Intentional communities—religious and secular, historic and contemporary—have often been motivated by visions of the end times, including millennialism, apocalypticism, and some forms of utopianism. These visions range from viewing the end times in terms of worldwide destruction to seeing them as a final precursor to a newly rejuvenated world. While paper proposals may address any aspect of communal and intentional groups, we especially encourage proposals addressing the theme of the end times, including how visions of the end times have shaped communal groups’ lifestyles, theologies, worldviews, and public perceptions.
The 2016 conference will be held at Salt Lake City, Utah, and will highlight Mormon communalism through tours and sessions. Driven in part by their millennial theology, the Mormon pioneers who founded Salt Lake City in the late 1840s and 1850s had earlier attempted to implement communal living in their communities in the Midwest. While Mormon settlement was shaped by a variety of cooperative enterprises, a more intense reawakening of Latter-day Saint communalism occurred in the 1870s and 1880s. In addition to the Mormon presence in Utah, the broader American West has been home to many communal groups driven by millennial, apocalyptic, and utopian views.
We seek a wide range of participation. CSA welcomes proposals from graduate and undergraduate students, first-time presenters, and professional and amateur scholars alike.
Use our website form1 to send your presentation title, a 150-word maximum abstract, and a brief (100 word) biographical statement and contact information. Only on-line proposals will be accepted. For information contact Program Chair, Matthew Grow, at mjgrow[at]ldschurch.org. All presenters will be notified by email in June 2016. A limited amount of financial support is available for graduate student assistance. If applicable, please indicate your interest with your on-line proposal submission.
The Communal Studies Association is an interdisciplinary organization for people living in intentional communities, historic site personnel and academics representing topics including history, anthropology, religious studies, sociology, political science, and others. Each year, the CSA’s annual conference is held at the site of an historic intentional community
- 1. http://www.communalstudies.org/annualconference/call-for-papers