Welcome from AARWR President, Dr. Anna M. Hennessey, Ph.D.
Dear Members of the AARWR Community:
I officially begin my term as President of the American Academy of Religion, Western Region, at a time that has proven trying for many in our country and across the globe. COVID-19, or “coronavirus,” has become a concern for us all. As much as we are worried about what the future will bring, I would like to say in this brief introduction that this experience of universal human concern and suffering has already brought the AARWR community closer together, building stronger connections between us over the past two months and especially over the course of this past week.
I write to you only one day after the successful completion of our 2020 Annual Conference, which was devoted to the theme of Religion and Rites of Passage. The event, which turned into a Virtual Conference, was one that we scrambled to put together in a single week as a response to the unfortunate cancellation of our in-person event at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). Many had invested two years or more in preparing to meet at CGU, and we deeply regret that the circumstances necessitated cancellation. That which we saw evolve over the course of only one week, however, was the coming together of human beings, scholars of different faiths—religions, as well as existential systems—who built a brand new way of sharing their research and ideas. The creation and participation in this conference seemed to be a rite of passage in itself, transforming those involved and birthing a new understanding of both collegiality and the transmission of knowledge.
Members of the AARWR’s Board of Directors have been astounded at the abundance of creativity, kindness, and love that we saw develop during the re-creation of our 2020 conference. Unit Chairs, panel participants, and leadership all collaborated with enthusiasm to bring our conference to life. I especially thank Dr. Brian Clearwater, our outgoing Regional Coordinator, and Joseph Paxton, our Conference Manager, for their many hours of help and support in the creation and development of our 2020 online program.
As an interdisciplinary scholar and author with a background in Religious Studies, Art History, and Philosophy, and currently a Visiting Scholar with the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion (BCSR) at the University of California, Berkeley, I have always been interested in new ways of learning, teaching, and mentoring. We now find ourselves at a crossroads in our approach to conferencing. The 2020 conference, which relied largely upon an online platform but also included mini-meetings and hybrid virtual-actual modalities, has broadened our view of how we at the AARWR can connect to scholars in our region, our nation, and our world. Over the course of the 2020-2021 year, especially in light of the precarious relationship to physical health that we have all now found ourselves in, we expect to explore the virtual world as a likely means through which we will continue to share our scholarly ideas and collaborate with one another in the future.
I am excited that Dr. Jonathan Lee, Past President of the AARWR and longtime AARWR member, has rejoined our Board of Directors, this time as the incoming Regional Coordinator. Furthermore, I am honored to work with the wonderful individuals of our entire Board, as well as with all of our unit chairs. I am deeply moved by the goodness they have shown to me over this past week.
Thank you and I look forward to serving you this year.
Best wishes,
Anna M. Hennessey, Ph.D.
Visiting Scholar, Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion
University of California, Berkeley
Book: Imagery, Ritual, and Birth: Ontology Between the Sacred and the Secular
Dear Members of the AARWR Community:
I officially begin my term as President of the American Academy of Religion, Western Region, at a time that has proven trying for many in our country and across the globe. COVID-19, or “coronavirus,” has become a concern for us all. As much as we are worried about what the future will bring, I would like to say in this brief introduction that this experience of universal human concern and suffering has already brought the AARWR community closer together, building stronger connections between us over the past two months and especially over the course of this past week.
I write to you only one day after the successful completion of our 2020 Annual Conference, which was devoted to the theme of Religion and Rites of Passage. The event, which turned into a Virtual Conference, was one that we scrambled to put together in a single week as a response to the unfortunate cancellation of our in-person event at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). Many had invested two years or more in preparing to meet at CGU, and we deeply regret that the circumstances necessitated cancellation. That which we saw evolve over the course of only one week, however, was the coming together of human beings, scholars of different faiths—religions, as well as existential systems—who built a brand new way of sharing their research and ideas. The creation and participation in this conference seemed to be a rite of passage in itself, transforming those involved and birthing a new understanding of both collegiality and the transmission of knowledge.
Members of the AARWR’s Board of Directors have been astounded at the abundance of creativity, kindness, and love that we saw develop during the re-creation of our 2020 conference. Unit Chairs, panel participants, and leadership all collaborated with enthusiasm to bring our conference to life. I especially thank Dr. Brian Clearwater, our outgoing Regional Coordinator, and Joseph Paxton, our Conference Manager, for their many hours of help and support in the creation and development of our 2020 online program.
As an interdisciplinary scholar and author with a background in Religious Studies, Art History, and Philosophy, and currently a Visiting Scholar with the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion (BCSR) at the University of California, Berkeley, I have always been interested in new ways of learning, teaching, and mentoring. We now find ourselves at a crossroads in our approach to conferencing. The 2020 conference, which relied largely upon an online platform but also included mini-meetings and hybrid virtual-actual modalities, has broadened our view of how we at the AARWR can connect to scholars in our region, our nation, and our world. Over the course of the 2020-2021 year, especially in light of the precarious relationship to physical health that we have all now found ourselves in, we expect to explore the virtual world as a likely means through which we will continue to share our scholarly ideas and collaborate with one another in the future.
I am excited that Dr. Jonathan Lee, Past President of the AARWR and longtime AARWR member, has rejoined our Board of Directors, this time as the incoming Regional Coordinator. Furthermore, I am honored to work with the wonderful individuals of our entire Board, as well as with all of our unit chairs. I am deeply moved by the goodness they have shown to me over this past week.
Thank you and I look forward to serving you this year.
Best wishes,
Anna M. Hennessey, Ph.D.
Visiting Scholar, Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion
University of California, Berkeley
Book: Imagery, Ritual, and Birth: Ontology Between the Sacred and the Secular
