Twenty-Third Warwick Symposium on Parish Research
Saturday 17 May 2025, 10.30-18.00
University of Warwick, Central Campus, Coventry (hybrid)

Hosted by Beat Kümin with Angus Crawford and Kristi Flake (Warwick History/My-Parish)

 

Emanuel de Witte, ’Interior of a Protestant, Gothic Church during a Service’ (oil on panel, 1669).
Extract from the painting in the Online Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

 

Ever since the formation of a local ecclesiastical network in the Middle Ages, communication has been a principal feature of parish life. Clergymen sought to disseminate core teachings (through sermons, writings and personal conversations), artists created paintings / sculptures / compositions, lords used churches to publicise regulations, bells announced service times / warned of imminent danger, while congregations instrumentalized religious gatherings for sociability and the exchange of news. The 2025 Symposium seeks to explore a wide range of verbal, written, visual, musical, ritual, symbolic, environmental and material media linked to parish cultures in multiple regional and chronological contexts, welcoming contributions on theoretical / conceptual approaches (from different disciplines), methodological aspects, case studies of particular contexts / sources / figures / periods as well as issues relating to audience response.

Following our Call for Papers we are now drawing up the programme, with details appearing here by the end of March. The Symposium has always been an inclusive forum of exchange between anyone with related research interests from whatever background or career stage. It may be possible to offer a small number of postgraduate bursaries to help with travel expenses – please let the organizers know if you would like to apply.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Warwick Network for Parish Research, Warwick’s Humanities Research Centre & the History Department. Further information and programme details will be published on the Symposium homepage at:

 
http://go.warwick.ac.uk/my-parish/parishsymposia/communication/

For information: Call for Papers