CO-SPONSORSHIP: Childhood Studies and Religion Unit and Practical Theology Unit
“Do we have a theological future?” Lessons to be learnt from Children & Adolescents
The 2026 Presidential theme; “Future/s,” reminds us of Nelson Mandela’s often quoted remark, “The future belongs to our youth.” Children and youth ministry have been largely positioned within the discipline of practical theology internationally and in many local contexts of theological education. Ironically, there is still much theological reflection required through the lived realities and experiences of these youth. Perhaps the call for more interdisciplinary engagement among and with practical theologians is overdue? The 2026 Presidential theme calls for a re-visioning and imagining the future of practical theologies that take the place and voice of children and young people seriously.
This call invites participants to consider: Are we able to critically assess and help build futures for which we hope? What do these futures look like when we prophetically listen to children and young people? How are children and young people themselves envisioning their futures; might they be asking simply, “Do we have a future?” How do practical theologians and practitioners envision and live into the futures that they might imagine for younger generations, including childhood, (as active participants or protagonists of the present moment)? How are sub-disciplines of practical theology (religious education, spirituality, pastoral care/ministry, homiletics, empirical theology, congregational studies, et al.) and faith practices engaging these questions? What do we know about children and young people and their beliefs in the future? This has numerous implications for theology, political engagement, mental health, activism, and more. We invite proposals from both scholars and practitioners.
The Practical Theology Unit regards practical theology – a discipline committed to bridging theological reflection and lived reality – uniquely positioned to offer critical insights and transformative practices to these important questions, and the Childhood Studies & Religion Unit aims to investigate the complex and multifaceted relation between religion and childhood functions as a forum for focused interdisciplinary and interreligious dialogue about the diverse relations of children and religion. As a co-sponsored session, we invite proposals for brief presentations that integrate these topics.
Session Format
The session will be designed to allow for interaction and shared reflection. We welcome formats that are not purely linear presentations — for example, short inputs combined with discussion, practice-based elements, or small experimental components. We will consider empirical work with and among children and young people. We also invite research that engages positive frameworks of children and young people and not merely deficit approaches to these. Submissions from a range of practical-theological and interdisciplinary contexts are encouraged.