Announcement: 22nd ISRLC Biennial Conference (2026)

The 22nd ISRLC Biennial Conference will take place from 10 to 13 September 2026 at the University of Stirling, Scotland. The keynote speakers are Richard Kearney and Mayra Rivera.
Under the theme “Ruptures abound”, the conference engages with the multiple fractures of our contemporary world – political, social, ecological, and cultural. It asks how the disciplines of religion, theology, literature, and the arts can not only analyse these ruptures, but also probe, mend, or critically intensify them.
The conference reflects on how forms of interconnectedness and solidarity might be reimagined in times of global crisis, alongside the role of critical rupture in challenging systems of power and exclusion. Interdisciplinary and creative contributions from all parts of the world are warmly welcomed.
In a moment marked by deep instability and transformation, the conference invites reflection on fragility, relationality, and new forms of connection in thought, writing, and scholarship.
More information can be found here at the ISRLC website.

Trading Desks for Books & Beaches

It’s time for a summer pause.

We’re taking a break and will be back in the fall, refreshed and ready for new adventures. Until then, we hope your days are filled with good books, beautiful beaches, and plenty of sunshine.

Have an amazing summer!

Our June Recommendation: Religion and Science Fiction: An Introduction (2024)

With our June contribution, we turn to “Religion and Science Fiction: An Introduction” (2024) by James H. Thrall, a recent study at the intersection of religious studies and literature that introduces a rapidly growing field.

The book explores how religion and science fiction engage with a range of overlapping questions, such as the meaning of human existence, transcendence, and the relationship between humans and technology. Rather than limiting itself to identifying points of contact, it develops key concepts of religious studies through a critical engagement with literary and visual media associated with science fiction. In doing so, it moves beyond comparative observation and opens up new perspectives on how religious experience—both human and non-human—can be understood and interpreted.

With discussion questions, glossaries of key terms, extensive further resources, and suggestions for projects and essay topics, the volume provides a solid foundation for teaching and study, establishing itself as a useful reference for this interdisciplinary field.

Additional information on the book is available on the Routledge website.

Call for Papers: “From Imagination to Remains, From Remains to Imagination”

Conference date:  25–26 February 2027
Venue:  French School of Athens
Organized by: University of Caen Normandy – ERC AGRELITA
Project director: Catherine Gaullier-Bougassas

The international conference “From Imagination to Remains, From Remains to Imagination: Literary Representations of Ancient Greece in its Materiality (14th–19th centuries)” will take place on 25–26 February 2027 at the French School of Athens, as part of the ERC Advanced Grant project AGRELITA (Université de Caen Normandie, directed by Catherine Gaullier-Bougassas).

The conference explores how literary texts from the 14th to the 19th century represent and reinterpret the material culture of ancient Greece – such as monuments, ruins, artworks, objects, and clothing – and how these representations move between imaginative reconstruction and empirical knowledge derived from travel, antiquarian scholarship, and the emergence of archaeology. It focuses on the dynamic interaction between imagined antiquity and material remains, as reflected in a broad range of textual genres, including literature, travel writing, historiography, antiquarian and archaeological writings, as well as accompanying visual materials.

The aim is to examine how perceptions of ancient Greek materiality evolved over time, how they were shaped by cultural contexts and intellectual frameworks, and how they contributed to aesthetic, political, and identity-related discourses in Europe from the late medieval period to the 19th century.

The corpus of literary texts is understood in its broadest sense: novels, poetry, historical writings, travel accounts, antiquarian literature, treatises on art and architecture, archaeological reports, accounts of excavations, and educational texts. The conference seeks to bring into dialogue forms of writing that are often treated separately, and to highlight the interaction between texts and visual materials that depict material remains associated with ancient Greece, as well as related practices (political, artistic, religious, funerary, etc.).

Submission details
Deadline for submissions: 15 May 2026
Organization: University of Caen Normandy – ERC AGRELITA

Contact email: catherine.gaullier-bougassas@unicaen.fr
For more information, click here.

ESOLIT Conference 2026: Esotericism, Literature and Counterculture

The ESOLIT Network for the Study of Esotericism and Literature announces its third annual conference, “Esotericism, Literature and Counterculture,” taking place on 16–17 April 2026 at the University of Copenhagen (Centre for the Study of Theosophy and Esotericism).

The conference brings together international scholars to explore the intersections between esoteric thought, literary production, and countercultural movements across historical and global contexts. Discussions will address topics such as modernism, occult traditions, postwar counterculture, contemporary literature, and transnational artistic and spiritual exchanges.

The program includes keynote lectures, panel sessions, and presentations by researchers from universities across Europe and beyond, highlighting how esoteric ideas shape literary imagination and cultural resistance from the 19th century to the present.

The event is supported by the Centre for the Study of Theosophy and Esotericism and the research project Twisting the Fabric of Space: On the Art and Politics of the Hidden (University of Copenhagen).

