Program Unit In-person November Annual Meeting 2026

Christian Systematic Theology Unit

Call for Proposals

The Christian Systematic Theology Unit invites proposals for individual papers or complete panels on diverse themes in the broader field of systematic theology. While we welcome proposals that ground arguments in pre-existing texts from various traditions and discussions, papers should be constructive rather than merely historical.

This year, we especially invite proposals related to the AAR presidential theme of future/s, including but not limited to:

Eschatology, in conversation with:
- Futurism, pessimism, afrofuturism, afropessimism, utopianism, diystopianism
- Possibility and the possible
- Hope and hopelessness
- Redemption, salvaging, memory
- Nature, grace, and human/divine agencies
- Newness, transformation, continuity
- Creativity and theological aesthetics
Time/s, including:
- Theological approaches to time, history, patience
- Linear progress, cyclical returns, quantum openings
- Ground-up emergence vs. inbreaking
- Finitude, limits, boundedness
- Contingency
Human future/s, exploring:
- Love, community, thriving, survival
- Promise/promising
- Theological approaches to trauma and loneliness
- Theologies of justice
The future of systematic theology, considering:
- How to do (what) theology?
- Non-theological sources for theology
- Theological analysis of critical theory sites
- Science-fiction and systematic theology
- Exotheology
- Death of theology

Co-sponsorship: Christian Systematic Theology & Open and Relational Theologies Units-Imagining Liberative Futures

Statement of Purpose

This Unit promotes constructive work in Christian systematic theology that is in dialogue with the historical Christian theological traditions on the one hand and with all aspects of the contemporary context on the other — intellectual movements, methodologies, multiple theological and religious perspectives, and ethical/social/political contexts.

Co-Sponsor
CO-SPONSORSHIP: Christian Systematic Theology Unit and Open and Relational Theologies Unit	View

Chair	Mail	Dates
Kevin Hector	khector@uchicago.edu	2026/01/01 - 2031/12/31	View
Natalia Marandiuc	nmarandiuc@uls.edu	2020/01/01 - 2026/12/31	View

Steering Member	Mail	Dates
Andrea C. White	awhite@uts.columbia.edu	2021/01/01 - 2026/12/31	View
Andrew Davison, University of Oxford	andrew.davison@theology…	2025/01/01 - 2030/12/31	View
Joseph Flipper	jsflipper@gmail.com	2024/01/01 - 2029/12/31	View
Judith Wolfe	judith.wolfe@exeter.oxon…	2021/01/01 - 2026/12/31	View
Lisa Powell	powelllisad@sau.edu	2026/01/01 - 2031/12/31	View
Sameer Yadav, Baylor University	sameer.s.yadav@gmail.com	2021/01/01 - 2026/12/31	View

Review Process: Participant names are anonymous to chairs and steering committee members until after final acceptance/rejection

Our unit performs a two-tier review process. First, each proposal is read by two members of the committee, who score the proposals and write comments. Secondly, the entire committee reads the proposals whose average score from the first round of reviews is 3 or above; these proposals receive further scores and comments from the whole committee. We discard the proposals with a score below 3. During these two stages of review proposals are anonymous to the committee, with the exception of co-chairs. Finally, the co-chairs decide which proposals to accept, taking into consideration the highest scores, the sessions' themes, and a diversity of presenters in each session.