Mennonite Scholars and Friends: Call for papers
Published: March 11, 2026
The deadline for the 2026 Mennonite Scholars and Friends (MSF) call for papers is Friday, April 10, 2026. Please review the call below and send in your proposal!
Mennonites, Activism and Political Engagement
Mennonites have responded to the unfolding crises related to war, climate, economics and politics by attempting to influence government policies through public demonstrations, voting and direct engagement with lawmakers. Organizations such as Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery and Mennonite Action have urged Mennonites in North America and around the world to leave behind any remnants of a “quiet in the land” mentality and get involved in politics. Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite World Conference and various Mennonite mission agencies increasingly provide opportunities for political advocacy and action. Even the Amish turned out in historically large numbers to vote in the 2024 United States presidential election.
This growing support among Mennonites and other Anabaptists for activism and political participation calls for scholarly analysis. How do the recent developments contrast with past patterns of Anabaptist political action? What conceptions of “the political” are operative today, and how do they relate to influential Anabaptist understandings of the church as a political body? How might we understand the differences between “activism,” “politics,” “organizing” and related terms? How are recent Mennonite political actors navigating classic debates around nonviolence, separation, “faithfulness versus effectiveness” and similar topics? How are these actors drawing on Mennonite theologies, biblical interpretation, hymns and visual arts in their work? What might constructive or critical readings of biblical texts and other theological resources contribute to this context?
The organizing committee of the Mennonite Scholars and Friends session at the American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature (AAR/SBL) invites proposals on these and related questions in anticipation of a panel discussion at the November meetings in Denver. Proposals are welcome from scholars and practitioners.
Please send proposals (200–400 words) to Committee Chair Jamie Pitts (jpitts@ambs.edu) by Friday, April 10, 2026.
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