School of Religion

RELIGIOUSSTUDIES

School of Religion

RELIGIOUSSTUDIES

www.queensu.ca/religion 1

Old–andNew–TimesBY BILL MORROW, HEAD, DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES

In many cultures around the world, a great deal of importance is attached to namingceremonies. Few of these are confined to newborns, as various traditions allow forthe reception or adoption of a new name when a significant life-changing event has

occurred. In our own institutional context we are about to take part in a naming ceremony,something you will learn more about in these pages and hear more about in the monthsto come. No, the Department of Religious Studies is not changing its name! Nor will itsaffiliation with the Faculty of Arts and Science or the School of Graduate Studies be different in the future than it was in the past. Change is coming, however, to one of theinstitutional contexts out of which the Department of Religious Studies operates.

Religious Studies has always been managed on behalf of Queen’s University by Queen’s

Theological College. In the future, however, the umbrella organization that the Departmentof Religious Studies functions under will be called “Queen’s School of Religion.” Onemight well quote Shakespeare’s Juliet and ask, “What’s in a name?” –in this case, quite a lot. The new Queen’s School of Religion stands for a closer relationship with Queen’sUniversity and signals an openness to new cooperative ventures with its most significantacademic partner. We in the Department of Religious Studies welcome these developmentsas the Department continues its quest to find significant ways to contribute to the welfareof the University, to its academic mission, and most importantly to the students of Queen’s.

Of course, change is a salient characteristic of the times in which we live. But, whilechange is bringing its fair share of challenges, it is not without its rewards. Here in theDepartment, change means coping with bigger classes as our course offerings continueto attract large numbers of students. Change means finding room for a record numberof MA students, as 12 new Master’s candidates registered in the Department in September.Fortunately, some things don’t change. The Department continues to carry on thanks tothe able presence of Linda Thomas in the office. Nor does our interest in old friendsand former students change either. Drop us a line and let us know what you are doing;even better, drop in some time. We’d be glad to see you and talk about old–and new–times.

Daoism in Brazil

Congratulations!

From the Graduate Students

DSC Update

RELS 451

Faculty News

2010 Honorary Doctor of DivinityRecipient

Principal’s Message

Student Prizes and Awards

Lectures and Colloquia

From the Desk of Heather Cooke

Alumni News

MARCH 2010

INSIDE

In our own institutional context we

are about to take part in a naming

ceremony, something you will learn

more about in these pages and hear

more about in the months to come.

2

Daoism in BrazilBY DAN MURRAY

As a student in the MA program in religionand modernity, I had the opportunity totravel to Brazil with Professor James Millerthis past December to conduct research on the spread of Daoism outside of China.Although Daoism has a long historywithin China, it has only recently begunto spread outside of Chinese communities.In Brazil, Daoism has entered an alreadypluralistic world of religions that, whileprimarily Roman Catholic, also includesAfro-Brazilian practices like Umbanda andCandomble, and more recent additionslike Tibetan Buddhism and the Japanesenew religious movement Kofuku-no-Kagaku.

Priests, teachers, and practitioners fromthree groups in Sao Paulo and Rio deJaneiro were interviewed as part of thestudy. The Grande Triad, which teachesDaoist inner alchemy and qigong, and theLiu Bailing Tai Chi Centre both focus onteaching Daoism through traditionalChinese body technologies. These groupssee the physical exercises as more impor-tant than the typically religious activitiesassociated with Daoism. At the DaoistSociety of Brazil, on the other hand, ritualservices are performed and offerings aremade to Daoist deities, in addition to classesabout Daoist texts and physical exercises.

Wu Jyh Cherng founded the Daoist Societyof Brazil in 1991 as part of the OrthodoxUnity (Zhengyi) lineage of Daoism. He wasborn in Taiwan and immigrated to Brazilwith his family, later returning to Taiwanfor training as a priest. Although Cherngdied in 2004, the society continues, and isnow run completely by local Brazilians.

