Nineteenth Century Theology Unit

In 2026, we will have three sessions:

Religion and Nationalism

The Nineteenth-Century Theology Unit is inviting paper proposals for a session on the intersections of religion and nationalism. We are interested in exploring the role of religion(s) in nation-building, the influence of religious traditions on emerging national identities in various countries (e.g., France, Germany, and Russia), the connection between religion and revolution, the concept of Kulturkampf, the relationship between church and state, and the impact of religious conflicts on political culture. Contributions may analyze the viewpoints of theologians from different countries and religious traditions, offering new perspectives that will facilitate future dialogue on the subject. 

A  co-sponsored session with the Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit

Theology Bridging East and West During the “Long Nineteenth Century”

The objective of this session, co-sponsored with the Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit, is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among scholars working in theology, philosophy, religious studies, history, literature, and cultural studies. The session will explore the complex and often understudied interactions between nineteenth-century Western philosophy and religious thought and Eastern Orthodox theology in the “long nineteenth century” (1789-1918), in both their historical reception histories and in their theological relevance for contemporary discussions of relevant sources.

We welcome both historically grounded studies and constructive or synthetic proposals that demonstrate the ongoing relevance of nineteenth-century philosophical theology for contemporary theological discussion. Papers appropriate for the session might include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Reception histories of German Idealism and Romanticism in Eastern Orthodox theology, including figures such as F. Dostoevsky, V. Solovyov, P. Florensky, S. Bulgakov, S. Frank, or N. Lossky, especially in dialogue with Western interlocutors such as J. Möhler, F. Schelling, G. Hegel, F. Schleiermacher, J. Newman, or S. Kierkegaard.
• Interactions between Orthodox thought and Western schools of thought (e.g., ressourcement, Oxford movement, Tübingen school, French Catholic mysticism, etc.)
• Earlier nineteenth-century Orthodox engagements with Western modernity, including thinkers such as St. Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow, Alexei Khomyakov, Ivan and Pyotr Kireevsky, and the broader Slavophile tradition
• The role of personalist philosophy across Eastern and Western religious philosophy and theology
• The reception of deification in Russian theology
• Aesthetics, literature, symbolism, and religious imagination after Immanuel Kant
• Ecumenical dialogue in nineteenth-century philosophical theology, including patristic retrieval movements in both East and West and emerging visions of tradition, conciliarity, development, and doctrinal renewal

A  co-sponsored roundtable with the Religion in Europe Unit 

Handbook of Religious Culture in Nineteenth-Century Europe

This roundtable brings together scholars of religion and history to consider the concept of “religious culture” in Europe during the long nineteenth century. Moving beyond an exclusive focus on institutional or doctrinal histories, participants will emphasize religious culture—how religion was lived, practiced, reflected, and contested in daily life, art, education, politics, and urban spaces. Engaging with what some scholars call a “religious turn” in European historiography, the discussion will highlight the enduring role of religion in shaping life during this time. 

The panel will feature invited panelists.