22/05/2026
Call for Papers: Imperial Transformations - Comparative Strategies in Empires of Salvation Religions organized by Prof. Dr. Stefan Heidemann & Katharina Mewes
Nov. 11-14, 2026 - University of Hamburg, Germany
Looking at historical empires seems timely. At least since the wars of 2022 and 2026, imperial policies have shattered the world of nation-states and discarded boldly old secular salvation ideologies in practice (communism, socialism, national socialism, fascism, etc.). These developments are also driven by states, proto-states, and anti-state movements whose motives are often rooted in salvation religions.
The Roman, Islamic, and Spanish empires all seem paradigmatic for our understanding of a transformative imperialism. Their imperial missions were driven by Middle Eastern salvation religions. Subsequent empires and political regimes until today have all drawn, in one way or another, on the common heritage of Roman, Islamic, and Hispanic imperial legacies. These empires were all understood multiethnic, despite some ruling ethnicities. They transferred a dominant imperial language and a dominant—if not exclusive—salvation religion to the regions they conquered.....
Have a look at the CfP
Presentations at the conference should summarize the speaker’s major points without exceeding 25 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of discussion. Abstracts should be 500-700 words in length. Please send them with a short biography to [email protected] before June 15, 2026
