Lumen et Vita, the graduate theological journal of the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry, invites graduate students to submit abstracts for our 2026 Spring Conference titled, “Faith in Fractured Times.” The conference is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2026 on the Boston College Brighton Campus. Abstracts of 200-300 words should be submitted to this form by Friday, January 23. Selected presenters will deliver a 10-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute period for questions and discussion. All presentations will be given in person.
Our call for papers invites submissions from across disciplines. We welcome work that explores how people of faith navigate moments of rupture, disorientation, transition, polarization, or disunity. Papers may consider how historical, doctrinal, devotional, moral, biblical, literary, artistic, spiritual, pastoral, contemporary, or interpretive approaches—along with the embodied practices of everyday life—help bridge past, present, and future in fractured times. Papers are encouraged to address questions related to current fractures in our world or in the Church, but papers are not limited to contemporary research.
We encourage proposals from all fields, including (but not limited to):
-
Historical case studies of how communities or individuals have responded to periods of crisis
-
Theological or doctrinal reflections on fragmentation and hope
-
Liturgical, spiritual, or pastoral responses to fraction or rupture
-
Contemporary practices of faith and practical applications
-
Systematic theological explorations of fracture, unity, ecclesiology, sacramental theology, eschatology, or Christian hope
-
Biblical Studies: examinations of fracture, tension, exile, or discontinuity within Scripture and its interpretive traditions
-
Philosophical, literary, artistic, or cultural analyses from a faith perspective
-
Interdisciplinary or creative approaches that shed new light on the theme
We welcome students’ contributions and look forward to receiving their proposals.
Sam McCarthy
On behalf of the Lumen et Vita editorial team
