Ecclesiology
2022 Call for Papers
Annie Selak, Georgetown Univiersity (DC)
annie.selak@georgetown.edu
Byron Wratee, Boston College (MA), wratee@bc.edu
This year’s theme,
“‘Why We Can’t Wait’: Racism and the Church” calls attention to the urgency of
our particular ecclesial moment, as well as the legacy of racism and enduring
impact in the church. The section welcomes proposals for ecclesiology-focused
papers that pertain to this year’s theme.
- In
their 1979 pastoral letter on racism, “Brothers and Sisters to Us,” the US
Conference of Catholic bishops said that the sin of racism “mocks the
cross of Christ and ridicules the Incarnation.” They challenged the church
to recognize new forms of racism and to bring those sins face-to-face with
the figure of Christ. We welcome papers in historical and systematic
theology that explore ecclesiologies that might assist churches in their
responses to underexplored forms of racism. We also invite
ecclesiology-focused papers in any functional specialty or subdiscipline
of theology that focuses on underexplored forms of racism. Papers may
explore specific ecclesial activities such as music, liturgy, arts, rites
of passage, preaching, pastoral care, youth work, social justice work, or
community organizing. We are particularly interested in papers that
examine Catholic Church’s role in inspiring, shaping, problematizing, or
resisting racism. Papers may focus on (but are not limited to) such topics
as ecclesial responses to race and police violence, issue of inclusion,
ecclesial relationship with first people/indigenous people, clergy sexual
abuse of minoritized persons, as well as issues of local ecclesial
conflicts (e.g., liturgical wars).
- One
of our sessions will be co-sponsored with the Justice & Peace section
and will focus on the work, thought, and legacy of Bishop Tom Gumbleton,
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Detroit, who has been an integral part of the
life of the Church in Detroit for many decades. We welcome proposals that
look at his legacy specifically or broadly, on topics such as the
nonviolence movement in the Church, discrimination and inclusion of the
LGBTQ+ Community in the Church, and countering racism in Church and
society.
- We
are developing a session with local church leaders to discuss racism and
anti-racism in the local church. Please stay tuned for more information on
this session.
All papers should be
conceived for an effective 20-25 minute presentation with a fifteen-minute
discussion afterward. We will also consider proposals for alternative forms of
presentation beyond standard paper presentations.
Please be sure to
address proposals to both conveners at the email addresses indicated above and
submit by December 15, 2021.