26 February 2010

Book: Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision

A new book edited by Douglas Harink: "Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision: Critical Engagements with Agamben, Badiou, Zizek, and Others" (Wipf and Stock, February 2010):

http://wipfandstock.com/store/Paul_Philosophy_and_the_Theopolitical_Vision_Critical_Engagements_with_Agamben_Badiou_Zizek_and_Others

Publisher's description: "The apostle Paul was a man of many journeys. We are usually familiar with the geographical ones he made in his own time. This volume traces others – Paul's journeys in our time, as he is co-opted or invited to travel (sometimes as abused slave, sometimes as trusted guide) with modern and recent Continental philosophers and political theorists. Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Benjamin; Taubes, Badiou, Zizek, and Agamben – Paul journeys here among the philosophers. In these essays you are invited to travel with them into the regions of philosophy, hermeneutics, political theory, and theology. You will certainly hear the philosophers speak. But Paul will not remain silent. Above the sounds of the journey his voice comes through, loud and clear."

Endorsements: "To the surprise of many, the apostle Paul has brought new energy to continental philosophy. But to date, the 'Pauline turn' in contemporary theory has been rather isolated from scholars in biblical studies – where Paul is undergoing a different kind of reconsideration. Finally, this volume changes all of that, bringing together philosophers, biblical scholars, and theologians to assess and engage the 'postmodern Paul,' intimating a Pauline revolution that not even Zizek could have dreamed." (James K. A. Smith, Calvin College)

"[A] dialogue rich with insights flowing in both directions – from modern theory to new (or recovered) angles of illumination on Paul, and from the apostle's charged texts back to the presuppositions and conceits of modern theory. That the view of Paul often pressed is 'apocalyptic,' in the sense of drawing on the seminal work of J. Louis (Lou) Martyn, makes the analysis still richer. The result is a book that both educates and delights." (Douglas A. Campbell, Duke Divinity School)

"[The] secular despoilers of Paul are themselves despoiled here, and Christian theology has set before it a wealth of provocations to better faithfulness and understanding. [...] Philosophers and theologians alike are well reminded – indeed well warned – of the dynamite they take into their hands when, in quest of a better human politics, they turn to Paul." (Philip G. Ziegler, University of Aberdeen)

Douglas Harink is Professor of Theology at The King's University College, Edmonton, Canada.

Book: Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation

Peniel Rajkumar, "Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation: Problems, Paradigms and Possibilities" (Ashgate, February 2010):

www.ashgatepublishing.com/default.aspx?page=637&calcTitle=1&title_id=8772&edition_id=11345

Publisher's description: "In fulfilling the long-awaited need for a constructive and critical rethinking of Dalit theology this book offers and explores the synoptic healing stories as a relevant biblical paradigm for Dalit theology in order to help redress the lacuna between Dalit theology and the social practice of the Indian Church. Peniel Rajkumar's starting point is that the growing influence of Dalit theology in academic circles is incompatible with the praxis of the Indian Church which continues to be passive in its attitude towards the oppression of the Dalits [a self designation of the traditional low caste/untouchables] both within and outside the Church. The theological reasons for this lacuna between Dalit theology and the Church's praxis, Rajkumar suggests, lie in the content of Dalit theology, especially the biblical paradigms explored, which do not offer adequate scope for engagement in praxis."

Reviews: "Dr Peniel is an excellent guide through the complexities of the caste system and its enduring potency in the India of today. The central concern of Dalit theology is with the Dalit people, [...] who are still a vast number of poor, despised and underprivileged people. This is an important, relevant, and disturbing book. It should be widely read, and responded to." (Duncan B. Forrester, formerly University of Edinburgh)

"Peniel Rufus' incisive dismantling and insightful reconstruction of Dalit theology is a fresh and compelling contribution both to local and global theologies. Drawing creative synergy from his discontentment with Dalit [t]heology's apathy toward everyday liberative praxis, Rufus brilliantly re-interprets the synoptic healing stories to engender committed and concrete emancipatory patterns for overcoming caste-based discrimination in India. This is a passionate, original, constructive and courageous book." (Sathianathan Clarke, Wesley Theological Seminary)

"In many ways this is the book on Dalit theology that those of us working in the area of liberation hermeneutics have been waiting for. [...] Here in South Africa we have witnessed a similar failure in the 'practical efficacy' of liberation theologies. We have much to learn from this book, both because of the similarities between our struggles and their struggles, but also because of the differences." (Gerald West, University of KwaZulu-Natal)

Peniel Rajkumar is an ordained minister of the Church of South India, Diocese of Vellore, and Lecturer in Christian Social Ethics at the United Theological College, Bangalore.

