North American Conference May 2025 (update: registration open now)

Update: Registration is open for the Annual Spring EENA Conference this year hosted in Toronto May 8-10, 2025; The Call for Proposals is extended for both on ground and online tracks.

The Ecclesiology and Ethnography Network is a global community of scholars working at the intersections of theology and ethnography. Together with Regis-St Michaels College, Toronto School of Theology, and 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 University; Natalie Wigg-Stevenson, Emmanuel College; and Christian Scharen, Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago.  Expect a collaborative space of generous learning and supportive critique.

This conference is being co-sponsored by Regis-St. Michaels College, Emmanuel College, and the Toronto School of Theology.

Register Now for EENA in May

• External Link for Conference Registration
• External Link for Accommodation Reservation
  • When booking, please write ‘Ecclesiology & Ethnography North America Conference’ in the “Booking Comments” section.
• Call for Papers

Registration Information

As in previous years, registration costs will be tiered based on need. Please consider which ‘tier’ best reflects your current resources and capacities (i.e., if your earnings are in a lower tier, but your family earnings are much higher or, alternatively, your earnings meet a higher tier but you live in a very expensive city.) We will depend on enough people paying the higher tiers to help those who can’t afford to pay as much, so please consider this when making your choice.

Please note that conference costs are in Canadian Dollars ($CAD). As of late January 2025, $1 USD = approximately $1.44 CAD, and $1 CAD = approximately $0.70 USD. Keep in mind these rates will fluctuate.

• Tier 1: You receive institutional support to cover all or most of your costs (for employed faculty and graduate students) — $195 CAD (approx. $135 USD)
• Tier 2: Your annual earnings are over $105,000 CAD ($75,000 USD) — $155 CAD (approx. $107 USD)
• Tier 3: Your annual earnings are between $58,000-$105,000 CAD ($40,000-$75,000 USD) — $115 CAD (approx. $80 USD)
• Tier 4: Your annual earnings are below $58,000 CAD ($45,000 USD) — $75 CAD (approx. $52 USD)
• Tier 5: You will attend online only — $25 CAD (approx. $18 USD)

We don’t want anyone to be excluded from participation because of economic need, so if you want to attend in-person and the $75 CAD tier remains too high for you, please contact one of the conference organizers to request a bursary. Please note we are limited in the number of bursaries we can offer.

Meals and Dietary Considerations

Conference registration includes dinner on Thursday, May 8 (day 1) and lunch on Friday, May 9 (day 2).  There are several reasonably priced options to choose from near our conference location for dinner on Friday and lunch on Saturday.

For those staying at Victoria University, daily breakfast is provided. See the ‘accommodations’ section below for more detail.

If you have dietary restrictions or needs, please indicate them when you register.

Conference Registration Form Accommodations

Accommodations

Victoria University (part of the University of Toronto) has a limited number of dorm-style rooms available for those attending the conference. They are located within a 10 minute walk of all conference spaces, and must be booked individually through Victoria University via this link. When booking, please write ‘Ecclesiology & Ethnography North America Conference’ in the “Booking Comments” section. 

These rooms are available at a first come, first serve basis. Please secure your room as quickly as possible before March 7, 2025. The rates are by far the most affordable you will be able to find in downtown Toronto, and at the location the most accessible to the conference site. 

There are two types of rooms available:

• Single occupancy (single bed; $115 CAD/per night)
• Double occupancy (two single beds; $153 CND/night).

Other important information:

• Rooms do not have private washrooms. Shared washrooms are available on each floor.
• An all-you-can eat breakfast is included, as well as fresh linens and towels.
• Payment for the room, as well as a damage deposit ($250CAD per room per guest), is due on or before check-in on May 8, 2025. The damage deposit will be fully refunded after check-out if no damage or if no excessive cleaning is required.
• If you would like to pay for your accommodation before check-in, request a credit card authorization form by emailing accom.victoria@utoronto.ca

Book a Room Call for Papers

Please sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on future conferences.

Conference Organizing Group

Rev Dr Christian Scharen, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; Dr Natalie Wigg-Stevenson, Emmanuel College; Dr Easten Law, Overseas Ministries Study Center at Princeton Theological Seminary; Dr Rachelle Green, Fordham University.

Hosts

Toronto School of Theology in Toronto, CA and the Ecclesiology and Ethnography Network.