The two head priests first studied underCherng and later received intensive train-ing in Taiwan. The society is comprised oftwo temples, and is probably the onlyZhengyi lineage group run by non-ethnicChinese. It offers a unique insight intoDaoism outside of Chinese communities.

The research will look at how Daoism hasbeen adopted as part of the identity of theseBrazilians, and how they have adapted thepractice of Daoism to fit their own culture.For the Daoist Society of Brazil, it is impor-tant to maintain the traditions of ZhengyiDaoism brought from Taiwan, but they haveconsciously decided that for Daoism to suc-ceed in Brazil some elements must change.Brazilians are not familiar with the ideasand practices of Daoism, and the priests tryto accommodate this. The silent laity sittingin orderly rows during a service on Sundaymorning may appear to have more in com-mon with a Christian church service thanany Chinese religion, but the deities, chants,and rituals from Daoism all remain.

Additionally, the research will look at therelationship between Daoism and Chineseculture, and whether the spread of Daoismcan offer a bridge between cultures. Takingpart in Daoist practices for philosophical,religious, or health reasons has led some tobecome interested in wider Chinese culture;however Daoism itself is still described by interviewees as a practice that, to someextent, can be detached from Chinese cul-ture and practiced by anyone in the world.Brazil has presented a multitude of waysthat Daoism can be spread and understoodoutside of China.

Congratulations!I extend my sincere congratula-

tions to the faculty, staff and

students of Queen’s newly

named School of Religion as

you embark on the next chapter

of your long and proud history

as a leader of religious and

theological studies in Canada.

The School’s exciting plans will

position your undergraduate and

graduate academic programs to

continue inspiring, challenging

and supporting students and

graduates who will shape the

future of our increasingly

global society.

DANIEL WOOLFPrincipal and Vice-ChancellorQueen’s University

www.queensu.ca/religion 3

From theGraduateStudents

This year’s cohort of MA students is a funny, quirky, brilliant group of a dozen. We comefrom a range of different disciplines, which include Philosophy, Psychology, PoliticalScience, Anthropology, and Literature, in addition to Religious Studies, resulting inequally varied research interests and diverse personal histories that include multipledegrees, quite a bit of travelling, some teaching and researching, and likely enoughreading to be able to create a library of our own. Our diversity has allowed us not onlyto engage with course material in creative and interesting ways, but also to have deepand dynamic discussions about religious studies, world affairs, books, movies, Velcro,and just about everything in between.

While we have been very seriously (well, sometimes not so seriously) applying ourselvesto our studies, we’ve also found the time to bond as a group. Always there for hugs,high-fives, encouragement, and cookies, the MA students all spend a great deal of timetogether, whether in classes and offices or out of them. Thursday night fun-nights havehelped us all maintain our sanity and reminded us that we are not alone in going throughthe difficulties and challenges that graduate school can sometimes present. We hopethat 2010 will bring us many new challenges and that being in this program togetherwill help us to continue to grow and learn, both as academics and as individuals.

DSC UpdateAs proud Religious Studies concentrators,Danielle McCormack and Laura Vickersare honoured to be the DSC Co-chairs forthe Department, and have high hopes forthis term. The Religious Studies DSC areselling clothing, consisting of both theDepartment logo, and a unique symbolrepresenting the coexistence of religiousdiversity, and we are promoting aroundQueen’s Campus. As per tradition, theywill be holding a pot luck in March in thereading room of Theological Hall for con-centrations, DSC representatives, MA andTheology students.

RELS 451

4

to fund 7 years of research was given toinvestigate “Religious Diversity and ItsLimits: Moving Beyond Tolerance andAccommodation.” Pam is a leader of oneof the 4 strands of the research projectand her work will revolve around howand why gender and sexuality act as flash-points in debates on religious diversity andreligious freedom. One major part of thisproject is to involve graduate students inthis work so Pam looks forward to havingResearch Assistants to work with her.

