Applied and Interdisciplinary Theology - Consultation

Sandra Ham, Independent Scholar

sandra.ham9@gmail.com

Nathaniel Holmes, Florida Memorial University (Florida)

nholmes@fmuniv.edu

The Applied and Interdisciplinary Theology section is seeking papers that address the conference theme, "Mary, Seat of Wisdom: Refuge and Rabble-Rouser" and any other Marian persona. We welcome submissions that creatively address the impact of Mary on the life of the Church and its mission from the perspectives of scholars in any field who do applied and interdisciplinary theology and related work. Submissions could use an innovative or non-standard question, method, source, setting, or combination thereof.

Specific areas of interest include but are not limited to:

• Creative exploration of Mary in an applied study. For example, we would accept a proposal about the history and theological reflection upon interesting and significant stained glass windows depicting Mary in one parish.
• Creative exploration of Mary in an interdisciplinary study that combines multiple CTS section areas, and therefore, might not fit into any one section.
• Engagement with a question related to church renewal and/or personal conversion in which Marian devotion is, at first, new and unfamiliar.
• Commentary engaging reflectively with Catholic gray literature: articles from popular Catholic news and magazine websites and recent literary works including children's books.
• Exploration and commentary on the intersection of Mary, technology, society, and church/theology (including Magnifica Humanitas (2026)).

All presenters must be a CTS member in good standing to present at the conference and also attend the conference. Proposals should be 250-500 words in length and emailed to both conveners by December 15, 2026. They should include the scholar’s name, position, institution, and anticipated AV needs. Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by mid-January.