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The Association for the Study of Eastern Christian History and Culture, Inc. (ASEC) announces its tenth biennial conference to be held at The Ohio State University, 1-3 February 2024 (with a banquet on February 3). The theme is the body and Eastern Christianity, broadly conceived to address the relationship between faith and the corporeal, particularly regarding personhood, ability/disability, and healing. Papers are also welcome that do not explicitly address these topics. Scholars from all disciplines are invited to participate.

Renewing its commitment to introducing the work of exciting new scholars to the ASEC community, the conference will feature a keynote address by Katherine Karam McCray, a social ethicist who focuses on religious history and disability. McCray holds an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary and a ThM from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. She is a PhD candidate in religious ethics at University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto. 

CALL FOR PAPERS: Either panel proposals (three papers) or individual paper proposals can be submitted. Send paper and panel proposals with abstracts of 100-200 words for each paper, and a brief one-page curriculum vitae for each participant to Heather Bailey (hbail2@uis.edu). The deadline for proposals is December 11, 2023. We are especially eager to welcome graduate students, and some funding is available to provide them with assistance for travel expenses.

REGISTRATION: To participate in the conference, all panelists must be members of ASEC and must register.

LODGING: Accommodation is reserved at The Blackwell Inn & Conference Center on The Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio. The guest rate is $165.00 plus taxes and parking (if applicable) for 1 King bed. Reservations are made on an individual basis and must be guaranteed with a credit card. Reservations should be made by the designated cutoff date (Monday 1 January 2024) in order to take advantage of the special group rate. To receive the negotiated group rate, participants should identify themselves as being with the Association for the Study of Eastern Christian History and Culture program (or ASEC 2024) when making reservations. Individuals should cancel reservations prior to 4:00 PM the day before their scheduled arrival to avoid one night’s room and tax charge to the credit card on file.

SCHEDULE: The conference opens with a reception on the evening of Thursday 1 February. The first panel begins at Friday morning, and the last panel ends on Saturday evening. The conference closes with a banquet at 7 PM, shortly after the final panel. All sessions are plenary.

Limited funding is available to provide graduate students with assistance for travel expenses. For graduate students who would like to receive financial assistance for travel, please contact Nadieszda Kizenko (nkizenko AT albany.edu) and copy M.A. “Pasha” Johnson with your request that includes a budget of your travel expenses.

Local conference co-sponsors include the Hilandar Research Library (HRL); the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies (RCMSS); the Department of History; the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures; the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies; the Center for the Study of Religion, and University Libraries.

For more information on the conference, contact Nadieszda Kizenko. Regarding the venue, contact HRL curator and RCMSS director Mary-Allen “Pasha” Johnson (hilandar@osu.edu).