Leeds Trinity University College, in conjunction with the Centre for Catholic Studies, Durham University, calls for papers for presentation at the conference Vatican II 50 Years On: The New Evangelization on 26-29 June 2012.

The Second Vatican Council was a seminal event which had a profound impact on the life of the Catholic Church and believers, on her relations with other Christians and other faiths, and on the world at large through the renewed sense of mission which it generated. In particular, the Council began an engagement with the modern and secularized world through a renewed proclamation of the Gospel. Blessed John Paul II described this as the ‘new evangelization’, and in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI confirmed this priority by creating the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

From the first Constitution promulgated by the Council, Sacrosanctum concilium (1963) on the Sacred Liturgy to the last, Gaudium et spes (1965) the documents produced by the Council signalled a concern to re-express the Good News of Jesus Christ in dialogue with the modern world. This was to be through revivification of people’s participation in Communion (Lumen gentium, 1963) and growing reverence for the word of God (Dei verbum, 1965). Pope Paul VI carried forward the stress on proclaiming the Gospel in the modern world when he defined the meaning of evangelization today (Evangelii nuntiandi, 1975), and in the encyclical Redemptoris missio (1990), Blessed John Paul II stressed that evangelization is the responsibility of all Christians and churches. John Paul II repeatedly called attention to the need for re-evangelization or ‘New Evangelization’, especially in countries with Christian roots but where many ‘live a life far removed from Christ’. His successor Pope Benedict XVI has a particular concern for the crisis of faith in secularized societies and in 2010 established the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization to ‘re-propose the perennial truth of the Gospel’.

The fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of the Council provides a unique occasion to revisit it and consider its outcomes from different perspectives. The international Catholic theological conference at Leeds Trinity University College on 26-29 June 2012 will provide an opportunity to engage with the history and documents of Vatican II and its impact and legacy. Focus on ‘the New Evangelization’ is especially appropriate ahead of the Synod on ‘The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith’ to be held in October 2012.

The theme of the Leeds Trinity conference ‘Vatican II 50 Years On: The New Evangelization’ suggests consideration of the interpretation and impact of the Council, and the impetus to the new evangelization in particular, in the following ways:

• Analysis of Council documents and their significance for understanding the Council and/or for application in church and society today.
• The interpretation and historiography of Vatican II, especially with respect to the New Evangelization.
• The nature of the New Evangelization, its links with Vatican II, and the challenges and opportunities for a ‘re-proposal of the perennial truth of the Gospel’ today.
• Contemporary theological issues in light of the Council such as education, inculturation, social ethics, marriage and family, ecumenical and interfaith relations.
• External perceptions of the Roman Catholic Church, its agenda of evangelization, and its role in local and global affairs since Vatican II.

Papers are invited which relate to the themes of the conference as outlined above, and especially on the topics identified. Paper presenters should be active researchers, whether new or established scholars, who have an interest in the topic and are planning to attend the conference. It is not necessary to be a Catholic or to speak from the perspective of Catholic theology; any scholarly paper related to the themes will be considered.

Papers presented in parallel sessions should be delivered in a maximum of 20 minutes and should be no more than 2000 words in length.

To apply to present a paper, the following information is needed:

• Your name and institution (if applicable)
• Title of the proposed paper
• Brief abstract (about 200 words)

Applications should be sent to Professor Kirsteen Kim k.kim@leedstrinity.ac.uk by 30 November 2011. Successful contributors will be notified by 31 January 2012.

A limited number of partial bursaries is available.

For further information about the event and to book a place, see www.leedstrinity.ac.uk/VaticanIIConference. For enquiries, email k.stenton@leedstrinity.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)113 2837102.