29 June 2026
EMoDiR is an international research group focusing on the history of religious dissent, radicalism, and minorities in early modern times (emodir.net). Since 2011, the group has organized panels at the RSA annual conferences on practices and conceptual frameworks of religious conflict, heresy, and groups of radical dissent. The panels are characterized by a multiplicity of methodological and theoretical approaches.
We are now preparing for the upcoming RSA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia (March 11–13, 2027), and plan to host a series of panels which explore the theme of boundary marking and transgression. The early modern can be defined as a time of increased boundary-crossing and trespassing across physical, social, and religious lines. The period has been characterized as a time of refugee crisis, migration, and the redefinition of social categories and the limits of the possible in regard to personal and group identity. This year, EMoDiR is especially interested in contributions that both define and expand our views of boundary-crossing and transgression, from geographical and metaphorical perspectives (including imagined spaces and utopias).
Please send a short CV (limit to 150 words), including current affiliation, Ph.D. Completion date (past or expected) and a presentation title (maximum 15 words). Please also include a 150-word abstract and keywords, to the session organizers Martina Mampieri and Frank Lacopo by JULY 15, 2026. Please detail any A/V requirements that you expect to have. Acceptance decisions will be made by July 30, 2026. All presenters, once accepted, must register for the 2026 Renaissance Society of America Conference and must be a member of the RSA and EMoDiR.