BILL MORROW received a three-year standard research grantfrom the Social Sciencesand Humanities ResearchCouncil of Canada(SSHRC) in May 2009 tostudy the topic, “AkkadianLiteracy in Iron Judah?”

Scholars and the general public alike havebeen fascinated with questions about re-lationships between the Bible and ancientNear Eastern literature. Assyria establishedthe most powerful and extensive empirethat the Mediterranean world had everknown. There is abundant archaeologicalevidence that its prestige culture had asignificant impact on ancient Judah. Buthow much influence did Assyrian literature(written in the ancient Semitic languagecalled “Akkadian”) have on the productionof biblical literature? Could biblical writershave known some of it without being ableto read it (e.g., orally or in translation?)These are some of the questions to be investigated. Beyond Bill Morrow’s ownfield, the ways in which biblical writersaccommodated and resisted the culture of their Assyrian overlords have relevancefor understanding the effects of colonialrule and subjugation in various culturesaround the world.

Faculty News

RICHARD ASCOUGH is the recipient of the2009 Chancellor A. Charles Baillie TeachingAward. This award recognizes undergrad-uate or graduate teachers who have had anoutstanding influence on the quality ofstudent learning at Queen’s. It is awardedannually for activities that lead to improvedlearning, including curriculum develop-ment, educational leadership, design anddelivery of out-of-classroom educationalexperiences, or classroom teaching andsupervision. Richard was presented hisaward at Fall Convocation. In 2002 Richardreceived the Alumni Award for Excellencein Teaching. This award recognizes theprimary importance of teaching excellenceat Queen’s University. To have receivedboth of these prestigious awards speaks to the quality of Richard’s teaching.

PAMELA DICKEY YOUNG is part of a groupof people led by PrincipalInvestigator Lori Beamanfrom the University ofOttawa who have receiveda $2.5 million MajorCollaborative ResearchInitiatives Grant from

The Social Sciences and Humanities ResearchCouncil of Canada (SSHRC). The grant

SIPHIWE DUBE was appointed to a oneyear non-renewable position in the Depart -ment of Religious Studiesat the rank of AssistantProfessor on August 1,2009, concluding on July31, 2010.

HERB BASSER has written a new book, TheMind Behind the Gospels: A Commentary toMatthew 1-14 (Academic Studies Press,2009). Herb is on sabbatical January 1 –June 30, 2010.

ELLEN GOLDBERG is on sabbatical July 1,2009 – June 30, 2010.

RICHARD ASCOUGH is on sabbatical July 1,2010 – June 30, 2011.

FOROUGH JAHANBAKHSH is on sabbaticalJanuary 1 – June 30, 2011.

MARGUERITE VAN DIE retired June 30, 2009from her duties in theology, but continuesto serve as a professor in the Departmentof History at Queen’sUniversity at Kingston.

Professor Emeritus BILL JAMES was pre-sented with a Distinguished Service Awardfrom the Queen’s School of Religion Boardof Management in October 2009. Bill

Photo courtesy of the Centre for Teaching and Learning

www.queensu.ca/religion 5

served on the faculty in the Departmentof Religious Studies from 1973 until hisretirement in 2008. He played a major rolein the development of the Department ofReligious Studies. He was a critical playerin the establishment of the MA in Religionand Modernity, and was the Department’sfirst Coordinator of Graduate Studies.

He served as book review editor for Studiesin Religion/Sciences Religieuses; he authored and co-authored a number ofbooks including Religious Studies in Ontario:A State-of-the-Art Review and A Fur Trader'sPhotographs. Bill also served Queen’sUniversity in numerous roles such as sec-retary of Faculty Board, Arts and Science,and he was the Acting Director of theInternational Programmes Office. Bill wasalso the Chair for the Study Abroad andStudent Exchange Committee in the Facultyof Arts and Science from 1996-97. In thedepartment Bill participated in all aspectsof administration, often acting for otherson academic leave.