Book: Christian Anarchism: A Political Commentary on the Gospel

Alexandre Christoyannopoulos, "Christian Anarchism: A Political Commentary on the Gospel" (Imprint Academic, January 2010).

Publisher's description: "Christian anarchism has been around for at least as long as 'secular' anarchism. The existing literature cites Leo Tolstoy as its most famous (sometimes even as the only) proponent, but there are many others, such as Jacques Ellul, Vernard Eller, Dave Andrews or the people associated with the Catholic Worker movement. Both individually and collectively, these Christian anarchists offer a compelling critique of the state, the church and the economy based on numerous passages from the New Testament. Yet despite the relevance and growth of this literature, no generic study bringing together these different thinkers or reflecting on their contribution has been published to date, because such work involves meticulous searching, compiling and structuring of countless different texts and sources, not all of which are easily accessed. This book, however, provides precisely such a study, and thereby presents Christian anarchism to both the wider public and the wider academic community."

www.booksonix.com/imprint/bookshop/title.php?9781845401931

Endorsements: "Alexandre Chistoyannopoulos's [sic] engaging and intelligent study of Christian anarchism directly confronts the perception that these two traditions of thought are incompatible. [...] Anyone interested in the vital issues of non-violence, the limits of political obligation, resistance, compassion and justice will find this book enormously illuminating." (Ruth Kinna, Loughborough University)

"He combines a wide scope and meticulous scholarship with impressive analytical ability. He also writes clearly and well – not always the case in this area. This book is required reading for those interested in alternative conceptions of politics." (David McLellan, University of Kent/Goldsmith's College, University of London)

Alexandre J.M.E. Christoyannopoulos is an Associate Lecturer at the University of Kent, where he received his PhD in Politics and Government in 2008. This book is a revised version of his doctoral thesis.

24 February 2010

CFP: Engagements with the Political Theology of Johannes Baptist Metz

Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 30 October-1 November 2010

In addition to the AAR calls for papers posted here last month, the "Explorations in Christian Theology and Apocalyptic" working group has released a call for individual paper proposals for an "additional meeting" on the following topic: "Engagements with the Political Theology of Johannes Baptist Metz".

http://theologyandapocalyptic.wordpress.com

They especially welcome proposals that engage the turn to apocalyptic within Metz's theology and the ideas particularly associated with this turn in his theology, such as: the 'eschatological reserve', 'dangerous memory', the Second Coming, discipleship, mysticism and prayer, the relation of the Kingdom of God to history, the nature and definition of 'the political' and political authority/sovereignty (particularly 'the authority of those who suffer'), and martyrdom/witness. They also encourage proposals that explore these themes by bringing Metz into critical conversation with other political and liberationist theologians (such as Jürgen Moltmann, Gustavo Gutierrez, and Jon Sobrino), political theorists (such as Walter Benjamin, Carl Schmitt, and Giorgio Agamben), and prominent political activists and theologians (such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, William Stringfellow, Jacques Ellul, and Will Campbell).

Paper presentations will be approx. 20 minutes in length and the panel will include an invited respondent.

Proposals should include your name, institutional affiliation, and the title(s) of the proposed paper(s), as well as a 250 word abstract for each proposed paper.

