Proposals are now welcomed for a virtual conference examining the “religion, politics, and culture” during the pontificate of Gregory XV (1621-1623). The event, marking the 400th anniversary of his election as pope, will take place on February 5, 2021. The application deadline is October 23, 2020. Details are available at https://ludovisi.org/
After his election on February 9, 1621, Alessandro Ludovisi, a frail 67-year-old Bolognese cardinal, led a brief reign but one with “an impressively broad series of accomplishments.” The conference organizers, Corey Brennan of Rutgers University and Pierette Kulpa of Kutztown University, hope the event will provide those accomplishments with “renewed attention, analysis, and critique.” In particular, the conference plans to highlight Gregory XV’s status as the first Jesuit-educated pope and as an energetic patron of the Society of Jesus, as evidenced by the canonization of Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier in 1622.
The conference will feature 20-minute, pre-recorded presentations on any aspect—political, diplomatic, theological, cultural—of the pontificate of Gregory XV. To be considered, please submit an abstract (350-500 words) to progettoludovisi@gmail.com by October 23, 2020. The default language of the conference is English, though presenters may deliver their papers also in Italian, German, French, or Spanish, if they provide a written English translation. The recorded presentations will be closed captioned for accessibility.