Skip to main content

Rice University, Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR) records

 Collection
Identifier: UA 395
Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Contents

Annual meeting agendas and minutes, correspondence and financial records of the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR), which is based at Rice University, and published the Religious Studies Review Journal, The Bulletin of CSSR and directories of faculty and religious study departments.The collection also includes the editorial meetings and publication correspondence.

Dates

  • 1969 - 2010

Conditions Governing Access

Collection open for research without restrictions, except for certain materials in the General Correspondence series. Restricted materials are indicated in the finding aid.

Conditions Governing Access

Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Rice University, Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR) records must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

The Woodson Research Center use policy is that researchers assume sole responsibility for any infringement of privacy, literary rights, copyrights, or other rights arising from their use of the archival materials. In addition to any restrictions placed by donors, certain kinds of archival materials are restricted for the life of the creator plus 50 years. These materials include, but are not limited to, student grades, transcripts, and any job applications or recommendations.

Biographical / Historical

The Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR) was a federation of learned societies founded in 1969 at Wilfrid Laurier University (Ontario). The mission of the organization was to promote scholarship, research and teaching in the area of religious studies. Throughout its history, CSSR sponsored annual meetings of its members each fall and created various subcommittees as necessary to engage new members, elect new officers or plan events. CSSR published four publications during its history. The Religious Studies Review was published quarterly as a collection of literature in the field of religious studies. The Bulletin of CSSR was published quarterly and highlighted events and activities in the area of religious studies. CSSR also published annual directories of religious departments and faculty in North America. The Bulletin and directories are no longer published.

During its history, the executive office of CSSR moved from Wilfrid Laurier University to Mercer University (Georgia), Valparaiso University (Indiana) and finally to Rice University, Department of Religious Studies. Due to steadily declining membership, the Council's members voted, in the Fall of 2008, to dissolve the CSSR prior to 2010. Throughout 2009 this process took place, resulting in Rice University purchasing the Council's quarterly journal, Religious Studies Review (RSR; which will continue to be published by Wiley-Blackwell) and Equinox Publishers, of the UK, purchasing the CSSR Bulletin and contracting a "Best of the Bulletin" collection. https://cohesion.rice.edu/CentersAndInst/CSSR/index.cfm

Extent

9 Linear Feet (9 Boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The materials in this collection have been arranged in four series as follows:

Series I: Annual Meetings and Committees Series II: Publications Series III: Financial Records Series IV: General Correspondence

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transferred by Maya Reine, Religious Studies Review Coordinator in 2017.
Title
Guide to the Rice University, Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR) records, 1969-2010, UA 395
Status
Completed
Date
2019
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA