All time are listed in Eastern Time Zone.
Thank you to all our sponsors! Click on their links below!
Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion
The Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture
The Institute for Religion, Media and Civic Engagement
APRIL (Association for Public Religion and Intellectual Life)
Indiana University Press Journals
RNA (Religion News Association)
Search the Online June Annual Meeting program book with keywords, participants' names, program unit or seminar name, etc.
A robust and lively conversation on the place of beauty at this troubled moment, its links with freedom, practice and truth, by a panel of emergent and legendary scholars of South Asia.
Desirable Belief: A Theology of Eros is a critical and constructive work informed by the phenomenon of erotic love. The Christian tradition has long associated passion with sin, shame, and narcissism; whereas contemporary theologies of eros extol sexual desire as a sacred endowment. This book eschews these two extremes. Margaret Kamitsuka examines how the complexities of love, desire, freedom, constraint, and deferral are narrated in biblical texts, allegorized by church fathers, manifested in the lives of mystics, analyzed in psychodynamic theory, and depicted in poetry, literature, and Christian art. The book demonstrates how taking eros seriously impacts foundational Christian doctrines.
Employing theoretical, historical, and sociological arguments, Pluralizing Humanism moves beyond the discourse of critique. It engages theories of religion and secularism, as well as postmodern, postcolonial, and decolonial critiques of Western humanist projects, to uncover the ideas and practices of religious and secular humanisms when they challenge dehumanization in the pursuit of conditions of flourishing for all. Through studies of the Solidarity movement in Poland and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, Jakelić demonstrates the centrality of humanist traditions to the emergence of religious-secular solidarities that transformed the political landscapes of the world. By highlighting the instances in which humanisms functioned as checks on each other’s absolutist claims, the book contends that humanisms supply a constructive path for addressing the challenges of our time—a time of radically divided societies and intolerant, even violent, forms of nationalism.
The papers in this panel re-think the category of philosophy by engaging with the philosophical dimensions of identity, wisdom, and mourning through particular cultural lenses. The first paper examines Gillian Rose’s complex relationship with Derrida, positing him as a representation of "aberrated mourning." It highlights Rose's preference for "inaugurated mourning," drawing connections to early Christian theology while critiquing Derrida's relation to the halakhic figure of the agunah. The second paper explores Glikl’s Yiddish writings, considering how her reflections on “living well” challenge Greek philosophy by promoting a distinctly Jewish wisdom. The paper illustrates how Glikl's writing serves as a philosophical practice aimed at achieving this “counter-philosophy.” The third paper analyzes Frantz Fanon’s analysis of Sartre, examining the role of religion in defining humanity within colonial discourse. The paper explores how Blackness is negotiated through comparison to Jewishness and the entangled narratives of exclusion and fetishism in European modernity. Together, these papers contribute to ongoing discussions of philosophy, identity, and cultural critique.
Joining recent conversations around the work of the British philosopher Gillian Rose, I consider Rose's engagement, not with Hegel, Marx, or Adorno, but with a figure she repeatedly held up as the embodiment of everything she did not want her philosophy to be: Derrida. As a character, I argue, Derrida is crucial to Rose's distinction between the twinned -- enemy -- processes of "aberrated mourning" and "inaugurated mourning." Epitomizing the former, Derrida repeats, for Rose, the halakhic figure of the agunah: the wife deserted by her husband, stuck in a state of waiting for him to return. Through her rejection of the Derridean agunah, I show, Rose articulates her vision of inaugurated mourning -- a vision, she suggests in a footnote, modeled on John Climacus's inaugurated eschatology. I take the footnote seriously, tracking the ways in which Rose's turn to Judaism -- through Derrida -- is bound up with a turn to early Christian theology.
