Please note that paper submission is not possible anymore.
Due to the continued global uncertainties of COVID-19, the conference will be conducted in a fully hybrid mode using Blackboard online technology. While we look forward to gathering in person, we are aware that some may not be able to travel or may choose not to travel. All plenary and simultaneous sessions will be conducted with live streaming through the Blackboard online learning system (advanced registration will be necessary). Papers for simultaneous sessions may be given online as arranged with the session moderators and planning committee.
We invite proposals for papers addressing decolonizing churches and theology in the Caribbean, Latin America, and their diaspora. We also welcome papers dealing with colonization in other global contexts. Closely related to decolonizing theologies are topics addressing oppressions based on gender, racial, and ethnic identities; economic inequality; social vulnerabilities; climate change and global challenges such as pandemics, neoliberalism, and the role of information technology in modern society, for which proposals are also welcomed. As Ecclesiological Investigations seeks to foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scholarship, we invite proposals for papers from historical, dogmatic, social scientific, and practical disciplines. Fostering an open ecumenism, we welcome proposals for papers reflecting all branches of Christian tradition. Proposals for papers that deal with specific case studies are welcomed, as are those that deal with comparative ecclesiologies or theologies. Finally, we welcome proposals for papers that deal with decolonization in interfaith or pluralistic contexts.
Papers for simultaneous sessions at the conference may be presented in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Papers presented in Spanish or Portuguese are to be translated in advance in English and submitted to the Conference planning committee so that they can be posted in advance, facilitating the participation in smaller sessions of those who do not speak these languages. Plenary sessions that are conducted in Spanish or Portuguese will be simultaneously translated.
All proposals are to be submitted in English, or with an English translation (if the full proposed paper is to be in Spanish or Portuguese). Proposals should be in the form of an abstract of 120 words. Please also submit a brief biographical statement of up to 70 words that includes institutional location. Sessions will be organized to allow for twenty minutes for each paper, followed by discussion, so please plan your final paper accordingly.
We will accept proposals both for individual papers or for complete sessions. In the case of the latter, we ask that one combined proposal be submitted with the names of each presenter in the longer paper description and that each of the participants also submit their individual paper proposals separately also mentioning that their paper belongs to the particular session. We recommend submissions as soon as possible as the conference program can only accommodate a limited number of presentations. The deadline for all proposals is February 1, 2022.
All submissions will receive a reply. If you do not receive a reply within four weeks of your submission you should contact us to be sure we received the proposal.
Final acceptance of papers will be conditional upon prior registration for the event. The registration fee is $150 per person / $75 for students. Limited financial aid is available for those without institutional support. For information on financial aid contact us at decolonizingchurches@gmail.com. Please note that we cannot provide assistance with visa applications other than to confirm the participation of persons who are fully registered.
Ecclesiological Investigations actively supports publication of papers that are delivered at its conferences. The network has a dedicated academic book series titled Pathways for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue that is published by Palgrave Macmillian, where selected papers from each conference are collected and published. Papers from previous conferences have also been published in the Journal of World Christianity and other academic journals.
We hope it will be possible for you to be part of our gathering and look forward seeing you in Puerto Rico in June 2022!