2026 Call for Papers
Rethinking Religion for the 21st Century
Denver Marriott Tech Center
October 30 - November 1, 2026
CALL FOR PAPERS
Religion plays a central role in how people make meaning, form identity, and imagine themselves as moral beings who are connected with others, with nature, and with the cosmos. In the twenty-first century, social scientists study religion’s connection to well-being, civic engagement, political identity, family formation and parenting, and other behaviors and commitments that shape individuals’ lives. Religion also has wide-ranging and varied effects on the society we live in, providing the motivation and membership for social movements, shaping public discourse and fostering contentious - and partisan - debate, and providing crucial social capital and resources in local communities. But religion is changing in the late-modern world; more people are turning to spirituality to express their identity, find connection, and expand their moral imagination. Nonreligious leaders promote humanistic philosophies that grapple with existential questions. Some argue that the daily practice of nonreligion and spirituality has much in common with religion, bringing people together to share rituals and grapple meaningfully with what it means to be human. Social science has much to contribute to understanding the dynamic, fluid, and contested landscape of religion in the twenty-first century. Our conference will welcome presentations drawing on rigorous empirical research and exploring new theoretical tools for conceptualizing religion in the twenty-first century (SSSR), as well as studies of religious institutions and the impact they make on people’s lives and local communities (RRA). We welcome presentations from international scholars or that take a global perspective, and we encourage work on less-studied religious communities and movements.
ANNUAL MEETING PRESENTATION FORMATS
The SSSR+RRA annual meeting will feature paper sessions, discussion panels, and book panels. Paper sessions typically comprise three to four papers and may be proposed as a complete session. Individual paper proposals are built into paper sessions by the program chairs. Book panels contain the author(s) of a recent book and three to four panelists. Discussion panels include a discussion moderator and three to four panelists. All presentations must be made in person. There will be no online or virtual participation options.
SUBMISSIONS and DEADLINES
All submissions will be made through the online portal at www.sssreligion.org/annual-meeting/call-for-papers/. Please contact SSSR program chairs, Landon Schnabel <schnabel@cornell.edu> and Eman Abdelhadi <abdelhadi@uchicago.edu> or RRA program chair Audra Dugandzic at <programchair@rraweb.org> with any questions.
Submissions open: February 1, 2026
Submissions close: March 31, 2026
Decisions made: April 30, 2026