From 1992-2009 Bill taught at KwanseiGakuin University in Nishinomiya, Japanon four different occasions and shared hisexperiences there with faculty, staff andstudents both in the classroom and atpublic lectures.

Bill was a consummate teacher and involvedstudents in his research; students who cameto admire his research abilities as much asthey cherished his teaching skills. Bill iscurrently working on the Religious Diversityin Kingston project, funded by a SocialSciences and Humanities Research Councilof Canada (SSHRC) grant that has also enabled a number of students to work withBill as research assistants. To read moreabout this project please go to Bill’s web-page at http://post.queensu.ca/~jameswc/rdk

Graduate Coordinator ReportBY JAMES MILLER

This year we welcomed our largest ever cohort of students to the MA program in reli-gion and modernity. The twelve students come from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario,Quebec, Newfoundland and Vermont, and we're particularly pleased to welcome backto the Kingston area three Queen’s graduates, and two Kingston residents.

Since its inception, the program has more than doubled in size. This is due to the con-tinued demand for graduate education particularly from top-ranked universities like Queen’s,and also to our specialization in religion and modernity, which continues to be uniquein Canada. Our program trains students in the theoretical and methodological issues thatare relevant to understanding the place of religion in the modern world, and then guidesstudents in conducting their own research into a particular topic or issue. The programthus attracts students who are not simply interested in religion for religion's sake, butinterested in religion as part and parcel of understanding the phenomenon of modernity.

This year I'm pleased to report that students have been keen to improve their languageproficiency. Three students are enrolled in the university's new modern Arabic course,and two students who came with extensive Chinese language training have embarkedon an introductory study of literary Chinese with me. It's more and more apparent thatthe study of religion in a modern global context demands engagement with the morethan three billion Hindus, Muslims and Chinese, who collectively constitute more thanhalf of the world's population. It is now evident that these major civilizations are en-gaging with the forces of modernity in ways quite different from the West, and as a resultthey are rewriting the script for the world's continued social, cultural and economic development. Programs such as ours are vital for helping train Canada's future generationsto grasp the way in which our world is being reshaped by these non-Western civilizations.In this regard I believe we offer a global perspective that is quite unique at Queen’s.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the vision of Professor William Closson James whowas instrumental in developing and running the program before his recent retirement. Hisdeparture has left a large hole in the department, but we look forward to searching for asuitable scholar as soon as possible. The program continues to provide a unique and ex-cellent training to benefit Canada's future cultural prosperity and economic development.

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2010 HonoraryDoctor of DivinityRecipientKaren Armstrong, one of the world’s lead-ing commentators on religious affairs, willreceive an Honorary Doctor of Divinityfrom Queen’s University at the Queen’sSchool of Religion 2010 Convocation May12, 2010. Armstrong is much sought afterthroughout the world as a public speakernot only on theology and spirituality, buton the political implications of religiousfaith in the modern world.

A best-selling author whose books havebeen translated into forty languages, herearly work focused on the monotheisticfaiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islamand advanced a counter-intuitive theoryof religious fundamentalism. She hassince begun to explore eastern religions.

A nun in the Society of the Holy ChildJesus in the 1960’s, Armstrong left theOrder while attending St. Anne’s College,Oxford University, where she studiedEnglish, earning a BA and an MLitt. In the1970’s, Armstrong served as head of theEnglish Department at a girls’ public schoolin London, UK. In 1982, she became a fulltime writer and television broadcaster.Her television work includes The FirstChristian, a documentary series on St. Paul(1984), the series Varieties of ReligiousExperience (1984) and Tongues of Fire (1985).She regularly appears as a religious affairscommentator on radio and television inthe United Kingdom and the UnitedStates, and is a regular columnist for theGuardian newspaper.

