My application for British Citizenship
6 Feb 03
Between my start with Bath Spa University College in January 1996 until May 2002, I have been employed as a Research Fellow. My duties involved developing and maintaining an international profile for the Department for the Study of Religions as well as Bath Spa University College in general. This depended on international research in my fields of Sociology, the Sociology of New Religious Movements – with particular emphasis on my specialities of the New Age and Contemporary Western Pagan movements, and Indo-European Studies. This research has been concentrated within Britain, Continental Europe (chiefly France, The Netherlands and Lithuania), North America (chiefly the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, New England and southern Florida) and India. In connection with both my research and developing the global reputation of the University College, I have attended numerous international conferences. I shall append to this letter a list of the papers I have delivered at these venues as well as talks and lectures given at other institutions. I shall also include a list of the publications that have appeared as a result of these six years of research. In 1996, the Study of Religions Department at Bath Spa University College scored a 4 out of 5 on the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE); in 2001 we again achieved a 4. Our Quality Assurance Agency (QQA) Subject Review results in 2001 were 23 out of 24.
In May of 2002, I was appointed Principal Lecturer and Director for the Centre for the Study of Cultural Astronomy and Astrology – a Study of Religions initiative for Bath Spa University College. Whilst my duties in this new capacity have changed, I am still expected to complete ongoing research, develop new projects, recruit students both domestically and abroad, and maintain a high profile for the new Centre within the international academic arena.
My maternal great-grandparents were Londoners. I read for my doctoral studies at King's College, University of London, in Theology (History and Sociology of Religion). Because of my lifelong interest in and love for Britain, it is my desire to apply for British citizenship. My intention is to continue my residency in this country and settle in London on a permanent basis. Not only do have an extensive range of friends here but also my principle academic base and connections. In 1986, I purchased my flat in London, whilst I sublet a second residence in Bath for easier access to my work site, Bath Spa University College. I have also maintained a bank account with Lloyds Bank TLC since the 1970s. I pay UK taxes, and I consider the United Kingdom to be my home. I maintain memberships in the British Association for the Study of Religion and the British Sociological Association. I am co-director for the Academy for Religious and Cultural Studies, a legal educational trust registered with the British Charity Commission. I am also a Trustee for the Alister Hardy Trust (Oxford and Lampeter), and Coordinator for the Bath Archive for Contemporary Religious Affairs housed at Bath Spa University College. I also serve since 1994 as a Member of the Editorial Board for the London-based Journal of Contemporary Religion. Professionally, I have served as an Expert Witness to the Bolton County Court and for the Wimbledon Metropolitan Police Service. I have engaged in debates with Anthony Grayling in The Guardian and have recently been interviewed by the Weston Daily Press in connection with the Sophia Centre for Cultural Astronomy. I have also been an academic contributor for Radio Four and the SciFi Channel.
All my absences from the United Kingdom during the past five years have been work related – either for research or attendance at an international conference. These I shall itemise as follows:
09/04/1998-29/04/1998
New Age research in southern Florida and delivering a talk on `New Age Meets Neo-paganism' to the University of South Florida Religious Studies Community Forum and United Pagan Allied Network, Tampa, Florida (21 April 1998).
15/05/1998-23/05/1998
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