This autumn, renowned German philosopher Jürgen Habermas gave a doctoral seminar at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook, "From Political Theology to the Political Philosophy of Religion".
In addition, on 22 October 2009 a symposium took place at New York University (NYU) titled "Rethinking Secularism: The Power of Religion in the Public Square", with presentations by Habermas, Judith Butler, Charles Taylor, and Cornel West. Habermas' paper bore the title: "'The Political' – The Rational Sense of a Questionable Inheritance of Political Theology".
The US Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a co-sponsor of the symposium, has now made the audio of all presentations at this conference (including Habermas' thoughts on political theology) available online:
http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2009/11/02/rethinking-secularism-audio/
Here's Habermas' course description for Stony Brook (a concise summary of his philosophical programme in this area): "This seminar will begin with a systematic comparison of two great German figures in first half of the last century, Leo Strauss and Carl Schmitt. Both stand for polar positions, one putting Classical Antiquity against monotheism, the other defending a return to a pre-Hobbesian Catholicism. Then we will engage the work of two important theologians, each representing different version of political theology, from the theological camp: Gustavo Gutierrez and Johann Baptist Metz. These comparisons then will be juxtaposed to recent discussions in the United States about public role of religion, especially as it is taken up in the work of Wolterstorff. The seminar, thus, moves from political theology formulated from without theology, to political theology formulated from within, to then conclude with a political philosophical analysis of religion in the public sphere that is agnostic and abstemious about theological claims."
23 November 2009
22 November 2009
Islamic liberation theology author and "Radicals" amongst most influential Muslims
South African Farid Esack, author of "Qur'an, Liberation and Pluralism: an Islamic perspective of interreligious solidarity against oppression" (Oneworld Publications, 1997), has been named one of the world's most influential Muslims.
"The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" is a 2009 publication by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC) in Jordan and Georgetown University's Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in Washington, DC, USA. The book, which is available free of charge online, was edited by Prof John L. Esposito and Prof Ibrahim Kalin (both Georgetown):
www.rissc.jo/muslim500v-1L.pdf
Esack, recently a Visiting Professor at Harvard Divinity School and identified by the book's editors as "a professor at the University of Johannesburg" (although he appears not now to be listed on that university's website), has found mention in two categories: "Scholarly" and "Issues of the Day".
There is also a whole category of "Radicals" amongst the most influential Muslims, including all the usual suspects, who will subscribe to a form of fundamentalist Islamic political theology entirely different from Esack's.
"The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" is a 2009 publication by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC) in Jordan and Georgetown University's Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in Washington, DC, USA. The book, which is available free of charge online, was edited by Prof John L. Esposito and Prof Ibrahim Kalin (both Georgetown):
www.rissc.jo/muslim500v-1L.pdf
Esack, recently a Visiting Professor at Harvard Divinity School and identified by the book's editors as "a professor at the University of Johannesburg" (although he appears not now to be listed on that university's website), has found mention in two categories: "Scholarly" and "Issues of the Day".
There is also a whole category of "Radicals" amongst the most influential Muslims, including all the usual suspects, who will subscribe to a form of fundamentalist Islamic political theology entirely different from Esack's.
20 November 2009
CONF: Political Theology, Pastoral Politics and Leadership
Bilingual Conference "Political Theology, Pastoral Politics and Leadership / La théologie politique, le pastoral politique et le leadership en Afrique" of the Christian organization African Operation (OPERAF), in Pretoria, South Africa, 1-15 October 2010
www.ao-operaf.com/conference2010.html
According to their website, OPERAF works "towards transforming leadership in Africa to equip and to mobilise leaders to improve the wellbeing of the citizens of their respective countries and also the wellbeing of all Africa". Unfortunately, I cannot find any other information about this organization.
They invite the following participants: "Pastors who have politicians and decision makers in their congregation [and/or are] spiritual counsellors of politicians (presidents of the countries, ministers and other decision makers[) and] want to influence the politicians; [l]eaders of the denominations ([b]ishops, general secretaries, moderators etc.); [t]he professors of theological institutions; [also pastors who have themselves] engagement in politics". The expected 100 participants from fifty African countries and the Diaspora will be discussing the question: "After 50 years of African independence, what have spiritual leaders done and what do they have to do in the next 10 years with regards to political leaders?"
"The conference is organized as an open discussion forum and provides scope for participants to explore the subject in [depth]. [After] presentations by acclaim[ed] experts in different field[s] of theology and politics during the first days of the conference, participants will be divided into groups to work out the core issues from the focus points of [the] conference.
"The conference will also provide various opportunities to engage participants in sharing experiences and articulating different perspectives of Christians in politics and transformation of Africa.
"It will [include] round table panel discussions and break-out sessions, interactive dialogue and workshops. The prophetic voices in Africa and other spiritual leaders in politics will share their experiences. It will be the time for [s]cholars, experts, strategists and practitioners [to] learn, strategise and make plan[s] together".
Visits to Soweto, the South African Presidency, ministries, and other places of interest are also planned.
For two weeks accommodation, food, transport in South Africa, conference materials and documents, they charge $1000. Travel to South Africa and visa fees "are the responsibility of the participant, their church or organisation".
I would like to trust that the bad English of the website and conference announcement is due to the fact that OPERAF mainly operates in French-speaking parts of Africa, but the French version appears to be just as faulty. They promise: "We have one year to prepare this great meeting", but you will want to proceed with caution.
