Religion Call for Papers | @relcfp

Call for Papers: Theology, Religion and Taylor Swift

Edited by: Alexis Bradford and Chris Swann

Taylor Swift is a cultural icon. As such, she is often used as a case study and her success has been carefully examined in fields such as business, economics, anthropology, media studies, and even philosophy, but theology and religious studies has yet to explore how Taylor Swift’s career, lore, lyrics, and legacy are each connected to religious themes.

Every day, Swift’s millions of fans across the globe comb through her lyrics, analyse her social media posts, her outfits, and her interviews searching for hidden clues and encoded meanings. The lyrics of her songs encourage this through their rich intertextuality, word play, and often elusive references and allusions to other texts – including religious ones – as well as her life and experiences. Swift’s life itself has become a living text, interpreted by her fans with an almost religious fervour and in ways not dissimilar to religious texts. Likewise, being a part of her fandom comes with various moral codes, rituals, and language. In an age where individuals are becoming increasingly isolated, parasocial relationships more heightened, and community more difficult to find, engaging in fandoms such as that of the Swifties offers a new sense of connection. Her concerts are referred to by many attendees as religious experiences, where friendship bracelets are exchanged, chants are screamed at particular moments, and being a part of it gives one a sense of participation in something greater. This something culminates around the sequin-wrapped silhouette on stage, the epicentre of this community who, through strategic vulnerability, has sacrificed her personal life to the masses, leaving her fans with the feeling that they know her intimately while remaining a complete mystery.

While the Eras tour concerts are often experienced as wholesome, safe spaces, Swift’s fandom is as infamous for its viciousness as it is for its acceptance. Like many religious figures, groups and individuals have sought to appropriate Taylor Swift to support their causes and ideologies – from far-right neo-Nazi groups who have hailed her as their Aryan goddess to evangelical Christians who have pointed to her as a role model for children. Her fandom itself is fragmented and marred by infighting.

This volume aims to draw together a range of scholars to think through the theological themes and implications of Swift’s relationship with the public, with her fans, her reception by culture broadly, and her music.

Possible chapter topics could include but are not limited to:

• The deification of celebrity in the 21st century – intimate publics and mass culture

• Swifties and the cult of Taylor Swift

• Religious imagery in her songs and their reception

• Strategic vulnerability and “Easter eggs” – keeping the masses guessing

• Girlhood, friendship, queerness, and purity

• Gender and sexuality

• The death and resurrection of a career – interpersonal conflicts and public contestation

• Longing and “horizontal transcendence”

• The gendered nature of power, image, and the music industry

• Covers, collaborations, and appropriations – musical and religious syncretism

Submission guidelines:

Please submit an abstract of 300-500 words by 13th June. Abstracts should detail the outline of your argument, methodology, and how you will engage with theological and religious themes. Include a brief bio of no more than 150 words. Please send submissions to [email protected] and [email protected].

Timeline:

Abstracts submissions deadline: 13th June 2025

Proposal review and accepted authors notified: 21st June 2025

First draft due: 11th October 2025

First drafts returned to authors for revisions: 22nd January 2026

Revised chapters due: 1st May 2026

Final submission deadline: 20 June 2026