We learned of a
call for papers for an interdisciplinary conference on “Toleration and
Religious Freedom in the Early Modern and Contemporary World”, to be held at
the University of Cambridge in March 2019.
Toleration and
Religious Freedom in the Early Modern and Contemporary World
26 March 2019 -
27 March 2019
SG1/2, CRASSH,
Alison Richard Building, 7 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DT
Convenors
Mariëtta van der
Tol (University of Cambridge)
Carys
Brown (University of Cambridge)
John Adenitire
(University of Cambridge)
Emily S. Kempson (University
of Cambridge)
Summary
In contemporary
politics, the concepts of 'toleration' and 'religious freedom' go
hand-in-hand. However, this has not always been the case. The persistent
assumption that early modern toleration inevitably led to religious freedom has
now been substantially challenged. As recent research has recognised, early
modern toleration was often begrudging and limited; principled religious
freedom was only rarely on the agenda. It is now widely recognised in
historical scholarship that the emergence of the idea of religious freedom was
far from a straightforward narrative of the eventual triumph of religious
freedom over state intolerance and ingrained prejudice. In the light of
contemporary challenges to the meaning and scope of religious freedom, this
complex relationship between toleration and religious freedom is a pertinent as
ever.
This conference
will facilitate interdisciplinary engagement with historical narratives of
toleration and religious freedom. Convening scholars from the disciplines of
politics, history, theology and religious studies, philosophy, and law, it will
allow for a rich exploration of the relevance of early modern histories of
toleration to contemporary debates on religious diversity and the accommodation
of minority thought and behaviour. Over two days we will discuss conceptual
approaches to toleration and religious freedom as well as exploration of
specific case studies from early modern and contemporary contexts. Key
questions will include: How have uses of religious space historically enabled
and constrained religious freedom? How is this now affected by the shifting
boundaries between public and private in a digital age? What roles do religious
rituals, rites of passage, and the religious education of children play in
society, and how can they be regulated? What constitutes conscientious
objection, and who decides? Such themes demand an interdisciplinary approach;
in creating a setting for their exploration it is hoped that this conference
will prove an exciting forum for those concerned with pressing issues of
tolerance and intolerance, past and present.
Keynote
speaker: Professor Ben Kaplan (University
College London)
Call for Papers
We invite
proposals for papers relating to the above themes from scholars in any
discipline. Please send a proposed paper title, short abstract (c. 200 words),
and short biography to toleration.religiousfreedom@gmail.com by Friday 21 September 2018.
Support for
selected participants: Bursaries towards
travel expenses and accommodation may be available, subject to further funding.
Please indicate with your paper proposal if you would like to be considered for
a bursary, and if so, your expected expenses. All bursary decisions will be
made independently of paper acceptances.
Papers and
pre-circulation: Please note that the
conference panels will be structured around a short summary of speakers’
pre-circulated papers, followed by more extended discussion. It is our
intention that accepted speakers will submit papers of no more than 3,000 words
for circulation by Friday 15 February 2019.
More information
here
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