 "The RLA project has fostered over several years a place where
academics, artists and those who appreciate the artistic quest can come together to share and learn from each other. Our conferences and our series of books and collected conference papers have sought to highlight the best in both academic work and comment upon the arts with a strong, but not manditory, focus on the spiritual and the religious. As usual our 8th international conference will investigate the interface of art and religion, there will be an emphasis on Australian studies and this year we hope to encourage a look both at the suburbs and the opening up of our culture to the world, a sign of which is Australia's increasing understanding of Buddhism. The title of the conference alludes to Hanif Kureishi's first novel (1990) and captures some of the spirit we hope to achieve in this weekend of delights, that Kureishi went on to edit the Faber Book of Pop only adds to our glee in building a conference around the themes of multiculturalism, pluralism, the popular and the suburban experience. We hope you will attend."
 Specific interest has already been generated in the following areas:
1. Spirituality and Australian Literature
Veronica Brady (University of Western Australia) "Patrick White and the Suburbs of the Soul"
2. Pop Psychology
David Russell (University of Western Sydney) "A Religion of Experiential Meaning Rather than of Dogma in Times of Popular Culture"
3. Depth and Surface in Visiual Comminication particularly in youth culture
Lorraine Bower (Wesley Institute for Ministry and the Arts) "Paper with Images: Abstract Visiual Engagement"
4. Pre-Adult Literature and Spirituality
There will be at least one session dedicated to Children's literature at this year's conference with a special interest on the works of Philip Pullman.
5. Australian Contemporary Art.
There will be both art displays and papers given on recenbt developments in Australian Art
6. Buddhism and Drama.
Olivia Rawlings-Way, "The Path of Return Continues the Journey - Thich Nhat Hanh's Metaphysics in dramatic and Poetic Form."
7. Religion and Comics
Ian Drummond, "Superheroes, Entelchy and Imagination in Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery"
8. Sufism and Popular Persian Culture
Milad Milani: "The Value of Sufi Inheritance: The Role and Significance of Mystical Poetry as a Medium of Popular Culture for Persian Sufism."
And much much more!
Please get your absracts and/or registrations to Carole and Chris as
soon as possible:
Carole Cusack
Chris Hartney:
Or mail to:
RLA
Department of Studies in Religion
Woolley A20
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
Sydney, Australia
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