In the last decade, Armstrong has becomeknown for her work on Islam andFundamentalism, particularly in the UnitedStates of America. She has addressedmembers of the United States House andthe Senate on three occasions, has partici-pated in the World Economic Forum inNew York and Davos, and has spoken atstudy days at the UN and at the NATO

Naval Defense College in Rome. She hasalso advised members of the Dutch parlia-ment about Islam and the integration ofMuslim communities in Europe. In 2005she was appointed by Kofi Anan to partic-ipate in the UN initiative “The Alliance ofCivilizations,” a high level group aimingfor practical guidelines to member statesabout how to stem the rising tide of ex-tremism. In 2007 she was awarded a medalfor Arts and Sciences by the Egyptian government.

Author of sixteen books, including the international bestseller –A History of God(1993); The Battle for God, A History ofFundamentalism (2000); A Short History ofMyth (2005) and Muhammad: A Prophet for our Time (2006), her most recent book,The Case for God, was published to wide acclaim in 2009.

Karen Armstrong

www.queensu.ca/religion 7

Principal’s Message

Generally speaking, students don’t spend much timethinking about the administrative structure that supportstheir programs and courses. As Principal, it’s part of my jobto think about it and to position our academic programs sothat they can respond effectively to new challenges facingthe university and the world.

For 168 years we have been known as “Queen’s TheologicalCollege;” a college whose original purpose was to prepare(primarily) Scottish Presbyterian men for congregational

ministry. Eventually, under the umbrella of the College, a full-fledged Department ofReligious Studies developed and grew, integrating its academic programs within theFaculty of Arts and Science. In recognition of the Department’s increased enrolmentgrowth and its more recent addition of an outstanding MA Program in Religion andModernity, we have changed our administrative structures and identity.

We are busy implementing our strategic plan, approved two years ago by the faculty,staff and the Board of Management of Queen’s Theological College. It gives bold direc-tion for a new beginning as the Queen’s School of Religion at Queen’sUniversity, a schoolthat is deeply committed to increasing understanding of world religions, exploring howreligion is crossing boundaries and cultures in the modern world, and examining theways our Canadian religious landscape is changing. Our new structure and identity allows us to be more efficient and effective in delivering the high-quality undergraduateand graduate programs in religious and theological studies that you have come to know.It also signals the strength of our relationship with our primary charter partner, Queen’sUniversity.

While change is underway, what remains the same is that we are an exceptional placewith award-winning faculty and strong engagement with the distinct disciplines of religiousand theological studies. We are committed to being progressive, diverse, welcomingand engaged; focused on excellence and boldness within our teaching and research, all of which aims to help people gain a critical understanding of religion as an essentialdimension of human life.

On behalf of our faculty and staff, I welcome you to the Department of Religious Studiesand our Theology Programs. We hope you feel at home and enriched by the strength of our conversations in the Queen’s School of Religion.

JEAN STAIRSPrincipal, Queen’s School of Religion

Student Prizes and Awards

Ruth-Anne Avruskin wasawarded the S MacLeanGilmour Prize andDepartmental Medal inReligious Studies as thetopmost concentrator in Religious Studies for

the academic year 2008-09.

Laura Mulholland was awarded the John CookBook Prize for spring 2009. The recipient of this award is based on student partici-pation/contribution to the RELS-353 classand is awarded based on student choice.

Lectures and ColloquiaThe 2009 Chancellor Dunning Trust Lecturewas sponsored by the Senate Committeeon Creative Arts and Public Lectures andthe Departments of Religious Studies and Art. It featured Dr Gauvin Alexander Bailey,Professor of Renaissance & Baroque ArtHistory, University of Aberdeen (Scotland).Dr Bailey presented “The Andean HybridBaroque: Converging Cultures in theChurches of Colonial Peru” on October6th. Dr Bailey has traveled the world tostudy the global reach of Baroque styleand religious ideas. His numerous booksand essays include Art on the Jesuit Missionsin Asia and Latin America 1542-1773, and hewas the winner of the Bainton Book Prize(2000). His new book, The Andean HybridBaroque will be published this year byUniversity of Notre Dame Press.

