Ecclesiological Investigations Unit
Ecclesiologies of Freedom
In light of this year’s presidential theme of “Freedom,” the Ecclesiological Investigations Unit invites papers for a session that addresses how different Christian communities do or do not envision the life of the church in terms of Christian or human freedom. In particular, we hope to consider the diverse uses of freedom or liberty as ecclesiological categories for particular churches preserving, critiquing, or adapting Christian tradition in their contexts. Possible paper topics might include, but are not limited to:
- The distinctive ecclesiological approaches of "free churches"
- Pentecostal/charismatic revival as a means of ecclesiological liberation
- Basic ecclesial communities (e.g. in Latin America, Eastern Europe, or South Asia) and ecclesiologies of resistance to (or liberty in the midst of) government suppression
- Theological considerations of the constraining/empowering function of creeds and other fixed guidelines for belief, confession, and practice
- Ecclesiological implications of Martin Luther's "Freedom of a Christian" (and of non-Lutheran reactions to it)
- Synodality in the Roman Catholic Church (or more broadly) as a vision of ecclesial freedom
The Ecclesiology of Project 2025
Additionally, the Ecclesiological Investigations Unit invites papers that explore freedom of religion and other freedoms that recur throughout Project 2025 (Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise). How does the concept of religion at work in the document compare with the ecclesiologies of the diverse groups of Christians supporting various elements of this conservative agenda? Does Project 2025 rely upon a consistent and coherent notion of the church’s role as a ‘building block’ of a healthy society, which might require placing severe constraints on certain freedoms? Or are there multiple political theologies at play? What do the occasional references to non-Christian religious groups illustrate about Project 2025’s imagination of the role of religion in society? Does the freedom of religion promoted here for some groups result in unstated constraints on others?
Paper proposals on the political theology and ecclesiology of Project 2025 could approach the document in a general sense, or focus on specific elements of its diagnoses and policy suggestions (environmentalism as a ‘pseudo-religion’, religious organizations and labor policy, religious freedom and development, etc.), or place the document in dialogue with the ecclesiologies of one or more prominent contributors or movements (Russ Vought, Kevin Roberts, Christian reconstructionism, identity politics, etc.). We also welcome comparisons of Project 2025’s underlying political theologies and ecclesiologies with similar/related projects or visions outside of the U.S. context.
The World Christianity, Religious Conversions, and Ecclesiological Investigations units invite papers for a joint session exploring the nature of deconversion interpreted as both turning away and turning towards (i.e. deeper conversion) as an exercise of agency. One important feature of ‘deconversion’ may be a decision to leave or pull back from active association with a religious institution or a traditional faith community. How does disaffiliation function to critique or challenge religious organizations? What role does the abuse and exercise of power, especially institutional power, play in the process of deconversion? How might one consider the distinction between rejecting an institution and relinquishing a religious identity altogether?
Likewise, alternative sources of community, solidarity, and spiritual meaning may be significant pull factors that facilitate religious change. Where are people going and why are they drawn there? Following deconversion, in what ways, if any, do religious traditions still shape an individual's idea of "authentic community”? This panel seeks papers that advance our understanding of what changes and what remains the same, or even intensifies, when people find the freedom to redefine their religious belonging and turn to spiritual practices they experience as more lifegiving?
Ecclesiological Investigations Unit Mission Statement
The Ecclesiological Investigations Unit seeks to serve as a hub for national and international collaboration in ecclesiology, acting as a facilitator to support conversations, research, and education in this field. Our Unit strives to appeal to a wide range of AAR members through its inter-disciplinary nature and the way in which it crosses many academic boundaries in theology and religious studies. The Unit’s fundamental aims are as follows:
- Organizing and sharing in ecumenical, interreligious, and interdisciplinary research and discussion, bringing ecclesiology into dialogue with other sub-disciplines in theology and religious studies as well as the sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
- Equally encouraging established professionals, doctoral students and early scholars to have a platform for their research and eventual publication.
- Providing a space and a platform for emerging and marginalized voices in our field.
- Fostering diversity and inclusion in all dimensions of our work.
- Publishing the best fruits of our collaborations in journals such as Ecclesiology (Brill), the Journal of World Christianity (Penn State), and Ecumenical Trends (Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute) or in edited volumes such the Pathways for Dialogue series (Springer/Palgrave Macmillan).