Category : theology

Lecture: John Rist, “We Don’t Do Truth,” LUC, Feb 6

WE DON’T DO TRUTH
John Rist
Catholic University of America
University of Toronto, Emeritus

In the spirit of Augustinian Platonism, this lecture treats -by “indirection”- aspects of secular culture. In contrast to post-modern and skeptical perspectives, it argues: first, Nietzsche was right to fear that we have not gotten rid of God because we still believe in grammar; second, unless we are out to mislead, we cannot speak without assuming that belief in grammar entails acceptance of the reality of truths and falsehoods; third, our belief in grammar (and consequently in truth) entails, as for Augustine, belief in God; and fourth, those who try to “create” truth are in trouble self-referentially.
THURSDAY
FEBRUARY 6
4:30PM

SWIFT HALL
3rd Floor

REGISTER HERE
Sponsored by the
Lumen Christi Institute

John M. Rist is the Father Kurt Pritzl, O.P., Chair in Philosophy at Catholic University of America. He is also Emeritus Professor of Classics and Philosophy at the University of Toronto and Visiting Professor at the Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum in Rome. In 1976 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 1991 he was elected a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge. He is the author of over one hundred scholarly articles and numerous books including Augustine: Ancient Thought Baptized, Real Ethics, and most recently Plato’s Moral Realism: The Discovery of the Presuppositions of Ethics.


Catholic Q & A with Fr. James Murphy, S.J., Jan. 28

The second biannual “Catholic Q&A” is on Tuesday (1/28) at 7 in Damen (Campus Ministry Suite, 217). The Topic: “Catholicism: What’s t/Truth Got To Do With It?” Professor James Murphy, S.J. will lead.

 

Flyer below: a fun reference to Plato and the allegory of the cave. And: it’s always a humdinger when t/Truth is on the table…

And it just so happens that this event falls on the feast of St Thomas Aquinas. The plot thickens…


Conference: Contemporary Moral Theory and the Problem of Evil, Notre Dame, Nov. 15-16

Conference Announcement: Contemporary Moral Theory and the Problem of Evil

November 15-16, 2013
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

On Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16, the University of Notre Dame will host the first of two conferences on contemporary moral theory and the problem of evil. These conferences seek to advance discussion of the problem of evil by examining how different views about ethics and morality affect how we understand and respond to the problem. The second conference will be held at Notre Dame on March 21-22, 2014.

The November conference will include talks by Marilyn AdamsStephen Wykstra, and Linda Zagzebski. The talks will take place at 3 pm and 7 pm on Friday, and 10 am on Saturday, with receptions after the first Friday talk and before the Saturday talk. The location of talks is TBD, and will be listed on the philosophy department events website closer to the date of the conference.

The conference is being organized by Jim Sterba and funded by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

There is no official registration required, but if you are interested in attending, we would appreciate it if you would E-mail Nevin Climenhaga to give us an idea of how many attendees to expect. If you have any questions, you can contact Nevin or Meg Schmitt for more information.

Sincerely,
Nevin Climenhaga
Meg Schmitt


(Our very own!) CFP: LUC Graduate Conference: “Philosophy, Virtue, and Personhood”

CALL FOR PAPERS

Philosophy, Virtue, and Personhood

A Graduate Student Philosophy Conference at Loyola University Chicago April 11-12, 2014

Submission Deadline: December 15, 2013 Keynote Speakers:

 Gabriel Richardson Lear (University of Chicago) ␣ Hanne Jacobs (Loyola University Chicago)

Ancient to contemporary thinkers have struggled with questions about the transformation of the self and what it means to live well. Are multiple conceptions of the good life compatible with more univocal doctrines of goodness and wellbeing? We want to explore what role, if any, philosophy can play in helping us to constitute ourselves as persons, become better selves, or live better lives. The philosophy department at Loyola University Chicago invites papers from a broad range of philosophical perspectives, operating in both continental and analytic traditions, on topics pertaining to the role of philosophy in shaping the self and in living a good life.

All submissions should be submitted for blind review by December 15, 2013. Full papers (up to 3,000 words), with 100 word abstracts, should be sent to loyolaphilosophy2014@gmail.com in .DOC or .PDF format.


CFP: HERA Conference, “Humane, Inhumane, Human”

HERA

Call for Papers

Humanities Education and Research Association

Annual Conference, February 27- March 1, 2014

Washington D.C.

