Location
University of Warwick
Twenty-Third Warwick Symposium on Parish Research: ‘Parish Communication’
17 May 2025 | University of Warwick / Online
Call for Papers, deadline – 1 March 2025
The Twenty-Third Warwick Symposium on Parish Research on the theme of ‘Parish Communication’, hosted by Beat Kümin with Angus Crawford and Kristi Flake (Warwick History / My-Parish), will take place on Saturday 17 May 2025 in hybrid format.
Ever since the formation of a local ecclesiastical network in the Middle Ages, communication has been a principal feature of parish life. Clergymen sought to disseminate core teachings (through sermons, writings and personal conversations), artists created paintings / sculptures / compositions, lords used churches to publicise regulations, bells announced service times / warned of imminent danger, while congregations instrumentalized religious gatherings for sociability and the exchange of news. The 2025 Symposium seeks to explore a wide range of verbal, written, visual, musical, ritual, symbolic, environmental and material media linked to parish cultures in multiple regional and chronological contexts, welcoming contributions on theoretical / conceptual approaches (from different disciplines), methodological aspects, case studies of particular contexts / sources / figures / periods as well as issues relating to audience response.
CALL FOR PAPERS (by 1 March 2025)
We now invite proposals for 15-minute papers. Submissions should contain a title, abstract and brief biographical note (on max. 2 A4-pages), reaching b.kumin@warwick.ac.uk by 1 March 2025. The Symposium has always been an inclusive forum of exchange between anyone with related research interests from whatever background or career stage. It may be possible to offer a small number of postgraduate bursaries to help with travel expenses – please let the organizers know if you would like to apply.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Warwick Network for Parish Research, Warwick’s Humanities Research Centre & the History Department. Further information and programme details will be published on the Symposium homepage at:
http://go.warwick.ac.uk/my-parish/parishsymposia/communication/
Image: Emanuel de Witte, ’Interior of a Protestant, Gothic Church during a Service’ (oil on panel, 1669). Extract from the painting in the Online Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.