someone who was not a dissertation supervisor) sent directly to the Center for African American Studies by November 1, 2007. For general application information and how to self-identify, see http://www.princeton.edu/dof/ApplicantsInfo.htm To apply, please send all materials to:   
     Dr. Noliwe Rooks, Associate Director
     Center for African American Studies 
     Princeton University- Stanhope Hall
     Princeton, New Jersey 08544
     609.258.4718     nrooks@princeton.edu

Princeton University is an equal opportunity employer and complies with applicable EEO and affirmative action regulations

2008-09 Distinguished Visiting Appointment The Center for African American Studies at Princeton University invites nominations or self-nominations for faculty from research universities and liberal arts colleges for a Distinguished Visiting Appointment for the 2008-09 academic year.  This visiting appointment was established to enable the Center each year to invite one scholar whose research and teaching explicitly examine issues of race in innovative interdisciplinary ways.  Candidates in any field may apply.  The Visiting Professor may be appointed for one semester or for the entire academic year and will teach one undergraduate lecture course, participate in faculty-graduate seminars, and other activities of the Center for African American Studies.  Letters of nomination or self-nomination should briefly cite evidence of the quality of the candidate’s scholarship and teaching.  Please include a curriculum vitae, the names and addresses of three referees, and syllabi of two undergraduate lecture courses. For full consideration, your materials must be received by November 15, 2007 and we encourage all candidates to use the online application process to submit their materials. You may apply online at: jobs.princeton.edu. For general application information and how to self-identify, see http://www.princeton.edu/dof/ApplicantsInfo.htm . For more information or questions, please contact:
Dr. Noliwe Rooks, Associate Director
609.258.4718
nrooks@princeton.edu  

University of Rochester:  The Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African-American Studies has a broad mandate in undergraduate and graduate education, advance research, and exchange within the University community. There are two types of residential fellowship programs that are designed to fit this broad mandate:The Postdoctoral Fellowship is awarded to scholars who hold a Ph.D. degree in a field related to the African and African-American experience. It carries an annual stipend of $35,000 and supports the completion of a research project for one academic year. The Fellow will teach two courses (one per semester) in his or her area of specialization. Applicants for the 2008-09 academic year must have their Ph.D. in hand before the fellowship begins in September 2008.Closing Date for Applications is January 31, 2008.
Application checklist: A completed FDI fellowship application form; a curriculum vitae; 3-5 page description of the project (plus a short bibliography); a sample of published or unpublished writing on a topic related to the proposal; three letters of recommendation that comment upon the value and feasibility of the work proposed, to be sent by the referees.

„« The Predoctoral Fellowship is awarded annually to a graduate student of any university who studies aspects of the African and African-American experience. This fellowship, which carries an annual stipend of $23,000, does not come with any teaching obligation, but will require the Fellow to work with the Institute¡¦s Director in organizing colloquium, lectures, and other events. The principal aim of this award is to expedite the completion of the Fellow¡¦s dissertation. To qualify for this one-year residential fellowship in 2008-09 academic year, an applicant will need to have completed and passed the following before the end of this (2007-08) academic year: (1) all required courses; (2) qualifying oral and/or written exams; (3) written at least one chapter of the dissertation (the chapter becomes part of the application package).

Application checklist: A completed FDI fellowship application form; a curriculum vitae; an official transcript showing completion of all preliminary coursework and qualifying examinations; the dissertation prospectus; a sample chapter from the dissertation; three letters of recommendation to be sent out by the referees, including one from the dissertation supervisor assessing the candidate¡¦s prospects for completing the project within a year.

All Fellows receive office space in the Institute, full access to the University's facilities, and opportunities to interact and collaborate with scholars of their respective disciplines within the University. Fellows must be in full time residence during the tenure of their awards and are expected to be engaged in scholarly activity on a full-time basis. They must, for example, be available for consultation with students and professional colleagues; make at least two formal presentations based upon their research; and contribute generally to the intellectual discourse on African and African-American Studies.

The Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African-American Studies, University of Rochester, RC Box 270440, 302 Morey Hall, Rochester, NY 14627-0440 ¡V U.S.A. Tel: (585) 275-7235 - Fax: (585) 256-2594

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