 

 

Humane, Inhumane, Human

 

In keeping with HERA’s mission of promoting the study of the humanities across a wide range of disciplines and interdisciplines, we invite presentations for the 2014 conference. The wide range of disciplines and areas of study for the conference include but are not limited to Aesthetics, Anthropology, Architecture, Art, Classics, Communication Studies, Composition, Cultural Studies, Dance, Design, Digital Technology, Education, Environmental Issues, Ethics, Ethnic Studies, Family, Film Studies, Gender Studies, Geography, Geology, Globalization, History, Languages, Literature, Media, Museum Studies, Music, Performance Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sexuality, Sociology, Theater and all sciences relevant to the topic.

 

Creative presentations, readings, and exhibitions are also welcomed. Submissions are encouraged from educators at all levels (including advanced graduate students) as well as all those with an interest in the arts and humanities.

 

Proposals for papers, panels, or workshops must be submitted through the conference web portal on the HERA website at www.h-e-r-a.org.

 

Questions may be directed to the conference organizers, Marcia Green (mgreen@sfsu.edu), Sarita Cannon (sncannon@hotmail.com), and Erin McCoy (erin_mccoy@hotmail.com

 

Presentation time for individual papers is limited to 15-20 minutes.

 

Deadline for submission: no later than October 24, 2013.

The Fairfax Hotel Embassy Row (Starwood Luxury Collection) is the host of HERA’s 2014 conference.  The guest room rate is $139 plus tax.  The hotel is a short walk from the Dupont Circle Metro stop.

 

 

Dr. Marcia Green                        
Executive Director/CFO                  
Humanities Education and Research Association
HERA                              
P.O. Box 715                           
Pacifica, CA 94044-4206                      

 mgreen@sfsu.edu
Phone: 650-359-2660

Website: http://www.h-e-r-a.org 


CFP: Transatlantic Research Group: “Sexuality, Human Rights and Public Policy”

The 3rd International Conference of the Transatlantic Research Group in collaboration with the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center and Women and Gender Studies Program, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, presents the Conference on Sexuality, Human Rights and Public Policy.

 

This conference draws on a broad range of academic fields—including anthropology, sociology, political philosophy, history, political science, and cultural studies—to investigate the dynamics of public policy, human rights, and sexuality as they relate to inclusion and exclusion globally.

 

Panels, papers, creative presentations, and roundtables that employ diverse, interdisciplinary and inter-generational perspectives are especially welcome in these areas:

 

Public policy, Law and Sexuality

Human body, Gender and Sexuality

Culture, Identity and Sexuality

Religion, Culture, and Sexuality

Christianity and Sexuality

Islam and Sexuality

Social Media and Sexuality

Sexual Orientation, Sexual/Gender Identity

Sexuality and Reproductive Rights

Human Body and Cultural Meanings

Human body, Stereotypes and Sexualities

Homosexuality, Homophobia, and Violence

The Female Body and Gender-based Violence

Heterosexuality and “Other” Sexuality

 

Abstracts should be around 300 words and include the paper title and the name and contact details of the presenter. Abstracts should be submitted by October 25, 2013. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Monday January 20, 2014.

Please send abstracts and papers to Chima Korieh, Marquette University: chima.korieh@marquette.edu

 


CFP: Logos 2014: The Atonement

Call for Papers

Logos 2014: The Atonement

May 8-10, 2014 at the University of Notre Dame

The focal point of the Christian religion is what is often referred to as “the Christ event”—an event that includes the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity in Jesus of Nazareth, as well as his life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven.  The atonement is a crucial part of this event. But, despite the absolute centrality of the atonement to Christian faith and practice, there are widely divergent theories about just which events constitute the atonement, about what exactly is accomplished in the atonement, and about how the events that constitute the atonement contribute to human salvation (whatever exactly that encompasses) and to whatever other ends were achieved by the atoning work of Christ.  These and related issues (e.g., about the nature of atonement, reconciliation, and forgiveness in general) comprise the topic for the 2014 Logos Workshop in Philosophical Theology.

To have your paper considered for presentation at Logos 2014, please submit an abstract of the paper or the paper itself no later than October 15, 2013.  Other things being equal, preference will be given to those who submit full papers by the deadline.  We will let you know by December 1, 2013 whether your paper has been provisionally accepted.  Full acceptance will be conditional on submission of the full reading version of the paper by April 1, 2014.  

