Academic CV
This may be of interest to you… it may not. At least it will provide me with motivation to update my CV as and when it changes, and encouragement that I have been actually doing something over the last few years…
You can also find me on Academia.edu: http://edinburgh.academia.edu/ChristopherCotter
Last Updated: 14 March 2012
Christopher R. Cotter MA MSc
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Founding Editor and Podcast Co-Host:
The Religious Studies Project (January 2012 – present)
(www.religiousstudiesproject.com)
An innovative podcast and website project designed to disseminate knowledge about Religious Studies to the general public and undergraduate students. We have currently recorded 15 podcast episodes, on a variety of topics, with Donald Wiebe (University of Toronto), Armin Geertz (Aarhus University), Carole Cusack (University of Sydney) and James Cox (University of Edinburgh) amongst others.
Deputy Editor and Bibliography Manager:
Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network (NSRN) Online (August 2011-Present)
EDUCATION
MSc by Research with Distinction in Divinity (Religious Studies)
University of Edinburgh (Submitted August 2011, Graduated November 2011)
Thesis Title: Toward a Typology of ‘Nonreligion’: A Qualitative Analysis of Everyday Narratives of Scottish University Students [Supervisor: Dr Steven Sutcliffe].
A full pdf of this thesis can be accessed through my Academia.edu page.
Included auditing two research methods courses in the School of Social and Political Science: Research Design; Research Skills in the Social Sciences: Data Collection.
MA (Hons) Religious Studies with First Class Honours
University of Edinburgh (2006-2010)
Honours Courses:
A People Apart? Explorations in Modern Jewish Thought
African Voices in the Study of Religions
Islam and the Challenge of Modernity: Critical Issues in Shari’a Law
Key Figures in the Study of Religions
Martyrs, Virgins and Hell’s Angels: Islamic Eschatology in Context
New Age Religion
New Indigenous Religious Movements
Sociology of Religion
The Body in Islam
The ‘Jew’ in the Text: Representations of the Holocaust and Jewish Identity
Dissertation Title: Consciousness Raising: The Critique, Agenda and Inherent Precariousness of Contemporary Anglophone Atheism [Supervisor: Dr Steven Sutcliffe]
MEMBERSHIPS
British Association for the Study of Religions (2010 – Present)
British Sociological Association (2012 – Present)
British Sociological Association: Sociology of Religion Study Group (2012 – Present)
European Association for the Study of Religions (2010 – Present)
Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network (2009 – Present)
Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (2011 – Present)
PUBLICATIONS ( * = peer-reviewed )
2013 (forthcoming). Edited with Abby Day and Giselle Vincett. Social Identities between the Sacred and the Secular. Surrey: Ashgate
2011*. “Consciousness Raising: The critique, agenda, and inherent precariousness of contemporary Anglophone atheism.” International Journal for the Study of New Religions 2 (1): 77-103.
2011. Conference Report on the Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network’s “Qualitative Methods Workshop”, Tuesday 14 December 2010. Available at http://nsrn.net/events/events-reports/ (Published June 2011).
REVIEWS
Forthcoming. Willi Braun and Russell T. McCutcheon (eds), Introducing Religion: Essays in Honor of Jonathan Z. Smith. Fieldwork in Religion
Forthcoming. Abby Day, Believing in Belonging. Fieldwork in Religion (Submitted February 2012)
2012. Amarnath Amarasingam (ed.), Religion and the New Atheism. Journal of Religious History, 36 (1) (March 2012), pp. 118-119.
2011. Phil Zuckerman (ed.), Atheism and Secularity. Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review, 2 (1) (Spring), pp. 175-179.
CONFERENCE PAPERS ( ** = invited )
Forthcoming**. Without God yet not Without Nuance. Atheist Identities, Spaces and Social Contexts Workshop, University of Ottawa, Canada, 22-24 November
Forthcoming. New Atheism, Open-Mindedness, and Critical Thinking. Workshop for the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion and Culture, University of Edinburgh, UK, 25 April 2012.
