Women and Religion Unit

Theme: Freedom

The Women and Religion Unit of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) is delighted to announce its call for proposals for the 2025 Annual Meeting, organized around the theme of “Freedom.” Inspired by AAR President Dr. Leela Prasad’s vision, this theme invites critical engagement with the multifaceted concept of freedom: its meanings, practices, and implications in religious, cultural, and social contexts. We aim to explore how women’s experiences, feminist thought, and intersectional approaches redefine freedom across diverse traditions and contexts.

We invite proposals that creatively and critically engage with the theme of freedom in ways that illuminate its possibilities and limitations. Submissions are encouraged to focus on the intersections of religion, gender, race, class, and sexuality, with an emphasis on the voices of women, non-binary individuals, and marginalized communities. Below, we outline several suggested themes and areas of focus. While these are not exhaustive, they are intended to inspire thought-provoking contributions. 

1. Academic Freedom and Feminist Scholarship

Academic freedom is increasingly under threat in many parts of the world, especially for scholars engaged in feminist, anti-racist, and decolonial work. Women, non-binary, and contingent faculty often face significant challenges, including precarious employment, limited institutional support, and cultural or political censorship. Within the field of religion, feminist scholars encounter unique constraints as they challenge patriarchal traditions and propose alternative frameworks. We encourage proposals that explore:

• The role of feminist scholarship in resisting restrictions on academic freedom.
• Case studies of institutional or community responses to the suppression of women’s voices in academia.
• Strategies for fostering solidarity and collective action among feminist scholars in religious studies.
• The intersections of academic freedom, feminism, and religious identity in global contexts, particularly in spaces where authoritarian regimes or fundamentalist ideologies impose limitations.

Proposals might also reflect on how feminist theology and praxis can create alternative academic and intellectual spaces that empower marginalized voices.

2. Women’s Rights and Freedom

Religion often serves as both a site of empowerment and a locus of restriction for women’s rights. Across traditions, women continue to confront challenges in advocating for bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and social and economic justice. These struggles are intensified for marginalized populations, including women of color, immigrants, and those living in contexts of systemic inequality. We welcome proposals that:

• Analyze feminist theological contributions to discussions of reproductive justice and bodily autonomy.
• Critique the role of Christian nationalism in shaping gender-based oppression, including its intersections with sexual violence and racial injustice.
• Explore the impact of transnational feminist movements on religious and cultural understandings of women’s rights.
• Examine alternative religious frameworks for advancing gender equity and justice.

Proposals might also engage with grassroots movements, activist practices, and transnational collaborations that offer innovative pathways for addressing these pressing issues.

3. Freedom in Indigenous and Earth-Based Religious Traditions

For Indigenous communities and practitioners of earth-based religions, freedom is often deeply rooted in relationality—with the land, the cosmos, and community. These traditions offer vital perspectives on liberation, resistance, and ecological justice that challenge dominant Western paradigms of individual autonomy. We invite proposals that explore:

• Indigenous women’s contributions to theologies of liberation, resistance, and ecological care.
• The intersections of land, spirituality, and freedom in Indigenous traditions, particularly in the context of colonial and environmental oppression.
• The reclamation of witchcraft, shamanism, and other earth-based practices as feminist and decolonial acts of resistance.
• The role of ritual, storytelling, and other non-textual practices in articulating visions of freedom.

Proposals might also consider how these perspectives can contribute to broader feminist and ecological theological discourses, particularly in the context of climate justice.

4. Intersectionality and Freedom

Freedom is never a singular experience; it is shaped and constrained by intersecting systems of oppression. Inspired by the Combahee River Collective’s emphasis on the interlocking nature of race, gender, class, and sexuality, this theme seeks to uncover how these intersections impact women’s experiences of freedom and oppression. Potential topics include:

• Theological and ethical critiques of intersecting oppressions within religious communities and practices.
• The impact of intersectionality on women’s religious and spiritual lives, particularly in contexts of migration, diaspora, and exile.
• Case studies of feminist, queer, and anti-racist movements within religious spaces that advance intersectional visions of liberation.
• Innovative theoretical frameworks for understanding freedom at the nexus of intersectional feminist and religious studies.

Proposals might also explore how intersectional approaches challenge traditional religious narratives and practices while opening space for new, inclusive theologies.

5. Historical and Regional Perspectives on Freedom

Freedom is historically and contextually situated, shaped by particular political, social, and cultural conditions. Women’s movements for liberation have often engaged with - and resisted - dominant narratives of freedom, offering alternative perspectives rooted in their specific experiences. We seek proposals that examine:

• The role of women in historical freedom movements, with attention to religious dimensions.
• The legacy of colonial and imperialist projects in shaping discourses of freedom in religious traditions.
• Connections between Boston’s historical significance (e.g., the Freedom Trail) and feminist religious movements for justice and liberation.
• Contemporary regional case studies that highlight how women negotiate freedom within specific cultural and religious contexts.

Proposals might also consider the intersections of memory, resistance, and spirituality in women’s struggles for freedom.

6. Emerging Scholar’s Voices: Collaborative Session with AAR/SBL Women’s Caucus 

Collaboration and mentoring are central to feminist and religious studies, offering vital pathways for amplifying emerging voices and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue. Together with the AAR/SBL Women's Causus, we seek to create space for such collaboration, with particular attention to emerging scholars and practitioners. We invite proposals that:

• Highlight new research and perspectives from early-career scholars on freedom, gender, and religion.
• Foster dialogue between scholars, activists, and practitioners to explore collaborative approaches to feminist religious scholarship.
• Examine the role of mentorship and intergenerational collaboration in advancing feminist theological thought and practice.
• Construct a critical analysis of freedom in intergenerational and intercultural learning for gender and religious studies using a feminist or queer theory lens.
• Explore interreligious and intercultural perspectives on freedom, emphasizing collaborative methodologies.

Proposals for these sessions might also include experimental or innovative formats that engage participants actively and creatively.