Call for Proposals

The 2026 Midwest American Academy of Religion

Regional Meeting CFP is here!

Deadline for Proposals: January 9, 2026

Conference Dates April 16-18, 2026

Conference Location Cincinnati, OH

CONFERENCE THEME + CFP

Open Call

Midwest AAR Call for Papers

Conference dates: April 16-18, 2026

Cincinnati, OH

The Midwest American Academy of Religion seeks papers, panels, and other modes of scholarly presentation that engage the academic study of religion, theology, scripture studies, or related fields; public understandings of religion; and pedagogical practices in the study of religion and/or academic theology. The Midwest AAR welcomes both AAR and SBL members to submit and present their research at our annual meeting. The Midwest AAR has more than a dozen sections organized around areas of study, theories and methods, biblical literatures and languages, and special topics in the study of religion. We are especially interested in papers and panels that enrich these sections through relevant scholarship and/or critique.

The 2026 meeting will feature a keynote address by Dr. Alicestyne Turley, author of The Gospel of Freedom: Black Evangelicals and the Underground Railroad.

As a regional meeting, the Midwest AAR is committed to providing professionalization and networking opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, contingent and adjunct faculty, independent scholars, post-doctoral fellows, professionals in a range of industries whose work engages the academic study of religion, as well as tenure-line and tenured faculty. We encourage individual paper and panel proposals from all these groups (and any not listed).

Members of SBL, SCRIPT, and other affiliated organizations are welcome to present at Midwest AAR. AAR membership is not required.

The deadline for submissions is January 9th, 2026. Please note: Papers that wish to be considered for the graduate student paper prize, the religion and ecology paper prize, or the undergraduate paper prize MUST be submitted two weeks before the conference (i.e. by April 2nd, 2026). Only conference papers will be considered for prizes, not seminar papers from which conference talks are being drawn. A separate form will be emailed to all participants for the submission of papers to be considered for prizes. Prizes will be awarded at the plenary meeting at the conference.

Please submit paper abstracts here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScs_kGtmZBU-5Ye5aOxT2nhWMgwuY1UmmqHPqZC2vzFrXLwCw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=113722376608387070902

Dr. Alicestyne Turley

PLENARY ADDRESS

This year’s keynote lecture will be delivered by Dr. Alicestyne Turley

Born in Hazard, Kentucky, prior to becoming an educator and public historian, Dr. Turley has worked in law enforcement, as a community organizer, and was the first African American administrator for the City of Toledo’s first woman mayor, Donna Owens. Also, the founding Director of the Carter G. Woodson Center for Interracial Education at Berea College, Dr. Turley is a long-time scholar of history, political science, sociology and anthropology. She obtained a master’s degree from Mississippi State University in public policy and from the University of Kentucky in American History, where she remained and graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in American History. During that time, she also became the founding director of the Underground Railroad Research Institute at Georgetown College.

“Storytelling is as American as apple pie, and very much a part of African American and Appalachian life, culture and community. I am excited and feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the professional staff of the International Storytelling Center and professional Storytellers from around the country, to share African American Freedom Stories with other storytellers and the nation.”

PROPOSAL INFO

You may submit a proposal for an individual paper or for a full panel. Proposals for individual papers should be approximately 250 words; proposals for panels should be no longer than 400 words and should indicate panelists and respondent.

This year we are especially interested in papers and panels that

relate to this year's CFP (see above)
focus on scriptural languages, literatures, and/or traditions
encourage and engage graduate education in religion and/or theology in the region

SECTION INFORMATION

The MAAR is comprised of 14 sections, reflecting a broad range of specialization and methodological approach to the academic study of religion. Please carefully consider which section best fits your paper or panel proposal and see the Sections Page for more information.

ANTHROPOLOGY + SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION

ECOLOGY + SCIENCE IN THE STUDY of RELIGION

GENDER + RELIGION

RELIGION + AMERICAN CULTURE

RELIGIONS OF ASIA

SACRED TEXTS + LITERATURE IN THE STUDY OF RELIGION

STUDY OF CHRISTIANITY

STUDY OF ISLAM

STUDY OF JUDAISM

TEACHING RELIGION

THEOLOGY, ETHICS, AND PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

UNDERGRADUATE SECTION

ADDITIONAL TOPICS

SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

Please submit your proposal through this form (linked below). Individual paper proposals should be approximately 250 words. Panel proposals should be no more than 400 words and should identify a respondent.

Submit your Proposals HERE

Direct link to form: https://forms.gle/LFH4TgnbnBbQ3WjR9

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