2026 Forward Religions Conference

As we commemorate more than 250 years of Black religious traditions and the 10th anniversary of the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life (CSAARL), the 2026 Forward Religions Conference explores "Welcome Home" as an invitation to return, remember, reconnect and imagine. Across three days of conversations, performances, emerging technologies and intergenerational exchange, scholars, faith leaders, artists, innovators and cultural creators will explore the physical, spiritual, intellectual and digital spaces where Black life, faith and culture have been nurtured and transformed.