Ecumenism in the Borderlands: Translating Worlds
North American Academy of Ecumenists
2023 Annual Conference
San Antonio, TX: November 16-17, 2023
“Ecumenism in the Borderlands: Translating Worlds”
As we gather in San Antonio, in an area rich with interlinguistic and intercultural borderlands, we invite papers pertaining to ecumenism and translation. We invite consideration of ecumenism as work that takes place at the edges and borders of chosen human divisions, including those of language, culture, and other boundaries both between and within ecclesial communities. Living on the borders (intellectual as well as spatial) often produces conception of the world that is different from that of those who do not regularly encounter such borders.
Papers might consider the following or other resonant questions around ecumenism in the borderlands:
Applications of the concept of “borderlands,” as developed by Gloria Anzaldúa and others; of “mestizaje,” as developed by Fr. Virgil Elizondo and others; or of “la frontera,” as used in the writings of Pope Francis.
How key ecumenical concepts or movements have been transformed by their application in new contexts — particularly multilingual or intercultural contexts;
The US-Mexico border in particular as a site of, or problem for, ecumenical inquiry and engagement.
We also invite considerations of translation as a problem, or a metaphor, for ecumenism more broadly:
How does ecumenical engagement function as a kind of “translation” between or across ecclesial contexts and systems of knowing/articulating religious understanding, or a kind of living at the permeable borders which we create?
What are the limits of translation in ecumenical engagement – what cannot be translated? What should not be translated? What are the costs and benefits of translation – intellectual, material, or intercommunal? What risks does such translation bear of becoming a kind of “treason,” as the Italian aphorism has it (“Traduttore, traditore” - “[A] translator [is a] traitor”)?
In ecclesial usage, “translation” can mean the moving of beloved relics from one place to another, leading to new communities of practice and memory – what are the ecumenical implications and challenges of such “translations” of ecclesial culture into new contexts or across existing borders?
We anticipate that all papers will be presented in English, for the sake of maximum accessibility, but if there is sufficient interest, we may convene a session in Spanish as well.
Accepted conference papers will be presented at the 2023 Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX, November 16-17, 2023. Authors will be invited to submit revised versions of their conference presentations as articles for publication in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies.
Please send an abstract of roughly 300 words, along with a CV, to the NAAE programs committee at submissions@ecumenists.org no later than August 1, 2023. The NAAE offers two awards that are granted at the time of conference paper acceptance: The Br. Jeffrey Gros, FSC Award supports student participation in the annual conference. The Sr. Lorelei Fuchs, SA Award supports the participation of members of religious orders, contingent faculty, and others experiencing financial hardship. If you belong to one of these groups and would like to be considered for an award, please indicate your interest along with your paper abstract.
Registration for the NAAE 2023 Annual Conference will open August 1 and remain open until November 1, 2023.
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