CFP: British Nonconformity in the Long Eighteenth Century Working Group

When: June 21, 2025 in Bath

Submit abstract and brief bio by: March 31, 2025

2025 marks the 250th anniversaries which commemorate the American Revolution. Not only a period of geopolitical upheaval, it saw a transformation in the theologies and networks that had shaped eighteenth-century Dissent throughout the British Atlantic world. Notions of liberty and toleration were again brought into relief; events which were interpreted through the lens of divine providence shaped perspectives on all sides.

This conference aims to reflect upon the relationship between religious dissent and the events, characters, and narratives that informed the American Revolution. These contributions, as well as their subsequent historiographies, were subject to a myriad of interpretations on both sides of the Atlantic. As such, this period provides fertile ground for fresh considerations around our understanding of what constitutes British Nonconformity in the second half of the eighteenth century.

We invite proposals for papers on any subject pertaining to this theme, which may include:

* The crisis of imperial theologies
* Britain, America, and the Slave Trade
* Dissenting missionary endeavours and indigenous responses to the revolution
* Dissent, the Established Church, and the revolution
* Immigration
* The relationship between Dissent and Evangelicalism
* Legacies of Dissent in the British Atlantic world
* Historiographical reappraisals

This conference is hosted by the British Nonconformity in the Long Eighteenth Century, co-convened by Drs. Baiyu Andrew Song and Daniel Johnson, under the auspices of the American Society for Church History.

Please submit an abstract of 250 words and a brief biography by March 31, 2025 to c18.nonconformity@gmail.com