2021 Conference CFP and ABSTRACT Submission
“Spirited Women”
6 - 8 august 2021
BLENDED ONlINE and at Nazarene Theological College, Brisbane, Australia.
Conference Theme
Churches in the Wesleyan, Holiness, and Pentecostal traditions have sometimes congratulated themselves on the licensing and ordination of women for ministry and yet gender inequity remains an entrenched reality. Though John Wesley (somewhat reluctantly at first) gave limited permission for women to preach, it took more than a century for Methodists to begin to ordain women as elders/presbyters. The nineteenth-century Holiness Movement, informed by a Spirit-focused doctrine of ministry, gave rise to an unprecedented number of women preachers, evangelists, pastors, missionaries and teachers. A similar pattern emerged in early Pentecostalism. These were not only ‘Spirit-filled’ women but ‘spirited’ women – feisty, courageous, disruptive figures who were quite prepared to stand up to patriarchal authority in order to follow their calling. In the succeeding period beyond this radical beginning, there was a return to more male-dominated authority. Today, there are fewer women in positions of authority in Holiness and Pentecostal churches than in the earlier formative period. On the other hand, Methodist and Uniting/United churches have increased the number of women clergy and The Salvation Army has sought to address gender inequity.
Call For Papers
Papers are invited that focus on the theme of ‘Spirited Women’ from a range of disciplines including gender theory, feminism, biblical studies, history, systematic theology and all cognate disciplines. Presenters will be able to present their papers online. View/Download Call For Papers PDF.
Writing your abstract
Abstracts must be no more than 250 words. A useful abstract will include the following components:
- A clear statement of the question or issue to be addressed
- A summary of the position(s) to be presented in relation to the question or issue and/or an indication of key conclusions
- An indication of key sources of information to be drawn from – key writers, research, personal experience, biblical exposition, etc.
Important dates
18 May 2021 - Last date to submit the abstract
5 June 2021 - Successful applicants will be notified
Submitting your abstract
You can submit the abstract either online or by email.
Online: Scroll down and submit your abstract using the online form
Email: Your abstract in a Word document must be emailed to ijemila@hotmail.com. The email must have a short biographical statement, including:
- Your name
- Church, academic, professional and/or community affiliations relevant to your submission
- Any experience and/or qualifications which support your submission
- Any other information you consider relevant for selection panel deliberations
Final paper
Thirty minute presentations should be 2500 - 3000 words.
Papers presented at the conference may be published in a similarly themed book edited by the ACWR.
Selection Criteria
The ACWR Conference is a safe and respectful space for theological conversation. It is expected that there will be a wide range of views expressed through papers and in responses from delegates. The aim of the Conference is to explore ideas rather than convince others of the rightness or otherwise of any particular position. Therefore we are looking for presenters who are able to clearly articulate their ideas in a respectful manner, allowing space for disagreement and discussion with others. We will also be selecting papers which represent a range of views. All abstracts will remain confidential to the ACWR selection committee.