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Panel description: The panel aims to foster open discussion on the diverse meanings of "conservation" in religion and ethics, encompassing established traditions and the new implications of the term in the context of global warming, climate crisis, and artificial intelligence. In Latin, "conservo" is a specification of "servo" (to keep, preserve, maintain, protect, watch over carefully, save). The term is used to indicate the act of preserving, guarding, or maintaining something. It shares with "servo" the intricate etymology of "servus," whose original meaning (*serwo-) likely was "guard" or "shepherd," but it evolved pejoratively to mean "slave" in Italy between 700 and 450 BC. "Conservo" adds the notion of a community where this act of watching over is shared. In Latin, "conservo" applies to animals, inanimate objects, and abstract principles like benevolence, faith, and nature itself. In a world often depicted as undergoing rapid transformation, and within the framework of the EUARE 2025 Vienna congress focused on "Religion and Socio-Cultural Transformation," we seek to explore the concept of "conservation" in religion, spirituality, and ethics. What is conserved amidst transformation? What must be preserved to prevent transformation from disrupting the very essence of "form," leading to deformation? What are the intricate, labyrinthine, and sometimes controversial relationships between the different semantic fields of conservation mentioned above? How can the nature of animals, plants, and inanimate objects be conserved if such conservation does not also apply to principles and ideas? What is the relationship between conserving the past and preserving the future? Furthermore, what are the lexical, semantic, and pragmatic distinctions between terms like conservation, preservation, and reservation? And how does the term "conservation" extend to the complex semantic structure, from the conservative to the Italian musical "conservatorio"?

Papers:

CONSERVE WHAT'S GOOD, GET RID OF WHAT'S BAD (AND TOLERATE WHAT'S NEITHER)!

Raehme B. (Speaker)

Center for Religious Studies - Bruno Kessler Foundation ~ Trento ~ Italy
The platitudinous rule of thumb expressed in the title is, of course, meant to highlight the equally platitudinous fact that questions regarding what merits conservation, abolishment or unruffled tolerance tap into the realm of normative commitments and values. They are normative questions through and through. That is why the rule of thumb gains concrete meaning only against the backdrop of the pre-existing value commitments of its interpreter. Present-day discourses about a host of questions - from artificial intelligence to wars and religious identities, the climate "crisis" (which isn't a crisis because crises, per definitionem, can be overcome) to the European Union etc. - are suffused with value-talk. What is largely missing in the public clashes of diverging value commitments is open argumentative debate about what values are justifiable. Argumentative debates of this kind are largely confined to the academic fields of normative philosophical and theological ethics, to political and social theory. The talk will focus on two examples of contentious debates, one from the religious and one from the political sphere. The aim is to show how radically argumentative debate may benefit these debates.
AN INHERITANCE WITHOUT TESTAMENT: MOUNTAINS AS A LABORATORY OF THE FUTURE

Costa P. (Speaker)

Center for Religious Studies - Bruno Kessler Foundation ~ Trento ~ Italy
This paper explores the role of mountain landscapes as ethical and spiritual laboratories for imagining alternative modernities aligned with ecological conservation. Drawing on the idea that mountain regions represent "an inheritance without testament," the study argues that these spaces, often seen as marginal and remote, can provide crucial insights into the future of conservation ethics. The research focuses on the Alpine region, where traditional forms of life are increasingly challenged by modernization, yet simultaneously, new models of sustainability, spirituality, and community are emerging. The paper is grounded in a multidisciplinary approach, integrating environmental philosophy, religious studies, and ethics. It examines five distinct areas where mountain environments act as crucibles for new ethical and spiritual practices. These include the rise of "new mountaineers" who choose to live in remote areas as a deliberate critique of consumerist society, spiritual seekers drawn to the mountains for non-traditional experiences of re-enchantment, and the evolving role of high-altitude mountain huts as centers for cultural and ethical renewal. The research also investigates sustainable entrepreneurship that seeks to grow with, rather than exploit, the environment, as well as innovative approaches to mobility in these hyper-complex landscapes. At the core of the study is the concept of "romantic empiricism," where nature is seen not as an inert object but as a dynamic agent deserving of respect. This perspective challenges the dominant scientific narrative that views nature solely as a resource for human use, proposing instead that conservation efforts must be rooted in an ethic of dialogue and mutual respect between humans and the natural world. The paper argues that this kind of ethical-spiritual engagement is essential for motivating the societal shifts required for an effective ecological transition.
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Leone M. (Speaker)

University of Turin ~ Turin ~ Italy
This paper critically examines the growing ideology of "cancellation" in religion and ethics, contrasting it with a more nuanced ideology of conservation that condemns past wrongs while retaining a mature memory of them for future generations. As debates over cultural memory, moral accountability, and historical reckoning intensify, particularly in religious and ethical contexts, the concept of cancellation—a wholesale rejection and erasure of morally problematic legacies—has emerged as a dominant approach. This paper questions the ethical implications of this trend, arguing that while cancellation may seem just in swiftly disassociating from historical evils, it often fails to consider the long-term consequences of severing connections to the past. Drawing on both classical and contemporary ethical theories, the paper proposes that conservation offers a more sustainable and morally responsible alternative. Conservation, in this context, does not mean preserving injustices or celebrating harmful histories; rather, it entails acknowledging past wrongs and conserving their memory as cautionary tales. The discussion engages with Cicero's notion of conservatio—a principle that calls for the preservation of values, decorum, and human nature in ways that maintain social and moral continuity amidst transformation. The analysis touches on various case studies where both cancellation and conservation ideologies have clashed, particularly in religious communities grappling with their own problematic histories. The discussion extends to the broader ethical questions of how society should handle statues, texts, and symbols associated with oppression: should they be removed entirely, or preserved as reminders of what must never be repeated? The paper also probes the theological implications of erasure versus remembrance, asking whether religious traditions are better served by an ethics of amnesia or one of memory and redemption.

Panel description: Since the early 1980s, a widespread categorisation distinguishes four forms of interfaith dialogue: first, dialogue of life (often called "grass-root dialogue"), second, dialogue or deeds for the common good, third, dialogue of specialists, and fourth dialogue of religious experience. Today, at times a fifth form is added which can be named "diplomatic dialogue" (Marianne Moyaert). Yet there seems to be a dimension of dialogue running through all these different forms, that is, the personal level. What does dialogue do with people involved in one or many of these forms? How does interfaith dialogue affect individual personalities? And, conversely, how does the personal dimension impact the different forms of dialogue? The panel explores different facets of the personal level alerting us to the fact that in its most basic form, dialogue can only be dialogue between persons.

Papers:

UNEXPECTED ISSUES: THREE STORIES OF INTERFAITH ENCOUNTER.

Race A. (Speaker)

World Council of Faiths ~ London ~ United Kingdom
Interfaith encounter and dialogue invariably involve participants in dimensions of human complexities more than what we might think of as "purely religious". It is these human complexities that reveal both attitudes and behaviours that enliven dialogue and also mask dialogue's processes and outcomes. This presentation will focus on three personal examples where interreligious dialogue between Christians and other traditions reveals how many-layered the process can be.
DOES INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE NEED A THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION?

Schneider M. (Speaker)

Postdoc Research Fellow, Centre for Religion and Modernity, University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
Based on observations in Birmingham and Leicester in 2023, the paper distinguishes two different profiles of interreligious dialogue. Practical dialogue, focused on social initiatives aimed at cooperation in the neighbourhood, and discursive dialogue, aiming at exploring theological and spiritual aspects of the participants' religious traditions, including conflicting truth claims. The range of ways in which interlocutors in both cities defined the relationship between the two profiles will be summarised and discussed. Are theological issues an obstacle to progress in practical dialogue formats? Or is dialogue insufficient without addressing the crucial points of theological debate?
INTERRELIGIOUS PHRONESIS: BRIDGING PRACTICAL WISDOM AND INTERFAITH ENGAGEMENT

Gustafson H. (Speaker)

Director of the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies (College of Arts and Sciences), Adjunct Professor in the Department of Theology, University of St. Thomas ~ Minnesota ~ United States of America
This paper explores the concept of interreligious phronesis - rooted in Aristotelian practical wisdom - as a guiding virtue essential for navigating the complexities of religiously diverse contexts. It outlines four key dimensions of this practical wisdom: Know What (episteme), Know Who (empathia), Know Why (sophia), and Know How (techne). These dimensions co-constitute the ability to act thoughtfully and effectively in interfaith encounters, emphasizing not just the knowledge of religious diversity but also the skills and moral virtues necessary to engage constructively with others. By grounding interfaith dialogue in these personal dimensions, this paper provides a practical framework that bridges theoretical models and real-world applications.
FOUR CATEGORIES OF INTERRELIGIOUS ENCOUNTER FROM A PHENOMENOLOGY OF PRACTICE

Wratten S. (Speaker)

Professional Doctorate Student, Cambridge Theological Federation with Anglia Ruskin University ~ Cambridge ~ United Kingdom
Constructed from stories of interreligious encounter in 'everyday life' this paper will present the following four categories of interreligious encounter: Human Connection, Transcendent Connection, Identity and Life Experience, Questions of Theology of Religions. Utilising a methodology of hermeneutic phenomenology, this paper argues that critical reflection on first-hand interreligious encounter reveals significant thought on meeting with the 'religious other' and that which we may call God or transcendent reality. This paper advocates for personal experience to be acknowledged as a significant gateway into interreligious dialogue for the academy and communities of practice.
DIALOGUE AND PERSONAL RELIGIOUS IDENTITY - THE CASE OF PAUL KNITTER

Riggert A. (Speaker)

Pastor emeritus of the Protestant Church of Westphalia. President of the Institute for Interreligious Studies INTR°A ~ Schwerte ~ Germany
The American Catholic theologian Paul F. Knitter (*1939) has reflected intensively on the effects of his dialogue with the religious other on his personal identity as a Christian, particularly in the last two decades. His dialogue with Buddhism and Buddhists finally led him to become a Buddhist-Christian dual belonger. The paper will explore this process of identity transformation as an example of the opportunities offered by interreligious dialogue to expand and deepen one's own religious self-understanding.
PERSONS, NOT TYPES - A LESSON TO BE LEARNED FROM HASAN ASKARI

Schmidt-Leukel P. (Speaker)

Senior Professor of Religious Studies and Intercultural Theology, University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
Syed Hasan Askari (1932-2008) was one of the Muslim pioneers involved in interfaith dialogues organised by the World Council of Churches. Being strongly influenced by W.C. Smith, Askari emphasised the significance of meeting as individual persons and not as types representing some imagined collective religious identity. The paper explores the implications of this view for a better understanding of the impact of dialogue on the personal level.

Panel description: This session focuses on the interface between contemporary Hinduism and socio-cultural change. All three papers explores ways that Hindu beliefs and practices are inspiring such change in contemporary contexts in India and beyond. The first paper, "Socio-Cultural Transformation and the Trees for Life Movement," explores the life and vision of Balbir Mathur, founder of an NGO called Trees for Life International. This paper will focus broadly on Mathur's spiritual autobiography and the role of religion in inspiring him to found Trees for Life, an international movement that works for positive socio-cultural change through not just the planting of trees, but also through education and other forms of humanitarian work. The second paper, "Socio-cultural Transformation and the Public Visibility of Religion in Contemporary Kerala," explores a Hindu festival in Kerala, the Uthra Siveli Festival. The paper highlights tensions between progressive secularization and the increasing public visibility of religion in Kerala. But it also addresses the transformative potential of ritual and ways the Uthra Siveli Festival functions to promote social transformation and the transcendence of caste boundaries. The final paper, "The Brahma Kumari Tradition and Socio-Cultural Transformation," examines the Brahma Kumari tradition and its role in socio-cultural transformations in India and beyond. This paper examines several aspects of the Brahma Kumaris' acts of service to society, including their contributions to the uplifting of women and untouchables and bringing attention to the problems caused by climate change. This paper asks: What is the role of religion as a driving force for positive socio-cultural changes in individuals and in society? Can the belief that change starts from within make a lasting impact on society? Are there other socio-cultural transformations that happen in this way?

Papers:

SOCIO-CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AND THE TREES FOR LIFE MOVEMENT

Pintchman T. (Speaker)

Loyola University Chicago ~ Chicago ~ United States of America
This paper explores the life and vision of Balbir Mathur, founder of an NGO called Trees for Life International, focusing on the role of religious experience in shaping his relationship to the natural world and his work with Trees for Life. Mathur grew up in a Hindu family in India and later moved to the state of Kansas in the United States. He recounts that he had a profound religious experience one day while flying over the island of Cypress followed by a period of severe illness and further spiritual experiences, causing him to quit his job and seek a way to be of service to humanity. Mathur established Trees for Life, an organization that plants trees and engages in humanitarian work all over the world to help impoverished communities, especially in the global south, with the requirement that each person or community it assists in turn assist at least two others. his paper will focus broadly in Mathur's religious autobiography and the role of religion in inspiring Mathur to effect positive socio-cultural change through ahis global humanitarian movement. Mathur's vision of socio-cultural transformation is deeply informed by Hindu and Buddhist ideals, especially Hindu conceptions of the divine as an impersonal force, the Buddhist principle of codependent arising, and other Hindu and Buddhist religious concepts.
PUBLIC VISIBILITY OF RELIGION AND SOCIO-CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION

Pati G. (Speaker)

Valparaiso University ~ Valparaiso ~ United States of America
This paper explores the annual Uthra Śīvēli festival at the Śrī Vallabha Temple in Thiruvalla, highlighting the increasing public visibility of religion in Kerala and the socio-cultural transformation during this Hindu festival as the devotees come together. Annual festivals are a central feature of the South Indian religious tradition. More importantly, festivals unite people and places as devotees share devotion. This paper examines the festival and elucidates its transformative potency by discussing how it plays a role in socio-religious transformation, transcending caste and social boundaries in South India. I argue the dynamic interactions between deities and devotees that occur during the festival not only transform the space into a "religioscape," connecting lived and imagined worlds through ritual practice, but also promote socio-cultural transformation, problematizing our understanding of the social dimensions of caste and its historical religious valorization.
BRAHMA KUMARI TRADITION AND SOCIO-CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION

Dimitrova D. (Speaker)

University of Montreal ~ Montreal ~ Canada
This paper examines the Brahma Kumari tradition and its role in socio-cultural transformations in India and beyond. The focus is on the issue of spiritual identity, meditation, service to society and female leadership. I examine several aspects of the implication of Brahma Kumaris in service to society and their contribution to the uplifting of women and untouchables, and to the creation of a new awareness of climate change. I will focus on socio-cultural transformations leading to female empowerment, the transformations of slums into "divya nagar", or divine cities, and environmental improvements. What is the role of spirituality and meditation as a driving force for these positive socio-cultural changes in individuals and in society? Can the belief that change starts from within make a lasting impact on society? Are there any other socio-cultural transformations that happen in this way? By means of analysis of texts and data from interviews with Brahma Kumari followers, this paper discusses the important societal impact of the Brahma Kumari tradition and its contribution to meaningful socio-cultural transformations.

Panel description: The panel "Religion and New Cross-Cultural Reality: Transformations and Challenges" will explore the shifting role of religion in a world marked by increasing cultural diversity and global interconnectedness. The discussion will highlight the significance of interreligious dialogue, religious diplomacy, cross-cultural communication as vital tools for fostering understanding and cooperation among diverse religious groups. The panel will examine how different faith traditions can engage in meaningful conversations to foster mutual respect and understanding. Cross-cultural communication will be highlighted as a means of resolving conflicts and building bridges between communities with differing beliefs. The panel will also address the new roles religion is playing in these shifting contexts, including the challenge of maintaining traditional identities while adapting to a rapidly changing world. Participants will discuss the new roles and challenges that religion faces in this evolving landscape, including the need to navigate cultural complexities and contribute to global harmony. This exploration aims to illuminate the role of religion in adapting to and shaping the new cross-cultural reality.

Papers:

CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN THE DIALOGUE OF RELIGIONS IN UKRAINE

Kharkovschchenko Y. (Speaker)

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv ~ Kyiv ~ Ukraine
Nowadays it is important to explore the critical role of cross-cultural competence in fostering effective interreligious dialogue within the Ukrainian context. Ukraine, as a culturally and religiously diverse society, is home to a variety of faith traditions, including Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, and Judaism. This diversity creates both opportunities and challenges for interfaith communication and cooperation. We will focus on how cross-cultural competence—defined as the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures—can enhance mutual respect, reduce religious tensions, and promote social cohesion. Special attention will be given to the historical and contemporary interactions between different religious communities in Ukraine, highlighting examples of successful interfaith initiatives. The role of cross-cultural diplomacy in mitigating conflicts and fostering peace will also be discussed, along with the practical challenges that arise in the pursuit of religious harmony. This exploration will contribute to a deeper understanding of how cross-cultural competence serves as a vital tool for promoting interreligious dialogue and cooperation in a pluralistic society like Ukraine.
THE ROLE OF THE RELIGIOUS FACTOR IN BUILDING CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS

Roma A. (Speaker)

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv ~ Kyiv ~ Ukraine
We are going to examine the pivotal influence of religion in shaping and facilitating communication between culturally diverse groups. Religion, as a fundamental aspect of many societies, plays a crucial role in defining values, ethical frameworks, and social norms, which in turn affect how individuals and communities interact across cultural boundaries. We will explore how religious traditions, beliefs, and practices can serve both as bridges and barriers to effective cross-cultural communication. It will analyze the positive role of religion in fostering mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation through interfaith dialogue, shared moral values, and humanitarian efforts. At the same time, it will address the challenges posed by religious differences, including potential sources of conflict, stereotyping, and misunderstanding. Case studies from various regions, both historical and contemporary, will be highlighted to demonstrate how the religious factor influences cross-cultural communication. The discussion will also explore strategies for leveraging religious commonalities to build more inclusive, respectful, and productive interactions among culturally and religiously diverse populations. This abstract aims to provide a nuanced understanding of religion's role in the complex dynamics of cross-cultural communication.
THE CURRENT MEDIA IN PROVIDING RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATION OF CLERGY AND BELIEVING PEOPLE

Melnyk L. (Speaker)

Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University ~ Bila Tserkva ~ Ukraine
The topic "The Current Media in Providing Religious Communication of Clergy and Believing People" underlines the role of modern media platforms in facilitating dialogue between religious leaders and their congregations. In the contemporary digital age, traditional modes of religious communication are increasingly supplemented by online platforms, social media, and digital forums. This evolution impacts the dissemination of religious teachings, pastoral care, and spiritual guidance. The study explores how clergy use media to reach a broader audience, maintain spiritual connections, and address the religious needs of believers, particularly in a globalized and technologically interconnected society. It also investigates potential challenges, such as maintaining the authenticity of religious discourse, ensuring the meaningful engagement of the faithful, and addressing the risks of misinformation. The research highlights the growing importance of media literacy among religious communities and the implications of digital communication for the future of religious practice.
GLOBALISATION AND WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP IN RELIGION: HOW FEMINIST MOVEMENTS CHANGE TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS

Dobrovolska K. (Speaker)

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv ~ Kyiv ~ Ukraine
The discussion on the topic "Globalisation and Women's Leadership in Religion: How Feminist Movements Change Traditional Religions" is amed to explores the transformative impact of feminist movements on traditional religious structures in the context of globalisation. As globalisation accelerates the exchange of ideas, values, and social movements, it has opened new avenues for the role of women in religious leadership and challenged patriarchal norms that have historically dominated many religious institutions. We will show how feminist ideologies, in tandem with global social change, have influenced and reshaped religious practices, doctrines, and leadership roles in various faith traditions. It will explore the ways in which feminist movements advocate for gender equality, inclusion, and women's rights within religious contexts, pushing for reforms that empower women as leaders, theologians, and spiritual guides. The discussion will include case studies from diverse religious traditions, highlighting both the successes and resistance faced by women in breaking traditional barriers. The paper will also analyze the tension between preserving religious traditions and adapting to modern feminist values, reflecting on how these dynamics contribute to evolving understandings of women's leadership in a globalised religious landscape. This exploration will offer insight into the ongoing redefinition of gender roles in religion and the future of women's leadership in faith communities worldwide.
CROSS-CULTURAL CONFLICT IN THE RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN UKRAINE

Zhernova S. (Speaker)

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv ~ Kyiv ~ Ukraine
The abstract titled "Cross-Cultural Conflict in the Religious Situation in Ukraine: The Role of Orthodoxy" will explore the conflict in Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine. As the predominant faith in the country, Orthodoxy is deeply interwoven with national, cultural, and political identities, particularly in the context of the ongoing situation in Ukraine. Focusing on the cultural identities and the efforts at reconciliation and inter-Orthodox dialogue, highlighting the potential for cross-cultural communication within the religious sphere to either deepen or heal societal fractures. This analysis provides a deeper understanding of how Orthodoxy, as both a religious and cultural force, influences the evolving conflict landscape in Ukraine, offering insights into the potential for religious intervention in conflict resolution.

Panel description: The present panel addresses the development of Sufism beyond traditional tariqa structure that encompasses established Sufi lineages and hierarchies in response to secularization, privatization of religion, and the pluralization of religious markets. It aims to investigate the ways in which Sufism has transcended traditional institutional boundaries, leading to the emergence of "post-tariqa" forms that reconsider of reject established hierarchies and communal ties. The panel will delve into the sociocultural and political shifts that informed these changes, such as secularization and the securitization of Islam in Muslim-majority societies, the influence of reform movements, the privatization of religion and the development of alternative spiritualities in Western societies, and the increasing accessibility of Sufi teachings outside conventional frameworks. It will discuss the engagement of Sufi traditions with secular and pluralistic contexts, and the ways in which contemporary seekers navigate spiritual paths in reformed Sufi communities or beyond them. Through an interdisciplinary approach including historical humanities, anthropology, and religious studies, the panel will provide a comprehensive examination of post-tariqa Sufism. The panel discussions aim to contribute to broader debates on tradition and modernity in Islam, highlighting how religious traditions are evolving in the post-traditional sociocultural milieu.

Papers:

MAJMA-UL-BAHRAIN IN HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN'S ACTIVITIES IN THE WEST (1910-1926)

Moron M. (Speaker)

Centre for Comparative Studies of Civilisations, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagellonian University ~ Cracow ~ Poland
"Majma-ul-Bahrain" is a Sufi text from the 16th century by Dara Shukoh, exploring the connection between Sufi and Vedanta mysticism. The term is also associated with the union of Jalaluddin Rumi and Shams-e-Tabrizi. This paper considers whether it can apply to Hazrat Inayat Khan's interaction with Western audiences. Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927), a distinguished Indian musician and Sufi mystic, initially intended to introduce Indian classical music to the West. However, upon his arrival, he encountered Western elites seeking spiritual enlightenment from the East, largely influenced by Orientalism. This fascination often revolved around hidden knowledge and occult practices, creating a preconceived notion of mysticism. Theosophy, in particular, sought spiritual guidance from India, focusing on Brahminical-Vedanta ideas. Inayat Khan's audiences were often part of this Theosophical interest in Indian spirituality. A key point of difference in the Western perception of Inayat Khan is his Muslim background. Although Sufism transcends strict religious boundaries, Inayat Khan, raised in a Muslim family and initiated by a Sufi shaykh in Hyderabad, was seen as a Muslim. Yet, from the outset of his activities in the West, his Muslim identity was downplayed or silently rejected. A similar phenomenon can be seen today in the Western embrace of Rumi's poetry, often detached from his Islamic context. This paper discusses Inayat Khan's Sufi teachings within the broader framework of Islam in the Indian cultural context. Rather than a true blending of mystic traditions or "Majma-ul-Bahrain", it was a case of Sufi esoteric teachings encountering Western notions of mysticism, where external practices and ceremonies held as much importance as the inner essence of Sufism. Examples of these practices among Inayat Khan's Western followers are also explored in the paper.
THE VISION OF SPIRITUAL PERFECTION IN SHAYKH FADHLALLA HAERI AND POST-TARIQA SUFISM

Yarosh O. (Speaker)

The Department of Religious Studies, Aarhus University ~ Aarhus ~ Denmark
This paper explores the vision of human perfection and spiritual individualism in Western Sufism, focusing on Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri's (b. 1937) literary works and teachings. It addresses the question of how the vision of spiritual perfection in Shaykh Fadhlalla's teachings interplays with reflexive spirituality and modern individuation, shaping his vision for the Sufi community and providing an alternative to the tariqa-style Sufism in the West. The main focus of this paper is the analysis of selected written texts by Shaykh Fadhlalla, in which he addresses issues of spiritual perfection through close reading, conceptual analysis, and cross-textual comparison. It argues that, despite some similarities with New Age concepts that imply minimal transcendence, Shaykh Fadhlalla's teachings are deeply rooted in the classical Sufi tradition and based on otherworldly transcendence, but articulated through the lens of reflexive spirituality. While contemporary Sufi communities in Western Europe navigate the opposing trends of 're-Islamization' and the development of 'post-tariqa' Sufism, this paper posits that Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri's vision of post-tariqa Sufism is shaped by his ideas on human perfection and the ways to attain it.

Panel description: In 16th-century Braj, Northern India, a profound shift in Hindu devotional practices and attitudes emerged: the divine began to be approached through anthropomorphic modes modeled on human relationships. Friendship and romantic/erotic/amorous bonds became considered as potent ways of connecting with the divine. Authors, philosophers, theologians and poets, such as Vallabhacarya, Surdas, Mirabai and Agradas advocated for cultivating a feminine identity to establish either a deep friendship (sakhi with Radha (Krishna's principal lover) or Sita (Rama's wife)—a practice aligned with the homosocial norms of the time, where friendships were formed between those of the same gender—or an intimate romantic relationship (madhurya-bhava) with Rama or Krishna. Here too, adopting a feminine identity was crucial for maintaining a socially accepted connection with a male deity. This panel aims to explore, first, the historical context and devotional literature linked to these new models of devotion, especially texts attributed to the Vallabha tradition, Surdas, and Mirabai, to better understand the rise of these practices in the 16th century. Second, it seeks to examine contemporary "sakhi" practices and figures, aiming to determine whether we can speak of a third and devotional gender in modern Hinduism. Florence Pasche Guignard, Universite Laval, Faculty of theology and religious studies, Quebec, Canada Title: "When the devotional and embodied genders do not match in the varta of the Vallabha tradition" Diana Dimitrova, Universite de Montreal, Institut de theologie et de sciences religieuses Title: "Gender Fuidity in the Devotional Poetry of Surdas and Mirabai and in the Poetic Imaginary of the Sakhi Sampradaya" Mathieu Boisvert, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, Departement de sciences des religions Title: "Contemporary 'Sakhi' of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh"

Papers:

DEVOTIONAL GENDER MATTERS: FROM FEMININE DEVOTIONAL FIGURE TO MALE OR FEMALE EMBODIED HUMAN

Pasche Guignard F. (Speaker)

Universite Laval ~ Quebec ~ Canada
This paper examines a selection of vārtā, narratives about the lives of saintly figures in the Vallabhācārya (c. 1479-1533) tradition, composed in Brajbhāṣā and compiled during the 16th and 17th centuries. They describe how specific individuals became initiated by Vallabha or by his son and successor, Viṭṭhalanātha, also known as Śrī Gusaiṃjī (c. 1516-1588). While the narratives focus on the actions and behavior of these Vaiṣṇāvas before and after initiation, the first part of most of these "stories about the three lives" (tīn janma kī bhāvanā vālī), along with their commentary sections (bhāvprakās), clarify that these individuals (men, women, children) were sakhī with varying dispositions in the līlā world, with differing proximity to other sakhī and to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. The text outlines their appearance, unique characteristics, and relationships with one another. Although most are clearly depicted as feminine in the līlā, they incarnate on earth as future devotees and members of Vallabha's community, taking on male or female bodies in a society where gender plays a significant role. The devotional and feminine gender of the sakhī may or may not align with that of the embodied individual.
GENDER FUIDITY IN THE DEVOTIONAL POETRY OF SŪRDĀS AND MĪRĀBĀĪ AND IN THE POETIC IMAGINARY OF THE SAKHĪ SAMPRADĀYA

Dimitrova D. (Speaker)

Universite de Montreal ~ Montreal ~ Canada
This paper studies the notion of gender fluidity in the saguṇa bhakti traditions of Sūrdās and Mīrābāī, which have inspired the poetic imaginary of the Sakhī sampradāya. The soul-wife longs for the union with the husband-lord, full of pain (viraha) from the separation from the beloved. The husband-lord has never actually left, it is rather the soul-wife, who has forgotten and needs to "remember" and find him again within, in order to unite with him and merge into him. In the hymns of a female devotional tradition, such as that of Mīrābāī, the gender identification of Mīrā with Rādhā (Kṛṣṇa's most beloved gopī) seems "natural". However, in the case of a male devotional tradition, for instance Sūrdās's tradition, male poets, and all men, become women before god, i.e. they assume a female poetic persona in order to identify with Rādhā and unite with Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, in the Sakhī sampradāya, male followers assume a female devotional persona. They identify with Rādhā and become women in front of god, enacting and performing in real life the gender fluidity of Hindi devotional poetry. Thus, this paper explores issues of gender fluidity and bhakti in the devotional poetry of the Mīrābāī and Sūrdās traditions, and suggests ways of interpreting notions of gender in the poetic imaginary of the Sakhī sampradāya from the perspectives of gender and ideological criticism.
CONTEMPORARY "SAKHĪ" OF MADHYA PRADESH AND UTTAR PRADESH

Boisvert M. (Speaker)

Universite du Quebec a Montreal ~ Montreal ~ Canada
Though very few individuals claim to be sakhī, it is not uncommon, either in places of pilgrimage or in ascetic milieu when a celebration takes place (bhaṇḍārā), to witness a man dressed as a woman, expressing his feminine identity and dancing in praise of the divine. This paper intends to address this contemporary sakhī identity and its various religious and social declensions. This paper relies on fieldwork conducted in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (2023, 2024 and 2025) in order to observe and discuss with sakhī; it became clear that these individuals see themselves as very different from hijra - usually described as "third gender people" in India, and earning their livelihood through benediction (āśīrvād) and prostitution. The main objective of this paper is therefore to draw the inherent characteristics of this sakhī community. We will of course discuss the emotional state necessary to maintain, permanently, this female identity, but most of our presentation will rely on our analysis of the social structure inherent to the community: the guru-disciple relationship, support between members, community and personal lifestyle and livelihood. This will enable us to relate religion (modern Hindu bhakti/devotion) to contemporary gender identities and to present sakhī identity as a third devotional gender.

Panel description: The 2025 Scripture & Theology Panel invites scholars to submit papers that explore how Biblical Studies and Systematic Theology inform and shape one another. We seek contributions that analyze current or historical research methods, particularly those that highlight how such approaches can further develop the interaction between Biblical Studies and Systematic Theology. Descriptive or historical accounts are welcome, especially when they demonstrate ways to advance interdisciplinary methodologies. Key questions to consider: • How does research in Biblical Studies draw on insights from Systematic Theology? • In what ways can Systematic Theology benefit from engagement with Biblical Studies? • What methodological changes occur as a result of interactions between these two fields? • What examples of best practices exist for engaging Biblical Studies and Systematic Theology in both historical and contemporary scholarship? We encourage papers that reflect on these intersections and provide methodological insights, whether through theoretical exploration or by presenting a particular research approach. By examining the dynamic relationship between Biblical and Theological research, we aim to deepen our understanding of how these disciplines can challenge and enrich one another, leading to new academic insights. Submissions are welcome from both junior and senior scholars across various faith traditions, with a special invitation for biblical scholars to contribute. For more information about the Scripture & Theology Forum, including details about our members, ongoing projects, resources, and updates also on this panel, please visit scriptureandtheology.org. contact: michael.borowski@gmx.de

Papers:

E PLURIBUS UNUM: MINING BIBLICAL THEOLOGY FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN THEOLOGY IN GENERAL

Borowski M. (Speaker)

VU Amsterdam ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands
A central concern of the Biblical Theology Movement was fragmentation. This presentation surveys accounts from the past decades on both implicit and explicit interactions with unity and diversity within the canon, and their effects on theology and Christianity. It argues for a revived effort in theology in general to retrieve the gospel as its guiding principle, starting with a renewed explication of what this gospel contains in biblical theology and what it must mean in contemporary theology. Particular emphasis is given to (1) movements that stand in the tradition of the Biblical Theology Movement (e.g., Postliberal Theology, Theological Interpretation of Scripture, Biblical Narrative Theology) and (2) influential introductions to the New Testament. The presentation seeks (3) guidance from more particular accounts from the past decades, such as those by Peter Stuhlmacher and Wilhelm Thüsing. Overall, there seems to be an understanding of theological method in the narrow sense, which includes reference to certain sources, adherence to certain principles, etc. Yet there also seems to be an understanding of theological method in the broad sense, which centers on adherence to a certain framework, a certain pattern, etc. The study suggests that there are limits within theological methods in the narrow sense, but that there is a need for highlighting theological method in the broad sense.
ANALYSIS OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN SCRIPTURE AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

Burger H. (Speaker)

Theologische Universiteit Utrecht ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
Biblical studies are important for systematic theology, because the Bible is an important book for the Christian church. The Bible is a diverse book, and systematic theology deals with a variety of themes. Hence, it does not surprise that the relationship between Scripture and systematic theology is diverse as well. Both Kelsey and Van Oorschot have shown that theologians use Scripture in a variety of ways. This paper builds on their analyses and attempts to further clarify the complexity of the many relations between Scripture and systematic theology, hence also clarifying the importance of Biblical studies for systematic theology. The paper develops a methodological proposal of why and how (in my view) systematic theologians should use Scripture, analyzing this variety of relations between Scripture and systematic theology. Starting from an argument for the importance of Scripture for systematic theology, the paper in a next step analyses the complexity and the many relationships between Scripture and systematic theology. It will explain why we need a variety of methodological strategies in using scripture. It will deal with several movements: 1. From Biblical words to theological concepts; 2. From metaphors to doctrinal perspectives; 3. From doctrinal passages to theological doctrine; 4. From Biblical narrative to a theological metanarrative; 5. From narrative analysis to the doctrine of God as main character of Scripture; 6. From narrative analysis to mystagogical dynamics. Examples will be used to further demonstrate how different movements are useful at different moments of the systematic-theological work. lit.: Kelsey, David H. Proving Doctrine: The Uses of Scripture in Modern Theology. Harrisburg, Pa.: Trinity Press International, 1999. Oorschot, Frederike van. Schriftlehre, Schriftauslegung und Schriftgebrauch. Eine Untersuchung zum Status der Schrift in der und für die Dogmatik. Dogmatik in der Moderne 40. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022.

Panel description: The SCRIPTURE&THEOLOGY-FORUM invites responses to Frances Young's two-volume work, "Doctrine and Scripture in Early Christianity". This "Author Meets Critique" panel provides an opportunity for scholars to engage with Young's influential study on the interrelation of doctrine and Scripture in the early church. We seek submissions that not only critically assess Young's historical and theological contributions but also explore how her findings can foster deeper engagement between Scripture and theology today, particularly in terms of theological methodology. Key areas of interest in this context include: • How does Young's methodological approach illuminate the interaction between doctrine and Scripture in early Christian thought? • In what ways can her work inspire contemporary theological reflection, especially on the role of Scripture in doctrinal development? • How can Young's research inform theological methods in engaging Scripture today, both within systematic theology and biblical studies? Submissions should aim to offer constructive and critical reflections on Young's work while also proposing how her insights can contribute to ongoing conversations at the intersection of Scripture and theology. While Frances Young may only be able to join the panel online due to personal circumstances, presentations by proxy are not permitted. Additionally, papers for pre-reading must be submitted by May 15; late submissions will not be considered. We encourage submissions from scholars at all career stages and from a diversity of disciplines. For more information on the Scripture & Theology Forum, please visit scriptureandtheology.org Contact: michael.borowski@gmx.de

Papers:

Panel description: Religion in the workplace has become a recurring theme in European research. However, in recent debates it is mainly the beliefs of employees that have come to the fore. They are often seen in a negative light, as a hindrance to productivity, a source of internal or external conflict, or even more recently as a sign of radicalism. In the meantime, references to traditional religions are increasingly being replaced by a spiritual discourse, highlighting how work-experiences contribute to the construction of the meaning of life. This development is indicative of important choices in Western societies - both in the lives of individuals and in the structural transformation of organisations, in a context of secularisation. This panel will look at the potential for humanisation - hitherto untapped - offered by this trend, which posits service to human dignity, vulnerability, justice and the common good as the axiological horizon of the good life within a community at work.

Papers:

HOW THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE TRANSFORMS THE DIACONATE AND THE WORK OF DEACONS

Gedda D. (Speaker)

Université catholique de Lille ~ Lille ~ France
Since the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders at the Second Vatican Council, the call for candidates has multiplied in dioceses throughout the world. Many married men have responded[1]. However, the Magisterium, ecclesial communities and all baptised people have yet to fully grasp this new development. In the ecclesiastical province of Lille in the Hauts de France region, research based on semi-directive interviews has been undertaken. Its aim is to understand how the sacrament of Holy Orders is rooted in the sacrament of marriage experienced by couples whose spouses are permanent deacons, and what transformations and innovations have taken place in their couples and in their ecclesial practices. In the ecclesiastical province of Lille, after the call to the diaconate and a diocesan year of discernment (called year zero), candidates undertake a six-year provincial formation course, with each diocese retaining its own procedures for their progression towards ordination to the diaconate.
IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY AND CHAPLAINCY IN HOSPITALS

Khachan C. (Speaker)

Université de Fribourg - Faculté de théologie ~ Fribourg ~ Switzerland
This contribution deals with ignatian spiritual exercises from a health-centred perspective. The work will help us to define spirituality on the basis of this spiritual current. We are also proposing to open up a new dimension for a spirituality that for centuries has been concerned with healing souls, and to verify its impact on physical healing. So is there a link between the two forms of healing? Similarly, this work will define the links and limits between spiritual care and other disciplines, whether medical, technical or psychological. Based on the 'four weeks' of spiritual exercises, we hope to present a model that makes it easier to provide spiritual care for the sick. A model that is valid for all patients, regardless of their religious affiliation or personal beliefs (philosophical, social, psychological, environmental, etc.). In addition, this work will contribute to the field of pastoral health care through its response to the meaning of life, personal freedom and alienation, autonomy in crisis, and transcendence as a dynamic of hope and openness.

Panel description: Is Death, nowadays, still pornographic (cfr. G. Gorer, "The Pornography of Death", «Encounter», 5(4), 1955, 49-52)? Or does it have a new undeniable, prismatic and productive role in contemporary society? Which are the characteristics and the configurations of its, elusive or concrete, presence in today's interconnected world? And what are the features of the still very strong echoes of its past understandings? Encouraging transdisciplinary and cross-cultural analysis on material and immaterial approaches to death and dying, the panel aims to create an open discussion on thanatopraxis, rituals and socio-cultural attitudes in a synchronic and historical perspective, while also giving space to theoretical reflections on the relationship with death, end of life and mortality. From the socio-material and spatial turns to the newest digital outlooks, while still embracing longstanding academic and methodological attitudes towards ethical and religious consideration of the topic, we wish to explore the theme in all its width, to challenge conceptual boundaries and theoretical postures, addressing the intersections between death and beliefs, death and spirituality, death and politics/institutions, death and technology, death and cultural heritage.

Papers:

THE FUNERAL OF THE BASILEUS IN 9TH AND 10TH CENTURY. RITUAL HANDLING OF THE CORPSE AND MATERIAL CULTURE OF DEATH

Di Cosmo A.P. (Speaker)

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia - ISACCL Bucarest ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
This contribution analyses the role played by material culture in the imperial funeral of the basileus in 9th and 10th century. The research applies archaeological, anthropological, and historical knowledge to describe the activity of the imperial entourage, which resolves issues concerning representation problems in the funeral, while examining the spectacularization and the communication strategies that shaped the etiquette of the Basileia. The imperial funeral was a collective ceremonial that didn't provide the expulsion of the imperial corpse from society and had the aim to transmit reassuring messages to subordinates, while capitalizing public consensus. The ritual represented an expression of the 'theatre of power' and was structured as a mise en scène concocted for the exclusive benefit of the monarchy, but still addressed to the individual participants who could recognize themselves as parts of the political body of the Basileia. The elaborations of the doctrine of power structures in the apparatus of the basileus' caducity the most refined expression of the material culture of Death. This ritual used a series of sensible signs, such as the insignia of the Basileia and the sepulcher in precious marble, which expressed their significance in the spaces reserved for the funeral ceremonies, such as the Sacred Palace or the imperial mausoleums.
SELF-DETERMINATION AND ALGORITHMIC AUTHORITY: CAN AI RESHAPE END-OF-LIFE DECISION-MAKING?

Ropelato T. (Speaker)

University of Turin - Bruno Kessler Foundation ~ Trento ~ Italy
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly introducing groundbreaking tools that are reshaping various aspects of healthcare. While fields like genetics have engaged in complex debates about AI's integration, the application of AI tools — such as machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and large language models (LLMs) — in end-of-life care has received little attention. Given the human-centric skills traditionally associated with end-of-life care — like effective patient- centered communication, supporting memory-making processes, and enhancing quality of life through spiritual care — some might argue that this field is inherently resistant to AI's transformative impact. Recently, however, discussions have emerged about the potential for predictive algorithms to replace the role of the surrogate decision-maker, a human fiduciary appointed to make decisions for individuals no longer capable of expressing their treatment preferences. Of particular importance is the proposal by well-known bioethicists Bryan Earp and Julian Savulescu: the Personalized Patient Preference Predictor (P4). This fine-tuned LLM leverages machine learning to infer incapacitated patients' preferences using personal data, acting as a "non-emotive digital psychological twin." While this approach aims to respect the principle of autonomy, it raises concerns about quantifying a deeply existential context like end-of-life decisions. Can we, and should we, envision a role for algorithmic tools in such profoundly "human" choices? How do core bioethical principles like autonomy, beneficence, and non-maleficence intersect or conflict in this context? Are we heading toward a future where decision-making authority is delegated to predictive algorithms, even in matters of life and death?
OBSERVING CORPSES. WHEN THANATOURISM MEETS RELIGIOUS HERITAGE

Sabatini R. (Speaker)

University of Turin - Bruno Kessler Foundation ~ Turin ~ Italy
According to Tony Seaton's definition, "thanatourism" consists in engaging in travels to locations wholly or partly motivated by the desire for actual or symbolic encounters with death. It is a wide category that includes very different types of destinations, activities and motives. Its boundaries are porous and intersect other kind of touristic interests such as cultural, historical, memorial and religious ones, that often concern death and its various representations. Nevertheless, sociologically thanatourism is a well definable phenomenon, that underlines the existence of a renovated interest in creating a new physical and symbolic space for death in contemporary society. If, as it has been proven, it's not possible to identify a sui generis type of tourist, with its own characteristics, specifically interested in dark destinations, is it possible to clearly define "black spots" when the sites' significance resides in the connections with other fields of meaning and concern? The exposition of religious human remains - keeping in mind a distinction between relics display, artistic uses of bones, mummies exposed in crypts and catacombs, and museum exhibitions - can be identified as both a religious fact and a thanatourstic opportunity, in a complex semantic layering produced by site management and visitors' fruition and interactions. Death is presumably the main topic of the experience but more often bones and corpses are vehicle of other religious meanings and historical and scientific data that seem to cover the "thantopsis" opportunity, transforming it in something else.
THE PHILOSOPHER, THE DEATH

Germano N. (Speaker)

University of Genoa ~ Genoa ~ Italy
Plato already suggested that philosophy has to do with death: the task of the philosopher is an exercise-for-death, both theoretical and practical. And if then Spinoza, in polite but resolute opposition, could affirm that philosophy was «non mortis, sed vitae meditatio», it is above all because that proposition has, as its subject, the free, wise, man who has already won his struggle against death (against his idea), and so he can act with a confidence that comes to him from a divine, imperturbable, non-mortal science. These two positions, apparently conflicting, finally converge at least in recognizing death's place, even if it is negative. Based on those reflections, Carlo Angelino (1938-2022) proposed, in an intense discussion with the great philosophical, religious, and literary traditions, an antithetical thought. The aim of this talk is therefore to briefly illustrate the main lines of Angelino's discourse, firstly tracing his cultural and theoretical references, with particular regard to Plato, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. Then, secondly, to show how the essential point of that reflection is precisely the thought of death, and that it remains so, only explored in all its abyssal depth, or ambiguity, from the writings contained in "Religione e filosofia" (1983) up to the comprehensive, latest collection "L'essere e/o il male" (2018). Searching, with Heidegger, for a new, different beginning for philosophy, he found it not in Being, but in Evil. From that perspective, only knowledge of finiteness could be conceived, as a mortal knowledge in constant antithetical relationship with that other part - the part of mystery, as opposed to that of certainty - that also constructs reality: evil and good, finite and eternal, death and immortality are the antithetical poles of all human experience. Contracted, these terms suggest a space of the religious, a God who is no longer Gott als Geist (and Geist als Gott), «sibbene Gott als Tod e Tod als Gott».

Panel description: Post-theism, post-secularism, and the transformation of Christianity are interconnected concepts that reflect evolving perspectives on God and religion in today's world. Post-theism describes a theological phase or movement that transcends the traditional idea of God. In this context, there is an emphasis on exploring new ways to conceptualize the divine that move beyond conventional theistic definitions, such as understanding God more as an immanent force or principle rather than a transcendent being. Post-secularism, on the other hand, refers to a stage where secular ideas coexist alongside a renewed interest in religion. In this re-evaluation, secular values recognize that religious beliefs and practices hold lasting importance for many individuals and communities. Rather than religion fading away with modernity, it is adapting and engaging meaningfully with secular culture, especially through a rediscovery of spirituality. The transformation of Christianity is the process involved in the interaction between post-theism and post-secularism. This process does not imply a full return to a religiously dominated society but instead suggests a reconfiguration where scientific, philosophical, and religious perspectives dynamically interact. Consequently, some expressions of Christianity are evolving, embracing more symbolic, allegorical, or ethical frameworks rather than strictly literal or dogmatic ones. Our proposal intends to address this complex, ongoing, and profound process that influences contemporary understandings and expressions of the Christian faith.

Papers:

BEYOND THE DEATH OF GOD

Zambaldi P. (Speaker)

University of Münster
When F. Nietzsche made a madman shout that 'God is dead', he did no more than emphasise that that transcendent 'God' was dead forever, killed by his own believers, because it was a 'God' that was now meaningless. Starting from this observation, M. Heidegger radically challenged the very concept of metaphysics and laid a philosophical foundation for the refusal to conceive of a God 'other' than human experience. From a world revolving around an all-powerful, personal and providential 'God' to a suddenly empty sky; from a reality dominated by historical religions to a world that is finally free and secular; from theism to post-theism... A true change of epoch and perspective that, as planetary humanity, stimulates, frightens and provokes us. In fact, this situation questions us: How do we seek that beyond which man needs? How to live one's spirituality in an adult and conscious way? To find a solution, reflecting on the languages of religion and spirituality is fundamental. Words in fact create and interpret reality, they define us, they help us find the right context. Indeed, language was and is central to humanity's life and search for meaning. In my talk I will examine this crisis of religious languages and how they can evolve in a post-theist perspective. In particular, I will focus on the words that we used to use and that, in spite of everything, we still use when we want to get in touch with the reality that we have been calling 'God'/Theós for millennia. For example, prayer, which is an excellent litmus test for dealing with problematic aspects that urgently need radical, albeit gradual, change. The very term 'prayer', with its meaning of 'request', 'submission' and 'dialogue' with an anthropomorphic and external 'You', must slowly be overcome, evolving towards other and more appropriate expressions such as 'meditation', 'communion', 'immersion'.
POSTTHEISM AS AN ALTERITARIAN PRACTICE

Kern C. (Speaker)

University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
In current theological debate, posttheism is often discussed from the perspective of discourse and conceptual analysis. It is reflected how in posttheistic approaches concepts of God change and how the relationship between God and the world can be defined differently: God not as a sovereign power intervening from the outside, but as a mysterious/mystical, transimmanent depth that is interwoven in all things and manifested in them. The article proposed here supplements this conceptual-analytical view with a performance-analytical perspective, which has so far been rather marginal in the discussion. It treats posttheism not primarily as discourse, but as performative practice. How is posttheism performed? What are the characteristics of posttheistic forms of belief and life? How are social power relations received and shaped in it? On the basis of concrete practical examples such as the "Scuola diffusa di Silenzio", posttheism is reconstructed as a "doing theology" in which the relationship to God and the world is carried out, embodied in a specific way that can be broken down into three basic characteristics: Posttheism as a practice of resistant rejection of sovereignty, as a practice of relationality, as a practice of ungrounded alterity. In posttheistic enactments, socialization and subjectivation take place in an alterity-open way. What needs to be discussed, however, is whether and to what extent this alteritarian practice critically takes up social power relations and puts them up for discussion, or whether it evades this political dimension by spiritualizing it.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AN AGE OF TRANSFORMATION

Oliva R. (Speaker)

Pontificia Università Gregoriana ~ Rome ~ Italy
The evolution of European Christianity from the Constantinian era to the Second Vatican Council represents a profound shift in its role and self-understanding within society. Once a dominant force in public life—often termed "Christendom"—Christianity viewed itself as the exclusive interpreter of reality, marginalizing alternative perspectives. However, with the rise of pluralism, a defining feature of modern European societies, this monolithic view began to dissolve. Cultural, religious, and social diversity gradually reshaped Christianity, prompting a transition toward a more open, inclusive form of faith. This shift marks the emergence of a "Christianity of porosity," where faith embodies a hospitable and dialogical spirit, reminiscent of early Christian missionary openness. Instead of seeing diversity as a threat, this approach embraces it as a source of mutual enrichment, facilitating deeper encounters with the divine through diverse human experiences. Pope Francis exemplifies this transformative vision. His teachings emphasize moving beyond moral rigidity to a focus on joyful proclamation, grounded in compassion and inclusivity. Documents such as Evangelii Gaudium, Amoris Laetitia, Laudato Si', and Fratelli Tutti advocate a Church that values goodness in human vulnerability, champions ecological responsibility, and upholds universal fraternity as essential to human dignity. By fostering spiritual discernment and embracing diversity, this renewed Christianity seeks to engage meaningfully in a pluralistic, globalized world, adapting to the spiritual and social challenges of contemporary life.

