Religion and Cities Unit and Religion, Genocide, and Holocaust Unit

The Afterlife of Catastrophes in Cities

We encourage submissions that explore the afterlife of catastrophes in cities. Memories of violence are hidden in plain sight—in architecture or city planning—while other remnants of violence are not so hidden, as in public ruins or through monuments. Religion plays a role in both perpetuating this violence as well as providing space for healing and reconciliation. Guiding questions may include but are not limited to: How do communities “remember” in these spaces? How does the afterlife of catastrophes in cities, as opposed to other community arrangements, impact religious and political collective memory? What are the ethics of memory? What performative or ethical difference, if any, is there among preserved ruins versus hidden violence versus memorials? And what lessons might we learn for these when thinking about the afterlife of contemporary crisis?