Call for Papers & Working Group Proposals
University of Eastern Finland invites researchers, practitioners and students to the multidisciplinary conference Orthodox Christian Churches and War: Trajectories of Armed Conflicts and Religious Construction of Adversaries, in Joensuu Finland, September 25.–27., 2025.
The conference will focus on the wars that have taken place in Europe and the arc of conflict from the 1990s onwards. The Orthodox Church, along with faith and religion, is often linked to the causes of wars, the conduct of warfare, conflict resolution, and the reconstruction of societies and communities. Despite the foundational Christian and theological principles of love and respect for one’s neighbor and the pursuit of peace, religion becomes politicized in times of war, and can emerge as a party to the conflict and an influencing factor.
The conference will address various questions related to the different phases of the conflict arc:
- What is the role and position of the Orthodox Church in the wars and conflicts that have occurred in Europe since the end of the Cold War?
- How has the Church been utilized as a tool of politics?
- In what ways has the Church supported individuals in coping with the aftermath of war and in fostering spiritual resilience?
- What potential role can the Church play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts?
Confirmed keynotes are prof. Catherine Wanner (Pennsylvania State University), dr. Harutyun Harutyunyan, dr. Tornike Metreveli, prof. Cyril Hovorun, and dr. Iryna Fenno.
The conference will be organized in cooperation of theology and military sciences, and we are expecting fruitful interdisciplinary discussions and meaningful sharing of ideas and networks. The host organization, University of Eastern Finland’s School of Theology, facilitates academic encounters between Western and Orthodox theologies.
You can submit a presentation proposal or propose a working group of 3–5 presentations. Presentations will last for 30 minutes, including 10 minutes time for discussion and questions. Working groups are allocated 90 minutes, which they may distribute as they like.
Organizers will be editing an anthology based on the conference theme and topic, and in case you would be interested in joining us, we would like to invite you also to contribute to this forth-coming edited collection.
Participation is free of charge, but requires registration.
Paper presentation and working group proposals
Abstracts of paper presentations should be 400-500 words, and should pose a research question, present the methodology used, main conclusions and the paper’s research contribution to current academic debates in the field. Please indicate with keywords one or two conference themes that fit your paper, or explain how it relates to the overall theme of the conference. In addition to the abstract, you should provide a biography of max. 150 words
Abstracts for working groups should be 750-1000 words, and should pose a title for the working group, description of the themes covered in the group, research contribution of the group to the current academic debates in the field, and the list of contributors in the group. Please indicate with keywords one or two conference themes that fit your proposed working group, or explain how it relates to the overall theme of the conference.
Abstract submissions:
Guidelines and key dates for submission
May 31, 2025 Deadline for presentation or working group proposals
June 15, 2025 Notification of acceptance
June 15-August 15, 2025 Registration