The Religion and Culture in the Americas Seminar at the Newberry explores topics in religion and culture broadly from interdisciplinary perspectives, including social history, biography, cultural studies, visual and material culture, urban studies, and the history of ideas. We are interested in how religious belief has affected society, rather than creedal or theological focused studies.
The seminar provides an opportunity for scholars to share papers that use new methods, unveil archival discoveries, and offer new interpretations. Two scholars whose work enriches or complements their own may consider submitting proposals for a paired presentation. Papers are pre-circulated. Presenters make a 10 to 15 minute presentation followed by a short commentary by a scholar in the field, followed by a discussion with seminar participants.
The seminar typically meets on selected Fridays from 3:00-4:30 pm. In AY 2025–26, all sessions will take place online via Zoom.
The seminar’s organizers for 2025–26 are:
Darren Dochuk, University of Notre Dame
Karen Johnson, Wheaton College
James Krippner, Haverford College
Malachy McCarthy, Archival Resources for Catholic Collections
Christopher Allison, the McGreal Center at Dominican University
Kevin Schultz, University of Illinois Chicago
Proposals are due June 6, 2025. To apply, please submit a one-page proposal and brief CV via the application portal: