CFP: CFP_Between Fear and Proximity: The Wolf and Contemporary Forms of Otherness

Between Fear and Proximity.

The Wolf and the Forms of Otherness in the Contemporary Imagination

Promoted by the Office for Culture of the Diocese of Gubbio

Deadline for submission: 31 May 2026

1. Objective of the Call

On the occasion of the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, and within the

framework of the project Francesco a Gubbio, the Office for Culture of the Diocese of Gubbio

promotes a Call for Papers addressed to scholars, educators, researchers, and enthusiasts, with the

aim of collecting original and unpublished contributions that reinterpret, in an interdisciplinary and

contemporary perspective, the figure of the wolf and the encounter with Saint Francis.

The story of the Wolf of Gubbio – a Franciscan icon of the encounter with the Other, a living symbol

of otherness, threat, and reconciliation – still today offers a fertile path for questioning the way in

which the human being relates to what is different, to what cannot be domesticated.

The Call invites the exploration of these dynamics through the contemporary cultural imagination, in

its multiple anthropological, philosophical, theological, spiritual, and educational dimensions.

2. Themes and fields of interest

Contributions must offer an original reflection on the figure of the Franciscan wolf and on the theme

of otherness, within one of the following areas:

• Theological/Spiritual: the wolf and salvation, fraternity in Francis, spirituality of peace and

reconciliation.

• Pedagogical/Educational: educational paths inspired by the Franciscan story, formative and

school experiences.

• Anthropological: the wolf as a cultural figure, symbol of the stranger, mediations between

nature and culture.

• Psychological: the wolf as an archetype, fear and transformation, inner dynamics of the

encounter with otherness.

• Philosophical: forms of encounter and coexistence, the encounter with the different, symbol

of reconciliation and meeting.

3. Target participants

The Call is open to scholars, teachers, PhD candidates, educators, cultural operators,

independent researchers, and enthusiasts, without any binding academic requirements.

4. Submission guidelines

Each participant may submit only one contribution, choosing one of the indicated areas.

• The text must be unpublished, written in Italian, with a maximum length of 30,000 characters

(including spaces).

• The contribution must be accompanied by:

o Title of the paper

o Five keywords 

The submission must include two separate files:

1. 2. The anonymous text, with no reference to the author, in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.

A brief curriculum vitae (max one page) containing:

o Author’s full name

o Short biography (max 500 characters)

o Chosen area

o Email address and phone number

All materials must be sent by 31 May 2026  to the following address:

[email protected]

Email subject: Call for Papers – Between Fear and Proximity

5. Evaluation

Contributions will be evaluated by a committee of experts in the respective fields.

The evaluation criteria will be:

• Consistency with the theme and chosen area

• Originality of the approach

• Cultural, educational, and spiritual relevance of the proposal

• Argumentative quality and clarity of exposition

6. Publication

A selection of particularly deserving contributions will be published in a printed and/or digital

volume curated by the Office for Culture of the Diocese of Gubbio and publicly presented during

2026, as part of the Franciscan celebrations.

7. Rights and Use

Authors retain full intellectual ownership of their texts. However, by submitting, they authorize the

Diocese of Gubbio to publish the selected contributions, in printed and/or digital form, without

additional compensation, for cultural and dissemination