Annual Mid-Year Conference

The annual meeting of Div. 36 (the Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) provides a supportive academic forum where professionals discuss the latest research findings and advances in the psychology of religion and spirituality. Within Div. 36, this conference has traditionally been referred to as the mid-year conference.

2019 Mid-Year Conference

Conference Theme: 

Relational spirituality

Date and Location:

• Fri.-Sat., April 5-6, 2019
• Bowling Green State University
• Bowling Green, Ohio

Co-sponsors: 

• Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (SPRS) 
• Bowling Green State University
• The Templeton Foundation

2019 Conference Highlights

Keynote addresses: 

• Crystal Park, PhD, University of Connecticut, incoming editor of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
• Julie Exline, PhD, Case Western Reserve University

Other highlights:

• Clinical workshop led by Kenneth I. Pargament, PhD, Bowling Green State University
• Open science and methodology presentations from Michiel va Elk and others
  
• Invited 30 minute, solo talks and one hour chaired symposia around the theme of relational spirituality offered by Chris Boyatzis, Gina Brelsford, Justin Dyer, Chana Etengoff, Mike Goodman, Pam King, Annette Mahoney, Mark Ogletree, Richard Petts, Rebekah Richert, Jennifer Ripley, Sarah Schneider and Amy Wachholtz.
  

Call for Proposals

Deadline: Jan. 14, 2019

Submission Guidelines:

We are now accepting proposals for posters, papers and symposia. All submissions should be submitted online by Jan. 14, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. You will be asked to provide author's names and affiliations, titles and an abstract (1,000 characters). 

We are particularly interested in proposals that articulate a fit with the conference theme of relational spirituality. (See below for a detailed description of relational spirituality.) This is an open call for symposium, paper and poster submissions framed with research questions that fall within this sphere. For example, submissions could highlight the role of religiousness and spirituality in shaping the quality of close, interpersonal relationships (e.g., couples, family or co-worker relationships) or social relationships within and across cultural or religious groups and thus the well-being of individuals in those relationships. However, submissions on all topics relevant to the psychology of religion and spirituality are also welcome for the conference.

• Symposium submissions: Proposals for a coordinated set of papers (usually three or four in number), all dealing with a particular topic or issue may be for 50 minutes or 110 minutes. In addition to abstracts (1,000 characters) for each paper in the symposium, the chair should also submit a summary abstract for the symposium as a whole.
• Paper submissions: Accepted papers with similar topics will be grouped into panels by the organizer. Paper presentations will be limited to 15 minutes, including time for questions.
• Poster submissions: A designated session will be scheduled in which participants can meet with authors to discuss their work. Poster sizes should not exceed three feet long by four feet wide.

Notifications of proposal acceptance will be made by Feb. 4, 2019.  

Submissions should be made using the online submission portal.

For questions, contact Program Co-chairs Annette Mahoney (email) and Jordan LaBouff (email).

2019 Conference Theme: Relational Spirituality

The theme of the 2019 Mid-Year Conference will be relational spirituality. In this instance, relational spirituality refers to religious and/or spiritual beliefs or behaviors that people may have as they strive to form, maintain and transform relationships within or outside of organized religious contexts. Alternatively stated, relational spirituality is when religion and spirituality are involved, for better or worse, with relationships across the lifespan, including felt connections with humans and spiritual entities, across diverse family, social, religious and cultural contexts.