Please submit proposals via email to Nathan Kerr (Trevecca Nazarene University): nkerr@trevecca.edu
and/or Philip Ziegler (University of Aberdeen): p.ziegler@abdn.ac.uk

Deadline: 22 March 2010

For the earlier AAR calls for papers on political theology (with a deadline of 1 March 2010) and further information on the conference, see:

www.political-theology.com/2010/01/cfp-political-theology-at-aar-2010.html

20 February 2010

Book: Theology, Liberation and Genocide

Mario Aguilar, "Theology, Liberation and Genocide: A Theology of the Periphery" (SCM Press, September 2009):

www.scmpress.co.uk/bookdetails.asp?ISBN=9780334041900

Publisher's description: "Mario Aguilar, one of the leading liberation theologians of the current generation, asks how it can be possible to do theology in the face of atrocities such as the genocide in Rwanda. He argues that the traditional ways of doing theology ('high theology') no longer work and that theology now has to take place at the periphery rather than in the social, cultural and political centre. In this book, Aguilar seeks further to unfold the new agenda for liberation theology as set by Ivan Petrella and others."

Endorsement: "With the Rwandan genocide, Christianity was once again implicated in atrocity. In his latest work, Mario Aguilar contends that a prevailing ecclesiology and theology set the context for the genocidal evil unleashed. Drawing parallels with the political struggles in Latin America, Aguilar applies the lens of liberation theology and detects signs of God's reign returning in the liberating praxis of love at the peripheries of Rwandan life. This hope-filled book stems from Aguilar's conviction that liberation theology remains a necessary hermeneutical tool and force for transformational justice." (Julie Clague, University of Glasgow)

Mario Aguilar is Professor of Religion and Politics at the University of St Andrews.

19 February 2010

JOB: Research Assistant (0.4fte) on a political theology grant

The University of Plymouth's School of Secondary and Further Education Studies (part of the Faculty of Education) is looking for a

Research Assistant 0.4fte (fixed-term for 12 months)

Salary: £22,879 to £26,523 p.a., pro rata (Grade 5)

The successful candidate will provide research assistance and support to the grant holder on a twelve-month Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) research grant: "Political Theologies: Responses of Religious Leaders and Authority Figures in England to Contemporary Issues of Freedom of Expression".

This is a part-time, fixed-term position working 14.8 hours per week until 28 February 2011.

The University of Plymouth is acknowledged as having one of the best research performances in UK modern universities (former polytechnics). The Faculty of Education is proud of the outcome of the most recent RAE, which placed it comfortably in the top half of all British HEI Education departments, and in the top four of those from the 'new' universities. It supports innovative opportunities for research within the discipline of education and pedagogic enquiry both within and beyond the Faculty.

Deadline for applications: 26 February 2010, 12 noon

Interviews will be held in the week beginning 8 March 2010.

A detailed job description and information on how to apply (including application form) can be found here:

www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=29190

For an informal discussion only, please contact Prof Liam Gearon: liam.gearon@plymouth.ac.uk

18 February 2010

CFP: Religion and Modernity in a Secular City

A postgraduate conference of the Catholic Academy in Berlin (Katholische Akademie in Berlin), the University of Manchester's Centre for Religion and Political Culture, and Humboldt University of Berlin's Program on Religion, Politics and Economics, taking place at the Katholische Akademie, Berlin, Germany, 16-18 September 2010

www.katholische-akademie-berlin.de/1:5236/Veranstaltungen/2010/09/29889_Religion-and-Modernity-in-a-Secular-City.html

Call for papers: "Religion and Modernity in a Secular City"

Writing from Vichy France in early 1940, Walter Benjamin articulated what many theologians secretly feared in his "Über den Begriff der Geschichte" by portraying theology as the hunchback that must keep out of sight. However, Slavoj Žižek has recently suggested that it is time to reverse Benjamin's first thesis on the philosophy of history: "The puppet called 'theology' is to win all the time". This startling reversal reveals that the extent to which Enlightenment secularization imagined it could map the rational world onto a manipulable grid, manifested in the global spread of political, economic, and social structures that have attempted to inscribe the sacred within a strictly private sphere, is increasingly being called into question by the continuing public presence of political theologies. However, the question of what this new visibility of religion might mean in the context of the supposedly secular city remains less than clear.

The organizers invite proposals for papers to be delivered in no more than 30 minutes that address this broad theme from theology, philosophy, political theory, economics, sociology, as well as cultural and biblical studies.