If you are interested to participate, please complete and submit the enquiry form on their website.
www.ao-operaf.com/conference2010.html
According to their website, OPERAF works "towards transforming leadership in Africa to equip and to mobilise leaders to improve the wellbeing of the citizens of their respective countries and also the wellbeing of all Africa". Unfortunately, I cannot find any other information about this organization.
They invite the following participants: "Pastors who have politicians and decision makers in their congregation [and/or are] spiritual counsellors of politicians (presidents of the countries, ministers and other decision makers[) and] want to influence the politicians; [l]eaders of the denominations ([b]ishops, general secretaries, moderators etc.); [t]he professors of theological institutions; [also pastors who have themselves] engagement in politics". The expected 100 participants from fifty African countries and the Diaspora will be discussing the question: "After 50 years of African independence, what have spiritual leaders done and what do they have to do in the next 10 years with regards to political leaders?"
"The conference is organized as an open discussion forum and provides scope for participants to explore the subject in [depth]. [After] presentations by acclaim[ed] experts in different field[s] of theology and politics during the first days of the conference, participants will be divided into groups to work out the core issues from the focus points of [the] conference.
"The conference will also provide various opportunities to engage participants in sharing experiences and articulating different perspectives of Christians in politics and transformation of Africa.
"It will [include] round table panel discussions and break-out sessions, interactive dialogue and workshops. The prophetic voices in Africa and other spiritual leaders in politics will share their experiences. It will be the time for [s]cholars, experts, strategists and practitioners [to] learn, strategise and make plan[s] together".
Visits to Soweto, the South African Presidency, ministries, and other places of interest are also planned.
For two weeks accommodation, food, transport in South Africa, conference materials and documents, they charge $1000. Travel to South Africa and visa fees "are the responsibility of the participant, their church or organisation".
I would like to trust that the bad English of the website and conference announcement is due to the fact that OPERAF mainly operates in French-speaking parts of Africa, but the French version appears to be just as faulty. They promise: "We have one year to prepare this great meeting", but you will want to proceed with caution.
If you are interested to participate, please complete and submit the enquiry form on their website.
09 November 2009
Recent books on German "new political theology"
Volume 5 of the German "Jahrbuch Politische Theologie" (literally, "Yearbook" Political Theology, but only really published four times since 1995) was released in 2008 under the title "Politische Theologie – gegengelesen" (hard to translate, as "gegenlesen" can mean anything from proof-reading to cross-examination; the book's intention seems to lie in corrections, criticism, expansion, even a re-focusing).
The volume's co-editor – with Bernd Wacker –, Jürgen Manemann (Professor of Christian Weltanschauung, Religious and Cultural Theory at the University of Erfurt), is a former student of Johann Baptist Metz, who introduced the concept of "new political theology" in the 1960s (without obvious reference to Carl Schmitt's prior "old" political theology). Manemann and Wacker are also involved in the running of the "Ahauser Forum Politische Theologie", a series of events that have been organized sporadically in the German town of Ahaus since 1998.
This book has now become available for perusal on Google Book Search:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XCAxxyXHtOYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false
There you will also find a list of contents and contributors.
On occasion of Metz' 80th birthday last year, the LIT Verlag (publishers of the "Jahrbuch" series) also released, in 2009, an edited collection, "Theologisch-politische Vergewisserungen: Ein Arbeitsbuch aus dem Schüler- und Freundeskreis von Johann Baptist Metz" (Theological-political [self-]re-assurances/verifications: a workbook from the circle of students and friends of Johann Baptist Metz), edited by Thomas Polednitschek, Michael J. Rainer, and José Antonio Zamora:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a4GcbbBQCbQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Like the "Jahrbuch", this collection seeks to re-assess and further develop Metz' concept of a political theology "after Auschwitz", influenced by Marxism, defined by the "dangerous memory" of the suffering of humans and Christ alike, confronting both the past and the future.
Two more monographs on political theology have already been announced by the LIT Verlag and will be published shortly: Thomas Polednitschek's "Der politische Sokrates: Erfahrungen eines Philosophischen Praktikers an der Grenze zu Psychotherapie und Politischer Theologie" (The political Socrates: Experiences of a philosophical practitioner on the border to psychotherapy and political theology); and Seok-Guy Lee's "'Leidenserinnerung' in der Politischen Theologie von J.B. Metz und 'Leiderfahrung' in der Minjung-Theologie Südkoreas" ("Memory of suffering" in the political theology of J.B. Metz and "experience of suffering" in the Minjung theology of South Korea).
The volume's co-editor – with Bernd Wacker –, Jürgen Manemann (Professor of Christian Weltanschauung, Religious and Cultural Theory at the University of Erfurt), is a former student of Johann Baptist Metz, who introduced the concept of "new political theology" in the 1960s (without obvious reference to Carl Schmitt's prior "old" political theology). Manemann and Wacker are also involved in the running of the "Ahauser Forum Politische Theologie", a series of events that have been organized sporadically in the German town of Ahaus since 1998.
This book has now become available for perusal on Google Book Search:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XCAxxyXHtOYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false
There you will also find a list of contents and contributors.
