[asa] ASA and social sciences

Gregory is entirely correct about the general absence of social science from
the ASA umbrella--at least in recent years. Twenty and esp thirty years
ago, I think there were more social scientists (as a percentage) in the ASA
than there are now. Partly, this is b/c social scientists have formed their
own organizations for relating their disciplines to Christian faith, so that
fewer remain within the ASA. There are notable exceptions--for example,
Wheaton anthropologist Dean Arnold was elected a Fellow of the ASA this
year, and we had a distinguished anthropologist (Thomas Headland) as a
keynote speaker at this summer's meeting (Dr Headland was not an ASA member
as of 2007). Years ago, sociologist David Moberg was very active at the
national level, and so was Russ Heddendorf, but that was then.

There is nothing to prevent the social sciences from having a larger role
in the ASA, but the decision is very much up to the social scientists
themselves. Some would regard history as a social science, but I don't--I
consider it one of the humanities. That makes me an even odder duck, within
ASA, than a social scientist. :-)

Please consider becoming an ASA member, Gregory. There's a lot of
discussion about Christianity and social sciences in the journal archives,
and we still do get some good essays on that today.

Ted

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Received on Tue Oct 21 09:38:01 2008