Call for Papers
The Society for Pentecostal Studies welcomes you to the official information center for our 42nd Annual Meeting, in conjunction with the Wesleyan Theological Society, hosted by Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, March 21-23, 2013. Detailed information about the upcoming meeting will be provided later in the year. The 2013 Call for Papers may be found below.
Download the Call for Papers (PDF)
The Society for Pentecostal Studies invites you to participate in the 2013 annual meeting. The program will feature a number of plenary sessions exploring different aspects of the conference theme. In addition, there will be several parallel sessions that relate to the following SPS Interest Groups: Asian/American, Bible, Christian Ethics, Ecumenical Studies, History, Missions & Intercultural Studies, Philosophy, Practical Theology/Christian Formation, Religion and Culture, and Theology.
Conference Theme: "Holiness"
This fourth joint meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and the Wesleyan Theological Society will explore the theology and practice of “Holiness,” a topic that has occupied a significant role in the history and development of both the Wesleyan and Pentecostal movements.
An emphasis on holiness has at times brought renewal and revival to a languishing Church, while at other times it has degenerated into censorious exclusivism. God is holy, and the Church is called to imitate God’s holiness, but each generation must discover for itself how a commitment to holiness affects its theology and practice. This meeting, therefore, offers the opportunity to take a fresh look at holiness in its individual, communal, institutional, and global expressions.
Presenters are encouraged to identify both opportunities and challenges for the future of holiness in Pentecostalism from the perspectives of the various academic disciplines. Presenters may want to explore the implications of holiness for Pentecostal theology, peacemaking, justice, global concerns, ethics, postmodernity, ecology, ecumenism, social responsibility, ecclesial structures, ministerial practices, Christian formation, missional practices, intercultural engagements, immigration, civil society, political systems, personal relationships, and more. Hopefully, we can discover ways to be faithful to the biblical injunction, “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
Paper Proposals
All plenary sessions will address the conference theme in some significant way. It is not necessary that all parallel sessions relate directly to this theme, but it is hoped that scholars will use this venue to explore these issues from biblical, theological, historical, ecumenical, practical, cultural, aesthetic, and missional perspectives. This may be undertaken through papers and responses, panel discussions, or other creative avenues.
Proposals should be 500 words in length and should include a working title, a statement of the problem and scope of the project, a brief discussion of the methodology, and a tentative conclusion. Proposals should be submitted (using the Online Proposal Form below) to the leader of the appropriate Interest Group: Asian/Asian-American, Bible, Christian Ethics, Ecumenical Studies, History, Missions & Intercultural Studies, Philosophy, Practical Theology/Christian Formation, Religion & Culture, or Theology.
Proposals are due to the appropriate Interest Group Leader (IGL) no later than June 30, 2012. Each proposal will be acknowledged by email from the IGL or chair within two weeks of submission. In the absence of such a reply, one should send an email directly to the appropriate Interest Group Leader to ensure that the online form was received.
By August 8, 2012, proposers should hear from their respective Interest Group Leaders on the status of their paper proposals.
If your proposal is accepted, completed papers must be submitted in the format established by the SPS guidelines no later than January 15, 2013. By submitting a paper proposal, you are committing to submit a completed paper according to established guidelines by the date above, to be a member of the Society, to attend the March 2013 meeting, and to present your paper in the specified Interest Group (if the proposal is accepted). Submitting a paper proposal also authorizes SPS to include the paper in its Parallel Session Paper Collection (CD-ROM and Online).
Please complete and submit the Proposal Form. Be careful to select the correct Interest Group on the form in order to ensure it is sent to the appropriate Interest Group Leader.