Panel description: Political events of nowadays are showing very clearly how important is the Church for Ukrainian society. History of religious denominations is an inexhaustible source of facts for building statements and arguments on the cultural and political orientation of Ukrainian state and society. This panel deals with the premodern time, when different cultural and confessional identities were shaped on the Ukrainian lands. Moreover, at this time, the first narratives of national importance appeared among Ruthenian Church intellectuals (both Uniate and Orthodox). In 1990s, Ukrainian scholars started to argue Ukrainian Christianity was not an amorphous mixture of external influences but represents a certain tradition. However, the question what were the distinctive features of this phenomenon remains open, leaving the concept of Kyivan Christianity under development. Nevertheless, as German researcher Klaus Koschorke has repeatedly shown, the history of the Church must be treated as a polycentric movement with the proper attention to the plurality of Christian centres. Can we speak of Kyivan Christianity as a separate phenomenon and of Kyiv as one of the centres of the World Christianity? This panel is aiming to give an answer to that question, taking into consideration a long years research of the Ukrainian history and theology.

Papers:

"TO HEAVEN…OR TO HELL…": ENEIDA, NEW UKRAINIAN LITERATURE, AND THE OLD KYIVAN THEOLOGICAL TRADITION IN THE IMPERIAL PERIOD

Potapenko S. (Speaker)

M. S. Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archeography and Source Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine / Goethe University Frankfurt am Main ~ Frankfurt on Main/Kyiv ~ Ukraine
The idea of my paper is to (re)read some classical texts, created during the long 19th century and representing modern Ukrainian literature, in order to scrutinize the plots and features characteristic of the Kyivan theological thought which developed in the earlier periods—especially, in Mohyla's epoch—and the entire complex of peculiarities which can be defined as "Kyivan Christianity", according to the renowned conception recently elaborated by Ihor Skochylias. I hypothesize that the Russian imperial synodal reforms introduced in the Kyivan Orthodox metropolitanate during the 18th century were not effective enough, and therefore certain interpretations inherent to the Kyivan theological tradition, as well as typical practices of local religious life, continued to exist further on the territory of the former Hetmanate, albeit in a hidden/not easily detectable way. Ivan Kotliarevsky's Eneida occupies a prominent place among such texts since it is commonly considered to symbolize the beginning of modern Ukrainian nation-building. Written in a "simple" language and first published in 1798, it bridges the "old" (early modern) and "new" (modern) phases of Ukrainian literary history and contains such seemingly unexpected plots as a description of Purgatory. What other passages might be relevant in the light of the Kyivan ecclesiastical tradition? I plan to examine the novels of Ivan Nechui-Levytsky and the works of other Ukrainian authors.
CHALLENGING THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL NARRATIVE OF THE HISTORY OF UKRAINIAN THEOLOGY: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF GEORGES FLOROVSKY'S WAYS OF RUSSIAN THEOLOGY.

Gavrilyuk P. (Speaker)

University of St. Thomas, Minnesota ~ Minnesota ~ United States of America
This paper analyzes Florovsky's treatment of the Kyivan Theological Tradition in his magnum opus, The Ways of Russian Theology. I argue that Florovsky failed to sufficiently understand the distinctiveness of this tradition because he took the political narrative of Russian imperial history for granted. The assumption of the imperial narrative led Florovsky to evaluate all western influences upon Ukrainian theology as distortions (he borrowed Oswald Spengler's term "pseudomorphosis" to describe the phenomenon) of Christian Hellenism, which he considered normative for Orthodox theology. In conclusion, I identify the unique features of the Kyivan Theological Tradition and chart a way for the future studies of the ways of Ukrainian theology.
TRANS-CONFESSIONALITY IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY KYIVAN METROPOLITANATE: CULTS OF SAINTS IOV OF POCHAIV AND JOHN THE NEW OF SUCEAVA

Almes I. (Speaker)

Ukrainian Catholic University/ORTHOPOL ~ Lviv/Vienna ~ Ukraine/Austria
The paper concentrates on the issue of trans-confessionality in the Eighteenth-Century Kyivan Uniate Metropolitanate. Tridentine style unification and the Zamość Council of 1720 created a Uniate confessional culture. But the cults of two Orthodox saints are great examples of trans-confessional practices in eighteenth-century Uniate (Basilian) monasteries: Pochaiv and Zhovkva. The cult of the saints after the confessional conversion of the monasteries from Orthodox Christianity to Eastern Catholicism (Uniate) continued being practiced; however, it was unofficial, meaning a strictly local cult. The transfer of relics from Suceava to Zhovkva led to the cult's emergence in a new place that had not previously been associated with St John (the patron of Moldavian lands and trade) in any way. In the summer of 1686, Polish king Jan Sobieski, returning from a Moldavian war campaign, took Metropolitan Dosytheus and St. John the New relics from Suceava. The relics first came to Stryi and then to Zhovkva (now a city in Ukraine) monastery. The fact that the Polish king himself, as the promoter of the cult, relocated the relics to the Zhovkva monastery was one of the most powerful arguments for practicing the cult despite confessional borders. The cult of Iov Zhelizo was closely connected to the relics and to his patronage of the place. The power of the relics overcame confessional boundaries despite official rules and bureaucratic procedures. What were the strategies involved in practicing the cult of a non-beatified person for Catholics but a saint for Orthodox? And for what reasons did the cult of the local saint dominate official prescriptions? Research also discusses the borderless cultural practices beyond political (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Wallachia from the Ottoman empire) and confessional (an Orthodox saint in an Eastern Catholic monastery) borders.
ORTHODOXA CONFESSIO FIDEI LITERATI AND (UN)ORIGINAL THEOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION OF THE GIFT GIVING BY KYIVAN LITERATI IN THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD.

Prokopyuk O. (Speaker)

National Museum Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra / Goethe University Frankfurt am Main ~ Kyiv ~ Ukraine
The paper is dedicated to the analysis of the theological justification of the gift giving formulated by Kyivan literati of the early modern period. The main source will be the Orthodoxa Confessio Fidei or Catechism, a doctrinal text by Petro Mohyla and Isaia Trofymovych- Kozlovsky, which sets out the Orthodox doctrine in a certain system. The Code was reviewed and adopted by the Church Council of Eastern Patriarchs in Iassy in May 1642. The final version of the Orthodoxa Confessio Fidei, translated into Greek, was approved by the Church Synod in Constantinople on 11 March 1643 as the general doctrine of the Orthodox Church. The main considerations set out in the Orthodoxa Confessio Fidei regarding the gifts and their relation to prayer and salvation were detailed in the prefaces to the commemoration books (pomennyk, synodyk) of Kyivan monasteries of the 17th and 18th centuries and confirmed the idea of the Church as an institution in which gifts circulate, already present in doctrine and canon law. Until then, theological justification of the gift giving by Kyivan literati has not been studied, especially the question of (un)original, which is of paramount interest given the common or different ideas about death and salvation among Orthodox, Uniates, Roman Catholics, and Protestants. In order to address these general questions, it is worth answering some specific questions, for example, about the system of arguments used; about the selection of texts that were referred to confirm the idea, etc. While the Orthodoxa Confessio Fidei sets out the ideas that defined gift giving, the prefaces to the commemoration books, based on its, provided models that established everyday practices. In addition, each monastery had to take care of its centrality and formulated a separate offer for donors.
THE INVENTION (?) OF THE KYIVAN THEOLOGICAL TRADITION IN THE 17TH CENTURY: CONTINUITY OF TEXTS AND IDEAS.

Sinkevych N. (Speaker)

University of Leipzig ~ Leipzig ~ Germany
The term "Kyivan theological tradition" is not commonly used. With the light hand of Georgy Florovsky, the works of Kyivan authors have been suspected for several decades of distortion (pseudo-metamorphosis) of true Byzantine Orthodoxy. This thesis, eagerly taken up by Russian historiography, is reinforced by the illustration of Western borrowings in the works of Kyivan Orthodox authors and is also to be found among contemporary theologians and historians, who seem to be forced to apologise for the "Latinism" of Kyivan authors. Not better is the situation with the appraisals of the Uniate theology. Scholars underlined that the Uniat Church broken the connection between lex credendi and lex orandi accepting the Catholic theology and thus lost the integrity between its theological and liturgical life that is of a great importance in the Eastern Church. Most of the scholars, however, did not consider the fact that the Eastern Christian theology at the beginning of the 17th century was still dogmatised that left a certain space for independent theologising and interconfessional debates. Kyivan controversial theology aimed to draw a clear line between the Kyivan and other traditions. The late 17th - beginning of the 18th centuries was a golden age of Kyivan theology that moved in many directions: anti-Protestant, anti-Catholic and anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish ones. Without breaking with their declared loyalty to the Byzantine tradition, Kyivan intellectuals came under the influence of Western post-Triduum theology in virtually all its areas: Mariology, Christology, soteriology, angelology, asceticism, etc. Despite the criticism from Moscow, Kyiv, as Natalia Yakovenko aptly puts it, lived "in its own theological and intellectual rhythm."
HOLY RUS AND HISTORY: IN SEARCH OF THE SOURCES OF 'KYIV' AND 'MOSCOW' ORTHODOX HISTORIOGRAPHY.

Morawiec N. (Speaker)

Jan Dlugosz academy ~ Częstochowa ~ Poland
The paper will analyse the views of Kyiv and Moscow Orthodox authors on the Orthodox history. Particular attention will be paid to fluctuations in historical interpretations made under the influence of political-confessional changes in the 16th-19th centuries. These interpretations were constructed by Orthodox-Catholic theological polemics after the Union of Brest. The loss of Kyiv to the Commonwealth in the 17th century led to a new vision of the Moscow-Kyiv history ('Sinopsis') that began to permeate Russian soil during the reign of Peter I who actively used the 'Malorussians' to provide state reforms and building of the imperial historiography (from Teofan Prokopovich to George Konissky). Catherine II's exaltation of the 'Velorussians' and Platon Levshin's creation of a 'Moscow' synthesis of the history of Russian Orthodoxy initiated further interpretive transformations. They were aimed at preparing an imperial interpretation of the history of the Orthodox Church, yet typically Russian. However, subsequent political and confessional changes led to a questioning of the hegemony of Orthodox historiography written by 'learned monks' and the emergence of an 'oberprocuratorial' vision (Mikhail Muravyov), a 'West Russian' vision (Yosef Semyashko), or a vision of secular researchers.
SOME ASPECTS OF THE MEDIEVAL ORIGINS OF KYIVAN CHRISTIAN TRADITION.

Chemodanova O. (Speaker)

Charles University ~ Prag ~ Czech Republic
High Middle Ages in Kyivan Rus' left us a splendor of sources which shed the light to its Christian spiritual practices, worldviews and theological ideas. These sources are various, including chronicles, lives of saints, testaments, sermons, travel diaries, inscriptions on the walls of old churches, and so forth. Contradictory to the theory of modern nations they testify to the existence of imagined proto-national communities based on common language and religion, not only on dynastic loyalty. They also reveal the spoken language. Moreover, they show religious convictions and individual piety of the age. The history of Kiev Rus' or Kyivan Rus' became a battle between Russian imperial historical narrative, claiming it to be the cradle of triune nation, and Ukrainian historiography, stating that Kyiv was always Ukrainian. Unfortunately, the first narrative is still firmly dominant amongst theological academia, who inherited it from the Russian Orthodox White emigration. Even in the 21st century, the whole medieval period of Kyivan state is automatically attributed to Russia, while Ukrainian language and culture are regarded to be the fruit of Polish influences. In my presentation, I'm not going to deal intensively with historiographic debates. Instead, I would like to give the voice to medieval Kyivans themselves - to trace their concerns and ideas from pages of the Primary Chronicle by Nestor, the Testament of Volodymyr Monomakh to Children, the Sermon on Law and Grace by Hilarion, metropolitan of Kyiv, and other primary sources. This classics, however, helps to grasp their spiritual, national and political imagination. It also posts a question whether a Kyiv theological tradition emerged in that era and, if so, what features it had.

Panel description: This panel examines transformation and interfaith dialogue through the following seven interlinked themes: 1. How interfaith dialogue can transform faiths, individuals, and/or communities 2. Case studies and historical examples of spiritual, religious, political, intellectual, and/or social justice transformations through encounters with religious others 3. Failures of transformation amidst interfaith encounters 4. Pioneers of interfaith dialogue and transformation 5. Key or overlooked texts advocating transformation through interfaith dialogue 6. How to nurture transformation through interfaith dialogue initiatives in schools, places of worship, rituals, praxis, and pilgrimages, etc. 7. Obstacles that inhibit transformation through interfaith dialogue or virtues that can promote robust interfaith transformation * Please send proposals of 300-500 words with a clear title, structure, and focus, along with your cv, to Peter Admirand at peter.admirand@dcu.ie. Panels will be arranged thematically, or by specific interfaith dialogues, if pertinent (i.e., Muslim-Hindu; Jewish-Buddhist; Christian-Indigenous Faith; Atheist-Theist. etc.).

Papers:

SHAPING GLOBAL CITIZENS THROUGH INTERRELIGIOUS COLLABORATION: THE INTERFAITH COALITION CONFERENCE FOR GLOBAL CITIZENS

Lefebure L. (Speaker)

Georgetown University ~ Washington, DC ~ United States of America
This presentation will discuss the initiatives of Won Buddhists from South Korea who founded the Interfaith Coalition Conference for Global Citizens as a creative response to the crisis of the Covid pandemic. In 2000 we met online to discuss the future of religion after Covid and launched a movement to develop a sense of global citizenship in diverse contexts. After meeting again online in 2001 about 2002, we met in person in Seoul in August 2023, where The Honourable Ban Ki-moon, former secretary general of the United Nations, delivered the keynote address. The presentation will conclude by discussing the ICCGC's collaboration with the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) in co-hosting an international interreligious conference on "Global Action on Peace, Sustainability, and Prosperity" at the Church Center of the United Nations in August 2024. The goal of the conference was "to pursue peace, human security, dignity, and planetary sustainability" through fostering collaboration and solidarity among religious communities in diverse contexts around the world; at the conclusion we issued a consensus declaration: "A Call to Global Community and Action for a Just, Peaceable, Inclusive, and Sustainable World."
THE TRANSFORMATION OF CHRISTOLOGY AFTER INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

Admirand P. (Speaker)

Dublin City University ~ Dublin ~ Ireland
The transfiguration of Christ (Mark 9:2-13; Matthew 17:1-13; Luke 9:28-36) and the sacramental belief in transubstantiation both speak of change and stability. In the transfiguration in Mark's gospel, we read: "And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling bright, such as no one on earth could brighten them." While the disciples were said to be "terrified" by this illumination, the voice of God, as at the baptism of Jesus and later through the mouth of the Roman Centurion at the cross speak, of the sonship of Jesus. Changed, but not changed, or the change still results in a core identity, an element of sameness. In the Catholic belief of transubstantiation, the bread and wine consecrated by a priest at mass, becomes the body and blood of Christ. As 1413 in the Catholic Catechism states: "Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity." In this paper, I want to argue that the interfaith encounter, and often embrace and even critique, of the Christian belief of Christ, is another kind of transformation that is both miraculous and sacramental, if we take the two examples above. And like those two examples, the transformation that occurs can overpower what had been before. The Jesus on the way up the high mountain and the Christ who returns with the disciples (though the act is not narrated) is still, in many ways, the same—but yet also clearly perceived as (or become) radically different. For Catholics, the bread and wine offer a distinctive but parallel meditation. Taking a Buddhist, Jewish, and Muslim interpretation, embrace, or critique of Christology, I will endeavor to see how this interfaith, transformed Christology is still, as it were, my Jesus, even as these interfaith words will encourage, if not demand, a transformation within.
ENGAGING WITH DISCOURSES ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER JUSTICE IN INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUES: A TRANSFORMING MATTER?

Grung A.H. (Speaker)

University of Oslo ~ Oslo ~ Norway
Interreligious dialogues take many shapes and may have different aims, depending on various contexts and the partners involved. In the Norwegian context of interreligious dialogue, the Secular Humanist Organization has been an involved party since the start of these dialogue endeavours, entailing a re-naming of the activity into "faith and worldview dialogue" to make the inclusion visible. But the strong presence of the Secular Humanists has also meant that the language and epistemology of Human Rights has become a kind of lingua franca within the interreligious dialogue in Norway, because this is a strong commitment in this worldview community. In the Norwegian society, gender equality and gender justice is perceived as fundamental values, and there has been suspicions and prejudices against religious communities which is apprehended not to adhere to gender equality. This paper will discuss how engaging with discourses of Human Rights in interreligious dialogues has shaped and possibly transformed interreligious dialogues in the Norwegian context regarding discussions on Gender Equality and Gender Justice.

Panel description: Post-secularism, and the transformation of Christianity are interconnected concepts that reflect evolving perspectives on God and religion in today's world. Christianity is undergoing a process of transforming itself in transcending the traditional idea of God. In this context, there is an emphasis on exploring new ways to conceptualize the divine that move beyond conventional theistic definitions, such as understanding God more as an immanent force or principle rather than a transcendent being. Post-secularism, on the other hand, refers to a stage where secular ideas coexist alongside a renewed interest in religion. In this re-evaluation, secular values recognize that religious beliefs and practices hold lasting importance for many individuals and communities. Rather than religion fading away with modernity, it is adapting and engaging meaningfully with secular culture, especially through a rediscovery of spirituality. The transformation of Christianity is the process involved in the interaction between post-theism and post-secularism. This process does not imply a full return to a religiously dominated society but instead suggests a reconfiguration where scientific, philosophical, and religious perspectives dynamically interact. Consequently, some expressions of Christianity are evolving, embracing more symbolic, allegorical, or ethical frameworks rather than strictly literal or dogmatic ones. Our proposal intends to address this complex, ongoing, and profound process that influences contemporary understandings and expressions of the Christian faith.

Papers:

POST-THEISM AND REFORM OF CHRISTIANITY

Gamberini P. (Speaker)

Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy ~ Naples ~ Italy
The faith consciousness of the new generations appears to be increasingly secularized, as if God no longer existed; it is an agnostic and indifferent generation. This raises the urgent question of how and what kind of God should be proclaimed in this post-secular time and society. Interestingly, in the meantime—in this post-secular society—mysticism and recent scientific discoveries in quantum physics and neuroscience, for example, are revealing a vision of reality that is understood at its deepest level as interconnected. This "interconnected" vision of reality is not only proposed by many quantum physics theorists but has also always been the mystical vision of the great religions. Unlike the atheism of the 19th and 20th centuries, post-theism does not reject all forms of transcendence, but only the kind of transcendence in which God is conceived as "separate from the world," "intervening" from time to time with some supernatural revelation or miraculous action. Post-theism fulfills what atheism, clearly indicated by the privative prefix (a-theism), had already attempted to do, namely, to deny the "God" of religion. However, atheism was—at least in my view—a partial attempt at denial, because it in fact denied a particular and specific image of God, namely the theistic one, but it did not seek to deny the reality of God as the foundational ground of reality. This issue has remained, so to speak, unresolved. One need only think of the concept of "transcendence without any heavenly transcendence" in Ernst Bloch's Principle of Hope. It is a denial of the transcendence of the transcendent, not of transcendence as such. Post-theism adopts Bloch's "immanent" vision, as it denies the transcendent God of theism, understood as Someone who is outside and separate from the cosmos, with the cosmos itself viewed as something external, outside of transcendence.
THE DEATH OF GOD AND THE GOD OF CHRISTIANITY

Zambaldi P. (Speaker)

University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
When F. Nietzsche made a madman shout that 'God is dead', he did no more than emphasise that that transcendent 'God' was dead forever, killed by his own believers, because it was a 'God' that was now meaningless. Starting from this observation, M. Heidegger radically challenged the very concept of metaphysics and laid a philosophical foundation for the refusal to conceive of a God 'other' than human experience. From a world revolving around an all-powerful, personal and providential 'God' to a suddenly empty sky; from a reality dominated by historical religions to a world that is finally free and secular; from theism to post-theism... A true change of epoch and perspective that, as planetary humanity, stimulates, frightens and provokes us. In fact, this situation questions us: How do we seek that beyond which man needs? How to live one's spirituality in an adult and conscious way? To find a solution, reflecting on the languages of religion and spirituality is fundamental. Words in fact create and interpret reality, they define us, they help us find the right context. Indeed, language was and is central to humanity's life and search for meaning. In my talk I will examine this crisis of religious languages and how they can evolve in a post-theist perspective. In particular, I will focus on the words that we used to use and that, in spite of everything, we still use when we want to get in touch with the reality that we have been calling 'God'/Theós for millennia. For example, prayer, which is an excellent litmus test for dealing with problematic aspects that urgently need radical, albeit gradual, change. The very term 'prayer', with its meaning of 'request', 'submission' and 'dialogue' with an anthropomorphic and external 'You', must slowly be overcome, evolving towards other and more appropriate expressions such as 'meditation', 'communion', 'immersion'.
POST-THEISM AS AN ALTERITARIAN PRACTICE

Kern C. (Speaker)

University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
In current theological debate, posttheism is often discussed from the perspective of discourse and conceptual analysis. It is reflected how in posttheistic approaches concepts of God change and how the relationship between God and the world can be defined differently: God not as a sovereign power intervening from the outside, but as a mysterious/mystical, transimmanent depth that is interwoven in all things and manifested in them. The article proposed here supplements this conceptual-analytical view with a performance-analytical perspective, which has so far been rather marginal in the discussion. It treats posttheism not primarily as discourse, but as performative practice. How is posttheism performed? What are the characteristics of posttheistic forms of belief and life? How are social power relations received and shaped in it? On the basis of concrete practical examples such as the "Scuola diffusa di Silenzio", posttheism is reconstructed as a "doing theology" in which the relationship to God and the world is carried out, embodied in a specific way that can be broken down into three basic characteristics: Posttheism as a practice of resistant rejection of sovereignty, as a practice of relationality, as a practice of ungrounded alterity. In posttheistic enactments, socialization and subjectivation take place in an alterity-open way. What needs to be discussed, however, is whether and to what extent this alteritarian practice critically takes up social power relations and puts them up for discussion, or whether it evades this political dimension by spiritualizing it.

Panel description: Philosophy of religion emerges historically as a theory about human religious expression. While the trend in the development of the field, both in the analytic and continental traditions, has been to privilege doctrinal reflection at the expense of questions pertaining to the socio-cultural aspect of religions, recent decades have witnessed a change in orientation. Indeed, philosophy of religion is diversifying its field by increasingly focusing on the analysis of religious practices and communities, as well as on their creative or conflicting relationship with the multiple factors that characterize the global transformation of modern civilization. Religion and faith continue to play a fundamental role within social change and are a vital part of cultural expression. The philosophy of religion panel thus invites paper proposals that engage with diverse social and cultural transformations from a religious-philosophical perspective. For questions please contact Dr. Brandon Watson (brandon.watson@uni-muenster.de) or Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Grosshans (grosshans@uni-muenster.de).

Papers:

TRANSFORMING METAPHORS: LAKHOFF AND JOHNSON ON EMBODIED PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

Watson B. (Speaker)

University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
This paper argues for the embodied metaphorical experience of cultural and societal transformation. The mechanism for experiencing such transformation is through the metaphors that encase and are embedded within human existence, those from which human lives cannot escape. Human lives, and society by extension, are thereby metaphorically transformed. The paper explores the work of Lakhoff and Johnson in an effort to extend their thesis of both metaphorical existence and the embodied reality of philosophy into the modality of the transformation of human experience through religious metaphorical speech.
WHAT SOCIAL MEANING DOES AN INTERCULTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION ENTAIL?

De Caprio D. (Speaker)

University of Strasbourg ~ Strasbourg ~ France
The renewal of philosophy of religion seems today to be unable to avoid a diversification in terms of the philosophical categories and religious phenomena. In this way, the issue of an intercultural transformation of the discipline emerges, in which the transcendental or pragmatic conditions that govern a hypothetical global communication between different philosophical-religious traditions are placed at the center. This paper aims to question the social meaning and model of human coexistence that can be derived from pluralistic (M. Burley) or normative (V. Harrison, K. Schilbrack) approaches to the diversity of religious systems. The paper asks in particular whether such approaches pose a challenge to classical models of multicultural liberalism, thereby opening a space for describing and evaluating the asymmetry between practices of minority and majority religions

Panel description: This panel brings together scholars from a range of disciplines who study the difficulties and possibilities of tolerance in a variety of settings. These include Christian as well as Shiite Islamic and African indigenous religions from both European and non-European contexts in contemporary and past societies. As the invited scholars are members of the research unit "The Difficulty and Possibility of Tolerance: The Multifaceted Challenges of the Concept and Practice of Tolerance", funded by the German Research Foundation, their papers will be closely linked to the disapproval-respect model of tolerance developed by the social psychologist Bernd Simon (Kiel). According to this model, tolerance is the result of disapproval being restrained by respect or respect being burdened by disapproval. In both cases, therefore, tolerance is the recognition of disapproved others as 'different equals' - in this case 'different' because of their membership of a particular religious group - and 'equal' because of their shared membership of a superordinate ingroup (i.e. the same society). There are, of course, many implications of this model which is a very valuable heuristic tool. In our papers we use the model to identify and discuss the possibilities and limits of tolerance in the context of religion.

Papers:

"CONCEPTIONS OF TOLERANCE AND INTOLERANCE IN POETIC TEXTS: CATHARINA REGINA VON GREIFFENBERG AND THE NOTION OF UNIFIED CHRISTIANITY IN THE FACE OF THE COMMON ENEMY"

Klimek S. (Speaker) , Stolzenberg L. (Speaker)

Kiel University, Germany ~ Kiel ~ Germany
Particularly in confessional poetry, groups that were otherwise silenced and excluded from the tolerance discourse that had been smoldering since the Reformation, such as heterodox and/or women, were able to overcome these predetermined group categorizations and express their ideas. While the Thirty Years' War, caused by opposing denominational groups within Christianity, was pacified by the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, group categorization shifted with the steadily increasing advance of the Ottoman Empire since 1656. In this paper, S. Klimek and L.-S. Stolzenberg will trace this shifting categorization through the poems of Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg. They aim to show how her encouragement to tolerate other Christian denominations against the backdrop of a united and purified Christianity, which as such has better arguments for the conversion of non-Christians, reveals a dynamic conception of tolerance between the poles of inter-denominational tolerance and inter-religious intolerance.
"RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN TIMES OF TROUBLE? IRAN'S RELIGIOUS MINORITIES AND THE ISLAMIC REPUB-LIC DURING THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR"

Michel S. (Speaker)

Kiel University ~ Kiel ~ Germany
The eight-year conflict between Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the newborn Islamic Republic of Iran witnessed widespread calls for mobilization on both sides. In light of the disapproval-respect model of tolerance, this paper evaluates the Iranian regime's call to minorities for a national yet "Holy Defense" and the responses of Jewish, Christian (both Armenians and Assyrian Chaldeans), and Zoroastrian communities. By drawing on diverse sources, from individual memoirs to official statements from the Islamic Republic, this paper shows that the regime employed a rhetoric of national unity while occasionally advocating for the mobilization of minorities on religious grounds, such as a shared theology of martyrdom between Christians and Shia. In return, leaders of religious minorities used both secular (nationalistic) and religious arguments to justify or deny their participation in the war. Beyond the arguments of the ingroup and outgroups, the model will also inform our identification of concrete instances of tolerance between the Shia majority and religious minorities on the warfront.
"RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN COLONIAL TIMES: THE CASE OF THE FRENCH EMPIRE IN IVORY COAST"

Nakou V. (Speaker)

University of Passau ~ Passau ~ Germany
Religion played a pivotal role in the colonization of African peoples, often serving as both a tool of control and a point of contention between colonial authorities and local communities. This presentation examines the concept of religious tolerance under colonial rule, using the case of Côte d'Ivoire to explore the limitations and contradictions of such policies. While colonial powers, particularly the French, promoted an image of tolerance towards indigenous religious practices these policies were often selective and coercive, favouring the dominance of Christianity and marginalizing traditional and Islamic beliefs. By analysing archival documents and historical accounts, this study highlights how religious tolerance was strategically manipulated to maintain colonial power, revealing deeper insights into the complex dynamics of faith, governance, and resistance in colonial Africa. The findings offer a critical perspective on the enduring legacies of colonial religious policies in contemporary West African societies.
"PRACTICES OF TOLERANCE AND INTOLERANCE IN IRAN: SHIITE JURISTS FACING 'APOSTATES' AND 'HERE-TICS'"

Pistor-Hatam A. (Speaker)

Kiel University ~ Kiel ~ Germany
In this paper, A. Pistor-Hatam will show that although from the very beginning (C19th), the new religious movements of the Bābīs and later the Bahāʾīs in Iran were rejected and opposed by Shiite clerics in particular, there still exist(ed) instances of tolerance according to the disapproval-respect model of tolerance. Since both beliefs are considered to be outside the range of permissible and therefore tolerated 'deviations', many clerics react(ed) with disgust and rejection to such 'blasphemy'. Consequently, the persecution of Bābīs and Bahāʾīs has accompanied their history in Iran ever since. Yet, from the beginning of these new religious movements to the present, individual Shiite scholars in Iran have tamed their disapproval of the non-permissible religious other by respect for the believer, the fellow constitutionalist or the compatriote.
"SUPRA-CONFESSIONAL COMMUNITIES AND THE IMPERATIVE OF TOLERANCE ON THE SHAKESPEAREAN STAGE"

Schindler K. (Speaker)

Université de Fribourg ~ Fribourg ~ Switzerland
This paper considers the role of group categorisation, both national and confessional, in early modern discourses of tolerance as they are represented on the Shakespearean stage. Despite the culturally dominant early modern view of England as an essentially Protestant nation, this paper takes as its starting point the observation that Shakespeare's drama frequently imagines alternative political and religious communities: forms of English nationhood that include Catholicism in addition to Protestantism, but also the pre-Reformation notion of the "common corps of Christendom" that is nostalgically involved in his history plays, for instance. Using plays such as King John (c. 1596) or Sir Thomas More (c. 1600) as case studies, this paper aims to investigate to what extent such larger communal identities can serve to buttress the imperative of toleration beyond confessional boundaries. In doing so, it seeks to test the extent to which the empirical disapproval-respect model of toleration may also apply to the history of ideas and cultural practices of early modern England.
"RELIGIOUSLY MOTIVATED TOLERANCE: THE COMMANDMENT TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR FROM THE HEBREW BIBLE AS MOTIVATION FOR TOLERANCE"

Steinebach L. (Speaker)

Protestantse Theologische Universiteit ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
For tolerance to be stable in a plural society, people need good reasons to adopt tolerant attitudes and practice tolerance. In her paper, L. Steinebach will offer a perspective on the commandment to love one's neighbor as a religious motivation for tolerance. She will focus on the way in which the commandment promotes equality-recognition between different groups by encouraging an empathetic attitude and corresponding behavior towards one's (disapproved) neighbor. Special emphasis shall be given to the affective, cognitive and behavioral dimensions of both tolerance (as depicted in the disapproval-respect-model) as well as neighborly love to find commonalities and differences.
"SOCIAL IMAGINARIES AND ECCLESIOLOGICAL FOCUS: THE CHURCH AS PRACTICE GROUND OF TOLERANCE"

Zeller K. (Speaker)

Protestantse Theologische Universiteit ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
A recent study has shown that protestant churches in Germany can be regarded as practice grounds of democracy and, in prolongation, also of tolerance. In her paper, Kinga Zeller discusses possible explanations arguing that it is especially an ecclesiological focus on the center instead of the borders of the church as well as the use of certain social imaginaries that foster tolerance. With regard to the disapproval-respect-model of tolerance she highlights the role of intragroup respect, suggests ways to strengthen it, and offers criteria for its limits.

Panel description: The reception of texts of the Christian Old Testament in the first centuries is coined by the text hermeneutics of late antiquity as well as by philosophical and theological presuppositions. Christian exegesis was based on earlier Jewish work with the biblical text and struggled to find a specific Christian interpretation. This is at the same time a process finding one's own identity and of delimitation and the construction of hermeneutical others, be it "Jews" or "Judaizers" or "heretics". Philology, philosophy and theology, text and community determine the reception of the Bible. The panel presents four examples from the discursive field of early Christian biblical interpretation illustrating the exegetes' engagement with the texts and with different traditions of interpretation.

Papers:

THE RECEPTION OF THE GREEK-JEWISH MESSIANIC READINGS OF ISAIAH IN THE CHURCH FATHERS OF THE II CENTURY CE

Bonanno B. (Speaker)

Université catholique de Louvain ~ Louvain ~ Belgium
Studies on the Greek versions of the Bible have mostly focused on the Septuagint (LXX), often overlooking the contributions of the Jewish Minor Versions. Conversely, research in Patristics has tended to examine these versions only when they appear in specific controversies. Recent scholarship, however, has underscored the significance of the Jewish Minor Versions, highlighting not only the insights they offer into the development of biblical texts but also their importance for understanding the Jewish theological and cultural context from the II century BCE onward and their role in shaping Christian identity.
THE FIGURE OF SOLOMON IN 2KI 1-11, ACCORDING TO THEODORET

Elliott M. (Speaker)

University of the Highlands and Islands ~ Moray and Perthshire , Scotland ~ United Kingdom
One can get a good indication how important an interpreter of the historical books Theodoret was and remained at least for the first millennium from the evidence of Catenae, that of Procopius (Scholia) and others (e.g. CatLeipzig), even if he himself was not averse to borrowing' from Diodore. This popularity suggests that Theodoret's work was not time-conditioned by mentioning political specifics of his own time. He approached Sam-Ki from the starting-place of the Pentateuch, as it were, and in that way is not prone to over-contextualise in his interpretations. Two recent works dealing with ninth-century interpretations, which might be classified as 'Reception-Historical', are very different. M. Riedel ('Biblical Echoes in the Taktika of Leo VI' [2018]) has outlined Photius' pupil Leo VI's 'self-identification with Solomon', in turn responding to J. Haldon's 2014 monograph on the same work. Solomon is portrayed as judicious, fearing the Lord in a Deuteronomic way, living out the wisdom of his own proverbs. More critical of such discourse as 'totalising' (Foucault via A. Cameron) is the study by Y. Stouraitis on the imperial ideology of holy war, with the monarch as one who kept true to Deut 20, in his Krieg und Frieden in der politischen und ideologischen Wahrnehmung in Byzanz (2009). Theodoret, by contrast, is better understood as presenting an image of a king who is no straightforward hero, fit for imitation, but as one whose figure encompasses saint (son of God) and sinner (deviating from the law of God). His judgements are neutral about Imperial ideology, for his categories are theological and larger. The paper will look at how his treatment of 2Ki 1-11 according to the text of Quaestiones in Reges et Paralipomena: ed. N. Fernandez Marcos (1984), contained a theological impression of Solomon's story that is neither lost in ancient history nor drowned in Byzantine historical reception.
"A TOWER WITH ITS TOP IN THE HEAVENS" - THE RECEPTION HISTORY OF GEN 11

Meiser M. (Speaker)

Universität des Saarlandes ~ Saarbrücken ~ Germany
Ancient Christian exegetes interpret Gen 11 with regard to "historical" and theological questions: ‎How is the unity of languages possible after the distribution of the sons of Noe (Cf. Augustine, Qu. ‎Gen. 20, CCSL 33:6). What was the sin of the human beings? (John Chrysostom, Hom. Gen. 30.2, PG ‎‎53: 275; Augustine, Qu. Gen. 21, CCSL 33:7: stulta audacia et impietas). What is the meaning of the ‎phrase cuius caput erit usque ad caelum" (Augustine, Loc. Gen. 34, CCSL 33:384: Secundum ‎hyperbole dictum est). What was the material for the building? (The Venerable Bede, In Gen., CCSL ‎‎118a:153). What is the reference of the plural "let us descend" in Gen 11:7 (Augustine: Qu. Gen. 22, ‎CCSL 33:7 et al.: angels), especially after the notice of God's descending Gen 11:5 (Augustine, Civ. ‎‎16:5, CCSL 48: 506) ; The Venerable Bede, In Gen., CCSL 118a:154)? What was God's intention ‎‎(according to Cyril of Alexandria , Glaph. Gen. 2, PG 69:77cd, by the dispersion of human beings and ‎languages, God intended to stop human thoughts which go beyond human capability. John Chrysostom, ‎Hom. Gen. 30.3, PG 53:277, underlines God's philanthropy). What is the Interpretation of the name ‎Babel (The Venerable Bede, In Gen., CCSL 118a:156: Confusion). What is the spiritual interpretation ‎of Babel (The Venerable Bede, In Gen., CCSL 118a:157: diabolic city)? At the end, the ‎interpretations of Gen 2 as antitype of Acts 2 are presented.‎
THE INTERPRETATION OF CULTIC AND ETHICAL LAW IN LEVITICUS IN ORIGEN'S HOMILIES

Siquans A. (Speaker)

Universität Wien ~ Wien ~ Austria
One of the central discussions in early Christianity—and finally the crucial point of division from Jewish groups—was the relevance of the Mosaic law for Christian believers. Blackburn (2021) identifies several strategies for interpreting the Mosaic law: it was given to the Israelites due to their obstinacy and wickedness; it had a limited pedagogical aim; it was given for a certain period and came to an end through Christ. The most important answer to the problem was a figurative interpretation of the Old Testament law. Origen uses this approach to the Book of Leviticus in his homilies as an encompassing hermeneutical concept. Not every commandment in the Old Testament, however, can be interpreted allegorically or typologically. Christian interpreters thus make a distinction between cultic and ethical law(s). In the Homilies on Leviticus Origen concentrates on cultic law as the more problematic part for the Christians for which he provides Christian and Christological interpretations. His basic principle is Rom 7:14 where Paul states that "The law is spiritual," and he extensively uses the Letter to the Hebrews for his explanations. Nevertheless, the boundaries are not always easy to draw and there are also interpretations on the level of the literal sense and the moral sense. The paper wants to show the different and differentiated approach to the law by Origen, originating from and supporting his intention to retain the Old Testament as Holy Scripture for his Christian audience.

Panel description: This panel brings together studies in theological history, church history, public theology, practical theology, ethics and systematic theology. Historical examples, cases studies and personal experiences are aligned with descriptive and normative analyses of transformation processes and claims concerning the presence and work of God. World history: How is God present to the world in times of gross and often dangerous changes affecting life on the planet earth? Social history: Can we find God's creative presence in historical processes of socio-cultural transformation? Church history: How is God's presence conceptualized in times of drastic ecclesiastic change (reformation, church growth or decline)? Personal history: How is God's presence experienced in processes of biographical transformation (conversion, crises, radicalization, post-traumatic growth)?

Papers:

DISCERNING GOD'S PRESENCE IN THE ANTHROPOCENE

Van Den Brink G. (Speaker)

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands
God's presence to the world has traditionally been conceived of in terms of conservation, governance and concurrence. But what do these concepts mean now that the earth, due to patterns of human (mis)behaviour, is transitioning from a relatively stable Holocene into a much more precarious "Anthropocene", i.e., in a time of irreversible depletion of natural resources, mass biodiversity loss and species extinction, and global climate change? To what extent is the entangled web of creation with all its creatures "great and small" still the object of God's abiding presence and providential care? I will argue that we will need to reconceive of God's providential presence for our times, using more concepts than the traditional triad so as to do justice to the dynamic and often dramatic interplay between God and creatures, in accordance with the much more "polyphonic" (David Ferguson) biblical account of God's presence.
DISCERNING THE THEOLOGICAL VALUE OF SOIL

Huijgen A. (Speaker)

Protestantse Theologische Universiteit ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
Christian theology currently needs reflection on the theological status of the earth, in particular the soil. How does the fact that it feeds humans who cultivate it and forms the actual basis of human existence inform doctrines of creation, pneumatology, and eschatology? This paper addresses such questions in discussion with Norman Wirzba, and against the background of nationalist movements in Europe that give their soil special status.
PERSONAL TRANSFORMATIONS: THE CONTESTED CASE OF JAIL CELL CONVERSIONS

Van Willigenburg T. (Speaker)

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands
Numerous are the reports of hardened criminals behind bars who claim to have found a "new life in Jesus" involving substantial changes in attitudes and behaviours, changes in beliefs and goals, and changes self-understanding and destination. How genuine are such conversions? Finding God might be a convenient way to impress parole boards and judges! In order to find out, we first need to understand what a religious conversion is. Sociological accounts of religious conversion (a radical change of group adherence), as well as (socio-)psychological accounts (reconfigurations of one's self-narrative as an effective coping strategy) provide self-evident immanent construals of the phenomenon, given what Charles Taylor describes as the "modern social imaginary" that precludes transcendence. I will argue that such construals are problematic because the event and process of religious conversion cannot be clearly delineated and fully understood without reference to an encounter with a transcendent reality. In addition, I wonder whether Taylor's own 'poetico-performative' view on religious (re)conversions can make room for the reality of the presence of God as witnessed by jail cell converts.
THE GUIDANCE OF THE SPIRIT AND DEPENDENCE ON DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Van Den Belt H. (Speaker)

Theologische Universiteit Apeldoorn ~ Apeldoorn ~ Netherlands
For the Christian, life's dependence upon God is an important factor, especially in periods of biographical turmoil and change. But what exactly is meant by such dependence and how does it influence the lives of believers? How does it shape prayers and everyday choices. This paper offers a reflection on the practical consequences of faith in God's most special providence (providentia specialissima). This paper offers a description of dependence as a practical consequence of belief in God's providence based on several source texts from the Reformed tradition and reflects on the relationship between these expressions of faith in providence and the sense of dependence as a characteristic of general religiosity (Friedrich Schleiermacher).
BORN FREE? A TRIADIC VISION OF CHRISTIAN LIBERATION AMONG YOUNG SOUTH AFRICANS

Forster D. (Speaker)

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands
The so-called "Born Free" generation - South Africans born after the nation's 1994 democratic transition - carries the complex inheritance of political freedom. Yet, the promise of freedom remains incomplete, as structural inequalities, systemic violence, and socio-economic exclusions persist. This paper critically examines the unfinished task of "freedom" for this generation, engaging the theological frameworks of memory and liberation. Drawing on Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela's triadic vision of the memory of trauma, I explore how the "Born Free" generation confronts the lingering wounds of apartheid, mediated through personal, intergenerational, and collective memory. Gobodo-Madikizela's framework invites a reflection on how healing can arise from an ethical engagement with the past, as well as from fostering new social imaginaries. I will further engage Robert Vosloo's concept of liberative memory and Allan Boesak's theological vision of a hope-filled future. Together, these frameworks emphasize the transformative potential of remembering not only past suffering but also the unrealized promises of liberation, offering young South Africans a path toward reimagining their agency and dignity within a fractured society. By employing these theological insights, this paper will argue for a Christian vision of liberation that integrates the memory of trauma, the liberative promise of hope, and the ethical enactment of justice. This triadic framework illuminates the divine presence in history, particularly in the ongoing struggle for freedom, inviting young South Africans to embody and co-create a future shaped by equity, dignity, and reconciliation.

Panel description: Hell occupies an important place in the religious imagination across various cultures. This panel will examine ways in which the idea of hell(s) is negotiated across different religio-cultural contexts. It will explore hell as a dynamic concept that is both continuously transformed and transforming. First, how has the idea of hell been transformed in different religious traditions? As a recurring theme in the global history of religions, hell is a liminal idea in two ways. On the one hand, it has given rise to a wide spectrum of interpretations, partly because it is an intersection where eschatology, anthropology, soteriology, and ethics converge. On the other hand, this spectrum is shaped by the ambivalence of hell. In many contexts, hell has never been unequivocally affirmed, but has consistently been challenged by its "rivals" escape, relief, and purification (Alan Bernstein). Therefore, the idea of hell oscillates between its endorsement as a prerequisite for postmortal justice and its rejection as metaphysically inconsistent or morally bizarre. Drawing on case studies from Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic traditions, the panel will explore how the liminality of hell serves as a catalyst for the development of different doctrinal strategies for transforming the idea of hell. Second, how does the idea of hell transform religious materiality and the cultural imagination? Hell has never been an isolated idea, but has exerted a profound influence on the shape of religious materiality, spirituality, and pop culture. Case studies focusing on the construction of religious space, interpretations of near-death experiences, and the figure of the zombie will complicate the often-stated assumption that the idea of hell is a declining phenomenon in the contemporary religious landscape. Instead, they will investigate how hell continues to haunt the interstices of lived religion and (post)modern cultural imagination - but not without remaining unchanged in the process.

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HINDU HELLS IN VEDĀNTA

Völker F. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
It is widely believed that there are seven main hells in Hinduism. However, according to the Brahma-, Śiva- and Viṣṇu-Purāṇa, there are altogether twenty-eight hells, whereas the Garuḍa-Purāṇa knows of more than eight million hells that vividly demonstrate the possibility of an intensification of suffering and pain in the afterlife. The paper explores the different notions of hell in Hinduism and its theological interpretations in the Vedānta of Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, and Madhva.
ESCHATOLOGICAL PUNISHMENT AND THE INHABITANTS OF HELL IN IBN AL-'ARABĪ'S PERSPECTIVE

Emirahmetoglu E. (Speaker)

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ~ Berlin ~ Germany
This paper will explore Ibn al-'Arabī's eschatology by focusing on three aspects of his understanding of hell. Ibn al-'Arabī's writings offer a unique interpretation of divine mercy that diverges from the traditional views of reward and punishment in Islamic theology. His perspective on God's mercy as the foundation of all existence - emphasizing its precedence over God's wrath - raises important questions about the nature of suffering and punishment in hell. To address these questions, the paper will first present the different categories of the "people of the fire" (al-mujrimūn), including the proud (al-mutakabbirūn), the associators (al-mushrikūn), the atheists (al-mu'aṭṭila), and the hypocrites (al-munāfiqūn). The exploration of who qualifies for hell will be connected to Ibn al-'Arabī's view on infidelity and humankind's knowledge of God, which is, for him, intrinsic to every single being, influenced by individual perspectives, constantly evolving, and often expressed in contradictory forms, including aspects of association.
HOW BODHISATTVAS TRANSFORM BUDDHIST HELLS

Schmidt-Leukel P. (Speaker)

University of Muenster ~ Muenster ~ Germany
According to traditional scholastic Buddhist texts, there are at least 144 hells. Although stay in none of those hells is literally eternal, it is nevertheless incredibly long and the broad range of tortures stretches sadistic imagination beyond the extreme. Given that compassion plays a central role in Mahāyāna Buddhism, some of its scriptures introduce the teaching that Bodhisattvas enter the various hells in order to transform them into rather pleasant places and liberate their inmates from their horrendous pain. The paper explores how Bodhisattvas can do that and speculates what this might imply for a renewed Buddhist concept of hell.
HELLS IN JAPANESE BUDDHISM AND THEIR ADOPTION IN RELIGIOUS SITES

Rüsch M. (Speaker)

University of Muenster ~ Muenster ~ Germany
This talk addresses the problem of hell in Japanese Buddhism in two parts. First, it examines the concept of various hells and their relationship to bad actions by focusing on a key text in this context, Genshin's Ōjō yōshū ("Essentials of Birth [in the Pure Land]"). Second, the talk explores how contemporary religious sites in Japan incorporate the concept of hell within their precincts and halls. This includes so-called earthly representations of hell, such as Osorezan ("The Mountain of Fear"), the role of hell in mountain asceticism (Shugendō), and halls enshrining images of Enma (Skt. Yama), the king of hells. The aim is to elucidate how various aspects of Buddhist hells and their doctrinal foundations are emphasised in Buddhist practice as manifested in Japanese temples.
HELL AND NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES

Schneider M. (Speaker)

University of Muenster ~ Muenster ~ Germany
The study of near-death experiences (NDE) represents a growing area of clinical and psychological research, which has also attracted increasing attention from Religious Studies and Theology. Nevertheless, NDE and their study are highly controversial: seen by some as an expression of a lush, individualistic postmodern spirituality, others regard NDE as a robust indicator of the possibility of life after death. In general, however, research into NDE phenomena has often focused on its positive forms, while neglecting the occurrence of distressing or even "hellish" variants. This paper will explore the transformation of hell from the perspective of NDEs: do distressing NDEs transform contemporary eschatological imaginations as much as their more joyful counterparts? Can cross-cultural comparisons of contemporary hellish NDEs and related phenomena, such as reports of afterlife journeys, shed new light on the emergence of eschatological beliefs?
THE WORKING DEAD: ZOMBIES IN THE RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL IMAGINATION FROM HAITI TO HOLLYWOOD

Burkhardt S. (Speaker)

University of Muenster ~ Muenster ~ Germany
In the African-diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou there is a cosmological space of desirable death and afterlife as well as hell-like states of doom: wandering on earth without their eternal soul, this state of existing is known as zonbi. As it was encountered by Western visitors of the island its story of the pop cultural figure of the Zombie began and has ever since been a product of quite different cosmologies and specific Euro-American fears. This talk will explore selected stations of the entangled history of the Zombie and what its transformations reveal about the dark side of their respective new and old home cultures.