Forthcoming. New Atheism, Open-Mindedness, and Critical Thinking. (New)Atheism, Scientism and Open-Mindedness Conference, Lancaster University, UK, 2-3 April 2012.
Forthcoming. The Inherent Inequalities of the Religion-Nonreligion Dichotomy: A Narrative Approach to Individual (Non-)Religiosity. British Sociological Association Sociology of Religion Study Group (SOCREL) Annual Conference, University of Chester, UK, 28-30 March 2012.
2012**. Discussant Summary. British Council International Symposium: What does it mean to believe?, University of Kent, UK, 8-10 March 2012.
2011. Discussant Summary: Teachers’ and Students’ Experiences and Methodological Challenges. SOCREL ‘Teaching and Studying Religion’ Symposium, London, UK, 15 December 2011.
2011. Toward a Typology of ‘Nonreligion’: A Qualitative Analysis of Everyday Narratives of Scottish University Students. Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, USA, 28-30 October 2011.
2011. Toward a Typology of ‘Nonreligion’: A Qualitative Analysis of Everyday Narratives of Scottish University Students. European Association for the Study of Religion Annual Conference, Budapest, Hungary, 18-22 September 2011.
2011. Toward a Typology of ‘Nonreligion’: A Qualitative Analysis of Everyday Narratives of Scottish University Students. British Association for the Study of Religion Annual Conference, Durham, UK, 5-7 September 2011.
2011. Nonreligion in Transition: An Enquiry into Identity, Ideology and Sources of Significance amongst ‘Nonreligious’ Students. Religious Studies Seminar Series, University of Edinburgh, UK, 23 March 2011.
OTHER PRESENTATIONS
2011. Consciousness Raising: The Critique, Agenda and Inherent Precariousness of Contemporary Anglophone Atheism. New College Postgraduate Conference, University of Edinburgh, UK, 14 April 2011.
2010. Faith in Islam. Lenten Lecture Series, Marchmont St Giles’ Church, Edinburgh, UK, 22 March 2010.
CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE ( ** = invited )
Forthcoming**. Atheist Identities, Spaces and Social Contexts Workshop, University of Ottawa, Canada, 22-24 November
Forthcoming**. Religion & Society Workshop: ‘Non-religious Identities’, Senate House, London, UK, 20 April 2012.
Forthcoming. (New)Atheism, Scientism and Open-Mindedness Conference, Lancaster University, UK, 2-3 April 2012.
Forthcoming. British Sociological Association’s Sociology of Religion Study Group (SOCREL) Annual Conference, University of Chester, UK, 28 – 30 March 2012.
2012**. British Council International Symposium: What does it mean to believe?, University of Kent, UK, 8-10 March 2012.
2012. Religion & Society: Getting Published, Funded & Employed: A Training Day for Early Career Researchers on Religion, The Wellcome Conference Centre, London, UK, 16 December 2011.
2011. SOCREL: Teaching and Studying Religion: Choices and Challenges, BSA Meeting Room, Imperial Wharf, London, UK, 15 December 2011.
2011. Religion & Society: The Interface Between Psychotherapy, Christianity and Spirituality 1945-2000, University of Edinburgh, UK, 9 November 2011.
2011. Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, USA, 28-30 October 2011.
2011. European Association for the Study of Religion’s Annual Conference, Budapest, Hungary, 18-22 September 2011.
2011. British Association for the Study of Religion’s Annual Conference, Durham, UK, 5-7 September 2011.
2011. Religion & Society: Young People and Religion, King’s College, London, UK, 18 May 2011.
2011. New College Postgraduate Conference, University of Edinburgh, UK, 14 April 2011.
2011. Critical Religion Postgraduate Conference, University of Stirling, UK, 2 March 2011.
2010. Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network (NSRN): Qualitative Methods Workshop, PPSIS, University of Cambridge, UK, 14 December 2010.
