Call for Papers for The Association for the Study of Eastern Christian History and Culture, Inc.
Call for Papers:
The Association for the Study of Eastern Christian History and Culture, Inc. (ASEC) announces its eleventh biennial conference, which will take place February 19-21, 2026, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The theme is “The Natural World,” which we envision encompassing such topics as Eastern Christian ecologies, religious interpretations of natural phenomena, the natural world’s formative role in shaping believers’ religious lives, material religious culture, the relationship between nature and the sacred (e.g., holy sites), and Eastern Christian environmental activism. Papers that do not explicitly address these themes but relate to societies and cultures influenced by Eastern Christianity are also welcome. Scholars from all disciplines are invited to participate.
The conference will feature a keynote address, “Ecological Sin & Creation Care in the Anthropocene,” from Chris Durante, Associate Professor in the Department of Theology at Saint Peter’s University in New Jersey, on Friday, February 20. Deeply committed to engaging the breadth and depth of Orthodox theology, Durante has written on a range of subjects from Christian ethics to multiculturalism to biomedical ethics, all while retaining an enduring personal commitment to raising ecological awareness and academic interest in environmental ethics. Durante is a longstanding permanent Fellow of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics & Human Rights, where he serves on the Organizing Committee of the Bioethics, Multiculturalism & Religion workshops that provide a forum for interfaith and intercultural dialogue and collaboration on bioethical issues. He was also a 2021-2022 Fellow of the New Visions in Theological Anthropology (NVITA) project of the School of Divinity at St. Andrews University under the auspices of the Science-Engaged Theology (SET) initiative of the John Templeton Foundation, where his project focused on developing an Orthodox Christian science-engaged ecological theology. In recognition of these aspects of his work, he had the honor of serving as an invited speaker at Halki Summit V, hosted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, that seeks to advance cooperation amongst the world’s faiths to address environmental issues.
Either panel proposals (three or four papers) or individual paper proposals can be submitted. Send paper and panel proposals with abstracts of 100-200 words for each paper, and a brief one-page curriculum vitae for each participant to Heather Bailey (hbail2@uis.edu). The deadline for proposals is November 30, 2025.
The 2026 conference will feature a “Havighurst Center Young Researchers” workshop for Ph.D. candidates and early career scholars who are writing their dissertations or revising them for publication. Anyone wanting to participate should clearly indicate so in their paper proposal. Scholars who are selected to participate in the workshop will need to submit their completed, article-length conference papers by January 31 and will receive detailed feedback. The Havighurst Center for East European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies will cover hotel accommodations for the participants in the “Havighurst Center Young Researchers” workshop. Additional limited funding may be available to assist graduate students with travel expenses.
Questions about the conference and its venue can be directed to ASEC President Heather Bailey (hbail2@uis.edu).
ASEC is an affiliate of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.