Call for Papers: Female Voices, Media, and Modes of Communication in Theology and Philosophy
Online Talk Series New Voices (March–May 2026)
Female Voices, Media, and Modes of Communication in Theology and Philosophy
The New Voices on Women in the History of Philosophy network<https://historyofwomenphilosophers.org/projects/new-voices-on-women-in-the-history-of-philosophy/>, which is open to early-career researchers in the broadest sense, is hosted by the Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists in Paderborn. The objective of New Voices is to establish a forum and network for international early-career researchers in the field of female philosophers, scientists, and writers in the history of philosophy, and to promote their work.
In the winter of 2026, the New Voices Talk Series will once again embrace a spirit of collaboration. This joint project represents a partnership between three universities: the University of Paderborn, the Saint Joseph University of Beirut, and the University of Lorraine.
Please find here the Call for Papers:
Overview
Women have long contributed to the development of theology and philosophy, yet their voices have often been marginalized, mediated through restrictive frameworks, or silenced altogether. At the same time, women have consistently found innovative means of expression — from letters, diaries, and poetry to public lectures, activism, and today’s digital platforms — to engage in theological and philosophical discourse.
This seminar approaches communication not only as a neutral means of expression, but also as a form of power: the choice of medium, style, and platform can grant authority, negotiate legitimacy, or challenge dominant structures. From early modern women writing in private correspondence to contemporary digital influencers shaping theological debates, the act of communication becomes a way to establish intellectual presence, resist exclusion, rethink society, or reshape normative traditions.
The rise of digital culture has introduced new dynamics. Social media, for example, can amplify women’s perspectives and create alternative networks of recognition, while also enabling ideologically charged phenomena — such as the “tradwife” movement — that recast debates about gender, religion, and philosophy. Situating such case studies within longer histories of women’s communicative practices allows us to explore continuities, ruptures, and tensions between tradition, innovation, and the struggle for authority.
The seminar thus invites critical reflections on the interplay of gender, communication, and power, considering both historical trajectories and contemporary challenges. Contributions may address individual thinkers, broader cultural movements, or theoretical frameworks that illuminate how female voices have engaged with and transformed theological and philosophical discourse.
We welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following areas of inquiry:
* Historical trajectories: The presence, erasure, and recovery of women’s voices in theology and philosophy across different periods and traditions.
* Concepts and reforms: The main ideas, beliefs, and intellectual movements that have influenced or could influence changes in religious or philosophical thought and institutions, emphasizing both actual and potential transformative impacts.
* Modes of expression: Rhetorical, literary, artistic, and digital strategies used by women to engage in theological and philosophical discourse (e.g., letters, poetry, diaries, essays, public lectures, online platforms).
* Status and authority: The institutional position of women within theological and philosophical communities, including questions of ordination, academic recognition, and intellectual authority.
* Media and digital culture: The role of contemporary media and social media as spaces where women articulate theological and philosophical positions, challenge traditional frameworks, or cultivate new audiences.
* Case studies of mediated ideologies: Analyses of specific phenomena such as the “tradwife” movement, online religious influencers, or digital feminist theologies, and their implications for women’s voices in theological and philosophical debates, with particular attention to how such discourses often become enclosed within self-referential discursive circuits that function less as platforms for genuine voices than as performative reproductions of existing ideological constellations, thereby constraining rather than expanding the horizons of women’s participation.
* Intersectional approaches: How race, class, sexuality, and cultural context shape and complicate women’s theological and philosophical communication.
* Contemporary challenges and opportunities: The ongoing negotiation of women’s authority in theological and philosophical discourse in light of feminist, postcolonial, and queer critiques.
Submission Guidelines
* Abstract: 250–300 words
* Short Bio: 100 words
* Deadline for Submission: 01.12.2025
* Notification of Acceptance: January 2026
* Submission Email: Katia Raya Rami katia.raya@usj.edu.lb<mailto:katia.raya@usj.edu.lb>
Seminar Details
* Format: Online
* Duration: 1h30
* Presentation Length: 45 minutes, followed by discussion
* Date: Tuesday, 17-18h30 (Paris/Berlin time) from March to May 2026
This call for papers is open to an academic audience with expertise or research interests in theology, philosophy, gender studies, history of ideas, religious studies, and media or communication theory. It will be of particular relevance to scholars examining the intersections of gender, discourse, and authority, as well as those investigating the historical mediation and contemporary reconfiguration of women’s voices within theological and philosophical traditions. By foregrounding interdisciplinary approaches, the series seeks to convene researchers who critically interrogate the structural, rhetorical, and technological conditions under which women’s intellectual contributions are articulated, transmitted, and received.
This seminar aims to foster dialogue, exchange, and critical reflection on the ways female voices and communicative practices have shaped — and continue to shape — theological and philosophical thought.
Dr. Marguerite El Asmar Bou Aoun, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Research Unit on the Religious Phenomenon, Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ).
Dr. Daniel Fischer, Associate Professor in Modern History at the University of Lorraine (INSPE/CRULH).
Dr. Jil Muller, Deputy Head of the Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists, and Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Paderborn University (HWPS/UPB).
Dr. Katia Raya, Associate Professor at the School of Engineering of Beirut (ESIB) at Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ).
Dr. Jil Muller
Assistant Professor, Post-doc Researcher
Philosophy Department, Paderborn University:
https://www.uni-paderborn.de/person/91668
Deputy Head and Researcher at the Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists:
https://historyofwomenphilosophers.org/about/team/
Chair: Prof. Dr. Ruth Hagengruber
Universität Paderborn
Raum TP 8.1.45 // Tel.: 05251 60-5034
Technologie Park 8
33100 Paderborn
Germany