Panel description: D. Tonelli - G. Mannion, Exiting Violence: The Role of Religion, De Gruyter 2024 In the 20th and 21st centuries, where violence has scarred countless lives, the interplay between religion, politics and conflict remains a complex web. Exiting Violence seeks to unravel some of the knots, showing not only how faith can contribute to bloodshed, but also how it can inspire peace and build bridges. Starting from the assumption that theology, religion and faith are different aspects of what we loosely (and ambiguously) call "religion," the chapters that make up the book analyze and discuss the criteria by which it is possible to understand the involvement of religion in conflicts, offer case studies ranging from Japan, China , India to Israel North America, and South America, analyze concrete cases in which religion has helped bring societies and communities out of situations of violence and hatred, offer tools to reflect on the instrumentalization of religious communities, of the deviance of theology into ideology, and of the importance of the spiritual dimension in overcoming the drifts of religious affiliation. Analyzing different religious traditions, contributing scholars explore the interplay between religion and violence through a variety of interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and interfaith methods. In particular, the variety of approaches and methodologies pays attention to the fields of political science, ethics, history, sociology, law, philosophy, theology, and religious studies. Exiting Violence offers a nuanced and thought-provoking exploration of the multifaceted role of religion in the human struggle for peace and justice. The book is the result of an international collaboration between FBK-ISR, Reset Dialogues Among Civilizations and Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs.

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Panel description: The study of Kabbalah, one of the main mystical traditions within Judaism, offers profound insights into spirituality, philosophy, and the nature of existence. As a rich tapestry of thought and belief, Kabbalah does not exist in isolation but interacts dynamically with various fields of knowledge and other religious traditions. The panel aims to encompass a broad array of perspectives on Kabbalah, by exploring its often hidden or liminal intersections with other disciplines. This panel focuses on the cross-cultural dialogue that Kabbalah has engaged in throughout the ages, influencing and giving rise to new currents of thought and beliefs. Philosophy, literature, astrology, magic are some of the fields involved in the research, as well as their relationship with figures from various religious backgrounds, including Christianity and Islam. The position to be adopted is, therefore, to use a term favored by Michel de Certeau (1925-1986), that of the margin, or rather, overlapping of the borders, to shift the focus from the center to the discovery of the new. By delving into these diverse interactions, we aim to shed light on how Kabbalistic concepts have transcended cultural boundaries and influenced multiple disciplines.

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GIORDANO BRUNO AND THE KABBALAH: THREADS OF THOUGHT BETWEEN OCCULTISM, PHILOSOPHY, AND EROS

Del Prete D. (Speaker)

La Sapienza - Università di Roma ~ Rome ~ Italy
Giordano Bruno, a philosopher, theologian, and cosmologist of the Renaissance, drew from a wide array of traditions, including Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition that deeply influenced Western philosophy. This presentation explores the connection between Bruno and Kabbalah, focusing on his interpretation of Kabbalistic doctrines and their integration into his theories on the infinity of the universe, divinity, and the nature of reality. Special attention is given to Bruno's concept of eros, understood as a cosmic and metaphysical force that binds and transforms the universe, and its relationship with Kabbalistic notions of divine love and union. A comparative analysis will shed light on parallels and contrasts between Bruno's ideas on eros and those of Jewish thinkers like Leone Ebreo, whose Dialoghi d'amore also explore the intersections of love, philosophy, and mysticism. By examining how Bruno reworked Kabbalistic ideas and notions of eros into his philosophical synthesis, this study highlights the ways in which mystical, symbolic language served as a tool for exploring infinity, divinity, and the soul. Furthermore, the dialogue between Bruno's thought and the works of Jewish intellectuals offers a rich lens through which to reconsider Renaissance humanism and esotericism. Ultimately, this analysis provides an innovative perspective on Bruno's intellectual legacy, emphasizing his engagement with both Kabbalah and the broader tradition of mystical eros as central to his vision of the cosmos and human experience.
A KABBALISTIC DIVORCE?

Pepoli M. (Speaker)

DREST, La Sapienza - Università di Roma ~ Rome ~ Italy
While searching for legal opinions that could grant the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII of England sent his ambassadors to Italy, where they encountered a range of intellectuals both supporting and opposing his petition to the Pope. Among the most notable supporters of Henry's divorce were Francesco Zorzi, a Franciscan Observant, and Rabbi Eliyyah Menaḥem ben Abba Mari Ḥalfan, an esteemed Jewish scholar involved in the messianic movement of Shlomo Molko and David Reubeni. What is particularly striking about their common conclusions is that Zorzi and Ḥalfan both lived in Venice and were excellent connoisseurs of Kabbalah as well as prominent religious and political figures in their respective communities. This paper seeks to re-assess the writings of these two intellectuals during the period of the royal divorce (and, potentially, their libraries) to explore the Kabbalistic, intellectual, and even political influences that may have shaped their stance on the matter.

Panel description: In Europe, there has been a recognisable movement towards Buddhism since the 19th century. After the first circles had mainly focussed on texts, the meditation Buddhism movement followed, followed by Tibetan Buddhism, and Christians discovered Zen. With the mindfulness movement, Buddhism finally reached the mainstream; a change in society's perception of religion and important personalities such as Thich Nhat Hanh or the Dalai Lama characterise the picture. This panel examines the facets of contemporary European Buddhism and its genesis as well as transformation processes in intra-Buddhist and interreligious contexts.

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HOPE IN BUDDHISM

Rötting M. (Speaker)

Professor of Religious Studies Universtiy Salzburg ~ Salzburg ~ Austria
Hope is a rather unusual topic for Buddhism. The article compares the personal visions and narratives of hope of Buddhists from Germany, Austria and South Korea and examines socio-cultural, philosophical and religious-systematic as well as, in particular, biographical references. It will also ask to what extent narratives of hope have changed and reflect transformations of Buddhism
THAI BUDDHISM IN VIENNA

Strommer A. (Speaker)

KPH Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Although small in number, the Thai community in Austria is very visible - by way of massage studios, restaurants, or frequent street food festivals. However, the patterns of their religious activities remain under-researched. Based on ethnographic research at one of Vienna's Thai Buddhist temples, this paper seeks to illustrate the dynamics of this predominantly female community. Additionally, the study will provide further insights into how religious practices have been adapted to the new environment and how religious identity may be transformed by relocating from Thailand to Austria.
TRANSFORMATIONS OF DIASPORA- AND CONVERT BUDDHISMS IN AUSTRIA.

Krammer K. (Speaker)

University Salzburg ~ Salzburg ~ Austria
With the recognition of organized Buddhism under Austrian law in 1983, the different seeds of Buddhism settling in Austrian soil found rather favourable conditions for their establishment. Besides looking at the larger Buddhist diaspora communities, the main focus of the paper will deal with the conditions and reasons for an ongoing movement of conversion to Buddhism. In the course of embedding forms of traditional Buddhisms into Austrian culture, different forms of Buddhist Modernism are being developed.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AYYA KHEMA FOR WESTERN BUDDHISM

Pieslinger S. (Speaker)

University Salzburg ~ Salzburg ~ Austria
The aim of this paper is to highlight the significance of the Buddhist nun Ayya Khema for Western Buddhism. Based on (1) a media resonance analysis of the European public discourse on Ayya Khema (2) a biographical analysis of Ayya Khema's religious-spiritual development, and (3) semi-structured interviews with Ayya Khema's followers, the paper addresses the following questions: What core messages does Ayya Khema communicate to a Western audience? What influence does her own biographical development have on her European impact and circle of followers?

Panel description: The first quarter of the 21st century has shown the resurgence of the democratic question for Catholicism on both sides of the Atlantic: how supportive Catholicism is of constitutional democracy, or how exposed it is to the attacks of illiberal political cultures. This panel intends to explore the issue with papers addressing the relationship between Catholicism and democracy and focusing on cases in Europe and in the USA in the 20th and 21st century.

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MARIAZELL 1952-2025: THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES OF THE AUSTRIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WITH REGARD TO DEMOCRATIC CULTURE

Quast-Neulinger M. (Speaker)

University of Innsbruck, Department for Systematic Theology ~ Innsbruck ~ Austria
In 1952, a conference of priests and laity declared the "Mariazell Manifest" (-->Mariazell is the most important Marian sanctuary in Central Europe). A free Church can only exist in a free society that protects the universal dignity of men and women. After the Church's support of the Austrofascist system in the 1930s and the experiences of Nationalsocialism, this declaration is a milestone event for the Austrian Roman Catholic Church with regard to its support for a serious democratic culture. In the first decades of the 21st century, we need to reassess how far the Mariazell Manifest is still a fruitful answer to authoritarian challenges in the theopolitical arena. The paper will give a short introduction to the Manifest and its specific context. Afterwards we will analyze the contemporary theopolitical challenges in Austria in comparison to the 1950s and with regard to its entanglement in the contemporary global situation, especially with regard to democracy at risk. Finally, we will assess the changes and limits of the Manifest for today.
CATHOLIC SECTARIANISM AND THE APPEAL OF DONALD TRUMP

Massa M. (Speaker)

Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College ~ Boston ~ United States of America
This paper will examine how the Catholic right in the U.S. supports Trump because of the dramatic growth of sectarianism in the U.S. church Mircea once famously argued that the opposite of "Catholic" is not "Protestant," but rather "sectarian". Drawing on his new book Catholic Fundamentalism in America (Oxford), Massa argues that Trump appeals to conservative Catholics in the U.S, because he rings the changes on the sectarian carillon (e.g. strong inside/outside dichotomies - thus fear of immigrants and "others"; a simplistic reading of the American past [U.S. historians refer to this as primitivism - that at some point in the [primitive] past, U.S. culture achieved its perfect form]; constant use of apocalyptic language.
"SOCIAL CATHOLICISM" AND AGNOSTICISM ABOUT DEMOCRACY IN THE USA IN THE LAST CENTURY

Faggioli M. (Speaker)

Villanova University ~ Philadelphia ~ United States of America
The political history of Catholics in Europe and the West is full of "social Catholics" who embraced authoritarianism - Fascism, Nazism, Francoism, and so on - while claiming to defend a traditional idea of society, of the family, and of religion. The trajectories of 21st-century Church in the USA demonstrate that "social Catholicism" and the democratic, constitutional culture of Catholicism are two different things. The paper will address the collapse or absence of a democratic-constitutional culture within US Catholicism which has always been much more focused on "social Catholicism", and it will analyze how the theological reactions to major historical caesurae (WW2, Cold War, 9/11) explains the constitutional agnosticism of US Catholic hierarchies.
YOU VOTED FOR WHO(M)?! STILL LOST IN IDEOLOGY AFTER THE 2024 US ELECTIONS?

Bretzke J. (Speaker)

John Carroll University ~ Cleveland ~ United States of America
While many are dissecting the 2024 USA GOP victories in the Executive and Legislative branches through a variety of lenses, one that clearly needs greater attention is the dynamic of contrasting narratives that had captured both Trump's supporters as well as his fierce opponents. Jason Blakely, in his seminal book Lost In Ideology, provides a set of analytical tools that help us understand, and perhaps better resolve, some of the inherent contradictions and incoherencies among voters across the political and religious spectrum. Using Blakely's central thesis this paper will focus on analyzing the major claims used to support or oppose Trump's candidacy to illustrate how ideology can function in religious-based political discourse.

Panel description: As is fitting for a figure as famous as John the Baptist, sitting at the crossroads of history, legend, and myth, the modern scholarship on the many receptions of John has been well established and continues to be fruitful. John the Baptist has been at the center of Edmondo Lupieri's scholarship since the early 1980s, which produced, in addition to many articles, several pivotal monographs, such as Giovanni Battista nelle tradizioni sinottiche, and Giovanni e Gesù. Storia di un antagonismo. Lupieri's 1988 monograph Giovanni Battista fra storia e leggenda has been particularly important for advancing scholarly understanding of the various lives of John the Baptist because of Lupieri's careful work analyzing the role of the Baptist in Mandean traditions. For the first time, Lupieri's pioneering and foundational work on the Mandeans' understanding of John the Baptist, comprising the second part of Giovanni Battista fra storia e leggenda is being made available to English-speaking scholarship. This new book, John of the Mandeans, is more than a translation; it draws upon the developments of Lupieri's continuing body of research and offers to shed fresh light on this ever-pertinent topic. In John of the Mandeans, Lupieri provides a new and substantial introduction with reflections on the major developments in scholarship on John the Baptist and the Mandeans, new footnotes, and an updated bibliography. This panel aims at presenting Lupieri's new work and fostering conversation. A panel of speakers will discuss the book and Edmondo Lupieri will respond to the discussion. A time of Q&A will follow.

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Panel description: The panel would address the contemporary discussion, both within diverse religious communities and scholars in religious studies, of the relationship between the sacred and contemporary artistic forms. Indeed, in modernity the traditional artistic religious languages entered in a face of crisis, connected to the processes of modernisation, secularization and demythologization. On religious art different approaches have emerged: decrease of interest and thematization; defence of conservative values and styles, often no more able to express the Zeitgeist; naive adaptation to profane forms of aesthetics. The recent cultural transformations, often defined through the notions of postmodernism or post-secularism, seem however to open new horizons for a debate on this topic and new reflections on the opportunity to reshape the relationship between the sacred and art are emerging. The panel will address this topic, through an interdisciplinary and interreligious approach.

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FROM ABSTRACTION TO SACRED FIGURES: THE SPIRITUAL PATH OF CAMILIAN DEMETRESCU

Siniscalco L. (Speaker)

University of Bergamo ~ Bergamo ~ Italy
The Romanian artist Camilian Demetrescu (1924-2012), after a initially successful avant-garde abstract phase, deeply engaged with realist sacred art, seeking to establish new forms for a Christian art which, in the contemporary post-secular age often seems no longer able to convey the sacred according to the uprising aesthetic sensitivity of the believers. His artistic journey was profoundly influenced by his encounter with the historian of religions Mircea Eliade, whose concepts of homo religious and the "camouflage of the sacred in the profane" had a lasting impact on Demetrescu's approach. This presentation focuses on Demetrescu's transition from abstraction to figurative painting, arguing that this shift should not be understood solely as a move to a new artistic phase. Rather, it can be seen as an iconophile response to the earlier, more iconoclastic phase of his work. Both phases reflect a deep spiritual search for sacred meaning. In this way, Demetrescu's artwork embodies the contemporary challenge Christian artists face in navigating between two distinct artistic forms—abstract art and figurative painting. These forms can, from a theological perspective, be interpreted as expressions of two different approaches to the divine: one cataphatic (affirmative) and the other apophatic (negative).
ART AND THE SACRED IN CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM DEBATE

Amore D.S. (Speaker)

I.C. "G. D'Annunzio" ~ Motta Sant'Anastasia, CT ~ Italy
The relationship between art and the sacred occupies a dynamic and contested space in contemporary Muslim thought, reflecting the rich diversity of Islamic traditions and the challenges posed by modernity. Islamic art historically embraces aniconism, emphasizing geometric patterns, calligraphy, and architectural marvels as a means of reflecting divine transcendence. Contemporary debates, however, have seen a re-evaluation of these paradigms, influenced by global artistic movements, postcolonial critique, and the rise of digital media. These debates center on questions of representation, the permissibility of figurative art, and the evolving role of art in expressing spiritual truths. Prominent Muslim thinkers have explored art as a vehicle for divine contemplation, highlighting the intersection of aesthetics and spirituality. At the same time, the global Muslim diaspora has fostered a pluralistic engagement with artistic traditions, blending influences from both Islamic and non-Islamic sources. This pluralism, while celebrated by some as a testament to the universality of the sacred, is critiqued by others who argue for a return to "authentic" forms rooted in classical Islamic jurisprudence and theology. The intersection of art, politics, and sacredness is further explored through case studies, including the reception of controversial works and the rise of "Islamic contemporary art" in galleries worldwide. These examples reveal the tensions between conservative religious perspectives and progressive artistic expressions, illustrating the broader struggles within Muslim societies regarding modern identity and faith. By analysing these diverse perspectives, this paper aims to contribute to the growing discourse on the role of art in articulating and challenging notions of the sacred in Islam.

Panel description: This panel, promoted by FSCIRE in Bologna as part of the research project on the history of post-Vatican II, aims to investigate how the Council has been received, reframed, implemented and even questioned at different levels (diocesan, national, continental) and through watershed events (e.g. local synods) by institutions (e.g. episcopal conferences, curial dicasteries), by formal and informal groups and centers engaged in rethinking and supporting pastoral action, as well as by individual or collective actors (e.g. bishops, theologians, priests, pastoral agents, journals, informal groups, local communities, church movements, etc.). In other words, the submission of papers on where, when, how and thanks to whom the radiating centers of Vatican II have arisen and operated since 1965 is encouraged. This will help to overcome an Eurocentric approach to post-Vatican II history (although European Catholicism, with its churches and universities remains central to the council's reception) and open to the different latitudes and longitudes that, with their different periodizations from the Roman center, played a catalytic role with respect to the council's major themes: ecumenism, ecclesiology, liturgical reform, poverty and development.

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LABORATORIES OF THE LITURGY AFTER VATICAN II: BETWEEN CREATIVE PRAXIS AND THE NORMALIZATION OF ROME

Proietti M. (Speaker)

Fscire ~ Bologna ~ Italy
The liturgical reform was one of the first results of Vatican II. In the post-conciliar period, some particular experiences and some dioceses have emerged as the creative centers in the liturgical field, serving as models for others as well. At the same time, Rome has since the late 1960s initiated a process of normalization that has often restrained the instances of these centers. The paper aims to make an analysis and comparison between these experiences, showing their dynamism and points of contact and difference.
MUNICH AND HEIDELBERG: THE CONTRIBUTION OF GERMAN CANONISTICS TO THE PROJECT OF A LEX ECCLESIAE FUNDAMENTALIS

Gardini D. (Speaker)

DREST - La Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy
The story of the Lex Ecclesiae fundamentalis takes place in the context of the reform of the Canon Law Code, one of the essential point in the programme of the Second Vatican Council. Starting with the publication of the Textus emendatus in 1971, the document's development goes on until 1983, when, approved the new Codex, pope John Paul II decides to reject the scheme. Therefore, the following paper intends to reiterate the history of this document, analysing the main stages of its drafting history and the debate that, concurrently, animates the ecclesiastical and scientific enviroment in a church just came out from the 'epochal transition' of the conciliar experience.
PERCEPTIONS ON VATICAN II IN SMALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN KENYA AND EASTERN AFRICA

Getui M. (Speaker)

Catholic University of Eastern Africa ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
Vatican II remains a milestone in the history of the Catholic Church, indeed in the history of humankind. Six decades down the line, it is of interest to find out how local/ grassroots communities, represented by Small Christian Communities perceive Vatican II, and the lessons there of.

Panel description: A "History of the Desire for Christian Unity" is a multi-volume reference work on the history of ecumenism that is the result of a research project initiated by FSCIRE in 2013. This reference work is a reconstruction of the arc of time in which the Christian churches transitioned from a position of hostility to one of dialogue, and from separation to forms of communion. Scholars across the continents and disciplines explore a history of individuals and groups, generations and assemblies, documents and programs, theologies and practices, all firmly placed within the framework of a desire for unity.This second volume focuses on the transition from the pioneering phase of the ecumenical movement, affected by the two world wars, to the properly ecclesial phase, entrusted to dialogues, experiences and projects of communion that guided the desire for Christian unity through a season full of promise. In the year that marks 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea and in the context of the ecumenical importance that this anniversary holds, FSCIRE presents a new collective work that is also the result of a multi-year research project: "Il Concilio e il Credo (325-2025). Storia e trasmissione dei simboli di Nicea e di Costantinopoli". The work explores the complex history and evolution of the symbol of Nicaea and Constantinople, following its development from the fourth century to the contemporary age.

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Panel description: This panel encourages students of biblical studies and other disciplines to analyze how the meaning of the Bible is derived in contemporary societies, especially in the last 25 years. Two lines of research are particularly welcome. First, papers dealing with contextual methods and approaches. Second, papers that examine the reception of the Bible in political speech, literature, art, music, and film production.

Papers:

MURIEL SPARK, HER CONVERSION AND THE ROLE OF THE BIBLE IN HER LITERARY PRODUCTION

Scaiola D. (Speaker)

Pontifical University Urbaniana ~ Roma ~ Italy
This paper deals with Muriel Spark and, in particular, seeks to explore the author's use of the Bible. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first, I will present the figure of Muriel Spark and, in particular, the role that her conversion to Catholicism played in her literary production. In the second part, I will give some examples of the author's use of Scripture, particularly regarding the choice of biblical texts and how they are reworked. A brief conclusion will summarize the main theological themes that emerge from the preceding analysis.
BIBLICAL ECHOES IN RECENT ITALIAN SONGS

Scarzella E. (Speaker)

Theological Faculty Emilia-Romagna ~ Bologna ~ Italy
This paper examines how various artists have used and referenced the Bible and selected biblical concepts in Italian music production over the last 25 years (e.g., Zucchero, Baustelle, Achille Lauro). Interestingly, some of them have publicly identified themselves as atheists or agnostics, and yet they echo the Bible for reasons worthy of investigation. Special attention will be given to biblical references during the Sanremo Music Festival, Italy's most important music competition.

Panel description: It is common to speak of an "ecumenical winter," and to blame it on a conservative return to tradition and certainty. This diagnosis is often followed by exhortations to overcome institutional inertia, reject ecclesial prejudices, and transcend self-interest and fear of change. Yet today we are witnessing what appears to be a restart of ecumenism that has a light and a shadow side. As differences over hot-button ethical issues continue to increase, the impulse to find alternative paths to classical ecumenism becomes stronger: especially outside Europe, ecumenical circles are emerging with the capacity to build programs to advance current knowledge using a variety of theoretical frameworks derived from theology and the social sciences. Issues that they address include empowerment of women in church and society, ministerial formation, development of contextual theologies from non-western perspectives. On the other side, Christianity today is swept by a fundamentalist wind blowing from the United States to Russia and uniting evangelical and Orthodox Christians against abortion and same-sex marriage, but also in the nostalgic dream of a theocratic type of state. Some have called it "ecumenism of hate" or "trench ecumenism," as it is known in its North American variant, where "intolerance is a celestial mark of purism. Reductionism is the exegetical methodology. Ultra-literalism is its hermeneutical key." In this framework, this panel aims to propose a reasoning on this double face of the present ecumenism considering a) the international and national spreading of conservative moral and value conceptions; b) Its controversial relationship with established churches and political power; c) Local and grassroots experiences of "unconventional" ecumenism making common cause in social ethics and responding to world needs; d) New non-ecclesial and non-theological actors and agents of ecumenism (women, youth, students, political activists).

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THE ECUMENICAL VISION OF THE CIRCLE OF CONCERNED AFRICAN WOMEN THEOLOGIANS.

Njeri Mwaura P. (Speaker)

Kenyatta University ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
The Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (hereafter Circle) is community of African women theologians from different Christian traditions; as well as other faiths for example African Traditional Religion, Islam and Judaism. It is therefore ecumenical and interfaith. The women theologians gather to reflect on what it means to them to be women of faith within social, economic, political, religious and cultural structures. They are further equipped and empowered with critical thinking and analysis skills, through capacity building programmes to advance current knowledge using a variety of theoretical frameworks derived from theology and the social sciences. Issues that they address include empowerment of women in Church and society, ministerial formation, development of contextual theologies from women's perspectives. This paper aims at exploring the ecumenical vision of the Circle especially how it was articulated in its founding and in what ways ecumenism is evident in the Circle's activities. The paper will therefore seek to answer the following questions; how does the Circle conceive ecumenism? How does this vision differ or converge with the conventional view of ecumenism? In what ways is ecumenism manifested in the Circle's theology and praxis? How does this enhance ecumenical relations and praxis in the Church in Africa? Data will be collected from both primary and secondary sources.
CHRISTIAN STUDENTS MOVEMENTS AS ECUMENICAL FRONTS IN KENYA, WITH REFERENCE TO KENYA STUDENTS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (KSCF) AND FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN UNIONS (FOCUS)

Samita Z. (Speaker)

Kenyatta University ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
Primary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities in Kenya, among others, are critical social agents, shaping the worldviews of the youth. For most of them, these institutions are the first contact spaces with youth other ethnic communities and religious affiliation. The paper seeks to focus particularly on how KSCF which serves students in primary and secondary schools and FOCUS whose focus is directed to college and university students not only nurture the faith of these young learners, but also engage them at an ecumenical level.

Panel description: Christianity presents itself as a religion giving special meaning to suffering through references to Christ's passion and resurrection. In the consequence, it attributes salvific dimension also to the human suffering. Christianity has also developed a model of patiently enduring suffering in imitation of Christ. Yet is this Christian concept still viable in the changing socio-cultural context? To what extent does it actually help individuals to endure suffering? Or does it rather result in people who suffer being left alone with their pain? The latter problem is not only limited to individual experiences of suffering. It seems that the Christian concept of suffering makes the abandonment of people in pain a systemic issue, affecting the functioning of institutions, communities and society, also beyond the religious context. The following negative effects of this concept can be observed: person's ability to set boundaries in the face of violent behavior is decreased; for a perpetrator it is easier to escape accountability; finally, people around the suffering person can find an exemption from their responsibility to help. The ambivalence of the Christian concept of suffering is particularly revealed in the context of the socio-cultural transformation influencing also the religious sphere. Indeed, significant impact for critical reflection on this issue comes from outside the church, e.g.: from medicine and psychology (especially from approaches promoting empathy and exposing the mechanisms of violence); from organizations raising public awareness of the needs and rights of ill people or those with disabilities; from grassroots initiatives seeking justice for the sexually abused in the church. On this backdrop, the panel aims to critically examine the contemporary validity of the Christian concept of suffering from the perspectives of systematic theology, church history, social sciences, and pastoral practice in the medical care.

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ARS PATIENDI. A CHRISTIAN MODEL OF ENDURING SUFFERING IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Pekala U. (Speaker)

Saarland University ~ Saarbruecken ~ Germany
The passion of Christ is one of the central themes of Christian, especially Catholic, spirituality. The believers seek to engage their own emotionality in compassion for the suffering Christ, while interpreting their own difficulties and pains in the spirit of the evangelical call to take up one's cross (cf. Lk 9:23). Suffering together with Christ and for him is a frequent strand in writings considered classics of Christian spirituality and mysticism. From the spiritual union with Christ in his passion emerges a model of enduring one's own suffering - physical and emotional - in the manner of Christ. Over the centuries, this model has been elevated in Catholicism to a moral norm in dealing with suffering. In doing so, however, a dangerous shift of emphasis seems to have taken place: from seeking the meaning of suffering to making suffering a purpose in itself. In this view, the search for relief from suffering has taken on a negative valence, since it appears as an escape from bearing one's own cross. This paper will demonstrate, using examples from different times, countries, and continents (e.g. Catherine of Siena, Rose of Lima, Teresa of Lisieux, Faustina Kowalska), the central components of the Christ-like model of enduring suffering, for instance: humble submission to the will of God, keeping silence about the own suffering, voluntary ascetic practices involving physical discomfort or even pain. The normative model of bearing suffering will be confronted with critical questions: How does this model affect the perception of the suffering and of the persons who suffer - both by themselves and by their environment? To what extent can this model result in downplaying of physical and psychological violence within the church in the past and nowadays?
AMBIVALENT REFERENCES TO CHRIST'S SUFFERING IN THE FACE OF SEXUALIZED VIOLENCE WITHIN THE CHURCH

Peetz K. (Speaker)

University of Wuppertal ~ Wuppertal ~ Germany
The Christian gallery is full of images of suffering and pain. Most prominent within this gallery is the theological model of Christ submitting to the "redemptive" suffering of the cross in obedience to his divine father's will. A feminist reading of this model suggests that it promotes sexualized violence within the Church; with dire consequences (Strahm 2019). First of all, the propagation of suffering, sacrifice and self-denial as redeeming behavior, might lead people affected by sexualized violence to the resigned bearing of their suffering instead of actively fighting against it. What is more, supporters of this model are relieved of the burden to identify the mechanisms that cause avoidable suffering such as sexualized violence. They also need not name the perpetrators or advocate for a structural change. A prominent example for such "evil blindness" (Soto Morera 2010) is the Pastoral Letter of Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland (2010) that will be analyzed more deeply. The analysis underlines that references to Christ's suffering might have a healing effect only when the structures that enable sexualized violence and the theologies that formulate suffering as redemptive in this context are critiqued and transformed. In doing-so perspectives and voices of people affected by sexualized violence within the Church need to be brought to the fore. Empirical research suggests that persons who are affected by sexualized violence tend to reject the notion that Christ's suffering might be redemptive. Rather, they refer to the idea that Jesus suffered with them or was affected himself by sexualized violence (Reaves/Tombs 2020; 2021): "Sexual abuse is, above all, an abuse of power. Jesus particularly suffered all kinds of abuse including sexual abuse. I think that is why a victim could feel solidarity with Christ who suffered all kinds of abuses: insults, isolation, slander, solitude, betrayal, abandonment and sexual humiliation." (Reaves/Tombs 2020, 68).
NAVIGATING SUFFERING: THE NARRATIVES OF MEMBERS OF CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES

Malek A.M. (Speaker)

University of Lodz ~ Lodz ~ Poland
This presentation examines the multifaceted experiences of suffering among female and male members of religious orders, articulated by the members themselves. How does the suffering of religious members manifest and what role does it play in consecrated life? By drawing on empirical research, specifically in-depth interviews, the paper sheds light on the complex ways in which suffering - whether personal, relational, or general - is experienced and interpreted within religious life. It highlights suffering's potential as both a formative tool and a mechanism of control within the total institution, a closed social system organized by strict norms (Goffman). The presentation explores the dual role of religious communities as potential spaces of both healing and suffering within the framework of power and structural dynamics. The study categorizes experiences recognized by interviewees as suffering into three, classical dimensions: physical, psychological, and spiritual. Within the physical realm, it distinguishes between voluntarily assumed ascetic practices, such as self-flagellation and fasting, and non-voluntary suffering, including illnesses and actions imposed by superiors. The psychological dimension addresses both external challenges like societal reactions and family separation, and internal issues, such as isolation within the house community, mental health struggles, and difficulties related to specific duties within the community. Spiritually, the discussion revolves around the vow of obedience and its relationship to suffering, along with theological interpretations of suffering. Ultimately, this paper seeks to deepen understanding of how religious individuals navigate their experiences of suffering in the context of their faith and community commitments. The results can also be helpful for research on suffering in the broader context of religion and other closed groups.
ACCEPT OR REJECT? THE IMPACT OF A CHRISTIAN CONCEPT OF SUFFERING ON THE LIFE QUALITY OF PATIENTS RECEIVING PALLIATIVE CARE

Bista M. (Speaker)

St. Thomas Apostle Hospice ~ Sosnowiec ~ Poland
In incurable illness, at the end of life, there is suffering called total pain which involves all spheres and aspects of life. This suffering poses a challenge to the patient himself/herself, his/her loved ones and carers as well as health care professionals. Christianity, with its concept of the reward after dead and its teaching of the salvific dimension of suffering, appears as a religion at least helpful to the sick and their environment in confronting the different dimensions of pain - as a religion which gives to suffering some particular meaning. However, the concept of suffering presented in preaching and catechesis in the Catholic Church can be simplistic, trivialised, and principled. In this paper I will demonstrate on case studies, gained in my experience of accompanying terminally ill patients in a hospice for the last 16 years, what dangers come from a too hasty answer to the question of the meaning of suffering. These case studies will include members of the medical staff, patients, family members and volunteers, to show that this distorted concept of suffering and the resulting negative effects do not only affect the patients themselves. Its impact on the mentioned groups indirectly affects the patients by additionally exacerbating their pain. Apart from the problems, I will also show those aspects of Christian teaching on suffering which can significantly help the sick and improve their quality of life. Although the work presented focuses on palliative patients, it can be also applied to the wider context of a Christian attitude towards suffering.

Panel description: Our panel focuses on the opportunities for cooperation in religious education in schools in its diverse constitution in Europe, above all in denominational or religious studies lessons, but also in religious education in other school subjects, such as ethics, history or political education. The panel will engage with the analysis, reflection and discussion of the conditions for success as well as the question of opportunities and challenges associated with the cooperation of religious education in an increasingly multi-religious and multi-cultural society. To this end, possibilities for cooperation between teachers of different denominations and religions will be discussed. This applies accordingly for school administrators and religious communities or for teachers of different subjects who want to make religious references or influences clear to their pupils through interdisciplinary work in other contexts. The panel will address the following questions: What pedagogical, didactic, curricular, institutional and legal frameworks are required for cooperative forms of religious education or for religious education outside of school? What challenges arise in practice, especially with regard to different theological perspectives, organizational barriers or the protection of religious freedom? By bringing together experts from the fields of religious education, law, theology and educational research, the panel aims to generate interdisciplinary insights and develop concrete recommendations for action in order to strengthen religious education as a place of encounter and dialogue.

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RELIGIOUS COOPERATIVE EDUCATION

Wellems L. (Speaker)

University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
The accelerating social transformation processes are changing the framework conditions for dealing with religion. Religious learning no longer appears to be a matter of course. Religious education must take a new approach to the social demands of the migration society. There is a growing number of voices in favour of an expanded, positionally sensitive, joint RE for members of different denominations and religions. In doing so, teaching in a co-operative way with different religions encounters specific difficulties arising from stereotypes and prejudices. Corresponding exclusion mechanisms have been proven for members of majority religions; they are discussed for members of religion(s) in a minority situation (Gmoser 2023; Kolb/Juen 2021). So far, there has been no discussion of whether or to what extent religion-cooperative teaching can develop inclusion strategies. This article asks empirically whether and to what extent lessons in which members of different religions are taught both together and separately contribute to overcoming mutual prejudices.
GAINING POSITIONALITY IN THE INTERRELIGIOUS SPACE: EMPIRICAL INSIGHTS INTO A NEW FORM OF RE

Bulat E. (Speaker)

University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
The article deals with fundamental prerequisites, challenges, but also possible effects of a religious education in which different denominations and religions learn and form together. While denominationally cooperative formats had been introduced in individual German states since 1998, there are increasing voices that are programmatically considering new forms of instruction in light of a changed social situation, the growth of Muslim religious communities, and the increase in non-denominational students. This type of instruction, which is increasingly referred to as religiously cooperative, does not occur in the practice of state schools, or at best only in short-term instructional experiments. Empirically, one is directed to church-run schools, which are testing the model as an alternative to conventional denominational instruction in particular. Pupils and teachers have their say, describing their subjective impressions, and then the effects of this teaching are reflected in the theoretical architecture available so far. In their statements, do the students carry out a change of perspective or an assumption of perspective - in this way, approaches to the didactics of religion that refer back to comparative theology predominate - or do they reflect on their own positionality within the framework of approaches that are based on a pluralistic theology of religions? The empirical analysis suggests that the theory architecture cannot start with religion-theological models alone.

Panel description: This panel explores the dynamic intersections of gender and religious pluralism in contemporary Europe, showcasing insights from the interdisciplinary research project "Diversity in Religion and Spirituality: Exploring Transformations of Religion and Spirituality in Europe" (DIV-Theo). In a continent marked by increasing religious diversity and secularization, gender emerges as a critical axis for understanding how religious and spiritual identities are shaped, contested, and negotiated in pluralistic contexts. Drawing on case studies from the DIV-Theo project, the panel investigates how gender norms and roles are reinterpreted within and across religious traditions, and how these reinterpretations influence broader societal debates on inclusion, identity, and belonging. Topics include gendered experiences of religious minorities, feminist critiques within established religious frameworks, and the role of spirituality in transcending binary gender paradigms. By engaging with scholars from various disciplines and religious traditions, the panel provides a platform for critical dialogue on the transformative potential of gender in fostering inclusive religious pluralism.

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THE OTHER WITHIN: NEGOTIATING GENDER ROLES AMONG PROTESTANT CHURCHES

Passarelli A. (Speaker)

resetdoc ~ Milan ~ Italy
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AXIAL AGE THEORIES ON GENDER AND SOCIAL ORDER

Quast-Neulinger M. (Speaker)

University of Insbruck ~ Vienna ~ Austria
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GENDER AS AN OBSTACLE OR A BRIDGE? NAVIGATING RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES IN PLURALISTIC DEMOCRATIC CONTEXTS: CATHOLIC AND ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVES

Stoeckl K. (Speaker)

Luiss University ~ Rome ~ Italy
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WHY WOMEN ARE THE ULTIMATE OTHER: MUSLIM AND JEWISH COMPARISONS

Cesari J. (Speaker)

Georgetown University (USA) and University of Birminghan (UK) ~ Washington DC ~ United States of America
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Panel description: This panel explores the ways Asian forms of devotion towards the Virgin Mary shed light on the cultural and religious dialogues occurring between Europe and Asia. By looking at Marian devotions within different Asian Catholic communities, this panel discusses the ways European representations of Mary (Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, etc.) are approached, transformed, and contested by contemporary Asian Catholics. Going beyond the notion of inculturation per se, this panel aims at questioning forms of international dialogue and "inter-culturation" through a methodological study of Marian devotions. Among the many representations of Mary, some are indeed more common than others. And these patterns of devotion vary between the domestic sphere, vernacular sites of devotion, and official churches of Asian Catholicism. But in these different spheres, how common and dominant European representations of Mary are? How are they envisioned to shape normative practices (pilgrimages to Portugal, France, etc.) and narratives (anti-communism, persecution, etc.) of Asian Catholicism? Which aspects of European societies are mobilized to reshape these religious imaginaries? By focusing at Euro-Asian engagements through a Marian perspective, this panel takes one of the most distinct elements of the papal religion as a tool to systematically question notions of religious localization, globalization, and decolonization. It explores the national, gender and kinships ideals promoted through these devotions in order to provide new material and methodology to document cultural and religious flows between the two continents as well as the on-going making of global Catholicism. This panel welcomes historical, sociological, and anthropological studies focused on practices in Asia and within diasporic communities.

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聖母媽媽: HEAVENLY MOTHER

Lazzarotti M. (Speaker)

The International Research Institute for Archaeology and Ethnology ~ Heidelberg ~ Germany
The image of Mary has certainly had a great impact in the process of China's evangelization. Her influence has transcended the traditional boundaries drawn by the Catholic religion to probably influence some of the major figures venerated in other religions, such as Guanying the bodhisattva of mercy or Xiwangmu or Xi-Wang-Mu, the Queen Mother of the West. Apart from these cultural assimilations, the inculcation of the Virgin Mary in China occurred mainly through the piety practices that missionaries taught to the faithful converts. In this presentation, I will focus on the reality of the Taiwanese Catholic Church, and go on to explore how both the work of missionaries and local clergy and the response of the local church has created a version of the Virgin Mary that is both traditional and original. This dichotomy well represents the Taiwanese Church and its search for identity, between tradition and dialogue.
TREES, PLANTS AND THE IMAGE OF MARY IN EUROPE AND ASIA

Granziera P. (Speaker)

Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos ~ Cuernavaca ~ Mexico
In the Christian tradition we find a close relationship between Mary and trees. As early as the Transitus Marie literature of the second and third centuries, Mary was also associated with the Tree of Life. Moreover, the Fathers of the Church saw Mary related to the Jesse tree of Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 11: 1-2). Extending the prophecy of the flowering rod of Jesse, the Church Fathers discerned plants and flower generally to be symbols of Mary and thus perceived that all mention of them in the Old Testament could be seen to prefigure her or in some ways reveal her virtues and endowments. Since Medieval times, European artists have represented Mary with various plants and on top or inside trees. This paper will analyze how these images of Mary were re-shaped when European missionaries reached Asia and spread the cult of Our Lady. This analysis will be based on the examination of European and Asian devotional images and texts.
THE VENERATION OF MARY IMMACULATE AT PHAT DIEM STONE CHURCH IN NINH BINH PROVINCE: PAST AND PRESENT

Hoang V.C. (Speaker)

University of Hanoi ~ Hanoi ~ Viet nam
Phat Diem stone cathedral in Ninh Binh province is a unique model of Euro-Asian architecture. Built more than one hundred years ago, this is one of the centers of Catholicism in Northern Vietnam. Especially, within the cathedral's space, one can find a stone chaple built for veneration of Mary known as "Immaculate Heart of Mary". This paper begins with a brief overview of the history of the cathedral. Then it describes and analyzes artistic features of the chapel, with the focus on the Vietnamese representation of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. Finally, the paper provides some findings on worship activities of Mary.
THE VIRGIN MARY IN KOREAN AND SINGAPOREAN CONTEXTS: DEBATING WITH THE WEST

Chambon M. (Speaker)

National University of Singapore ~ Singapore ~ Singapore
As a key figure of Catholic devotion, representations of the Virgin Mary stand as a crucial object of study to analyze the contemporary making of Catholicism and its intersection with national belonging, modernity, and cultural changes. This paper explores ways in which the Virgin Mary is depicted in South Korea and Singapore today to highlight some of its underlying dynamics as well as its significance for Asian Studies. Based on ethnographic observations, I argue that Marian images and statues that one can find across these two countries can be classified into three prototypes. In Singapore, three types of European forms of Mary are systematically found within local parishes. They each occupy a different location and reflect different devotional and historiographic functions. In Korea, three other representations are structuring Catholic sites: representations are rooted in Western esthetic, representations with traditional Korean symbols, and minimalist and curved representations of the Virgin. By questioning the evolving interplay between these Marian representations in Singapore and South Korea, I argue that these material representations of the Virgin Mary provide an important window to analyze tensions and collaborations between local, national, and global actors of Catholicism -laity, clergy, artists, non-Catholics, and generous patrons. Marian representations provide a methodological tool to discuss the ways in which the papal religion is gradually and dialogically "enculturated" into Asian Societies while remaining in fruitful dialogue with Europe.

Panel description: The Hope of Glory affirms a Christian hope for life in glory to be conceived as the renewal of this world as opposed to leaving this world behind: it is the same creation that God made "in the beginning" that God glorifies and redeems at the end. When speaking of the redemption of all things, theology finds itself confronted by various pitfalls. On the one hand, this-worldly eschatologies that define Christian hope in terms of transforming the conditions of human existence in the present pay insufficient attention to the possibility of a wholly new creation. On the other hand, eschatologies that focus solely on the world to come fail to attend how Christian hope is a promise for the present as much as it is for the future. To avoid these pitfalls, says Ian McFarland, we need to seek the balance struck by Paul in the phrase "the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). Hope is always grounded in present reality; we hope for that which is not yet, but if that hope has no connection to our current experience, it is not hope at all, just wishful thinking. Yet glory is different; it refers to the displacement of the suffering and mortality of present experience with incorruption and immortality—a displacement that transcends every possibility of present existence because it is the utterly gracious gift of eschatological consummation. Drawing on his previous work on creation (From Nothing) and incarnation (The Word Made Flesh), McFarland demonstrates how, in the resurrection, we see the promise of a final redemption grounded in this-worldly hope yet realized in the glory of a new heaven and new earth.

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Panel description: Western societies face crises of politics, identity, and polarization, with social engagement often reflecting partisan divides. Churches, grappling with their own crises, are called to proclaim the Kingdom of God as a vision of justice, peace, dialogue, and unity. As the "sacrament of unity" (Lumen Gentium) and "sacrament of dialogue" (E. Schillebeeckx), the Church is uniquely positioned to model unity through diversity in a fractured world. How can the Church become a force for transformation? Building on K. Rahner, J.-B. Metz, D. Sölle, M. de Certeau, and B. Morrill, the Church must sacramentally proclaim the Kingdom while discerning the "signs of the times" for glimpses of the Kingdom at work in history. The sacramentality of the world expresses creation's transformation toward the Kingdom. Using spiritual and ecclesial discernment, grounded in the symbolic-sacramental network of the Church (L.-M. Chauvet), the Church can evaluate societal trends and movements for their Kingdom potential. These trends, in turn, can act as sacramental "interruptions," challenging and enriching the Church's practices as it strives for a synodal and dialogical approach. This panel explores these themes and welcomes contributions from sacramental theology, ethics, aesthetics, ecclesiology, political theology, liberation, feminist, and postcolonial theology. Topics include: 1. Sacramental theology's intersections with political theology or philosophy. 2. Social transformation movements through sacramental perspectives. 3. Liturgical inculturation incorporating marginalized and non-Western experiences. 4. Challenges to sacramentality in late (post)modernity. 5. Ecumenical and interreligious perspectives linking sacramentality with engagement. 6. Sacramental-political models for discerning the "signs of the times" in social transformations.

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SACRAMENTALITY AS PARADIGM FOR A POST-FOUNDATIONAL POLITICAL NATURAL THEOLOGY

Tautz S. (Speaker)

Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich ~ Munich ~ Germany
20th-century theology has shown that shifts in sacramental theology significantly influence our understanding of the Church, the world, and their relationship. The Second Vatican Council marked a pivotal change in this dynamic, transitioning from viewing the Church as the sacramentum mundi (sacrament of the world) to recognizing the world itself as a sacrament (mundus sacramentum est), from which the Church draws life to become the sacramentum mundi. This evolution was largely influenced by the Nouvelle Théologie, particularly its "sacramental natural theology" or "sacramental ontology" (Hans Boersma). A key figure, Henri de Lubac, critiqued extrinsicist ontology, which treated grace as external to the world, thereby enforcing a rigid divide between the natural and the supernatural. Instead, sacramental ontology sees creation as a sign or sacrament of a transcendent reality, calling humanity to participate in it. This perspective arose through ressourcement—a return to patristic theology, especially (neo-)Platonic ontology, and its "dynamic" sacramental theology. Ressourcement is not a mere reproduction of historical sources but a transformative reinterpretation in modern contexts. Today, in the face of postmodernity, new questions arise about the adequacy of these earlier frameworks: Does sacramental theology require another transformation? Are there signs of such a shift already emerging? This paper proposes a post-foundational political natural theology of sacramentality, representing a contemporary ressourcement. It explores three dimensions: Post-Foundational: Addressing postmodern epistemological shifts and their impact on sacramental theology. Political: Investigating the inherently political nature of sacramental theology, informed by postmodern political theory. Natural Theology: Reconsidering ontological questions in theology and philosophy to reconstruct a sacramental ontology.
QUEERING RAHNER'S SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY: GOD, SYMBOLIC EMBODIMENT, AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

Diaz M. (Speaker)

Loyola University Chicago ~ Chicago ~ United States of America
"All beings are by their nature symbolic, because they necessarily 'express' themselves to attain their own nature," wrote Rahner, capturing his theology of symbol as the cornerstone of his sacramental theology. This symbolic understanding informs sacramental mediations both within the Church (sacraments) and society (socio-political engagements). This paper explores Rahner's sacramental theology and its socio-political implications. Rahner affirmed the "always and everywhere" presence of grace (Das Existential ist übernatürlich) as it manifests through human expressions in words and deeds. However, his approach has been critiqued, particularly by Johann Baptist Metz, who challenged Rahner for failing to address socio-political injustices. Metz argued that grace is not simply a transcendental presence but an interruption of history, confronting and transforming oppressive systems like Fascism. Queer theology offers a further critique and expansion of Rahner's work. To "queer" sacramentality means to disrupt normative assumptions, particularly heteronormativity, by reimagining grace as manifest in LGBTQ+ embodiments and expressions. This paper draws on queer liberation theology to argue that sacramental theology must confront not only heterosexism but also the Church's complicity in social exclusions. A queer sacramental vision challenges the Church to engage inclusively with gender and sexual diversity, fostering transformative and liberating ecclesial practices. Rahner's symbolic theology is thus mined for its potential to inspire an inclusive sacramental vision that resonates with Jesus' liberating words and deeds. Sacraments must not only symbolically challenge the world but also be open to the sacramental potential of worldly words and deeds. The Church must allow its mediations of grace to be disrupted by the realities of the marginalized to make them more credible and just, advancing the common good.
THE INTERSUBJECTIVITY OF SACRAMENTAL PRACTICE AND SOCIAL COHESION IN BLONDEL

Doherty C. (Speaker)

Marquette University ~ Milwaukee ~ United States of America
Theological discourse on sacraments has tended to consider the sacramental subject as isolated individual and 'patient' of sacerdotal action. Yet, sacramental signification and sacramental e=icacy are ineluctably and undeniably intersubjective and social. This is because the sacramental actors themselves contribute to sacramental symbolism, not as individual participants in particular sacramental actions, but as members of the ecclesial 'body of action' (Copus Mysticum), contributors to the whole sacramental economy in history. Similarly, what sacraments e=ect is never a matter for isolated individuals, abstracted from concrete actuality, but always impinges on this ecclesial body as a whole, whether in terms of supernatural grace or natural social cohesion. As sacramental action is intersubjective, involving minister and recipient, so it is social in both its signification and e=ects. To consider the abstract individual to the exclusion of the concrete ecclesial body is to minimize what sacramental action means and does. Maurice Blondel's Action (1893) provides a rehabilitation of sacramental practice on a philosophical footing that instructs theology to remain open to the intersubjective and social aspects of sacramental action. In Blondel, we never act alone. All action is coaction. The 'exergy' of action emanating from the individual subject draws on the 'allergy' of action from other subjects: "Voluntary action is … the bond that builds up the city of man; it is the social function par excellence."1 The human subject belongs to various groups as unions of subjects, as social federation, that are principles of action in themselves. Transposing these insights into theology, and considering sacraments as human action in Blondel's terms, therefore, allows theology to remain open both to the intersubjectivity of sacramental action and its power for social cohesion.
SACRAMENTUM IN RITU - REALISM AS PERSONALIZATION AND FORMALIZATION

Elberskirch J. (Speaker)

University of Regensburg ~ Regensburg ~ Germany
The opposite of realism is not idealism, but moralism. This also describes a central problem of political philosophy: The hubris of believing that both political decisions could be derived from morality and that political processes could be deduced from it. Instead, political processes follow their own rules, which a political theory has to integrate, otherwise it becomes unrealistic. However, models of cooperation are necessary so that morality and politics do not diverge as two separate systems. The concept of sacramentality in the Catholic Church combines a ritual external event with an inner reality of salvation. Although sacraments are an object of faith, their validity does not depend on the faith of the participating people - neither the minister nor the recipient. Instead, the sacrament must be performed in a prescribed ceremony. The faith of the individual believers makes the sacramental event individually fruitful. Sacramental efficacy thus combines a formally objective and a personally subjective performance. Both acts are based on the same faith, but have different ways of legitimization. Moral-political realism could be understood in the same way. The same morality leads to an extraction of a personally subjective and a formal realization. The individual moment is a direct deduction of morality, while the formal moment mediates moral claims with institutional, social and traditional elements. The formal moment guarantees, for example, balancing functionality, which can find its goal in subjective justice in the personal moment.
WHITENESS AND SACRAMENTAL SYMBOL: CHAUVET, LACOSTE, AND THE SACRAMENTAL DISMANTLING OF WHITE SUPREMACY?

