International Symposium at Glastonbury Abbey and Harvard Divinity School (June 6-9, 2013)
Sponsored by the Harvard Divinity School, the Harvard Center for Health and Global Environment, and the ACS Forum
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General Information
If we instinctively seek a paradisiacal and special place on earth, it is because we know in our inmost hearts that the earth was given to us in order that we might find meaning, order, truth and salvation in it. (Thomas Merton)
The International Symposium on Urbanism, Spirituality & Well Being will convene experts in the fields of architecture, landscape design, urbanism, religious studies, public health and other related disciplines to address leading-edge global culture and urbanism issues from contemplative, spiritual, philosophical, design and ethical perspectives. The 2 1/2 day program of scholarly presentations and panel discussions is sponsored by the Harvard University Divinity School, the Harvard Center for Health and the Global Environment and the Forum for Architecture, Culture and Spirituality. The symposium topics include scholarship on the history of cities and architecture planned according to spiritual motivations or principles; the contemporary built urban environment and the plethora of forces that shape it; and the prospects of future urban life that nurtures meaningful, sustainable, and spiritually inspiring built environments and architecture.
How we draw from past and present contexts to cultivate new urban and architectural visions is an imperative that theologians, public health experts, architects and urban designers are well placed to address through philosophical, theoretical and practical considerations and contemplation. This international symposium will focus on the history and potential of the city to spiritually uplift the human spirit, contextualize and symbolize our shared “human condition,” accommodate communal activities and rituals that give meaning to our lives, and provide connections to knowledge and understanding of the transcendent dimension of existence in architecture and the urban setting.
The USW Symposium will take place June 6 – 9, 2013 at Glastonbury Abbey, Hingham, Massachusetts & Harvard University Divinity School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The deadline for presentation/paper proposals is January 14, 2013. See Submission Details.
The Forum for Architecture, Culture and Spirituality is an international scholarly environment established in 2007 to support architectural and interdisciplinary scholarship, research, practice, and education on the significance, experience and meaning of the built environment.
PAPER PROPOSALS DUE JANUARY 14TH | See details below
If we instinctively seek a paradisiacal and special place on earth, it is because we know in our inmost hearts that the earth was given to us in order that we might find meaning, order, truth and salvation in it. Thomas Merton
The International Symposium on Urbanism, Spirituality & Well Being will convene experts in the fields of architecture, landscape design, urbanism, religious studies, public health and other related disciplines to address leading-edge global culture and urbanism issues from contemplative, spiritual, philosophical, design and ethical perspectives. The 2 1/2 day program of scholarly presentations and panel discussions is sponsored by the Harvard University Divinity School, the Harvard School of Public Health and The International Forum for Architecture, Culture and Spirituality. The symposium topics include scholarship on the history of cities and architecture planned according to spiritual motivations or principles; the contemporary built urban environments and the plethora of forces that shape it; and the meaningful, sustainable and spiritual prospects of future urban life that nurtures meaningful, sustainable, and spiritually inspiring built environments and architecture.
How we draw from past and present contexts to cultivate new urban and architectural visions is an imperative that theologians, religious leaders, public health experts, architects and urban designers are well placed to address through philosophical, theoretical and practical considerations and contemplation. This international symposium will focus on the history and potential of the city to spiritually uplift the human spirit, contextualize and symbolize our shared “human condition,” accommodate communal activities and rituals that give meaning to our lives, and provide connections to knowledge and understanding of the transcendent dimension of existence in architecture and the urban setting.
ACS Paper sessions will be conducted at Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, MA (where accommodations will be available for symposium participants).
Papers are invited for the following topics:
1. Urbanism of the Past
Scholarship on the history of architecture and the built environment planned according to spiritual motivations or principles.
2. Present Urbanism
Scholarship on contemporary thinking concerning the relationship of spiritual motivations and the built environment, including architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, market capitalism, multiculturalism, sustainability and social equity.
3. Future Urbanism
Scholarship on the future of urban life, with particular emphasis on the fundamental needs and practices of placemaking and the creation of meaningful, sustainable, and spiritually inspiring urban environments and architecture.
4. Open Sessions
Scholarship that addresses the issues related to architecture, urbanism, spirituality and well-being from a broad range of perspectives.
Process and Format for Submitting Proposals
Proposals should be approximately 1000 words and are due January 14, 2013. Each will receive three blind peer reviews from a panel of ACS members. Each proposal should include the following:
• Title
• Session Title
• Expanded abstract (not to exceed 1000 words) that includes the topic, its scope, principle argument(s), primary sources and/or case studies, and intended conclusions.
• Images may be included but should not exceed 5.
All proposals should be sent as an attached file saved in a “DOC” or “RTF” format, to: Thomas Barrie at tom_barrie@ncsu.edu
Include your contact information in the body of your e mail, but not on your paper proposal. Individuals submitting proposals will be notified of the symposium committee’s decision via email by March 1, 2013. Complete papers (approximately 3,000 words, including notes) will be due May 1, 2013.