Between 1691 and 1719, the wealthy Jewish merchant Glikl composed a text in Yiddish to document her life and give advice to her children. The form has widely been remarked upon as unusual (Moseley 2006; Davis 1995). Yet these debates on form largely overlook the philosophical questions that underlie her work, which I argue meditate on what it means to “live well.” Glikl’s approach to the question of “living well” relies on her interrogation of Greek philosophy and her preference for something else, what we might call Jewish wisdom or “counter-philosophy” (Bielik-Robson 2014). I show how Glikl’s account of Jewish wisdom responds to what she views as the insufficiencies of Greek philosophy. Next, I show how her embodied practice of writing becomes the method for achieving this wisdom. After critiquing philosophy as a way of life, I show that Glikl demonstrates how writing about life can be a philosophical practice.
Examining Frantz Fanon’s references to religion and fetishism in Black Skins, White Masks, this paper argues that religion is central to his conception of the human in Western colonial discourse, and to his conception of the Black as what the human excludes. Drawing on his analysis of Sartre’s Anti-Semite and Jew, it shows how the role of religion in articulating Blackness is negotiated through comparison to Jewishness as another fetishized object of European modernity.
The papers in this session will discuss the Quaker response to the Holocaust and the Cold War.
This paper presents a survey of some of the narratives that have been told about Quaker efforts to offer assistance to refugees from Nazi Europe. It argues that many of those narratives are startlingly unsophisticated. The paper will focuses in large part on particular on a novel--Christopher Isherwood's The World In Evening--that presents a more nuanced--and therefore more compelling--portrait of Quakers who tried to assist people who were fleeing Nazi Europe.
During the early years of the Cold War Quakers became increasingly engaged in diplomacy both formally and informally. In this paper presentation I will explore the relationship between Quakerism and diplomacy. I will show how individuals, motivated by religious belief, worked tirelessly to produce a “Quaker concept of international cooperation.” Indeed, over the course of the twentieth century, the tenor of Quaker organizing shifted from providing ostensibly apolitical humanitarian aid to participating in a complex web of advocacy and activism. I will argue that as Quakers worked to change the world, the world of international politics in turn changed them and their international political agendas.
Fritz Eichenberg (1901-1990) and William Hubben (1895-1974) were two Quakers who maintained a deep engagement with the writings of Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Dostoevsky was highly influential on Eichenberg's work as a book illustrator. He provided illustrations for six major Dostoevsky novels over the course of his career.
Hubben wrote extensively about Dostoevsky including in his book, Four Prophets of Our Destiny, later published as Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Kafka.
Eichenberg and Hubben maintained correspondence in the 1950s and 1960s. The fruits of their engagements with Dostoevsky are complementary as Hubben articulates in writing perspectives on Dostoevsky while Eichenberg's illustrations provide a sustained graphic meditation.
In this paper, I will elaborate on points of commonality between these two Quakers who were prominent readers and interpreters of Dostoevsky's work, particularly on his theme of suffering and resistance under an oppressive government.
The papers in this session examine the role of race and gender in selected sports and how religion informs this intersection. The idea that sports constitutes a "color blind meritocracy" and the fact that the sports world has become the primary site for political arguments over transgenderism inform the critical tone of these essays.
As the most decorated gymnast in history, Simone Biles inspired millions through awe-striking acrobatic feats on the grandest competitive stages. Among the sources of Biles’ motivation to compete and strive for excellence is her Catholic faith. In this paper, I will examine Biles’ public statements about her Catholic upbringing, its connections to her record-breaking talent, and the challenges she endures as a world-class African American gymnast.
Likened to the Olympic Games for amateurs, running the Boston Marathon is a coveted goal that has become increasingly difficult to achieve. How people “earn” a spot in the race is not without controversy. Rhetoric in marathon communities about the deserving vs. the undeserving, and hard work versus luck or natural talent, mimics the age-old religious question of grace versus works, and how salvation is reached. The recent inclusion of a category for non-binary runners has increased such debates, and gender non-conforming athletes are maligned for taking the spots of more “worthy runners.” Several religious groups have also openly opposed the inclusion of transgender and non-binary athletes in sports, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This raises the question of who is “worthy” and if anyone has a God-given right to race, which has critical implications for the future of the sport.
