Call for Papers: Toronto 2025
Ecclesiology & Ethnography North American Conference
May 8-10, 2025 | Emmanuel College in Toronto, Canada
The Ecclesiology and Ethnography Network is a global community of scholars working at the intersections of theology and ethnography. Together with Emmanuel College in Toronto, Canada, we will be holding our third annual North American conference in May 2025. This conference will be intimate and dynamic, fostering creative conversations across diverse specialisms and learning at the intersection of qualitative research, theology, and the world church.
A sibling to the annual conference in Durham UK (which can often be difficult for North American scholars to attend due to its location and timing), we keep the community spirit of that meeting alive by prioritizing the work of doctoral students and early career scholars. This will be an excellent place to workshop one’s project as a post graduate student, early career researcher, or pastor/scholar in ministry in conversation with prominent senior scholars including Pete Ward, Durham; Natalie Wigg-Stevenson, Emmanuel College; and Christian Scharen, Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago. Expect a collaborative space of generous learning and supportive critique.
Submit a proposal
Proposals due by February 1, 2025. Notification of acceptance February 7th, 2025. Due to limited on-campus housing, preliminary registration will open mid-January. Those wishing to reserve housing must register early to assure a low-cost, on-campus housing option. Keep in mind the organizers seek to accept as many papers as possible to assure a robust conversation at the gathering.
Submission Guidelines
For our third annual EENA meeting, we invite proposals at the intersection of theology and qualitative research, and related work connected to this intersection of academic fields. Toronto School of Theology’s Emmanuel College will be the host for 2025. In relationship with Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and other religious communities, Emmanuel College equips leaders and scholars for rigorous theological inquiry and for inclusive practices of justice and care, contextual analysis, creative activity and interfaith engagement. Aligning with this commitment, we are lifting up themes focused on:
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In honour of the 10th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC)’s final report, consider issues that relate to Indigeneity, Indigenous-settler relations and theologies of the land.
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Explore ethnographic projects and methods from diverse faith traditions.
Proposals may relate in some way to the theme, and they can also be focused on other topics.
Two tracks are available: a traditional academic paper track with presentation and Q&A, and a workshop track for projects in progress, with shorter presentation time and open discussion of the projects. Therefore, in addition to more polished paper proposals, you may submit a proposal on a project in progress, an idea for a project, or methodological and theoretical considerations that do not, as yet, entail an in-process research project. Doctoral students and early career scholars are especially welcome to submit proposals.