On occasion of Metz' 80th birthday last year, the LIT Verlag (publishers of the "Jahrbuch" series) also released, in 2009, an edited collection, "Theologisch-politische Vergewisserungen: Ein Arbeitsbuch aus dem Schüler- und Freundeskreis von Johann Baptist Metz" (Theological-political [self-]re-assurances/verifications: a workbook from the circle of students and friends of Johann Baptist Metz), edited by Thomas Polednitschek, Michael J. Rainer, and José Antonio Zamora:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a4GcbbBQCbQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Like the "Jahrbuch", this collection seeks to re-assess and further develop Metz' concept of a political theology "after Auschwitz", influenced by Marxism, defined by the "dangerous memory" of the suffering of humans and Christ alike, confronting both the past and the future.
Two more monographs on political theology have already been announced by the LIT Verlag and will be published shortly: Thomas Polednitschek's "Der politische Sokrates: Erfahrungen eines Philosophischen Praktikers an der Grenze zu Psychotherapie und Politischer Theologie" (The political Socrates: Experiences of a philosophical practitioner on the border to psychotherapy and political theology); and Seok-Guy Lee's "'Leidenserinnerung' in der Politischen Theologie von J.B. Metz und 'Leiderfahrung' in der Minjung-Theologie Südkoreas" ("Memory of suffering" in the political theology of J.B. Metz and "experience of suffering" in the Minjung theology of South Korea).
08 November 2009
Public lecture: The Cosmopolitan Neighborhood
Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 296, Portland, Oregon, USA, 19 November 2009, 6.30 pm
Kenneth Reinhard (UCLA) will be speaking on "The Cosmopolitan Neighborhood: Political Theological Models for Living in an Open World".
www.publichumanities.pdx.edu/ResearchGroups/cosmo.html
What does the simultaneously political and theological imperative to "love thy neighbor" suggest to us in the challenging contemporary era of globalization? What philosophical and ethical trajectories can be drawn from the ancient injunction of the Book of Leviticus to the arena of the international community?
For Kenneth Reinhard, an Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA, "neighbor love" is as a core element in what he understands to be the tradition of "political theology" in the West.
Reinhard is an expert in early modern English literature, Shakespeare, psychoanalysis, Jewish studies, and critical theory. He is the author, with Slavoj Žižek and Eric Santner, of "The Neighbor: Three Inquiries in Political Theology" (University of Chicago Press, 2005). Currently, he is writing a book on the ethics of the neighbor in religion (Torah, Talmud, and Patristic writings), philosophy (Kant, Kierkegaard, Adorno, Rosenzweig, and Levinas), and psychoanalysis (Freud and Lacan) for Princeton University Press.
If you have any questions regarding this event, please feel free to contact the Portland Center for Public Humanities: publichumanities@pdx.edu
The event is free and open to the public.
Kenneth Reinhard (UCLA) will be speaking on "The Cosmopolitan Neighborhood: Political Theological Models for Living in an Open World".
www.publichumanities.pdx.edu/ResearchGroups/cosmo.html
What does the simultaneously political and theological imperative to "love thy neighbor" suggest to us in the challenging contemporary era of globalization? What philosophical and ethical trajectories can be drawn from the ancient injunction of the Book of Leviticus to the arena of the international community?
For Kenneth Reinhard, an Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA, "neighbor love" is as a core element in what he understands to be the tradition of "political theology" in the West.
Reinhard is an expert in early modern English literature, Shakespeare, psychoanalysis, Jewish studies, and critical theory. He is the author, with Slavoj Žižek and Eric Santner, of "The Neighbor: Three Inquiries in Political Theology" (University of Chicago Press, 2005). Currently, he is writing a book on the ethics of the neighbor in religion (Torah, Talmud, and Patristic writings), philosophy (Kant, Kierkegaard, Adorno, Rosenzweig, and Levinas), and psychoanalysis (Freud and Lacan) for Princeton University Press.
If you have any questions regarding this event, please feel free to contact the Portland Center for Public Humanities: publichumanities@pdx.edu
The event is free and open to the public.
07 November 2009
Journal "Letter & Spirit" on political theology
Volume Five of the "Letter & Spirit" journal – a publication of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology in Steubenville, Ohio, USA – is concerned with "Liturgy and Empire: Faith in Exile and Political Theology" (Emmaus Road Publishing, 5 November 2009):
www.salvationhistory.com/letter_and_spirit_archive/letter_spirit_volume_5_2009
Publisher's description: "This is the fifth annual volume of the remarkably popular journal of biblical theology edited by Scott Hahn [...]. This volume features important new works by Hahn, Brant Pitre, Matthew Levering, and Robert Barron, among others. The issue explores the biblical themes of Church and state; idolatry and power; religion and violence; worship and sacrifice; the Kingdom of God; and the Eucharist. Highlights include Hahn's new essay on the 'prophetic historiography' of 1 and 2 Chronicles; and Pitre's essay on 'Jesus, the Messianic Banquet, and the Kingdom of God.' The journal, which always seeks to reprint classic texts alongside groundbreaking new works, this time includes a new translation of St. Thomas Aquinas 'Lectures on 2 Thessalonians' – the first time this work has been translated into English. Also included are an influential work by Louis Bouyer on 'Satan and Christ in the New Testament and Early Tradition.' The volume concludes with a classic homily by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI on the 'morality of exile.'"
