Healing and Harms
BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group Annual Conference 2026
29 June-1 July 2026
University of Nottingham, UK
About the Event
The SocRel committee are delighted to announce our 2026 annual conference, which will be held at the University of Nottingham, 29 June-1 July in the Monica Partridge building.
The 2026 conference theme is: Healing and Harms.
The conference will explore these ostensibly opposing dynamics, highlighting, challenging and complexifying religion, non-religion and spirituality’s role(s) in both healing and harm, in their myriad forms, and across diverse contexts.
In the current climate of local, national and global religiously-inflected conflict, the committee are keen to create an environment conducive to carefully considering the place spirituality, religion and non-religion have, have had and might have in conflict and peace.
In an increasingly difficult climate for UK Higher Education, the conference will also extend to considering the ways in which the academy can be a site of both harm and healing, allyship and solidarity.
Recognising the weightiness of this year’s theme, the committee are working to ensure that appropriate and effective support will be in place in for all attendees as we explore these important topics.
Speakers
The committee are pleased to announce Professor Anna Halafoff of Deakin University, Australia as a keynote speaker. Professor Halafoff’s work explores the rising significance of spirituality in Australia and explores spiritual harm and spiritual abuse in trauma-informed, interdisciplinary ways, generating solutions for addressing and preventing spiritual harms and abuses.
The committee are also pleased to announce that Nottingham Trent’s Dr Rahmanara Chowdhury will join us as an additional keynote speaker, exploring ‘Abuse in Muslim Contexts - Healing and Harms in an anti-Muslim Climate.
Registration Rates
After steadfastly keeping our conference prices fixed for several consecutive years, tickets for this year will be subject to a small increase in price (~5%). These updated prices nevertheless reflect significant subsidising by the study group. Registration is expected to open in early March 2026.
Funded Places
A number of funded places will still also be available, principally for postgraduate and early career colleagues, those on precarious contracts, and those without recourse to institutional funding. The criteria and application process will be detailed in the new year.
At this stage, we are also open to suggestions from our community as to additional keynote speakers, especially those from typically under-represented groups whose voices will elevate the conference as a space for equitable, diverse, inclusive dialogue. Please email Alex or Jennie.
We look forward to seeing you in June!
Warmest wishes,
Alex Arthur-Hastie and Jennie Riley
SocRel Events Officers