CFP: North American Undergraduate Conference in Religion and Philosophy

Friday and Saturday, March 22-23, 2013

Saint Francis University

Loretto, Pennsylvania 15940

CALL FOR PAPERS

New Frontiers of Reason

We cordially invite undergraduates to submit proposals for the sixth annual North American Undergraduate Conference in Religion and Philosophy. Submissions are encouraged from students majoring in all academic disciplines.

While all papers related to religion and philosophy will be considered, priority will be given to those addressing this year’s theme, "New Frontiers of Reason." We intend to have a conversation about reason in all of its manifestations, past, present, and future. Possible inquiries might include: What is the relationship between faith and reason? Is the Internet empowering learning, or "dumbing us down"? What are the promises and perils of artificial intelligence? What do new developments in neuroscience and evolutionary psychology tell us about religion, imagination, and the mind-body problem? How does popular culture influence the American mind? Is anti-intellectualism a crippling force in modern education, politics, and society? Will scientific progress bring about a better future or a doomed apocalypse? How can reason assist us in solving questions about environmental, health care, poverty, and other social justice issues?      


Paper abstracts (roughly 250 words) are due by February 20, 2013. Please include your full name, paper title, institution, e-mail, phone number, and the name and contact information of your paper’s advisor. Presenters must submit a full paper by March 11, 2013 to be considered for conference prizes. Proposals and final papers should be sent as an attached document file to Dr. Arthur Remillard at aremillard@francis.edu.

The keynote address will be given on Friday evening by Randall Stephens, Reader in American Studies and History at Northumbria University. Professor Stephens is the author of two volumes with Harvard University Press.  He will be speaking about his co-authored book The Anointed: Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age. Stephens will examine the role of conservative Christian experts—in areas as diverse as human origins science, theology, psychology, and history—in the creation of alternative knowledge.  A student-led discussion will follow the address.

Student presentations will be on Saturday from 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.  Presenters will have approximately 20 minutes to speak, with a brief question and answer session to follow.  At the conclusion of the conference, a panel of judges will award the top three papers with $150, $100, and $50 respectively.

This conference is open to the public and free for presenters and non-presenters. For more information, directions, contacts, scheduling, etc., please visit our website: www.francis.edu/NAUCRP or join the Facebook group, “St. Francis University Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.” This conference is sponsored by St. Francis University with support from SFU’s School of Arts and Letters, Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies, and the Dr. G. Steven Neeley, Esq. Memorial Fund.