The journal's editor, Scott Hahn, is Founder, President, and Chairman of the Board of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, as well as Chair of Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and Professor of Scripture and Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville. According to the Center's website, he "is one of the world's most successful Catholic authors and teachers", with "more than one million books and tapes in print worldwide".
www.salvationhistory.com/letter_and_spirit_archive/letter_spirit_volume_5_2009
Publisher's description: "This is the fifth annual volume of the remarkably popular journal of biblical theology edited by Scott Hahn [...]. This volume features important new works by Hahn, Brant Pitre, Matthew Levering, and Robert Barron, among others. The issue explores the biblical themes of Church and state; idolatry and power; religion and violence; worship and sacrifice; the Kingdom of God; and the Eucharist. Highlights include Hahn's new essay on the 'prophetic historiography' of 1 and 2 Chronicles; and Pitre's essay on 'Jesus, the Messianic Banquet, and the Kingdom of God.' The journal, which always seeks to reprint classic texts alongside groundbreaking new works, this time includes a new translation of St. Thomas Aquinas 'Lectures on 2 Thessalonians' – the first time this work has been translated into English. Also included are an influential work by Louis Bouyer on 'Satan and Christ in the New Testament and Early Tradition.' The volume concludes with a classic homily by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI on the 'morality of exile.'"
The journal's editor, Scott Hahn, is Founder, President, and Chairman of the Board of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, as well as Chair of Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and Professor of Scripture and Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville. According to the Center's website, he "is one of the world's most successful Catholic authors and teachers", with "more than one million books and tapes in print worldwide".
Book: "Transforming Atonement: A Political Theology of the Cross"
In April 2009, Fortress Press published "Transforming Atonement: A Political Theology of the Cross" by Theodore W. Jennings, Jr. (Professor of Biblical and Constructive Theology, Chicago Theological Seminary):
www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.jsp?clsid=196416&productgroupid=0&isbn=0800663500
Publisher's description: "Many books on the Christian doctrine of atonement have been published in recent years. Some point out the difficulties of traditional atonement theories; others attempt a revision of one of the classical three types; others attempt to combine aspects of these types.
"Jennings attempts something new: by approaching the question of the meaning of the cross through close attention to the biblical passages that serve as the basis of any reflection on the cross of Jesus and an engagement with patristic as well as contemporary discussion. The result is an alternative theology of the cross that grounds the message concerning the cross in the socio-political reality in which it was historically located and points to the way in which this message bears upon contemporary social and ecclesial reality.
"Jennings's truly fresh understanding for Christians of the meaning of Jesus' death specifically grounds the cross in the concrete political confrontation within which it occurred, relates the message about the cross to the practice of Jesus (thus keeping in relationship the gospels and the theology of Paul), and shows how the cross bears on overcoming of human division and sin, reconciliation to God, and new forms of social reality in the community of the crucified."
www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.jsp?clsid=196416&productgroupid=0&isbn=0800663500
Publisher's description: "Many books on the Christian doctrine of atonement have been published in recent years. Some point out the difficulties of traditional atonement theories; others attempt a revision of one of the classical three types; others attempt to combine aspects of these types.
"Jennings attempts something new: by approaching the question of the meaning of the cross through close attention to the biblical passages that serve as the basis of any reflection on the cross of Jesus and an engagement with patristic as well as contemporary discussion. The result is an alternative theology of the cross that grounds the message concerning the cross in the socio-political reality in which it was historically located and points to the way in which this message bears upon contemporary social and ecclesial reality.
"Jennings's truly fresh understanding for Christians of the meaning of Jesus' death specifically grounds the cross in the concrete political confrontation within which it occurred, relates the message about the cross to the practice of Jesus (thus keeping in relationship the gospels and the theology of Paul), and shows how the cross bears on overcoming of human division and sin, reconciliation to God, and new forms of social reality in the community of the crucified."
Book: "God and Government"
The Kirby Lang Institute for Christian Ethics (KLICE) in Cambridge, UK, runs a two-year project on political theology in partnership with the London-based public theology think tank Theos, funded by two private trusts.
http://klice.co.uk/index.php/projects
The first phase of the project is the publication of a book on the theology of government written by specialists but aimed at political practitioners and anyone interested in a Christian perspective on British politics.
"God and Government", edited by Nick Spencer and Jonathan Chaplin, has been published by SPCK Publishing on 1 October 2009:
www.spck.org.uk/cat/show.php?9780281060719
Publisher's description: "What, according to Christian thought, is the proper function of government? That is the key question this lively volume aims to address. It does not tell readers what to do, still less who to vote for. Rather, it seeks to equip us to think through what we in our roles as 'political Christians' (that is, Christians employed, engaged or simply interested in politics) should be attempting to achieve."
Contributors to this book – "all highly respected theological thinkers", according to KLICE – include: Philip Booth (Professor of Insurance and Risk Management at Cass Business School, City University London); Andrew Bradstock (Professor of Theology and Public Life, University of Otago); Jonathan Chaplin (Director of KLICE); David McIlroy (Visiting Lecturer in Law at SOAS); Clifford Longley (author, broadcaster, and journalist); Julian Rivers (Professor of Jurisprudence, University of Bristol); Nick Spencer (Director of Studies at Theos); Nicholas Townsend (Lecturer in Christian Ethics, South East Institute for Theological Education); Nigel G. Wright (Principal of Spurgeon's College); and Tom Wright (Bishop of Durham).
