CFP: Black Church Activism and Contested Multiculturalism

Call for Papers
Two day conference at Birkbeck, University of London
May 29th – 30th, 2012

This conference, which is part of an ongoing Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race, will bring together academics, church leaders, practitioners and community activists to explore the role that churches play in the construction of identities in societies where issues of race and racism are played out in the public sphere. We are particularly interested in exploring the role and place of black churches in transitional political, religious and cultural contexts. We welcome conceptual, practical and theoretical papers, individual case studies and comparative work exploring the role that churches play or could play in assisting social, political and cultural transformation in multicultural contexts.

Abstracts of 150 to 200 words are invited on the conference theme. Possible panels include:

  • Faith and Multiculturalism
  • Faith Institutions and African immigration
  • Faith Institutions and Urban Disorders
  • Religious/Political Extremism
  • Gender Equality
  • Black Identities and the Black Church
  • Faith Based Community Development
  • Black Churches and Interfaith/Intercultural Relations
  • Youth Identities
  • Crime and Social Justice

Please submit abstracts by Dec 15th to:
Dr William Ackah (Birkbeck College) w.ackah@bbk.ac.uk
Dr. R. Drew Smith (Morehouse College) rsmith@morehouse.edu
Dr. Rothney Tshaka (University of South Africa) tshakrs@unisa.ac.za
Suggested alternative panels and papers on other themes are also welcome. Please contact us to discuss further.

Registration Information
Cost: Standard – £70 Birkbeck Staff and all students – £35
Delegates will receive conference programme/pack, morning and afternoon refreshments and lunch as part of this package. Payment will be by credit/debit card and will be available on this webpage in due course.