Please send Abstracts or Full Papers to: analytictheology.logos@gmail.com

For more information, please visit: http://philreligion.nd.edu/calendar/annual-logos-workshop/

 


Events, 2013-14: Theology and Ecology

‘Theology and Ecology’ Event Planning for AY 13-14

 

Fall Semester

 

1.  Oct. 4   

            Screening of James Balog film “Chasing Ice” and Post-Screening Panel Discussion

            Panel: William French (Theo), Michael Agliardo, S.J. (Soc), Martin Berg (Biol)

            7:00-9:00pm, Damen Theater, LSC

           

            LUC’s participation in the nationwide Catholic Climate Coalition program “Melting Ice,   Mending Creation: a Catholic Approach to Climate Change.” Organized by the LUC            Office of Sustainability.

 

2.  Oct. 15 

            Presentation by Pulitzer Prize Winning Environmental Journalist Bob Marshall 

            Screening of Elizabeth Coffman/Ted Hardin film “Veins in the Gulf”

            4th Floor IC   (times being determined)

            Panel Discussion: interested faculty

 

            The focus of the event is on exploring how the overlapping themes of journalism,

            ecology, and religion impact the narrative ‘reading’ of catastrophic storm events and

            environmental disasters (in this case, those in the Gulf of Mexico).

 

            Organized by the School of Communication, Institute of Environmental Sustainability,
            and the Department of Theology

 

3.  Nov. 14-15

            Conference: US Energy and Environment: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy

           

            Nov. 14  7:00pm   Keynote Lecture: Filmmaker James Balog

            Nov. 15  9:15am   Presentation on Energy and Climate Change (speaker TBA)

                           11:15am Dr. Emmanuel Agius

                                          Presentation on Energy Policy from a European Perspective                  

                           2:00pm   Panel: Science, Ethics, and Energy Policy

                                          Dr. Howard Learner

                                          Dr. Donald Wuebbels

                                          Dr. Jame Schaefer

 

            Organized by the Department of Theology and the Institute of Environmental
            Sustainability

CFA: On the body and human identity

NOTRE DAME CENTER FOR ETHICS & CULTURE

14th ANNUAL FALL CONFERENCE

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Body and Human Identity

November 7-9, 2013

 

[W]e know a person only in his or her embodied presence. In and through that body the person is a living whole. For certain purposes, we may try to “reduce” the embodied person simply to a collection of parts, thinking of the person (from below) simply as the sum total of these parts. But we do not know, interact with, or love others understood in that way; on the contrary, we know them (from above) as a unity that is more than just the sum of their parts.

– Gilbert Meilaender, “The Gifts of the Body”

 

The Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture will devote its fourteenth Annual Fall Conference to the theme: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Body and Human Identity. In customary interdisciplinary fashion, this conference will take up a host of questions related to the human meaning of the body and life as an embodied self. These questions will be pursued in the contexts of philosophy, theology, political theory, law, history, economics, the biosciences, literature, and the arts.

 

We welcome the submission of abstracts drawing on a wide range of moral and religious perspectives and academic specialties. Possible issues to be explored include:

 

 

• Teleology and the Human Body

• The Incarnation and the Eucharist

• Beauty and the Human Form

• Property in the Body

• Aging and Relations Among the Generations

• Artificial Intelligence

• Torture

• Marriage, Procreation, and Parenting

• Thought, Language, and the Body

• “Personhood” and the Body

• Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging

• Epistemology and the Body

• The Definition and Meaning of Death

• Mind, Body and Dualism

• The Body in Literature and the Arts

• Memory and Identity

• End of Life Decision-making

• Human/Nonhuman Chimeras and Hybrids

• Genetics and Evolutionary Biology

• Vulnerability and Suffering

• “Health” and the Ends of Medicine

• Transhumanism

• Systems Biology

• Eating and Gastronomy

• Performance Enhancement in Sport

 

 

 

One-page abstracts for papers should include name, affiliation, address, and e-mail address (if available). Session Presentations will be limited to twenty minutes. Please note that we will not be accepting panel proposals this year.

