Religion and Culture in the Americas Seminar

mchughka

2026-2027 Call for Proposals

Submission Deadline: June 5, 2026

The Religion and Culture in the Americas Seminar explores topics in religion and culture broadly from interdisciplinary perspectives, including social history, biography, cultural studies, visual and material culture, urban studies, and the history of ideas. We are interested in how religious belief has affected society, rather than creedal or theological focused studies. The seminar provides an opportunity for scholars to share papers that use new methods, unveil archival discoveries, and offer new interpretations. Two scholars whose work enriches or complements their own may consider submitting proposals for a paired presentation. Papers are pre-circulated. Presenters make a 10-to-15-minute presentation followed by a short commentary by a scholar in the field, followed by a discussion with seminar participants. The seminar typically meets on selected Fridays from 3:00-4:30 pm. In AY 2026-2027, all sessions will take place online via Zoom.

The seminar’s organizers are James Krippner (Haverford College), Malachy McCarthy (Archival Resources for Catholic Collections), Christopher Allison (Digital Spaces Chicago), and Keviin Schultz (University of Illinois Chicago). Please contact scholarlyseminars@newberry.org with questions.

To apply, please submit a one-page proposal and brief CV at this link: https://newberry.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/88676

Research and Education

The Newberry Library

60 W Walton Street | Chicago, IL 60610 scholarlyseminars@newberry.org