Nuelle J. (Speaker)

Loyola University Chicago ~ Chicago ~ United States of America
Calls to dismantle white supremacy have gained prominence, particularly as social media amplifies racial injustices. While these calls often target systemic issues, what about addressing white supremacy at the individual level? This paper explores the theological and philosophical potential to challenge white supremacy through sacramental experience, especially Eucharistic communion. Shifting sacramental theology from metaphysical categories to experiential focus offers a path forward. Louis-Marie Chauvet emphasizes symbol as central to transcending metaphysics in sacramental practice. But does this transcendence also disrupt metaphysical constructs of belonging, such as race and whiteness? This question is addressed in three parts. First, whiteness is analyzed as an ontological construct through George Yancy, Sara Ahmed, and Ruth Frankenberg. Though socially constructed, whiteness has acquired metaphysical weight. Ahmed calls it "real, material, and lived," while Frankenberg argues it shapes history, culture, and identity. Yancy identifies it as a "transcendental norm" measuring all other racial identities, granting whiteness metaphysical significance through its pervasive influence, affecting both white and non-white subjects. Second, Chauvet's sacramental theology replaces causality with symbolic performativity, reorienting subjectivity toward communion. Sacraments, as "effective symbolic expressions," reshape relationships, creating a covenantal reality that transcends metaphysical constructs. Finally, Jean-Yves Lacoste's liturgical reduction is explored in light of Chauvet's symbolic transformation. Lacoste's liturgy, as a "space where appropriation loses importance," offers a means to transcend systems of belonging, including whiteness. This sacramental space challenges racial othering, celebrating difference without reinforcing racist hierarchies, enabling radical communion across all boundaries.
SACRAMENTALITY: THE PRACTICE OF CHRISTIANITY

Vicentini M. (Speaker)

Pontificia Università Gregoriana ~ Rome ~ Italy
The sacramental reality of the Christian faith has long been relegated to reflection on individual sacraments. This attitude downplays the role and potential of sacramentality within the Christian experience. The process typical of certain manuals that leads from sacraments to sacramentality must be reversed: it is only from the sacramental dimension and its role within the community that sacraments are born and can be understood. The following contribution aims to present sacramentality as the constitutive dimension of Christian experience due to its unitive and performative potential. While it has the ability to unite theory and practice, human and divine, material and transcendental - hence the unitive potential - it also has the ability to 'make' Christian experience. Through the reflection of Louis-Marie Chauvet, we wish to bring to light three faculties or actions of sacramentality: the mediating, the symbolising and the ritual. The first: it has the faculty of mediating between the human and the divine. However, it is with its symbolising capacity that we go deeper: the sacrament not only unites two separate realities, but also performs an action that involves both subjects together. Lastly, its ritual action unites word and deed, involving the person in his or her entirety. In a second passage, the concept of practice according to Pierre Bourdieu is presented, which defines as such any act that carries a habitus, a field and a capital. By the first term he means a set of customary dispositions and attitudes; the second indicates a place of action in which it manifests itself; and by the third he means a symbolic value of its own. The third and final passage seeks to interpret sacramentality as the proper and original practice of Christianity, as its distinctive attitude. This shows Christianity's own and original social, cultural and political identity in the world.
"HEAR HIM, YE DEAF:" THE LITURGY, MYSTICAL BODY THEOLOGY AND THE "WORKING-THROUGH" OF POLARIZATION

Witherington D. (Speaker)

Loyola University Chicago ~ Chicago ~ United States of America
Conceptualizing the Church as the "Mystical Body of Christ" was a central theme of many pioneers of the 20th-century liturgical movement (e.g., Guardini, Beauduin, Michel). These thinkers emphasized that regular liturgical worship conformed individuals to Christ through Word and Sacrament, fostering both personal transformation and a communal identity as members of the Mystical Body. Liturgical worship formed Christocentric subjects who were also ecclesial subjects, deeply connected to Christ the Head through their incorporation into the Church as His Body. This vision challenged Modern individualism, which paradoxically contributed to destructive collectivist ideologies like Fascism and Communism. This paper argues that such a theology remains profoundly relevant for contemporary Western societies, where polarization is a defining characteristic. A renewed and creative engagement with the Mystical Body theology can serve as a corrective and healing balm, enabling individuals to move beyond division into spaces of dialogue, receptive listening, and understanding. Building on Louis-Marie Chauvet's insight that liturgy offers a space for "working-through" narcissistic tendencies and Timothy Gabrielli's contextualization of this within Mystical Body theology, the paper explores how liturgy addresses the root cause of polarization: the original sin of narcissism. Liturgical worship transforms individuals from isolation into unity with Christ and others, fostering mutual understanding and connection. By forming participants as ecclesial subjects, liturgy empowers them to resist polarization and promote reconciliation. This transformation, rooted in participation in the Mystical Body, equips individuals to confront societal division and seek communal healing. By addressing polarization as a primary obstacle to social renewal, this paper aligns with the conference theme, offering a liturgically and ecclesially grounded framework for meaningful societal transformation.

Panel description: Christian Religion is an essential cultural phenomenon which have contributed to the peacebuilding and to the sustainability of the whole world. As the first 'Christian emperor', Constantine considered it as his duty to unite the Church and maintain peace during his era in the 4th century; on 19 June AD 325, the Nicene Creed was adopted by the First Ecumenical Council, under the jurisdiction of the emperor Constantine. Nicaea creed enabled the bishops to affirm teachings still considered foundational by churches today and it helped to maintain peace and relative harmony coexistence on various levels: religious, social, economic and ecological. It has shaped the type of relation between human beings themselves, between human and God, and indirectly between human and the natural world or God's creation. In 2025, Christians will celebrate the 1700 years jubilee of Nicaea creed. Through these years, the Nicaea creed significantly influences people's understanding of religious and scientific findings. It has a tremendous impact on the decision making and policy interventions of religious communities as well as of the political authorities, given that all societal agencies are closely associated with religious convictions. Today, the peaceful coexistence of humankind are most necessary to confront the urgent ecological and socio-economic crisis. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and wars between countries have become major issues in the discussion for the sustainability of the Earth. We are witnessing the need of both religion and science engagement in providing solutions to sustainability problems on all levels. We invite scholars from diverse religion traditions and interdisciplinary background to participate in an in interreligious and multidisciplinary exchange focusing on the ecumenical significance of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and its relevance in transforming today's socio-cultural and contemporary religions and world missions.

Papers:

A PLEA FOR AN ETHIC OF ENOUGH TO SAFEGUARD HUMAN COEXISTENCE AND THE PRESERVATION OF DIVINE CREATION

Simon B. (Speaker)

Bossey Ecumenical Institute ~ Geneva ~ Switzerland
The Nicaean Creed brings Christians together. It unites them and makes it clear that they believe in a God who is the "giver of life". Anything that prevents and opposes life - of humanity and nature, stands therefore not in the Christian tradition. Nevertheless, Christianity has contributed on a large scale to the increasing exploitation of God's creation and, consequently, to its destruction. This is partly due to an economic starting point that has always placed financial growth at the centre of society since the 19th century. This economic attitude of permanent growth is a fundamental evil for the exploitation and destruction of God's creation and its Human kind, as it is based on injustice and the power of the strongest. Both attitudes do not stem from Christian ethics and are not compatible with it. This economic arrogances of `always wanting more', which is strongly linked to one of the deadly sins, namely greed, is devastating for interpersonal coexistence and the peaceful and social coalescence of a society, as well as for a care for creation. Nature does not need humanity, but humanity needs nature. In this article, after analysing the destructive economic forces of Christian contexts, I will take a closer look at the approach of the degrowth movement, which is strongly characterised by an ethics of enough, in order to make clear what role the World Council of Churches (WCC) has already played here and to what extent such an economy urgently needs to be implemented by a Christian ethical approach.
NEW "FEAST OF CREATION" FOR AN ECUMENICAL RENEWAL OF CHURCH LITURGICAL LIFE AND UNITY AFTER 1700 YEARS OF NICEEN CREED

Andrianos L.A. (Speaker)

World Council of Churches ~ Chania ~ Switzerland
Given the eschatological sign of times revealing the suffering of God's Creation due to human sins, through climate change, biodiversity loss, pollutions, wars, and irresponsible exploitation of natural resources, Christian church life has to witness the needed transformative ecumenical actions and responsive liturgical renewal for the redemption of the groaning divine Creation (Roman 8:20). This article explores the Nicaea's Impact on Religion, Socio-Cultural and the Ecumenical journey so far in uniting Christians to care for creation and to celebrate together the "Feast of Creation" on September 1st, also known as "Creation Day" or "world Prayer Day for Creation", originally inspired by the leadership of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. The 1700 years Nicea jubilee is an opportunity to examine the theological impact and accountability of churches in honouring the "Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible" (Nicea 325). Referring to the efforts of the recent "Assisi seminar on Feast of Creation and the "Season of Creation" global ecumenical movement, this reflection recommends the inclusion of ecumenical "Feast of Creation" in all church liturgical feast calendar as an aftermath of the current confirmation of Christian faith, made 1700 years ago in Nicea. This paper will answer critical questions such as a) What is the "Feast of Creation" and its history in the ecumenical journey for creation care?, b) What learnings could emerge from the study of existing feast celebrations in correspondence to every paragraph of the Nicea faith declaration? And c) How can it support the needed religious and soci-cultural transformation, to promote ecological justice in the light of the 1700 years of Nicene creed celebration in 2025.
MISSION ORGANISATIONS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE: A STUDY FROM NORWAY

Sverre T. (Speaker)

VID Specialized University ~ Oslo ~ Norway
The research questions in this article will be: 1. How have the selected mission organizations in Norway expressed themselves - theologically and ethically - concerning environmental and climate issues from 1988- measured against the articles of the Nicene Creed 2. How do the leaders corelate their organizations theological approaches to the values and reflection on nature found among its members. This will be concluded with a discussion about 3. how some selected relevant theological resources and theological discussions from partners and authors recognized by the organization can be used to legitimize and strengthen environmental commitment in the mentioned Norwegian mission organisations. Three organizations will be examined: Normisjon, Det norske misjonsselskapet (NMS) [Norwegian mission society], Norsk Luthersk misjonssamband (NLM) [ Norwegian Lutheran association], These organizations define themselves to a greater or lesser extent as part of the Church of Norway (CoN) The data examined are strategy documents from the elected mission organisations. They will be analysed using methods derived from ecocritical hermeneutics. I also carry out a survey of selected leaders in these organisations to map the ethical positions and theological reflections Finally, I will discuss the findings and make some suggestions on how protestant mission organizations can strengthen their work on environment and climate based on the "The Cape Town Commitment" (2010) and the Seul declaration (2024) from the Lausanne Movement. The finding will be discussed related to various parts of the Nicene Creed. In the discussion. I will also give examples of from theologians who enjoy great recognition in the respective mission organizations that can be used to strengthen the commitment to the environment in protestant mission
ECUMENICAL ECOFEMINISM AND THE FULFILMENT OF JESUS' PRAYER "THAT WE MAY BE ONE" (JN 17:21) 1700 YEARS AFTER THE NICEEN CREED

Štante N.F. (Speaker)

ZRS Koper, ,Institute of Philosophical and Religious Studies ~ Koper ~ Slovenia
The ecumenical renewal of liturgical life after almost 1700 years of the Nicene Creed remains a dynamic process that requires theological maturity, pastoral sensitivity and prayerful commitment. The goal is the realization of Jesus' prayer "that we may be one" (Jn 17:21). Christian ecofeminism, which combines theology, ecology and feminist thought, can make an important contribution to the realization of Jesus' prayer for unity. It emphasizes a holistic concern for creation and justice among people, leading to a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of the Christian faith. In this context, the presentation analyses the question of: 1.) the theological vision of the unity of creation. This is because ecofeminism is based on the conviction that all of creation is interconnected and interdependent. In this context, Jesus' prayer "that we may be one" refers not only to interpersonal relationships, but also to the relationship between humans and nature. Ecofeminist theology: promotes a spirituality that includes care for the environment as part of the Christian vocation and advocates for justice for the excluded and marginalized, including nature. 2.) The question of spiritual and ecological solidarity: Ecofeminism points out that the ecological crisis is not only an environmental problem, but also a spiritual one. Their contribution to ecclesial unity is a common struggle for justice. In times of ecological crisis, Christian communities from different traditions can work together to protect the environment and create ecologically affirming liturgies. Contemporary Christian ecofeminism offers a spiritual and social vision that emphasises the interconnectedness of all living beings and creation. By advocating for justice, environmental protection and equality, it can become an instrument for fulfilling Jesus' prayer "that we may be one" in a way that transcends traditional ecclesial and social divisions.

Panel description: Research on religion as an important determinant of health and well-being is flourishing, producing many published studies each year. This wealth invites better assessment and updating. Indeed, there are still many aspects of the field to be explored, such as: the extent to which religion is a reliable protective factor for health and well-being; which forms of religion become healthier and under what conditions; religion and mediators that can exert a positive influence; the scientific quality of ongoing published research; the relationship between religion, health and the cognitive processes involved; current practices in religion, health and care; theological reception and issues surrounding such empirical production; quantitative and qualitative approaches to religion and health. The panorama seems open and invites further exploration of one of the hottest areas in the scientific study of religion, but one that has been poorly received in other forms of religious studies, especially in philosophy and theology. A bridge between empirical or more scientific research on this topic and the traditional humanistic approach is urgently needed, and EUARE 2025 offers an excellent opportunity to address the issues described and to engage both sides: scientific research and philosophical and theological reception.

Papers:

EXPLORING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THEOLOGY AND STUDIES ON RELIGION, HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Oviedo L. (Speaker)

Pontifical University Antonianum ~ Roma ~ Italy
Although research on religion, health and well-being has flourished in the last 10 years, it has received very little attention in theological circles, and the general impression is that such research and its interesting results may not be of interest to theologians concerned with the proper hermeneutics of Christian revealed texts. Two questions could motivate a greater engagement between the two fields. The first relates to the question above: what can theology learn from this body of research and its indications regarding the positive effects of religion? The second goes in the opposite direction: to what extent can theology contribute to refining and better understanding or applying such research? For example, greater theological involvement could help to answer several open questions in this research, such as those concerning the different types of religion and their effects; or how to better understand and avoid misconceptions about the healing effects of religion; and how to avoid a complete instrumentalisation of religion as a result of this encouraging data.
COGNITIVE RESILIENCE AND RELIGION

Roszak P. (Speaker) [1] , Horvat S. (Speaker) [2]

Nicolaus Copernicus University ~ Torun ~ Poland [1] , University of Rijeka ~ Rijeka ~ Croatia [2]
This paper examines the role of religion, particularly Christianity, in shaping cognitive resilience and its potential to enhance individuals' capacity to navigate challenges in a complex and often disorienting world. Far from being a vehicle for gullibility, religion is presented as a dynamic epistemological framework that critiques dominant narratives, supports emotional regulation, and facilitates effective coping strategies. Religion emerges as a source of various forms of resilience—moral, cognitive, cultural, existential, and spiritual—capable of reducing cognitive overload, fostering critical thinking, and transmitting intergenerational wisdom to help individuals and communities endure prolonged challenges. Mechanisms such as religious rituals, community support, and the construction of religious narratives are shown to play a key role in stabilizing individuals' lives, enabling them to reinterpret adversity, maintain ethical integrity, and strengthen group identity. The article argues that these resilience mechanisms naturally flow from the act of faith, illustrating the synergy between grace and human nature in fostering adaptive cognitive and emotional capacities.
THE RESTORATIVE ROLE OF PILGRIMAGE: A JOURNEY TOWARD THE SOURCE OF VALUES

Seryczynska B. (Speaker)

University of Rijeka ~ Rijeka ~ Croatia
As evidenced by a number of studies in various scientific fields pilgrimage, a practice deeply rooted in the traditions of many cultures and religions, holds a profound restorative potential, offering therapeutic benefits on both individual and societal levels. This analysis explores how pilgrimage reconnecting participants with core values that cleanse, revitalize, and provide direction in life. Drawing on Alexis de Tocqueville's metaphor of "murky waters" in everyday culture, the concept emphasizes the need to reach the "pure waters" of fundamental truths—life-giving values that, like a clear spring, bring clarity and flourishing. As water requires purification to sustain life, pilgrimage allows individuals to reconnect with values that renew their inner clarity and vitality. By stepping out of daily routines and participating in a communal journey, pilgrims undergo a transformative process that imbues their lives with deeper meaning. These purified values nurture personal growth and sustain flourishing communities, ensuring they become a source of vitality rather than harm. Equally important is the social dimension of pilgrimage. It fosters dialogue across cultures and generations, strengthens social bonds, and builds resilience in communities. By addressing challenges such as societal fragmentation and the erosion of shared values, pilgrimage serves as a restorative practice for the broader social fabric. The analysis will draw on qualitative research conducted in 2024, examining the impact of pilgrimage on Polish culture. The study involved 20 expert interviews with academics, experienced organizers, members of St. James' brotherhoods, and seasoned pilgrims. Findings highlight pilgrimage as a force for spiritual renewal and social cohesion, reconnecting participants and communities with the "pure waters of values."

Panel description: State involvement in religious education has changed significantly over time. During the Middle Ages, European schools were tied to churches, with religious education overseen by the church, which also served as a community hub. In the 19th and 20th centuries, countries like France and the Soviet Union, influenced by atheistic and rationalist ideologies, removed religious education from school curricula, promoting state ideologies instead. After World War II, European nations emphasized religious freedom, affirming parents' rights to educate their children according to their beliefs. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states in Article 26 that "parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children," highlighting parental primacy. Similarly, the Council of Europe's 1951 report affirmed parents' rights to guide their children's education, free from state interference. Recently, this framework has shifted. Modern human rights philosophy increasingly emphasizes the "individual," sometimes over the family. Consequently, state intervention in parental religious education has grown, often justified by protecting children's rights. For instance, in Osmanoğlu and Kocabaş v. Switzerland (2017), the European Court of Human Rights prioritized "social integration" over a parent's request to exempt their daughter from co-ed swimming classes, arguing it prevented "social exclusion." In Japan, similar trends have emerged. In 2022, the Child and Family Policy Bureau issued "guidelines" stating that parents limiting children's school participation or friendships for religious reasons could be deemed abusive. While protecting children's rights is essential, respecting family autonomy and parents' rights in religious education remains crucial. This panel will explore how legal systems balance parental rights and children's rights from a comparative law perspective.

Papers:

CONFLICTS BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN OVER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS: INSIGHTS FROM CASE STUDIES IN JAPAN

Shibata S. (Speaker)

Hannan universtity ~ Osaka ~ Japan
This presentation aims to examine the balance between the "parents' right to educate their children according to their beliefs (hereinafter referred to as 'religious education')" and "children's freedom of religion" by outlining foundational issues and analyzing relevant doctrines in Japan. Since 2022, the so-called "Issues of the Religious Second Generation (children being raised by their parents with a strong religious beliefs)" have drawn significant attention, particularly focusing on the struggles of children born into families devoted to religious organizations such as the Unification Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Soka Gakkai. Concerns have been raised that certain educational practices by parents—such as restricting interactions with specific peers or mandating participation in missionary activities—may constitute psychological abuse lacking "social appropriateness." This perspective aligns with the "Religious Second Generation Guidelines" issued by the government in 2022. However, these measures have also been criticized for potentially unjustly narrowing the scope of parents' rights to religious education. The lack of clear standards to reconcile these two rights has stalled progress in the debate. The speaker acknowledges that a universal framework applicable to all cases does not currently exist, as the diversity of personal faith often exceeds the variety of religions themselves. Consequently, decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis. This presentation specifically analyzes issues arising in the contexts of the Unification Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Soka Gakkai to identify patterns and explore potential solutions inductively.
A COMPARATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Yamamoto K. (Speaker)

Kitakyushu university ~ Fukuoka ~ Japan
The purpose of this presentation is to examine the "right of parents to educate their children according to their beliefs" from the perspective of comparative constitutional law. Among the 193 constitutions currently in force, 95 explicitly address the rights and duties of parents. Of these, 14 constitutions explicitly guarantee the right of parents to religious education. Some constitutions also implicitly protect this right by recognizing parents' authority to choose or determine their children's education. It is notable that many constitutions that define parental rights also impose specific restrictions on them, with variations in the methods and extent of these limitations. This presentation will analyze the content of parental rights to religious education and the restrictions placed on them, focusing on explicit constitutional provisions from various countries. In contrast, countries such as the United States and Canada do not explicitly address parental rights in their constitutions. However, the right to religious education is often interpreted as part of broader protections for freedom of conscience and religion. Such interpretations will be touched upon briefly as supplementary context.

Panel description: Bringing together scholars from various European academies and research centres, this international panel is interested in exploring the interrelated but understudied histories of religion and international relations and politics in the twentieth century, from the League of Nations to the United Nations and their respective specialised agencies, bringing different themes, geographies and historiographies into dialogue. Focusing primarily on Catholic and Protestant actors - and the associated institutional dynamics, languages of universalism and internationalism, and interpretations and proposals on a wide range of social, economic and cultural issues, from education and church-state relations to development and welfare -the panel will address colonial and non-colonial contexts, without neglecting the dynamics of the Cold War. Accordingly, it will offer rich and varied case studies that demonstrate the need to further explore the plural and meaningful ways in which international organisations and organised religions have interacted and influenced each other, competed and collaborated in many social spheres, and thus played a crucial role in shaping many of the key historical processes of the twentieth century, from the implementation of educational models and welfare and aid policies to the contested definition of colonial policies and the imagination of self-determination.

Papers:

PROTESTANT INTERNATIONALISM AND THE INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY COUNCIL BETWEEN LATE COLONIALISM, GEOPOLITICS, AND WORLD CHRISTIANITY, 1920-1940S

Brunner M.P. (Speaker)

Center for Religion and Modernity, University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
The paper focuses on the activities and networks of the International Missionary Council (IMC). Founded in 1921, the IMC linked mission agencies, national Christian associations and other interdenominational organizations. It represented a slow transition from older, 'Western' conceptions of mission to an idea of 'World Christianity' that promised to include national churches and Christian communities around the globe on equal terms. Politically, the organization thus stood at the interception of an Anglo-American influenced liberalism and anticolonial sentiments that were especially influential in the "younger churches". Headquartered in London, New York and Geneva, the IMC was concerned with issues such as missionary cooperation, religious liberty, but also socio-economic issues like social work, education, or agriculture. The paper will focus on both the IMC's character as an international organization and its engagement with other, religious and secular international organizations and positioning within international relations and shifting geopolitics during the interwar period.
RELIGIOUS INTERNATIONALISMS AND THE COLONIAL QUESTION IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Bandeira Jerónimo M. (Speaker)

Center for the History of Society and Culture, University of Coimbra ~ Coimbra ~ Portugal
Since the late nineteenth century, the historical dynamics of internationalisation and transnationalisation of imperial and colonial affairs have been numerous and consequential, leading to a significant increase in the production, circulation and institutionalisation of common instruments for formulating and evaluating imperial and colonial policies. Empire states and colonial administrations sought to respond to these challenges and opportunities. So did other organisations, some of them closely linked to colonial situations. Focusing on different chronologies (but marked by some continuities), from the League of Nations to the United Nations, this paper looks at different groups and expressions of 'religious internationalism' addressing the opportunities and respond to the constraints of the internationalisation and transnationalisation of imperial and colonial affairs, and related norms, programmes and policies on a number of topics. Drawing on Catholic and Protestant cases and highlighting a range of relevant themes, from colonial labour to development and racism, the paper examines the Union Catholique d'Études Internationales (1920), the Department of Social and Economic Research of the International Missionary Council (1929), the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (1946), the National Catholic Welfare Conference General (NCWC) and its Office for United Nations Affairs (1946), the North American Assembly on African Affairs (1952), the Programme to Combat Racism of the World Council of Churches (1969) and the influence of Économie et humanisme in the developmental thinking of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in the 1970s.
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND THE "INTERNATIONAL CRUSADE" FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SINCE THE 1950S

Kott S. (Speaker)

Université de Genève/Global Distinguished Professor New York University ~ Geneva ~ Switzerland
Beginning in the 1950s, the proliferation of multinational corporations (MNCs), particularly those based in the United States, was viewed with concern by International Trade Secretariats, international trade union federations, leaders of newly decolonized countries and others...They all proposed international mechanisms and regulations to limit the power of the MNC.This new international concern gave rise to discussions in various UN agencies, but the project for binding codes of conduct envisaged after the Declaration on a New International Economic Order(1974) never materialized. In the second half of the 1970s, this project was replaced by a series of incentives to promote corporate responsibility.The Global Compact (United Nations, 2000) confirms and amplifies this paradigm shift. The language of responsibility is not new; it can be traced back to the philanthropic practices of 19th century employers, often supported or justified by Christian values. In the 1950s, in the wake of growing criticism of the effects of global capitalism Christian movements - especially but not exclusively Protestant - found their own solution in the emphasis on the "responsibility" of managers. It was conceived as a solution to what they saw as the "bad behavior" of some multinational corporations. This "crusade" for responsibility has taken many forms, but all aimed (and still aim) primarily to moralize international capitalism while emphasizing the benefits it brings to humanity. Drawing on documents produced by the World Council of Churches (Geneva) and the archives of the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, founded in the early 1970s in the United States, this paper will present the various modalities as well as the contradictions of this "moralization" campaign. It will also examine how the close relationships between these religious actors and the international organizations arenas have contributed to the international success of the discourse of "responsibility".
THE VATICAN AND INTERNATIONAL AID AGENCIES IN THE POST-WORLD WAR II RECONSTRUCTION OF EUROPE

Nowak K. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The Vatican played an important role in the post-World War II reconstruction of Europe through its collaboration with international aid agencies. This paper draws on newly-opened Vatican archives from the pontificate of Pius XII (1939-1958) and United Nations archives, focusing on the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) and the International Refugee Organization (IRO). By combining institutional and bottom-up perspectives, it explores how the Vatican influenced humanitarian policy and practice, working alongside major international organizations to assist displaced persons and other war victims. It highlights the interactions between Church networks and secular aid agencies, uncovering the strategies used by both actors to navigate political and logistical challenges. The findings highlight the Vatican's dual role as both a moral authority and a practical participant in international relief efforts, showing its impact on the shaping of humanitarian narratives and alliances during the early Cold War.
PROTESTANT HUMAN RIGHTS: THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY

Bouwman B. (Speaker)

Utrecht University ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
This paper will analyze the human rights advocacy of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the preeminent institutional embodiment of the largely Protestant ecumenical movement. While Eurocentric at the time of its founding in 1948, the WCC became increasingly global and politically progressive in the 1970s. Throughout this period, during which international affairs were marked above all by the global Cold War, the WCC sought to shape the concept of human rights along Christian lines. Its representatives influenced the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and initially wielded its provision on religious freedom to advance the interests of missionaries and Christian minorities. By the 1970s, however, the WCC aligned itself with attempts at the United Nations to redefine human rights in favor of the Third World. Its human rights engagement thus sheds light on both the changing nature of international human rights politics and of a globalizing Christianity.
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE: CATHOLIC LAY WOMEN AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (1945-1962)

Núñez Bargueño N. (Speaker)

MSCA fellow, KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
This presentation sheds light on the largely overlooked contributions of Catholic lay women to the entangled histories of religion, international relations, and politics in post-World War II Europe and beyond. Historically underrepresented in narratives of international organizations —including within Catholic contexts— these women played a critical yet often invisible role in shaping global debates and policies. Resulting from my ongoing research work in the Roman, French and Belgian archives, this presentation will provide some preliminary outcomes of my MSCA project THEOFEM. Focusing on the engagement of women with leadership positions in international Catholic organizations that operated with institutions such as the United Nations and its specialized agencies, this presentation will explore how these women contributed to key discussions on education, church-state relations, development, and welfare in both colonial and non-colonial contexts. In particular, I will draw on the perspective of entangled history to examine how these lay women's efforts bridged the ecclesial and secular spheres, national and religious boundaries, attempting to influence policies on human dignity, developmental aid, decolonization, and self-determination. By participating in international organizations, these women not only amplified Catholic social teachings but also redefined the concept of the laity, asserting their presence as key actors in global governance. Through diverse case studies, this presentation reveals the plural and significant ways in which these women competed and collaborated with other stakeholders, highlighting their decisive role in shaping some of the twentieth century's most critical processes. By making visible the contributions of Catholic lay women, it underscores the importance of integrating gender and religion into the study of international organizations.
SOCIAL REFORM AND RELIGIOUS CHARITY: EDUCATION AND GENDER IN 1950S FRENCH ALGERIA

Sergio M. (Speaker)

Roma Tre University ~ Roma ~ Italy
This research explores previously unexamined archival materials, shedding light on overlooked figures in Algerian history. Drawing extensively on unpublished sources, including the Germaine Tillion Collection at the French National Library, the study reconstructs the work of the Service des centres sociaux. These centers, established by ethnologist Germaine Tillion in areas lacking local governance, were inspired by UNESCO's documents on fundamental education. Their mission extended beyond improving literacy rates, aiming to empower newly literate individuals to actively participate in societal transformation. The analysis compares the initiatives of these social centers with the charitable activities of the North African missionary Church in the suburbs of Algiers and Oran, within the bidonvilles, and in rural Kabylia. While occasional collaboration is acknowledged, the study emphasizes the centers' deliberate move away from traditional charity. Instead, they adopted a structured, scientific pedagogy that prioritized integration and addressed critical issues, such as gender equality—topics often neglected by the Church. By highlighting these contrasts, the research underscores the innovative approach of the Service des centres sociaux in fostering long-term social change.
COMPETING UNIVERSALISMS? THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND UNESCO'S IDEAS REGARDING COLONIAL EDUCATION IN PORTUGUESE AFRICA (C. 1940-1950S)

Dores H. (Speaker)

Center for the History of Society and Culture, University of Coimbra ~ Coimbra ~ Portugal
Across the European empires, evangelisation and education were perceived as part of a broader process of human transformation aimed at reordering societies and reshaping worldviews. After the Second World War, international debates on the education of colonised peoples, linked to human development and race, embodying the perceived secularised and leftist ideals of international organisations (such as the UN and Unesco), alarmed Catholic sectors in the colonial context. Would UNESCO's educational projects benefit the Catholic mission or challenge it? Many Catholics suspected these external considerations on colonial issues and questioned its internationalist aims. Focusing on the Portuguese case, this presentation explores the Catholic attitudes regarding UNESCO's attempts to collaborate with the empires in colonial education in Africa in the 1950s, relating it to the debates on the continuation of the imperial system, the transformations within the Catholic Church and the role played by the missionaries in colonised societies.
ORGANIZED CHARITY IN SOMALIA: CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES, CARITAS, AND THE UN BETWEEN THE 1970S AND THE 1980S

Ercolani S. (Speaker)

Università di Pisa ~ Pisa ~ Italy
The Catholic missionaries operating in Somalia participated in the country's decolonization process and, from the 1960s to the late 1980s, combined their religious mission with structured activities in education and social welfare, modelled along the lines of humanitarian intervention. This approach culminated in the establishment of Caritas Somalia in 1982. Caritas, as a religious institution advocating universal, humanitarian, and internationalist values, has yet to be the subject of extensive studies; the aim of this paper, based on unpublished archival documentation, is to examine the case study of Caritas Somalia. By interacting with the UN and other international agencies, it became the core of the humanitarian and missionary efforts in the country, through which key activities such as drilling water wells, assisting refugee camps, and constructing hospitals were undertaken. Caritas Somalia represented the framework wherewith Christian charity was organized, bridging the work of missionaries with that of international organizations.

Panel description: Giorgio Agamben's philosophical engagement with Judaism and Christianity represents a profound and provocative reinterpretation of theological and political thought. This panel seeks to critically examine Agamben's recent controversial assertions, particularly his radical claim that Zionism constitutes "the end of Judaism" and his distinctive reading of Pauline theology. His work has consistently challenged traditional understanding of religious and political identities, positioning Paul's theological writings as a transformative moment of messianic interruption. His interpretation goes beyond conventional theological discourse, suggesting a radical reconfiguration of Jewish and Christian theological-political potentialities. By interrogating the concept of messianic time and the suspension of historical continuity, Agamben proposes a revolutionary understanding of religious experience that transcends normative historical and national boundaries. The panel invites papers that critically engage with the following potential themes: 1. Agamben's Pauline Hermeneutics: Examining his interpretation of Paul as a figure of radical theological-political transformation, challenging both traditional Jewish and Christian readings. 2. Zionism and the "end of Judaism:" A critical analysis of Agamben's provocative claim that Zionism represents a fundamental rupture in Jewish theological and historical self-understanding. 3. Messianic Time and Political Potentiality: Investigating Agamben's conception of messianic interruption as a philosophical and theological strategy for reimagining political and religious existence. Submission Guidelines: • Abstracts of 300-500 words • Proposed papers should engage critically and substantively with Agamben's philosophical and theological frameworks. • Interdisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged.

Papers:

AGAINST AGAMBEN'S 'END OF JUDAISM': THE TALMUD AS EXILIC PRODUCT AND JEWISH LAW AS ZIONIST CREATION

Dal Bo F. (Speaker)

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia ~ Modena ~ Italy
In his recent article, "The End of Judaism," Giorgio Agamben argues that Judaism faces its end due to the dissolution of the exilic condition through the establishment of the State of Israel. This paper challenges Agamben's thesis by examining two distinct legal paradigms within Jewish tradition: the Talmud as a product of exile, and modern Jewish law as a creation of Zionist thought. Through this analysis, we demonstrate that rather than marking Judaism's end, the current situation reveals a complex dialectic between exilic and sovereign legal forms. The paper first examines how the Talmud, far from being merely a legal code, emerged as a unique textual and intellectual response to the condition of exile, developing interpretative strategies and legal reasoning that reflected and preserved the exilic experience. This exilic character of Talmudic thought persists as a fundamental mode of Jewish legal thinking, independent of geographical or political circumstances. Conversely, modern Jewish law, particularly as developed within Zionist thought, represents a distinct legal paradigm aimed at transforming traditional Jewish law into a sovereign state's legal system. This transformation, however, does not negate the exilic dimension of Jewish legal thought but rather exists in tension with it. Through careful examination of key texts and legal concepts, we argue that contemporary Judaism maintains both paradigms simultaneously: the exilic mode of Talmudic thinking and the sovereign mode of modern Jewish law. Against Agamben's assertion of Judaism's end, this paper proposes that the current situation represents not an ending but a complex dialogue between exilic and sovereign legal forms. This tension, rather than signaling Judaism's demise, demonstrates its continuing vitality and capacity for legal and philosophical innovation.
MESSIANIC REST: SHABBAT AS REVOLUTIONARY INOPERATIVITY IN AGAMBEN'S THOUGHT

Pisano L. (Speaker)

NOVA University Lisbon ~ Lisbon ~ Portugal
In his exploration of human and animal distinctions, Giorgio Agamben introduces the notion of the "sabbatical animal," suggesting that humans uniquely possess the capacity to experience rest as a form of liberation. This concept aligns with his broader theory of inoperativity, a deliberate cessation of activity that disrupts the normative flow of life and reveals the potential for alternative ways of being. Within this framework, the Jewish Shabbat emerges as a compelling embodiment of inoperativity. Far from mere inactivity, Shabbat suspends ordinary activities, creating a temporal rupture that challenges the relentless demands of productivity and sovereignty. It serves as a model for revolutionary change, offering a vision of human life unshackled from socio- economic constraints. By engaging with Jewish thought, Agamben situates the Shabbat as a paradigm for messianic time—a time that is neither teleological nor static but transformative. However, Agamben's abstraction of the Shabbat overlooks its performative, ritualistic, and communal dimensions. His focus on its theoretical potential as inoperativity risks reducing it to an empty symbol, detached from the lived religious and cultural experiences of Jewish communities—a sort of "Shabbat without Shabbat." These critiques highlight the tension between Agamben's philosophical framework and the embodied realities of Shabbat as a practice that intertwines rest, ritual, and relationality. Moreover, his interpretation underscores the limitations of the communal aspect in Agamben's broader thought. This paper examines the strengths and limitations of Agamben's appropriation of the Shabbat, arguing for a more nuanced engagement with its dual function as both a revolutionary interruption and a deeply rooted communal practice.
UNREACHEABLE HUMANITY: MESSIANISM, DÉSOEUVREMENT, AND HUMAN NATURE

Salzani C. (Speaker)

Messerli Research Institute ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Agamben's deployment of Pauline (but also Benjaminian and Kafkan) messianism is aimed at the deposition, deactivation, and désoeuvrement of what he calls the "machines" of Western metaphysics, those apparatuses that perpetuate a system Agamben deems bankrupt and come to its end. A fundamental component - and perhaps even the foundation - of the theologico-political machine of the West is what Agamben calls the "anthropological machine," which from time to time "fabricates" the human by separating a superior, "rational" (but quite unstable) part from an inferior, "animal" foundation. The messianic deactivation of this machine, that is, of the division between "human" and "animal," Agamben explicitly argues in The Open (2002), is the only way to overcome its mortiferous workings which ultimately never succeeds in "producing" the human. At the same time, from early on in his career Agamben established an inextricable link between human voice and human nature, arguing that the inclusive exclusion of animal voice (phonè) from articulated speech (logos) is what produces the "human," a thesis he takes from Aristotle and reproposes and explores in his recent book, The Human Voice (2023). This theory of the voice ultimately condemns the definition of human nature to an infinite deferral: since a "true" human voice will emerge only when the division between phonè and logos is overcome, only this overcoming will allow for a "true" definition of human nature. The paper will analyze and explore the workings and contradictions of these two parallel theories of human nature, focusing on the meaning of the messianic désoeuvrement or discovering of the human. Is the human obtained from the messianic overcoming of the division between phonè and logos the same human obtained from the messianic overcoming of the division between "human" and "animal"?

Panel description: The study of the intersection of law, religion and territory has recently received considerable attention from scholars in various scientific fields. Less tied to modern statist interpretations of legal discourse or to confessional contexts, the comparative study of the relationship between law and religion, conducted by jurists, anthropologists, historians, sociologists and religious scholars, is experiencing a renaissance. This panel will explore the intertwining of legal and religious ideas, institutions and material objects from the early Middle Ages to the present day. The panel aims to bridge the academic study of the relationships between law, religion, geopolitics and socio-anthropological studies, and to introduce scholars from these fields to contemporary debates on challenges and transformations in comparative perspective

Papers:

TRANSFORMATIONS AND PERSISTENCE BETWEEN LAW AND RELIGION IN THE ITALIAN LEGAL SCIENCE OF THE MODERN AGE

Barbagli A. (Speaker)

Università di Catanzaro ~ Catanzaro ~ Italy
The Modern Age (XVIth-XVIII centuries) was a historical era of great transformations, from all points of view: religion, politics, culture, science, law, economy and social structure were affected by massive changes compared to the Middle Ages. It is enough to think of the birth of the modern State, the formation of the Reformed Churches, humanism, scientific, technological and geographical discoveries. In this context, canon law also had to deal with these glaring innovations, sometimes opposing them, sometimes adapting to them. This paper intends to focus on the response and contribution that the science of Italian canon law offered to the Church to confront the great historical transformations of the modern age.
SOVEREIGNTY AND LAW IN GILES OF ROME (C. 1243-1316): A BORDERLINE REFLECTION ON THE THRESHOLD OF MODERNITY

Colonna D. (Speaker)

Università di Genova ~ Genova ~ Italy
Between the 13th and 14th centuries Europe was the scene of profound socio-cultural transformations. The decline of the centres of power that had governed the continent for the last three centuries - the Empire and the Papacy - was matched by the emergence of new national realities, above all the Kingdom of France. A change in power relations made evident by a paradigmatic event such as the Avignon Captivity (1309) and even more so, within the limits of folklore, by the Slap of Anagni (1303). Medieval universalism, which had thus entered a crisis, opened the way for new forms of particularism in the institutional and legal spheres. The systematisation of knowledge carried out in these areas in the 13th century though influential, would become the subject of profound rethinking as early as the following century. The theological foundations of law and sovereignty in particular will be called into question. This process, multiform and not easy to read, finds a forerunner in Aegidius Romanus (c. 1243-1316), an Augustinian, a probable pupil of Aquinas, archbishop of Bourges (1295) and an undisputed protagonist of the institutional events that marked the turn of the century. Between 1277 and 1280 he wrote De regimine principum whose tutor he may have been. Here the author, starting from Aristotelian and Thomist premises, rethinks the relationship between law and sovereignty, strongly emphasising the role of the prince as implementer of natural law and dominus of positive law, thus anticipating future voluntarist tendencies. In 1302 he published De Ecclesiastica potestate (1302), which places him among the greatest theorists of papal plenitudo potestatis. These texts, like those of other 'borderline' authors, reread from a historical-legal perspective, allow the contradictions and intellectual ferment that characterised this season of late medieval thought to emerge, behind which one can already discern the modernity
A SEA OF SOULS: THE RELIGIOUS DISCIPLINE OF THE CREW (AS A FORM OF SOCIAL COHESION) IN HABSBURG MARITIME LAW

Furfaro Degasperi F. (Speaker)

Università di Genova ~ Genova ~ Italy
Emperor Charles VI of Habsburg laid the foundations of absolutist centralization and a precise mercantilist strategy that led a Central European, markedly terrestrial reality to aspire to the role of maritime power. Following in her father's footsteps, Maria Theresa, absolute protagonist of the season of eighteenth-century enlightened reformism, undertook to expand imperial mercantile traffic in the Adriatic and towards the East and, above all, to support them with an adequate apparatus of maritime law, culminating in the promulgation of the Editto Politico di Navigazione Mercantile austriaca (Political Edict of Austrian Merchant Shipping) of 1774. Destined to remain in force until the twentieth century, it represents the initial design of a more complete Austrian "Sea Code", which was pursued for over a century by subsequent Emperors and nevertheless remained a chimera. This paper intends to examine the provisions aimed at promoting the religious and moral discipline of the crew, which can be found in the main sources of Habsburg maritime law. These provisions take on a special relevance as a form of social cohesion in a doubly peculiar context, given by the naval community, on the one hand, and by its varied ethnic, confessional and linguistic composition, on the other. The latter constitutes the reflection of a multi-faceted geopolitical reality, that of the Habsburg Empire, which can be taken as a historical laboratory to reflect on the challenges of our contemporaneity
RELIGION AND NATIONAL LAW IN THE 18TH CENTURY NAPLES: TOWARDS THE FORMATION OF A NEAPOLITAN "ECCLESIASTICAL LAW"

Fiocca M.C. (Speaker)

Università di Roma La Sapienza ~ Roma ~ Italy
During the 18th century, Naples witnessed the proliferation of a substantial ecclesiastical legislation and a more invasive intervention of the State in religious matters: this in conjunction with the more general consolidation of a national law. The paper intends to examine, in the light of the legislative production and the specific collections of ecclesiastical law of this period, the emergence of a true national ecclesiastical law, that is a system of rules specific to the Neapolitan legal system, aimed not only at regulating the relations between the Kingdom of Naples and the Church of Rome, but also at directly influencing the religious life of its clergy and its subjects
NATURAL LAW AND THE LAW OF NATIONS: CHILEAN PERSPECTIVES IN THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY

Fiocchi Malaspina E. (Speaker)

Università di Zurigo ~ Zurigo ~ Switzerland
In the early nineteenth century, Chile, newly established as an independent nation, faced the challenge of developing a legal system that harmonized universal principles with the specific needs of the local context. Two legal and philosophical traditions played a crucial role in this process: natural law, conceived as a set of universal norms rooted in reason and human nature, and the law of nations, aimed at regulating relations between states through shared ethical principles grounded in reciprocity. These legal perspectives, profoundly influenced by European thought, found an intriguing expression in the works of Andrés Bello (1781-1865), a key figure in the legal codification of Latin America. Bello drew inspiration from the theories of Emer de Vattel (1714-1767), who, in his Droit des gens, systematized the principles of international law by combining them with the philosophy of natural law. Vattel's model, emphasizing state autonomy and mutual respect, significantly influenced Bello's thought, which he reinterpreted in light of the specific challenges faced by post-independence Chile. This presentation examines how the principles of natural law and the law of nations were received and adapted in the Chilean context, reflecting a dialogue between European traditions and Latin American realities. Through Bello's work, law became not only an instrument of regulation but also a means to define the identity of a new nation in the international arena
RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRACY IN CHILE: SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

Baghino A. (Speaker)

Università Alberto Hurtado di Santiago del Cile ~ Santiago del Cile ~ Chile
Chile is undergoing a period of profound social transformations that challenge the foundations of its democratic system and adherence to the rule of law. This paper examines how social movements have driven changes in the country's political and legal structure, revealing tensions between demands for social justice and institutional stability. Through an analysis of the constitutional reform process, the demands of Indigenous peoples, and the management of fundamental rights, this study reflects on the challenges Chile faces in building a democratic model that meets the demands of a society in constant flux
THE INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF RELIGIOSITY: NURTURING YOUNG MINISTERS OF FAITH AMONG TRANSNATIONAL FAMILIES. EVIDENCE FROM MOVIMIENTO MISIONERO MUNDIAL

Bonfanti S. (Speaker)

Università di Genova ~ Genova ~ Italy
Although research shows a general decline in religiosity in Western societies, religious transmission seems to be an under-researched phenomenon, especially in Italy. We do not know much about the dynamics of socialisation that take place in the family and the main factors that determine the success or failure of religious transmission from one generation to the next. Nevertheless, the family context represents the first agency of socialisation towards religion, from an early age, through experiences with parents, grandparents and relatives. On the other hand, in an era of religious diversification, migration is becoming increasingly important for national religious landscapes. However, the transmission of religion in foreign families and the impact of migration on family religiosity are still under-researched. This paper presents some research perspectives that have emerged from an extensive and ongoing study of the intergenerational transmission of religion using data from the Movimiento Misionero Mundial
CHANGES AND INVARIANCES IN THE MIGRATION-RELIGION NEXUS IN ITALY. A GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Spotorno M. (Speaker)

Università di Genova ~ Genova ~ Italy
Immigration and multiculturalism are key factors in social change in Italy. In the context of a globalised, complex and fluid society, the presence of second-generation immigrants, most of whom were born in Italy, has accelerated the crisis of the concept of Italian identity, has accelerated the crisis of the concept of Italian identity - traditionally understood as an Italian identity formed by the unity of religion, language, race and territorial belonging. Religion is part of the culture of young immigrants, who often have to negotiate their different religious attitudes in the private, social and territorial context, sometimes facing the effects of stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination that need to be deconstructed with the help of a new geographical perspective
SACRALITY OF NATURE IN GEO-HISTORICAL TRAVEL ACCOUNTS (C18TH-20TH): THE CASE OF THE LIGURIAN RIVIERA (NW ITALY)

Piana P. (Speaker) , Brocada L. (Speaker) , Porcelloni L. (Speaker)

Università di Genova ~ Genova ~ Italy
The relationship between religion and nature is extremely complex and has always been widely debated in literature even with respect to its territorial and ecological implications (Friedberg's Schmidt, 2004). In particular, Christianity has historically associated "conservationist" visions on the part of monastic orders such as the Benedictines and Franciscans, to the struggle toward pre-Christian cults related to natural elements, which sometimes led to the cutting down of ancient sacred forests (Borchi, 2004; Pungetti, 2018). One element that certainly unites all shades of Christianity is that of the traditionally association of the sacre with natural beauties. As Sajaloli and Grésillon (2019) observe at the level of personal experience, there is a plurality of perceptions of the sacred in relation to the landscape. In the face of grand scenery, there is a widespread narrative of one's smallness compared to the vastness of Nature. Such attitude emerges in historical travel accounts by travellers, where celebrations of forests, valleys, mountains, and so on, as works of God are very common. In this regard, references to the "Garden of Eden" are more frequent with respect to man-made landscapes rather than the wilderness, as is the practice in the domestic/wilderness duality typical of Western culture. Foreign travellers, particularly northern Europeans, once arrived on the shores of the Mediterranean, were caught by a vegetation and landscape never seen in their own country: citrus groves, olive groves, palm trees (Piana et al., 2018); this increased the awe and sense of the exotic that Genesis recalls.The paper proposes an analysis of sacred-related narratives contained in travel reports and views concerning the Ligurian Riviera (Italy) by the Grand-Tour travellers
MIGRANTS AND PARTICIPATION IN RELIGIOUS RITES, BETWEEN INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION, INTEGRATION AND ISOLATION: NOTES FROM AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN THE GENOESE AREA

Massa A. (Speaker)

Università di Genova ~ Genova ~ Italy
Based on materials from a recent qualitative study, carried out interviewing about twenty individuals currently living in the city of Genoa, Northern Italy, the paper deals with migrants' participation in the rites of their religion, in a context different from that of their society of origin. Its main goal is to understand whether such participation, which obviously has different modes in different religious faiths and is a moment of social inclusion, can be also a factor of social integration or exclusion regarding the society of settlement
HALAL TOURISM AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REGENERATE EUROPEAN TOURISM

Mangano S. (Speaker)

Università di Genova ~ Genova ~ Italy
Halal tourism represents an increasing segment within the global tourism sector, catering to the needs of Muslim travellers seeking experiences aligned with the principles of Sharia. This sector has significant growth potential, given the large proportion of young individuals within the global Muslim population, characterized by demographic trends typical of societies in a developmental phase. Moreover, these travellers often demonstrate a high level of digital literacy, enabling them to seamlessly engage with the increasingly digitized tourism industry. This includes leveraging specialized platforms that facilitate access to tailored offers and essential information for planning travel that adheres to religious precepts. Halal tourism presents a critical opportunity for diversifying and innovating European tourism. Europe is particularly well-suited to attract this kind of travellers, as it can offer halal-friendly services with relatively minimal economic investment. Such services ensure the possibility of engaging in tourism while respecting religious norms. Investing in halal tourism would not only enable Europe to tap into new tourism flows but also enhance its reputation as a welcoming and inclusive destination. Countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany have already showcased successful initiatives by highlighting Islamic heritage and providing customized experiences. Conversely, countries like Italy are currently assessing whether, and to what extent, it would be advantageous to enter this market. The purpose of this study is to examine these best practices and determine the most effective strategies for attracting these customers. The focus is on identifying essential versus supplementary actions to integrate halal tourism into the offerings of destinations that have traditionally targeted other segments. This approach aims to maximize the potential of halal tourism as a complementary dimension of Europe's tourism landscape

Panel description: Historically, sermons in Islam have had the function of teaching norms (beyond the legal sphere) and ethical education. They contribute to the understanding of rituals and convey the knowledge associated with them. As rituals of interaction, they form group identity, but they can also be a medium of political communication. In post-migrant society, the role of imams is complex and changes. There is not always a match between imams, who are often trained abroad, and the needs of community members, who vary according to generation and socialisation context. In addition, imams face many different expectations from people outside the community. Social, political and media discourses are predominantly critical and even hostile towards Islam. The panel will discuss the extent to which imams refer to the social context, the minority position of Muslims and discourses about Islam. This includes how they define group identity internally and externally, how they address relations with non-Muslims, and what norms of social coexistence they promote. What religious values, norms, attitudes and patterns of interpretation do sermons convey, and what political implications, if any, are attached to them? Is there a fundamental change in the form and function of sermons, or do the political references simply relate more strongly to the post-migrant social context? We encourage papers that explore different settings of religious speech and teaching (such as khuṭba, waʿẓ, lesson, lecture, including virtual space). How do preachers establish authority in their sermons, and what rival authorities do they distinguish themselves from? We are also interested in the reception of sermons (and other formats). To what extent do they shape, confirm or irritate Muslims' understanding of norms, if there is any agreement on content at all? What are the differences between mosques of different orientations, assuming that they compete for audiences?