 

The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 5, 2013. Notification of acceptance will be sent by Friday, August 23, 2013. One-page abstracts, along with your full contact information, should be e-mailed to ndethics@nd.edu or mailed to:

 

Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture
14th Annual Fall Conference
424 Geddes Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556


CFP: “Exploring Awe and Wonder”

Call for papers

Interdisciplinary conference
Exploring awe and wonder

6-8 September 2013
Institute for Simulation and Training
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation’s
Research Grant: Space, Science and Spirituality
http://www.chdr.cah.ucf.edu/spaceandspirituality/

 

The concepts of awe and wonder occupy an important place in the history of ideas, often associated with the beginnings of philosophy and with religious experience.  In contemporary times, however, they are under-studied and rarely discussed.  It is not clear that such experiences are more rare in our time.  One might argue that given our ability to explore more and more corners of the physical and intellectual universe using technology and advanced science, and our capacity for representing the results of such explorations in art, film and various mass media, we should expect that experiences of awe and wonder are more common.

The interdisciplinary conference, Exploring Awe and Wonder, will bring together researchers in psychology, emotion theory, neuroscience, philosophy, art history, religious studies, and other relevant fields to explore the science and phenomenology of awe and wonder.  Proposals for presentations in these areas are welcome.  A special session on Space, Science and Spirituality is being organized to present current research on the experience of awe and wonder during space flight.

Keynote speakers
Jesse Prinz (Philosophy, CUNY Graduate)
Michelle Shiota (Psychology, Arizona State University)

Invited speakers
Jonathan Cole (Neuroscience, Bournemouth University)
Joerg Trempler (Art History, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität and the Yale Center for British Art)
Jeff Williams (NASA, Astronaut)

Send abstracts and session proposals by June 15, 2013 to

Bruce Janz
Department of Philosophy
Center for Humanities and Digital Research
University of Central Florida

Bruce.Janz@ucf.edu


CFP: Faith, Film and Philosophy conference, “Of Fairy-stories, Fantasy and Myth”

Call for Papers:

“Of Fairy-stories, Fantasy and Myth”

October 11th & 12th, 2013

Gonzaga University’s Faith and Reason Institute and Whitworth
University’s Weyerhaeuser Center for Faith and Learning are pleased to
announce their Seventh Annual Seminar on Faith, Film and Philosophy,
entitled “Of Fairy-stories, Fantasy and Myth.” The past decade has
seen film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, as
well as three of C.S. Lewis’s “Chronicles of Narnia,” and, most
recently, Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Although the immediate inspiration for
our seminar is the release of the first part of Peter Jackson’s
cinematic treatment of The Hobbit, our interest is neither solely nor
primarily in Jackson’s films. Instead, we wish to explore a variety of
cinematic treatments of myth, fairy-story, and fantasy, and to explore
philosophical and religious questions raised by such films. The Star
Wars saga, the various incarnations of the world of Star Trek, the
imaginative world of Pan’s Labyrinth, the Narnia films, Snow White and
the Huntsman, Prometheus, Wrath of the Titans, How to Train Your
Dragon, Arrietty, Ponyo, Hugo, Shrek, Knowing, The Road, After
Earth….These are but some of the films that fall within the purview of
our seminar. Even apart from the content of these films, the genres
touched upon in our title raise very general questions about art,
reality, meaning, and truth. For example, is film an appropriate art
form for mythopoesis? What is the nature of the reality portrayed in
these films? What truth, if any, can films of this sort explore or
convey?

Possible topics for seminar papers include the following, although
proposals on other topics or questions of relevance are certainly
welcome and encouraged.

•       What constitutes a literary fantasy?
•       What motivates literary fantasies? Is there a psychological payoff?
If so, what is it?
•        What is the underlying neurological basis for fantasy?  Why do we
fantasize in the first place and what evolutionary value might this
have?
•       Gender identity in fantasy and science fiction.
•       Social functions of fantasy literature, including political
functions.
•       Cinematic treatments of sexual fantasies.
•       Revenge fantasies.
•       Heroic figures and our fantasies of being like them. (What do Iron
Man and I have in common?)
•       Fantasies of the end of the world, their characteristics and
functions.
•       Fantasies and reality: since most fantasies are never realized in
actuality, why do we keep having them?
•       What’s the difference between a fantasy, whether literary and filmic
and outright hallucination or delusion?
•       Criticisms of the work of Peter Jackson.
•       Epistemological issues: what can be known by means of a fantasy that
might not be known otherwise?
•       The Life of Pi as fantasy.
•       Fantasy and possible worlds.

We are particularly interested in popular films from the last 20
years, although the program committee will certainly consider
exceptions to the 20-year rule.

