The Cherubino Ghirardacci Study Centre, a Bologna-based research institution and proud member of FRH, is delighted to announce that its open panel proposal has been accepted for the 9th European Academy of Religion (EUARE) conference. EUARE is an international and interdisciplinary network of scholars dedicated to exploring topics related to religion. Each year, it organises a major conference hosted by a different European university. In 2026, the conference will take place in Rome, at LUISS University, from June 30 to July 3.
The Panel
Christian Communities and the Production of Space: Agency, Power and Purposes.
The decline of Christianity as a socially hegemonic religion marks a transition towards new forms of presence in society. The idea of “outgoing” Christians invites Christian communities to be understood not as closed enclaves, but as open, relational and territorially embedded actors, actively involved in the production of urban space and places of encounter.
In this perspective, community is conceived as a dynamic process rather than a fixed identity, shaped by shared practices, proximity and responsibility. Attention shifts beyond formal hierarchies to the ways in which power, representation and legitimacy are negotiated among clergy, laity and local groups, and to how different organisational models influence the capacity of communities to inhabit public space and engage contemporary urban cultures.
Inspired by an architecture of encounter, many initiatives promoted by Catholic communities bring together the encounter with God and the encounter with others through practices of service and the generation of social, relational and spiritual goods. These initiatives may involve traditional ecclesiastical infrastructures, such as “parishes” reinterpreted beyond the idea of sacred enclosure, or extend into new social and urban contexts, often through the reuse and re-signification of deconsecrated churches and ecclesiastical heritage.
Key themes include:
- Christian communities as producers of public and urban space.
- Community, power and legitimacy beyond formal hierarchies.
- Parishes as spaces of proximity, welfare and social innovation.
- Reuse and re-signification of ecclesiastical heritage.
- Legal, economic and heritage implications of community-led practices.
Call for contributions
The Cherubino Ghirardacci Study Centre and the panel proponents are currently seeking 8 original and in-depth contributions to complete the panel (12 participants in total), with the possibility of considering publication opportunities for the full texts of the best proposals. Each presentation will be allocated 15–20 minutes.
- Submission period: February 2 to March 13, 2026
- Submission link: https://www.europeanacademyofreligion.org/it/euare2026
Please note that selected participants are responsible for their own participation fees (including EUARE membership and conference registration) and accommodation costs. Fees vary depending on the participant’s category and whether early bird rates apply. Details can be found here: https://www.europeanacademyofreligion.org/it/copia-di-register.
For additional information, feel free to contact us at posta@ghirardacci.org.
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