About the Conference
The Postgraduate Co-Conveners of the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics invite papers exploring “Christ Beside Us, Christ Before Us: Pilgrimage, Neighbourliness, and Encounters in Christian Ethics” for the Postgraduate Conference 2026. We welcome contributions that engage with this theme in diverse ways, including (but not limited to):
Accounts of the pilgrim, companion, neighbour, or stranger in Scripture and theology;
Christological accounts of Christ as neighbour, companion, or fellow pilgrim, and their ethical implications;
Ethical and practical-theological approaches to living as neighbours across difference;
Reflections on pilgrimage as a metaphor or practice shaping moral imagination and ethical relations;
Case studies of neighbourliness (or its failure) in church life, civic life, public theologies, or interfaith contexts;
Historical and contemporary examples of Christian communities embodying (or struggling with) the call to be neighbourly;
Neighbourliness in global, postcolonial, and migratory contexts;
Encounters with the stranger, hospitality, and vulnerability as dimensions of Christian ethics;
Accounts of liturgical or other practices that depict, critique, nurture, or enact neighbourly ways of being.

Submission Formats
Please submit abstracts of up to 250 words by 6th February 2026 to pg-convener@ssce.org.uk. In addition to traditional academic papers (20-minute papers followed by 10-minute Q&A), we also encourage work-in progress poster presentations (5-minute presentations followed by 5-minute Q&A).

Selection Criteria
Abstracts will be assessed for:
Originality and scholarly or practical rigour;
Clarity of argument or approach; and
Relevance to the conference theme.
We particularly welcome submissions from postgraduates and early-career researchers whose work is in progress. If you are uncertain about how to structure an abstract, we encourage you to contact us; we will be glad to provide guidance and support in developing your idea into an abstract suitable for submission.

Contact
For questions or to submit your abstract, please contact: pg-convener@ssce.org.uk.
We look forward to receiving your contributions!