“British and Irish Catholic Colonialism” Panel (EMBIC) (Durham, 14-16 July 2020)

We are seeking scholars working on the British and Irish Catholic diaspora in the early modern world to contribute to a panel entitled “British and Irish Catholic Colonialism” at the fourth biannual Early Modern British and Irish Catholicism (EMBIC) conference (14-16 July: Durham University, UK). The conference theme is “Popery, Politics, and Prayer: British and Irish Catholicism”.

This panel will focus on the global Catholic Church and the British and Irish Catholic diaspora c. 1530-1800. Drawing on conference themes including “the politics of religious exile; spirituality and theology as polemic; State consideration of British and Irish Catholics in the political sphere; and Catholics as political players in the non-Catholic imagination”, this panel aims to bring into focus cross-cultural relationships that British and Irish Catholics developed outside of the British Isles at a time when Europeans consolidated their empires worldwide. We recognise that in spite of their émigré experience, British and Irish Catholics’ cultural values did not necessarily correlate with co-religionists from within the British Isles let alone from further afield or from non-Catholic traditions. For this reason, we choose not to prescribe here on which cross-cultural relationships scholars should focus. We welcome proposals from scholars working in History, Literary Studies, Theology, Philosophy, Musicology and Art History.

Panellists already confirmed will explore the British and Irish Catholic involvement in the sociocultural development of slave societies in the early modern British Americas and memories of the Catholic Church on the West African “Slave Coast” preserved by indigenous oral traditions.  Addressing the conference themes of “politics” and “prayer” we are particularly keen to engage scholars who focus on the legacies of colonialism and slavery in Catholic contexts and theology, such as the decision made by the Maryland Province for the Society of Jesus,  Georgetown University and its students to atone for their involvement in slavery through reparations for the descendants of those whom they enslaved.
 

In order to submit a panel proposal, we require panellists to submit:

• Paper proposal (c. 200 words).
• Indication of any special requests, such as audio-visual equipment.
   

Deadline for submissions: Monday 16th December 2019

Please send submissions and enquiries to: helen.kilburn@manchester.ac.uk