Theology conferences late 2017 and early 2018

The University of South Africa will host the 2018 annual Southern African Missiological Society Conference 

My colleagues in Theology and Religious Studies will be pleased to know that the call for papers is open for both the 2017 Oxford Symposium on Religious Studies and the 2018 Southern African Missiological Society (SAMS) Conference. Both these conferences are interdisciplinary and has broad-based themes, thus opening UP also for academics in other disciplines and fields of study that want to address the themes from their unique subject fields or point of view.

The Oxford Symposium on Religious Studies will take place from 4 to 6 December 2017 at the Old Library in the Oxford University church. The due date for abstracts is 10 November and early registration ends on 16 October. Interesting topics include but are not limited to: Religion, Politics and Public discourse, Religion and gender, Religion and race, Religion and conflict, Religion and sustainability, State funding of schools, and African religious traditions.

The annual SAMS conference will be hosted at the University of South Africa from 17 to 19 January 2018 and the conference theme is: Mission and gender based violence (GBV) in Southern Africa. Possible subthemes include, but are not limited to:

·      Socioeconomic and political policies, church and mission

·         Gender inequalities and biases and the church

·         Gender emancipation and equality, church and ecumenical mission

·         Gender based case studies and missiological reflections for transformation

This theme is relevant in our current context. It provides an opportunity to wrestle with how the Christian mission is proclaimed in a context marred with GBV and other socioeconomic, political and religious injustices that perpetuate the marginalisation of women and female children. Scholarly Missiological contributions on this theme could thematically add to the transformation, africanisation and decolonilaity agendas in missiology and higher education circles.

This year, the program will also include the biennial David Bosch Memorial Lecture. Abstracts are due by 30 October.