Daniel Ramirez, New History Group Leader!

Congratulations to Daniel Ramirez, the new leader of the History Interest Group for SPS. Daniel was elected to a 3 year term at the SPS 2009 meeting in Eugene, Oregon.

DANIEL RAMIREZ (PhD Duke University/Department of Religion) is an Assistant Professor in religions of the Southwest borderlands at Arizona State University. Dr. Ramirez' areas of research and teaching include religions of the Southwest borderlands and migration, with a special interest in the history of religious contact, conflict, and conversion in the Americas and in the transnational and cultural dimensions of religious practice. Of particular interest are the role of music as a religious or symbolic remittance and catalyst for religious change and the question of indigenous conversion.

2009 Meeting in Eugene

The 2009 meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies convened in Eugene, Oregon on March 26, 2009. The theme of the 3 day meeting was "Pentecostal/Charismatic Intersections: What Does the Spirit Have to Say through the Academy?". Estrelda Alexander, Pentecostal historian served as program chair. The society met jointly with the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA). Several plenaries involved members of both societies.

The History Group's parallel sessions included presentations on eschatology at Azusa Street (Larry McQueen); an re-examination of Seymour's understanding of tongues as "Bible Evidence" (Renea Brathwaite); higher education and ministerial training in early Pentecostalism (Joel Halldorf and Doug Chapman); early Pentecostalism and German Expressionist art (Jen Miskov) and issues of gender and marriage as seen in the ministries of Phoebe Palmer and Aimee Semple McPherson (Leah Payne).