More information through our member:
Nemanja Radulović (University of Belgrade), ESOLIT coordinator nem_radulovic@yahoo.com

Transmedia Witch Narratives – Call for Papers

Interdisciplinary and transmedia conference

University of Zurich, 29 October–1 November 2026

Organisers: Dr Meret Fehlmann and Prof. Dr Christine Lötscher

Languages: German and English

This conference explores how representations of witches have transformed across media, genres, and historical contexts. From Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the 1990s trend of “glamorous witchcraft” to darker, sinister portrayals of the 2010s, the figure of the witch reflects ongoing cultural, political, and aesthetic shifts. Drawing on long historical traditions—from demonological writings and early modern imagery to fairy tales, feminist reinterpretations, and contemporary spiritual movements—the conference examines how these elements combine to shape ever-changing narratives of the witch in transmedia culture.

Possible topics include:

• Historical foundations of witch narratives
• Contemporary reinterpretations in arts and pop culture
• Witches in visual arts, theatre, film, TV, music, and digital media
• Fantasy, horror and folk horror aesthetics
• Political, social, gender and queer perspectives
• Ritualistic and activist performances
• Commodification, tourism, fan cultures, fashion and social media

Submission: Please send an abstract (max. 250 words) and a short bio (approx. 50 words) to hexen@isek.uzh.ch by 1 May 2026.

Full CFP (PDF)

Climate Fiction Meets Theology: A Special Issue to Watch

For anyone interested in climate issues and the intersections of religion and literature, here’s a noteworthy announcement: the journal Christianity and Literature is planning a special issue on climate fiction (“Cli-Fi”) approached through Christian theological and literary perspectives.

Most contributions are expected to come from within a faith-based framework, which may feel quite internal to some readers. Even if one does not share the theological framework, the essays may offer thought-provoking insights into literature’s role in imagining possible futures, exploring how contemporary fiction engages with climate change, the Anthropocene, ethics, care for creation, and questions of human responsibility. From an outside perspective, the issue may provide a fascinating window into the ways literature and theology intersect in addressing urgent environmental concerns.

Submissions are handled directly by the journal, with a deadline of July 1, 2026. Contributions may be full-length essays (6,000–9,000 words) or shorter “think pieces” (~4,000 words), formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition).

Further details, including submission guidelines, are available on the journal’s website. Questions can be directed to Lynne Hinojosa at Lynne_Hinojosa@baylor.edu.

A Thoughtful Start to 2026: Religion and Literature in Berlin

Begin the New Year in Berlin with a reflection on Religion and Literature. On January 23, 2026, from 18:00 to 20:00 (CET), Jakob Nolte, author of Kurzes Buch über Tobias, will join a specialist discussion hosted by the Institute for German Literature (Institut für deutsche Literatur, Prof. Dr. Claudia Stockinger) and the Institute for the Study of Modern Religious Cultures (Institut zur Erforschung moderner Religionskulturen, Prof. Dr. Ruth Conrad) of Humboldt University.

Location: Theological Faculty, Burgstraße 26, Room 406, Berlin
More info: HU Berlin Event Page

Wishing everyone an inspiring start to the New Year!

Call for Papers – Series of Workshops on Sacred Writing Traditions

The HaZen (Handschriftenzentrum) project, based at the Institute for Jewish Studies at Freie Universität Berlin, would like to invite international researchers to three workshops in Berlin.

HaZen is a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, which aims to establish a long-term interdisciplinary fellowship program and the foundation of a research centre. The thematic focus of the centre will be on the production and handling of sacred writings not only within Jewish, Christian, and Muslim writing traditions, but also within Asian, African, and South American cultures. The diversity of disciplines is intended to enable new perspectives on manuscript history in all its material, theological, social, and political dimensions in a cross-cultural comparison.

In the summer of 2026, the project will offer a total of 27 researchers (9 per workshop) the opportunity to engage in a transdisciplinary exchange on a defined topic at Freie Universität Berlin and to establish a sustainable academic network. Travel and accommodation costs for up to 6 days will be covered by the project.

The workshop will consist of two days of lectures with respondents from the group and a “writing culture day” – with writing workshop, museum visit, and concert. Optionally, two additional days can be used for individual research. Since the manuscript and special departments of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz are cooperating with the project and opening their collections for it, applicants are encouraged to include suggestions for manuscripts from the catalogues they would like to examine on site in their application.

Please apply by January 15, 2026 with a700–1000-word exposé on one of the following topics to the project initiator PD Dr. Annett Martini (amartini@zedat.fu-berlin.de) .

Topic 1 (June 15–19, 2026): Production, Function, and Handling of Scrolls in the Writing Cultures

Topic 2 (July 20–24, 2026): The Ethics of the Scribe: Writing as a Sacred Act

Topic 3 (August 10–14, 2026): Pictorial Representations of Sacred Writings and of Ikons in Visual Arts

Religion & Literature at MLA in Toronto, January 8-11

As the year winds down, attention is already turning to the start of 2026 and the upcoming Modern Language Association (MLA) annual convention, which will take place from January 8–11 in Toronto, Canada. The conference brings together scholars from across the humanities, including those working at the intersection of religion and literature. This year’s theme, “Family Resemblances,” invites reflection on traditions, connections, and comparative thinking. At the convention, the TC Religion and Literature Forum will host a session on literatures of Palestine and the Palestinian diaspora, addressing topics such as religion, interfaith encounters, and social movements. MDPI will also be present, introducing its journals Humanities, 
Religions, Languages, and Philosophies.

More information is available on the MLA Convention website.