Although not mentioned on the publisher's website, Archbishop Rowan Williams was, according to KLICE, to write a Preface for the book. They also state that the second phase of their political theology project consists of the official launch of the book at a political event, followed by other seminars and discussions in various settings. A complimentary copy of the book is to be distributed to several hundred MPs and Peers known to have interest in Christian political thought.
http://klice.co.uk/index.php/projects
The first phase of the project is the publication of a book on the theology of government written by specialists but aimed at political practitioners and anyone interested in a Christian perspective on British politics.
"God and Government", edited by Nick Spencer and Jonathan Chaplin, has been published by SPCK Publishing on 1 October 2009:
www.spck.org.uk/cat/show.php?9780281060719
Publisher's description: "What, according to Christian thought, is the proper function of government? That is the key question this lively volume aims to address. It does not tell readers what to do, still less who to vote for. Rather, it seeks to equip us to think through what we in our roles as 'political Christians' (that is, Christians employed, engaged or simply interested in politics) should be attempting to achieve."
Contributors to this book – "all highly respected theological thinkers", according to KLICE – include: Philip Booth (Professor of Insurance and Risk Management at Cass Business School, City University London); Andrew Bradstock (Professor of Theology and Public Life, University of Otago); Jonathan Chaplin (Director of KLICE); David McIlroy (Visiting Lecturer in Law at SOAS); Clifford Longley (author, broadcaster, and journalist); Julian Rivers (Professor of Jurisprudence, University of Bristol); Nick Spencer (Director of Studies at Theos); Nicholas Townsend (Lecturer in Christian Ethics, South East Institute for Theological Education); Nigel G. Wright (Principal of Spurgeon's College); and Tom Wright (Bishop of Durham).
Although not mentioned on the publisher's website, Archbishop Rowan Williams was, according to KLICE, to write a Preface for the book. They also state that the second phase of their political theology project consists of the official launch of the book at a political event, followed by other seminars and discussions in various settings. A complimentary copy of the book is to be distributed to several hundred MPs and Peers known to have interest in Christian political thought.
CONF: Rawlsian Liberalism in Context(s)
Symposium "Rawlsian Liberalism in Context(s)", at the University of Tennessee, Baker Center for Public Policy, Toyota Auditorium, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, 26-27 February 2010
Over a period of fifty years, John Rawls developed and gave voice to the most powerful and systematic moral theory of constitutional liberal democracy since John Stuart Mill's work a century earlier. The recent publication of Rawls' undergraduate thesis, "A Brief Inquiry into the Meaning of Sin and Faith", has encouraged a profitable re-reading of his political philosophy in the context and light of his personal and scholarly engagement with theological ethics and political theology in general and Christianity in particular.
Building on this development, "Rawlsian Liberalism in Context(s)" aims to shed further light on Rawls' work by situating it within multiple disciplinary contexts. Symposium speakers will address the relationships between Rawls' thought and twentieth-century developments in economics and political economy, in analytic philosophy, in American pragmatist thought, in normative theorizing of American foreign policy and international relations, and in theological ethics and political theology.
Symposium speakers, each an expert on Rawls' work, include:
- Jerry Gaus (James E. Rogers Professor of Philosophy, University of Arizona)
- Richard Miller (Professor of Philosophy, Cornell University)
- David Reidy (Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Tennessee)
- Robert Talisse (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Political Science, Vanderbilt University)
- Paul Weithman (Professor of Philosophy, Notre Dame University)
Sessions are free and open to the public. Schedule details will be available late fall 2009. For further information, please contact David Reidy: dreidy@utk.edu
The Symposium is sponsored by the Office of Research, the School of Law, the Baker Center for Public Policy, the departments of Philosophy and Political Science, and the American Studies programme, all at the University of Tennessee.
Over a period of fifty years, John Rawls developed and gave voice to the most powerful and systematic moral theory of constitutional liberal democracy since John Stuart Mill's work a century earlier. The recent publication of Rawls' undergraduate thesis, "A Brief Inquiry into the Meaning of Sin and Faith", has encouraged a profitable re-reading of his political philosophy in the context and light of his personal and scholarly engagement with theological ethics and political theology in general and Christianity in particular.
Building on this development, "Rawlsian Liberalism in Context(s)" aims to shed further light on Rawls' work by situating it within multiple disciplinary contexts. Symposium speakers will address the relationships between Rawls' thought and twentieth-century developments in economics and political economy, in analytic philosophy, in American pragmatist thought, in normative theorizing of American foreign policy and international relations, and in theological ethics and political theology.
Symposium speakers, each an expert on Rawls' work, include:
- Jerry Gaus (James E. Rogers Professor of Philosophy, University of Arizona)
- Richard Miller (Professor of Philosophy, Cornell University)
- David Reidy (Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Tennessee)
- Robert Talisse (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Political Science, Vanderbilt University)
- Paul Weithman (Professor of Philosophy, Notre Dame University)
Sessions are free and open to the public. Schedule details will be available late fall 2009. For further information, please contact David Reidy: dreidy@utk.edu
The Symposium is sponsored by the Office of Research, the School of Law, the Baker Center for Public Policy, the departments of Philosophy and Political Science, and the American Studies programme, all at the University of Tennessee.
