REGISTRATION COSTS
Conference Fee: $15.00 (payable on site)
This includes breakfast, lunch and refreshments on Saturday, breakfast and refreshments Sunday.
Banquet Fee: $25.00 (payable on site). Banquet registration deadline: April 13, 2012 (space cannot be guaranteed after this date).
Banquet Keynote Speaker: Professor James McGrath (Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana)
Keynote Title: Religion in Star Trek and Doctor Who: From a Gallifreyan God to the Enlightened Enterprise
Abstract: The treatment of religious themes and ideas in science fiction has been a focus of significant scholarly attention in recent years. Doctor Who (the longest running science fiction TV show in history) and Star Trek (a close competitor in terms of longevity when sequels and spin-offs are considered) provide an opportunity to trace how the intersection of sci-fi and spirituality has changed and evolved over the past half a century. Both shows tend to elevate scientific perspectives and regularly feature characters offering science as an antidote to superstition. And yet both depict scenarios in which mythical entities are encountered, albeit, under the guise of aliens. So is the message of these shows that science triumphs over superstitious religiosity and mythology, or is it instead that we as viewers want to enjoy the same sorts of classic mythical stories, set within the framework of an updated worldview?
Prof. James McGrath is the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University in Indianapolis in the United States. He is the editor of Religion and Science and co-editor of a forthcoming volume on Religion and Doctor Who as well as the author of several other books.
Click here to register for the conference
ACCOMMODATION INFO
Accommodations will be available on campus. Please click RELS Conference – Accommodation Form to download and follow the form’s instructions. Note: the deadline for booking accommodations is Friday, April 13, 2012.
