In line with American Academy of Religion, Western Region's 2026 Conference Theme, Religion, Technology, and Innovation, the Religion and the Arts unit this year explores technology and the arts, as well as religion and artistic expression more broadly. We will also consider papers related to art, technology, religion, and politics taking place in the United States and abroad, including cases such as those of a US funded genocide in Palestine and ICE raids wreaking havoc across cities and towns in the United States. In these cases, we are interested in how artists use technology both as forms of resistance against human atrocity and as a means of artistic innovation to raise awareness. Topics of possible interest include:

∙      Social media projects through platforms such as Tik Tok that bring about awareness to marginalized art, artists, and political events (e.g. coverage of Palestine artwork in Bow East London)
∙      The use of light and technology in the works of Neo-Indigenous artists such as Victor Quiñonez, including his I.C.E. Scream sculptures.
∙      Digital art created solely for a digital platform related to Afrofuturism or Transhumanism
∙      How technology and innovation are being used to bring back Indigenous artistic practices (which also raises the question of how something that has never left could be brought back).

We are always open to coverage of all other topics on art and religion that are unrelated to this year’s unit CFP or to the general conference theme. We encourage the submission of papers that utilize interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and nontraditional approaches to research, as well as a traditional format for paper delivery. Please send a 250 word abstract and your Program Participant Form (downloadable through this page near the top of page under “Program Participant Form”) by October 15, 2026 as an email attachment to Anna Hennessey dr.amhennessey@gmail.com. We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Submit your Proposal Form (Word or PDF) to Dr. Anna M. Hennessey by October 31, 2025.