Seminar sessions will take place on Friday (October 11th) and Saturday
(October 12th). Public lectures and other events associated with the
seminar will take place in the days leading up to the seminar. One of
the public lectures will be on the evening of October 11th, when one
of our invited speakers will give a keynote address. The invited
speakers include Michael Foley (Baylor University), Richard McClelland
(Gonzaga University), and Katherin Rogers (University of Delaware).
These invited speakers will also participate as resident “experts”
during the seminar discussions.

Proposals not longer than two pages (double-spaced), and in Word
format, should be submitted electronically to Dr. Brian Clayton at
clayton@gem.gonzaga.edu no later than 30 June 2013, and should include
title, author(s), institutional affiliation (if any), mailing address,
email address, and the text of the proposal. The seminar organizers
will send acceptances by 8 July 2013.

The seminar and its associated public events are part of a series of
jointly-sponsored programs focused on “Faith, Reason and Popular
Culture.”  The conviction behind these programs is that if Christian
institutions of higher learning are to respond properly to their
charge to be places where faith seeks understanding, then they must
engage contemporary popular culture. Film is among the most powerful
and important forms of popular culture. Thus, the seminar organizers
seek scholars who will engage in two days of discussion investigating
issues of faith and philosophical import raised by contemporary
popular film. Presenters need not have any formal academic
appointment.

For further information please contact Dr. Brian Clayton, Director,
Gonzaga University Faith and Reason Institute at
clayton@gem.gonzaga.edu.


Dante Lecture rescheduled for May 30th

 

Lumen Christi Institute | 773-955-5887 | info@lumenchristi.org |1220 East 58th Street | Chicago, IL 60637


6th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Symposium for Graduate School Students, Apr. 20


“Sustaining Jesuit Ideals: Exploring the Extraordinary”
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Crown Center, Lake Shore Campus
The theme of the symposium is Sustaining Jesuit Ideals: Exploring the Extraordinary.
Graduate Students were selected to present their research based upon one of the Jesuit ideals:
Community & Social Justice
Global Awareness & Sustainability
Innovative Approaches
Religious Experience & Faith        
Values & Culture
Symposium Schedule
8:30 AM  Registration
9:00 – 10:45 AM  Paper Session
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM  Poster Session
12:00 – 12:30 PM  LUNCH
12:30 – 1:15 PM   Faculty Guest Panel
1:30 – 3:00 PM   Paper Session
3:15 – 4:00 PM   Awards Reception

The full symposium schedule and list of participants are available at the symposium website: LUC.EDU/gradschool/research_symposium.shtml. The Graduate School Interdisciplinary Research Symposium is part of the University wide annual Weekend of Excellence activities: LUC.EDU/excellenceweekend.

New Perspectives on Understanding in Philosophy, Psychology, and Theology accepting proposals


Namaste! It’s Hindu Awareness Week, April 8-12

Namaste, Philosophy Department!

On behalf of Loyola University’s Hindu Students’ Organization, I would personally like to invite you all to learn more about the Hindu culture and traditions through Hindu Awareness Week during the week of April 8-12. As a growing organization on campus, HSO strives to raise awareness of the Hindu faith and culture throughout our campus. Hindu Awareness Week consists of a series events to help students and faculty learn and celebrate different aspects of Hinduism.


We will be kicking off the week with the opening of the new puja room in Damen 238 with an afternoon prayer followed by a clay diva painting activity. In the evening we will be honoring our Sanskars, or traditions, through a skit about the 16 sacraments. The next day, we will continue learning about Hinduism through Bhakti, or devotion, in our Traditional Music Night. Students will join together and put on performances to show their devotion to their faith. On the third night HSO will celebrate their ten years of success with an extravagant Anniversary Dinner, in which various students and staff will be speaking about their experiences with HSO. The fourth day will consist of a trip to a local temple, followed by a discussion about the Bhagavad Gita. We will be ending the week with yoga on Friday morning, followed by Relay for Life in the evening. All of the details and times for the events are attached in the flyer.

I hope you can join us for this exciting week of events filled with food, activities, and a celebration of the Hindu Students’ Organization’s tenth year in the Loyola Community. Loyola takes pride in being a multicultural and multifaith university, and we’re excited over this opportunity in which we can share our experiences and ideals of Hinduism with you. Please do also share this invitation with whomever you please, the more the merrier!



Sincerely,
HSO Loyola