I’m wondering why they’ve embedded this approach in a humanoid form, rather than through an animated avatar on the cellphone for example. Perhaps the physical presence of the robot creates a kind of relationality (e.g. authority figure) that a computer application couldn’t do?

I’ve cribbed some of it below - but drop by her site for the full details.

Call for Papers for Edited Book on CHURCH AND NEW MEDIA: PERSPECTIVES, PRACTICES AND FUTURES
Editors: Pauline Hope Cheong, Peter Fischer-Nielsen, Stefan Gelfgren and Charles Ess

Background and Rationale
This book brings together, for the first time in five years, a collection of key articles in the area of religion and the Internet, particularly as new media relates to church, mission and interfaith dialogue. In light of the increasing mediation of everyday life in many parts of the world, this book approaches online religion with a fresh perspective, to account for contemporary developments in media and spirituality, with implications for faith and other civic organizations.

Arguably, as institutionalized religions and movements rush to leverage the Web to improve their reach, religious communication on the Internet takes an increasingly significant role alongside more traditional venues for such discourse. It may be, however, that religious use associated with new media problematizes established faith rituals, and religious community building in both its conception and operationalization. Changes in the Church can also
be conceived as intertwined with a range of other forms of social and political developments, such that new media acts as an agent and practice to challenge and transform the influence and authority of the Church. Furthermore, as ³new² media is a moving target, there may be past concepts that are more able to explain the nature of church life (such as evangelical
mission and systematic theology) or new concepts that are being developed that are better able to address the diversity and complexity of contemporary social and religious life (such as the ideas of social networking, viral marketing and church branding).

This edited collection aims to address and inform such issues and debates by offering new empirical, theoretical, and theological insights into how religious life continues to transform and be transformed by these new communication technologies. Current contributors, together with the editors, include Knut Lundby, Heidi Campbell, Mark Johns and Jørgen Straarup.
We hereby invite proposals for additional chapters (particularly in the historical and theological sections as explained below) that will complement and expand upon these contributions.

Theology After Google | Transforming Theology

Of all the topics in ethics class last year, this one was the one most hotly debated by the students. Touches nerves on so many levels, I think, and not just theologically or spiritually.

ERMA200223 - Application to develop in containment genetically modified goats, sheep and cows to produce human therapeutic proteins, or with altered levels of endogenous proteins for the study of gene function, milk composition and disease resistance

You can find all the relevant documents (which are all quite an interesting read) at the ERMA web site here (scroll down to ERMA200223).

I enjoyed AAR more this time than my first time last year (in Chicago). I knew a few more people, and Montréal was a nicer place to get around on foot. The weather was good (just like Auckland in mid-Winter) and dry, and there were some good bookshops etc. near my hotel which were good to browse in the gaps between doing conference things. Plus the conference was based on the edge of Old Montréal so I got to have a wander around there a bit.

The conference felt a little smaller than last year (and I think numbers were down a little), though having the conference in the spacious Palais des congrès de Montréal may have helped that. The facilities were good, it was nice to have almost all the sessions on one place, there was food etc. available in the complex, and it was connected to the ‘underground city’ tunnels etc. There seemed to be a good number of international attendees (over 700, I think) which was good, and I enjoyed the International Breakfast on the first day.

My session and presentation went okay, I think. I had a couple of good questions and some discussion afterwards, and I also attended a session on religion and popular culture that looked a transhuman themes too. I enjoyed some of the religion, media and culture sessions, and dropped into several on online learning and practical theology that also had some good points.

Also, had some serendipitous encounters with people that I’d only made contact with through email and blogs before. Plus some meals with other people that I’d jacked up in the time before the meeting. If I return next year to the meeting in Atlanta, I’ll have more scope for doing that again.

The book exhibits etc. were a little disappointing this year. Perhaps the combination of the meeting being held in Canada, plus the lower numbers and the economic situation that seems to have affected purchases etc. meant that some publishers weren’t there this year, and also a lot of stalls didn’t carry stock for sale, just for order (at least until the last morning of the conference when display copies were being flogged off). Still picked up some interesting volumes - just need the time to read them.

I was a little disappointed at the last day of the conference, when sessions were still on but most people seemed to have headed home. The pre-meeting meetings seemed much better attended, so I ghosted through a few last sessions.

Travel to the conference was relatively trouble-free, though I won’t be doing the 9 hour layover in LAX between flights again if I can help it (and I can get the uni travel agent to sort things out better). I was too tired to want to venture off into LA (esp. without someone else to come along for the ride), but there isn’t much (anything!) to do around the airport. Was glad to get home after 27 hours of travel to Auckland.

Anyway, back to work tomorrow (and to write a report about my trip). Looking forward to semester being finally over and then heading into a longish vacation over the Christmas break.

Photos attached below (Click to see larger pictures)

Old Montréal

Old Montréal 2

Old Montréal 3

Montréal cityscape - looking back from Old Montréal

Palais des congrès de Montréal

I’m still trying to reduce my finished paper in size. Still too long, but if I talk to my paper rather than read it verbatim it should be fine. However, I’ll spend some time on the place highlighting what might be summarized and then print out a shorter version at the hotel.

I’ll know a few more people there this year - as opposed to last year when I knew no-one - so I’m hoping to catch up with some of them over the conference.

In particular this special issues aims to explore the relationship between online and offline forms of religious practice and community. Key questions include:

• What is truly unique about the performance of religion online?
• How is the practice and conception of religion online connected to offline practices, communities and institutions?
• In what ways does religion online reflect trends seen offline in religious culture and practice?
• How do these transformations connect with issues of globalization and glocalization?

You can read the full CFP over at When Religion Meets New Media: CFP: Special Issue on Religion and the Internet: The Online-Offline Connection.

Related link - article seen today - Religion moves online | Stuff.co.nz