Call for papers 'Education Formation and The Church II' (August 27-28, 2020)

Call for papers

Education Formation and The Church II (August 27-28, 2020)
'Brokenness and grace in human formation'

We kindly invite you to the biannual academic conference organised by the Theological University Apeldoorn and the Theological University Kampen. This year’s conference is entitled ‘Brokenness and grace in human formation’.

The conference will be held on the 27th and 28st of August 2020 at Theological University Kampen, Broederweg 15, 8261 GS Kampen, The Netherlands. 

In Christian education we are used to expressions like ‘growth’, ‘talents’ and ‘human flourishing’. Following current pedagogical and psychological approaches, it seems as if human perfection sets the norm. The emphasis on the positive side of faith in human formation somehow runs the risk of dismissing the reality of sin and brokenness from the educational vocabulary. At the same time there is an intrinsically pedagogical motive for adopting stimulating perspectives. The question can be raised whether Christian education has become infected by a narrow and reductionist conversation about human flourishing, understood as growth, perfection and success. The upcoming EFC-conference in Kampen will explore questions related to the place of brokenness and grace in pedagogical theory and practice. How are we to understand good and evil in human nature? How do good and sin manifest themselves in education and formation? Do positive and negative perceptions on pupils, teachers and pedagogy contribute to human formation or to human frustration? How are we to evaluate the current instrumental striving for perfection? How are we to cope with the effects of sin, brokenness and the effects of evil in classrooms, learning processes and human formation? Pedagogues and theologians can inform and inspire one another by understanding and rethinking brokenness and grace in the process of human formation. 

The Formation Conference in Kampen aims to continue the conversations which were begun at the successful conference in 2018. Some of the invited key note speakers are: Ros Stuart-Buttle (UK), David Smith (US) and Petruschka Schaafsma (NL). Other speakers will be announced early 2020.

Call for papers

Researchers, professionals and scholars in theology, education and related disciplines are invited to submit paper proposals. Both practical/professional and scholarly contributions are welcome. The text of the proposal should not exceed a maximum of 500 words, apart from the Title of the paper, the author’s name, affiliations and the paper’s four key words.

Please submit your proposal not later than the 20st of April 2020 to Annemarie Kuijvenhoven, member of the preparation committee (amkuijvenhoven@tukampen.nl).

If more information is needed, feel free to connect with one of the members of the committee.

The conference will be held in English. We will consider publishing the lectures and a selection of short papers in a volume with congress proceedings.

Cooperation in partnership

The initiative is taken by the cooperating professors Bram de Muynck (Theological University of Apeldoorn) and Roel Kuiper (Theological University of Kampen).

The conference will be organized with the support of NICER Christ Church university Canterbury and Centre for Christian Education at Liverpool Hope University.

The conference will also be supported by CHE (university of applied science Ede), Driestar Christian University Gouda and VIAA hogeschool (university of applied sciences Zwolle).

Kind regards,

Prof. Bram de Muynck
Prof. Roel Kuiper
Tirza van Laar-Jochemsen MSc, MPhil
Willemieke Reijnoudt-Klein MA
Annemarie Kuijvenhoven MA
Geranne Tamminga MA

Despite the strict measures taken to stop the coronavirus, we hope that the second Education, Formation, and the Church conference can take place on August 27th and 28th. Should the conference not be able to take place, we will inform you in time.
Because we hope for better prospects we have decided to extend the Call for Papers until the 20th of April. Proposals will be assessed by May 15.
More information and registration details for this conference can be found here.