2027 Meeting of the Society for Philosophy of Religion

The Society for Philosophy of Religion is pleased to invite submissions for its 2027 meeting to be held in Nashville, TN from March 4-6, 2027 at Vanderbilt University. We welcome papers in philosophy of religion from a plurality of perspectives and traditions.

The Society aims to create long-term relationships of collaboration, consultation, and conversation across traditional lines of disciplinary specialization, philosophical orientation, and religious/cultural identity.  To facilitate this, the conference is organized so that only one paper is presented at a time to permit all participants to attend all sessions. 

This year we are delighted to announce that Sam Newlands (Notre Dame) will deliver the keynote address.

The deadline for submissions is October 4, 2026.

There are two formats for individual paper submissions: colloquia papers suitable for presentation in 20-25 minutes (up to 3000 words), and symposia papers suitable for presentation in 35-40 minutes (up to 5000 words). Colloquia presentations will be followed by q&a.  Symposia presentations will be followed by commentary and then q&a.

We also welcome proposals for panel discussions of relevant topics or questions. 

Decisions will be communicated in early November.  Accepted participants without institutional financial support who may not otherwise be able to attend are encouraged to reach out, as the Society may be able to offer some assistance with travel expenses.

Submission Guidelines

To be considered, please submit two documents: (i) a pdf of your paper prepared for blind review.  (ii) a separate document including your name, email, paper title, a short abstract of no more than 150 words, type of submission (colloquium or symposium), institutional affiliation (if any), and academic status (e.g. professor, post doc, graduate student).

For panel proposals, please outline the topic or question and include the names, affiliations, and emails of confirmed participants.  

All submission materials should be sent by email to [email protected].

Rising Scholar Award

The Society for Philosophy of Religion is pleased to offer the Rising Scholar Award, which will be presented to the best conference paper by an author who earned their Ph.D. within the past five years. The Society reserves the right not to grant the award if no submission meets the criteria for quality and suitability.

If you are interested in serving as a commentator or session chair or have questions regarding the conference please contact Tad Robinson at [email protected]. 

For information about the Society for Philosophy of Religion and past programs see https://www.societyphilosophyreligion.org/home