Call for Seminar Papers

General guidelines

In keeping with the general short papers call for the conference, we request that abstracts of up to 250 words are submitted by no later than 14 December (17:00 GMT) to the relevant stream(s) using the submission form at the bottom of this page once this opens in October 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by the selection panel by the 15th of January. All speakers must be booked by 29 January 2027 in order for their papers to be added to the conference schedule.

There is one submission form for all seminar streams. Please indicate on the form the primary stream you would like to be considered for, as well as any additional streams that you would be happy to present in (maximum of three). Successful applicants may be invited to present at a different stream than they applied to; all decisions will be notified by the 15th of January.

Please note that delegates are invited to present a maximum of one paper at the annual conference, which includes across seminar streams and short papers sessions, to ensure that more researchers are given opportunities to present their work and to ensure that the conference works towards its inclusion and access aims. Thus we would encourage you to think carefully about submitting more than one paper. Regardless of the number of submissions, a maximum of one proposal per individual will be accepted.

Seminar stream convenors will review submissions by following an anonymous review process. Authors’ names and identifying details will be redacted during the selection process.

1. Asian Theologies

Convenors: Audrey Quay, Nuam Hatzaw, Oscar Siu 

This stream provides a space for critical and constructive engagement with Asian theologies in its diverse forms, contexts and communities. It invites reflection on what makes Asian theologies ‘Asian’ and what makes them ‘theological’, while attending to the cultural, religious, historical and geographical diversity of Asia.

We invite papers from all areas of theology, as well as interdisciplinary work engaging Asian cultures, philosophies, religions, histories and lived experiences. We also welcome papers addressing contemporary social, economic, political and technological questions in Asian contexts, the relationship between theology and Asian churches and Christian communities, and theologies emerging from Asian diasporic communities, including British Asian contexts.

For 2027, in keeping with the conference theme, What is Theology?, we especially welcome papers that consider how Asian contexts, questions and resources might challenge, enrich or reshape understandings of theology, its methods and sources. Questions might include: What is theology in Asian contexts? How do Asian cultures and experiences shape theological inquiry? Must theologies in Asia be understood exclusively within Christian frameworks? How might Asian theologies respond to contemporary challenges such as artificial intelligence and regional conflict?

We also invite reflection on the relationship between Asian theologies and Asian diasporic theologies. What theological questions emerge through migration, displacement, race, memory and belonging? How might we engage in theological reflection on Asian diasporas in the UK and elsewhere? More broadly, how might Asian theologies, in their plurality, contribute to reconsidering what theology is?

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• Relevance to Asian theologies and/or Asian diasporic theologies.
• Clarity and originality of the argument.
• Potential to contribute to theological scholarship and dialogue concerning Asian contexts, questions, communities and resources.

2. Black and Womanist Theology

Convenors: Dulcie Dixon McKenzie, Valentina Alexander

This stream is a vital platform for both emerging and established scholars to engage critically and creatively with Black and Womanist theologies. Rooted in the urgency of lived Black experience, it invites theological inquiry that confronts and reimagines systems of power, resistance, and liberation. We centre the voices, histories, and spiritualities of Black communities, while interrogating how race, gender, class, and other intersecting forces shape theological narratives. This is more than an academic exercise—it’s a call to action, rooted in theologies that demand justice, healing, and transformation. This year, we especially welcome papers that speak to the theme Theology and Failure — examining where Black and Womanist theologies encounter, reinterpret, or resist the failures of dominant theological frameworks, institutions, and socio-political systems.

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• Engages with Black and/or Womanist theological methodologies in a rigorous and reflective way
• Demonstrates a clear commitment to praxis grounded in Black lived realities
• Offers bold, innovative critiques of white supremacy and hegemonic theology through a Black and Womanist lens

3. Christology, Trinity, and Doctrine of God

Convenors: E. S. Kempson, TBD

This stream focuses on three classic but closely related theological loci: Christology, Trinity, and Doctrine of God. Paper proposals may focus on one of, the intersection of, or combination of any of these three loci. We welcome a variety of theological approaches, including (but not limited to) systematic, dogmatic, constructive, biblical, philosophical, practical, contextual, and historical theology. We also encourage students from a variety of backgrounds to submit paper proposals. 