Papers:

IMPLICATIONS OF POLITICAL NARRATIVES IN AUSTRIAN FRIDAY SERMONS

Mehmedi I. (Speaker)

Dokumentationsstelle Politischer Islam ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This paper aims to explore the political discourse embedded within Friday sermons delivered by prominent imams in Austria, focusing on their deviation from mainstream religious narratives. Traditional Friday sermons (sing.: khutbah) typically emphasize moral guidance, spiritual growth, and the dissemination of religious norms. However, a subset of imams in Austria has emerged, using the pulpit to address political and ideological issues, often blending religious rhetoric with contemporary socio-political commentary (political grievances, social justice, critiques of Western policies, identity politics, references to international political conflicts, calls to political action etc.). This paper is based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of selected sermons to examine the extent to which political-Islamic themes permeate these discourses. The methodology involves the documentation and transcription of Friday sermons delivered in mosques known for their politically active imams, followed by thematic content analysis. By identifying recurring political narratives, the study aims to shed light on the potential influence of these sermons on congregational attitudes and their broader socio-political implications within Austria's Muslim community. Furthermore, this paper will contextualize these findings within Austria's legal and social framework, discussing the implications for religious freedom, social integration, and state-religion relations. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute to the broader discourse on political Islam in Europe by offering an Austrian case study of the convergence of religion and politics in public religious spaces.
RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL MEANINGS IN FRIDAY SERMONS IN AUSTRIAN AND GERMAN MOSQUES

Hennig L. (Speaker)

University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
In our paper, we will present results from an ongoing research project in which we are analysing sermons of various mosques in Austria and Germany. Our reconstructive approach based on objective hermeneutics has so far revealed two main types of sermons. The first type conveys religious messages and shows ways to religious salvation and ethical life conduct, often linking this-worldly and other-worldly salvation. The second type focuses on socio-political issues, such as coexistence and relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, violence in the name of Islam or antimuslim prejudice. Within this type, a distinction can be made between a pole of inward criticism, i.e. of the Muslim community and a disintegrative understanding of Islam, and a pole of criticism of Western societies as disintegrative. On the basis of the data, we want to show that a very precise distinction must be made in order to identify the overlaps between socio-political positioning and political Islam.

Panel description: The concept of "diversity" as a result of globalized societies has gained momentum in Europe. When analyzing the framework, however, it becomes clear that there is a discrepancy between "good" or legitimized forms of diversity and rather "bad" connoted categories. Against this background the question arises of how rather marginalized categories of diversity such as religious affiliation influence the orientation of concerned subjects inside the society. Through an interdisciplinary approach this panel reflects on how diversity is constructed and navigated across various domains such as public discourse, spiritual care, education and Islamic theology. These lenses allow us to explore how societal boundaries are drawn, how diversity is both shaped and contested in contemporary societies and how belonging is experienced and negotiated within different spheres of life, the communities, the institutions, and against the background of the current socio-political climate.

Papers:

ISLAMIC THEOLOGY AND THE DYNAMICS OF "GOOD" AND "BAD" DIVERSITY

Kocyigit I. (Speaker)

University of Fribourg ~ Fribourg ~ Switzerland
The paper examines the ways in which diversity is interpreted as either "good" or "bad" within the context of Islamic theology. The analysis is centred on the Sunni work al-Farq bayn - al Firaq by al Baġdādī (d. 1037) and the Shiite work Nahj al-Ḥaqq wa Kashf al-Ṣidq by al-Ḥillī (d. 1325). The analysis considers the ways in which diversity is presented as either a possibility or a desirable outcome or conversely as an impossibility or a problematic phenomenon. The comparison demonstrates how the same sources are utilised and interpreted in ways that legitimise specific group affiliations. It highlights the role of theological approaches in constructing inclusion and exclusion, as well as the boundaries between accepted and rejected forms of diversity. Furthermore, the study examines how the methodologies of these two traditions reinforce their respective exclusive truth claims. The objective is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying theological interpretations of difference and to illustrate the dynamics involved in the perception of diversity. Consequently, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how theological traditions engage with difference and the significance this holds for their self-definition.
"YOU ARE ONE OF THE GOOD ONES" - INTERSECTIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON SCHOOL EXPERIENCES OF YOUNG MUSLIMS.

Ahmadi Z. (Speaker)

University of Fribourg ~ Fribourg ~ Switzerland
This paper investigates the resources and challenges that young Muslims experience within diverse societies. It addresses the question of how they negotiate their multiple belongings within the framework of a society that is marked by diversity and find resources to orient themselves. The focus will lay on the discursive production of "good" and "bad" Muslims, on the one hand inside school spaces and on the other hand in extracurricular activities within Muslim spaces, as the meanings attributed to the categories may differ accordingly. The aim is to look at strategies and resources but also limits in dealing with the intersectional discriminations encountered within these productions. We explore the role of resources for emancipation or compliance with the imposed patterns as well as possibilities for transformation.
NAVIGATING WITHIN A NORMATIVE CONCEPTION OF DIVERSITY: PERFORMANCE AND STAGING OF MULTIPLE BELONGINGS AS A MEDIUM FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION(S).

Dupuis S. (Speaker)

University of Fribourg ~ Fribourg ~ Switzerland
Based on empirical research, this paper examines the ways in which post-migrant Muslims living in French-speaking Switzerland navigate and orient themselves within a social space characterized by a normative understanding of diversity. In particular, it explores the ways in which post-migrant Muslims' staging and performances of multiple belonging play a role in the ongoing process of (re)negotiating the social boundaries of 'good' diversity. By interrogating the orientation resources mobilized by this social group to construct a good life for themselves, this paper sheds light on the entanglement between the notions of orientation and diversity. Furthermore, it highlights the potential for social transformation produced by actions of people belonging to a minorized group.
UNDERSTANDING OF DIVERSITY FROM A PROFESSIONAL POSITION: MUSLIM CHAPLAINS IN HOSPITAL.

Ucak-Ekinci D. (Speaker)

University of Fribourg ~ Fribourg ~ Switzerland
This paper explores how Muslim healthcare chaplains understand and navigate diversity from their professional positions. In a context shaped by societal categorizations of 'good' and 'bad' diversity, chaplains often mediate between institutional frameworks, patient needs and their own theological principles. Focusing on their daily interactions with patients, families and healthcare teams, the paper examines how Muslim chaplains navigate and conceptualize diversity concerning cultural, religious and linguistic differences. By reviewing their experiences, the paper sheds light on the challenges and opportunities of managing diversity in hospitals, highlighting the importance of reflective practice and intercultural competence. The paper contributes to wider reflections on how diversity is constructed, contested, and experienced in contemporary spiritual care settings by focusing on the evolving role of Muslim chaplains in contemporary healtcare contexts.

Panel description: Description This panel examines the significance of Said Nursi's Risale-i Nur (Epistles of Light), a contemporary Qur'anic commentary, in addressing modern societal challenges and offering transformative solutions in daily life grounded in faith, moral values and spirituality. As societies face issues such as moral fragmentation, polarization, and the spiritual void left by materialism, Nursi's writings provide a framework for spiritual renewal, social harmony, and constructive dialogue. The discussion will explore the Risale-i Nur's potential to bridge gaps between religious and secular spheres, foster unity, and inspire moral action in today's world. Objectives • Analyze Risale-i Nur as a revitalizing text that harmonizes faith and reason, providing practical solutions to contemporary issues. • Highlight its capacity to promote unity in pluralistic societies through tolerance and mutual respect. • Examine its insights into individual moral transformation as a foundation for social change. • Discuss its role in addressing modern challenges such as consumerism, violence, environmental crises, and social alienation. Target Audience Scholars in religion, sociology, psychology, political science, and philosophy; policymakers; students of Islamic studies; and individuals interested in the intersection of religion and social transformation, and comparative studies. The panel invites scholars and practitioners to contribute insights or case studies that highlight the transformative potential of the Risale-i Nur.

Papers:

FINDING EQUILIBRIUM IN CULTURAL EXPERIMENTATION OF THE EARLY REPUBLIC: PEACEFUL SOCIO-POLITICAL CHANGE IN TURKEY

Kurt H. (Speaker)

Northeastern University ~ Boston ~ United States of America
This paper examines how first readers of the Risale-i Nur texts in Early Republican Turkey worked constructively to reshape the radical Kemalist secularism and to revise Turkish identity formation for a more tolerant secular regime and a more Muslim component in the newly constructed Turkish national identity. In the face of an authoritarian reformist period, Risale-i Nur readers initiated a network of Republic of Letters in the provinces through which they contended indirectly with the cultural experimentations of the Early Republic that tended to suppress "unauthorized knowledge of Islam" and impose Super-Westernization. Nur students individually transformed themselves to gain spirituality. They resisted some of the Kemalist reforms, such as "Turkified Islam," in their daily lives using "weapons of the weak." Still, they also worked collectively in the democratic opening period to fully seek their civil and human rights during the transition into multiparty politics in 1945-1950. I explain the foundational teachings and principles of the Risale-i Nur that made this astonishingly peaceful social transformation possible in response to the enlightened despotism of the Turkish Republic. I utilize subaltern theory to analyze state-religion relations regarding the discursive contestation of the commonfolk with the "internalized Orientalism" of Kemalist ideology. Instead of focusing on institutions, I look into actual relations between the state and religious people, and so I develop a relational approach to investigate socio-political change.
MUHAMMAD ABDUH AND SAID NURSI'S MODELS OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE: EPISTEMOLOGICAL ACCOMMODATION VS. EPISTEMOLOGICAL RUPTURE

Yildiz A. (Speaker)

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University ~ Istanbul ~ Turkey
This study explores the approaches to religious education reform of Muhammad Abduh, a leading figure in late 19th-century Islamic thought, and Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, the author of the Risale-i Nur during the early Republican era. Their respective projects, al-Azhar and Madrasa'tuz-Zehra, are examined with a historical and institutional comparative perspective. Abduh concluded that addressing the challenges of Western modernity required a new model of the exemplary Muslim, achievable only through reforming religious education. For Abduh, this reform meant modernizing al-Azhar, the central institution for both public and elite education. Reforming al-Azhar's administration and curriculum became synonymous with reforming religious education itself. His reform initiative emphasized the supremacy of human reason over revelation while maintaining a strong focus on the Islamic notion of tawhid. He believed incorporating new sciences into al-Azhar's curriculum and reorganizing it according to Western university models would elevate al-Azhar's status, empower the ulema, and foster socio-economic development. In contrast, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi argued that the challenge of modernity could only be addressed through an epistemological rupture. His proposed epistemological foundation, Mana-yı Harfi, emphasized understanding revelation through reason and modern sciences. Unlike Abduh, Nursi rejected attributing transcendental significance to human reason. Like Abduh, Nursi prioritized education over politics and proposed reforms aimed at fostering unity and progress among Kurdish, Ottoman, and Muslim societies. Nursi's model sought to neutralize the divisive effects of nationalism and sectarianism, reinforce pluralism, and emphasize hard work as the only legitimate means of social mobility. Key Words: Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, Muhammad Abduh, religious education reform, epistemological rupture/accommodation, modernity.

Panel description: The panel aims to explore and analyse the varying modes and outcomes of theological endeavour practised within contemporary Muslim (minority) community and scholarly contexts. Exploring the varying processes of contextualisation, the panel will highlight the ways in which contextualisation of Islam has been conceptualised within varying intra-religious Islamic traditions. The discussion will highlight the significance of socio-cultural and political shifts, informed by secularisation, nation states and immigration, and how these changes contribute to the emergence and/or contextualisation of different Islamic traditions. Within the context of 'Religion and Socio-Cultural Transformation', through an interdisciplinary approach, this panel will also address and nuance the complex relationship between the various Islamic traditions and their respective developments. Participants will further seek to explore the intra-religious challenges these diverse Islamic traditions face, the hierarchies that continue to be negotiated, religious autonomy and what it means to seek a contextualised Islam in the Global North and beyond.

Papers:

TITLE: CROSS-CULTURAL SECTARIANISM: HISTORY OF INTRA-RELIGIOUS POLEMICS BETWEEN DEOBAND AND BARELVI IN A SECULAR BRITISH SOCIETY.

Bhamji T. (Speaker)

University of Wales Trinity Saint David ~ Caredigion ~ United Kingdom
Sectarian labels of Deoband and Barelvi are widely used today to uphold the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah (the people of Sunna and the Majority Muslim Community) and cover a range of normative Sunni scholastic methodology, doctrine, jurisprudence and spirituality. Starting from this observation, sectarian labels radically challenge the origins of sectarian identities extended to Deoband and Barelvi traditions, which converge and diverge over a range of identities and beliefs yet belong to the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah in Islam. Islamic studies scholars, social scientists, and others alike have widely covered foundational questions held by Deobandis and Barelvis, including the content of their beliefs and the boundaries between them. However, the origins of the sectarian identities of Deoband and Barelvi in Islam largely remain an open debate for historians, theologians, and political scientists. This paper will theorise the origins of Deoband and Barelvi's identity in Islam and its implications across time. Through an interdisciplinary approach of histography and reception history, this discussion will cover some of the main methodological, thematic and theoretical issues relating to the study of sectarianism, Deoband and Barelvi's political identities and the challenge in understanding what these labels mean in the larger field of Islamic studies and British Islam. Ultimately, the paper advocates for Deoband and Barelvi to foster intra-religious dialogue and promote Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah that recognises and celebrates unity as part of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah without reducing Deoband and Barelvi labels to predetermined templates of sectarian identity.
SPIRITUAL HYBRIDITY: EXPLORING THE SUFIS OF BRITAIN.

Iqbal H. (Speaker)

Coventry University ~ Coventry ~ United Kingdom
Sufis communities in Britain have gained a great deal of attention in the post-migration settlement of large numbers of Muslims to the UK in the latter part of the 20th century particularly from South Asia (Geaves 1996). Literature has been produced in relation to Sufi brotherhoods (turuq) (Geaves 2014), authority (murshid-murid relationships) (Iqbal 2024), and identity formation (Hamid 2014) since the mid-1990's in relation to Sufism in Britain. This paper, however, will discuss the way in which Sufi communities in Britain have, and continue to, navigate the landscape of British Islam, and contextualise their spiritual teachings, in the ever-changing and complexifying context of contemporary Britain. Through the epistemological lens of practical theology, the presenter will discuss ideas pertaining to contextualisation, hybridisation, and the varying expressions of Sufism in contemporary Britain, based on qualitative research interviews and the empirical data collated therein. The presentation seeks to add nuance and complexify notions of Sufism in Britain and how, as the presenter will argue, Sufism in Britain continues to evolve and hybridise and express itself as a unique but evolving part of the Muslim community experience. Withstanding intra-religious polemic and depoliticization, the presenter will discuss the mechanisms employed by Sufi communities and individuals to express and preserve the spiritual tradition in an ever-changing Britain.

Panel description: The panel "Social Catholicism in the Southern Cone of Latin America in the 20th Century" aims to analyze the influence of social Catholicism in the countries of the Southern Cone (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil) in the 20th century. We want to review the different ways in which social Catholicism materialized in the national Churches, analyzing its role in the historical development of these Churches and its interaction with politics in the different countries. From the influence of the encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891) through Quadragesimo anno (1931), the role of worker priests, the impact of the Second Vatican Council and liberation theology to the Catholic resistance to the last dictatorships, the idea is to compare the role and influence of the actors of social Catholicism in these predominantly Catholic countries, but with very different Church-State relations in the 20th century. In this way, the panel promises to shed light on a very important variant of Latin American Catholicism and its relations and interdependence with the political world and societies of the Southern Cone. With the idea of incorporating presentations on different periods of the 20th century, the aim is to be able to follow the historical development of social Catholicism and to take into account the political and ecclesiastical context in which its different variants were configured in the countries of the Southern Cone. In this way, we hope to be able to contribute to a better understanding of a catholic doctrine that had an important boom in the Latin American continent, but whose importance spread beyond its borders.

Papers:

CHILEAN HIERARCHY AND APOSTOLIC NUNCIATURE IN THE 1930´S AND 1940´S: POLÍTICAL AND RELIGIOUS STRATEGIES IN TIMES OF DANGER

Botto A. (Speaker)

Universidad Finis Terrae ~ Santiago ~ Chile
The objective of this paper is to show how the postulates of the Social Doctrine of the Church, established clearly in the encyclicals Rerum Novarum (1891) and Quadragesimo Anno (1931) and the so-called "social Catholicism" had enormous influence on the doctrinal conflicts that began to appear within Chilean Catholicism starting in the 1930s. These differences were manifested through numerous documents and also left innumerable testimonies. According to a deep-rooted interpretation made by Chilean historiography, these differences between Catholics would have had a marked political interest; However, this paper seeks to call that interpretation into question, insisting on the doctrinal aspects and how the different interpretations of the work and influence of Catholicism in the public space resulted not only in the political division of Catholics, by splitting Catholic youth from the monopoly of the Conservative Party, but also by raising the possibility of the existence of Catholic pluralism, very much in line with the approaches that the French philosopher Jacques Maritain was spreading, and which would have serious consequences for the supposed Catholic unity of Chileans. This presentation aims to study the phenomenon of the division of Chilean Catholics at the end of the 1930s and during the 1940s, in the light of new documents kept in the Apostolic Archives of the Vatican, incorporating the perspective of the Chilean hierarchy and the Apostolic nunciature in the face of a political-religious context in which Catholicism was threatened not only by the evident expansion of leftist thought in the country, but also by the arrival of the Popular Front to power.
JOSEPH CARDIJN, SOCIAL CATHOLICISM IN CHILE AND ARGENTINA AND ANTI-COMMUNISM

Ruderer S. (Speaker)

Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile ~ Santiago ~ Chile
The proposed paper aims to analyze the vision of Joseph Cardijn, Belgian priest and founder of the Catholic Workers Youth (JOC), on the potential and development of social Catholicism in Chile and Argentina in the 1940s to 1960s. After World War II, Cardijn traveled several times to both countries and recorded his impressions about the need for social Catholicism and the fight against communism during the emerging Cold War. At the same time, his presence had a strong impact on the development of the JOC in both countries. Starting from Cardijn's own annotations, collected in the Cardijn archive in Brussels, which are contrasted with the local sources of the JOC in Chile and Argentina, the aim is to comparatively analyze the state of social Catholicism in Chile and Argentina, seen by a foreign, but very influential, observer. The hypothesis is that Cardijn's presence in Chile and Argentina had a great influence on the development of the JOC organization, since he provided a political frame of reference, the fight against communism, for the legitimization of the JOC, which was received in a somewhat different way by the ecclesiastical hierarchy in both countries. This different impact can help us better understand the development of social Catholicism and certain differences in the relationship between the hierarchy and progressive Catholics in both countries. Thus, new light can be shed on the fight against communism in Argentine and Chilean Catholic circles and, due to the transnational analysis, it is possible to highlight the differences and similarities between both countries. Furthermore, Cardijn's vision can be contrasted with the development of the JOC in both countries in order to reach a more balanced judgment on the importance of social Catholicism in Chile and Argentina in important decades for the history of the Catholic Church in these countries.
THE JUVENTUDE OPERÁRIA CATÓLICA (JOC) IN THE AMAZON AND NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL, 1950S-1960S

Mcdonald D. (Speaker)

Faculty of History | Latin American Centre University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
This paper considers how regional differences shaped the experience of social Catholicism in South America through an examination of the Brazilian Young Christian Workers (JOC, Juventude Operária Católica) in the Amazon and Northeastern Brazil from 1947 to the early years of Brazil's civil-military dictatorship. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Brazilian JOC grew into one of the most active and largest national branches within the international movement. The visit of Father Joseph Cardijn to the Southern Cone in 1947 helped galvanize the JOC across the region, including in Brazil. Initially, the Brazilian JOC concentrated in the swiftly industrializing center-south and south of the country in states like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul. Over the next two decades, the JOC spread across Brazil's vast territory to areas like the Amazon and the Northeast whose economies remained dominated by agricultural exports like cotton and related industrial activities such as textile manufacturing. Here, I suggest that the JOC in the Amazon and the Northeast gave Brazilian social Catholicism a more national vision by linking emerging forms of industrial precarity in the center-south with deep-rooted agricultural export economy of the north and northeast. The spread of the movement into these regions coincided with a surge in agrarian and labor conflict in the 1950s and 1960s and brought new perspectives into the national JOC that would shape its comportment in the transnational Catholic youth workers' movement. To trace this process, this paper draws on research from archives across Brazil and from the JOCI archives at KADOC (KU Leuven) in Belgium. In doing so, it shows how experiences in Latin American regions typically excluded from the histories of one of the most emblematic lay movements associated with social Catholicism, the JOC, contributed to its global evolution.
UNIONISM IN THE EPISTOLARY OF THE BISHOP MANUEL LARRAÍN. FROM CATHOLIC UNIONS TO CATHOLIC PARTICIPATION IN UNIONS

Fernández J.I. (Speaker)

Universidad Católica del Maule ~ Talca ~ Chile
The Chilean bishop Manuel Larraín is one of the most relevant figures of the Latin American Catholic Church of the 20th century. His figure is reflected in various actions, some of which maintain their impact until today. Among the most notable actions are his intervention in favor of the freedom of Catholics to choose which political party to belong to, his essential participation in the creation of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), his episcopal role in the evolution of unionism and the delivery of Church lands to express the need for agrarian reform. This article addresses the development of his position regarding Catholic unionism in Chile. On this occasion, his epistolary, currently being edited, is used as a main source. These letters bring light from intimate reflection, at the same time, which reveal to us the evolution of its position, which ranges from the recognition of the value of the phenomenon, through the justification of Catholic unions, to the point of recognizing that the circumstances make preferable the action of Catholics within the unions to which they are affiliated.
THE USE OF RELIGIOUS SOCIOLOGY IN THE SERVICE OF PASTORAL PLANNING AND THE OVERCOMING OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT (1952-1966). MANUEL LARRAÍN AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF 'THE CONCRETE AND AUTHENTIC REALITY OF OUR WORLD'

Álvarez Sj C. (Speaker)

ITER/Universidad Alberto Hurtado PUC-Chile ~ Santiago ~ Chile
How did sociology develop in the Catholic world between 1952 and 1966? What role did Bishop Manuel Larraín play in the development of the sociology of religion in Chile? How was the sociology of religion articulated with theology in the 1960s? These are some of the questions that this contribution aims to address. The reception in Chile of the Social Doctrine of the Church and the evolution of social Catholicism, its intellectuals and spirituals, allow us to discover the role of transnational movements in the development of the social sciences within the Catholic Church. At the end of Pius XII's pontificate (1958), Latin American countries played a key role in this process, in particular through the foundation of CELAM (Conferencia Episcopal de América Latina) and the impetus given to FERES (Federación Internacional de Investigaciones Socio religiosas). The global geopolitical context, marked by the Cold War, the threat of communism and Protestantism, fundamentally influenced the development of a discipline that began to be seen, at least from Manuel Larraín's point of view, as a theological place. The present contribution, using as a basis the unpublished correspondence of Manuel Larraín, seeks to explore the relationship of the bishop of Talca with the sociology of religion, and above all, the enormous impulse he gave to it within CELAM and the Chilean Church, having an important place in the elaboration of the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes of the Vatican Council II. To this end, we will deal with the way in which the sociology of religion is conceived at the service of pastoral planning; the problem of underdevelopment and Christian sociology; François Houtart and his support for FERES; the link between socio-religious studies and theology in the drafting of Gaudium et Spes.
CHILE'S CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, POWER, AND DEMOCRACY

Giraudier É. (Speaker)

Franklin College, IN, United States ~ Indianapolis ~ United States of America
This proposal analyses the complex relationships between the Chilean Christian Democratic Party (Partido Democrata Cristiano, PDC), the Church and the political power. From the end of the 1940s to 1973, the Church and the Christian Democracy had parallel evolutions leading to a joint expression of their respective political views. From 1973 to 1990, while the partisan life was non-existent or highly restricted, the Church became a forefront political actor, the voice against the dictatorship. Following the return of democracy, the Christian Democratic Party became again the Church political arm, but it was competed by the right and the context was different: the Chilean society post-Pinochet was depoliticized, deconsecrated and completely entered the market economy and the era of the consumption. Few studies of Chile's PDC have examined its long-term relationship with the Catholic Church and the religious sphere. The period from the late 1950s to 2010, is unevenly documented. Some sources were destroyed during the coup d'état; others are scattered or found in unexpected places. The archives of La Unión, the daily newspaper of the bishopric of Valparaíso, for example, are in the Museo Marítimo Nacional. Diocesan and archdiocesan archives, as well as those of the congregations, are officially non-existent, having been "burnt." The study presented here is therefore based on publications by the Chilean Catholic Church, the newspaper La Unión, the Jesuit review Mensaje, government programs and Christian Democratic press (Política y Espíritu) and works (autobiographies, testimonies, training manuals). Oral and iconographic sources complete this initial collection, such as interviews with Christian Democrats, priests and bishops, as well as the archives of Radio Cooperativa and Canal 13, photographs held by the Casa Museo Frei.
LATIN AMERICAN THEOLOGY AS A BATTLEFIELD: POLITICAL-INTELLECTUAL CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING LIBERATION THEOLOGY, 1970-1980.

Fernández M. (Speaker)

Universidad Alberto Hurtado ~ Santiago ~ Chile
From the 1960s onwards, the Catholic universe, and theology in particular, became a battlefield. The emergence of organisations of priests and nuns with a vocation for social change - inspired by the concept of revolution and the rapprochement with Marxism - in Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Chile made it clear that the relationship between Christianity and left-wing politics was a concrete form of interpretation of the orientations of the Second Vatican Council and the Medellín Conference. Parallel to this was the theological reflection that would lead to Liberation Theology. On the other hand, in most Latin American Episcopal Conferences, as well as in the institution that grouped them together, CELAM, actions were articulated that sought to stop what they considered to be a radicalisation of the clergy, going so far as to proscribe - as in the case of Christians for Socialism - its existence. At the same time, a series of theological reflections were developed with the aim of questioning the essential assumptions of Liberation Theology. In this way, and thanks to the review of original documentation from the archives of the University of Louvain, CELAM, Juan Luis Segundo and Alberto Methol Ferré archives and theological publications of continental scope, it will be possible to give an account of a debate that from the beginning went beyond the field of theology and the frontiers of the continent. Yes, since the reaction of progressive Christian organisations led to associations of global scope - such as Christians for Socialism and the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians - and the critique of Liberation Theology was a central part of the agenda in Rome.

Panel description: This panel explores the phenomenon of Western converts to non-Western faith traditions through the lens of (post)colonial theory, interrogating whether such conversions represent an extension of cultural colonialism or a genuine engagement with religious diversity. For the purpose of this panel, conversion is broadly defined to include both formal conversion or the adoption of faith practices without formal conversion. As Western individuals increasingly adopt spiritual practices and religious identities rooted in traditions such as Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and indigenous religions, questions arise about the power dynamics, cultural appropriation, and authenticity involved in these acts. Are these conversions an unintentional assertion of Western hegemony over global faith traditions, or can they signify a meaningful de-centering of Western spiritual paradigms? The panel will explore how the legacy of colonialism/Western hegemony complicates the relationship between Western converts and the communities they join, highlighting issues of representation, privilege, and economic disparity. Particular attention will be given to how Western converts reshape these traditions, whether by exoticizing them, adapting them to Western sensibilities, or perpetuating orientalist and essentialist frameworks. Furthermore, the panel examines the responses of non-Western communities to these conversions, considering both moments of solidarity and tension. By drawing on interdisciplinary approaches, this discussion seeks to illuminate the ways in which conversion intersects with broader themes of cultural exchange, appropriation, and resistance in a postcolonial world. We invite papers which take both/either a contemporary or historical focus as well as those which take a comparative approach.

Papers:

THE COMMODIFICATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN RELIGION

Dees S. (Speaker)

Iowa State University ~ Ames ~ United States of America
This paper examines the commodification of Native American religious practices and spiritual symbols in the context of global capitalism and cultural appropriation. It explores how sacred traditions, rituals, and objects from Native American cultures are often stripped of their cultural and spiritual significance to be repackaged, marketed, and consumed by non-Native audiences. From the proliferation of "shamanic workshops" and "spirit animal guides" to the sale of dreamcatchers and ceremonial smudging kits, this commodification raises critical questions about authenticity, exploitation, and the legacy of colonialism. Using a (post)colonial framework, the paper investigates the power imbalances inherent in this dynamic, where non-Native individuals and corporations profit from sacred traditions while Indigenous communities struggle to preserve their heritage and sovereignty. It further analyzes how these practices intersect with broader patterns of cultural appropriation, the erasure of Native voices, and the romanticization of Indigenous spirituality in Western imaginaries. Through case studies and analysis of contemporary cultural trends, the paper argues that the commodification of Native American religion is not merely a benign form of cultural exchange but an extension of settler colonialism, perpetuating systemic inequalities and denying Indigenous peoples the authority to define and protect their spiritual traditions. The paper concludes by considering potential pathways for decommodifying Native American religion, centering Indigenous perspectives, and fostering genuine cross-cultural understanding.
UNROLLING THE MAT: THE COLONIAL LEGACY AND COMMODIFICATION OF YOGA IN THE GLOBAL NORTH

Jain A.R. (Speaker)

Indiana University Indianapolis ~ Indianapolis ~ United States of America
This paper explores the commodification and cultural transformation of yoga in the Global North through a (post)colonial lens, analyzing how a sacred Indian tradition has been appropriated, rebranded, and commercialized in ways that obscure its spiritual and cultural origins. As yoga has become a multi-billion-dollar global industry, it has shifted from a holistic spiritual discipline rooted in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions to a secularized wellness product catering to Western consumerism. This process raises critical questions about authenticity, cultural exploitation, and the erasure of yoga's deeper philosophical and religious dimensions. Drawing on (post)colonial theory, the paper traces yoga's historical journey from colonial India, where it was selectively reinterpreted by British Orientalists, to its reintroduction to the West as a tool for physical fitness and stress relief in the 20th century. This analysis reveals how yoga's commodification perpetuates orientalist narratives, presenting it as a universal practice while sidelining its South Asian roots and the voices of its original practitioners. The paper also critiques the dynamics of privilege and power inherent in the Western yoga industry, where predominantly white practitioners and influencers often profit from a practice that many South Asians struggle to reclaim in diaspora settings. The rise of "yoga tourism" and the selective appropriation of Sanskrit terminology further exemplify how yoga's commodification reinforces global inequalities and perpetuates a neo-colonial relationship between the Global North and South.

Panel description: The Greek Bible has recently been explored widely from the point of view of its language and translation techniques; it is nowadays clear that the Septuagint deserves a place in the history of the Greek language in the Hellenistic period. In this frame, the study of Septuagint lexicography has become more and more relevant, especially thanks to the preliminary studies and the publication of the Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint (ed. by Eberhard Bons and Daniela Scialabba, in collaboration with Anna Mambelli; 4 vols., Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020-). This panel aims to bring together scholars from different ongoing European research projects that aim at placing the language of the Greek Bible in conversation with its Hellenistic context and Postclassical Greek, by exploring relevant themes and linguistic choices in an interdisciplinary framework. The issues explored by the panel include: a) Septuagint lexicography and translation techniques; b) Septuagint vocabulary in relation to the Greek world; c) The contribution of the Septuagint to the history of the Greek language; d) Current avenues in translating and studying the Septuagint in European universities.

Papers:

CONTINUITY AND PERSEVERANCE: A PHILOLOGICAL STUDY OF A KEYWORD IN THE GREEK VERSIONS OF SIRACH

Scialabba D. (Speaker)

Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome/FSCIRE, Bologna ~ Rome ~ Italy
This paper aims to analyse four significant words of the same root used in the Greek versions of the book of Sirach: ἐνδελεχίζω, ἐνδελεχής, ἐνδελεχισμός, ἐνδελεχῶς. The approach is chiefly philological and consists in comparing the Greek texts with extant Hebrew fragments. Furthermore, the paper explores the specific use of this word group in different occurrences in LXX Sirach against the background of the translated books of the Septuagint and non-biblical Greek, inscriptions included.
THE ROOTS OF ἘΠΙΣΤΉΜΗ IN THE SEPTUAGINT AND POSTCLASSICAL GREEK

Bigoni L. (Speaker)

University of Bologna/FSCIRE, Bologna ~ Bologna ~ Italy
The concept of "episteme" has had a phenomenal impact on the intellectual lexicon of Europe and the Western world. The Greek root behind such an impactful concept is prima facie a straightforward way of speaking about knowledge, yet the nuances of what knowledge means are manyfold, and the root naturally crosses genres and eras within Greek literature and available documentary sources. This paper explores the role of the root within the Greek Bible, in conversation with extra-biblical usages, to underline the specific nuances and translation strategies of the translators when they approached the idea in different contexts. It also shows some of the results of the lexical research in preparation of the corresponding HTLS article.

Panel description: This panel explores the intersection of gender and environment. "Gender"- in our panel- would mean going beyond binary schemes unawarded in deep (Naess) and social ecology (Bookchin) and intents to make another step after the wise inputs of ecofeminists (Waren, Plumwood, Shiva) and current ecofeminist theologians. Karen Barad (2011) offers an interesting perspective on nature, a term that can be applied to organic and non-organic bodies, that performs in a queer way. The examples of the species acting as flower or animal in different frames or -at a sub-molecular level- the light as a wave or particle suggest a new perception of ontology that connects the classical view on nature (physis) referred to bodies composed somehow indistinguishably of matter and soul with the recent discoveries on identity and relationality in a physic, natural world. Christian Theology of 4th century decides to apply the term "nature" (physis/ousia) to explain some points of the mystery of relations in the Trinity and with humanity. Jesus is "from the same substance/nature/ousia", one person of two natures. This person gets embodied and this event changes the way many people perceive God and live their experience as persons and part of the nature. How can we start thinking on gendered diverse bodies from theological perspective the way we do not fall directly in anthropocentrism (as we share the matter with the rest of the nature) and morals? Which approaches can make the matter worth being cherished? And why? Beth Felker Jones (2007) and Taylor Petrey (2015) present some inspiring inputs on this topic from the resurrection perspective. This panel intents to explore such innovating paths in order to see how they can be applied to gender studies and environmental issues.

Papers:

QUEERING THE NATURAL: ECOSEXUALITY AND PLANETARY BELONGING

Abraham S. (Speaker)

Pacific School of Religion ~ Berkeley, California ~ United States of America
The "natural" is often used as a mechanism to police queer sexualities. This paper examines a new solidarity of queer sexuality and environmental activism in the work of ecosexuals. Ecosexuality is defined as an environmentally conscious sexuality that is committed to green living and extends to their romantic and/or sexual life. Anne Sprinkle and Beth Stephens write in their provocative book Assuming the Ecosexual Position: The Earth as Lover (University of Minnesota Press, 2021), ecosexuality arose in the wake of third wave, sex positive feminism. As they write in their introduction: " ...For us, ecosexuality is more of a punk- rock, queer, drag, pinup grrrl version of environmental activism rather than the New Age stereotype that often gets hurled our way. We align ourselves with the AIDS activist organization ACT UP, sex- positive feminism, ecofeminism, Fluxus performance art, and, sometimes, the hippie movement. We recognize that hippie culture was problematic, especially in terms of its habitual patriarchal treatment of women and neocolonial appropriation of Indian and Indigenous American cultures. But we also recognize that the hippie movement challenged the status quo and rebelled against capitalism, sexual repression, imperialism, war, and the destruction of the environment. Hippies embraced a collective utopian future, and we too aim to create a better society for all!" This paper critically examines the scope and limit of this new solidarity and its claims to create a better society, placing this effort in larger global movements for queer openness.
INVERTING THEOLOGICAL WAY TO THINK ON NATURE. FROM A GENESIS/ CREATION TO THE PROMISED AND IMAGINED. RESURRECTION FUTURE THAT SCOPES THE ENTIRE MATTER AND BEING

Wozna Urbanczak A. (Speaker)

Karl Franzens Universität Graz ~ Graz ~ Austria
Antonia Fitzpatrick (2017) states that the debate on the truth of human nature was made in context of the disputes on the resurrection of bodies after death starting from the Jesus bodies´ resurrection (1,15) especially in times of Peter Lombard and then Thomas from Aquin. The problem was how the body recovers its integrity after the corruption of death. The discussion will need three councils to become cleared and-apparently- accepted. This means that the individuality goes in an individuated body, not in a composed mode, nor in two pieces. These topics may have today as well a great significance, especially, in contexts of discussions on anthropology and gender studies. They are also a powerful inspiration of theological thought ontranshumanism and posthumanism. Of course, it impacts also our view on cosmology and environment. Nature is one of the most complex notions in the history of philosophy. The principal question is if what was translated from the Greek ousia/physis to Latin nature/substantia could be applied to both organic and non-organic entes (to humans and the environment) avoiding the dualist implicit anthropocentric hierarchy. From this starting point, passing through Paul and finishing in Revelation book, the bodies in nature mean different realities than some traditions have perpetuated. These give us some new inputs on the sources of the self (Taylor, Lang) that could only be recognized from the perspective of future resurrection. This paper would make a short account on the different interpretations of some traditions from the perspective of future resurrection about bodies, especially, queer bodies, in hope these could change our environmental paradigms of sustainability and ontology.
THE CATEGORY OF THE BODY IN THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN THE LIGHT OF CONTEMPORARY ECOFEMINIST CRITICISM

Martínez Cano S. (Speaker)

Universidad Complutense Madrid ~ Madrid ~ Spain
Ecofeminism situates human consciousness of existence in the interdependent relationship with the rest of creation. That way, it challenges the historical and European way of approaching the identity of the person, which is centred on the awareness of taking charge of reality (X. Zubiri). For ecofeminism, the category of the bodily would be the starting point for understanding humanity, starting (first) from the experience of one's own corporeality in the world around us (women and men), and from this (second) articulating a discourse that expresses the experience in different possible languages, such as rational discourse, daily life, poetry, art, action-ethics, etc. (I. Gebara). In this paper we will delve into how ecofeminist theology challenges theological anthropology and builds through bodily experience the construction of a new discourse of the human being that is more incarnated, more inclusive and in harmony with creation. The bodily experience and its discursive diversity distances itself from the binomials soul/body and man/nature and man/woman, and calls for an understanding of humanity as a sentient and thinking corporeality that embraces the life of creation through its care. From this perspective it is possible to rethink human identity in relation to God as a historical humanity (situated, vulnerable and diverse bodies) that find in God the welcome of the Trinitarian relational movement. Therefore, the human being is imago trinitatis in that he or she is a body that freely loves other incarnate lives and reveals itself capable of allowing itself to be loved and committed to the care of these lives when it commits itself to an equitable eco-justice.

Panel description: This panel explores the transformation of religious freedom in the context of constitutional challenges in the third millennium, focusing on key issues that shape the evolving relationship between individual rights, societal interests, and legal frameworks. A central theme is the tension between personal ethical-religious beliefs and legal obligations in healthcare. This includes the question of whether religious convictions can justify refusing mandatory medical treatments aimed at protecting public health, as well as the issue of conscientious objection in medical practices. Another essential aspect is the concept of reasonable accommodation, which reflects the constitutional challenge of reconciling religious diversity within legal systems that aim to balance individual freedoms and collective norms. The advent of the algorithmic era also plays a crucial role, introducing new legal questions about the accommodation of religious rights in a technologically mediated world. While technology can exacerbate existing inequalities, it necessitates a rethinking of legal frameworks to address these new challenges and ensure the protection of religious freedoms in the digital age. At the European level, the evolving role of religion in public order is central to understanding the constitutional challenges of the third millennium. As the European Union grapples with balancing religious freedoms and state neutrality, policies that limit religious expression—such as bans on religious symbols—pose significant questions. The challenge is to accommodate religious diversity without undermining public order or secular principles while maintaining the EU's commitment to pluralism. Together, these themes are essential to understanding the transformation of religious freedom within constitutional law. They highlight the need for legal systems to adapt to protect religious rights while addressing the complexities of pluralism, technological advancements, and evolving social norms.

Papers:

ETHICAL-RELIGIOUS FACTORS AND HEALTHCARE TREATMENTS

Leone S. (Speaker)

University of Milan ~ Milan ~ Italy
The speech explores the complex interplay between ethical and religious beliefs, on the one hand, and the legal obligations surrounding healthcare treatments, on the other hand. This analysis focuses on whether a personal creed can be considered a valid and legitimate justification for refusing mandatory medical treatments designed to safeguard public health or protect the well-being of others. The discussion will address the tension between individual autonomy, freedom of belief, and the collective interests of society, examining how legal frameworks navigate these competing values.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION AND PLURALISM: PERSPECTIVES IN ITALIAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Arconzo G. (Speaker)

University of Milan ~ Milan ~ Italy
Reasonable accommodation and religious freedom in the Italian legal system revolve around balancing individual rights with collective interests. Italian law safeguards the right to manifest one's religion, while the principle of equality ensures protection against discrimination. Courts frequently address cases where workplace or institutional rules conflict with religious practices, evaluating whether reasonable adjustments can be implemented. This presentation aims to explore how Italian law, in the context of increasingly pluralistic societies facing new challenges, seeks to reconcile societal pluralism with the realities of religious diversity through the mechanism of reasonable accommodation
THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN EUROPEAN UNION PUBLIC ORDER

Skrebo E. (Speaker)

University of Milan - Bicocca ~ Milan ~ Italy
Religion has historically played an important role in shaping public order in Europe, influencing legal frameworks, cultural norms, and social policies. This proposal aims to examine how religious traditions, values and institutions have contributed to the development of public order in the European Union, while highlighting the tensions that arise in a pluralistic and secularised context. By analysing the interplay between religious freedoms, state neutrality and social cohesion, this proposal will seek to explore key issues such as the accommodation of different faiths, the limits of religious expression and the role of religion in public life.
THE TRANSFORMATION OF EUROPE: STILL "UNITED IN DIVERSITY"? RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND NON-DISCRIMINATION ON GROUNDS OF RELIGION BEFORE THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Gennusa M.E. (Speaker) [1] , Zicchittu P. (Speaker) [2]

University of Pavia ~ Pavia ~ Italy [1] , University of Milan-Bicocca ~ Milan ~ Italy [2]
The neutrality policies adopted by certain European Union member states, along with the resulting bans on wearing religious symbols, have recently led to a surge in cases requiring the Court of Justice to address issues concerning the scope and meaning of religious freedom and/or the principle of non-discrimination on religious grounds, both guaranteed by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. How does the Court of Justice's jurisprudence on this matter align with the EU's guiding principle of being "United in Diversity"?
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION IN MEDICAL AID IN DYING: LIGHTS AND SHADOWS

Osti A. (Speaker)

University of Milan ~ Milan ~ Italy
What role does "conscience" play in medical practice? Conscience is inherently and continuously engaged in the practice of medicine, as every action performed by a physician carries moral weight. Medical practice is an intrinsically moral endeavor, rooted in the trust placed in physicians to care for individuals of intrinsic and irreplaceable value. Building on this premise, it becomes particularly important to examine the interplay between laws governing Medical Aid in Dying, the goals and virtues of medicine, and the concept of conscientious objection (both personal and institutional). Can the legal protection of conscientious objection coexist with ensuring patients' access to medical aid in dying? Moreover, do the patterns and data surrounding conscientious objection provide grounds for a critique of such laws? This inquiry seeks to navigate these pressing ethical and legal questions, exploring the delicate balance between professional conscience, patient rights, and the evolving landscape of medical ethics
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: NEW SCENARIOS OF REASONABLE ACCOMODATION?

Ragone G. (Speaker)

University of Milan ~ Milan ~ Italy
The intervention analyzes key legal precedents highlighting areas where technology reshapes the parameters of accommodation. It examines case studies on issues such as algorithms and religious bias, online worship and its recognition, and the digital surveillance of religious activities. The findings suggest that while technology can reinforce existing inequalities, it may also offer innovative solutions to enhance accommodation. This dynamic necessitates the evolution of judicial reasoning to address the complexities of technological mediation in religious freedom. The paper concludes with recommendations for judicial and legislative approaches that integrate technological awareness into the doctrine of reasonable accommodation, ensuring robust protection of religious rights in a digital age.