The Elias Andrews Memorial Lecture washeld on November 4, 2009. The talk “Mackayand Darwin: Evangelical Science andFaith in Victorian Canada and Asia” waspresented by Dr James R Rohrer, AssociateProfessor, Department of History at theUniversity of Nebraska at Kearney.

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It is a privilege to be writing an introductory letter to alumni and friends of the Department ofReligious Studies for the Winter 2010 newsletter. As the Executive Director, (Advancement,Finance, Operations) of Queen’s School of Religion I have been actively working withthe Department of Religious Studies since 1998. My role has been to manage all thebudgetary, financial and operational aspects of the School’s life including the Departmentof Religious Studies, as well as being responsible for all fundraising activities for thewhole of the Queen’s School of Religion, formerly Queen’s Theological College.

We are entering a very exciting time as we move to implement the School’s new visionwhich includes plans to strengthen the Department of Religious Studies. We are veryproud of the strength, vitality and excellent academic programs the Department of ReligiousStudies has built to date, and we are looking forward to developing new strategy for build-ing on that strength and making the department an even richer academic environment.

To that end, we will be more actively seeking your financial support going forward.

As we consider the development of a second stream in our Master’s program, andstrengthen our recruitment activities in support of increasing the number of concentra-tors in our undergraduate program, we must begin to build a student aid fund that di-rectly supports Religious Studies student’s financial needs. Such support will providefurther incentives for studying Religious Studies at Queen’s.

We are also planning to encourage a stronger alumni network of Religious Studies grad-uates and friends, by offering more events supported by the department for you to comeback to Queen’s to participate in throughout the coming years. I personally, look forwardto getting to know many of you through your attendance at these events, and by connect-ing with you via telephone or in person.

Finally, I want to personally thank you for the gifts that have already been received fromyou in direct support of the Department of Religious Studies. We are most appreciativeof your generosity to date!

Alumni NewsErin Gallagher (MA 2003)

now lives in Omemee(between Peterboroughand Lindsay) where shehas her own business,Big Tub Botanicals. Erin’sbusiness was recognized

with a Kawartha Lakes Innovation Awardthis past fall. Check it out at www.bigtubbotanicals.com

Bonita Choi (BAH 2005)

spent 7 days in the Spring2009 covering 250 kilo-meters in the Fish RiverCanyon and the NamibDesert in Africa with a9kg backpack raising

funds for Christian Action to help womenand children who come to Hong Kong asvictims of war, torture, rape and persecution.The race was organized by Racing thePlanet. Bonita finished the charity eventand raised $80,000.

Sasha Bradley (Vincent Baskerville) (MA

2006) and husband Matt welcomed theirfirst son, Henry in December 2009.

Maggie Stoddard (MA 2004) and her husband announced the birth of their first son, Jesse on May 23, 2009.

Rebekka King (MA 2005), Rong Dao (MA

2004) and Amy Fisher (BAH 2003, MA 2004)

met with Bill James at the AAR in Montrealin November 2009.

Siphiwe Dubé (MA 2002)

has recently published anarticle in the internationalcollections of essays onthe TRC of South Africa,“The TRC, DemocraticEthos and the New

Culture Critique in South Africa” in TEULIE

Gilles & Joseph-Vilain Mélanie, “HealingSouth African Wounds”/Ls Carnets du Cerpacno 7, Montpellier, Presses Universitairesde la Méditerrannée, 2009.

KEEP IN TOUCH

We want to know where you areand what you are doing. If youwould like to receive yourNewsletter by email in future,please contact us at:

Queen’s School of ReligionDepartment of Religious StudiesTheological HallQueen’s UniversityKingston ON K7L 3N6

613.533.2106Fax: 613.533.6558

thomaslm@queensu.ca or on Facebook.

www.queensu.ca/religion

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FROM THE DESK OFHEATHER COOKE

Executive Director (Advancement,

Finance, Operations)