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• Relevance to the Christology, Trinity, and Doctrine of God stream
• Clarity of thesis as well as rigor and coherence of argument
• Originality combined with judicious application of scholarly practice

4. Church, Theology and Ministry

Convenors: Julie Gittoes, Danny Pegg

This seminar provides space for participants to reflect on the life and ministry of the church – within a particular denomination or tradition or from the perspective of the development of ecclesiology as a doctrine.  This might include work on ministerial practice and orders, questions relating to worship and witness or concern for mission or ecumenical relations.  We particularly welcome papers from those in ministry, including ordinands, as well as students and those working within the academy from a variety of backgrounds.

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• Commitment to theological engagement with, and resourcing of, the life and ministry of the church;
• Clarity of thesis as well as coherence and rigour of the argument;
• Potential to contribute to the field through research and reflection on practice – including papers which are works progress.

5. Ecotheology

Convenors: Caleb Gordon, Tim Middleton

Ecotheology describes an area of study concerned with the whole ‘household’ of creation, articulating the theological significance of its interrelated nature while providing critique of the human activities which lead to environmental, social, and ecological breakdown. In this stream, we invite papers from a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives, including ethics, philosophy, systematic theology, world Christianity, religious studies, indigenous theology, practical theology, and more. Noting that blame for the climate crisis is not evenly distributed and that the consequences of ecological collapse are often felt by those least responsible, we are keen to receive papers that address ecological justice and its intersection with issues of gender, race, and class. Whilst critical, this stream also aims to be constructive, and we are especially interested in papers that build towards actionable theological initiatives or revised theological formulations in conversation with established doctrines and existing traditions.

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• Clarity and rigour of the paper’s proposed argument
• The originality of the proposal
• Engagement with a diverse range of voices on an issue of ecological concern

6. Queer Theology

Convenors: Chris Clare Dingwall-Jones, Mark Russ

The queer theology seminar exists to explore the theologically generative nature of LGBTQIA+ experience. The seminar promotes the contributions, past and present, of LGBTQIA+ persons and perspectives to modern discourses within the field of theology. This seminar provides a safe and constructive space to challenge the marginalisation of queer people within the church and academy.

Proposals for papers should explore the intersection of LGBTQIA+ lives and the various fields broadly construed as theology. Topics may include (but are not limited to) queer identity and queer relationships in different contexts, as well as queer approaches to theological motifs and practices. We particularly encourage papers that are attentive to pan, poly and trans perspectives. It is not a requirement to identify as LGBTQIA+ to contribute to this stream.

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• Originality of proposal and clarity of argument.
• Relevance to the queer theology stream.
• The extent to which the proposal develops the field of queer theology further through exploring the intersection of LGBTQIA+ theology and theologians with other disciplines or further developing existing ideas and theologies.
• Whilst we acknowledge the ongoing importance of denominational apologetics for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, we are less interested in these kinds of arguments for this seminar stream.

7. Philosophy and Theology

Convenors: Marika Rose, Nomi Pritz-Bennett

This seminar focuses on the intersection of philosophy and theology; philosophical approaches to theology, theological engagements with philosophy, and explorations of the way in which theology and philosophy have shaped and continue to shape one another. We are open to submissions which engage with both analytic and continental philosophy. We especially welcome submissions which critically engage the role of white supremacy, Eurocentrism and colonialism in forming the Western philosophical and Christian theological traditions, or which engage with non-Western philosophical traditions. We are particularly interested in work which explores the relationship between philosophical abstractions and social and political issues such as race, gender, or class.

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• Clarity and originality of abstract
• ‘Fit’ with the seminar theme and with other submissions

8. Sacramentality, Liturgy, and Theology

Convenors: Kirsty Borthwick, Karen O’Donnell

Please note that the Sacramentality, Liturgy and Theology seminar stream is resting in 2027 and not accepting submissions for this year.