CFP: Mysticism and Politics
56th annual convention of the College Theology Society (CTS), at the University of Portland, in Portland, Oregon, USA, 3-6 June 2010
www.collegetheology.org/index.php/annual-convention
A seminar section on "Mysticism and Politics" is to be organized for this conference.
Papers are invited that address any of the following questions, which relate to this year's conference theme, "Religion, Economics, and Culture in Conflict and Conversation": 1) What difference does mystical-political theology make to how Christian theologians interpret the enactment of economics, culture, and religion in a globalized world? For example, must we ask who suffers in a globalized economy and how their memory interrupts cultural amnesia? 2) How does mystical-political theology critique dominant forms of globalization? 3) How does mystical-political theology suggest that Christians respond to the concrete material conditions of suffering in a globalized world?
Priority will be given to those papers that not only utilize primary sources of political theology, but that construct a political theology that is responsive to North American reality. The section convenors' goal is to propose an edited collection for publication.
The call for papers for the entire conference additionally states that sections welcome all proposals, but papers that are devoted to the convention theme or that relate specifically to the direction set by a particular section may receive priority. Presentations that require computer availability or audio/visual aids should state this clearly in the proposal. The CTS looks forward to submissions from scholars of all dimensions of theological study.
Scholars who are invited to present their work at the annual convention of the CTS must hold membership in the Society when their work is presented. No person may submit more than one proposal for consideration nor may submissions to multiple sections be considered.
Paper proposals of approximately 250 words (and including all relevant contact information and institutional affiliation) should be sent simultaneously to both convenors of the section, Laurie Cassidy (Marywood University): lcassidy@marywood.edu
and Alex Mikulich (Loyola University, New Orleans): mikulich@loyno.edu
Please check with them whether they will also accept proposals for panels and/or other presentations.
Proposal deadline: 1 December 2009
By 31 December 2009, the convenors will notify each person who has submitted a proposal whether it is accepted. The programme for the annual meeting with housing and transportation information will be posted on the CTS website in early spring 2010.
FYI: Laurie Cassidy also serves as co-editor for the annual volume of the overall convention.
www.collegetheology.org/index.php/annual-convention
A seminar section on "Mysticism and Politics" is to be organized for this conference.
Papers are invited that address any of the following questions, which relate to this year's conference theme, "Religion, Economics, and Culture in Conflict and Conversation": 1) What difference does mystical-political theology make to how Christian theologians interpret the enactment of economics, culture, and religion in a globalized world? For example, must we ask who suffers in a globalized economy and how their memory interrupts cultural amnesia? 2) How does mystical-political theology critique dominant forms of globalization? 3) How does mystical-political theology suggest that Christians respond to the concrete material conditions of suffering in a globalized world?
Priority will be given to those papers that not only utilize primary sources of political theology, but that construct a political theology that is responsive to North American reality. The section convenors' goal is to propose an edited collection for publication.
The call for papers for the entire conference additionally states that sections welcome all proposals, but papers that are devoted to the convention theme or that relate specifically to the direction set by a particular section may receive priority. Presentations that require computer availability or audio/visual aids should state this clearly in the proposal. The CTS looks forward to submissions from scholars of all dimensions of theological study.
Scholars who are invited to present their work at the annual convention of the CTS must hold membership in the Society when their work is presented. No person may submit more than one proposal for consideration nor may submissions to multiple sections be considered.
Paper proposals of approximately 250 words (and including all relevant contact information and institutional affiliation) should be sent simultaneously to both convenors of the section, Laurie Cassidy (Marywood University): lcassidy@marywood.edu
and Alex Mikulich (Loyola University, New Orleans): mikulich@loyno.edu
Please check with them whether they will also accept proposals for panels and/or other presentations.
Proposal deadline: 1 December 2009
By 31 December 2009, the convenors will notify each person who has submitted a proposal whether it is accepted. The programme for the annual meeting with housing and transportation information will be posted on the CTS website in early spring 2010.
FYI: Laurie Cassidy also serves as co-editor for the annual volume of the overall convention.
06 November 2009
JOB: Assistant Professor of English, with political theology
Pomona College is looking for an
Assistant Professor of English: Early Modern Drama, including Shakespeare (tenure track)
Strong secondary field(s) desirable, including (but not limited to) considerations of race, sexuality, performance, geo-humoralism, and political theology.
PhD in hand or expected by September 2010.
Pomona College, the founding member of the Claremont Colleges, is a highly selective liberal arts college, located 35 miles east of Los Angeles and attracting a diverse, national student body. The College has a strong commitment to interdisciplinary study, as well as to intercollegiate cooperation, providing a stimulating environment for students and faculty alike. Department faculty teach two courses per semester, and are eligible for a one-year junior research leave, regular sabbatical leaves, and generous research support.
www.pomona.edu
Send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and 1-2 page dissertation abstract to Kevin J.H. Dettmar (Chair, Department of English): shakespeare@pomona.edu
Complete applications received by 6 November will receive full consideration.
Pomona College is committed to increasing its diversity and welcomes applications from women and members of under-represented groups.
Assistant Professor of English: Early Modern Drama, including Shakespeare (tenure track)
Strong secondary field(s) desirable, including (but not limited to) considerations of race, sexuality, performance, geo-humoralism, and political theology.
PhD in hand or expected by September 2010.
