CFP: Treasuring Old and New in Social Theology: from Rerum novarum to the Present Pontificate

The Symposium of our Faculty (8–10 May 2026) proposes an interdisciplinary reflection on social theology understood as a space of creative continuity between tradition and renewal. The notion of “old and new things” (cf. Matthew 13:52) expresses the fruitful tension between the Church’s doctrinal heritage and its capacity to interpret and orient the social realities of each historical period.

The symposium aims to explore the theological, biblical, philosophical, and cultural foundations of Christian social engagement, as well as its concrete forms of expression within the life of the Church and in the public sphere. Rerum novarum is taken both as a point of departure and as a paradigmatic moment in the dialogue between theology, society, and public responsibility.

Contributions are welcome from systematic and moral theology, biblical exegesis, patristics, canon law, social sciences, and philosophy, as well as from approaches that explore the spiritual, symbolic, and cultural dimensions of social theology. The symposium seeks to provide a space of encounter between different disciplines and methods, united by a shared concern for human dignity, the common good, and the social vocation of Christian faith.

Candidates will submit proposals for papers whose presentation could be fitted within a 20-25 minutes time frame, with an additional 5-10 minutes for the discussions, using the Registration Form. Proposals must include an abstract of no more than 2,000 characters spaces included. The papers should respond, loosely, to the thematic suggestions in the description above.