Religion has the capacity to form intentional groups and communities as well as to mobilize agents to work for certain goals. This formation of communities and mobilization of resources to achieve goals is actually consonant with the term "formation of publics" as used by C. Wright Mills. This conference will explore the new publics of the 21st century. Publics here may be individuals and/or groups who attempt to create knowledge and/or achieve certain actions using religious ideals, beliefs, and/or symbols.

Abstracts (100-150 words) addressing the formation of new publics through these following themes are especially sought:

• Religious Institutions, Organizations and Individual Agency
  
• Religious nationalism and plurality
  
• Discourses on the sacred/secular
  
• Theology and social science discourses
  
• New religious movements, Eastern religions, alternative and conventional spiritualities
  
• Popular religiosity, religious social movements, revitalization movements
  
• Religion and diaspora communities
  
• Religion and gender relations
  
• Methods in the study of religion in modern society
  
• Religion, peace, violence
  
• The impact of traditions on religious consciousness
  
• Religion and historical memory
  
• Religion and urban modernities
  
• Global flows and religious encounters
  

Abstracts of papers on other topics and proposals for alternative formats will also be considered.

Please submit abstract before July 21, 2007 to:
both International Program Co-Chairs Ivan Varga, Queen’s University, Canada, <vargai@rogers.com> and Adam Possamai, University of Western Sydney, Australia, <A.Possamai@uws.edu.au for international papers
and to Local Program Chair: Emmanuel Batoon, University of Santo Tomas, <manny_batoon@yahoo.com> for papers submitted from the Philippines.

Enquiries: Conference Chair, Esmeralda Sanchez, University of Santo Tomas, Emysanchez2001@yahoo.com