Pomona College, the founding member of the Claremont Colleges, is a highly selective liberal arts college, located 35 miles east of Los Angeles and attracting a diverse, national student body. The College has a strong commitment to interdisciplinary study, as well as to intercollegiate cooperation, providing a stimulating environment for students and faculty alike. Department faculty teach two courses per semester, and are eligible for a one-year junior research leave, regular sabbatical leaves, and generous research support.
www.pomona.edu
Send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and 1-2 page dissertation abstract to Kevin J.H. Dettmar (Chair, Department of English): shakespeare@pomona.edu
Complete applications received by 6 November will receive full consideration.
Pomona College is committed to increasing its diversity and welcomes applications from women and members of under-represented groups.
05 November 2009
CFP: Culture Wars in the United States
Conference of the Center for United States Studies, Raoul Dandurand Chair, University of Québec at Montreal, Canada, 14 October 2010
www.dandurand.uqam.ca
Call for papers: "Culture Wars in the United States: The Politics of Religious Conservatism in the Obama Era"
Theme: During the Republican Party's national convention in 1992, the ultraconservative politician Pat Buchanan claimed that a "culture war" was raging in the US. He saw it as a fight to define the American people's national identity – what America signifies as a society, what Americans were in the past, what they are today, and what they will become in future. In fact, the culture war has been the hobbyhorse of many US social and political actors, or culture warriors, since the 1970s. In their view, the secular, liberal elites have seized power in the US and are trying to destroy the spiritual foundations of American society. In response, the culture warriors are trying by all possible means to persuade Americans and their elected representatives to make the favourite issues of religious conservatives and the Christian Right the focal point of political debate.
There are several types of culture warriors, and they are waging a variety of "wars". Culture warriors can include the US President himself, as when George W. Bush proposed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. They also include judges who insist on having the Ten Commandments embroidered on their robes, pastors who encourage Christian pre-teens to reject homosexuality, bloggers who condemn nudity in video games, and media personalities like Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck who try to discredit anti-war groups, feminists, hip-hop artists, and others.
The first few months of Barack Obama's presidency have shown that the culture wars continue unabated (a proposal to ban gay marriage in California was passed on the same day Obama was elected; in May 2009, a pro-life activist murdered a doctor who performed late-term abortions, etc.). Accordingly, the goal of this conference is to generate a deeper understanding of culture wars and their impact on US society and policies.
The organizers are promoting a multidisciplinary approach. They are therefore inviting scholars from a broad range of disciplines – political scientists, historians, specialists in political communication, linguists, sociologists, philosophers, religious studies experts, etc. – to participate.
Participants will be invited to contribute their papers for publication in a collection (book or special issue of a peer-reviewed journal) after the conference.
Research angles and themes (not exhaustive): Concepts and theories pertaining to culture wars, religious conservatism, and the Christian Right in the US; Linkages between religion, conservatism, and politics in the US; Case studies of actors in the culture wars; Analysis of culture warriors' discourses; Culture war issues (gay marriage, abortion, stem cell research, control of firearms, death penalty, pornography, separation of church/religion and state/politics, etc.); History of culture wars, religious conservatism, and the Christian Right in the US (context of emergence, changes over time); Comparative studies on different types of religious conservatism (with reference to the US case); Political parties and culture wars in the US; Role of left-wing actors (feminist, pro-gay-marriage, pro-choice groups, etc.) in culture wars; Representations of culture wars in popular culture (movies, cartoons, video games, advertising, TV series, novels, etc.); Communication, political and legislative strategies of culture war actors; Analyses of public opinion polls on culture wars; Electoral impacts of culture wars; Local and regional aspects of culture wars; Media coverage of culture wars; International perceptions of culture wars, religious conservatism, and the Christian Right in the United States.
Proposals should be a maximum of 300 words long and should include the following: family name(s) and first name(s) of author(s)/collaborator(s); title(s), function(s), and home institution(s); contact information (mailing address, telephone number, e-mail); paper title, research question, and main arguments and outline of underlying analytical framework. Proposals (and the papers themselves) may be in English or French.
A scientific review committee will evaluate proposals and will announce the selected papers in mid-March 2010.
Please send your proposal by e-mail (in a Word attachment) to Catherine Goulet-Cloutier: goulet-cloutier.catherine@uqam.ca
Deadline for proposals (paper abstracts): 15 January 2010
For information about the conference, contact Prof Frédérick Gagnon: gagnon.frederick@uqam.ca
Note: After the conference, the organizers will ask participants to send them a text for publication in a collection.
www.dandurand.uqam.ca
Call for papers: "Culture Wars in the United States: The Politics of Religious Conservatism in the Obama Era"
Theme: During the Republican Party's national convention in 1992, the ultraconservative politician Pat Buchanan claimed that a "culture war" was raging in the US. He saw it as a fight to define the American people's national identity – what America signifies as a society, what Americans were in the past, what they are today, and what they will become in future. In fact, the culture war has been the hobbyhorse of many US social and political actors, or culture warriors, since the 1970s. In their view, the secular, liberal elites have seized power in the US and are trying to destroy the spiritual foundations of American society. In response, the culture warriors are trying by all possible means to persuade Americans and their elected representatives to make the favourite issues of religious conservatives and the Christian Right the focal point of political debate.
There are several types of culture warriors, and they are waging a variety of "wars". Culture warriors can include the US President himself, as when George W. Bush proposed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. They also include judges who insist on having the Ten Commandments embroidered on their robes, pastors who encourage Christian pre-teens to reject homosexuality, bloggers who condemn nudity in video games, and media personalities like Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck who try to discredit anti-war groups, feminists, hip-hop artists, and others.
