Religious Communication Association
RCA 2026 Annual Conference Call for Papers
The Religious Communication Association welcomes submissions for the National Communication Association 2026 Annual Convention, November 19-22, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana. RCA opens its portion of the New Orleans meeting with its annual First-Day Conference on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, one day before the NCA meeting officially begins on Thursday.
RCA is a nonsectarian academic society that provides scholars and practitioners from various faiths and no faith opportunities to advance the study of communication in religious contexts, with religious content, or as religious practice. As an independent 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with NCA, RCA showcases religious communication scholarship during the NCA meeting and its separate First-Day Conference one day before the NCA convention begins.
Submissions to NCA Convention Central will be considered simultaneously for NCA panels and inclusion in the RCA First-Day Conference programming on November 18, 2026. The standards for acceptance for NCA and RCA are equally stringent. However, since most accepted papers and panels will be programmed for the RCA event, submitters are advised that submission to the NCA review process indicates your agreement to attend the preceding RCA First-Day Conference should your paper be programmed there.
The 112th Annual Convention theme of the National Communication Association is “MOVE/MENTS in Communication.” Submissions open in late January 2026.
RCA is also particularly interested in cross-sponsoring with other NCA units and affiliates. In your submission, please indicate if your paper or panel proposal involves potential cooperation between RCA and other NCA divisions or affiliate groups.
The Religious Communication Association accepts submissions in various formats: competitive individual papers, paper sessions, and panel discussions.
Individual papers should include an uploaded abstract and are limited to 25 double-spaced pages, excluding notes. Only completed papers will be considered. Individual paper uploads should not contain identifying information (author name, university affiliation, etc.) in the text or embedded document properties. Note that the same paper may not be submitted to more than one division or planning unit, but individuals may submit up to five unique papers to NCA. See the NCA “Rule of 5” below.
Student papers should be marked as such to be eligible for the RCA Student Paper of the Year Award and the Donald P. Cushman Award for the top student paper at the NCA convention. For multi-authored works to be eligible for these awards, all authors must be students. INDICATE if the paper is a STUDENT PAPER (undergraduate or graduate) by checking the appropriate box on the NCA Convention Central form.
Review the “Scholar-to-Scholar” description below and indicate your willingness to present your paper as part of this Scholar-to-Scholar exchange if you think this is an appropriate venue for your scholarship. Choosing this option does not exclude your paper from consideration as a competitive paper. This option is an ADDITIONAL consideration and increases your chances for presentation acceptance at NCA.
Paper sessions are theme-based submissions should include (1) a session title, (2) a list of presenters with their institutional affiliations (multiple institutions must be represented), (3) titles and full abstracts for each individual presentation, (4) a detailed session description for the online convention program, and (5) a thoroughly developed rationale arguing for the significance and relevance of the session. A session chair is required, while a respondent is optional. In your rationale, please indicate if your session proposal involves potential cooperation between RCA and other NCA divisions or affiliate groups.
Panel discussions should include (1) a panel title, (2) a list of presenters and their institutional affiliations (representation from multiple institutions is preferred), (3) a detailed session description for the online convention program, and (4) a thoroughly developed rationale describing the format of the discussion and arguing for the significance and relevance of the panel. Proposals for panel discussions are encouraged to demonstrate creative adaptation of the discussion format. A session chair is required. In your rationale, please indicate if your panel proposal involves potential cooperation between RCA and other NCA divisions or affiliate groups.
Scholar-to-Scholar sessions are a one-on-one interactive format for communication and discussion that will be employed. Individual papers are submitted for public display in dedicated sessions with engagement by selected “wandering scholars” (experts in the field). This format is appropriate for presentations such as videos, interactive media, slide shows, experiential activities, and posters. Please check the appropriate approval box on the electronic submission form if you want to be considered for Scholar-to-Scholar. Choosing this option does not exclude your paper from consideration as a competitive paper. Selecting this option is an ADDITIONAL consideration and increases your chances for presentation acceptance at NCA.
The NCA Rule of 5 limits participants to five proposal submissions and five active roles at the Annual Convention to prevent scheduling conflicts. Non-presenting roles, such as co-authors or session chairs, are exempt. This ensures a fair and manageable experience for all attendees.
Submit ALL papers and panel proposals to RCA online via the NCA Convention Central site. Audiovisual requests must be made at the time of submission. Due to the excessive number of requests, late requests WILL NOT be accommodated.
All participants should review the “Professional Standards for Convention Participants,” which will further clarify expectations and may be downloaded from the NCA Convention Resources webpage.
Submissions are due by Monday, March 25, 2026, at 11:59 PM (PST).
QUESTIONS
Please contact the 2026 RCA NCA Unit Planner for any questions regarding programming:
James W. Vining, Ph.D.
Division of Arts and Letters
Governors State University
jvining@govst.edu
RCA Conference and Call Archive
Each November, RCA holds its Annual Conference in conjunction with the annual convention of the National Communication Association. Scholars are invited to submit competitive papers and panel proposals for consideration. Instructions and guidelines are specified in the annual RCA call for papers.
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