This theological stream welcomes papers addressing sacramental and liturgical theologies broadly construed, including those taking both historical and contemporary approaches. We particularly encourage papers that are attentive to power dynamics and a diversity of voices, and those that are interdisciplinary. This theological stream seeks to provide space for reflection on both practice and theory.

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• We are looking for papers which demonstrate clarity and clear coherence with the stream’s scope and which show promise of developing new ideas, lines of research, or approaches to key themes
• We welcome ‘papers in process’ as well as finished pieces of work, for those seeking opportunities to develop their writing.

9. Disability, Mental Health and Neurodiversity

Convenor: Hannah Waite

This stream provides a space for theological engagement with disability, mental health and neurodiversity across the breadth of Christian theology. The stream begins from the conviction that disability, neurodiversity and mental health are not simply topics for theological reflection, but perspectives from which theology itself may be reconsidered, challenged and renewed.

We invite papers from all areas of theology, as well as interdisciplinary work engaging fields such as psychology, psychiatry, healthcare, education, and disability studies. We are especially interested in papers that engage with experiences of disability, mental health, and neurodiversity alongside questions of theological anthropology, including personhood, embodiment, cognition, flourishing, vulnerability, dependence, and the image of God, as well as broader theological questions concerning suffering, healing, community, vocation, and belonging.

For 2027, in keeping with the conference theme, What is Theology?, and the first year of this stream, we especially welcome papers that consider how disability, mental health and neurodiversity challenge and enrich theological methods, sources, practices and understandings of theological knowledge. Questions might include: Who is recognised as doing theology? Whose experiences and voices are heard as theological authorities? How have assumptions about reason, cognition, capacity and normality shaped theological reflection?

Selection criteria for abstracts:

• Relevance to the Disability, Mental Health and/ or Neurodiversity.
• Clarity and originality of the argument.
• Potential to contribute to theological scholarship and praxis concerning disability, mental health and neurodiversity.

10. Theological Ethics

Convenors: Margaret Adam, Jenny Leith

The Theological Ethics short paper stream provides a space for participants to reflect on the interactions between Christian theology and ethics. We welcome papers addressing any aspect of these interactions. For example, papers might engage contemporary, medieval, or patristic theology perspectives with ethical issues including: animal welfare, artificial intelligence, autonomy and agency, borders and identity, climate change and the environment, criminality, detention, disability studies, feminism, gender and sexuality, genetic engineering, global health, international development, medical ethics, populism, post-colonialism, queer theology, race and ethnicity, refugees and asylum, social justice and equality, socio-economic issues,  substance ab/use, and more. Papers topics may draw on particulars of Christian theological ethics or on relationships between Christian and other theologies’ ethics.

Selection criteria for abstracts – we will select papers for presentation based on:

• The originality of the proposal
• Its relevance to the theological ethics stream
• The anticipated likelihood of its argument being of interest to those working in theological ethics
• A subject sufficiently concise to fit in a short paper session.

11. Theology and the Arts

Convenors: Devon Abts, Steve Wright

The Theology and the Arts seminar strand seeks to foster dialogue between scholars and practitioners who are working on any aspect of Christian theology and any strand of the arts. Papers may treat visual art, architecture, and urban space as well as literature, music, film, dance, theatre, and more—from any historical period or geographical region. We aim to ensure as rich an interdisciplinary set of engagements as possible, to include perspectives from a wide variety of contexts, and to make space for the insights of different ecclesial and theological traditions. 

Selection criteria for abstracts – in selecting papers, we seek a balance between: 

• Early-career and established scholars
• A variety of art forms
• A variety of academic and/or ecclesial affiliations

12. Theology and Science

Convenors: Mark Harris, Tobias Tanton

Please note that the Theology and Science seminar stream is resting in 2027 and not accepting submissions for this year.

Submission portal

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