Facing Abuse in Ecclesial Contexts: Repair and Reform through Theology in Dialogue with Social Sciences and Pastoral Practice
CALL FOR PAPERS
for the special issue of Open Theology
FACING ABUSE IN ECCLESIAL CONTEXTS:
REPAIR AND REFORM THROUGH THEOLOGY
IN DIALOGUE WITH SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PASTORAL PRACTICE
Open Theology (https://www.degruyterbrill.com/opth) invites submissions for the special issue “Facing Abuse in Ecclesial Contexts: Repair and Reform through Theology in Dialogue with Social Sciences and Pastoral Practice,” edited by Véronique Lecaros and Carlos Piccone-Camere (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Peru).
DESCRIPTION
Abuse in ecclesial contexts - sexual, spiritual, and abuses of power and conscience - demands sustained, interdisciplinary attention that joins theology with the social sciences and pastoral practice. This topical issue seeks contributions that integrate systematic, moral, and practical theology with empirically grounded analysis (qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method) to examine power, harm, accountability, care, and institutional change. We especially welcome work that advances repair and reform through prevention, disclosure, accompaniment,
safeguarding, and redress.
We encourage survivor-centered research; doctrinal and liturgical reflection that engages vulnerability, healing, and truth-telling; and practice-oriented notes and field reports.
Submissions should aim to articulate proposals with real traction - normative and operational - attentive to feasibility, measurable change, and transferability.
Especially welcomed are papers presenting:
• Normative & Theological Frameworks: Re-conceptualize authority, obedience, conscience, parrhesia, vulnerability; contributions from systematic, moral, and practical theology.
• Safeguarding, Accountability & Oversight: Assess safeguarding norms and practices; explore canon–civil law interfaces (reporting pathways, archives, evidence standards); theorize conditions for independent oversight and institutional design.
• Formation & Governance: Analyze seminaries/novitiates/spiritual direction; admissions and screening; cultures of silence/denial; propose curricula, assessment tools, leadership development, and change metrics.
• Care, Liturgy & Repair: Develop trauma-informed pastoral practice; lament, confession, healing rites, moral injury; design and implementation of reparations and long-term support.
• Communication Ecosystems & Publics: Media, digital publics, institutional messaging; crisis communication; mis/disinformation; transparency practices (dashboards) and data ethics.
• Social Locations & Intersectionality: Examine how gender, class, race/ethnicity, indigeneity, disability, and colonial legacies shape harm, reporting barriers, and access to justice.
• Methods & Research Ethics: Reflect on research with survivors (consent, anonymization, safeguarding researchers), archival constraints, data stewardship; share toolkits, rubrics, and replication materials.
• Case-Based Evaluations & Indicators: Evaluate synodality, lay participation, external audits; propose transferable indicators and benchmarks for prevention and reform.
Submissions must comply with ethical standards for research involving human participants (IRB/ethics approvals where applicable), ensure rigorous anonymization, and use trauma-informed language.
Because “Open Theology” is published under an open access model, as a rule, publication costs should be covered by Article Publishing Charges (APC), paid by authors, their affiliated institutions, funders or sponsors. Authors without access to publishing funds are encouraged to discuss potential discounts or waivers with Managing Editor Katarzyna Tempczyk (katarzyna.tempczyk@degruyterbrill.com) before submitting their manuscripts.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Submissions will be collected until April 30, 2026, via the on-line submission system
at http://www.editorialmanager.com/openth/
Please choose section/category: special issue Facing Abuse in Ecclesial Contexts.
Before submission, authors should carefully read the Instruction for Authors, available at:
https://www.degruyter.com/publication/journal_key/OPTH/downloadAsset/OPTH_Instruction%20for%20Authors.pdf
All contributions will undergo critical peer review before being accepted for publication.
Further questions about content for this thematic issue can be addressed to Prof. Dr. Véronique
Lecaros(veronique.lecaros@pucp.edu.pe) and Prof. Dr. Carlos Piccone-Camere
(cpiccone@pucp.edu.pe). Financial questions should be directed to the journal Managing
Editor Katarzyna Tempczyk at katarzyna.tempczyk@degruyterbrill.com. In case of technical
problems with submission please write to AssistantManagingEditor@degruyterbrill.com.
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