This paper examines how Christian theology responds to the commodification of Black bodies in sports and society by integrating Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theological anthropology, James Cone’s Black liberation theology, and Gary Green II’s ethics of Black athleticism. Bonhoeffer’s concept of the human as “being-for-others” affirms relational dignity, while Cone’s critique of white supremacy exposes the systemic objectification and control of Black athletes. Green’s Playing the Game (2025) introduces “embodied brilliance” as a form of athletic resistance, offering a vision of Black personhood beyond commodification. Together, these perspectives critique American sports culture’s distorted views of embodiment, labor, and personhood, while reimagining athletics as a space of communion rather than exploitation. This paper argues for a theological vision where grace, play, and relationality define human engagement in sport, challenging structures that reduce Black bodies to mere instruments of entertainment and profit.
This session explores the connection between religious trauma and deconversion for survivors of sexual abuse and LGBTQ+ individuals. Living within and then leaving a traumatizing religious environment can lead to profound spiritual crisis, struggles with gender and sexual identity, and radically transformed narratives about the self, family and community. Drawing on in-depth interviews with LGBTQ+ young adults in the US, queer adults from evangelical backgrounds in the Netherlands, and women survivors of clerical sexual abuse in Chile, these papers provide a nuanced examination of the process of deconversion. What mental health challenges – and opportunities – do survivors of religious trauma have to navigate? What resources do survivors of trauma draw on to find resilience and alternative sources of spiritual support? Seen through the lens of queer theory and theology, how can deconversion – perhaps more aptly called deformation, or un-formation – support flourishing?
Religious Trauma & Deconversion
Queer individuals raised in evangelical environments often face challenges reconciling their sexual or gender identity with their religious beliefs. Evangelical churches, influenced by fundamentalist views, typically reject ‘practicing’ LGBTQ+ individuals. While some promote ‘unconditional love,’ this acceptance is often limited, particularly regarding same-sex relationships. This qualitative study explores the deconversion experiences of queer individuals from evangelical backgrounds in the Netherlands through in-depth interviews with 10 participants. It examines how they navigate the dual challenges of leaving their evangelical environment, confronting religious trauma and embracing their queer identities. This paper investigates how they reclaim agency, challenge traditional religious narratives, and construct new, inclusive identities. This paper aims to fill gaps in existing literature on religious disaffiliation, highlighting the intersection of queer identity, deconversion, and personal empowerment, while providing insights into the mental and physical health implications of leaving one’s faith.
This paper presents findings from an ethnographic study of women survivors of clerical sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Chile, exploring their struggles with faith in the aftermath of trauma. The first section addresses the survivors' crisis of belief, examining how sexual abuse shatters their trust in Church authorities, doctrines, symbols, and rituals. It investigates how survivors reconstruct their images of God, seek alternative spiritual sources, and develop new rituals aimed at healing and meaning-making. The second section shifts focus to the ecclesiological and communitarian dimensions of survival, critiquing clericalism and its patriarchal structures. It explores how these women form new communities of solidarity within, in the margins, or outside the Church. The paper emphasizes the spiritual resilience of these women in creating spaces of belonging and communal support, in the aftermath of experiences of violence, exclusion, and marginalization within the Catholic community.
How do our various social identities shape our religious formation—and deformation? This paper examines the intersections between gender and sexual identity, religious faith, and feelings. Through an analysis of over twenty in-depth interviews conducted with LGBTQI+ college students and recent alum, a striking theme emerged: those who narrated struggles with their faith reported higher levels of self-acceptance and well-being, and retained some form of spirituality. Conversely, those who did not report struggle reported lower levels of well-being and lower levels of spirituality. Placing interview data in conversation with queer theologies and affect theories, this paper argues that, and examines how, formation towards flourishing calls for embracing unformation, and its attendant bad feelings—how intrasubjective formation calls for encouraging and supporting disidentification and desubjectivation, and considers what that looks like in terms of spiritual and religious identity.