Keynote speaker: Graham Ward (University of Manchester)

Abstracts of no more than 300 words, together with a CV, should be sent simultaneously via e-mail to both the conference organizers, Martin Knechtges (Katholische Akademie): knechtges@katholische‐akademie‐berlin.de
and Kyle Gingerich Hiebert (University of Manchester): kyle.gingerichhiebert@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Deadline: 30 April 2010

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 14 May 2010.

The language of the conference will be English. It will take place in the centre of Berlin and generous grants are available for presenters to cover the costs of registration, accommodation, and meals. Conference costs are as follows: for registration and meals: €60 (includes lunch on all three days); for accommodation onsite at Hotel Aquino (limited availability): €70 (2 nights) or €105 (3 nights). Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Berlin.

For further information, please contact the conference organizers.

12 February 2010

Book: Rooted in Jesus Christ: Toward a Radical Ecclesiology

Daniel Izuzquiza, "Rooted in Jesus Christ: Toward a Radical Ecclesiology" (Eerdmans, March 2009):

www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780802862792

Publisher's description: "Daniel Izuzquiza here proposes a vibrant interdisciplinary theology from the unique perspective of the 'least of these' – the poor – and extends an invitation to mystical, political, and ecclesial engagement. [...] Izuzquiza analyzes the language of theology, the role of social sciences, the transformation of culture, and the church's approach to politics. To that end he dialogues with some of the main theological proposals of the late twentieth century, from Latin American liberation theology to radical theology in the English-speaking world to European political theology. He also offers a more systematic development of radical ecclesiology, analyzing the sources of the proposal as alternative Christian practices. The result is a groundbreaking call to action and change for the entire church."

Daniel Izuzquiza is Director of Pueblos Unidos, a Jesuit social centre that works for the integration of migrants in Madrid, Spain. He is the author of numerous books and articles.

CONF: Rethinking the Theological-Political Complex: Derrida's Spinoza

Half-day symposium "Rethinking the Theological-Political Complex: Derrida's Spinoza" of the Jackman Humanities Institute (JHI), co-sponsored by the Centre for Jewish Studies, the Centre for Comparative Literature, the Department of Philosophy, and the Department of French at the University of Toronto, Jackman Humanities Building, Room 100, 170 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada, (Sunday!) 7 March 2010, 2.00-6.00 pm

www.humanities.utoronto.ca/event_details/id=198

Speakers: Warren Montag (English and Comparative Literature, Occidental College): "Immanence, Transcendence and the Trace: Derrida Between Levinas and Spinoza"; Gerard Bensussan (Philosophy, University of Strasbourg): "L'effroi de Spinoza: Derrida lecteure du Traité théologico-politique"; Willi Goetschel (German, University of Toronto): "Rethinking the Theological-Political: Derrida's Spinoza"; followed by a round table.

The location is wheelchair-accessible. If you are a person with a disability and require accommodation, please contact Kim Yates by
1 March 2010 to make appropriate arrangements: jhi.associate@utoronto.ca

You may want to contact them upfront to see whether persons from outside the University of Toronto can participate.

11 February 2010

Book: Reconciliation: The Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu

A revised and updated edition of Michael Battle's "Reconciliation: The Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu" was published by Pilgrim Press in July 2009. It contains a foreword by Desmond Tutu and an afterword by Katharine Jefferts Schori:

https://secure3.convio.net/ucc/site/Ecommerce/1888883978?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=21801&store_id=1401

Publisher's description: "Reconciliation is Battle's highly original analysis of Bishop Tutu's theology of ubuntu – an African concept recognizing that persons and groups form their identities in relation to one another. This model proved successful in opposing the apartheid racism in South Africa, but it also offers a Christian paradigm for resisting oppression wherever it appears. Using a wide range of primary sources from Tutu, as well as a number of secondary sources, Battle shows Tutu as not only a dynamic preacher and at times an unwilling politician, but a genuinely committed theologian whose deepest roots are in prayer and protest."

From the back cover of the 1997 edition: "The author also looks at Bishop Tutu against the backdrop of major traditions in Western theology (specifically, Calvinist and Anglican) and, especially, contemporary liberation theologies (including those of James Cone and Itumeleng Mosala) — underscoring the ways in which Tutu's theology comes out of the particularity of the black South African experience."

