Annual conference of the Centre for Research in Quaker Studies (CRQS), Woodbrooke, Birmingham UK and the Quaker Studies Research Association (QSRA)

Online Events, 7 April, 12 May, 9 June, 8 September, 13 October 2022

Quakers and Encounters

The 2022 annual conference of the Centre for Research in Quaker Studies (CRQS) and the Quaker Studies Research Association (QSRA) is exploring the theme of Quakers and Encounters in a series of five short online sessions spread across the year.

Under this broad theme, we will consider how Quakers have interacted with the world and people around them, including their past and contemporary involvement in regional, national or global projects and networks.

What were or are their experiences in such encounters?  Papers may focus on any period or geographical location.

Alongside this, we hope the conference will consider how the study of Quakerism can be informed by new approaches and methodologies. 

The conference will include three open panel sessions and one devoted to the digital humanities. Each session will last 2 ½ hours. The May session will comprise the George Richardson lecture which this year will be given by Professor Emeritus Angus Winchester of Lancaster University.

 We welcome papers from any academic discipline and interdisciplinary work is encouraged. We particularly welcome papers from individuals or groups who have been historically underrepresented in academia.

Topics may include, but are not restricted to:

• Community relations: moral welfare, pacifism, temperance, abolition, missionary work
• Educational activities: early endeavours, schools, colleges and universities, adult education
• Quakers in literature; Quakers and their relationship to literature
• History of the book
• Medical and scientific contributions and advances
• Business:  Quakers as employers, Quakers as employees
• Ecumenical and interfaith endeavours
• Social activism and campaigning: human rights, justice, international relations, environmental issues and reform
• Quakers and their opponents: clashes and controversies
• Working with digital humanities
• Online encounters

Paper proposals of c. 200 words should be sent to e.hagglund.1@bham.ac.uk and b.p.dandelion@bham.ac.uk by 21 February 2022. The organising committee will respond by the end of February.

All accepted papers will be made available to participants online for the fortnight before the relevant conference dates, either as written papers or as 20 minute video presentations. This will allow us to use the panel sessions for discussion.