Panel description: The life and work of philosopher Simone Weil (1909-1943) could be characterized by a state of always being in-between. Challenging the boundaries between thought and action, philosophy and mysticism, writing and political activism, her work serves as a testament to the struggle between striving toward supernatural love and the profane needs of the material world. Born into an agnostic Jewish family and fueled by her lifelong commitment to the marginalized, she considered herself to live a life "in Christian inspiration," while nevertheless choosing to stay outside the Church. In her writings, this position is exemplified by frequent meditations on the phrase "Anathema sit," "Let them be excommunicated," and her identification with everything and everyone that shares the fate of being vilified or excluded. In her famous letters to the Dominican priest and resistance activist Joseph-Marie Perrin, she justifies her decision further by listing influences outside Christianity that—paradoxically—seem to have drawn her toward it: Greece, Egypt, India, China, and the beauty of the world, reflected in the arts and sciences. Departing from her unorthodox approach to Christianity and her position as an outsider—in her own words: "a stranger and an exile in relation to every human circle without exception"—we want to invite researchers to shed light on some of the exiled, or as of yet largely unexplored, parts of Simone Weil's work. Possible topics could include her idiosyncratic style of writing, her various influences from non-European traditions, her embrace of "heretical" Christian currents like Gnosticism, Manichaeism, or Catharism, the problematic and tragic blind spot of her willful ignorance of Judaism, but also her relationship to illness and the corporeal body, or her love of music, mathematics, poetry, or fairytales.

Papers:

THE OCCITAN GENIUS - SIMONE WEIL'S COUNTER-NARRATIVE TO MODERNITY

Lehmann S. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
In Simone Weil's two essays on the Languedoc, written in Marseille shortly before her forced departure from France, one can sense the outlines of a vast counter-narrative to European modernity. Here, the Renaissance begins not in 14th-century Italy but in 13th-century Occitania. The idea of progress never happened, and the Middle Ages, against the claims of a power-hungry papacy, managed to preserve its best, a culture based on the pillars of beauty and grace. In my talk I will focus on two aspects which together form the main framework of Weil's vision of what was once possible but never came to pass. The first is an eclectic spirituality that combines Christian, Platonic, Orphic, Manichaean and Buddhist elements, resulting in what might be called a tragic dualism. The second is what concretises this, namely a dialectic of violence and love. Its emblematic figure is none other than the slave.
"EVERY SEPARATION IS A LINK" - READING SIMONE WEIL'S CAHIERS

Bohn C. (Speaker)

Academy of Fine Arts ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Simone Weil (1909-1943) left behind a remarkable and diverse body of work, both in terms of subject matter and form. Sharp essays published in the early 1930s in regional trade union and dissident communist journals. Texts, sketches, correspondence, and commentaries on philosophy, science, technology, ecology, politics, and religion - many of which remained unpublished during her lifetime. After Weil was forced into exile in 1940, the Cahiers - 19 handwritten notebooks, composed of scattered, unsystematic notes and readings from various philosophical and religious sources as well as mathematical formulae - became the primary medium of articulation. My presentation will focus on the paratactic mode of writing of the Cahiers, which juxtaposes elements next to each other, allowing contradictions to emerge in-between, without reconciling them. The fragmentary and unresolved form of the notebooks is undoubtedly tied to experiences of alienation and exile. However, touching on two central concepts, "metaxu" and "readings" (lecture), I would argue that it is also a deliberate experiment in its own right, reflecting what Weil, from her early to her late writings, is consistently oriented towards: modes of non-violent, mutual reference - of coexistence that allows for difference.
READING FROM A DISTANCE: SIMONE WEIL AND THE OUTSIDER'S PERSPECTIVE

Sojer T. (Speaker)

University of Erfurt ~ Erfurt ~ Germany
Simone Weil integrates the concept of reading with the perspective of the outsider, portraying it as a radical act of attentiveness and openness intrinsic to those who dwell beyond societal and ideological boundaries. For Weil, reading transcends mere symbol interpretation; it becomes an act of self-effacement, a patient awaiting of truth in its unfolding. The outsider, free from conventional constraints, exemplifies this posture of unclouded receptivity. Through "non-reading"—a conscious renunciation of immediate interpretation—the outsider embodies a spiritual freedom unbound by predefined structures of meaning. In Weil's vision, reading becomes an ethical practice mediating the dual imperative of distance from worldly illusions and intimacy with truth. It is the outsider alone, unburdened by interpretation, who discerns the world's depth with clarity.
POLITICS OF ENERVATION - POETICS OF EXILE: WRITING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND STAYING WITH THE TROUBLE

Walther M. (Speaker)

Simone Weil Denkkollektiv ~ Leipzig ~ Germany
Drawing lines of flight from my recent research on Kathy Acker and my attempt to discuss Acker's writing and publishing practices in the light of what I call a politics and poetics of enervation, with regard to its affective, bodily dimensions, and (re-)reading the texts of Simone Weil with an observation in mind that I made during the last years of my research—as well in academic as in non-academic, artistic circles—that Weil's writing is "so fascinating," but also "so enervating" or "so hard to access," I'd like to present some thoughts on what I (heuristically) would call a writing outside the box as a practice of staying with the trouble (as a political strategy borrowed from Donna Haraway). Writing neither in line with the market nor in line with specifically established traditions means staying and situating oneself outside a certain politics of legibility. But by staying outside, not only old forms and traditions of reading and writing are being contested, but new ways and spaces of reading and writing are created or invented. By a) questioning in very practical terms how to read authors (Acker, Weil, but also Bataille and many more) who unnerve 'us' and tax 'our' patience (meaning contesting our ways and practices of reading) and b) by questioning the poetics as politics of such a writing, I will present some propositions that might help us staying and not fleeing the trouble (reading as dialogue: something Shulamit Bruckstein calls "Talmudic reading"; reading as a collective practice: something easily achieved in creating reading circles; reading as a bodily rather than (exclusively) cognitive/intellectual practice, like Trinh Minh-ha or Paul Preciado put it…).

Panel description: The teaching of churches on the content of their beliefs (doctrine) and the moral behavior considered fitting for their members (ethics) has developed over time, and still develops. To some, this is a given, whereas to other the notion of 'change in teaching' is contentious. The purpose of this session is to unite scholars interested the fundamental notion of the development of doctrine, including ethics. There are several angles from which the question of development can be studied. Historically, it could be argued that some teachings and practices do change. When they do, the question remains how a tradition accounts for it. In systematic theology, contributions might theorize what hermeneutics can be recognized in the development of teaching - for example by analyzing accounts such as those of Newman or recently Seewald 'Theories of Doctrinal Development'. In the field of moral theology/ethics, the question of development can touch upon neuralgic issues, specifically considering human sexuality. Here too, we invite speakers to explore fundamental questions such as human dignity, the function of penal law, or natural law. How has the content or use of these notions shifted, and what has this contributed to the development of ethical teaching and practice? Possible paper subjects include, but are not limited to: methods to study the development of (ethical) teaching, analysis of the dynamics of previous changes in teachings of churches, the role of theology in facilitating development, the appropriation of new ideas such as human dignity by theology, the use of traditional ethical categories for new topics such as climate change, reflection on 'silent' reversals in pastoral practices, ecclesiological processes of discerning future developments etc.

Papers:

FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS AS A LITMUS TEST FOR DEVELOPMENT?

Ten Klooster A. (Speaker)

Tilburg University ~ Tilburg ~ Netherlands
Newman's famous 'Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine' contains several markers for distinguishing authentic development from corruption. Although apparently clear, there are difficulties both in theory and in practice. To Newman, the question of development is one of ecclesiology, and is considered retrospectively: is the church that professes this 'developed' idea still the same, and can we understand what happened before in that light? Development is then something that happens to the church, rather than something that is done by theology. In my paper, I argue that theology in the catholic tradition has both a conservative and constructive task, and that the magisterium goes back and forth between stressing either one. The conservative task means it preserves what is good, also in what is apparently new. Pope Francis emphasizes the constructive task of theology: on a pastoral level, in forming consciences, but also in a systematic fashion, to respond to the challenges of this time. Fiducia Supplicans puts the coordination of these tasks to the test. Is it possible to offer a constructive evaluation of homosexual relationships while conserving traditional teaching on marriage? The instruction seems to assume it, but there are many blanks still left to fill in for theology. In this paper, I also give some first indications of what that might look like.
THE CONCEPT OF INTRINSIC EVIL AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORAL DOCTRINE

Polgar N. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
The concept of intrinsic evil has undergone a renaissance in the official moral teaching of the Catholic Church in the second half of the twentieth century and became one of its pillars. Used for centuries almost exclusively in relation to moral judgements on issues in sexual ethics (masturbation, homosexual acts, contraception, etc.), its modern rendition has expanded its scope so that it can now seemingly be used in relation to social ethics (genocide, slavery, deportation, etc.) and politics (i.e., the U.S. bishops' instructions on how to vote) as well. That alone justifies analysing it as a case study in the development of moral doctrine. However, such an analysis brings forth additional questions related to the issue of the development of moral doctrine. Namely, as one ponders over the various meanings of notions contained in the typical definition of intrinsically evil acts as those acts that are always evil (bad? wrong?) on the basis of their object, no matter the intention or circumstances, one will become aware that the moral doctrine might be currently operating with two or more concepts of intrinsic evil with no indication of which is/are normative. This problem is further exacerbated by the role of tradition in its genealogy, which complicates a simple appeal to tradition in order to resolve it and necessitates a more nuanced understanding of tradition as the central notion within any discussion on the development of (moral) doctrine.
DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE AS INTELLIGENT REPETITION: ON THE CHALLENGES OF SAMENESS AND DIFFERENCE

Carpenter A.M. (Speaker)

St. Louis University ~ St. Louis ~ United States of America
therefore how its affirmation or deformation might be judged: doctrine is a matter of intelligence and not of appearance, and so doctrine's development is fundamentally a matter of intelligent coherence. But it is easy to confuse one for the other. For example, in the Catholic struggle to "hold true" to Catholic teaching on matters of gender and sexuality, a genuine point of confusion emerges: confusion over whether every resistance to "new" moral positions is the same as any other. Confusion, too, over just how new these moral positions are, including the Catholic Church's own, since historically the Catholic Church has not had to clarify its morality in these matters in this way in the past. This paper responds by specifying the development of doctrine as an "intelligent repetition." It adapts both Bernard Lonergan and Maurice Blondel in order to comment anew on John Henry Newman's original claim that such development occurs at all. The argument is about what intelligence is and therefore what it would mean to repeat it in history. It uses the example of Lonergan's own expansion of metaphysics to account for statistical probabilities to "test" its case for the difference between intelligent repetition and mere refusal to change. It offers "intelligent repetition" as one way among others to begin disambiguating the larger problems facing modern Christian traditions who have to make sense of their own, confusing confluences of internal coherence and historical change.

Panel description: The planned panel is dedicated to the question of truth as a central challenge in the context of interreligious hermeneutics and is limited to the Islamic, Protestant and Catholic perspectives. Dealing with the question of truth from these three confessional traditions offers a concentrated basis for developing hermeneutical approaches in a targeted manner and critically scrutinising the significance of interreligious encounters in plural societies. The increasing religious diversity and the practice of interreligious dialogue show that a sound hermeneutical basis is lacking in order to systematically analyse the complexity and depth of the encounters between these three traditions. The panel aims to promote theoretical and methodological innovations specific to the dialogue between Islamic, Protestant and Catholic traditions. By involving leading experts from these perspectives, the partel will develop systematic approaches to the question of truth and develop new approaches to the interpretation of religious texts and traditions. The interdisciplinary exchange is intended to provide innovative impulses that not only advance the academic discussion, but also offer practical orientation for the dialogue between these three religions. The focus is on central questions such as: - How is the question of truth negotiated in the three religious traditions, and what role do normative sources play? - What methodological challenges arise from different truth claims and how can they be hermeneutically justified? - Which theological approaches promote a coherent interpretation in pluralistic societies? - How can religious communities promote the recognition of other beliefs and practices? - To what extent must concepts of salvation be critically reflected upon in order to develop a theology of recognition?

Papers:

THE QUESTION OF TRUTH FROM A PROTESTANT PERSPECTIVE

Danz C. (Speaker)

Institute for Systematic Theology and Religious Studies, University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The question of the truth of religion and religions is very presuppositional. It is part of a long tradition in which religion and truth have been linked together. But what can the truth of religion actually mean and how does the truth of other religions actually appear in one's own religion? The lecture elaborates the thesis that the various cultural fields each have their own conditions of truth-speaking, which cannot be reduced to a superordinate (theoretical-objective) concept of truth. If we take up this understanding of truth in the sense of truth-speaking, then we must first clarify the conditions for the success of religious truth-speaking and then ask what this means for interreligious hermeneutics. This shows that the various historical religions function very differently and have each developed their own conditions for speaking the truth, which stand side by side. The task of interreligious hermeneutics would then be to open up the different concepts of truth-speaking in the various religions in such a way that their specificity and absoluteness is preserved.
AL-ḤAQQ AND AL-ḤAQĪQA: AN ANALYTICAL AND THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF TRUTH AND REALITY IN ISLAMIC THOUGHT

Kurt T. (Speaker)

Institute for Islamic Theological Studies, University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This study investigates the central Islamic concepts of al-ḥaqq (truth) and al-ḥaqīqa (reality), focusing primarily on their theological and textual significance in the Qur'ān while integrating perspectives from Islamic thought. The term al-ḥaqq encompasses a rich semantic range, including truth, reality, rightness, and divine necessity. Its repeated invocation in the Qur'ān not only describes divine attributes but also establishes a foundational framework for understanding existence, human purpose, and ultimate reality. The study begins with a philological analysis of al-ḥaqq within the Qur'an, exploring its contextual meanings and its role in articulating God's sovereignty, justice, and guidance. This textual approach is complemented by an inquiry into the theological implications of al-ḥaqq, particularly how it informs Islamic cosmology and eschatology. The research also reflects on the question of truth in interreligious and hermeneutical contexts, examining how al-ḥaqq can serve as a bridge for understanding across traditions. While acknowledging mystical dimensions of al-ḥaqq as articulated in later Islamic thought, including Sufi metaphysics, the focus remains on the Qur'anic portrayal as the epistemic and ontological cornerstone of Islamic theology. This study thus situates al-ḥaqq and al-ḥaqīqa as central to both divine revelation and human comprehension.

Panel description: The study of Qur'anic translations, which is part of the broader field of Qur'anic studies, can be approached from a number of different perspectives. These include an examination of the role of translation in communities of believers and non-believers, an analysis of the political and economic relevance of translations, an investigation into the dissemination of a specific form of Islamic knowledge, an evaluation of Qur'anic rhetoric, and an assessment of the purpose of translation itself. In this panel, however, we will focus on the phenomenon of translating translations without any chronological or geographical limitations. Our aim is to understand the extent to which this phenomenon has spread throughout history and to identify the ways in which translators have influenced each other in their choices and methodology over time. A textual analysis of both partial and complete translations reveals that some of the translations frequently presented as direct translations from the Arabic text actually rely on other, earlier translations. Some translations are merely influenced by past works, while others are exact translations of them. Their analysis and understanding of the level of influence of past works makes it possible to highlight particular issues related to the translators and their texts. These include whether or not the translators know the Arabic language and, therefore, the philological reliability of the work in translation; the prevalence of individual translations in a specific historical period; and the tracing of a genealogy - or a genealogy hypothesis - of the translations. The aim of the panel is to investigate the phenomenon of translating translations in the field of Qur'anic studies, as well as the intertextual influences among the various translations. This examination is intended to elucidate the dissemination of this translanguaging choice and its ramifications, with a view to providing insights into the processes involved.

Papers:

TWO NINETEENTH-CENTURY ITALIAN TRANSLATIONS OF THE QUR'AN AND THEIR READERS. FRANCESCO DE' BARDI (1846) AND VICENZO CALZA (1847)

Stella F. (Speaker)

Centro Studi Interreligiosi della Pontificia Università Gregoriana ~ Rome ~ Italy
This paper aims to focus on two Italian translations published in a very narrow time span, between 1846 and 1847, and both dependent on other translations. The first of the two was published by the world literature scholar Filippo De Bardi as a part of his Storia della letteratura araba sotto il califfato (1846). This is a kind of summary of each sura of the Qur'an that was translated into Italian from Ludovico Marracci's Latin version (1698) and George Sale's English translation (1734). The second translation I will discuss during the talk is that of the Pontifical consul in Algiers Vincenzo Calza and published with the title: Il Corano. Versione italiana del Cav. Commend. Vincenzo Calza, console generale pontificio in Algeri. Con commenti, ed una notizia biografica di Maometto (1847). This is a complete translation of the Qur'an into Italian dependent on Albert Kazimirski's second revised and corrected version of Le Koran (1841). The talk will discuss the historical context, the features of both works and the reception. Although they were not works of great scholarly value, they contributed to the dissemination of knowledge about Islam and the content of the Qur'an in Pre-Unitarian Italy and beyond, finding interested readers among historians, scholars of literature, a general educated audience and, at times, even in the Holy Office.
FROM SAVARY (1783) TO PANZERI (1882): TRANSLATING TRANSLATIONS IN POST-UNIFICATION ITALY. A TEXTUAL ANALYSIS.

Badini F. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Palermo ~ Italy
One of the most relevant example of translating translations in the field of the Italian translation of the Qur'an after the declaration of the unity of Italy (1861) is the one published anonymously by the Milanese typographer Giovanni Panzeri, in 1882. The translation is presented with the title: "Il Corano. Nuova traduzione italiana dall'arabo con note dei migliori commentatori orientali preceduto dalla leggenda di Maometto e dal Sommario della Religione Turca". In this paper I will focus on the "Nuova traduzione italiana dall'arabo", demonstrating the total falsity of this claim. Through a literal and close comparison between Panzeri's Qur'an and Savary's (1783), it becomes evident how the Italian version is a translation of the French one, and how the Arabic text plays no direct role in the translation published by Panzeri.
MUHAMMAD ASAD AND HIS FIRST EDITION OF "THE MESSAGE OF THE QUR'AN" (1964): A NEGLECTED PAGE OF A WELL-KNOWN STORY

Yakubovych M. (Speaker)

University of Freiburg ~ Freiburg ~ Germany
The Message of the Qur'an by the famous 20th-century Muslim thinker Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss) is one of the most popular Qur'an interpretations in both East and West. Although his 1980 full translation has been studied in detail, the first version of this work remains little more than a bibliographical reference. Influenced by previous works in this genre (Muhammad Ali, Yusuf Ali and Marmaduke Pickthall), a partial translation published in 1964 covering surahs 1-9, it became controversial after it received harsh criticism from the Muslim World League and many other religious groups and circles. This study comprises the first attempt to examine this neglected text, comparing it with the complete 1980 edition so as to shed light on several important questions: what role did Asad's 1964 translation play in Muslim translational discourse in the early 1960s; how does it reflect the evolution of his thought; and finally, what were the real issues underlying the debates and controversy that surrounded this significant work.

Panel description: This panel is part of a discussion in philosophy of religion, Marxist religious studies and theology. Discussed are some issues, which have special relevance for the reciprocal understanding of European and Chinese academics in the mentioned academic fields, who are interested in the question, how religious diversity in the public sphere of the respective societies is considered, understood and respected - from the inside and from the outside. From an European perspective, questions are raised on the recent sinicisation of religions and religious diversity in China, including also the role of transnational identities among global religions and faith traditions. From a Chinese perspecitve, question are raised about the European interpretation of the human right of freedom of religion, including hinting to the fact, that European societies are weak and even self-destructive in respect to forms of politically ambitious religious fundamentalism. These and more question will be discussed in the Panel. Papers are welcome, which are adressing these topics and have an expertise on issues of religious diversity in the public sphere which relates direct or indirectly the discourses in Europa and China.

Papers:

SINICIZATION OF RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN CHINA: A PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Zhang X. (Speaker)

Institute for Marxist Religious Studies in New Era, Hangzhou City University ~ Hangzhou ~ China
Sinicization of religions is the highest principle guiding China's approach to religious issues and church-state relations today. It is also one of the most frequently discussed and misunderstood principles in the international community. This paper seeks to explain the essence, connotations, and practical manifestations of Sinicization of religions by drawing on the dialectical principle of "the one and the many" in Chinese philosophy. It is an attempt to construct an international narrative of Sinicization of religions, aiming to provide a foundation for dialogue between Chinese and Western scholars on this topic.
DIVERSITY AND THE RIGHT TO CHANGE RELIGION

Zovko J. (Speaker)

University of Zadar ~ Zadar ~ Croatia
Diversity is one of the fundamental determinants of a liberal society and is often emphasized in philosophical and political discourse as a characteristic of a liberal society. In our presentation, we want to show that respect for diversity is indispensable but not sufficient to respect human dignity. A higher level of sensitivity is needed to respect the right to change religion, as well as the right not to belong to any religious community, which includes the right to be agnostic and atheist. This provision has not even been thoroughly elaborated in the EU, because according to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000), Article 10, everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance. In most Islamic states, there is a right to religious minorities and to respect for diversity, but conversion from Islam to other religions is strictly prohibited. In my opinion, this model is unacceptable from the point of view of respect for human rights. In my contribution, I would like to use the example of European states with a predominantly Islamic population, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, to show that these states are a good paradigm for respecting diversity, which also includes the right to change religion.
FREEDOM OF RELIGION - A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT IN THE POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS REALITIES IN EUROPE AND CHINA. DISCUSSION OF SOME PROBLEMS

Grosshans H. (Speaker)

Faculty of Protestant Theology, University of Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
Human rights are understood differently in China and Europe. After showing these differences, the paper will develop the profile of human rights in European understanding with reference to freedom of religion. Then it will be shown, that this European understanding of freedom of religion also has limits, especially concerning political forms of religious fundamentalism, which are fighting European liberalism. But the paper also will show, how the core of the European understanding of freedom of religion is of interest not only in Europe, but also in China, especially in respect to religious diversity.

Panel description: This panel seeks to explore the complex dynamics of religious transformation from the late 19th century to the 1960s through the concept of "(self)reinvention". The panel examines how religions adapted —or resisted adapting— to the challenges of modernity, balancing continuity and change, tradition and innovation, in ways that not only shaped their doctrines and institutions, but also wider society. While the fraught relationship between religion and modernity has been extensively studied, this panel seeks to advance the historiographical debate by privileging two under-explored perspectives: gender and inter-confessionalism. This double perspective will allow researchers to examine how restructured confessional discourses, institutions and practices (have) exercised their transformative influence in modern societies. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): • Gendered, Historical and inter-religious dimensions of religious reinvention • Processes of negotiation of tradition and modernity within different religions • The socio-political and cultural forces shaping the renewal of religious practices and beliefs in particular historical periods and phenomena (imperialism, colonialism, Cold War, fascism, communism, humanitarianism). • The influence of reshaped religious discourses and/or institutions on social phenomena Please submit an abstract, a short bibliography and a brief bio to Dominika.Gruziel@eui.eu & natalia.nunezbargueno@kuleuven.be by the 4th of April. We welcome proposals that engage with these themes through diverse historical methodologies. To ensure a broad and inclusive discussion, we are particularly interested in contributions on Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy and Judaism. The panel organizers intend to publish selected contributions as part of a special issue, offering a coherent and impactful exploration of how religion negotiated its role in modern societies across different contexts.

Papers:

UNDOING THE EMPIRES' BORDERS ONE POOR AT A TIME: CATHOLIC WELFARE ASSOCIATIONS IN THE BORDERLANDS OF THE LATE GERMAN STATE AND HABSBURG AUSTRIA

Gruziel D. (Speaker)

European University Institute ~ Florence ~ Italy
The presentation discusses how early twentieth-century Roman Catholic charitable associations grappled with the threat of becoming obsolete in the emerging sector of modern social assistance. It zooms in on a specific example of the self-reforms of two pious associations for lay women active on the fringes of the late German empire and Habsburg monarchy: the Associations of Saint Vincent de Paul in the Province of Posen and the Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Galicia. The selected charitable practices are located in the background of two contending bordering projects: the empires' efforts to maintain their political frontiers and the Polish population's aspiration to achieve its own nation-state through the imperial borders' redrawing. The talk argues that the women's charitable associations managed to secure their influence in the field of social assistance by introducing new categories of welfare recipients, which were crafted in reference to the ongoing territorial disputes in both contested borderland regions. The research mobilises conceptual insights from religious history, welfare history, and border studies.
"OUR NEW CONGREGATION." EVANGELICAL-LUTHERAN DEACONESS INSTITUTES ASSUMING EXPERTISE IN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN FINLAND IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Markkola P. (Speaker)

Tampere University ~ Tampere ~ Finland
Finland gained independence in 1917 and suffered from a short but brutal Civil War between the reds (socialists) and the whites (government troops) in 1918. The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland supported the white winners of the war. At the same time, deaconess institutes tried to find ways to solve tensions between the social classes, and to find new societal relevance in their long tradition of social care among the poor and the suffering. One innovative path was found in the care of mentally and physically disabled children and adults. People with disabilities were seen as a new congregation, or a novel mission field, neglected by private and public providers of care. Asylums were established, and some deaconesses were sent to excursions to acquaintance with institutional care in Germany and the Nordic countries. This process can be conceptualized as a transformation in which deaconess institutes met the challenges of modernity by assuming a new position as leading experts in disabilities.
TAMING ASSOCIATIONAL CULTURE. MUSLIM, CATHOLIC AND ORTHODOX AGENTS AND THE POLITICS OF VOLUNTEERING IN INTERWAR YUGOSLAVIA

Giomi F. (Speaker)

CNRS, CETOBaC ~ Paris ~ France
The proliferation of voluntary associations, a phenomenon that has shaped Western societies since the late XVIII century, has traditionally been associated with a male, bourgeois, and liberal-minded political culture. However, as we delve into the early XX century, particularly the interwar years, this assumption becomes increasingly nuanced, as various political forces sought to harness volunteerism to advance diverse political agendas. This paper, utilizing the First Yugoslavia as a case study, examines how distinct religious groups and institutions, notably those associated with the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and the Islamic community of Bosnia/Yugoslavia, endeavored to appropriate volunteering to stimulate religious revival in a rapidly changing environment. Drawing from my ongoing research on various religion-based voluntary associations (e.g., Orao, Orel, Krizari, Hikjmet, El-Hidaje), my objectives are threefold: firstly, to elucidate the processes of mimicry and competition between different religious organizations; secondly, to highlight the significance of transnational borrowings, involving both Western and Eastern Europe, as well as the Middle East; and thirdly, to explore how various religious agents employed volunteering as a strategy to navigate Yugoslav religious policies, counter the perceived secularization of society, and respond to the emergence of a-religious or anti-religious movements such as socialism, communism, and feminism.
CHANGING WOMEN'S ROLE IN POST-IMPERIAL ORTHODOX CONTEXTS IN INTERWAR AND POST-WORLD WAR TWO ROMANIA

Biliuta I. (Speaker)

Babeş-Bolyai University and Central European University ~ Babeş-Bolyai ~ Romania
(work in process)
"RENEWING THE FACE OF THE EARTH" THE GLOBAL WORK OF CATHOLIC LAY WOMEN IN CATHOLIC NGOS (1945-1962).

Núñez Bargueño N. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Brussels ~ Belgium
This presentation explores the pivotal role of Catholic lay women in shaping religious reinvention and social change during the post-war period (1945-1962). Focusing on the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO), it examines the transformative impact of their global apostolic work on both the Church and broader society. The international activities of the WUCWO in the 1950s underscore the significance of gender and interfaith perspectives in understanding religious reinvention and its broader societal impact. Drawing on historical approaches to religious reinvention, this study analyses how these lay women navigated the tensions between tradition and modernity, reinterpreting Catholic doctrine to address pressing global challenges such as decolonization, Cold War politics, developmentalism, and interreligious dialogue. By framing their efforts as an embodiment of the Church's mission to "renew the face of the Earth" (Psalm 104:30), Catholic lay women acted as transnational experts, redefining notions of human dignity, the laity, and the role of women in society and within ecclesial communities. Their global apostolate in international organizations, including the United Nations and its agencies, fostered spaces for cross-confessional encounters, contributing to the gradual emergence of an ecumenical idea of sorority. This presentation highlights how these women not only reinforced but also reimagined the role of women in late modern societies and Catholicism, paving the way for the social and religious transformations of the 1960s, including the Second Vatican Council.
GENDER AND LITURGY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF CATHOLIC LITURGICAL PRAXIS IN THE 20TH CENTURY

Werner Y.M. (Speaker)

Lund University ~ Lund ~ Sweden
Liturgical life in today's Catholic Church in the Western world is dominated by women, although the priesthood remains reserved for men. Conservative critics speak of a feminization of worship life, which is said to be a consequence of the liturgical reform implemented after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. But the liturgical movement centred in German-speaking Central Europe which was the source of inspiration for this reform went in a completely different direction. This movement started as a liturgical public education project within the Benedictine order but developed after the First World War into a liturgical reform movement. The movement gained traction in academic youth circles, and although women also joined. it was primarily a men's movement with the cape directed against the custom applied especially by women to perform private devotions in connection with the service. Its purpose was to contribute to a more active lay participation in worship life. The liturgical activism became a way of engaging the male youth in church life but also a means of awakening vocations to the priesthood. A similar development emerged within the Protestant High Church, where the Catholic-inspired ritualization of the worship life came to function as a bulwark against the demand for female priests. In my planned contribution, I will analyse this process of liturgical transformation. Using examples from the Catholic diaspora Catholicism of the Nordic countries and the Swedish Protestant High Church, I will show which expressions it could take and how this reflects the relationship between religion and gender.

Panel description: Introduction: The partnership between the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism and the IDEO Institute of Dominican Fathers for Eastern Studies in Egypt presents a unique opportunity to foster dialogue and understanding between Muslim and Christian communities. By sharing their experiences and insights, these institutions aim to address the cultural and religious challenges that Muslims face in Europe today. This proposal focuses on how the collaboration between these two organizations can contribute to resolving these issues, particularly in the context of European society. Main Topic: The core discussion revolves around the roles that Al-Azhar Observatory and IDEO Institute can play in enhancing the social and religious integration of Muslim communities within Europe. The cooperation between these two institutions is intended to improve interfaith understanding and encourage cultural exchanges that embrace diversity, helping both Muslim and Christian communities live in harmony. Research Areas: The Social and Cultural Role of Al-Azhar Observatory and IDEO Institute: • Al-Azhar Observatory: This section explores how Al-Azhar Observatory addresses the religious and cultural challenges facing Muslims in Egypt and beyond. It also looks at how these experiences can be shared with Muslims in Europe, helping them better navigate their place within European society. • IDEO Institute: Through its involvement in interfaith dialogues, the IDEO Institute has worked to enhance the good relationships between Muslim and Christians. This part discusses the role of the Institute in promoting cooperation between religious groups and its potential impact on fostering cultural understanding in Europe.

Papers:

MUSLIM COMMUNITIES IN EUROPE; COLLABORATION BETWEEN AL-AZHAR OBSERVATORY AND IDEO INSTITUTE

Raslan O. (Speaker)

Al-Azhar Observatory ~ Cairo ~ Egypt
The Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism collaborates with the IDEO Institute to address challenges for Muslim communities in Europe and beyond to promote interfaith relations. This partnership aims to enhance the integration of Muslims and Christians in diverse European societies. Key areas of focus 1- Social and cultural roles - Al-Azhar Observatory: Al-Azhar provides guidance to Muslims on coexistence and cultural barriers, leveraging its experience against extremism. - IDEO Institute: It fosters interfaith dialogue, establishing trust and cooperation between Christians and Muslims as a model for cultural understanding. 2- Challenges in Europe - Cultural diversity: Muslims strive to maintain identity amidst diverse religious populations. - Religious freedom: Both institutions work to safeguard the rights of Muslims and minorities in practicing their faith. - Discrimination: Joint efforts are required to overcome social and legal challenges like mosque construction opposition and workplace discrimination. 3- Role of youth - Young Muslims and Christians should collaborate through interfaith dialogue and cultural projects to promote a unified European identity. - Educational programs can equip youth with skills to value and respect cultural differences. 4- Proposed solutions - Reform laws to protect religious practices - Advocate for policies supporting Muslim women's public roles and beliefs - Address unemployment, discrimination, and educational disparities to enhance social integration Conclusion Al Azhar and IDEO, through shared values, can collaboratively tackle cultural and religious challenges in Europe. Their partnership, emphasizing education, advocacy, and dialogue, seeks to cultivate mutual understanding for the benefit of both Muslim and Christian communities.
HUMAN FRATERNITY DOCUMENT: A GLOBAL CALL FOR PEACE AND COEXISTENCE

Abdeen A. (Speaker)

al-Azhar Observatory ~ Cairo ~ Egypt
On February 4, 2019, Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb signed the "Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together" document in Abu Dhabi, marking a significant milestone in interreligious dialogue. This declaration is a global call to promote peace and fraternity, as these values are inherent to human nature and should replace the culture of war. The Document underscores essential principles such as justice, inclusion, and the defense of rights and freedoms as foundations for peace. It expresses concern for environmental issues and calls for the eradication of slavery in all forms, while highlighting the positive roles of youth and women in fostering fraternity. It acknowledges the strong ties between Christians and Muslims, encouraging other religious institutions to follow same path. Inspired by divine values and historical precedents like the Constitution of Medina, the Document aims to address contemporary challenges posed by violence and exclusion rooted in religious differences, and advocates for a new era where religions contribute solutions to humanity's problems. Core Principles of the Document The Document calls for mutual understanding among all people, and that religion should not be a source of conflict but rather a means of support and salvation. The signatories hope to awaken consciences towards key values of peace and mercy, ensuring future generations can live free from war. Moreover, the document emphasizes freedom of belief and expression as key rights while rejecting discrimination based on religion or culture. The Document promotes the concept of full citizenship to combat feelings of isolation. It has been recognized for its ethical and humanitarian impact, establishing February 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity by the United Nations.

Panel description: Modern democracies are undergoing unparalleled times. The war in Ukraine, October 7th 2023 and the conflict in Gaza, acted as a stress test for democratic societies, giving rise to political and economic uncertainty, and to decline of public trust. Emergency challenges significantly affected the exercise of fundamental rights, whose protection is grounded in constitutional, supranational and international provisions. The panel aims to examine the interaction between emergency law and religious freedom during conflicts in the European landscape (and beyond). The focus will be on the impact of the emergency rules and policies on religious freedom and their implications for minority groups. As research has shown, emergencies negatively impact the collective dimension of religious freedom, exacerbating the complex dynamics between religious majorities and minorities. Furthermore, this panel aims to investigate the impact of emergency rules as linked to conflicts on rights of religious minorities and rising discriminations and prejudices against religious groups in times of crisis. Finally, it aims to address future scenarios in Europe (and beyond) for managing religious diversity and implementing the principles of equality and non-discrimination, with a view to enhancing inclusive and anti-discriminatory public policies, and reconciling the protection and promotion of minority groups with the public interest to guarantee public health, security and sustainability. The panel is open to contributions from different disciplines in a comparative and/or single case perspective. Keywords: Emergency Rules, Conflicts, Religious Freedom, Religious Minorities

Papers:

DECOLONIZATION EMERGENCY: UKRAINE'S LEGISLATION BANNING THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND AFFILIATED RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

Vovk D. (Speaker)

visiting associate professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law - Yeshiva University / associate professor at Yaroslav the Wise National Law University in Ukraine ~ New York ~ United States of America
Vovk will explore Ukraine's recent law banning the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and affiliated religious organizations for the ROC's role in the Russian aggression against Ukraine. He will explain that while this legislation is framed as a national security measure its actual goal is to restructure Ukraine's religious landscape in order to ensure what president Zelensky called "spiritual liberation" of Ukrainians from Russia and its imperialistic claims over Ukraine (similarly to Ukraine's legislation eliminating Russian or Russian-speaking culture and history from Ukraine's public space). Then, Vovk will assess to what extent this decolonization framework applied to a religious group fits international standards of religious freedom.
MATERIALIZING DIFFERENCE: THE AFFIRMATION OF TWO RIVAL ORTHODOX CHURCH IDENTITIES IN UKRAINE FROM A MATERIAL RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE

Stoeckl K. (Speaker)

full professor of sociology at the Department of Political Science at Luiss, Rome, Italy ~ Rome ~ Italy
Focusing on the rivalry between the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), this paper examines how symbols, objects, and practices—such as the Holy Chrism, Antimension, liturgical language, venerable saints and church calendars—serve as active agents in constructing and contesting communal and national identities in the context of Ukraine's defensive war against Russian aggression
THE WAR, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE CLASH OF ORTHODOXY IN UKRAINE

Panych O. (Speaker)

Research Fellow of the Center for Central and Eastern European Studies, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany ~ Dresden ~ Germany
This presentation examines the interplay between war, religious freedom, and Orthodox competition in Ukraine, highlighting how these elements intersect to shape both church-state relations and the broader socio-political context.
UKRAINIAN SWING: STATE-CONFESSIONAL POLICY BETWEEN DENOMINATIONALISM AND REPRESSIVE APPROACH

Brylov D. (Speaker)

Senior Researcher of the A. Krymskiy Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv), Associated Researcher of the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Berlin) ~ Kvyv ~ Ukraine
The specificity of the Ukrainian religious situation has long been religious pluralism, resulting from the coexistence of three competing large churches, called denominationalism. During the Russian invasion, one of the churches at the core of this religious dynamic equilibrium, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, was relegated to the status of a 'repressed' church for various reasons. In my paper, I will show the dynamics of this transformation and consider possible scenarios for further developments and outcomes for the Ukrainian religious field as a whole.
OLD AND NEW ANTISEMITISM

Maoz A. (Speaker)

Tel-Aviv University Law School and the Peres academic Center ~ Tel Aviv ~ Israel
Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest and ugliest manifestations of racism. It has followed the Jewish people from the day they became a nation until this very day. Classic Anti-Semitism took various shapes along the centuries from Anti-Semitism based on erroneous religious ideas to Anti-Semitism based on a perverted and noxious notion of racial science. In recent years, Anti-Semitism increasingly takes the form of anti-Zionism. However, since the Hamas attack on Israel the mask came off and we are witnessing the revival of old Anti-Semitism in its ugliest manifestations.
RELIGIOUS MINORITIES AND THE WAR IN UKRAINE: BETWEEN CONFLICT AND PROSPECTS FOR PEACE

Madera A. (Speaker) [1] , Medda-Windischer R. (Speaker) [2] , Budabin A. (Speaker) [2]

University of Messina ~ Messina ~ Italy [1] , EURAC ~ Bolzano ~ Italy [2]
Through the analysis of legal/ judicial responses and public policies aimed at managing the outbreak of a crisis, this paper aims to investigate the impact of emergency rules as linked to conflicts on rights of religious minorities, with specific regard to the Ukrainan/Russian conflict. It aims to analyze rising discriminations and prejudices against religious groups in times of crisis. Finally, it aims to address future scenarios for managing religious diversity and implementing the principles of equality and non-discrimination, with a view to enhancing inclusive and anti-discriminatory public policies

Panel description: This panel explores the evolving role of prayer within the socio-cultural transformations of modernity, focusing on European contexts and beyond. Prayer, as a practice deeply embedded in religious traditions, has historically served as a bridge between individual spirituality and collective identity. However, modernity—characterized by secularization, individualization, and religious pluralization—has challenged traditional forms of prayer while simultaneously creating new opportunities for its reinterpretation and reinvention. Rather than retreating in the face of secularization, prayer emerges in new and surprising forms, reflecting the complexities of modern European intellectual and social contexts. The panel examines how prayer, both as an idea and a lived practice, has been reimagined in response to modern intellectual and social transformations. How have thinkers, artists, and religious communities negotiated the relationship between prayer and the demands of modern autonomy, reason, and individual expression? To what extent does prayer persist as a mode of resistance against—or accommodation to—the forces of secularization and rationalization? To what extent has prayer continued to function in modernity as an evolving cultural and symbolic reservoir? By highlighting the creative reinterpretations of prayer in modernity, the panel invites a deeper reflection on how ideas and practices of prayer have continued to shape, and be shaped by, the transformations of European religious and intellectual life.The panel welcomes perspectives from a range of disciplines, including theology, cultural studies, philosophy, sociology, and literary studies.

Papers:

'DU, NACHBAR GOTT': SECULAR PRAYER IN RILKE'S STUNDEN-BUCH

Myers B. (Speaker)

Alphacrucis University College ~ Sydney ~ Australia
Rilke's Stunden-Buch (Book of Hours) reflects his negotiation with the crisis of belief in a secular age. While Rilke shared Nietzsche's conclusion that belief in God was no longer tenable in a modern age, his poetic experimentation led time and again to the representation of God and other transcendent figures, notably angels. This paper examines the prayer-poems of Rilke's Stunden-Buch, voiced from the perspective of a fictional Russian monk and iconographer whose intimacy with an unknowable God becomes a means of exploring transformations of the soul in the conditions of modernity and the secular city. The paper argues that Rilke reimagines prayer as a secular instrument for grappling with human consciousness and its relation to an external world. The Stunden-Buch exemplifies a movement in early 20th-century Europe whereby poetry became the last refuge for a vanquished transcendence and its corresponding modes of interiority.
PRAYER AT THE FAR EDGE OF HUMANITY: FINITUDE, ANXIETY, AND PRAYER IN SCHLEIERMACHER AND KIERKEGAARD

Wright S. (Speaker)

Nazarene Theological College ~ Manchester ~ United Kingdom
Traditional concepts of Christian prayer were difficult to sustain in the wake of the Enlightenment. Kant and Hegel viewed prayer with skepticism, associating it with a pre-modern, magical worldview increasingly at odds with enlightened rationality and emerging scientific paradigms. In this context, Friedrich Schleiermacher and Søren Kierkegaard sought to rehabilitate prayer, relocating it as a technology of the self that was grounded not in magical causality but in existential depth. For both thinkers, prayer emerges at the far edge of human understanding and action, often in situations of distress and anxiety. This paper explores how Schleiermacher and Kierkegaard reimagine prayer within the conditions of modernity, emphasising the inescapable realities of human limitation and uncertainty before the transcendent being of God. For Schleiermacher, petitionary prayer functions as a necessary, though limited, human expression of anxiety and dislocation. The end of petition is to give way to thanksgiving and acceptance, a recognition of human finitude and of the divine as the sustaining ground of being. Similarly, Kierkegaard situates prayer in the context of existential anxiety, portraying it as an act of surrender at the precipice of despair. For Kierkegaard, prayer is not an escape from uncertainty but a transformative engagement with it that fosters authentic selfhood. By analyzing both their distinctive contributions, the paper argues that Schleiermacher and Kierkegaard came to see prayer not as an attempt to control or explain the divine but as a practice of receptivity, faith, and repentance.

Panel description: Liturgy, worship, and popular devotion have long served as key means for adapting Christianity to diverse cultural contexts and for expressing the unique contributions of local churches to the development of Christian doctrine. Within this framework, music has played a central role, dating back to early Christianity with its rich tradition of hymnody. The composition of hymns and songs has thus become an essential tool for transmitting the faith, educating the faithful, and making complex theological ideas accessible to communities. Similarly, hymnography and music have served as vehicles for expressing and developing new theological insights that are both innovative and deeply rooted in the cultural context of the people. The panel aims to explore these aspects with special reference to the cultures of the African continent in their plurality. Therefore, contributions are invited that address the topic of hymnographic and musical production by paying attention to their theological content, the importance of the circulation of hymns, songs and music as a tool for the dissemination and adaptation of Christianity, the specific theological contribution of different cultures expressed through these vehicles, and the ecumenical circulation of compositions.

Papers:

THEOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS IN CHURCH MUSIC IN KENYA

Getui M. (Speaker)

Catholic University of Eastern Africa ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
Music in an integral part of worship, especially in Christian churches in Africa. Missionaries 'imported' English hymns. Early converts to Christianity, more so in the Protestant circles, composed their own vernacular songs. In recent times, church music is a vibrant industry with gospel singers, gospel music composers, 'professional' choirs loaded with high tech instruments and flashy uniforms. The quest of this paper is to provide a historical perspective and theological analysis of church music in Kenya.
CORE CHRISTOLOGICAL AND PNEUMATOLOGICAL THEMES IN HYMNS COMPOSED WITHIN SELECTED CLASSICAL ROHO CHURCHES OF WESTERN KENYA

Samita Z. (Speaker)

Kenyatta University ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
Hymns serve an important liturgical and theological role in Christianity. This paper seeks to underscore in particular locally composed hymns in Selected Roho Churches of Western Kenya (African Divine Church and African Church of the Holy Spirit). Special focus will be on their theological content, particularly Christological and pneumatological. How does the theological content of these hymns reveal the efforts of African Christians, from an African worldview seek to understand and express the Christian concept of God through song.
EXPLORING THE PRESERVATION OF KIHAYA CATHOLIC CHURCH HYMNS IN TANZANIA

Mjuni V.W. (Speaker)

University of Dar es Salaam ~ Dar es Salaam ~ Tanzania, United Republic of
African Christian hymns, an essential part of liturgical practice in many African Christian communities, serve as both expressions of worship and as vital historical documents. These hymns not only reflect the religious devotion of the people but also encapsulate the theological journey of African Christianity a fusion of indigenous spirituality and Christianity. The preservation of these hymns in church hymnals plays a crucial role in safeguarding the theological understanding of African Christianity, ensuring that future generations can access, study, and continue to engage with the evolving theological traditions within African church communities. This paper seeks to explore the Bahaya's liturgical hymns have been preserved throughout history, and transmit theological knowledge, fostering a deeper understanding of the relationship between traditional spirituality and Christian teachings. It recommends for more empirical study on their availability and new method of how to make them accessible.
AFRICAN LITURGICAL MUSIC: AN ANALYSIS OF EMERGING TRENDS IN FUNERAL HYMNS

Moyo M. (Speaker)

Arrupe Jesuit University ~ Harare ~ Zimbabwe
Funeral songs in Zimbabwe have become very popular across Christian denominations. They serve a various purpose such as to honour the memory of the deceased, and to usher the dead into the realm of the ancestors. The song might be a deceased 's favourite song, a sentimental song dedicated to the deceased, or popular church hymns, that provide comfort and solace. The common experience of death, especially due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and Covid-19 outbreak have encouraged people to unite in the face of death. The wake and the memorial service are important aspects of a funeral ritual. They serve to bring closure, finality and respect to the memory of the deceased. Hence, funeral songs play an intrinsic role in the grieving process and accompaniment of the deceased on their final journey. The paper will examine the significance of dominant themes in Shona funeral songs and choruses, and their underlying theology. The study will endeavour to analyse and interpret some popular funeral songs in Shona in the light of the interaction between religion and popular culture using an interdisciplinary approach. The paper seeks to deepen our knowledge on the importance of song and dance and the changing patterns in the grieving process among the Shona cultures of Zimbabwe.
AFRICAN RELIGIOSITY, GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS, CULTURE AND WORLDVIEW AS A SOURCE OF AFRICAN HYMNOLOGY AND RICH THEOLOGICAL CONTENT EMBEDDED IN THE AFRICAN INITIATED CHURCHES. A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE MUGODHI APSOSTOLIC CHURCH IN ZIMBABWE AND AFRICA.

Zangairai F. (Speaker)

Arrupe Jesuit University ~ Harare ~ Zimbabwe
African hymns and Christology are not as hollow and meaningless as they could appear. Their hymns, theology and ways of being Christians do emanate from their experience, reflections, daily lives and their daily consciousness about God as the fodder. In fact the Africans exist in the God-filled universe that is densely populated by spiritual meanings, gestures and symbolisms, they exist in a sacred world that only need a contemplative mind to decipher what the Supreme Being says. It is therefore in the names of places, children that depicts this deep religious orientation. Their hymns and theology usually emanate from this rich God- populated environment and experience. These also become the sources of their hymns and theology which reflects how deep, home-grown and rich their Christianity becomes. This paper seeks to unlock the relationship among African Christian hymns and theology as being fed from the African worldview and religiosity as the source. Finally it is these African hymns that are a bed rock and springboard and as a source of their theology in addition to the Biblical theology.
CHRISTIAN FESTIVALS IN SÉGOU (FRENCH WEST AFRICA): THE MISSIONARIES OF AFRICA AND BAMANA MUSIC

Rovellini M. (Speaker)

Indipendent researcher ~ Italy ~ Italy
Before the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic liturgy generally left relatively limited space for local cultural expressions. However, in colonial Africa, missionaries had to deal with practices that were particularly important to evangelised societies, including music and dance. The case of the Missionaries of Africa in Ségou (French Sudan) shows how, in Catholic missions at the time, there were spaces external to the liturgy where such customs could be integrated. For the Bamana people of Ségou, music and dance were intrinsic to social and religious life, as they marked the stages of the life of individuals and were fundamental to the various initiatic societies, to the extent that musical instruments themselves could become objects of worship. The missionaries soon recognised the centrality of these elements, as attested by their ethnographic writings, and managed to incorporate them into the celebration of the Catholic festivals, distinguishing the Christian message and rite from the "external" expressions of faith.