The traditional classroom can feel rigid and uninspiring, locked into predictable rhythms of lectures and reading lists: lecture, read, grade, repeat. But what if pedagogy was a dynamic, immersive practice—one that sparks curiosity, fuels creativity, and transforms learning into something truly alive? This session reimagines pedagogy beyond rote tradition, showcasing innovative approaches that deepen critical engagement and empower students to embody their learning. We'll explore strategies that honor multiple ways of knowing by treating the classroom as a space of discovery rather than mere content delivery. Participants will leave with practical insights for designing courses that embrace creativity, dialogue, and imagination, equipping students to engage the world with fresh eyes and deeper purpose.
This panel explores how American faith communities navigate current political, cultural, and organizational challenges in the post-pandemic landscape. The first paper uses two national election surveys to analyze religious voting patterns in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, providing insights into how faith traditions, ethnocultural identities, and culture wars shape electoral politics. The second paper relies on a survey of 25,000 church attendees from fifty denominations to illustrate how congregational life has evolved since the Covid-19 pandemic. The third paper utilizes interviews to examine narratives of child-rearing among Episcopalian parents, focusing on how theologically inclusive frameworks balance freedom and moral guidance in religious socialization within families. The last paper uses mixed-methods to explore how American Zen Buddhist communities navigate organizational and generational changes during a clergy shortage. Together, these papers offer a nuanced, data-driven account of how U.S. religious communities engage with shifting political and social climates.
This paper examines the nature of religious influences on vote choice in the 2024 US presidential election. Using the 2024 iterations of the American National Election Study and the Cooperative Election Study, we consider the relative influence of traditional "ethnocultural" religious voting and more recent "restructuring" factors. We put our findings in historical context, comparing 2024 findings with those for presential contests since 1936. We also weigh the direct influence of religious traits on voting, controlling for social class, education, gender, age and other important factors.
Five years after the pandemic, how are church attenders perceiving and understanding church life and the changes in this reality? How have their experiences of corporate worship changed compared to pre-pandemic? What are the routines and rituals of those who worship virtually? This paper explores these and other questions using survey data from 25,000 attenders gathered in fall 2024. While much is known about how congregations have fared post- pandemic, little research has focused on the people currently occupying the pews, whether in-person or virtually. This analysis explores the different perceptions of those joining in the past 5 years, compared to long-timers, discusses the challenge of multiple church loyalties, and explores the commitment patterns of those who only attend in-person, hybrid attenders, and those who attend entirely online. It offers a unique look at a segment of congregational life that is seldom explored but is essential for organizational flourishing.
Dominant discourses in the United States valorize religious choice, but parents often want to pass on their faith and guide their children to the benefits of religion. This paper asks how highly religious mainline Protestant parents negotiate between the desire to transmit their faith to their children and the desire to encourage their children’s freedom to choose. Using over 140 qualitative interviews, we analyze parents’ talk about spiritual goals for their children, strategies for faith transmission, and reflections on directiveness versus allowing choice. Do parents hope that their children will adopt the faith in which they are raised? Where do parents feel comfortable imposing religious expectations on their children, and why? Answers to these questions shed light on the complexities of religious parenting in a cultural context that values theological openness and inclusivity.
This paper presents the findings from part of a larger study on organizational changes in American Zen Buddhist communities. It focuses on varying responses to organizational challenges brought by declining number of students joining these religious orders. I examine the integral role played by clergy training in the operation of Zen communities through the detailed study of one Zen community. I then discuss how four Zen communities responded to declining interest among Zen students to enter priest training and the implications of their different strategies. These cases sheds light on the various paths through which the rise of lay ministry in spiritual communities takes place and the continued struggle by these communities to define the clergy’s role as Buddhism becomes more Americanized.
This session, cosponsored by the Black Theology unit, the Karl Barth Society of North America, and Womanist Approaches to Religion and Society, focuses on M. Shawn Copeland’s book and engages key issues in Black theology, Womanist thought, and the topic of freedom. Panelists will include M. Shawn Copeland, Willie Jennings, and Andrea White.
