Canadian Theological Society

Call for Papers

2025 Annual Meeting 

Monday, June 2 – Wednesday, June 4, 2025

In-person  |  George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario 

The theme of Congress 2025, Reframing Togetherness, offers the opportunity to rethink what it means to coexist with other humans, the environment, and technology.

The Congress 2025 theme reads: “With an invitation and a challenge, we aim to open a collaborative space that bridges different ways of learning and producing knowledge in order to rethink our roles and responsibilities in these times of climate and humanitarian disasters, ever-evolving technologies, social isolation, dislocation, and increasing polarization.”

The theme calls us to “model togetherness by questioning traditional knowledge hierarchies and by collaborating on fundamental- and applied-research solutions for humanity’s historically rooted problems. If communities rally around commonalities, togetherness may offer us a way to build on a foundation of diversity and heterogeneity that helps us reframe our perspectives and generate innovative solutions for enduring issues.”

• How are theologians, theological schools and churches called to rethink our roles and responsibilities in light of these concerns?
• How are we called to reframe and rework our relationships with other humans, the environment, and technology in a world marked by fragmentation, polarization, climate crisis, and rapid technological advancement?
• What models of togetherness are we called to interrogate and overcome? How can we model togetherness in ways that respect and celebrate diversity and that foster the flourishing of all?
• What theological resources exist for rethinking unity and the common good in a world marked by increasing polarization and exclusivism?
• How are we challenged to question traditional knowledge hierarchies both within the church and beyond and how are we called to collaborate with and learn from others in this process? What voices and insights have we neglected or rejected?
• How are religious believers challenged to rethink their relationships with creation in light of ecological devastation but also with those marginalized peoples most affected by it?
• How do technological advances like the rise of AI force us to reframe what it means to be human and our relationship to one another?

The Canadian Theological Society (CTS) invites reflection and engagement on questions such as these. We also welcome proposals on all topics in theology, and in all of the theological disciplines, including biblical, constructive, liturgical, moral, pastoral, philosophical, and systematic theology.

The CTS 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. We also welcome papers engaging a variety of racialized, cultural, and religious perspectives, including Indigenous, Black, Latina/o/x, Womanist, 2SLGBTQIA, critical disability, anti-racist, post-/decolonial, Marxist, non-religious theologies/spiritualities, and environmental and animal studies.

Proposal Formats

The Canadian Theological Society invites proposals in two formats:

Individual Presentations (10-12 minutes)

We 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.

Submission

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;
• Indication of need to display slides, images, or videos during presentation (PowerPoint or other format);
• On a separate page, please include:

  • Presenter’s name, institutional or professional affiliation, and contact information.

N.B.: 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.

Submission

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;

• Indication of need to display slides during presentation (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.

N.B.: Conference sessions will not be recorded.

All proposals should be submitted in a Word or PDF file by email attachment by January 31, 2025, midnight 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 Daniel Rempel at daniel.rempel@prov.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.

STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST

Canadian Theological Society /
Société théologique canadienne

Subject: “Reframing Togetherness” or another topic in theology

Eligibility: Any student currently registered in a Canadian university or theological college

Length: 15 pages, typed and double spaced (4,000 words)

Due Date: January 31, 2025 (by email)

Essays need not be written originally for this contest and may be assignments from a course in theology or religious studies. The topic, however, must be theological in nature. This year’s theme invites further consideration of the importance of confronting what prevents Canadians from building lasting, meaningful and life-giving relationships with one another, especially as we relate to other humans, the environment, and technology (for more details, please see the 2025 CTS Annual Meeting Call for Papers).

A letter or email from a member of the theological or religious studies department to which the student belongs, indicating that the student is in good standing with the university or college, must also be submitted for each applicant.

The author of the winning essay will receive: $200; an invitation to read the paper at the annual meeting of the Canadian Theological Society at George Brown College, June 2-4, 2025; payment of meeting registration fees; and a subvention for travel and accommodation costs.

Send essays by e-mail no later than January 31, 2025 to

Daniel Rempel

daniel.rempel@prov.ca

Please include with your submission: institutional affiliation, mailing address, phone number(s), and e-mail address. Submit all document via e-mail attachment in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Send letters verifying a student’s registration in a theological college or university to the above email address.