Call for Papers for the Annual Conference of The Communal Studies Association

October 6?8, 2016
Salt Lake City, Utah
Anticipating the End Times:
Millennialism, Apocalypticism, and Utopianism in Intentional Communities

Intentional communities?religious and secular, historic and contemporary?have often been motivated by visions of the end times, including millennialism, apocalypticism, and some forms of utopianism. These visions range from viewing the end times in terms of worldwide destruction to seeing them as a final precursor to a newly rejuvenated world. While paper proposals may address any aspect of communal and intentional groups, we especially encourage proposals addressing the conference theme, including how visions of the end times have shaped communal groups? lifestyles, theologies, worldviews, and public perceptions.
The 2016 conference will be held at Salt Lake City, Utah, and sessions and tours will highlight Mormon communalism. Driven in part by their millennial theology, the Mormon pioneers who founded Salt Lake City in the late 1840s and 1850s had earlier attempted to implement communal living in their communities in the Midwest, and communalism continued to played an important role in Mormon life, particularly in the 1870s and 1880s. The broader American West has been home to many communal groups driven by millennial, apocalyptic, and utopian views.
We seek a wide range of participation. CSA welcomes proposals from graduate and undergraduate students, first-time presenters, and professional and amateur scholars alike.
Deadline for Submission of Paper and Session Proposals: May 15, 2016
Submit your proposal using the form at www.communalstudies.org/annualconference. Proposals should include a presentation title, a brief abstract (150 words maximum), a brief (100-word) biographical statement, and contact information. Only online proposals will be accepted. For information, contact Matthew Grow, Program Chair, at mjgrow@ldschurch.org. All presenters will be notified by email in June 2016.
A limited amount of financial support is available for graduate student assistance. If applicable, please indicate your interest when you submit your proposal online. Successful applicants will be notified of financial support by email in July 2016.
The Communal Studies Association is an interdisciplinary organization for people living in intentional communities, historic site personnel, and academics representing topics including history, anthropology, religious studies, sociology, political science, and others. Each year, the CSA?s annual conference is held at the site of a historic intentional community. For more information, see www.communalstudies.org.