Neal -
   Your point is well taken.  However, I would assert that historical
archaeology is inherently interdisciplinary.  We routinely draw from research
in other disciplines to understand and interpret archaeological sites.
Depending on the context which we are investigating, we may delve into
literature from geology, history, geography, biology/zoology, sociology,
chemistry, engineering, architecture, historic preservation . . . and the
list goes on.
    John's request for papers that use "material evidence to address some
aspect of spiritual beliefs" is squarely within the domain of archaeology.
Ashmore and Sharer (1988:210) define archaeology as "the study of the social
and cultural past through material remains, with the aim of ordering,
describing, and explaining the meaning of events of the past."  The research
to be presented in his symposium will likely be of interest to scholars in
religious studies.  However, I doubt that John is concerned with making
theoretical advances in that discipline.  (Forgive me, John, if I have
overstepped my bounds here.)  Rather, it seems to me that his goal is
contributing to an understanding of the materiality of religion, ritual, and
magic as gleaned from historical archaeological contexts and I applaude his
efforts.

Deborah L. Rotman
Doctoral Candidate
University of Massachusetts-Amherst