Religion, Affect, and Emotion Unit
The Religion, Affect, and Emotion Unit invites proposals for panels and individual presenters that explore the affective, noncognitive, and passional dimensions of religion. We actively invite presentation formats that reimagine the space of the academic conference.
For the 2026 annual meeting, we are particularly interested in proposals that address either of two themes.
1) Presidential Theme Lightning Session: “Future/s”
Drawing on the 2026 presidential theme, “Future/s” we invite proposals for 8-10 minute papers that explore intersections of temporality, affect, and emotion. In line with our commitment to engaging diverse fields, we encourage broad interpretations of each of these concepts. Some viable ideas include the affective and religious dynamics of:
- queer futures and phenomenologies
- aberrations and ruptures in the past/present/future
- ancestorial lineages and rituals
- fascism and futurity
- divination
- cyclical and linear temporalities
- feeling (in/out of) time
- just futuring in religious studies
Along with the 8-10 minute time limit for these presentations, we welcome the playful bending of usual presentation norms and forms. As with past lightning sessions, we expect that the presentations will be followed by lively and energizing conversation.
2) How do we feel about the US these days?
Given the impact of US American political realities on our lives—in the US and abroad, in the academy and beyond—we invite proposals that interrogate their affective and religious dimensions. Possible topics include:
- US American identity and xenophobia
- Christian Nationalism, its causes and uses
- Shifts in US American global influence
- “Patriot Games” and the upcoming US sesquicentennial
- Community organizing and political movements
- Academic freedom in US American schools
This Unit provides space for theoretically-informed discussion of the relationship between religion, affect, and emotion. The Unit serves as a meeting point for conversations on the affective, noncognitive, and passional dimensions of religion coming from diverse fields, including anthropology, comparative religion, psychology, decolonial theory, gender and sexuality studies, cultural studies, philosophy, and theology. Proposals drawing on these theoretical resources to examine specific religious traditions, shifting historical understandings of religion and affect/emotion, comparative work that looks at affective forms across traditions, and broader theoretical reflections are all welcome.
| Chair | Dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Wickware | marvin.wickware@lstc.edu | - | View |
| Shea Watts | swattsphd@gmail.com | - | View |
| Steering Member | Dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Abby Kulisz | abbykulisz@gmail.com | - | View |
| Ali Noori | alinoori@sas.upenn.edu | - | View |
| Candace Jordan | cyj224@lehigh.edu | - | View |
| Leonard Curry, Xavier University of Louisiana | revdrleonardcurry@gmail… | - | View |