The Multiethnic Symposium committee invites proposals for open sectionals during the annual Multiethnic Symposium, May 3-4, 2022, at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
The theme of the 2022 symposium is “Rise and Enter the City”: The Hopeful Church in the Multiethnic City.
“But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do” (Acts 9:6). With these words, Jesus calls Saul of Damascus to go into the city in preparation for the beginning of his ministry as Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Through the centuries, the risen Lord has continued to call his church to enter into cities in order to prepare for and engage in mission, ministry, and works of mercy and justice among neighbors of all nations. In people’s minds, the multiethnic city often evokes paradoxical images of creativity and dysfunction, development and poverty, growth and decline. The city is complex, filled with contradictions and possibilities. It is also ripe for the hopeful church to listen to and address city dwellers’ struggles and aspirations with the light and joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Understanding life, ministry, and mission in the multiethnic city calls for the capacity to analyze and interpret the challenges and opportunities of urban ministry today with biblical and theological depth. The 2022 Multiethnic Symposium will offer plenaries and sectionals that reflect on the city from biblical, artistic, and missional perspectives coming from diverse ethnic churches and communities, particularly in the U.S. Through analysis, reflection, and discernment, participants will contribute toward a Lutheran theology of urban ministry for the church that will inspire and guide intercultural engagement with neighbors of different ethnic backgrounds living in the complex urban landscapes of our day.
The committee requests that submissions may be on topics related to the symposium’s theme. The committee will review all proposals by February 1, 2022.
A paragraph abstract should be submitted to Erika Bennett via email ([email protected]).
Sectional presentations should be no longer than 45 minutes long and they will be prerecorded. They will be housed on our virtual event space since the Multiethnic Symposium will be available both in-person and online.
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