Canadian Theological Society

Call for Papers

Annual Meeting

Monday, June 17 – Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Montreal, Quebec

Note: The 2024 Canadian Theological Society (CTS) annual meeting will be part of the Congress of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences hosted by McGill University in Montreal. In order to encourage increased interaction among attendees, CTS strongly encourages in-person participation. Online access, however, will be made available for presenters and participants.

Theme

The theme of Congress 2024, Sustaining Shared Futures, confronts us with the reality that we exist within a web of interconnectivity, not only with all of humanity and nature today, but with infinite generations stretching into the future. As theologians, we are called to reflect on our work in this expansive context, and to consider the place of our traditions in this interconnected web.

The Congress statement reads:

“While alarming images of a warming planet infuse the concept with a critical sense of urgency, ‘sustainability’ transcends even the immense challenges posed by climate change, urging recognition of the interconnectedness of human existence and global action on the overlapping social, economic, environmental, and technological issues that threaten our future.

As members of the global community, we share the responsibility to take on this multi-faceted challenge of a lifetime by way of concerted action across disciplines, bringing into focus its unequal impact, the bounds of our planet, and in turn, our solutions.

For this 2024 edition, enmeshing the knowledges of diverse contexts, and amplifying Black and Indigenous perspectives, Congress invites scholars, students, policymakers and community members to reflect on what remains collectively attainable – and what must be done – in the face of this vast and complex imperative in order to bring forth solutions for today, and sustain systems of tomorrow.”

What tensions exist between the global and the local, and how might this influence our perception of the relationship between the present and future generations? What is the place of Canadian Christianity, churches, and theological schools in addressing global challenges? What is a sustainable vision for ecclesial institutions and local congregations in the context of a Canadian religious landscape characterized by increasing religious and nonreligious diversity? What does it look like to create structures that preserve social relationships grounded in decoloniality, anti-racism, justice, economic redistribution, and environmental justice, while promoting the prosperity of all today? In the face of increasing inequality in resource distribution, what do justice and the common good look like, and what is the place of reparation in redressing such imbalances? How can we expand our theological understandings of justice to address the evils of environmental racism, and the disproportionate impact on marginalized peoples as well as the planet? How do scripture, tradition, and the history of Christianity speak into questions of sustainability across generations and contexts? What is a Canadian response to the papal encyclicals Laudato si’ (2015) and Laudate Deum (2023)? How might dialogue with Indigenous peoples inform a sustainable present and future for all? The Canadian Theological Society invites reflection and engagement on questions such as these.

We are seeking to create meaningful space for diverse viewpoints and a profound reckoning with white supremacist forms of knowledge production, social structures and ways of life, while making visible decolonial, anti-racism, queer, and critical disability perspectives. We welcome theological papers engaging a variety of religious, cultural and racialized perspectives, including especially Indigenous, Black, Latina/o/x, Womanist, 2SLGBTQIA, Marxist, and non-religious theologies/spiritualities. Given the theme of conversation, we also are particularly eager to explore theologies outside of mainstream Christianity, such as post-/decolonial, anti-racist, environmental, and animal studies.

We also welcome proposals on other topics in theology, and in all of the theological disciplines, including biblical, pastoral, systematic, philosophical, moral, and practical theology. The Canadian Theological Society is committed to providing fair representation of Canadian diversity within and beyond the theological community. Women, Indigenous, and Black scholars as well as members of other underrepresented groups are therefore especially enjoined to submit proposals.

Proposal Formats

The Canadian Theological Society invites proposals pertaining to these and related themes in two formats:

Individual Presentations (10-12 minutes)

Though the conference will be taking place in person, this year we will not follow the traditional 20/20 format. We rather invite presentations of 10-12 minutes that will be part of roundtables involving 3 presentations and 20 minutes of discussion. Typically the presentation will be an account of a larger research project. In addition to academic papers, presentations may take the form of artistic expressions, such as performance or film, incorporation of images with the Pecha Kucha 12×12, or other creative formats. Since members work in a variety of fields and specializations, attention should be given to presenting advanced work in an accessible way.

Presentation Submissions

Submit a proposal that includes:

• Title of presentation;

• Proposal of a maximum 250 words (with word count), which includes an abstract, the problem your scholarship engages, and the contribution you plan to make;

• Format of presentation, including indication of need to display slides, images, or videos (PowerPoint or other format);

• On a separate page, please include: Presenter’s name, institutional or professional affiliation, and contact information.

Conference sessions will not be recorded.

Group Panels (50 minutes total)

We invite panels on issues that are relevant to members, especially as related to the theme of the annual meeting. Panel proposals should be developed to include diverse voices and perspectives and foster dialogue among the panelists as well as with those attending in the audience. We discourage panels that consist only of reading several papers. We encourage panels that explore alternative formats for engagement and discussion.

Panel Submissions

Submit a proposal that includes:

• Title of panel;

• Length of panel (total of 50 min, including 30 min for presentations and 20 min for discussion/conversation);

• Proposal of a maximum 250 words (with word count), which includes an abstract, the problem your scholarship engages, the contribution you plan to make, and how you plan to foster dialogue among panelists and audience;

• Format of presentation, including indication of need to display slides, images, or videos (PowerPoint or other format);

• On a separate page, please include:

  • Convener’s name, institution, and contact information. The convener will be the link between the panel and the CTS;

  • Names, institutions and contact information of all members (max. of 4) of the panel;

  • Either the name and contact information of the moderator, or a request that CTS provide a moderator.

Conference sessions will not be recorded.

Proposal Submission Process

All proposals should be submitted in a Word or PDF file by email attachment by January 31, 2024, 5 p.m. ET to: canadiantheologicalsocietyinfo@gmail.com. Presenters whose first language, or whose primary language for work, is not English are invited to submit their proposal in their preferred language along with an English translation.

We will confirm receipt of all proposals submitted by email. If you do not receive such an email confirmation within three days of submitting your proposal, contact Meghan Bowen at meghan.bowen@mail.utoronto.ca

Presenters will be allowed to give only one paper. Due to the limited number of sessions, the selection process may be more selective than in previous years.

Selection Criteria

In selecting proposals for 10-12 min presentations or for panels, the committee will consider:

- The clarity and significance of the proposal;

- The quality of the contribution to scholarship;

-The relationship of the presentation to the thematic focus of the annual meeting;

- The contribution of the presentation to a diversity of perspectives and approaches;

-The potential for inspiring discussion and engagement among the members.

Our goal as a Society is to foster collegial discussion of the work of CTS members and other Canadian theologians. All presenters and attendees are encouraged to participate in as much of the program as possible. All presenters must be members in good standing of the CTS prior to the Annual Meeting. Membership dues must be paid prior to registering for the conference. We welcome all members, students, and other interested persons to join us this year.