Endorsement: "Will appeal to a broad readership in the academy and the church. Persons interested in social justice issues will find it especially provocative because it speaks volumes about the ways in which conflicting human identities can be approached and addressed in theory and practice. In this age of mounting emphasis on issues of diversity and multiculturalism, a more relevant and timely work is unthinkable." (Lewis V. Baldwin, Vanderbilt University)

Michael Battle, Rector of the Church of Our Saviour in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, was an adjudant to Archbishop Tutu from 1993 to 1994. He earned his PhD from Duke University.

07 February 2010

CONF: Sam Sharpe and the Quest for Liberation

Conference "Sam Sharpe and the Quest for Liberation: Context, Theology and Legacy for Today" of the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Jamaica Baptist Union, and BMS World Mission, at the University of Oxford, Regent's Park College, England, 13-16 April 2010

The conference takes as its centrepiece the story of Sam Sharpe, the Baptist deacon and enslaved person who played an important role in the "Great Jamaican Slave Revolt" of 1831. One of the leaders of a group of enslaved persons who took part in a "sit-down strike" against slavery, he was executed together with more than 500 others. Nevertheless, their revolt is recognized by historians and theologians as having a powerful influence on the process leading to the abolition of slavery, and Sam Sharpe is honoured as a national hero in Jamaica. The story is of a Baptist Christian whose actions were clearly motivated by his faith and by his reading of scripture; he is reported to have said, "In reading my Bible, I found that the white man had no more right to make a slave of me than I have to make a slave of the white man". He remains a witness to the principle of "liberation from below": that is, true liberation comes when those who are oppressed or marginalized participate in making their own freedom and justice, rather than simply having it granted to them by those who have power and authority. This is what the conference identifies as the "legacy" of Sam Sharpe today.

The conference aims to explore this story with regards to its context (making a scholarly examination of the characters, events, and social institutions of the time), theology (offering a theological reflection on the enslaved revolt, as a contribution to liberation theology), and legacy (asking what light the story might shed on present-day concerns of oppressed or minority groups, and exploring its global impact).

In particular, the conference will explore the relevance of the Sam Sharpe story for the West African experience of slavery. It will also offer a theological framework for the process among UK Baptist churches ("the Journey") which has followed the apology for slavery by the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and will draw upon the experience of churches of both the Caribbean and the African diasporas in the UK and the USA.

The conference marks the publication of a book centred on Sam Sharpe, called "Burning for Freedom: A Theology of the Black Atlantic Struggle for Liberation" (Kingston: Ian Randle, 2010), authored by Delroy A. Reid-Salmon (Oxford).

Invited speakers include: Cawley Bolt (Jamaica Baptist Union); Neville Callum (Baptist World Alliance); Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed (London Baptist Association); Paul Fiddes (Oxford); Dwight Hopkins (University of Chicago); Wale Hudson-Roberts (Baptist Union of Great Britain); David Muir (Evangelical Alliance); Lynette Mullings (Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education); Delroy A. Reid-Salmon (Oxford); Horace Russell (Palmer Theological Seminary); David Shosanya (London Baptist Association); Burchell Taylor (Kingston, Jamaica); Mary Turner (School of Advanced Study, University of London)

To give a paper, contact Nicholas Wood (Oxford): nicholas.wood@regents.ox.ac.uk

To attend, contact Louise Nelstrop (Oxford): louise.nelstrop@regents.ox.ac.uk

04 February 2010

Book: The political theology of Ernst Jünger

Peter Trawny is the author of a 2009 book published in German by Matthes & Seitz Berlin under the title "Die Autorität des Zeugen: Ernst Jüngers politisches Werk" (The Authority of the [Time] Witness: The Political Work of Ernst Jünger; my translation). The subtitle of this book was first announced as "Ernst Jüngers politische Theologie" (The Political Theology of Ernst Jünger), and – despite what is printed on the cover now and what it says on the publisher's website – so it is still listed, for example, on the German site of Amazon.

www.matthes-seitz-berlin.de/scripts/buch.php?ID=281

Ernst Jünger was a soldier, writer, and contemporary of Carl Schmitt and Martin Heidegger and, after the Second World War, equally an outcast. However, unlike Schmitt and Heidegger, he succeeded in living down his nationalist right-wing past (helped by the fact that he had never joined the Nazis) and died in high honours at the age of 102 in 1998.

