Religious Studies

The African Association for the Study of Religions is an academic association of the scholars of religions posted in universities in Africa, and of scholars of the religions of Africa posted in universities outside Africa. It was founded at an IAHR (International Association for the History of Religions) conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1992 for the purpose of promoting the academic study of the religions of Africa more generally through the international collaboration of all scholars whose research has a bearing on the subject. The AASR seeks to stimulate the academic study of religions of Africa in a variety of ways: providing a forum for multilateral communications between scholars of African religions; facilitating the exchange of resources and information; encouraging the development of linkages and research contacts between scholars and institutions in Africa, and between scholars in Africa and those overseas. The AASR also endeavors to assist scholars to publish their work and travel to professional meetings. The AASR is an affiliate of the IAHR since 1995. It meets at the IAHR quinquennial congress and organizes conferences in Africa. Its members participate in panels at conferences outside of Africa. The AASR publishes the bi-annual AASR Bulletin and peer-reviewed an online journal.

We are the largest scholarly society dedicated to the academic study of religion, with more than 5,000 members around the world. Our mission is to foster excellence in the academic study of religion and enhance the public understanding of religion.

Founded in 1919, the American Catholic Historical Association sponsors Spring and Winter academic meetings, encourages new scholarship through research and travel grants, recognizes yearly achievements with prizes and awards, and celebrates the ACHA's long-standing history of scholar-teachers.

The organizing of the ACHS was sparked by the farsighted action taken in 1880 by Pope Leo XIII concerning the Vatican Archives, the richest collection of historical documents in the world. Since the Reformation, access to these priceless volumes had been permitted only to Catholics. The Pope, in a dramatic announcement, opened these archives to scholars of all nations, regardless of religious denomination or purpose.

The purpose of the Association of Practical Theology (APT) is to promote critical discourse that integrates theological reflection and practice. Reconstituted from its predecessor organizations in 1984, the APT was sparked by the understanding of practical theology as an integrative hermeneutical endeavor at the heart of theological education that includes critical examination of religious traditions and practices and exploration of the contributions of ministerial sub-disciplines. The APT meets annually in conjunction with the AAR and biennially for a comprehensive conference. APT meetings at the AAR draw national and international scholars from a variety of disciplines (members of APT and non-members) and the biennial meeting allows for more in depth study of specific issues and the conduct of official business. The APT posts proceedings, membership information, and other news on its website and welcomes new members from all areas of religious and theological study.

The Charles and Margaret Hall Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame is widely recognized as the leading center for the historical study of Roman Catholicism in the United States.

Feminist Studies in Religion, Inc. (FSR, Inc.) is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to foster feminist studies in religion in all of its variety and diversity. We understand “feminist studies in religion” to encompass global critical feminist work in religious studies, theology, and spirituality both inside and outside the academy and at the grassroots level. We seek to generate new feminist scholarship in religion and to create spaces for such scholarship to emerge. Founded in 1983, FSR, Inc. pioneered the development of feminist studies in religion as a field through its establishment and sponsorship of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. More recently, we have expanded our work to include publishing books through our FSR Books series. We have also broadened our work in developing a dynamic website and providing other contexts and spaces in which feminists can come together to explore and develop new initiatives such as sponsoring conferences or the FSR Blog.

The International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies (IASBS) has as its aim the development of international Shin and Pure Land Buddhist studies and the facilitation of exchange among its members. IASBS was founded in the spring of 1982 by a group of scholars in Kyoto in response to the mounting international attention to Shin Buddhism. The members include not only academics, priests, and laypersons affiliated with Shin Buddhism but also those of other academic expertise and religious tradition. IASBS welcomes participation of those with a wide range of interests and specializations within and beyond Pure Land Buddhism. IASBS annually publishes The Pure Land, an academic journal in English that contains articles (many from papers presented at IASBS conferences), essays, translations, and book reviews. This is the only scholarly journal specifically dedicated to the study of Pure Land Buddhism. The association also publishes a newsletter twice a year, in the spring and fall.

The North American Association for the Study of Religion (NAASR) was initially formed in 1985 by E. Thomas Lawson, Luther H. Martin, and Donald Wiebe, to encourage the historical, comparative, structural, theoretical, and cognitive approaches to the study of religion among North American scholars; to represent North American scholars of religion at the international level; and to sustain communication between North American scholars and their international colleagues engaged in the study of religion