Submitted by Juliet Margerison on Wed, 08/10/2025 - 12:12
We are pleased to share the call for papers for Political Theologies 2026:
Political theologies of constitutions, the rule of law, and the common good
23-24 April 2026, University of Cambridge
The constitution functions not only as a legal framework but also as a symbolic and practical foundation for societal life. This brings to the fore the role of constitutional values and principles as shared reference points.
Constitutions may be seen as manifestations of common values and principles, as articulations of normative frameworks, as institutional responses to collective challenges, expressions of a general will, or articulations of a covenant.
However, polarisation, individualisation, and the fragmentation of social life are altering the role of constitutions in Western democracies. Today, constitutions have become caught up in the so-called ‘culture wars’.
Towards the common good
This sixth Political Theologies conference interrogates social, political, legal, ethical, and theological foundations of constitutions and related to that, how constitutions are seen to embody and be directed toward the common good.
- What are the stories of constitutions that are told across the political spectrum?
- How have they been shaped by political memory (and forgetfulness), confessional commitments, and conceptions of the common good?
- How can stories of constitutions and the ways that they are understood to enable the common good adapt to the needs of pluralistic and polarised political communities?
- What can they say about the international community as well as domestic politics?
- How do different political theologies enable or disable democratic visions of the role of constitutions and the rule of law?
Papers and panel suggestions are invited from scholars in political theory, sociology, law, theology and religious studies, politics, history, anthropology, and philosophy.