We cordially invite colleagues to submit paper proposals for the international conference on the Legacy of Catholic Missions. Religious Fragmentation and Connectedness in Georgia in the 18th and 19th Centuries, to be held at Ilia State University, Tbilisi, 10-13 September 2024.

The Georgian Orthodox Church of late antiquity and the Catholic missions of early modern Georgia relied on the same text corpora comprising the old Georgian translations of the Bible, the earliest examples of which date back to 5th-century manuscripts. Application of the same religious texts by different Christian denominations created a specific model of religious fragmentation and connectedness, especially during the transition period from the Middle Ages to modernity. The liturgical practices of different periods and stages of religious inculturation in Georgia played a significant role in the emancipation and the development of the Georgian language and its functions. The trends of fragmentation and connectedness were influenced by the coexistence of three different rites of the Catholic missions in Georgia: Rito Latino, Rito Armenio Catolico and Rito Georgiano Catolico.

The conference aims to broadly explore and discuss trends of fragmentation and connectedness between the Orthodox Church and Roman Catholicism, as well as between the rites of the Catholic missions in Georgia.

We welcome contributions on topics related to, but not limited to:

• Eastern Catholic Churches
• Missionary Linguistics and Textual Legacy of Catholic Missions
• Process of Catholic Inculturation from the Perspective of Early Global History and Modernity

All interested applicants should submit an abstract of roughly 300 words and a current CV to the e-mail address lecamiconference@iliauni.edu.ge

• The deadline for submissions is June 16 2024
• Selected participants will be notified by June 23 2024
• The working language is English and Georgian
• Participation in the conference is free of charge

Any inquiries should be sent to lecamiconference@iliauni.edu.ge