Panel description: Monsignore Otto Mauer (1907-1973) exerted a surprising degree of influence on Austrian culture from his post as a priest at St Stephens in Vienna. He achieved this influence by three notable contributions: a series of writings on theology and the arts; the founding of the "Gallery Next to St Stephens" which effectively introduced Avant-Garde art to Vienna; and establishing the journal Wort und Wahrheit. Cardinal Franz König (Archbishop of Vienna) says of Mauer that, "In a crucial phase, between the end of the war and the beginning of the Council, he was the organizational motor and spiritual guide of the country's Catholic action." Today, Mauer's contributions continue to be celebrated through the annual "Otto Mauer Fund" prize, which recognizes work that resumes the dialogue between art, religion, and science. The relative silence on and ignorance of Mauer is shockingly disproportionate to his impact on Austrian culture and German-speaking Catholic theology. This panel seeks to introduce Mauer to conversations related to theology and the arts. Presenters from universities in USA and the UK, alongside contributions from art galleries and museums in Vienna, will come together to help shed light on this forgotten figure of theo-cultural history. The panel will include paper presentations and a round-table discussion, both with the aim of bringing to light the cultural influence of Mauer and developing the key insights which drove him to engage culture from his own theological prerogatives. Also, a visit to the Dom Museum in Vienna will be organized to explore the archives of Mauer's work held there. This panel accompanies the publication of a special forum edition of Religion & Literature (Notre Dame Press) that includes the first translation of any of Mauer's works into English and a number of essays that bring Mauer into conversation with theology and the arts.

Papers:

OTTO MAUER'S VISION OF THEOLOGY AND THE ARTS

Howell C. (Speaker)

University of St Andrews ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
Of the more striking features of Otto Mauer's thought is the innovative relationship of his theology and aesthetics. Mauer began writing on the topic of theology and art in 1934 in a piece titled "The Pastor and Christian Art." He published again the next year, "Artistic Creation in a Catholic Perspective," and "An Epigram to Art" in a 1941 volume. The influence of Romano Guardini is evident in these early writings, as is a residual impact from Mauer's personal contact with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Erich Przywara, and other notable Catholic thinkers of his context. He strove to rebuild religion "for the contemporary people who stand before the rubble of the spiritual world of the last century," doing so with the brunt force of beauty. Mauer continued writing on the topic over the next decades, including "Towards a Metaphysic of Visual Art" (1946), "Freedom in the Visual Arts" (1967), and "Art and Reality. Against the Lie of an 'Ideal World'" (1972). During the time of Art and Christianity (1946), Mauer's theology drew from two contrasting dimensions. From his formal theological training under Theodor Innitzer, he became influenced by the neo-Scholastic ideas of John Henry Newman. Most explicit of these is the grounding of reality in the transcendentals of truth, goodness, and beauty. These categories come to structure the core of his aesthetics. Against this was the understanding of a fundamentally hermeneutical nature of being which had been developing in German thought at least since the Idealists. The first sees the world to have a stable and certain foundation in its relationship to God, as the source of all being; the second, as a great symbol, the understanding of which shifts in light of various modes of human existence. Much of the excitement in Mauer's aesthetics happen in the interaction between these dimensions. This paper tracks the interaction of these two ways of seeing the world in Mauer's theology and aesthetics.
ART, CREATION, AND THE TRINITY

Hart T. (Speaker)

St Andrews Episcopal Church ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
At a key point in his essay Art and Christianity, Mauer asserts that the flesh of Christ serves as the locus of the highest symbolism of which matter is capable (and of which the incarnation of the Son is thus precisely an instance—albeit the highest—rather than a mere analogy), the very highest becoming graspable in what is ontologically farthest removed from it. He goes on to claim that the relation of appropriate "likeness" established between divine and human natures by their hypostatic union in the existence of the incarnate Son may be a type of all those "likenesses" shot like filigree through the fabric of creation, on which the meanings of art (and meaningfulness as a whole) depend; but it is not their ultimate source. As a movement of God ad extra it is itself possessed of background which both accounts for it and upon which it is grounded. In the eternal relation of the Son's trinitarian procession alone, Mauer argues, is there to be found such a thing as complete identity between image and imaged, "the Son's essence [being] identical with the essence of his Father." It is on this eternal "likeness" that everything hangs; the likeness of the incarnate Son to his heavenly Father (the only true "image" of God in creation), and those myriad relations of likeness in distinction around which the fabric of creation as a whole is woven, and which are of particular significance in the artist's interpretation of the world. Taking this passage as a waypoint, this paper will trace how similar moves to ground art in the Incarnation actually end up grounding it within the eternal processions of the Immanent Trinity. George Steiner, Jacques Maritain, George MacDonald, Eric Przywara, and Dorothy Sayers all have a similar logic. Through Mauer this logic is articulated for the sake of further development in how theology can find a ground for art in the doctrine of God.
ART'S CAPACIOUS HORIZON: REFLECTIONS ON OTTO MAUER'S "ART AND CHRISTIANITY"

Worley T. (Speaker)

Wheaton College ~ Wheaton, IL ~ United States of America
Monsignor Otto Mauer's extended essay on the relationship of art and Christianity makes a startlingly relevant contribution to theological discourses relating the two. From his vantage point, art could be seen as the means of discovery - from which the latent wonders of God's creation are brought to light and given a mature form befitting the anticipated new creation of Christ. The most enduring value of Mauer's treatment is his theological affirmation of art's intrinsic drive to evolve and develop over time. Such intellectual and aesthetic flexibility has not significantly distinguished the theology and arts discourse to date. By way of a brief clarification under the heading 'Art as the Expression of Spirit,' however, Mauer mentions both "expressionism" and "impressionism" as distinct movements that indicate something deep and unchanging in the essence of art but at the same time stand incomplete in their efforts to encompass that essence. For those familiar with the way that the theologian Paul Tillich wrote and spoke about art, it would be difficult to miss the irony in such a clarification. In contrast to Mauer, Tillich famously clung to "expressionism" as the authentically religious style and gave it center place in his theological approach to art. This paper traces the overlap and discord between Tillich and Mauer, arguing that the latter offers an evocative perspective for the discourse that presents as both more carefully responsive to art's unexpected changes and more fully integrated with key Christological elements. More specifically, the benefit is clear through comparison that Mauer should be read alongside Tillich at least. Similarly, in contrast with somewhat reductive accounts in theology and the arts that select one doctrinal node with which to engage art, Mauer's example indicates that we are better served by engaging a broader range of Christological forms so as to ensure a fuller, more holistic appreciation of what art contributes.
ART, TRUTH, AND WORLD: OTTO MAUER AND MICHEL HENRY

Breedlove T. (Speaker)

Baylor University ~ Waco, TX ~ United States of America
My reflections here begin in a moment of convergence between Kunst und Christentum and a 1988 essay by Michel Henry (1922-2002), a French phenomenologist. This convergence appears in scattered remarks about the religious or sacred nature of art qua art. The claims are explicitly universal (or, more critically, totalizing). Mauer describes art's "immanent morality and religiosity," how it is a manifestation of divine glory and a vestigium Trinitatis; the artist is, of necessity, a believer. For Henry all art is sacred because of its true subject matter: "The initial theme of art and its true interest is life. At its outset, all art is sacred, and its sole concern is the supernatural. This means that it is concerned with life—not with the visible but the invisible." This paper considers visions of the finite and the infinite (of world and God, the natural and the supernatural) both expressed in and generated by these claims that art is sacred. Henry appears here both because of the provocation of his distinctions of truth, art, and life from the world, but also because the world so denied resists its denial throughout his thought. Mauer and Henry, in short, offer another opportunity to reconsider a question at least as old as Republic X: the relationship between truth, the world, and art. This comparison culminates in two key claims. The first is that provisional account of art which the eschaton will obviate. The second identifies art with the world, delineating theology's role as art's interpreter. Both accounts tend toward the reduction of art to object, whether object in the world or object for theological interpretation. The relation of art, truth, and world in Mauer and Henry is richer in part because it eludes such closure. It is reflective of the human creature who, Mauer reminds, "is not a closed being and their creation is not complete."
THE PROPHETIC VISION AND THE AESTHETIC SEER: THE VIEWER IN OTTO MAUER'S THEOLOGY OF ART

Konzelman A. (Speaker)

University of St Andrews ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
The lifeblood of Otto Mauer's meditation in Art and Christianity is a forceful assertion: creation qua creation is symbolic. Everything, human and otherwise, is a symbol because God is its source, toward which the symbol points and from which it cannot free itself. It is to this original grounding that the artist is attune and which they affirm. Their work is symbolic because it is a "belief in meaning," a movement beyond self toward something other, something higher.1 The artist, the "real" artist, is then always religious, connected to and pointing toward the divine source of all life regardless of the content or theme of their work. For Mauer this is explicitly worked out in the artist's creative action. But, beyond a few brief statements, there is limited consideration of how this action is related to the viewer's experience. This paper highlights that one limitation of Mauer's approach in this regard is an ambiguity resulting from his neglect of the viewer's experience. There are two points of revision that lend toward a more constructive reading. First, if Mauer's portrait of the artist is to hold, it seems necessary to extend a similar mediating role to the viewer. The viewer must become a "mystagogue" alongside the artist. Second, to afford a place of significance for the viewer in the process of artistic beatification would be to deny Mauer's claim that a "true" or "real" work of art invariably effects ontological and epistemological change. The sacramentality of the artist's work would then only be eschatologically efficacious to the degree that a viewer takes up the project of interpretation. The work of art, even "static" visual media, is never complete. The artist, then, is perhaps only a prophet to the degree that the viewer is also. The work of Elijah carries on through Elisha; the latter inherits the double share of the spirit.
OTTO MAUER AND THE GALERIE (NÄCHSTE) ST. STEPHAN: „DEFENDER OF MODERN ART IN THE CASSOCK."

Floch V. (Speaker)

Galerie nächste St Stephen's ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Otto Mauer (1907-1973) ranked as one of the leading intellectuals in Austrian Catholicism and - in his diverse roles as a gallery director, publicist, public speaker and collector - as one of the most influential advocates and promoters of contemporary art. His work was dedicated in equal measure to the Church and to Art: throughout his lifetime he endeavoured to combine and connect the two. For the forward-looking art scene in Austria, Mauer was one of the most prominent influential figures as, after years labouring under the art doctrine of National Socialism, it sought to take its bearings from the international artistic canon of the West. It was above all with the Galerie (nächst) St. Stephan, which he founded in 1954, that Mauer created a central location for contemporary art and for international art discourse. Mauer took over the premises of the renowned Neue Galerie in the heart of Vienna, transforming them into a forum for the up-and-coming generation of Austrian artists. He put progressive international positions on the map in Austria, creating an interdisciplinary programme through which he highlighted current tendencies in literature, music, performance and architecture. Cooperative ventures with renowned international galleries and with reputed art historians, artists and critics facilitated transnational cultural transfer effects. The paper offers a survey of Mauer's work as director of the Gallery in the 1950s and 1960s. On the one hand, the focus is on the relevance which the Gallery had as one of the few international locations for contemporary art in the Vienna of the post-Nazi years. On the other hand, attention is paid to Mauer's own artistic preferences and orientation and to his fostering of transnational cultural transfer processes in the overall contexts of the East-West antagonism and of Austria's particular geopolitical situation.
"ART TRANSFORMS PEOPLE—IT TRANSFORMS LIFE." DOM MUSEUM WEIN AS A CENTER FOR ART, CHURCH, AND SOCIETY IN THE TRADITION OF OTTO MAUER

Schwanberg J. (Speaker)

Dom Museum Wein ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Johanna Schwanberg, Director of Dom Museum Wien, will give insight into how Monsignor Otto Mauer's collection and conviction of promoting cutting-edge art of the highest quality influenced the museum's reconception (2015) and reopening (2017). Dom Museum Wien is located in the heart of Vienna adjacent to St. Stephen's Cathedral and houses some of the world's most valuable sacred and historical artifacts. The unique objects in this Cathedral treasury date back to the Middle Ages, to the period of Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria (1339-1365), the founder of St. Stephen's Cathedral, who established Vienna as the center of the Hapsburg Empire. The museum also houses the legendary Otto Mauer Collection, an extensive collection of modern and contemporary artworks: its holdings include works by Expressionists and Secessionists as well as by key figures of the Austrian and international avant-garde. By juxtaposing works from the medieval cathedral treasury with art from the Austrian postwar avant-garde and international contemporary positions, the museum emphasizes the interplay of works from various historical periods. This dialogue sheds new light on the pieces and the times that brought them forth—thus inspiring a diverse audience to explore art and existential themes.

Panel description: Cultural and Religious Challenges in Europe: • Cultural and Religious Diversity in Europe: How can Muslims in Europe maintain their religious and cultural identities while coexisting with people of different beliefs? • Religious Freedom and Practice: How can Al-Azhar Observatory and the IDEO Institute support the protection of Muslims' and other Minorities rights to practice their faiths openly in Europe? • Discrimination Against Muslims in Europe: This section addresses the legal and social challenges that Muslims in Europe face, such as obstacles to building mosques, discrimination in the workplace, and social exclusion.

Papers:

ISLAMIC CULTURAL IDENTITY AND THE PURSUIT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Osama R. (Speaker)

al-Azhar Observatory ~ Cairo ~ Egypt
Cultural identity is a significant issue in Europe, where increasing diversity has raised questions about the coexistence of European and Islamic cultural identities. A growing Muslim population has given way to a new concept of "European Islam" — an effort to synthesize Islamic principles with European realities, while respecting essential tenets of Islam. The Main Research Questions and Objectives: This study tries to examine whether "European Islam" is accepted by Muslims both within and outside Europe, the role of external Islamic institutions in integrating Muslim populations, and how divisive issues such hijab, LGBTQ+ rights, and education affect integration. The study aims to explore how Muslim identity integrates and merges with European identity? Main themes 1- Integration in Europe: Integration is different from assimilation and is preferable because it truly means coexistence rather than the erasure of differences. Muslims face not only legal, social and cultural struggles, but also violence and clashes of norms. 2- The role of Islamic institutions: Religious and civic assistance to Muslims is provided outside Europe, but institutions working towards a "European Islam" find it difficult to deal with the challenges of diluting core Islamic values. Such partnerships between external institutions and European Muslim communities could promote understanding. 3- European Islam: The concept refers to an Islam in line with European values; but its development should take place primarily among scholars in Europe, and it requires cultural and religious authenticity. Findings and recommendations: For harmony to prevail, Europeans must agree to accept Islamic values as part of their cultural diversity - and Muslims must please European sensibilities by working towards a phenomenon that creates a balance between Islamic values and European culture.
THE ROLE OF THE ALAZHAR OBSERVATORY FOR COMBATING EXTREMISM IN SPREADING AWARENESS AND CRITICAL THINKING.

Salamah R. (Speaker)

al-Azhar Observatory ~ Cairo ~ Egypt
Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism (AOCE) An Overview Considering its international role and noble human mission in promoting global peace, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif has established Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism (AOCE); a center concerned with monitoring radical thoughts and ideologies of the extremist and terrorist groups and individuals, keeping track of Muslims' affairs around the world, and supporting human values. Mission The AOCE aims at promoting the noble teachings of Islam and disseminating moderation, tolerance, and human fraternity, through providing moderate and purposeful content in 13 languages. Key themes - Extremism & Terrorism - Islamophobia - Refugees - Women affairs - Interfaith dialogue AOCE's Work Mechanism 1- Monitoring all that is published around the world about Islam and Muslims as well as all manifestations of extremism 2- Analyzing all these materials 3- Providing Counter Narratives: All misconceptions and false narratives are investigated and replied to. Media Efforts Using social media outlets, the AOCE publishes its work in various forms including videos and articles. The AOCE also participates in various Egyptian TV channels to spread awareness about its themes of concern. Intellectual efforts A) AOCE produced several publications, including: 1- ISIS Strategy of Polarizing and Recruiting the Youth 2- Islamophobia Increase in Europe 3- A Religion of Mercy 4- Muslims of Burma B) The AOEC has carried out several campaigns including: - The Allege & We Reply - The Concept of Jihad - Mercy for Mankind - You are a Queen C) Quarterlies, these are magazines, including: - Step Forward: An English quarterly magazine - Un Pas En Avant: A French quarterly magazine Outreach Campaigns The AOCE is very keen to reach young people at various surroundings, through: - Conferences - Meetings with the university students - Listen and Talk: a forum to provide young people with the opportunity to express themselves.

Panel description: Humans used to live in a world in which all the important things were eternal and immutable. So immutable in fact, that the question of how things can move (and therefore change) needed intense discussion. And for a long time, the Christian God and humans coram Deo were seen by the same terms. God is eternal, immutable, apathetic, omnipresent, omnipotent… and so on. The human soul is immortal and will be eternalized after death. Substance of any kind remains the same, independent of accidentals and time. With one decisive difference: Everything but Godself has a beginning, is created. But created to remain selfsame from their creation onwards. Now, most of us seem to live in a post-postmodern world that is fragmented, where things are fleeting and almost impossible to grasp except retrospectively. Philosophy has come to a similar view, especially historicism and phenomenology. Theology has adapted as well, turned to the historical, the processual, the contextual. This turn is appreciated by many, viewed with concern by some. But across the board there seems to be a renewed awareness of the importance of phenomena that endure and persist: God, the Crucified and/as Resurrected, the identity and restitution of the human person beyond their death, some kind of history of humans on this planet. Therefore, also, an awareness that undesirable phenomena persist, be it vulnerability or exposedness. So how can we talk about persistency, of God, of humans, of history - but also of evil and suffering? Do we need to go back to metaphysics of the classical kind or are there new ways of thinking about those phenomena and of duration, change, and persistency as phenomena themselves? This panel invites contributions that reflect on one or several of those questions of persistency or on the question of persistency itself. From theological and philosophical perspectives, be they phenomenological, historical, scholastic, metaphysical…

Papers:

WHEN HUMANITY STARTS TO INSIST TO PERSIST

Stoppel H. (Speaker)

Ruhr Universität Bochum ~ Bochum ~ Germany
The need for the duration of anything is not to be separated from the need for duration of the individual. It doesn't necessarily have to be the hope to live forever personally, it can also be the dwelling in a presupposed higher duration. The name that the biblical inhabitants of ante-diluvian Babylon wanted to make for themselves needs some world to remember that name. The conditions of memory need to stay basically the same. Also, in classical antiquity the concentration on fame and progeny located itself in an eternal Kosmos. What was excluded in those concepts was the possibility for a person to be eternal themself. Christianity changed that: a person could live eternally in a relation to the God. When the concept of an external God because less self-evident in the Enlightenment, the concept of the persistence of a person had to be reevaluated. One such concept, that is supposed to persist and thus be the condition of any duration was of course rationality (Kants first antinomy). Two innovations came with this: That duration has a direction: the thought of progress. Also: Not everyone is seen to participate in it in the same degree: one of the reasons of the racisms and sexisms in Enlightenment discourses. The problems that came with those innovations we still feel today: the strive for endless economic growth or a blindness for cultural contextual conditions of thought. This also had its impact on theology: God, ratio and humanity fell in one for Feuerbach, Strauß et al. It seems, for the first time, persistence was in the hand of the humans. Humanity as a genus, which is in each person. So if humanity is the basis for its own persistence, itself is who has to „make it last"; it also has to keep the world the way it has always been. This kind of theology bears reactionary potential. Therefore, a need exists to explore other ways of thinking the persistence of a human person and the genus. One way is reevaluating the persistence of God as apart from humanity.
THE ASSUMPTION OF SUFFERING IN GOD AND DIS-CONTINUOUS PERSISTENCE: METAPHYSICAL TENSIONS BETWEEN ENDURANCE AND TRANSFORMATION

Schlenker C. (Speaker)

Université de Genève ~ Geneva ~ Switzerland
The assumption of suffering in God raises a crucial metaphysical and theological problem: How can suffering, in its full brokenness, be taken on by God in a way that takes it seriously as suffering, while simultaneously being read from the perspective of the eternal redemption that has always already taken place? This paradox necessitates the concept of dis-continuous persistence, where suffering is actively assumed by God and persists in divine remembrance, yet is read within the horizon of its already accomplished redemption. Barth's discussion of divine constancy (Beständigkeit) highlights this tension between divine empathy and impassibility but does not resolve the theoretical problem of how suffering's brokenness persists in its assumption. However, this issue can be contoured through the threefold transition in metaphysics from the classical notion of 'substantia permanetia' to Kant's 'Beharrlichkeit der Substanz' in the second analogy (which is relational, not substantial), and finally to Heidegger's notion of 'Bestand'. Kant's second analogy frames persistence as a relational causality rather than an ontological permanence, while Heidegger's Bestand problematizes the metaphysical stability of being under conditions of fragility and temporality. Heidegger's approach opens the possibility to articulate dis-continuity not as a failure of coherence but as the mode in which suffering persists in its ruptured and unredeemed reality, even as it is read from the eternal redemption. This paper proposes a theological and metaphysical vocabulary for dis-continuous persistence, rooted in the tension between divine constancy and human finitude. It seeks to articulate how God's 'active' empathy towards suffering grants it persistence as suffering while also framing it within the horizon of redemption that does not dissolve its brokenness into totality.
TRUST EVERLASTING

Goldberg M.N. (Speaker)

Institute of Hermeneutics and Philosophy of Religion Universität Zürich ~ Zurich ~ Switzerland
This paper contributes to the discussion on persistency by addressing the enduring theological problem of certainty in faith, focusing on its interplay with trust, doubt, and ultimate foundation. The study revisits Eberhard Jüngel's understanding of certainty as an implication of trust, situating faith not as a static state but as a dynamic, forward-looking relationship with God. This certainty arises from God's act of addressing humanity, which reconstitutes the person and frees them from the need for self-justification. However, this liberating certainty does not exclude doubt; rather, doubt is recast as a manifestation of questioned trust, an enduring tension within the experience of faith. By examining the pitfalls of grounding certainty in a retrospective "ultimate foundation," the paper critiques tendencies toward theological fundamentalism. Instead, it emphasizes the eschatological orientation of Christian existence, suggesting that faith's certainty is rooted in the persistence of hope and the openness of "last things." These "last things," while inherently uncertain, persist as the horizon toward which faith is directed. Through this exploration, the paper aligns with the panel's broader inquiry into the nature of persistence, addressing how certainty, trust, and doubt endure as theological phenomena. It further reflects on the paradoxical persistence of both divine trustworthiness and human vulnerability, proposing a theological framework that integrates change, process, and the enduring nature of relational trust.

Panel description: The International Working Group on Religion and Utopia proposes a panel that engages with the descriptive and normative potentials of religious imaginaries and utopias that help shape both our understanding of the environment and our vision for environmental transformation. Although no unified concept of « utopia » exists, it always blends critical and constructive aspects by envisioning alternative futures. It can trace its roots from literature to critical theory to eschatological imagination. The duality of critique and construction gains weight in times of environmental urgency. Many religious traditions even offer visions of a harmonious (eschatological) future with nature, be it the metaphor of the heavenly Garden or images of human-animal-peace. These and other religious imaginaries can either hinder social transformation, critiqued famously by Karl Marx as the opioid of the people, or drive its liberation, as seen in movements such as feminist theology, liberation theology, religious socialism and ecotheology. At the same time, conservative religious movements may reject transformative efforts as dangerously « utopian » or unrealistic. Utopian thinking offers tools to analyze how these imaginaries shape contemporary understandings of the environment. Through critique and reimagination they might help to configure transformative action, breaking open seemingly closed pathways. By examining the intersections of religion, utopia, and environmental transformation, this panel aims to illuminate the profound influence of eco(theo)logical imaginaries on transformative action today. We invite scholars from any discipline to contribute theoretical reflections on utopian thinking or explore its practical applications in addressing current ecological and environmental challenges.

Papers:

« REVERENCE FOR LIFE - AN ETHICAL UTOPIA? ALBERT SCHWEITZER'S ETHICAL APPROACH AND ITS IMPACT ON ECOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION »

Mügge C. (Speaker)

Universität Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
The paper examines Albert Schweitzer's concept of 'Reverence for Life' ('Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben') as an ethical utopia and explores its potential as a moral compass for addressing current environmental challenges. Initially, the paper argues that the idea of 'Reverence for Life' can be regarded as an ethical utopia due to its radical departure from dominant human conduct, its contrarian stance vis-à-vis the social status quo, and its far-reaching demand for unbounded responsibility. Consequently, this concept embodies a radical - indeed utopian - counter-narrative to prevalent societal norms, particularly regarding human interaction with non-human entities. Subsequently, the discussion turns to the contributions this idea might offer to modern eco-ethical discourse. On the one hand, Schweitzer's appeal to understand ourselves as 'life amidst life, wanting to live,' is particularly relevant today, emphasizing humanity's interconnectedness with all living beings. Moreover, the concept of reverence underscores the necessity of cultivating empathetic attitudes toward fellow creatures, thereby stressing the importance of compassion in driving ecological change. On the other hand, limitations of Schweitzer's individual-centered focus are also acknowledged, especially considering the structural dimensions of environmental issues that have to play an important role in ethical considerations. A genuine ecological transformation requires fundamental changes at both personal and systemic levels. Ultimately, Schweitzer's utopian-ethical concept of 'Reverence for Life' inspires a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living beings and can motivate agency towards an ecological transformation; however, this approach falls short of providing a sufficient foundation for ecological ethics, as its focus on individuals fails to fully account for the systemic complexities of contemporary environmental challenges.
« SOLIDARITY AS A VISION OF FEMINIST ECOTHEOLOGY »

Jäger S. (Speaker)

Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena ~ Jena ~ Germany
The planned contribution would like to examine the role of eschatological visions for feminist ecotheology. This is because texts of feminist ecotheology are characterised by strong eschatological visions of a better world. Two thinkers in particular will be analysed: the American Catherine Keller and the German Dorothee Sölle. For Catherine Keller the descriptive and normative potentials of religious imaginaries and utopias can help to shape both our understanding of the environment and our vision for environmental transformation. Dorothee Sölle examines intensively how the idea of the Kingdom of God could inspire visions of an ecologically fairer world. The lecture will now focus in particular on the role solidarity plays in the concrete realisation of this theological approach to utopia.
« CHRIST THE WORM: DISSIMILAR IMAGES, ECOLOGICAL CRISIS, AND UTOPIAN THEOLOGY? »

Schlenker C. (Speaker)

Université de Genève ~ Geneva ~ Switzerland
The metaphorical richness of Christological imagery in late antiquity and the Middle Ages offers a potent lens for exploring counter-images and utopian thought in the face of the current environmental crisis. This paper takes its starting point from the «dissimilar images» employed by Pseudo-Dionysius, specifically the identification of Christ with the worm in Psalm 22:7. The image of Christ the worm - a representation of profound humility, vulnerability, and connection to the natural order - persisted in medieval commentary, where it further illuminated Christ's identification with the lowest and most despised aspects of creation. This theological tradition emphasizes that Christ's devotion to the world can be seen especially in that which is rejected, broken or degraded, challenging anthropocentric narratives and opening a theological imagination attuned to ecological solidarity. This study probes the potential for dissimilar Christological images to serve as counter-images against modern ecological devastation. These images, far from merely symbolic, can articulate a radical utopian vision: they reject triumphalism and domination in favor of vulnerability and restoration, pointing toward a reconciled relationship between humanity and the natural world. In contrast to «Deep Incarnation» theories, which emphasize Christ's participation in the material universe but risk sliding toward docetism or weakening dogmatic commitments, these dissimilar images are rooted in traditional Christological frameworks that remain dogmatically robust. The paper proceeds in two parts. First, it examines sources - from Pseudo-Dionysius to medieval commentaries - employing dissimilar images of Christ as linked to nature's vulnerability. Second, it develops theoretical observations on how these images can inform ecological theology and utopian thought, arguing for their relevance in a robust and theologically sound response to the environmental crisis.
« REDEMPTION FROM THE STARS - SPACE UTOPIAS AND SOTERIOLOGY »

Stoppel H. (Speaker)

Ruhr Universität Bochum ~ Bochum ~ Germany
Utopia is a place of longing but also a place that is hard to get to. It is even supposed to be just out of reach as not to disturb its aura of ideality that makes it worth longing for. This is the basis for critique in the classical literary genre of ‚utopias' and also for the criticism of utopian thinking as what the Germans call a ‚Wolkenkuckucksheim' (a cuckoo's nest in the cloud). This paper takes a look at modern utopias that are connected to a place that is especially hard to get to: Outer Space. Besides having been a central topic of science fiction for more than a century, it has recently become an interest of concrete political utopian thinking. Most prominently, it is Elon Musk who has proposed Mars as the 'topos' of his 'utopian' (anarcho-capitalist, libertarian) new society. His concept frames Mars as a potential refuge for (selected parts of) humanity if or better when our planet becomes uninhabitable, in face of (for example) the environmental crisis. In this framing, we can see a soteriological structure in Musk's thinking. Thus, theology can't ignore the question of how Christian soteriology and eschatology - culminating in the concept of the Kingdom of God - relates to utopian thinking. A decisive difference resides in the fact that the Kingdom of God is a Kingdom to come, not one to go to. But, this covers only one of the dimensions of the utopian genre as mentioned above. What about the dimension of critique of present conditions? This contribution will show that soteriology and eschatology can be related to this latter, critical logic of utopia if considered in a topological framework. If the core of soteriology is the promise of a redeemed life in Christ and his kingdom already now as well as in the promised eschaton, it can be seen as living in a 'place' that is never fully reached, but only exits in relation to our 'place' in this life which it constantly calls in to question. This will be shown as a strictly utopian setting.

Panel description: When the Second Assembly of the Synod of Bishops concluded in October 2024, the "synodal process" opened a phase of reception within Global Catholicism. It also opened expectations for the work of the commissions created for issues from the Synod. This call invites papers on themes in the Final Document (https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/news/2024-10-26_final-document/ENG---Documento-finale.pdf). Examples include the role of women in the Catholic Church (60) and the relationship between synodality and canon law (92-94). We also invite papers on themes discussed but not mentioned, such as LGBTQ Catholics in the Church. We welcome papers on local responses, such as that of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) to Fiducia Supplicans, published during the intersession. What new ways of relating, juridical or practical, are emerging within Global Catholicism in the third millennium? What impact will theologies and theories of synodality have (or not) on lived Catholicism in various parts of the world? What reforms might best address the complex challenges ahead? How can they meet the needs of local Catholic communities in all their diversity? How can they bridge the divides exacerbated by polarization? We seek papers that open a post-synodal conversation on ecclesial order(s) in the third millennium.

Papers:

TOWARDS AN INCLUSIVE AND SYNODAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. MOVING BEYOND THE BINARIES IN THE 2024 FINAL DOCUMENT

Van Rompaey J. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
The Final Document of the 2024 Synod of Bishops states that "every new step in the life of the Church is a return to the source", Christ himself. At the same time, it is an experiences that made the participants feel "His presence in our midst as we lived conversation in the Spirit and listened to one another" allowing them to establish "harmony amidst differences" (n° 1). In my reading, the participants of the synod experienced both a ressourcement and aggiornamento of Christ's presence. Their synodal work enables them to connect with the revelatory experience of the disciples, and it is, in itself, revelatory in the present day. While the document addresses concrete and challenging topics, I argue that traditional binary oppositions or dichotomies continue to exert influence within the theological reflection, shaping the synodal discussions. The binary of ressourcement and aggiornamento is, in general, theologically constructive. Yet, other binary oppositions, such as harmony and disagreement, unity and separation, inclusion and exclusion, center and margins, can easily become categories that divide, name, essentialize, conceptualize, and interpret people and their experiences. In this paper, I will expose how these binaries are still at work and show what their respective consequences and ramifications have been and might still be. To move forward, I propose developing Pope Francis's ecclesiological comments from his 2024 speech to Belgian authorities. In this speech, he offers a concrete key to overcoming ecclesiological binaries, which could provide a way beyond the binaries identified in the final document.
THE SYNODAL PATH IN GERMANY: DID IT ALREADY ANTICIPATE ISSUES OF CHURCH POLITY APPEARING IN THE FINAL DOCUMENT OF THE 2024 SYNOD OF BISHOPS?

Berkmann B. (Speaker)

LMU Muenchen ~ Munich ~ Germany
The Synodal Path in Germany (2019-2023) and the global Synod of Bishops (2021-2024) took place almost at the same time, with the German synodal process starting a little earlier. Many of the topics discussed in Germany also emerged in the final document of the 16th Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. This paper focuses on issues of church polity, such as co-responsibility and decision-making, diocesan councils, election of bishops, accountability and evaluation of diocesan bishops as well as ministries for lay people, especially for women. Adopting a canon law perspective, the paper applies a comparative method that contrasts the reform proposals designed in Germany with the synodal document adopted at the level of global Catholicism. It concludes that the German initiatives are more concrete and incisive, but less compatible with canon law. Notwithstanding this, it can be argued that transformations at local level proceed faster than at global level.

Panel description: The research hypothesis underlying the JW-MAP (Jehovah's Witnesses' Motivations, Attitudes, Practices) project is the existence of a gap between the beliefs and behaviour of JWs on the one hand, and the general public's perception of them on the other. In order to verify the existence of this gap and to understand its causes, the research considers 6 different countries (Argentina, Canada, France, Japan, Nigeria, United Kingdom). In each of these countries, a questionnaire was distributed to JWs with questions covering different areas of their lives (family, education, participation in public life, level of satisfaction, etc.): the analysis of the answers provides new and interesting data on the way JWs view their personal, social and religious life. Since this survey needs to be contextualised, a second line of research consists of examining the 6 national contexts to which these data refer, considering for each country the history of JWs and how the media, courts, social and political actors have interacted with them. This panel compares the data from two countries, France and the United Kingdom, which present very different models of inclusion of religious groups in their legal and social systems. The challenges faced by JWs in these two countries, the political and legal model that has proved most effective in addressing them, how JWs have embedded themselves in two such different national realities, and how British and French society has responded to their presence are some of the issues that will be discussed in the panel.

Papers:

JWS IN FRANCE AND THE UK: A COMPARISON OF TWO MODELS OF INCLUSION

Harvey S. (Speaker) [1] , Messner F. (Speaker) [2]

INFORM ~ London ~ United Kingdom [1] , CNRS ~ Strasbourg ~ France [2]
The panel will be chaired by Enzo Pace, who will give a general description of the project, illustrating its aim, content, methodology and the different lines of research in which it is articulated. Francis Messner will provide a description and analysis of the JW situation in France, explaining how the courts, the media and politicians have dealt with the challenges posed by the JW presence in the fields of education, health, military service, and so on. Sarah Harvey will present the model of relations between state, society and religions in the UK, highlighting its pluralist approach, discussing its strengths and weaknesses, and analysing how JWs fit into this model.
JWS IN FRANCE AND THE UK: THE DATA FROM THE JW-MAP PROJECT

Mcandrew S. (Speaker)

University of Sheffield ~ Sheffield ~ United Kingdom
Siobhan McAndrew will illustrate the data collected through the questionnaire distributed to JWs in France and the UK, highlighting its importance for a better understanding of JW beliefs, attitudes and practices.
ACADEMIC INTERFACE WITH A FAITH COMMUNITY AS A CONTRIBUTION TO INDEPENDENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. THE JW-MAP EXPERIENCE

Chu J. (Speaker)

Jehovah's Witnesses ~ New York ~ United States of America
Jolene Chu will describe ways in which the Jehovah's Witness community supported the work of the JW-MAP team with research materials, consultation on the survey instruments, translation assistance, and other aspects of project implementation.

Panel description: Although deeply engaged in the contemporary debates of his time, Eberhard Jüngel's theology could hardly be described as 'contextual' (in the sense of being narrowly confined to specific historical or cultural settings). Instead, Jüngel's work—and Hermeneutical Theology more broadly—operates within a much larger framework: "the world" as such. Popularized in early Christian discourse to denote the spatial and temporal realm inhabited by humanity, the term "world" has since accumulated a vast range of meanings throughout different disciplines. Yet, the adequacy of "the world" as a category for describing the holistic context of human existence and divine engagement is far from self-evident. Does the term illuminate the relationship between God, humanity, and creation, or does it obscure these relationships through its conceptual ambiguity? How does Hermeneutical Theology, particularly in Jüngel's work, navigate the tension between understanding "the world" as a site of divine presence and as a realm in need of redemption? And in which ways does the concept further or rather hinder our understanding of contextual socio-cultural transformations relevant to Theology? This panel brings together an international group of early-career scholars in Systematic Theology whose research is engaged with the thought of Eberhard Jüngel (1934-2021) and the broader tradition of Hermeneutical Theology. The discussion will explore the potential and limitations of the concept of "the world" in contemporary theological inquiry, aiming to reassess its relevance and critically examine its utility as a category for addressing the interplay of divine mystery, human existence, and the cosmos.

Papers:

"GOTTGEHEIMNIS DER WELT" AND "GOTT ALS GEHEIMNIS DER WELT". THE COMPARATIVE ONTOLOGIES OF ERIC PRZYWARA AND EBERHARD JÜNGEL

Howell C. (Speaker)

Research Assistant ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
Among Eberhard Jüngel's more recognizable works is his 1977 magnum opus, "Gott als Geheimnis der Welt". This work is often looked to for Jüngel's critique of modern metaphysics, the instantiation of a hermeneutical theology of God's trinitarian being, and as his most developed treatment of how God self-determines in the "Sprachereignis." Jüngel, however, has explained that he thinks his most important contribution in the book appears in §18. Here he develops a novel form of theological analogy, which serves to thread the needle between Karl Barth's analogia fidei and Eric Przywara's "Analogia Entis". What is perhaps less know of this work is that Jüngel devised the title as a play on a 1923 book by Przywara titled "Gottgeheimnis der Welt". In that work, Przywara seeks to discern God's mysterious presence within the world's ontological framework. He concludes that there is a tension-latent balance between nature and grace which is tipped in the favor of grace by the world's inherent sacramental nature. In other words, God can appear anywhere because the world is already embedded with his spirit. This early work lays many of the foundational thoughts developed in the monumental "Analogia Entis". This paper will track the space opened up by the "als" in Jüngel's title. Ontologically, the metaphorical proposition preserves a distinct ontological sphere for creaturely existence. Jüngel thereby safeguards the doctrine of revelation by denying that God is in any recognizable way within the world. The world is not inherently sacramental, but must be interrupted by God's presence in order for God to become present. This then leads to Jüngel's "analogy of advent," which is his formal structure to comprehend God's interruptive presence in the world. The space opened up by the "als" defines Jüngel's concept of "Welt" from the inside out, therein not seeking a definite boundary of what the world is, but allowing that boundary to remain a mystery in and through God's coming.
NEGATIVITY AS A FRACTURE WITHIN THE WORLD. THEOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS IN DISCUSSION WITH EBERHARD JÜNGEL

Sulzer L. (Speaker)

Research Associate ~ Heidelberg ~ Germany
Usually, the conception of the 'world' is understood in ontological terms as the epitome of all things, as the whole of the entirety of being, the horizon of horizons. Even if the theological debates hold that the world is to be understood as a fallen world, this classical notion neverthe-less remains. For example, Eberhard Jüngel writes that the world is a 'world in contradiction', while at the same time he seems to retain a positive connotation of 'world' as a meaningful total-ity. In particular in view of the Christian doctrine of sin, but also in view of the multitude of destructive events taking place today, which reveal an ambiguity in the midst of the world, the question arises as to whether the 'world' in its logic as a whole has to be called into question. My paper is dedicated to this question and attempts to address one aspect of this contradiction in the world by assuming a rift, a chasm in the world as its irreducible negativity. To this end, Jüngel's conception of the 'world in contradiction' is developed in a first step, in which both his philosophical considerations and his hamartiological qualification of 'world' are examined. In a second step, this idea of a fallen world is brought into conversation with philosophical-psychoanalytic approaches that speak in particular of a 'parallax' (Zizek, Finkelde) in order to address this chasm. Finally, the relationship between philosophical and hamartiological analysis is reflected upon and an in-depth theological version of the negativity of the world is formulated.

Panel description: The panel seeks to bring together perspectives both aligned with and in opposition to Vattimo's thought, with the goal of offering a broad range of ideas on topics that, with regard to religion, can be considered of fundamental importance; among these are the relationship between truth and violence, and the precise meaning to be assigned to "kenosis" when someone in general professes to be a "Christian". Through his writings dedicated to these themes, Vattimo has made - like few other contemporary philosophers -, a significant contribution to a renewed reflection on the destiny of religion, though his conclusions and provocations are not always universally accepted. The aim of the panel is not a sterile apology of Vattimo's ideas, but to explore the discourse on religion starting from certain Vattimian suggestions, without prejudging the final outcome of this engagement, which may also include divergent views. (We are still accepting up to a maximum of five more contributions).

Papers:

METAPHYSICS AND VIOLENCE. SIDE REFLECTIONS ON VATTIMO'S "A FAREWELL TO TRUTH" AND "OF REALITY"

Geretto M. (Speaker) [1] , Weiss M. (Speaker) [2] , Sarbiewska J. (Speaker) [3]

University of Venice ~ Venice ~ Italy [1] , University of Klagenfurt ~ Klagenfurt ~ Austria [2] , University of Gdansk ~ Gdansk ~ Poland [3]
My paper deals with one of the most theoretically stimulating difficulties in metaphysics, namely, the issue of the impossibility of avoiding a confrontation with the principles. According to Vattimo, every 'strong' metaphysical claim, every metaphysics of principles, carries with it an inevitable violent and authoritarian consequence—violence that can manifest, in the realm of religion, as an authoritarian and despotic hierarchical Church, by virtue of a power understood as top-down domination. If it is true that, from a historical-practical point of view, Vattimo's thesis can find a sad and ample testimony in the history of the Church, the main argument I am presenting is that it is equally true that the issue of the role of principles in metaphysics and the issue of the role of a conception of truth based on universal principles cannot be assimilated on the same practical-empirical level. It is incorrect to speak of the violence of principles in the theoretical realm; violence occurs only from those who abuse the principles themselves in the realm of practical action.
THE VIOLENCE OF FAITH. VATTIMO AND KIERKEGAARD.

Weiss M. (Speaker)

University of Klagenfurt ~ Klagenfurt ~ Austria
This paper explores the persistent connection between religion and violence, with a focus on Vattimo's and Kierkegaard's perspectives. Vattimo's definition of violence as the imposition of unquestionable foundations is contrasted with Johann Galtung's structural violence and Kierkegaard's "violence of faith," exemplified in Fear and Trembling. Drawing on Vattimo's hermeneutics and notions of kenosis, the discussion examines how dialogue and peace can emerge through the rejection of immutable truths. The interplay between faith, reason, and violence is further contextualized through reflections on Abraham's sacrifice and contemporary philosophical discourse.

Panel description: The Catholic Church under Pope Francis has launched a worldwide effort to simultaneously: i) advance 'synodality'—deep listening processes by which ecclesial authority are to be better informed by expertise and better grounded in the day-to-day life of laypersons in the world; and ii) advance the inculturation of Catholicism in diverse cultures—not simply 'catholic' by geography but more fully 'catholic' in culture and spirit. Such a project raises a host of questions demanding intellectual expertise as well as prudent judgment: how can large-scale 'listening processes' best be structured in ways that keep dominant biases in check, reach the 'margins of society' as well as elites, and produce insight that is valuable for informing ecclesial decision-making? What organizational forms can best provide discipline and structure to such processes? What is the relationship between synodality and the structure of authority within Catholicism? What elements of Catholic practice and decision-making can be productively decentralized to better inculturate the faith? What elements must remain centralized to assure coherence and faithfulness to the core tradition? What is the role of intellectual expertise in all these matters? This session will host a discussion on this intellectual terrain among theologians, social scientists, ethicists, ecclesiologists, historians, attorneys, organizational experts, and others interested—with an eye toward strengthening global intellectual networks to 'think with the Church' toward the future. Session sponsored by the journal Concilium and the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies.

Papers:

THE EXPERIENCE OF LATIN AMERICAN INTELLECTUAL NETWORKS THINKING WITH THE CHURCH

Cuda E. (Speaker) [1] , Orobator A. (Speaker) [2]

Theological Commission of CELAM (Bogotá and Buenos Aires) and Loyola University (Chicago) ~ Rome ~ Argentina [1] , Jesuit School of Theology at SCU ~ Berkeley, CA ~ United States of America [2]
The Catholic Church under Pope Francis has launched a worldwide effort to simultaneously: i) advance 'synodality'—deep listening processes by which ecclesial authority are to be better informed by expertise and better grounded in the day-to-day life of laypersons in the world; and ii) advance the inculturation of Catholicism in diverse cultures—not simply 'catholic' by geography but more fully 'catholic' in culture and spirit. Such a project raises a host of questions demanding intellectual expertise as well as prudent judgment: how can large-scale 'listening processes' best be structured in ways that keep dominant biases in check, reach the 'margins of society' as well as elites, and produce insight that is valuable for informing ecclesial decision-making? What organizational forms can best provide discipline and structure to such processes? What is the relationship between synodality and the structure of authority within Catholicism? What elements of Catholic practice and decision-making can be productively decentralized to better inculturate the faith? What elements must remain centralized to assure coherence and faithfulness to the core tradition? What is the role of intellectual expertise in all these matters? This session will host a discussion on this intellectual terrain among theologians, social scientists, ethicists, ecclesiologists, historians, attorneys, organizational experts, and others interested—with an eye toward strengthening global intellectual networks to 'think with the Church' toward the future. Session sponsored by the journal Concilium and the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies.
BUILDING MORE TRULY GLOBAL INTELLECTUAL NETWORKS

Guardado L. (Speaker) [1] , Froehle B. (Speaker) [2]

Associate Professor of Theology, Fordham University ~ New York ~ United States of America [1] , Atlantic University ~ Palm Beach, FL ~ United States of America [2]
Discussion of efforts out of the United States to connect on mutual terms with scholar-colleagues in Latin America, especially the networks in Peru centered around Gustavo Gutierrez (Guardado) ; and with scholar-colleagues in other regions (Froehle) -- the importance of these efforts, challenges faced, needs moving forward."
THE EXPERIENCE OF AFRICAN INTELLECTUAL NETWORKS THINKING WITH THE CHURCH

Orobator A. (Speaker)

Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology @ SCU ~ Berkeley, CA ~ United States of America
Discussion of intellectual networks in East and West Africa, their efforts to connect on mutual terms to networks in Europe and the United States; importance of these efforts, challenges faced, needs moving forward.
EUROPEAN VIEWS TOWARD GLOBAL NETWORKS

Cesari J. (Speaker) [1] , Faggioli M. (Speaker) [2] , Carbonell J.M. (Speaker) [3]

University of Birmingham ~ Birmingham (UK) ~ United Kingdom [1] , Villanova University ~ Philadelphia ~ United States of America [2] , Blanquerna-URL University ~ Barcelona ~ Spain [3]
Views from the UK, Italy, and Spain regarding the need, promise, and challenges of global intellectual networks 'thinking with the Church'
FILIPINO & SE ASIAN EXPERIENCE OF GLOBAL SCHOLARLY NETWORKS

Alejo A. (Speaker)

Gregorian University ~ Rome ~ Italy
Filipino theological networks and their experience within global scholarly networks

Panel description: On the occasion of the centenary of Michel de Certeau's birth (1925-1986), this panel aims to present a multidisciplinary exploration of the concept of "place" as a pivotal interpretative key across the breadth of his work. The panel seeks to examine how "place" functions in Certeau's thought as a locus of socio-cultural, political, and spiritual transformations, drawing on historical, philosophical, anthropological, psychoanalytic, and theological perspectives. This epistemological question highlights - as well - the consequences of social and political involvement in producing any scientific and spiritual discourse. Central to this discussion is the intricate relationship between place and alterity. The panel will investigate Certeau's reinterpretation of the "interior place" in modern mysticism, the "place" of institutional power in contrast with the "space" of creative resistance and anarchic daily practices, the historian's "place" in relation to the past, and the "place" of the unconscious in historical and psychoanalytic praxis. This dynamic tension between place and space, topos and heterotopia, destabilizes conventional spatial categories, offering novel perspectives on "place" as an expression of desire, memory, language and social practice in shaping the modern European identity. The gathering is intended to contribute significantly to the study of a central theme in contemporary thought and to encourage dialogue on Michel de Certeau's theoretical and methodological legacy within the humanities.

