2027 Conference on Medicine and Religion Leaders Accepting Speaker Abstracts and Student Essays Deadlines are Fast Approaching

NEWS RELEASE

HOUSTON, Texas (Oct. 29, 2026) – Organizers of the 2027 Conference on Medicine and Religion are reminding potential speakers and presenters about their Call for Abstracts and Student Essay Competition. The speaker abstract submission deadline is Nov. 2 at 12:59 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), and the student essay submission deadline is Dec. 1 at 12:59 p.m. CST.

Hosted by the University of Chicago Program on Medicine and Religion, the conference will be held April 11 through April 13, 2027, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago - Magnificent Mile, 300 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, Ill. The inaugural Conference on Medicine and Religion was held in 2012. The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center (the Institute), one of 13 sustaining sponsors, has been actively involved in planning and co-hosting the conference since 2016. The Institute was established in 1955 as the Institute of Religion and is a founding member of the world-renowned Texas Medical Center in Houston.

Registration will open Dec. 1, 2026. To view a brief video about the Conference on Medicine and Religion, please access the link here.  

The mission of the conference is to build bridges between theory and practice, science and theology, healthcare professionals and faith communities, fostering conversations that advance compassionate and holistic approaches to care. The Conference on Medicine and Religion is an annual interdisciplinary gathering that promotes scholarship, education, and dialogue concerning the relationship between medicine, healthcare, spirituality, and religious traditions.

 “The Conference on Medicine and Religion is one of the nation's leading interdisciplinary forums. It advances scholarship and dialogue at the intersection of medicine, healthcare, spirituality, and religion,” said Stuart Nelson, president and chief executive officer of the Institute,  “Experts with deep knowledge and experience in the fields of medicine, theology, ethics, public health, chaplaincy, and the humanities will share their insights and perspectives with attendees who come from many disciplines and faith traditions.” 

The 2027 conference theme, “Religion, Capital, and the Struggles of Moral Formation in Healthcare," will examine the impact of economic considerations on healthcare institutions, professional formation, patient care, and the moral commitments that undergird the healing professions. Participants will explore how religious traditions can contribute wisdom, critique, and practical guidance as healthcare systems navigate challenges including commercialization, workforce burnout, inequities in care, technological change, and the pursuit of human flourishing.

"The Conference on Medicine and Religion serves as a unique gathering place for those seeking deeper understanding of the ways faith, spirituality, and religious traditions inform healthcare practice and the experience of healing," said Jeff Sokoloff, vice president of operations at the Institute. "We welcome well-established scholars as well as emerging leaders who are addressing the extensive range of moral and practical questions affecting the ever-changing healthcare sector. Students are always welcome to join us.”

Speaker Abstracts
A new Creative Arts presentation category has been added for the 2027 conference to encourage artistic engagement with themes at the intersection of medicine, healing, and faith. Conference leaders invite speaker abstract submissions focused on original studies, research, panel proposals, and presentations on these popular topics:  

  • Religion and healthcare ethics

  • Spirituality and clinical practice

  • Moral formation of healthcare professionals

  • Healthcare systems, economics, and justice

  • Medical education and professional identity

  • Religion and health policy

  • Interfaith perspectives on health and healing

  • Emerging healthcare challenges and religious responses

Student Essay Contest
Students at the undergraduate, graduate, medical, nursing, and professional levels are encouraged to participate in the Student Essay Competition. Essays should demonstrate original thinking, rigorous scholarship, and engagement with questions related to medicine, religion, healthcare, ethics, and human flourishing. Selected essays may be recognized during the conference and highlighted among the event's featured presentations.

The winner will present the paper at a 25-minute parallel session during the conference and receive complimentary registration, two nights' lodging, and travel. Students who place second and third will also be invited to attend and present at the conference; however, conference organizers will not sponsor their registration, travel, or lodging expenses. 

Learn More
Additional information about abstract and essay submission guidelines, registration, accommodations, and conference programming is available at www.medicineandreligion.com.

To learn more about the Institute and its work, please visit www.spiritualityandhealth.org.

Media Contact:         

Laura Pennino, Senior PR Consultant for The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center
mobile: 713-419-1776 | email: lp@penninoandpartners.com

Joanna Martin