The Society for Christian Scholarship in Music seeks proposals for its upcoming annual meeting, which will take place February 26–28, 2026, at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL.
Individual papers, research posters, panels, and lecture recitals on any topic related to music and Christianity are welcome. We invite submissions representing a variety of approaches and perspectives including ethnomusicology, historical musicology, theory and analysis, philosophy, theology, liturgy, congregational music, and other methodologies.
Guidelines for proposals:
Note: All submissions should have a clear title.
—Individual Paper Proposals should clearly describe the argument, evidence, and research findings and should situate the work in relation to previous scholarship. The identity of the author should not be divulged in the body of the proposal. Maximum length: 350 words. Only one individual proposal may be submitted. Individual papers are 25 minutes.
—Research Poster Proposals should follow the same format as Individual Paper Proposals above. The program will include a designated time for research poster presentations. Please clearly indicate if you would like your proposal to be considered: (1) as a paper, (2) as a research poster, or (3) either paper or research poster.
—Panel Proposals should include a summary of the importance of the panel topic by the panel organizer (maximum length 350 words). The organizer should also include a proposal for each paper prepared by individual panelists following the guidelines for Individual Proposals, along with each panelist’s contact information. Panel Proposals will be considered only as a whole, the session’s coherence being an essential part of the evaluation process. A panel is one hour and 45 minutes, including time for questions.
—Lecture-Recital Proposals should identify the music to be performed, including approximate timings and performing forces, and clearly describe the substance of the lecture component as outlined for Individual Proposals. Please note clearly at the top that this is a Lecture-Recital proposal. Maximum length: 350 words, plus list of repertoire. Lecture recitals are one hour.
The Society for Christian Scholarship in Music promotes the exploration of connections between Christian faith and the academic study of music. We are a cross-disciplinary society including ethnomusicologists, music theorists, musicologists, scholars of liturgy and of church music, theologians, and practicing church musicians. The Society understands itself as having an ecumenical Christian identity, reflecting the worldwide diversity of Christian traditions. The Society also sees it as vitally important to learn from scholars outside those traditions, and scholars who do not identify as Christian are welcome to join as full members.
SCSM encourages submissions from current graduate students. A $250 prize will be awarded for the best paper presented by a graduate student at the meeting. Application instructions for the graduate student prize will be provided upon acceptance of the paper for the program and will be posted on the society’s website. In addition, graduate students whose proposals are accepted are eligible to apply for travel assistance from the SCSM Graduate Student Travel Fund.
Please send submissions or questions to Joseph Sargent, program committee chair, at jmsargent@ua.edu. In the body of your submission e-mail indicate your affiliation, preferred e-mail for communication, and if you are a student. Please submit your proposal as a Word file.
Presenters are expected to deliver their presentations in person, though Zoom presentations will be considered in unusual circumstances. Such proposals should include a note in the body of the submission e-mail, explaining the rationale for virtual presentation.
Proposals must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on October 1, 2025 in order to be considered. All proposals are evaluated the program committee in a blind peer review process. Applicants will be notified of the program committee’s decision in early November.
Presenters are required to become members of the society for the year of the conference. Conference registration is open to all interested persons: undergraduate and graduate students, as well as independent and affiliated scholars.
For more information about the SCSM and previous conferences, see www.scsmusic.org.