The North American Academy of Ecumenists announces a conference to be held at the Hellenic College of the Holy Cross in Brookline, MA, from November 20-21, 2025.
In 2025, the Christian Churches remember the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, along with the 100th anniversary of the World Conference on Life and Work. The last fifty years have seen major ecumenical gains, along with the development of new patterns of Christian division, that as often as not follow political, rather than purely ecclesial boundaries. The churches have long debated what was necessary for unity, while often citing the maxim of “In necessities, unity; in what is doubtful, liberty; in all things, charity.”
Call for Papers open until June 15th
Papers might consider topics including: What is truly necessary for the church’s unity? How do doctrine, ethics, and practice foster or provide difficulties for maintaining and deepening this unity? How are questions of orthodoxy, orthopraxis, and justice held together and weighted in light of Jesus’ prayer that his followers would be one?
How have communities in the past and in the present, determined what constituted a “church dividing issue”? What boundaries does doctrinal agreement set on Christian belonging, or even on Christian charity? How have communities sought to reconcile after division came to be, or not? What human and cultural practices are conducive to unity? How can we cultivate them in today’s world? How does unity relate to justice? What unity looks like from the perspective of the downtrodden and marginalized? What role is there for repentance in questions of theology and practice, and what might it mean for communities to follow Jesus’ guidance to treat the offender “like an unbeliever or a tax collector”? (Matthew 18) What does church unity look like in an era of political turmoil?
Please send a proposed title and abstract of roughly 300 words, along with a CV, to the NAAE programs committee at submissions@ecumenists.org no later than June 15, 2025.
We are pleased to offer two awards that are granted at the time of conference paper acceptance:
· The Br. Jeffrey Gros, FSC Award supports student participation in the annual conference.
· The Sr. Lorelei Fuchs, SA Award supports the participation of members of religious orders, contingent faculty, and others experiencing financial hardship.
If you belong to one of these groups and would like to be considered for an award, please indicate your interest along with your paper abstract.