Call for Papers – Christian and Christian Democratic Approaches to International Politics

This is a call for paper submissions for a conference taking place on 3–4 December 2026, with a submission deadline of 20 August 2026. The conference invites contributions examining Christian and Christian democratic approaches to international politics in the context of an increasingly contested global order. The project is co-organised by the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, and the Scientific Institute of the Dutch CDA party, and hosted by the University of Utrecht.

As contemporary international politics is increasingly shaped by competing visions of order, Europe faces the challenge of responding cohesively to intensifying geopolitical rivalries. Against this backdrop, the conference explores Christian and Christian democratic approaches to international relations, situating them within the broader spectrum of Christian-inspired visions of international order emerging across the world today.

Competing understandings of Christianity’s role in international affairs have become more visible in public and political life. These range from Orthodox narratives mobilised around Russia’s war in Ukraine to forms of Christian nationalism associated with right-wing populist movements in both evangelical and Catholic contexts. They stand alongside, and often in tension with, appeals to peace, justice and international law advanced by the Papacy, as well as the supranational tradition associated with European Christian democracy. Similar dynamics can be observed across parts of the Global South.

The conference pursues two complementary objectives. First, it seeks to map and critically analyse the diversity of Christian approaches to international politics, including their sources, motivations and goals. Second, it aims to clarify what is distinctive about the Christian democratic approach and explore how its principles—such as human dignity, subsidiarity, moderation, moral responsibility and international cooperation—can contribute to contemporary International Relations scholarship and foreign policy debates.

Submission guidelines

Abstract (300–500 words)
Include name, affiliation, and short bio
Deadline: August 20, 2026

After the conference, selected papers may be included in an edited volume.

Academic committee

Dr. Simon Polinder, Postdoctoral Researcher, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Dr. Federico Ottavio Reho, Strategic Coordinator and Senior Research Officer at the Wilfried

Martens Centre for European Studies

Submissions and inquiries: