Appel à Communications
The Canadian Society for the Study of Religion (CSSR) invites proposals for our 2026 Annual Meeting, to be held at St. John’s College, University of Manitoba, from Saturday, May 30 to Monday, June 1, 2026 with an online component on Friday, June 12, 2026.
This year, CSSR is holding its annual meeting outside of Congress and in conjunction with the Canadian-American Theological Association (CATA), Canadian Society of Church History (CSCH), and the Canadian Theological Society (CTS).
Thème
The theme of the Annual Meeting is Common Places, Contested Spaces: Religion in Canada and Beyond.
Religion takes shape in both common and contested spaces—whether in communities, institutions, or the wider public sphere. In Canada and beyond, the study of religion navigates shifting cultural, political, and intellectual landscapes, even as the discipline itself occupies precarious positions within the academy. This year’s CSSR Annual Meeting invites participants to reflect on how place and context shape religious traditions and the study of religion more broadly. We encourage contributions that examine the resilience and innovation of religious studies programs, religious institutions, the evolving role of scholarship in public life, and the ways in which faith and knowledge intersect in contemporary society.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Innovative approaches to teaching and research in religious studies
- Public engagement, outreach, and the dissemination of scholarship
- Adaptation and resilience within religious communities amid social, economic, or political pressures
- Intersections between religion, technology, and societal change
- Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives on contemporary religious life
- Negotiations of belonging and displacement, and how scholars engage contested debates in public life
Together, we will explore what it means to study and practice religion in Canada and beyond, highlighting both the challenges and the possibilities that emerge from contested spaces.
Format
The meeting will be held in person from May 30 to June 1, 2026, with an online component on Friday, June 12, 2026 Breaks for networking, lunch, and other gatherings will be included. All sessions will be limited to 90 minutes.
While we will do our best to accommodate participants’ modality preferences (in-person or virtual), please note that we may not be able to fulfill all requests due to scheduling and logistical constraints.
Les propositions
We welcome proposals on all aspects of teaching and research on religion and culture from a variety of academic perspectives, especially proposals related to the theme.
- Individual Papers: Works in progress or shorter scholarly papers. Individual papers will be grouped into panels of three presentations, with 20 minutes per presentation followed by 10 minutes of discussion.
- Panels: Organizers may propose panels on a topic of their choosing with no more than three presenters and one moderator. Panels can extend over two sessions (up to six presenters total).
- Roundtables: Focus on an issue, book, or individual’s body of work. Roundtables consist of three to five presenters plus one moderator, followed by discussion with participants and the audience.
Participants may present one paper as principal author and may also chair a session and participate in a roundtable.
Les propositions comprennent les éléments suivants:
- Papers: Name, institution, address, phone, email; paper title; 150-word abstract.
- Panels: Contact info for organizer and participants; panel title; 150-word panel description; 150-word abstract for each presenter.
- Roundtables: Contact info for each participant; roundtable title; 150-word abstract (no abstracts needed for individual presentations).
Requests for specific session times and modalities must accompany proposals; we will do our best to accommodate them. Changes cannot be made once the program is finalized.
Deadline: Proposals must be submitted electronically through the CSSR Submission Portal by December 15, 2025. CSSR Membership confirmation is required to access the submission portal. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
Inscription
All presenters, respondents, and moderators must be paid CSSR members for 2026. Membership runs from January 1 to December 31. Join or renew your membership on the CSSR website.
Inscription for the 2026 Annual Meeting is required. Details on how to register will follow in the new year. Please stay tuned.
Important: Proposals from participants whose CSSR membership is not current as of January 31, 2026 will be disqualified.
Acceptation des propositions
L'acceptation des propositions se fait par courriel. Les organisateurs de groupes d'experts et de tables rondes sont chargés d'informer les participants.