2027 Call for Papers

John Morgan, University of Dayton

morganj16@udayton.edu

Jens Mueller, Notre Dame of Maryland University

jmueller@ndm.edu

The American Catholic Life & Thought section welcomes papers addressing the 2027 convention theme “Mary, Seat of Wisdom: Refuge and Rabble Rouser.” This section particularly encourages proposals that explore Mary’s title as “Seat of Wisdom” and how this has been realized within the United States and/or within the College Theology Society itself. Further questions and topics could include:

• Mary, migration, race, and ethnicity: How have immigrant and ethnic communities brought Marian devotions to the United States and transformed them in new contexts? What roles have Marian images, shrines, apparitions, and practices played in constructing racial, ethnic, or national identities within American Catholicism?
• Mary as refuge and rabble-rouser: In what ways have Catholic communities looked to Mary for protection, solidarity, inspiration, or courage? When has Marian devotion contributed to movements for social, ecclesial, or political change?
• Lived and material Catholicism: What can popular devotions, pilgrimages, shrines, processions, rosaries, statues, May crownings, art, music, or other material practices tell us about Mary’s place in American Catholic life?
• Mary as a contested symbol: How have competing interpretations of Mary reflected disagreements within American Catholicism over gender, sexuality, race, politics, nationalism, authority, or Catholic identity? When has Marian devotion challenged prevailing social or ecclesial structures, and when has it reinforced them?
• A (re)exploration of Chapter VIII in Lumen Gentium, “The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God in the Mystery of Christ and the Church,” in light of current Marian theology or practices in the United States.
• A comparative analysis and/or constructive engagement that puts into dialogue two or more approaches or methods or disciplines or practices that engage Mary from different perspectives. We imagine here not a mutual critique, but a mutual engagement and dialogue of how different communities approach Mary, the Mother of Jesus. This would be an excellent opportunity for a panel.
• What movements, past and current, have shaped Marian theology in the United States? Lay movements or devotions? Religious movements or devotions? Secular movements or devotions?

Proposals should be 250-500 words in length. They should include a title, one’s institutional affiliation, and any anticipated AV needs. Proposals for a panel should be 500-750 words in length and include the overall title, the general topics for each panelist, and the panel chair. Each panelist and chair should include their institutional affiliation and AV needs. Please email your proposals to Jens Mueller at jmueller@ndm.edu and John W. Morgan at morganj16@udayton.edu by December 15, 2026. Please feel free to email either of the coconveners with any questions, comments, or concerns. Scholars will be notified of acceptance or rejection by January 15, 2027.