2010. Critical Perspectives on Indigenous Religions: A Symposium, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK, 27 November 2010.
2010. Aston Centre for Europe: Does God Matter? Representing Religion in the European Union and the United States, Aston Business School Conference Centre, Aston University, Birmingham, UK, 12-13 November 2010.
2010. Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies: Aspiring Academics Workshop in Scotland 2010, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK, 27 October 2010.
2009. NSRN: Nonreligion and Secularity: New Empirical Perspectives, Wolfson College, University of Oxford, UK, 11 December 2009.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Forthcoming. Preparing and delivering a fifty-minute lecture, and facilitating one hour of seminar discussion on ‘Atheism and the Rejection of Religion’, as part of the Selected Themes in the Study of Religion course for the Taught MSc in Religious Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK, 21 March 2012.
2011. Delivered a fifteen-minute paper and answered questions at the request of Dr Steven Sutcliffe on ‘Atheism and the Rejection of Religion’, as part of the Selected Themes in the Study of Religion course for the Taught MSc in Religious Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK, 2 March 2011.
OTHER ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
2012. Chaired Marat Shterin’s Keynote Lecture, “God Sent Us Lenin”: Official atheism and belief in the Soviet Union. British Council International Symposium: What does it mean to believe?, University of Kent, UK, 8-10 March 2012.
2012. Facilitated forty-five minutes of discussion on Practice of Belief. British Council International Symposium: What does it mean to believe?, University of Kent, UK, 8-10 March 2012.
2012. Chaired two parallel sessions on Content of Belief and Salience of Belief. British Council International Symposium: What does it mean to believe?, University of Kent, UK, 8-10 March 2012.
2011. Chaired and facilitated discussion on Teachers’ and Students’ Experiences and Methodological Challenges. SOCREL: Teaching and Studying Religion: Choices and Challenges, BSA Meeting Room, Imperial Wharf, London, UK, 15 December 2011.
2011. Chaired two parallel sessions on Supernatural Beings and Concepts and Religious Market and Religious Economy. Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, USA, 28-30 October 2011.
2010. Postgraduate Organiser. Critical Perspectives on Indigenous Religions: A Symposium, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK, 27 November 2010.
2010. Class Representative for The Body in Islam and Key Figures in the Study of Religions during Semester 2, 2009/2010. University of Edinburgh, UK.
2009. Class Representative for New Age Religion and New Indigenous Religious Movements during Semester 2, 2008/2009. University of Edinburgh, UK.
AWARDS
January 2012. Awarded a bursary from the British Sociological Association to contribute to the costs of attending the 2012 SOCREL Conference, University of Chester, UK, 28-30 March 2012.
October 2011. Awarded a bursary from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion to attend their Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, USA, 28-30 October 2011.
June 2010. Awarded the Gunning Prize for receiving the overall third placed degree results in the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK.
May 2010. Awarded a School of Divinity Scholarship towards tuition fees for the Academic Session 2010/2011, University of Edinburgh, UK.
April 2010. Awarded funds from the Barnson Bequest Fund towards to cost of attending the NSRN Conference in Oxford, UK.
June 2009. Awarded the Gunning Prize awarded to the overall top Junior Honours Student in the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK.
June 2007. Awarded the Prize for the best placed student in Religion 1B, University of Edinburgh, UK.
September 2004 and 2005. Awarded the Margaret Campbell Scott Entrance Scholarship for Physics, University of Edinburgh, UK.
ACADEMIC REFERENCES
Dr Steven Sutcliffe, Senior Lecturer, Religious Studies, University of Edinburgh
Associate Professor Carole Cusack, Studies in Religion, University of Sydney
Emeritus Professor James Cox, Religious Studies, University of Edinburgh
Very impressive CV. You are committed to your discipline, and I wish you the best of luck in your academic pursuits. I will be visiting this site on occasion to spark thought and conversation for a college class I teach entitled “Sport: The New World Religion?”
Thanks Ron, that is really encouraging :)