From the publisher's description: "As a world-warrior, Ernst Jünger knew what he wrote about: he had been there, (...) he was the witness and thus claimed a higher authority. His essay 'Der Arbeiter' [The Worker] (1933) was meant to be a 'little fighting machine' that invoked the future of a 'new race'. It does so as a political theology, as a foundational work, that legitimizes itself theologically. But Jünger fails. The authority of the witness isn't shattered by the war, but by the Shoah. His attempts to immerse into the pain of the events come to nothing. [...] Unpublished manuscripts and letters show to what extent Jünger's later efforts to cast himself as unpolitical are to be regarded as a cover-up." (my translation)

The book received very positive reviews in Germany.

Peter Trawny is a German philosopher who has been a visiting professor at various universities in Europe and Asia.

CONF: RAKIA – Colloquium for Graduate Students

RAKIA – Colloquium for Graduate Students, at the newly-founded Hebraic Graduate School of Europe (HGSE) in Berlin, Germany,
14-18 February 2010

The western notion of modernity developed out of Enlightenment and secularization processes. This is one of the reasons, why the topic of modernity has become one of the central topoi in the present dialogue between cultures. Enlightenment and secularization are intimately interwoven with the way the different religious traditions that have shaped the face of Europe – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – have developed in the course of time.

Enlightenment and tradition are however not opposites in western thought. The emancipatory impulse of secularized Enlightenment is, in the form of Jewish monotheism and Greek rationalism, embedded in the fundamentals of western tradition on which Islam is also founded. In religion, philosophy, science, and art the peoples of Europe have interpreted the historical experiences of modernization. Besides this, there existed also a critique of modernity, a desire to preserve tradition, impulses, that have also left their imprint on the process of modernity.

The organizers want to explore the cultural, philosophical, social, and political aspects of the above problematic. Themes to be discussed include: "Secularization and Globalization" (Sunday, 7 pm); "Israel – Individual, People, and Nation in Western Tradition" (Monday, 9 am-
12 pm); "Nationalism, Zionism, and Messianism" (2-6 pm); "Europe between Athens and Jerusalem" (Tuesday, 9 am-12pm); "Political Theology and Political Theory" (2-6 pm); "Law and Religion in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam" (Wednesday, 9 am-12 pm); "Jews and Muslims in Post-Christian Europe" (2-6 pm); "The State of Israel in European and Arabic Context" (Thursday, 9 am-12 pm); "Towards a 'Cultural Magna Charta for Europe' – Summation" (2-6 pm)

Particular attention will be paid to the perspective of the Shoah, the crisis (and possible renewal) of the humanities in Israel and Europe, and the Jewish Heritage of Europe in the tension between "Israel in Europe – Europe in Israel". Against the background of the destruction of the Jewish heritage of Europe, the bridge between Israel and Europe can serve as a way for a renewal of a common ethos.

The proposed Magna Charta will bear witness to the mutual influences of the different traditions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Greek-Roman Antiquity – that have shaped the face of Europe. This is necessary to find ways and means reflecting the "principle of differences" as a basis for equality, aiming at a new definition of the "contrat social" for the member states of Western, Central and Eastern Europe, after the breakdown of the great structures of the 19th century and the ideologies of the 20th century in the age of globalization.

The Colloquium will be conducted as an interdisciplinary seminar. The various topics will be presented by short lectures and papers, given by professors, doctoral candidates, and students, in which also current work-in-progress and research projects can be introduced and discussed. The evening programme includes public lectures and discussions, films, music, and literary readings.

Post-doctoral and doctoral researchers and masters students from all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences such as Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Theology, Sociology, History, Political Science, Law, Economics, Cultural Studies, Literature, and Education, are cordially invited to participate.

