“Religion, Technology, and Innovation” 

The American Academy of Religion, Western Region (AAR-WR) 2026 Annual Conference will be held in person, with some hybrid capabilities.

AAR-WR Website: https://www.aarwr.com/

Please Note: For details on more than 20 other units, kindly visit the conference Call for Papers and submit your proposals directly to the respective unit chairs at https://www.aarwr.com/call-for-papers.html

CALL FOR PAPERS ---> "RELIGION OF ASIA UNIT"

Under the theme of “Religion, Technology, and Innovation,” the Religions of Asia Unit warmly invites scholars to explore how religious traditions across Asia have engaged with technological developments, adapted to innovation, and redefined spiritual authority, rituals, and ethical reflections in light of emerging possibilities. 

List of Topics

Topics may include, but are not limited to (with a focus on Asian religions and traditions):

• Algorithmic authority and legitimacy in emerging movements
• Digital mediation and transmission of sacred texts and rituals
• Digital pedagogy and innovations in religious education
• Indigenous technologies and decolonial cosmologies
• Responses to artificial intelligence and biotechnology in Asian religious thought
• Sensory technologies in meditation, trance, and healing
• Technoscientific religion in Asian contexts
• Techno-utopias and eschatological imaginaries
• Transnational and diasporic spiritualities in digital spaces

We also welcome proposals that align with the broader conference theme.

Submission Guidelines

1) Please find the proposal Form at https://www.aarwr.com/call-for-papers.html

2) (For the Religions of Asia Unit) Submit your Proposal Form (Word or PDF) to Fadime Apaydin (fapay002@ucr.edu) by October 31, 2025.

3) (For other units) Submit your proposals directly to the respective unit chairs.

Publication

The Religions of Asia Unit plans to propose an edited volume—primarily based on papers presented at the conference—to a reputable academic publisher. We are also pleased to extend this opportunity to high-quality submissions that engage our themes but cannot be accommodated on the conference program due to limited presentation slots.

Contact

1) Questions for the Religions of Asia Unit: Fadime Apaydin - fapay002@ucr.edu

2) Questions for other units: Ask directly to the respective unit chairs at https://www.aarwr.com/call-for-papers.html