International Network for the Study of Spirituality
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The nature of INSS conferences
I Image by Gerd Altmann, Pixabay In his Opening Address at the launch of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality (BASS, now INSS) in January 2010, the then President, John Swinton, asked:
Part of the ‘problem’ of spirituality is that it straddles different cultures, academic disciplines and professional contexts. Studies in and of the field draw on scientific and literary concepts, on quantitative and qualitative data, and on objective measures as well as subjective experiences. BASS came into being with the expressed intention of providing a forum where studies shaped by the diverse approaches and priorities of different cultures, perspectives and professional obligations might be brought together in the context of what Swinton referred to as ‘hospitable conversation’ in both ‘physical and conceptual’ spaces. You are warmly invited to participate in the ongoing conversations at the next INSS conference. |
Our international biennial conferences are interdisciplinary and inter-professional, bringing together a broad range of researchers, scholars and practitioners from around the world who have interests in the theory and practice of spirituality. They are specifically designed to provide opportunities for hospitable conversations and the creation of syntheses across the international, academic and professional boundaries that often pose a challenge to the development of a 'joined-up' field of spirituality studies.!! BOOKING OPENS SOON !!
CONFERENCE 2027
Our Ninth International Biennial Conference
Sacred Wholeness:
Seeking Wellbeing through Integration of Spirit, Social Justice, and the Earth
will be held from
15-17 June 2027
at
in the beautiful ancient city of YORK,* UK
* named as the most popular city in the UK (YouGov 2025)
The Conference Theme
We live in a time of profound disruption and searching. Across the world, individuals and communities are grappling with fragmentation — of self, of society, and of our relationship with the Earth. Old certainties have given way to uncertainty; old divisions have deepened into crisis. In this context, the question of how human beings find, or restore, a sense of wholeness has become one of the most urgent questions of our age.
The focus of this conference is the concept of sacred wholeness: the idea that genuine wellbeing cannot be achieved in isolation from one another, and cannot be secured without attending to the sacred dimensions of human life, our obligations to one another across lines of difference and injustice, and our relationship with the natural world. The conference will explore how the diverse concepts and practices of spirituality might serve as pathways toward integration - bringing together what has been fractured, naming what has been lost, and imagining what might yet be possible.
At a time when spirituality is increasingly recognised as a distinct and vital field of enquiry in its own right, this conference invites reflection on what it means to pursue wellbeing together: through the lens of spirit, through the demands of social justice, and through a renewed sense of care for the Earth we share. The conference will provide space in which to consider these themes and how they relate to one another; the methodologies and methods best suited to their study; and the role that spirituality and spirituality studies might play in shaping our collective future through research, education and practice.
Contributions are invited that address one or more elements of the conference theme.
The Venue: York, UK
Set in the heart of northern England, York is an inspired setting for a conference on sacred wholeness. One of Europe's most historically rich cities, York has been a place of pilgrimage, scholarship, and spiritual life for over a thousand years. Its ancient streets, magnificent Minster, and tradition of Quaker social reform speak directly to the themes of spirit, justice, and community at the heart of this conference. Within easy reach of York, the rolling landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors offer their own invitation to pause, to wonder, and to attend to the more-than-human world.
York St John University, which will host the conference, brings its own longstanding commitment to values of equity, community and human flourishing, and warmly welcomes the INSS community to this special city.
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR THE CALL FOR PAPERS WHICH WILL BE ISSUED SOON
Previous conferences
It is never possible to capture properly in words or retrospect the 'buzz' that arises from the intermingling at conferences of people, personal insights, professional experiences, social concerns and global issues. The creative processes, questions, support and encouragement that all arise from such a mix are the very stuff of what it means to 'confer': 'to bring together'; 'to compare; examine by comparison'; and 'to bestow as a permanent gift' (1). Some aspects of the 'gifts' bestowed by previous conferences are encapsulated in articles in special issues of the Journal for the Study of Spirituality. Links to relevant issues of the journal and to other information about previous conferences are provided in the panels below.
(1) http://www.finedictionary.com/confer.html [17/09/2020]
Click on its title below to explore details of all previous INSS conferences
2025
Spirituality, Consciousness, Technology and Wellbeing:
Implications for Research, Education and Practice
EIGHTH International Conference of the International Network for the Study of Spirituality
was held in conjunction with the University of Northampton, UK from 17-19 June 2025
2023
Spirituality, Critical Reflection and Professional Practice in an Uncertain World
SEVENTH International Conference of the International Network for the Study of Spirituality
Tuesday 16th May – Thursday 18th May 2023
South East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland
2010 SPIRITUALITY IN A CHANGING WORLD FIRST International Conference of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality, in association with the National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum Tuesday 4 May – Thursday 6 May 2010 Cumberland Lodge, The Great Park, Windsor, UK A two day conference exploring the relevance of spirituality for the socio-economic, political and cultural challenges of contemporary society Keynote speakers Linda Woodhead: Religion and spirituality: Never the twain shall meet? Bob Neimeyer: Loss of meaning, crisis of faith Rebecca Nye: Children and spirituality: everything to play for Josie Gregory: Maintaining the spirit in the world of work Harold Koenig: Healthy lives? The spiritual challenge of 21st century health care Ursula King: Can spirituality transform our world? Further information:
| 2012 SPIRITUALITY IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD SECOND International Conference of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality Tuesday 15 May – Thursday 17 May 2012 Highgate House, Northampton, UK Keynote speakers Spirituality & Politics: Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin (Chaplain to the House of Commons) Spirituality & Health: Chris Cook (Professor of Psychiatry, Durham University; Chair, Spirituality Special Interest Group, Royal College of Psychiatrists) Spirituality & Religion: Grace Davie (Emeritus Professor of the Sociology of Religion - University of Exeter) Spirituality & Ecology: Sister Jayanti (European Director of Brahma Kumaris, World Spirituality University, Spirituality, Humanity & Social Justice: Paul Gilbert (Professor of Psychology, University of Derby; Founder of ‘The Compassionate Mind Foundation’) Further information: Conference issue of JSS, with keynotes
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2014 SPIRITUALITY IN A CHALLENGING WORLD THIRD International Conference of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality Monday 19 May – Wednesday 21 May 2014 Ashridge House, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK Keynote speakers Roger Gill (Durham University) Spirituality at Work and the Leadership Challenge
Margaret Holloway (University of Hull) Spirituality at the Sharp End Michael King (University College London) The Challenge of Research into Religion and Spirituality John Swinton (University of Aberdeen) Spirituality-in-Healthcare: Just because it may be 'made up' does not mean that it is not real and does not matter Further information: Conference issue of JSS, with keynotes
| 2016 CAN SPIRITUALITY TRANSFORM OUR WORLD? New frontiers in understanding and exploring contemporary spiritualities FOURTH International Conference of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality Monday 23 May - Thursday 26 May 2016 Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre, Manchester, UK A three day conference bringing together researchers and scholars from a range of academic disciplines and the creative arts with policy-makers and practitioners from the caring professions, education sector and business communities, to consider the state of play in spirituality studies as well as the dynamic relationship between spirituality and contemporary society. Keynote speakers Fiona Gardner (La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia) Critical Spirituality in Holistic Practice Mel Gray (University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia) More than Science: Reflections on Science, Spirit, Tradition, and Environment Graham Harvey (Open University, Milton Keynes, UK) If ‘Spiritual But Not Religious’ People Are Not Religious What Difference Do They Make? Mike King (Freelance Scholar) The Epistemology of Spiritual Happiness Philip J. Larkin (University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland) Can Compassion Transform Our Dying? A Reading of Compassion for Palliative and End-of-Life Care Further information: Conference issue of JSS, with keynotes Conference brochure + Keynote speakers
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2018 FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION IN HEALTH, MEDICINE AND SOCIAL SCIENCES FIFTH International Conference of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality (BASS) and Sixth European Conference on Religion, Spirituality and Health (ECRSH) Thursday 17 May - Saturday 19 May 2018 Coventry University, UK A joint conference in recognition of the academic interests that BASS shares with ECRSH, designed in a spirit of international co-operation and collegiality in the field of the study of spirituality, which is an important part of the mission of BASS. As the venue for the conference is Coventry, an internationally recognised centre for peace and reconciliation, the conference provides an ideal opportunity to explore the spirituality of forgiveness and reconciliation in the many contexts in which it is encountered. NINE Keynote speakers, plus the public ' Coventry Lecture' Dimensions of Forgiveness - A Comprehensive Overview Everett Worthington (Virginia Commonwealth University, USA) Further information: Conference brochure + Keynote speakers
Image: Coventry Cathedral: DeFacto / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) | 2020 Postponed until 2021 because of the pandemic SPIRITUALITY IN RESEARCH, PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND EDUCATION Sixth International Conference of the International Network for the Study of Spirituality (formerly British Association for the Study of Spirituality - BASS) Monday 7 June – Tuesday 8 June, 2021 ONLINE in conjunction with York St John University, York, UK
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