The first few months of Barack Obama's presidency have shown that the culture wars continue unabated (a proposal to ban gay marriage in California was passed on the same day Obama was elected; in May 2009, a pro-life activist murdered a doctor who performed late-term abortions, etc.). Accordingly, the goal of this conference is to generate a deeper understanding of culture wars and their impact on US society and policies.
The organizers are promoting a multidisciplinary approach. They are therefore inviting scholars from a broad range of disciplines – political scientists, historians, specialists in political communication, linguists, sociologists, philosophers, religious studies experts, etc. – to participate.
Participants will be invited to contribute their papers for publication in a collection (book or special issue of a peer-reviewed journal) after the conference.
Research angles and themes (not exhaustive): Concepts and theories pertaining to culture wars, religious conservatism, and the Christian Right in the US; Linkages between religion, conservatism, and politics in the US; Case studies of actors in the culture wars; Analysis of culture warriors' discourses; Culture war issues (gay marriage, abortion, stem cell research, control of firearms, death penalty, pornography, separation of church/religion and state/politics, etc.); History of culture wars, religious conservatism, and the Christian Right in the US (context of emergence, changes over time); Comparative studies on different types of religious conservatism (with reference to the US case); Political parties and culture wars in the US; Role of left-wing actors (feminist, pro-gay-marriage, pro-choice groups, etc.) in culture wars; Representations of culture wars in popular culture (movies, cartoons, video games, advertising, TV series, novels, etc.); Communication, political and legislative strategies of culture war actors; Analyses of public opinion polls on culture wars; Electoral impacts of culture wars; Local and regional aspects of culture wars; Media coverage of culture wars; International perceptions of culture wars, religious conservatism, and the Christian Right in the United States.
Proposals should be a maximum of 300 words long and should include the following: family name(s) and first name(s) of author(s)/collaborator(s); title(s), function(s), and home institution(s); contact information (mailing address, telephone number, e-mail); paper title, research question, and main arguments and outline of underlying analytical framework. Proposals (and the papers themselves) may be in English or French.
A scientific review committee will evaluate proposals and will announce the selected papers in mid-March 2010.
Please send your proposal by e-mail (in a Word attachment) to Catherine Goulet-Cloutier: goulet-cloutier.catherine@uqam.ca
Deadline for proposals (paper abstracts): 15 January 2010
For information about the conference, contact Prof Frédérick Gagnon: gagnon.frederick@uqam.ca
Note: After the conference, the organizers will ask participants to send them a text for publication in a collection.
CFP: International Journal of Public Theology
Theologians may find this of interest:
The "International Journal of Public Theology" invites submissions for future issues of IJPT. The IJPT is a peer-reviewed journal published four times a year by Brill and affiliated with the Global Network for Public Theology:
www.brill.nl/ijpt
Public theology is the result of the growing need for theology to interact with public issues of contemporary society. It seeks to engage in dialogue with different academic disciplines such as politics, economics, cultural studies, religious studies, as well as with spirituality, globalization, and society in general. The IJPT is a platform for original interdisciplinary research in the field of public theology.
All submissions must be prepared for blind review and in accordance with the house style (see "Instructions for Author(s)" on the website).
For further information contact Esther McIntosh (Assistant Editor): e.mcintosh@yorksj.ac.uk
The "International Journal of Public Theology" invites submissions for future issues of IJPT. The IJPT is a peer-reviewed journal published four times a year by Brill and affiliated with the Global Network for Public Theology:
www.brill.nl/ijpt
Public theology is the result of the growing need for theology to interact with public issues of contemporary society. It seeks to engage in dialogue with different academic disciplines such as politics, economics, cultural studies, religious studies, as well as with spirituality, globalization, and society in general. The IJPT is a platform for original interdisciplinary research in the field of public theology.
All submissions must be prepared for blind review and in accordance with the house style (see "Instructions for Author(s)" on the website).
For further information contact Esther McIntosh (Assistant Editor): e.mcintosh@yorksj.ac.uk
CFP: Forum on Religion at the London School of Economics
Present your research in the Forum on Religion seminar series at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE):
www.lse.ac.uk/religionforum
The LSE's Forum on Religion hosts a seminar series for work in progress on religion. Submissions are welcome from all disciplines and any geographical foci. Presentations on political theology have been accepted in the past.
Send an e-mail with your proposed presentation topic to: religionforum@lse.ac.uk
www.lse.ac.uk/religionforum
The LSE's Forum on Religion hosts a seminar series for work in progress on religion. Submissions are welcome from all disciplines and any geographical foci. Presentations on political theology have been accepted in the past.
Send an e-mail with your proposed presentation topic to: religionforum@lse.ac.uk
04 November 2009
"Political theology" equals terrorism?
Point of interest: We are all terrorists.
The keyword "political theology" now triggers the following paid-for Google Ad (at least on Google's UK site):
Report terrorism
Independent charity, not the police
Report terrorism anonymously
Should anyone reading this be engaged in terrorist actitivies (rather than search "political theology" on Google for religious or academic and research purposes), please denounce yourself.
Cheers,
Erich
(Update: As of 6 November, the above ad does not seem to show up on Google anymore.)
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