Welcome to the Upper Midwest Region of the AAR!

 

We are a vibrant community of regional scholars and educators, part of the premier professional organization for professors in Theology, Religion, and Sacred Texts.

This site provides up-to-date information on Regional activities, including the annual Regional Conference, as well as numerous other useful services. Use the navigation bar at the top of the page to learn about the Region and to page through the archives of past conferences, and much more.

Save the dates for the 2026 Umwaar conference.

Our conference for THIS coming SPRING will be on april 10-11, 2026. The LOCation IS AT augsburg university, minneapolis, minnesota.

call for papers will be available when it is ready.

As a Reminder: those presenting, as well as students and visitors, need to register. there are different categories of registration for faculty, adjunct or contingent faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and visitors. the fees differ. THE REGISTRATION LINK IS now AVAILABLE. The registration fee will cover coffee and light snacks on friday and saturday and lunch on saturday. If you have questions, please contact Terry Kleven, chief regional officer, at klevent@central.edu

hotel reservations are according to a specific rate for the umwaar. Please identify yourself when you reserve your room. see hotels below.

 

Regional conference 2026

Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11, 2026

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

hotels: (to be revised)

Hilton Garden Inn Minneapolis University Area (one mile from Augsburg University). Rate: $135 plus taxes. Parking $17.00 per day. No shuttle to Augsburg. Link to hotel for booking will be added soon. Book directly. Call desk: 612-504-3000. For online booking, use the following link: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/msputgi-117-e10d597b-3443-46dc-a832-d0a7c76f9b24/

Courtyard Downtown Minneapolis (half a mile from Augsburg University). Rate: $139 plus taxes ($159.88 total). Overnight parking is $28. There is free parking available on the Augsburg campus and a free round-trip LYFT complementary of the hotel. Call 877-699-3216 and identify the group name as ‘Upper Midwest AAR Conference’. Or here is the link: Book your group rate for Upper Midwest AAR Conference . The room block and rate will be held until April 4.

Learn More →

Did you know that the Upper Midwest Region covers an area of over 2 million square miles? Learn even more about our region and the organizations that sponsor us here.