CONF: Political Theology for the 21st Century? Trends and Tasks

International conference organized by the International Research Network on Religion and Democracy (IRNRD), at Corvinus University of Budapest, Institute of Political Science, Közraktár utca 4-6, Room 510, 1093 Budapest, Hungary, 14-15 December 2009

The manifold developments that characterize the contemporary cultural, political, and religious scenery have recently engendered intensive attention concerning political theology – taking this term in the widest possible sense. New trends and traditional ideas equally colour these movements for reinventing and redefining the tasks of political theology in the current era. The conference's main purpose is to give a rich, though not exhaustive, overview of some contemporary theoretical approaches related to this topic in philosophy, theology, and political theory.

The conference starts at 8.45 am on 14 December and ends with lunch on 15 December.

Presentations (in five panels) include: "The Secular Sphere in Western Theology – A Historical Reconsideration" (Matthias Riedl, Central European University); "Liberation Theology in Latin America and its Theological Legacies" (David Tombs, Trinity College Dublin); "Metzean Categories for a Politics of Peace" (Péter Losonczi, University of West Hungary); "The Political Theology of Navayana Buddhism" (Aakash Singh, LUISS University, Rome); "Laestadianism: Political Theology and Civil Religion in Secularizing Finland" (Mika Luoma-aho, University of Lapland); "Active and Non-violent Resistance and the Jesus of Nazareth" (András Csepregi, Evangelical Lutheran Theological University, Budapest); "The Interruption of Political Theology" (Lieven Boeve, Catholic University Leuven); "What is Radical Orthodoxy?" (Catherine Pickstock, Cambridge, read out in absentia); "Political Theology and its Discontents" (Michael Hoelzl, University of Manchester); "The Politics of Kant's Religion" (Tom Bailey, John Cabot University, Rome); "Separation Between State and Church and Unity Between Religion and Politics: A Contribution to the Current Debate from a Hegelian Perspective" (Peter Jonkers, Tilburg University); "Neutralizing and Politicizing of Religion: The Actuality of Carl Schmitt's Definition of the Problem" (Theo de Wit, Tilburg University); "Nature, Metaphysics, and Political Wisdom" (András Lánczi, Corvinus University); "Religion, Politics, and the Classroom Walls" (Domenico Melidoro, LUISS University); as well as a panel discussion on "Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Caritas in Veritate" with Lieven Boeve, Michael Hoelzl, and Peter Jonkers.

Contact: Péter Losonczi (University of West Hungary, Szombathely): lospeter@yahoo.com