An International History of Catholicism in the American South: Commemorating the Bicentennial of the Diocese of Charleston.

In 2020, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston will celebrate the bicentennial of its founding. To underscore the importance of this milestone, the diocese will conduct a one-day academic conference, “An International History of Catholicism in the American South: Commemorating the Bicentennial of the Diocese of Charleston.” This conference will explore aspects of Catholicism in the three-state territory of the original Charleston diocese, the Carolinas and Georgia. It will be hosted on May 15^th, 2020, at the College of Charleston as part of a multi-day “Port Cities in the Atlantic” conference sponsored by the Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World Program (CLAW) https://claw.cofc.edu/.

Scholars are invited to submit proposals for individual papers, or thematic panels of three papers, to be delivered at the International History of Catholicism portion of the CLAW conference. Papers will be considered on any topic, but the following themes are especially relevant:

• Historical aspects of Catholicism in the coastal South and the Atlantic world;
• Catholicism’s reaction to slavery, abolitionism, emancipation and the struggle for civil rights;
• The Diocese of Charleston and the two Vatican Councils;
• Ecumenism in Georgia and the Carolinas.

 Additional events and commemorations associated with the bicentennial of the Diocese of Charleston will be conducted during and after the academic conference. Those wishing to attend only the one-day conference sponsored by the Diocese of Charleston may register for the CLAW Conference at the discounted rate of $20.00. Details about lodging, registration, and other logistical matters will be forthcoming shortly.

Proposals should be submitted to CLAW, with a cover letter clearly indicating the proposal is for the International History of Catholicism portion of the overall conference. Please send propsals electronically, along with a brief curriculum vitae, to Dr. Sandra Slater at: slaters@cofc.edu.

Deadline for submission of proposals is October 1^st, 2019. Selected proposers will be notified on or before December 31^st, 2019.

General queries about the Diocese of Charleston portion of the CLAW Conference may be submitted to: bfahey@charlestondiocese.org