Please send applications to Michelle Piccirillio (Hebraic Graduate School of Europe): piccirillo@hgse.eu

Public lecture: Alfarabi's Goal: Political Philosophy, not Political Theology

Tulane University, The Murphy Institute, Stibbs Conference Room, Lavin-Bernick Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA,
25 February 2010, 4.00 pm

Public lecture by Charles Butterworth: "Alfarabi's Goal: Political Philosophy, not Political Theology"

http://murphy.tulane.edu/events/lectures/1622.php

No abstract provided by the organizers.

Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and currently Visiting Professor in the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, Charles Butterworth specializes in medieval Islamic political philosophy. His publications include critical editions of many commentaries written by Averroes on Aristotle's logic, as well as translations of treatises by Averroes, Alfarabi, Alrazi, and Maimonides. He has also published translations and analyses of the political teaching of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

The lecture is free and open to all.

03 February 2010

CFP: "GBS: Global Bernard Shaw" and political theology

Modern Language Association Convention, Los Angeles, California, USA, 6-9 January 2011

www.mla.org/convention

A "Special Shaw Session", titled "GBS: Global Bernard Shaw", is to be organized for this conference.

"Zoo. Why should you travel for pleasure! Can you not enjoy yourself at home?
The Elderly Gentleman. I wish to see the world." –
"Tragedy of an Elderly Gentleman", Back to Methuselah

An international celebrity, world traveler, and global citizen, George Bernard Shaw was never at a loss for words on the matter of the world he lived in. This special session seeks papers that think through the entailments of "GBS" as Global Bernard Shaw. Topics may include (but are not limited to): Gender and international feminisms; Colonialism and postcolonialism (from Ireland to India and beyond); Cosmopolitanism; The "transatlantic" Shaw; Nationalism and transnationalism; Geopolitics and world order studies; Conflict, war, and peace; neoliberalism and free-market capitalism; Globalization and modernization; "Empire", "multitude", and "commonwealth" (Hardt and Negri); International Marxist, communist, and socialist movements; Religion and political theology (liberation theology, Zionism, Islamic radicalism, etc.); Cross-cultural performance; Influence, appropriation, and adaptation; Shaw as world literature (canonicity, translation, "the world republic of letters"); Shaw as world traveler

Please send a 250-word abstract and a short CV as e-mail attachment to Charles Joseph Del Dotto (Duke University): cjd@duke.edu

Deadline: 15 March 2010

All participants in convention sessions must be MLA members by
7 April 2010. At the discretion of the executive director, waivers of the membership requirement may be granted for non-scholars (medical doctors, visual artists, etc.) and scholars in the United States and Canada who work in disciplines other than language and literature. The request must be made on the Request for Waiver of Membership form, which is available on the MLA website. The form must be submitted no later than 1 April 2010. Speakers may be granted a waiver once every five years. The speaker's discipline (History, Economics, Psychology, etc.) or profession (curator, archivist, attorney, etc.) must be specified on the form. Please note that waived non-members cannot organize or chair a session.

A member may participate as speaker or respondent only twice (e.g. by organizing and chairing a meeting, reading a paper, or serving as a speaker, panelist, or respondent in one or two sessions) at a single convention.

Participants must indicate their audiovisual needs when they respond to a call for papers and should check with the chair of the session or with the MLA convention office to be sure that the necessary equipment has been ordered on the appropriate program copy forms by 1 April 2010. Because the need for audiovisual equipment is a major factor in the scheduling of meetings (and because the movement of equipment is both costly and hazardous), the deadline is firm.

Limited travel grants for certain participants and attendees who are members may be available. For further information, please visit the MLA website. Each year the MLA Executive Council authorizes very limited funds to provide partial assistance to persons who are not MLA members and who would not normally be expected to attend a professional meeting in the field of language and literature. Those who are eligible to receive such funds include distinguished persons in fields other than those directly represented by the MLA, creative writers who do not have academic positions, and MLA honorary members and fellows. Requests for such funds must be made on the fund-request form (which may be obtained on the MLA website), must be submitted by 15 April 2010, and must explain how the participant would enrich the program.

Calls for papers are simply statements of intent to propose a session; they do not in any way bind the organizer or the Program Committee.