The Spirit of Peace
11th Annual John D. Stratton Conference
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Call for Papers
In order to foster interdisciplinary conversations around peace and nonviolence, the Ashland Center for Nonviolence invites proposals for the 2026 John D. Stratton Conference, centered on the theme: “The Spirit of Peace.”
This conference will explore how spiritual, religious, and contemplative traditions understand, articulate, and display peace commitments. While many contributions to peacemaking arise from political, legal, and scientific efforts, enduring global movements have often drawn their deepest strength from spiritual sources: practices of prayer and meditation, prophetic traditions, rituals of healing and forgiveness, and visions of interconnectedness and beloved community.
We welcome proposals from across disciplines—including religious studies, theology, ethics, history, literature, philosophy, psychology, education, the arts, and peace studies—as well as from practitioners working in interfaith dialogue, religious education, activism, and other peace-related fields. Together, we seek to better understand the spiritual dimensions of peace and how they can be nurtured in today’s world.
Questions to explore might include:
- How do spiritual and religious traditions define and pursue peace?
- What roles do inner transformation, mysticism, and contemplative practice play in peacemaking?
- How have faith-based movements contributed to nonviolent resistance or reconciliation?
- What are ethical, theological, and other related roots of nonviolence across religious traditions?
- How do religious and spiritual art, music, and ritual help cultivate a culture of peace?
- How can and have spiritualities been linked to resilience and hope amid violence and injustice?
- How can spiritual formation be integrated into peace education?
Both theoretical and practical approaches are encouraged.
Submission Guidelines:
Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted using the online submission form no later than Dec. 20, 2025. Individual presentations should plan for 35 minutes with 10 additional minutes for discussion. Panel proposals are also encouraged.
Presenters are welcome to engage in academic or practical debates but should avoid unnecessary jargon and be mindful that our audience includes scholars, students, community members, and practitioners from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds.
The Science of Peace
10th Annual John D. Stratton Conference
The Ashland Center for Nonviolence (ACN) at Ashland University hosted the 10th annual John D. Stratton Conference on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22, 2025. This year’s theme was “The Science of Peace.”
Through the development of “The Science of Peace,” the conference leverages the strengths of a variety of disciplines in an effort to bring about a broader range of effective approaches to building a peaceful world. It aims to help transform how we understand and practice peacemaking, moving beyond traditional boundaries and opening new pathways for research, education and action.
The conference was kicked off Feb. 21 with a keynote speech from Matthew T. Lee, Ph.D., director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science. He presented “What Is Ecosystem-Wide Flourishing and Why Does It Matter to Peace?”
On Feb. 22, there was an all-day academic conference, featuring a series of presenters and workshops across disciplines.
Past Conferences
Peace through Peaceful Means
