North American Academy of Ecumenists Annual Meeting

November 18-19, 2021, in San Antonio, TX

We live in the period following a successful ecumenical movement that convinced nearly all Christians that their relationship to Christ was not threatened by the mere fact of Christian difference. Decades of ecclesial dialogue and reconciliation have allowed Christian churches to proclaim the gospel together and to recognize the other as separated brethren rather than as heretics to be condemned. Mainstream ecumenical work has moved from being a dangerous crossing of heated division and become a mostly-safe, too-often-ignored branch of theological and ecclesial practice – a means of achieving institutional proximity with those we already trust and recognize.

But Christians remain divided from one another in any number of ways that reflect and enflame the divisions of contemporary society. The socio-political crises of our moment are pervasively theological, ethical, and indeed ecumenical: disagreements over race, class, gender, sexual orientation, the norms of public behavior, and national and international politics all reveal fault lines within the body of Christ. Such crises may lead to unexpected areas of cooperation between divided Christians or erupt into anger or even violence within traditions. Because these divisions are not typically interpreted as Christian division, their ecclesial entailments often receive little theological interpretation beyond yet another citation of Dr. King’s diagnosis of “the most segregated hour of Christian America.” And yet, it is of significant and underappreciated importance that all the major conflicts of contemporary North American society are (not exclusively but substantially) conflicts between Christians that constitute divisions between and within churches.

What does ecumenical experience and thought bring to the table in such a context? In what ways do ecumenical history and method equip us for disagreeing humanely and productively about public challenges with high stakes and real dangers? What principles and practices are needed today for Christians to engage each other responsibly about their differences and call one another to repentance or reconciliation? How do we discern what areas of difference actually require institutional separation or division? And how do we operate as Christians within traditions, especially when we find ourselves to be on opposing sides of polarizing divides from other members (or even leaders) of our own traditions? 

Selected papers will be presented at the Academy’s annual conference, 18-19 November 2021, in San Antonio, TX, immediately preceding the American Academy of Religion conference. Conference papers are submitted for publication to the Journal of Ecumenical Studies.

Please send an abstract of 300 words along with a CV to the NAAE programs committee at submissions@ecumenists.org no later than August 1, 2021.

About the Academy

The North American Academy of Ecumenists is a community of ecumenical scholars and activists from a wide variety of Christian traditions across North America. We promote scholarship, church life, and pastoral practice in the service of Christian and human unity and bring together ecumenists, theologians, liturgists, graduate students, church officials, clergy, religious and laity actively pursuing unity and peace.