Conference - Who Cares? Society, Religions, and the Concern for the Other [2nd International Religion and Society Conference]

Organised by: Faculty of Theology
Dates: 28-29 May 2026
Deadline for Abstracts: 15 February 2026
Notification of Acceptance: 28 February 2026

Conference Theme

The question “Why should I care?” points to a profound moral and spiritual challenge in contemporary societies. Around the world, communities are shaped by religious commitments, cultural traditions, and ethical frameworks, yet they face polarisation, indifference, social fragmentation, and humanitarian crises. Situations such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, tensions in Israel-Palestine, crises in Iran and Venezuela, and societal divisions in countries such as the United States highlight the urgency of reflecting on care, responsibility, and moral imagination in complex social and ethical contexts.

Religions, through doctrine, ritual, and ethical praxis, have historically informed moral sensibilities, inspired compassion, and fostered social solidarity. They continue to offer vital frameworks for responding to suffering, vulnerability, and social disconnection. At the same time, secular philosophical, ethical, and social-theoretical perspectives provide complementary insights into what it means to respond ethically to the other in pluralistic societies.

This conference invites contributions that explore the ethical, theological, philosophical, and social dimensions of care, examining how religion, culture, and society intersect to cultivate concern for others, locally and globally. Interdisciplinary approaches that combine philosophy, theology, cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, and related fields are especially welcome.

Scope and Topics
We welcome papers that engage with the theme of care from conceptual, historical, theological, philosophical, and applied perspectives, including but not limited to:

1. Conceptual and Philosophical Foundations
   • Care, responsibility, and moral imagination in philosophy and theology
   • Philosophy of religion: the role of religious ideas, doctrines, and metaphysical frameworks in shaping ethical obligations toward the other
   • Ethics of care, virtue ethics, and contemporary moral philosophy.
   • The self, the other, and intersubjectivity: autonomy, dependency, and vulnerability.
   • Comparative approaches to moral reasoning across religious and secular traditions.
   
2. Religion, Culture, and Society
   • Theologies of compassion, charity, and neighbour-love
   • Scriptural and doctrinal foundations of care in Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and other religious traditions
   • Rituals and practices of care: liturgy, pilgrimage, and communal acts
   • Religion and culture: how beliefs, practices, and religious institutions shape moral norms, civic life, and societal responses to care
   • Interreligious dialogue and cooperation for shared ethical and social goals
   
3. Society, Public Life, and Global Challenges
   • Care in the public sphere: social justice, welfare, human rights, and civic responsibility
   • Religion and humanitarian action in conflict-affected regions, among migrants, refugees, and invisible or precarious workers
   • Responses to societal polarization, fragmentation, and moral uncertainty
   • Faith-informed approaches to environmental stewardship, intergenerational responsibility, and global ethics
   
4. Interdisciplinary and Applied Perspectives
   • Anthropology, sociology, and psychology of religiously-informed caring practices
   • Pedagogy of care in education, formation, and community engagement
   • Arts, literature, and cultural narratives shaping moral imagination and empathy
   • Religion, care, and conflict transformation in local and global contexts
   

Submission Guidelines
Abstracts: Please submit an abstract of 100-150 words outlining your paper’s argument, methodology, and significance. Include a brief bio (50-100 words) with affiliation and research interests.

Format:
• All submissions should be in English.
• Abstracts must be sent by email.
• Presentations will be allotted 20 minutes, followed by Q&A.

For further information, please contact Prof. John Anthony Berry.

More information is available online.