NAIITS Symposium 2007


Redemption, Reconciliation, and Restoration: Journeys Toward Wholeness

Location: North American Baptist Seminary
Sioux Falls, SD
USA
Dates: November 29 – December 1, 2007

Scope of Topics:

In anticipation of this symposium NAIITS invites proposals for papers and panels on the topic Redemption, Reconciliation, and Restoration: Journeys Toward Wholeness. Papers that utilize any of a broad range of research methodologies will be considered. Submissions should address one or more of the following topics. Submissions on topics that relate clearly to the overall theme also will be considered.

• Traditional Native North American definitions and perceptions of justice
• Restorative Justice: movements toward intimacy
• Communal healing from historical trauma
• Corrections, penal systems and community involvement
• Spiritual and Theological roots of justice and oppression
• Decolonizing justice

Other areas of focus may include:
• Decolonizing theologies of redemption and their practices; Theologies of suffering; Promises of Prosperity and Suicide; Selling Indulgences in the Bush; Sanctification, histories of exploitation and oppression
• Truth-telling and other steps toward wholeness; Sanctified Community; Facing Racism; Beyond Solitudes; Embracing Others
• Theological roots of injustice and oppression; Definitions and perceptions of justice; Restorative justice: a move toward intimacy;
• Decolonizing justice; Penal systems and community; Communal healing from historical trauma; The role of the church
• Spiritual aspects of destruction and wholeness; Integrated understandings of spiritual encounter; Wholeness: Individual, communal and spiritual; Christian and Aboriginal perspectives on spirituality (within this context)
• Methodologies of oppression and freedom

Papers should strive to show how traditional practices within the Native North American contexts and cultural perspectives might be strengthened and implemented, or how new ideas and practices of contextualization might further the goals of Native mission and the advance of Native people in life, service, and ministry following Jesus. Papers should address themselves to traditional missional ideas of Native Christian faith, as well as contemporary Native Christian thought related to contextualization.

Download Call for Papers

Submission Guidelines

Submissions must include a brief personal bio and both an abstract of not more than 150 words and a proposal for the type of presentation intended of not more than 1000 words. The proposal must include a clear statement of your argument and enough context to show that you are aware of the basic issues and literature of the field. The proposal is the document on which submissions will be evaluated and selected. Abstracts and bios provided for selected submissions will be used in advertisements and symposium materials. Selected papers will be allotted 40 minutes for presentation. There will be respondents for the papers. Selected panels will be allotted 90 minutes.

Submission of Papers

Papers should be theoretically solid and practical. Submissions will be evaluated in light of their potential to contribute to the Symposium. To encourage dialogue we welcome submissions from various perspectives, from Native presenters as well as those from supportive non-Native presenters.

Finished papers must be submitted at the latest by May 1, 2010. Papers must adhere to Turabian Sixth Edition; in Times Roman 12 font; have complete footnotes and Works Cited. These may be distributed to selected respondents and .will be published in the NAIITS Journal.

Submission of Panels

Submissions of panels (please be sure this is a panel!) are welcome and should include the same materials as those for individual papers (brief bio of the chairperson, abstract and proposal; both of which deal with the focus of the proposed panel). Also included must be a participant list with bios and abstracts for each.

Submission Deadline and Requirements

Submission Deadline and Requirements
The deadline for submissions of proposals for papers and panels is July 1, 2007.


Please submit your proposal to:

Anita L. Keith, Administrator

North American Institute fFor Indigenous Theological Studies
35-2855 Pembina Highway, Suite 428
Winnipeg MB R3T 2H5 CANADA
Telephone: (204) 261-5676 Fax: (204) 261-9164
Email: office@naiits.com