CONF: Political Theology as the Problem

International conference "Political Theology as the Problem" of the Institute of Political Science and International Relations of the Jagiellonian University and the Institute of Political Science of the Jesuit University of Philosophy and Education "Ignatianum", at the Ignatianum, ul. Kopernika 26, Krakow, Poland, 16-17 September 2010

www.ignatianum.edu.pl/ptheology/

Description: "Political theology is the problem that a modern science of politics should be apt to confront. For that kind of theology means primarily an intellectual as well as moral (with 'moral' coming first) attitude towards the very foundation of a political community that ought to be connected with divine command rather than purely human invention. The political theologian deals with the issues of order, authority, subordination to the Law of God or His will. Indeed, what is at stake is the most basic question of the best way of life men can lead; the life that now appears to be lived according to the command from above. And what is the relation between such a command and the workings of unassisted human reason? Is the possibility of political theology in its current guise not deeply pervaded by a growing distrust of philosophy and science? Is it not a kind of mere abreaction against the world of disenchantment and secularization provided by modern political philosophy? Yet the attitude characteristic of a political theologian may also bear witness to the fact that modern philosophy or science has never truly resolved the tension between what is rational and what is political, between the reason and passion of a citizen. Hence some tradition that preceded anti-traditional modernity must be seriously taken into consideration.

"The problem of political theology refers to a large number of highly differentiated domains of theoretical research. It also has its counterpart on the side of political practice insofar as a continual struggle between various political-theological attitudes can be found within each of the societies of the West. We can perceive, too, some menacing political-theological pressure born in societies that evidently do not share the prevalent Western position, i.e. a conviction that the core of religious matters must be situated in the private sphere. To have our present situation plausibly explained a broad undertaking in the whole field of the history of ideas must be launched. The present conference marks an attempt towards such an undertaking. We want to discuss the problem of political theology as well as some of its sources rooted in ancient and medieval traditions of thought. Thus the problem of political theology may be connected with the problem of modern political atheism in light of some obvious limitations of the modern solution regarding the relations between Reason and Revelation we now face. Last but not least, this is an opportunity to confront some prevalent views on political-theological issues as they appear in the different contexts of the different countries the participants come from."

Speakers include: Victoria Kahn (Berkeley), "Political Theology and Modern Culture: Strauss, Schmitt, Spinoza, and Arendt"; Daniel Tanguay (University of Ottawa), "Democracy as Negative Political Theology: Marcel Gauchet's Theory of Democracy"; David Janssens (Tilburg University), "Violent Grace: The Theologico-Political Problem in Ancient Poetry and Philosophy"; Herfried Münkler (Humboldt University of Berlin), "Politische Mythen als eine Form der politischen Religion" ("Political Myths as a Form of Political Religion"; organizers' translation); Ryszard Legutko (Jagiellonian University), "Problem ciągłości kulturowej narodu w kontekście teologiczno-politycznym" ("Cultural Continuity of a Nation as a Theologico-Political Problem"; organizers' translation); Leora Batnitzky (Princeton), "Law and Belief: Judaism, Christianity, and the Theologico-Political Predicament of Modernity"; Till Kinzel (Braunschweig University of Technology), "Political Theology, Hermeneutics and Bible Criticism: English Thinkers on Reason and Revelation between 'libertas philosophandi' and 'conservatio tranquillitatis' in the 17th and 18th Century"; Emmanuel Patard (University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne), "The Theologico-Political Problem and the Strauss-Voegelin Debate"; Marek A. Cichocki (University of Warsaw), "Carl Schmitt's Political Theology"; John McCormick (University of Chicago), "Post-Enlightenment Sources of Political Authority: Biblical Atheism, Political Theology, and the Schmitt-Strauss Exchange"; Arkadiusz Górnisiewicz (Jagiellonian University), "The Problem of the Closure of any Political Theology: Remarks on the Controversy between Erik Peterson, Carl Schmitt, and Hans Blumenberg"

The registration section of the website does not yet provide any information.

People interested in participating may therefore want to contact: tpolityczna@ignatianum.edu.pl

Coordinators: Paweł Armada, Krzysztof Matuszek (both Ignatianum), Mateusz Filary, Arkadiusz Górnisiewicz (both Jagiellonian University)

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.

CONF: Thinking with Spinoza: Politics, Philosophy and Religion

Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, Birkbeck College at the University of London
7-8 May 2009, Room B35 Birkbeck Main Building

Does religious pluralism undermine political co-operation? Does religion differ from superstition? What is the scope of philosophical knowledge? Can it live alongside religious faith? How can states combine pluralism with solidarity? How deeply does political co-operation depend on imagined narratives? These and other themes of Spinoza’s seminal "Theologico-Political Treatise" will be discussed at the two-day conference "Thinking with Spinoza: Politics, Philosophy and Religion".

Speakers:

- Etienne Balibar (Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities), "Spinoza’s Three Gods and the Modes of Communication"
- Aaron Garrett, (Boston University), "Knowing the Essence of the State"
- Don Garrett (New York University), "Spinoza’s ‘Promising’ Ideas: Contract and Covenant in the Theologico-Political Treatise"
- Moira Gatens (University of Sydney), "Compelling Fictions: Spinoza and George Eliot on Belief and Faith"
- Susan James (Birkbeck College), "When does Truth Matter? The Politics of Spinoza’s Philosophy"
- Warren Montag (Occidental College), "Lucretius Hebraizant: Spinoza’s reading of Ecclesiastes"
- Pierre-Francois Moreau (Ecole Normale Supérieure des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Lyon), "From Scripture to Nations: Spinoza’s Theory of History in the Theologico-Political Treatise"

Further attraction:

Beth Lord (University of Dundee) will launch the Spinoza Research Network, a two-year project funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

Registration essential. Standard fee £45; Birkbeck staff and all students £20.

Booking forms are available at:

www.bbk.ac.uk/bih/news/spinoza

The Spinoza Research Network offers two travel bursaries for doctoral candidates (or academics on part-time/fixed-term contracts) to attend this conference and the Network meeting. The bursary reimburses travel from within Europe (max. £150), registration fee (£20) and accommodation (max. £100). You will need to explain how the conference is relevant to your research. Doctoral candidates should include contact details for their supervisor. To apply, please email Beth Lord: b.lord@dundee.ac.uk

Spinoza Research Network:

www.dundee.ac.uk/philosophy/spinoza/

This conference is co-sponsored by the European Journal of Philosophy and the Institute of Philosophy.