Papers:

MICHEL DE CERTEAU AND LIBERATION THEOLOGY. BETWEEN ATTRACTION AND CRITICAL DISTANCE

Álvarez C. (Speaker)

Universidad Alberto Hurtado ~ Santiago de Chile ~ Chile
The Church's involvement in the political and social life of Latin America has made it an extremely interesting laboratory for elaborating a new political theology, or at least for elucidating the complex relationship between revolution and tradition, between making and saying. In other words, Michel de Certeau wants to explore the possibilities opened up by the circulation of political and theological knowledge and practices, capable of confronting his own reality in France with that of Latin America and vice-versa. In this key, Gustavo Gutiérrez's book, Liberation Theology (1971), which is the act of birth of this plural and diverse theological current, with its accent on orthopraxis, arouses his interest, sympathy and attention. For Certeau, "making truth" is the first condition of the Christian journey today. Such a journey would be linked to making a body with history, to making the problems of our contemporaries the fundamental concerns of faith. However, Certeau distances himself from the pretension of associating the believing experience to a single sociological place, for example, of linking revelation only to the working class world, as well as criticizing the fact that liberation theology still works with too many European theoretical dispositives. What understandings of theology can we rescue from his position in relation to liberation theology? How does his understanding of non-place play in Certeau's understanding of theology? What does a Christianity that becomes a fable mean?
FROM THE HISTORY OF MADNESS TO THE MADNESS OF HISTORY. MICHEL DE CERTEAU, THE HISTORIAN'S PLACE AND THE PLACE OF THE OTHER

Brandodoro N. (Speaker)

Sapienza Università di Roma ~ Rome ~ Italy
This paper examines the "place of the other" in Michel de Certeau's historiography, highlighting its structural and simultaneously aporetic role within his epistemological framework. Starting with the reflections proposed in Faire de l'histoire (1970) and the critical dialogue with Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida on the so-called querelle de la folie, the presentation focuses on the relationship between historical discourse and alterity. The paper demonstrates how the question of the inaccessible nature of the other's discourse—whether of the mad, the mystic, the sorcerer, or the possessed—constitutes an essential epistemological premise for Certeau, shaping his entire historiographical approach. This trajectory is traced from his critique of Robert Mandrou and popular culture studies to his later works of the 1980s. For Certeau, the "place of the other" goes beyond the socially or culturally excluded, emerging instead as an absent and elusive referent—constitutive yet unattainable—that structures historiographical discourse. This theoretical knot generates a double tension: on the one hand, alterity enables the scientific nature of history; on the other, it exposes history's intrinsic limits, revealing the inevitable violence in appropriating the other's discourse. The paper concludes by showing how this perspective culminates in a vision of history as a "madness that expresses science" (L'écriture de l'histoire, 1975) where the historian's time and "place" are inextricably intertwined with the unreachable dimension of the past.

Panel description: In the book presentation, some themes from transhumanism and critical posthumanism will be placed in dialogue with classic problems of metaphysics, and with some great thinkers of the past (Bruno, Spinoza, and above all Leibniz). The main purpose of this comparison is to invite transhumanists and critical posthumanists to consider a highly complex problematic tradition rooted in the history of philosophy. Geretto's work also makes use of examples drawn from the history of mythology, angelology, and mysticism. At the same time, his book promotes dialogue between scholars of classical metaphysics and philosophy of religion, and the potential metaphysical/spiritual theories developed independently by contemporary transhumanist and posthumanist thinkers. The main thesis of the book which will be put at test is the need to safeguard intelligence as a principle, without falling into the trap of a violent and egotistic metaphysics.

Papers:

Panel description: Jesus started his ministry by admonishing his listeners to repent, and practices of repentance and penitence has for a long time been central for Christian Churches worldwide. Controversies concerning repentance were the starting point for the Reformation, the confession of sin is a central part of the liturgy for many Churches, and repentance and penitence are still seen as helpful for people whose lives are burdened in different ways. At the same time, the theology of penitence presupposes an understanding of humans as sinners that many find challenging. What we want to explore in this panel is how historically informed and contextually sensitive practices of penitence and repentance can be maintained in our day, and whether and in which way they still can be seen as liberating for people struggling with different kind of challenges. One of the papers in this panel is historically oriented, investigating the understanding of penitence in the early years of the Lutheran Reformation. The other five papers discuss contemporary issues. Three are related to the Scandinavian and Norwegian context. One discusses the confession of sin in creation-care liturgies, one investigates a shift in the content of the confession of sin that has taken place in the liturgy in the Church of Norway in recent years, and one discusses the understanding of penitence in the Church of Norway by investigating liturgies for the Day of penance and prayer. Two of the papers discuss issues related to other contexts. Has the church anything to learn from the Japanese ritual of mizukokuyo (a Buddhist ritual for women who have experienced abortion), and what is to be learned from the practice in the Malagasy Lutheran church of using rituals of repentance in the treatment of substance addition? Hopefully, these papers will give us relevant perspectives for an updated theology of repentance.

Papers:

LUTHER ON PENITENCE

Alfsvåg K. (Speaker)

Faculty of theology and social sciences, VID Specialized University ~ Stavanger ~ Norway
The starting point for Luther's 95 theses on indulgence, which - unforeseen by the author - launched the Reformation, was a new understanding of penitence, and indeed this was something he focussed on during the early years of the Reformation, e.g., in Ein Sermon vom Sakrament der Buße. Still, this is arguably a sidetrack in Luther's theological development. Penitence was not an important topic in the disputations from 1515 to 1518, which are considered landmark documents in Luther's theological development, and was not at all touched in De servo arbitrio, which Luther later considered his most important work. So why this sudden interest in penitence, and what is the relation between this interest and the structuring metaphysics of Luther's thought?
CONFESSIONS OF ANTHROPOGENIC SIN IN NORDIC CREATION-CARE LITURGIES

Lund A.J. (Speaker)

Faculty of theology and social sciences, VID Specialized University ~ Stavanger ~ Norway
Anthropogenic sin—the acknowledgment of human culpability in environmental degradation—has become a critical theological concept in the context of global ecological crises, especially within the field known as ecotheology. Scholars such as Ernst Conradie have argued that the Christian concept of sin has a unique possibility to get to the root of what has gone wrong in humanity's relationship with the Earth. In liturgical Christian worship, confession of sin is an integral element. Liturgical confessions of sin serve as acts of corporate self-reflection, acknowledging both personal failings and systemic injustices, and fostering communal commitment to change. Traditionally, liturgical confessions of sin focus on interpersonal and societal wrongs, but recent liturgical developments in many churches have expanded their scope to include ecological concerns. In this paper, I examine creation care liturgies from the churches of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, investigating how these liturgies articulate anthropogenic sin. Using an ecocritical hermeneutic as an interpretative lens, the liturgical material reveals diverse perspectives on anthropogenic sin. I argue that liturgical confessions of anthropogenic sin have the potential to influence the ethical consciousness and behaviour of those participating in worship and can highlight both the individual and corporate culpability in perpetuating ecological crises.
THE CONFESSION OF SINS AND ITS CULTURAL CONTEXT - A TEST CASE FROM THE CHURCH OF NORWAY

Hetlebakke B. (Speaker)

Diocese of Stavanger, Church of Norway ~ Sola ~ Norway
The confession of sins is a regular part of the liturgy in the Church of Norway. Over the past few decades, the content of the confession has changed from being a confession that the confessor is a sinner ("I know the lust for evil in my heart") to being a confession of the confessor having done things that should rather have been avoided ("I have sinned with what I have done and with what I have neglected"). This seems to be due to a desire to be relevant in a secular culture alienated from the traditional Christian understanding of sin. With this as a background, this contribution wishes to discuss whether this is to be understood as a relevant contextualization or an unfortunate adaptation to a situation incompatible with Christian teaching.
THE DAY OF PENANCE AND PRAYER IN THE CHURCH OF NORWAY

Mestad K.M.E. (Speaker)

Faculty of theology and social sciences, VID Specialized University ~ Stavanger ~ Norway
The day of penance and prayer became a regular part of the ecclesiastical year in the Church of Norway in 1686. It was placed on a Friday, and until 1950, it was a public holiday. However, after a debate in the Norwegian Parliament in 1950, it was moved to the last Sunday in October. Until the church service reform in the Church of Norway in 2011, the day had a separate liturgy marked by a relatively long prayer formulated as a confession. Moreover, it was recommended not to celebrate the Eucharist on that day. Today, the service on the day of penance and prayer is not regulated by a separate liturgy. Having as a starting point that there is a dialectical relationship between liturgy and theology, a study of the development and use of the liturgy of the day of penance and prayer can contribute to an understanding of how the Church of Norway understands individual and collective penitence.
BUDDHIST AND CHRISTIAN RITUALS FOR JAPANESE WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ABORTION

Kessel T.B. (Speaker)

Faculty of theology and social sciences, VID Specialized University ~ Stavanger ~ Norway
Mizukokuyo (水子供養)in Japan is a memorial service in Buddhist temples that is performed after both spontaneous and induced abortions. They also include a dimension of remorse and penance, partly due to a fear that the spirit of the fetus will punish the family. At the same time, the ritual expresses both fellowship with others in a similar situation and a form of fellowship with the spirit of the fetus. There are many reasons why the ritual of mizukokuyo is maintained. Research shows that large temples specialize in these rituals, and it is believed that women participate due to mental stress and fear of revenge. It has also been claimed that the ritual exploits vulnerable women, and that the women in the rituals are invisible and passive participants. The question I want to discuss is whether the Christian church in Japan has something to learn from this ritual, and whether the church has something to offer to these women from the church's own faith and tradition. Is the confession of sins in the Christian service perceived as sufficient for women who feel that an induced abortion was wrong, or is this a field that should be taken more seriously within the context of pastoral care and the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins? Do Christian women who have experienced induced abortions participate in abortion rituals in temples? In light of how common induced abortion is in Japan, this is an important issue which has not been properly addressed in scholarly research, and this study wants to remedy this shortcoming.
PENITENCE AND SUBSTANCE ADDICTION - A DISCUSSION FROM A MALAGASY PERSPECTIVE

Rasendrason A.A. (Speaker)

Faculty of theology and social sciences, VID Specialized University ~ Stavanger ~ Norway
Substance addiction is an important issue worldwide. In the Malagasy context, the Malagasy Lutheran Church (MLC) has institutions that treat people with substance addiction in places called toby, which are closely related to the Malagasy revival movements. Initially, the tobys primarily treated individuals with mental illnesses, but in recent decades, people struggling with substance addiction have become the majority of their patients. The tobys are among the primary places where Malagasy people seek help in coping with the devastating effects of substance addiction. In the tobys, religious practices like rituals of repentance are an important part of the treatment. Repentance is here understood according to the Lutheran tradition, where repentance means the person's transformation from inner repentance to a life of sanctification. The treatment thus aims not only at helping the patients to recover from mental illness and substance addiction but also at fostering a sustainable change. The question to be investigated in this paper is the understanding of the interaction between human agency and divine intervention in the tobys' treatment. This will be investigated through interviews with ex-patients who have experienced the treatment in the tobys as successful. Hopefully, this will help us understand how a religious ritual like repentance can be used in a meaningful way in the treatment of persons with substance addiction.

Panel description: For many people today, sport is a meaningful activity in their daily lives. However, the notion that religion has been replaced by sports since the 1960s fails as an interpretative framework for the relation between embodied existence and the sacred (Ruud Stokvis). Secularization does not account for the existential dimension of our moving bodies, for example, how humans give or receive meaning through their senses and physical being in the world (Mark Johnson). It also limits the sacred to traditional religion and religious practices, without imagining the sacred in other ways (Richard Kearney). Moving beyond the paradigm that sports are the new religion, this panel will explore the ways in which the sacred can be encountered in embodied practices of movement and sports. Particular attention will be paid to the phenomenological tradition and its relationship to the body and the sacred, as exemplified in the work of Michel Serres, Simone Weil, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and, more recently, Richard Kearney. These writers emphasize how we experience our relationship to the world through our senses and our physical being in the world, while this very encounter touches something other or more (i.e. transcendence) in everyday reality. This immanent transcendence (Kearney after Ricoeur) opens the space for an aesthetics of transubstantiation (Serres) in which the sacred is found in the embodied existence of the world. How do people encounter the sacred in sports, understood as the movement of embodied beings? What role do religious concepts, such as transubstantiation, transformation, or transcendence, play in the context of movement and sports? These and other questions will be discussed in the panel.

Papers:

THE WOUNDED ATHLETE: RICHARD KEARNEY'S CARNAL HERMENEUTICS AND THE HEALING POTENTIAL OF SPORTS

Wolsink S. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Recent cases of abusive and excessive behaviour in sports show the violent and traumatizing nature of modern sports. The athlete's body is often instrumentalized. In the case of trauma, the body is haunted by the past and dissociated from the present. By considering sports in light of Richard Kearney's carnal hermeneutics, this paper offers a view on the other side of sports, namely the healing potential. Inspired by phenomenology, Kearney discusses the possibility of an immanent transcendence, or of the world as the site of the sacred. The word becomes flesh in our embodied existence. What does this transformation (or: transubstantiation) mean for the embodied practice of sports? Can we reconnect with ourselves, our bodies, and others through sports? Moving beyond the instrumentalization of the body, this paper discusses the healing potential of sports after trauma.
'BRINGING TIME AND FATE BACK INTO PLAY': SERRESIAN PERSPECTIVES ON SPORTS

Houterman A. (Speaker)

Erasmus University Rotterdam ~ Rotterdam ~ Netherlands
Both the body and religion are major themes in the work of French philosopher of science Michel Serres, who sees them both as information networks. Unlike Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology, Serres links embodied existence to phenomena that also have a distinctly religious background, such as sensuality, joy, metamorphosis and ecstasy. Even in his reflections on sports, Serres clearly emphasizes religious themes such as the polytheism of a team and the return of weekly competition. How can we consider the relationship between religion and embodiment? What elements of his philosophy of the body does Serres draw from the mysticism of Simone Weil? What does this relationship say about contemporary issues in sports?

Panel description: Humans everywhere breathe the same air freely given by a benevolent creator. They receive light daily from the sun and moon and stars and share the goodness of natural resources from a good God. Yet many people fight in the name of God and religion at this day and age, killing fellow humans, disposing them of their homes and resources, denying their rights to existence and using all forms of violence and persecutions to oppress fellow humans, all, in the name of God. CLOSED Crass Ignorance, Intolerance, Fundamentalism, wickedness and Pride are some of the reasons why Interreligious and interfaith dialogue/collaboration remain elusive, despite all that history pages reach. It is time, indeed the urgency is now, for all to rededicate their good and positive energies to the ideals of fostering our cultural, theological, human and spiritual abilities to build communities of peace, justice and charity through the humble search for truth built on the dialogue of religions and interfaith. Despite the recent historical intrusion of modernity and colonial novelties into Africa, the African peoples still have a lot to share with the rest of humanity of its culturally rooted experiences in a community philosophy built around the Ubuntu understanding and way of life that tries to include all and exclude none.

Papers:

LEARNING ABOUT ONESELF AND THE OTHER AS CORNERSTONES OF FRUITFUL INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

Bechina F. (Speaker)

CiN Research Institute for Interfaith Harmony RIIFH ~ Vienna ~ Austria
On 3 August 1944, a new Education Act for England and Wales received Royal Assent. The purpose of the Education Act was not only to 'rebuild' education during the war, but also to lay the foundations for a new start and a better society after the war. One of the key innovations of the Education Act was the introduction of compulsory religious education in state schools, depending on the denomination of the pupils. There may be different reasons for such a legal provision, but a main and fundamental conviction of the authors of the text and the British politicians of that time was that confessional religious education would be beneficial for the development and cohesion of modern democratic societies. And the Challenges of today´s European societies may be in some aspects similar to those eighty years ago. Taking into account also the critical voices that argue for the total elimination of religion from the public sphere and, consequently, from school curricula, this paper aims to discuss different arguments and positions in favour of confessional religious education in all schools. Only when citizens are aware of their own religious identity and have attained a certain level of religious literacy commensurate with their general level of education will interreligious dialogue be possible. And without such dialogue, it is unlikely that multicultural and multi-religious populations in modern states will be able to coexist peacefully and sustainably.
IS THERE A FUTURE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN OUR WORLD? REPORT ON AFRICA

Kuhn E. (Speaker)

CiN Research Institute for Interfaith Harmony RIIFH ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Religious freedom is a highly endangered issue in Africa. The example of Nigeria, which is home to roughly the same number of Muslims as Christians, makes this clear. Every effort must be made to promote religious peace and joint efforts for a united Nigeria. The federal state of Enugu, which previously sought its independence under the name of Biafra, has a pioneering position in this regard. Today, it is an up-and-coming federal state whose Christian governor, with the help of Catholic priests, has become a prime example of a state of progress and tolerance without corruption. At the interface with the Islamist terror groups of the Fulani herdsmen, it will be decided here whether a tolerant federal state that successfully cooperates between Muslims and Christians can become a model for a united and free Nigeria. This is where the question of Nigeria's unity or separation along cultural and religious fault lines will be decided. Reality, interreligious projects and a successful economy can become a model for the whole of Nigeria and thus for the whole of West Africa.

Panel description: Cardinal Pizzaballa/Jerusalem stated in 2023: "After years of interreligious dialogue, we have realized that we do not understand each other. Now this interfaith dialogue must take an important step." Developing "life narratives" requires courage and strength. For example, the courage to communicate our own cultural and religious narratives and to put them up for discussion. The courage not to misinterpret integration as assimilation and not to raise new fears. The courage to take religious people seriously, even in a secular society. Respect for the value of the individual is becoming the fundamental issue of a modern society in a polarized global world. It is urgent to raise this issue also with religious societies. The Gospels make it easy for Christian churches to reflect this basic attitude of individual freedom in their theology. Islamic communities will still have to face this question. A new approach to an interpretation immanent to the times will have to be found in the study of the Koran. The knowledge that such interpretations have already existed in the history of Islam will help in this regard. However, since the early Middle Ages, these new outlets for an intellectually critical understanding of the Qur'an have been suppressed and forgotten. Our society lacks this competition between religious beliefs; religious communities withdraw too much into their own ghettos and refuse to participate in social discourse. In Europe, unfortunately, this also applies to the Catholic Church. Religions in particular have the power to tell their own life stories based on spirituality and their narrative of human dignity and peace in the world.

Papers:

ACTIVELY FIGHT HATRED AND RESCUE PERSECUTED: NGO CHRISTIANS IN NEED

Ike O. (Speaker)

CiN Research Institute for Interfaith Harmony RIIFH ~ Vienna ~ Austria
HATRED is a WRONG PATHWAY for HUMANITY. LOVE IS THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE ROUTE TO PEACE AND JUSTICE IN A WORLD FOR EVERYBODY. The reasons for hatred may be found in human nature and humanity's proneness to evil, yet, the power of religions to teach love and truth, preach, heal, transform, and reconcile broken humanity in overcoming hatred, far transcends these limitations. The truth makes free is an adage found in many cultures including the Igbo of Nigeria whose proverb is founded in "Eziokwu bu Ndu. Onye anwuna ma ibe ya efuna. Egbe belu Ugo belu"… (Truth is Life. Justice is Live and Let Live). The EuARe Vienna conference is a great opportunity to re-emphasize the truths that bind humanity, namely that religions must serve peace, promote citizens' freedoms as the creator made it so, encourage religious tolerance, and promote love against hatred of all forms. Muslims, Christians, and other religious thought leaders must teach and lead their congregations on the path of religious truths that do not undermine the Love, tolerance, freedom, and fundamental dignity of all human beings, irrespective of their differences. Education for Peace and religious tolerance is an agenda useful for all faith leaders to imbibe and build upon. There is an urgent need for religious communities and followers of various spiritual traditions to agree to their responsibility of being places of tolerance, respect, humanity, tolerance, freedom, and the avoidance of discrimination and violence against fellow humans or indeed against creation and nature. RELIGIONS ARE AGENTS OF PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION.
NARRATIVES IN CULTURE AND RELIGION: TRAINING FOR A SHARED FUTURE

Kuhn E. (Speaker)

CiN Research Institute for Interfaith Harmony RIIFH ~ Vienna ~ Austria
On the one hand it is useless to fight hate narratives with arguments. There is nothing more dangerous than blind idealists, because logic bounces off them and they are blind to all alternatives that do not fit their distorted picture of reality. The high emotional level that accompanies storytelling makes impossible a free discussion of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. These emotionally charged narratives of hate destroy the rational basis of debate that we have achieved from Thomas Aquinas and Erasmus of Rotterdam to Kant and Voltaire and in our democratic culture of dialogue. On the other hand, in today's media society we live a secularism without religion and a negative religious freedom that wants to banish religions from society as a superfluous private matter. We urgently need to return to the achievements of our societies, which are based on principles other than those on which they themselves can be based. In the sense of Böckenförde axiom, this means that the liberal, secular state lives on conditions which it cannot create itself. It must - also through its religious policy - provide social forces and individual citizens with the freedom necessary for the formation of a sustainable basic consensus: Human rights and dignity can never become a matter of majority decisions. They must be protected primarily by the state. Secular society must not become blind to those whose actions deny the fundamental values of our cultures.

Panel description: 1

Papers:

(RE)WRITING GERMAN 'CHURCH STRUGGLE' HISTORY IN AN AGE OF CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM

Jantzen K. (Speaker)

Ambrose University ~ Calgary ~ Canada
E.H. Carr's famous axiom that history is "an unending dialogue between the present and the past" is particularly relevant to the current state of German church history in the National Socialist era. For one, recent eruptions of Christian nationalism in Western societies have called into question the past lessons supposedly learned about the dangers of fusing Christianity with exclusionary nationalist ideology. What is more, some of the new Christian nationalists are reinterpreting history in ways that distort the meaning and message of Christians caught up in the German "Church Struggle" of the 1930s and 1940s. Over and against that, however, historians experiencing twenty-first century Christian nationalism are gaining new insights into the dynamics of that earlier "Church Struggle." Taken together, these realities suggest it might be time for a new history of the German churches in the Third Reich. Employing a kind of "critical presentism," I would argue that historians need to ask what it means to write this history in a time when, once again, Christianity, Christians, and churches are subject to ideological polarization and political manipulation and mobilization by far-right leaders, movements, and governments.
THE VATICAN'S POSTWAR CLEMENCY CAMPAIGN: NEW DOCUMENTS FROM THE PONTIFICATE OF PIUS XII (1939-1958)

Brown-Fleming S. (Speaker)

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ~ Washington D.C. ~ United States of America
The opening of the Vatican's archives for the Holocaust-era, which span the pontificate of Pope Pius XII (1939-1958), represents a generational opportunity to explore institutional Catholicism's attempts to reckon with the historical, ethical and theological implications of the Holocaust. Scholars now have access to an indispensable documentary record that will further our understanding of the role the Catholic Church played during these years. One such instance was the Holy See's clemency campaign for war criminals convicted during the Allied war crimes trials. In the early fall of 1949, Pope Pius XII instructed his nuncio in Germany to write a letter supporting clemency for convicted German war criminals to General Thomas Handy, commander of United States European Command (EUCOM). "In the spirit of centuries-old traditions, the Church seeks to have justice tempered with mercy. In accord with the time-honored prerogative of the Church to intercede for even the worst of criminals, Pope Pius XII respectfully requests that clemency be shown," wrote Pius XII's representative in Germany to General Handy on February 27, 1950. The motivations of Pope Pius XII and his advisors in clemency efforts for convicted German war criminals, most especially Catholic ones, can now be fully researched due to the new records available for the 1939-1958 period. This paper will focus on cases discovered in the Vatican Apostolic Archive, detailing the discussions between the pope, secretary of state and other senior Vatican figures on the issues war criminals.
TOXIC CHRISTIANITIES: DEUTSCHE CHRISTEN AND WHITE CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM

Krondorfer B. (Speaker)

Northern Arizona University ~ Flagstaff ~ United States of America
Some twentieth century historians -- Christopher Browning and Benjamin Hett among them -- have implicitly or explicitly drawn analogies between Germany's walk into dictatorship and recent political developments in the United States, especially as they concern the dismantling of democracy and threats of violence. The German nationalist movement that lifted Hitler into power rejected rationality, with contempt for truth and reason. "Hitler lied all the time. Yet he also said clearly what he was doing and what he planned to do" (Hett). Facts did not matter as long as the message was simple and emotional. Parallels to the 2024 U.S. elections are undeniable. Since Christianity/churches in Germany had been so deeply affected and compromised by Nazism's völkisch ideology, after the war we saw an enormous output of studies and scholarship engaging the failures and shortcomings of the German churches and theology. As scholars still active in these (sub)fields, do we have an obligation to draw attention and parallels to today's toxic forms of White Christian Nationalism in the United States and beyond? There is certainly a growing number of engaged scholars, journalists, and activist Christians in the United States who have changed the public and scholarly discourse from "religious fundamentalism" to "White Christian Nationalism"—a necessary move to account for the radicalization and racialization of forms of Protestant Christianity. Is it helpful to push further the similarities (and differences) between the Nazi "Aryanization" of Christianity and the U.S. American nationalization of Christianity? Both are forms of racializing Christianity, though they also differ in terms of, for example, who they target and what kind of forms of government they aspire to. As scholars of "kirchliche Zeitgeschichte/contemporary church history," critical theologians, and observers of Christian movements past and present, what are our obligations in 2025 and beyond?
FOSTERING APPROPRIATE RELIGIOUS FEELINGS IN CATHOLIC MAIDSERVANTS IN IMPERIAL GERMANY

Cucchiara M. (Speaker)

Bluffton University ~ Ohio ~ United States of America
The paper analyzes the religious instructions of maidservants in the Catholic magazine Notburga in Imperial Germany and shows how the religiosity and attendant emotions of maidservants were not their private affair but a widely debated public matter. In Germany, maidservants routinely were defamed as impious, lazy, disobedient, and sexually promiscuous, and their moral improvement became a topic of an intense public discussion in which the Catholic Church became a key participant. The Church's interest in this debate known as the Dienstbotenfrage (servant question) was threefold. First, the Church had a history of offering charity and pastoral care to poor, Catholic maidservants. Second, Catholic leaders believed that only religion could guarantee women's docility and sexual propriety and, by extension, the stability and prosperity of the nation. Third, the Church used the debate to fight what it perceived as the destructive influence of Social Democracy on German society—in particular its popularity among the poor. In publications like Notburga, the Church insisted on a religiously informed emotional regime of a pious, loving bond between maid and mistress as the only solution to the servant question. The magazine's singular focus was on the trope of the exemplary, pious maidservant, and this paper illuminates how the magazine encouraged and admonished its readers to emulate this ideal through the embrace of a particular feminine religiosity. In practice, this meant the cultivation of specific emotions. A pious maidservant was content in her poverty, pursued her hard and menial work with joy, bore her pain with equanimity, and loved her employer, even if the latter abused her. She also suppressed any undesirable emotions such as sexual passions, jealousy, and greed. The intersection between religion and emotions thus offers scholars important tools to study the continued relevance of religion in debates about gender, class, and politics in modern Germany.
THE STRANGE CASE OF FATHER WERNER KRETH, DOMVIKAR AND NSDAP MEMBER

Spicer K. (Speaker)

Stonehill College ~ Easton ~ United States of America
In Nazi Germany, there existed approximately 150 Catholic priests whose sustained allegiance to and membership in the Nazi party became a scandal for the German Catholic church. In 2008, Northern Illinois University Press published my overarching study on brown priests, which used case studies to examine this phenomenon. While the book discussed the lives and choices of select priests, covering each cleric's story was impossible. Likewise, I only accessed a small portion of the archival material I found. Instead, I included an appendix offering a Lebenslauf for every brown priest I located, along with individual corresponding bibliographies. I am now studying select brown priests not covered in my book's narrative, whose lives and choices offer new insights into the Church's actions under National Socialism. For this paper, I will offer the case study of Father Werner Kreth (1890-1942), a priest of the Ermland diocese, a Domvikar, an NSDAP member, and a V-Mann. Unfortunately, the diocesan files from this period no longer exist. I have reconstructed Kreth's story from numerous state and church archives. His case reveals how the Catholic Church's hierarchy and NSDAP local leadership could conspire when an individual belonging to both institutions broke societal moral norms. The case study will detail Kreth's improprieties and crimes that led to his expulsion from the NSDAP and suspension from the priesthood.
THE POPE AGAINST NUREMBERG? POSTWAR JUSTICE AND VATICAN AID FOR NAZI WAR CRIMINALS - ARCHIVAL SOURCES AND OPEN RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Steinacher G. (Speaker)

University of Nebraska ~ Lincoln ~ United States of America
The leadership of the Catholic Church, including Pope Pius XII, his closest advisors, and many cardinals and bishops, was increasingly critical of the Nazi war crimes trials and the overall Allied denazification efforts following World War II. They viewed these actions as overly vengeful and instead positioned themselves as advocates for the vanquished, warning against the dangers of Communist expansion. By 1948, Pope Pius XII openly called for forgiving and forgetting Germany's wartime crimes, focusing instead on rebuilding the country. At the same time, papal organizations assisted Nazis and their collaborators in evading extradition and avoiding prosecution by fleeing overseas. The roles of individual clergymen such as Alois Hudal and Krunoslav Draganović in this context are well-documented, but other aspects remain understudied. This paper discusses the insights gained from archival records and initial research results. It also addresses the questions and challenges that remain in researching the Vatican's responses to Allied postwar justice efforts. At the center of the analysis are the worldviews, religious convictions, and political motivations of the Catholic clergy during the postwar years.
PURIFYING THE VOLK: GERMAN JEWS ON PROTESTANTS AND CHRISTIANITY, 1929-1949

Probst C. (Speaker)

New York University ~ New York ~ United States of America
With Alon Confino, it is not difficult to argue that Hitler and the Nazi regime sought a world without Jews during the Third Reich. Yet, five years before Hitler became chancellor of Germany, Stuttgart Protestant pastor Eduard Lamparter, who worked tirelessly for the Verein zur Abwehr des Antisemitismus, found it necessary to publish two polemical works about the relationship between Protestantism and Judaism. In both books, Lamparter decries Christian antisemitism, countering a portrait of Judaism that he regards as untruthful. He argues in Evangelische Kirche und Judentum that the greatest danger for contemporary Jewish-Christian relations was the attempt by some Protestant ministers to "purify" Christianity "of all Jewish or Old Testament leaven." In my current research project, Purifying the Volk, I demonstrate that, over the succeeding twenty years, Lamparter's attempts to counter his fellow Protestants' antisemitic views largely fell on deaf ears. The work asks several questions. Among them, how did Württemberg Protestants regard their Jewish neighbors from the last years of the Weimar Republic to the effective end of the Allied occupation of Germany in 1949? Did they seek a world without Jews, as did the Nazi regime, and many fellow Germans? Did their attitudes toward Jews change in the years that immediately followed the war; if so, in what ways? This paper will examine a "view from the other side" - German Jewish views of Protestants from 1929 to 1949, especially where political liberalism, assimilation, and antisemitism are concerned. Two case studies will be presented. The life and work of Otto Hirsch, who was from 1933 the executive director of the Reichsvertretung der Deutschen Juden, will be set alongside that of a lesser-known figure, Rabbi Aron Tänzer of Göppingen, whose Jewish community was decimated during the Holocaust.
RELIGIOUS CHARITABLE WORK IN GERMANY BEFORE AND AFTER 1933: THE CASE OF THE SALVATION ARMY

Carter-Chand R. (Speaker)

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ~ Washington D.C. ~ United States of America
The Nazi dictatorship brought significant changes to how private charities operated in Germany, as the regime sought to centralize social welfare and demarcated lines of inclusion in and exclusion from the ethnonational community. Yet for an organization like the Salvation Army, a Protestant social service provider and religious movement, there were important continuities from the Weimar to the Nazi periods. At work in Germany since the 1880s, the Salvation Army operated homeless shelters, maternity homes, orphanages, and provided various forms of assistance to Germany's most poor and vulnerable. This paper explores the evolving government policy on the role of private religious charity in a modern democracy and what changed after 1933. It also examines the actions of the Salvation Army (die Heilsarmee), as it sought to improve its reputation, seek government approval, expand its work, and continue its vision of integrated religious work and social work. Its appointment as an approved auxiliary organization in the NSV (National Socialist People's Welfare) represented both a continuation of similar public-private partnerships in previous eras and also an unprecedented shift in focus.
THE "ARYAN" JESUS PUT IN PRAXIS: RELIGIOUS EVERYDAY LIFE IN GERMAN CHRISTIANS PARISHES DURING THE THIRD REICH

Schuster D. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Over the last 25 years, fundamental work has been done on the inner-Protestant church organization German Christians, which sought to combine Protestantism and National Socialism. In addition to the supposed scientific evidence that Jesus was not Jewish, and that Judaism had always been the greatest enemy of the German volk, Protestant doctrine was also "de-Judaized". The German volk was understood as the chosen people of God and Adolf Hitler as the divinely sent Führer. For their main goal, the implementation of a "de-Judaized" Christianity the German Christians published, among other things, a "Jew-free" Bible and a "de-Judaized" hymnal. Today, however, little is known about everyday church life in Protestant parishes in which this "Aryan" Christianity was implemented. Using concrete examples from Germany and Austria, the paper attempts to provide an insight into how this "Aryan" Christianity has looked like in everyday congregational life.

Panel description: European societies and religions have always changed. In recent years, this change has accelerated and has become more disruptive. This panel examines current transformation processes in highly religious communities from a sociological, psychological and theological perspective. The subject of the research are various highly religious communities, for example from the field of Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism or in Judaism as well as highly religious people from other denominations, movements and religious communities. The panel will examine both internal aspects of change (e.g. aspects that affect the personal willingness to change or processes of transformational learning), and also external influencing factors, such as digitalization or changes in sexual ethics. In addition to contributions from established researchers, the panel is also open to contributions from young academics.

Papers:

AN ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW OF CHANGE IN RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. RELEVANT FACTORS FOR THE WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT CHANGE AND THE PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE OF TRUST

Thiel K. (Speaker)

Internationale Hochschule Liebenzell ~ Bad Liebenzell ~ Germany
The existence of numerous influencing factors makes the explanation of willingness to change in organizations a complex matter. In organziational psychological literature, various factors have been identified to be important in order for people to be willing to support organizationals changes. Building on the rich knowledge of factors identified in For-Profit-Organizations the question will be examined which of these seem to be particularly relevant for people working and voluteering in religious organizations. Since trust evolved to be a relevant antecedent of willingness to change a particular focus will be put on the relevance of trust. What importance do leaders who guide volunteers in the church or religious sector ascribe to trust? How do they promote trust in themselves and the team? These questions are discussed by means of qualitative interviews.
BETWEEN FUNDAMENTALISM AND LIBERALIZATION. CHANGES IN SEXUAL ETHICS IN HIGHLY RELIGIOUS CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES

Künkler T. (Speaker)

CVJM-Hochschule Kassel ~ Kassel ~ Germany
Questions of sexual ethics are immensely contested in highly religious Christian communities. The liberalization of sexual ethics in modern societies is countered by the continuing and in some cases growing influence of fundamentalist attitudes. Based on the results of the triangular study ‚Sexual attitudes and behaviors of (highly) religious Christians', the paper will analyze which patterns of change can be identified in the sexual ethics of highly religious Christians. In particular, the results of a discourse analysis, which examined Christian sexual advice books from the period 1977 to 2021, as well as the results of a quantitative survey, which investigated the connection between sexual ethical attitudes, denominational affiliations, fundamentalism and the change in one's own theological convictions, will be taken into account.
HOW PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC DISCOURSE ARE CHANGING HIGHLY RELIGIOUS JEWISH COMMUNITIES

Engelberg A. (Speaker)

Hadassah Academic College Jerusalem ~ Jerusalem ~ Israel
The cultural effects of psychotherapy in Western societies have been analyzed by prominent sociologists such as Philip Rieff, Niklas Luhmann and Eva Illouz. However much less attention has been devoted to its effects upon conservative religious communities, many of which reject Western secular culture. In recent decades psychotherapeutic discourse and modes of thought have been making inroads into highly religious Jewish Orthodox communities. While these communities tend to deny outside influences upon their worldview, they are nevertheless susceptible to the influence of this discourse via various venues. This paper will consider evidence from research conducted with ultra-Orthodox social work students, and from research on Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox guidance books and lectures for singles and married couples. In both cases, it will be demonstrated how psychotherapeutic modes of thought have seeped into religious daily life and worldviews, often leading to religious adaptation and innovation.
DIGITALIZATION AS AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTOR FOR CHANGE IN HIGHLY RELIGIOUS CHRISTIAN MOVEMENTS

Ehmann M. (Speaker)

Theologische Hochschule Ewersbach ~ Ewersbach ~ Germany
Digitalization affects highly religious Christian communities to a high degree. This involves both organizational digitalization processes in churches, communities and networks as well as waves of digitalization fostered by individual actors, such as Christian influencers. Based on current developments in digital theology and the church in the context of global evangelicalism, this paper shows how digitalization acts as a purposeful strategy (internal factor) of highly religious Christian organizations and as a new form of mass media communication (external factor). As an example, the thematic focus on the digital church at the 4th Lausanne Congress 2024 will be analyzed to show strategies as internal factors within global Evangelicalism. Using case studies from the German-speaking context, the paper will furthermore show how Christian influencers are fundamentally changing the faith communication of highly religious actors in the context of social media as an external factor.

Panel description: This panel delves into how language and literacy shape religious experience and contributes to empowerment, from the use of sacred languages to the adoption of vernacular speech in worship. In some traditions, languages like Latin or Arabic hold a special status, often accessible primarily to religious leaders or scholars, emphasizing the ritual aspects of worship over personal comprehension. In other contexts, translating sacred texts into the vernacular empowers laypeople to access religious knowledge directly, influencing their personal faith and involvement in their communities, as seen in medieval Europe's vernacular Bible translations. We invite contributions that examine how these language choices influence religious literacy, social hierarchy, and personal and religious empowerment. How does sacred language preserve a sense of mystery, inspire spirituality, or reinforce authority within a faith community? Conversely, what are the effects of vernacular languages on individual interpretation and collective understanding? Papers may address these questions through historical or contemporary examples, exploring how different approaches to language can empower communities and create space for diverse interpretations of faith. Through this inquiry, the panel seeks to understand how language choice in religious contexts reflects broader social dynamics and affects individual and collective engagement with spirituality.

Papers:

BETWEEN LATIN AND VERNACULAR: MULTILINGUAL USE OF PSALMS IN THE LOW COUNTRIES (C. 1480-1550)

Hoff R. (Speaker)

Utrecht University ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
Psalms were entangled with daily life in the medieval and early modern Low Countries. They were sung in liturgy, used for private prayer, taught as part of the basic school curriculum, whispered at deathbeds, and sung in the streets during religious protests. The psalms circulated in both Latin and Middle Dutch. In past research, the Latin texts have primarily been connected to formal, liturgical, and public religion, while the vernacular psalms have been considered part of a private, devotional context, particularly within female religious communities. This paper critically reassesses this dichotomy by investigating material evidence in surviving copies of printed and manuscript psalters from the late fifteenth and the sixteenth century. Did religious and lay people shift between languages when praying or singing the psalms? What meanings were assigned to the use of Latin or Dutch? And how could a specific choice of language serve as a powerful religious and socio-political instrument in a time characterized by religious turmoil?
"[GOD] IS MULTILINGUAL": MULTILINGUALISM IN VERTICAL PRAYERS AMONG CHRISTIANS IN THE NETHERLANDS

Alberts E. (Speaker)

Protestant Theological University ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
Prayer is a central practice in the faith lives of many Christians. Prayers can be both 'horizontal', emphasising community and fellowship, or 'vertical', focusing on a personal relationship with God without other interlocutors. Speakers with more than one language in their repertoire may select what language they want to use during prayer, a phenomenon known in sociolinguistics as 'language choice'. As language choice is mainly shaped by social context and formed in interaction, language choice in vertical prayer provides an interesting context to study. How do multilingual Christians employ their language repertoire in conversation with God? What do these patterns of language choices symbolise? Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews conducted in an apostolic charismatic church in the Netherlands, this paper demonstrates how multilingual Christians' language choices in prayer reflect broader societal language ideologies. In addition, code-switching in prayers reveals how believers play around with language in strategic ways to convey a sense of reverence, spirituality, and emotional connection with God.

Panel description: If (systematic) theology is understood as reflection on faith and on questions of meaning and values in the light of the theological tradition, then theology has a relationship with current beliefs, lifeworlds and orientations. As simple as it sounds as difficult is it to determine how this relationship is concretely defined in contemporary systematic theology. Internationally and in other disciplines of theology, the search for connections between the lifeworld and theological reflection has led to a variety of approaches: In approaches of "lived theology", "ordinary theology", "lived religion", "public theology", "narrative ethics", "liberation theology", "constructive theology" or even "pragmatist theology", the focus is shifting to the contemporary lifeworld as the starting point and subject of theology - often opposed to "dogmatic theology" or "Systematic Theology" understood as a only theoretical endeavour concerned with dogma and tradition. An international working group initiated by PD Dr. Frederike van Oorschot (FEST) and Dr. Lea Chilian (Zürich) brings together theologians from these different strands to discuss the reference to the lifeworld in systematic theology. The aim is to specify the task, approach and contribution of systematic theological research in interdisciplinary discourse, the interplay of theological disciplines and within the broader empirical turn within the humanities and cultural sciences. In this panel, working group members present specimens of 'inductive theology' from various perspectives, discussing both the methodological and epistemological presuppositions and key features of this approach, as well as concrete examples of inductive work.

Papers:

METHODOLOGIES OF PERCEPTION: INDUCTIVE THEOLOGY AND ETHNOGRAPHY

Laagland Winder P. (Speaker)

Protestant Theological University ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
Systematic Theology is sometimes accused of (over)categorizing a reality that is often messy and conflicting or even of being 'speculative'- that is, disconnected from reality. In this paper, I demonstrate how systematic theologians might theologize inductively with the use of ethnographic approaches and methodologies. I will provide some examples of doing so from my ethnographic fieldwork on religious language and religious experience, collected within a liberal Christian community in the (post)secular context of the Netherlands. Secondly, the paper discusses different (epistemological) presuppositions that can be useful when using an inductive approach to systematic theology. The paper concludes by demonstrating how an approach to systematic theological research that is both theoretically engaged and empirically informed might contribute to interdisciplinary and inter-methodological discussions.
THE PRAGMATIST ORIENTATION AND THE CATHOLIC IMAGINATION: A PROPOSAL FOR "INDUCTIVE" THEOLOGICAL INQUIRY

Zegarra R. (Speaker)

Harvard Divinity School ~ Cambridge, Ma ~ United States of America
In this paper I present an account of the main contributions of what I call the "pragmatist orientation"--a prime example of inductive inquiry in philosophy--and consider how such contributions can expand, challenge, and be challenged by what I call the "Catholic imagination." I proceed in three movements. First, I provide and defend a characterization of the pragmatist orientation as constituted by the following features: (1) a deep awareness of the contingency of human existence and, therefore, of philosophical categories and systems, (2) an inclination toward concreteness, experience, and action, (3) a great emphasis on intersubjectivity in the formation and verification of ideas, values, and norms, (4) and a commitment to democracy as a way of life. These four features signal the inductive orientation of pragmatism and, I contend, can enrich theological inquiry. Second, I develop each of these points in dialogue with the Catholic way to imagine the eucharist. Here I draw from doctrinal conceptions of the sacrament, but I am significantly more interested in popular ways to imagine both the theology of the eucharist as well as its practical effects in the community of believers. Lastly, I return to pragmatism from (inductively) the perspective of the Catholic imagination to highlight some of the shortcomings (especially in James and Dewey) of this school of thought when it comes to the assessment of religion in general, and the Catholic faith and liturgy, in particular.
OPERATIONALIZING CANDLELIGHT? AN APPROACH TO SPIRITUALITY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH

Opalka K. (Speaker)

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
The paper aims to show how Systematic Theology can incorporate qualitative empirical research, namely sociological research on atmospheres. Underlying is the research question in what regard such phenomena as the light of a candle can become topics of Systematic Theology and Dogmatics. The thesis put forward in the paper is that atmospheric research can help develop an understanding of hitherto often overlooked phenomena, especially such that pertain to spirituality. Hence, the paper will 1) pose the research question and framework, 2) illustrate the relevance of research on spirituality in Systematic Theology, 3) relay the sociological method of atmospheric research, especially in regard to whether and how research on atmospheres can be operationalized (with reference to the methodology of "Sozioprudenz" as developed by the German sociologist Clemens Albrecht), 4) transfer and apply this method to spiritual settings and phenomena (such as the candlelight) and 5) conclude with how to utilize atmospheric research to further research in Systematic Theology.
AN INDUCTIVE APPROACH TO THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF THEOLOGY: VOICES FROM WESTERN EUROPE

Wisse M. (Speaker)

Protestant Theological University ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
Recently, little attention has been paid to the internal coherence of the theological discipline: how do the different subjects relate to each other? This is important, because in order to answer current theological questions, ideally all disciplines within theology should contribute to answering these questions in conjunction. Most proposals for a certain coherence and nature of theology as a discipline are theoretical and based upon certain philosophical or theological convictions. However, for a coherence of theology as a discipline to be actually helpful to collaboration and a joined understanding of the discipline, a view of theology should resonate with the practice of scholars in the field. Therefore, an empirical dimension to the encyclopaedia of theology is indispensable. The empirical research presented in this paper brings together data on views and practices of doing theology in a variety of contexts. In this paper I will present preliminary results from empirical research carried out at various academic theological institutions in Europe.

Panel description: The relationship between the state and religious organizations (hereafter referred to as "church") ranges from full state control to the total prohibition of religion and, therefore, of churches. Constitutions worldwide often define this relationship, and the Japanese Constitution is frequently categorized as a "separation of church and state" model, similar to France and the United States. However, even within this framework, the degree of state involvement and the ways in which religious freedom is ensured can vary significantly. This panel explores how the Japanese Constitution has shaped the interaction between the state and religious organizations and examines both the distinctive characteristics of Japan's approach to the separation of church and state and the degree to which religious freedom is ensured within this framework. The panel will feature three presentations. The first presentation provides an overview of contemporary religious perspectives in Japan and analyzes the constitutional principles of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. Building on this foundation, the second presentation focuses on the guarantee of freedom of religion within the Japan Self-Defense Forces. In contrast to other countries that uphold the separation of church and state but maintain a system of military chaplains, Japan lacks such a system. Finally, the third presentation examines legal responses to so-called "cult" religions, a topic that has gained renewed attention following the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe. Together, these presentations aim to highlight the unique features of Japan's constitutional framework and its implications for religious freedom in a global context.

Papers:

STATE AND RELIGION IN JAPAN: HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS

Yamamamoto K. (Speaker)

The University of Kitakyushu ~ Fukuoka ~ Japan
In this presentation, I will introduce the religious perspective in Japan and explain how the freedom of religion and the principle of separation of church and state stipulated in the Japanese Constitution are understood in order to clarify the distinctive characteristics of Japan. The relationship between the state and religion differs depending on each country's historical and social conditions. Accordingly, this presentation focuses on Japan's historical and social conditions. First, regarding Japan's historical conditions, it is important to consider the significant political and social repercussions that arose from the close link between the state and Shintoism after the Meiji Restoration. Before and during WWII, the so-called "State Shinto" served as a spiritual pillar for the Japanese people. Although the Meiji Constitution nominally guaranteed freedom of religion, it imposed strict restrictions on religious groups incompatible with State Shinto. This dynamic changed significantly with the post-war Constitution of Japan, which clearly states the principle of separation of church and state and guarantees religious freedom. Next, as a social condition in Japan, religions have developed and coexisted within a pluralistic and multilayered framework. Rather than existing solely as objects of faith, the ideas and practices of Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, and other traditions have deeply permeated cultural and social customs, becoming an integral part of Japanese society. By analyzing these historical and social dimensions, this presentation highlights the distinctive features of Japan's model of religious freedom and its implications for constitutional and societal frameworks. Additionally, it situates Japan's approach within a broader global context, offering insights into its unique position among constitutional democracies.
THE DISSOLUTION ORDERS FOR CULTS IN JAPAN AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Konda K. (Speaker)

Fukui Prefectural University ~ Fukui ~ Japan
This presentation discusses the issue of cults in Japan from the perspective of religious freedom, outlining the current discussions and raising some important questions. In the 1990s, the Aum Shinrikyo cult was ordered to dissolve under the Religious Corporations Law, and the court approved the request. In 2023, a similar dissolution request was made for the Unification Church (the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification), and the case is still under review by the court. When the state orders the dissolution of a cult engaged in anti-social activities, it raises concerns about the relationship with constitutional religious freedom. Forcing the dissolution of a religious corporation not only limits the freedom of association of the religious group, but also restricts the individual's freedom to engage in religious practices. In the case of Aum Shinrikyo, the court made certain considerations to protect religious freedom during the proceedings. The presentation analyzes the court's judgment and academic opinions regarding the dissolution order, aiming to clarify Japan's unique approach to such issues. The question of how to deal with cults, especially those engaging in anti-social behavior, and how to balance the regulation of such groups with religious freedom is a universal issue, and Japan's experience offers valuable insights.
FROM STATE SHINTO TO SECULAR FORCES: RELIGION IN JAPAN'S SELF-DEFENSE FORCES

Yokodaido S. (Speaker)

Keio University ~ Tokyo ~ Japan
During the era of the Empire of Japan, the Shinto religion was politically and socially institutionalized as "State Shinto," treating it as "national morality" and utilizing it as an ideological pillar for militarism. While the principle of the separation of religion and state does not necessarily prohibit all interactions between politics and religion, Japan's historical background has led to a situation where the presence of religion in political or public domains is excessively avoided. This tendency is most evident in the context of the military organization, the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), and its relationship with religions. For example, the institution of military chaplains, which exists in other countries, is not recognized in Japan. Furthermore, memorial monuments erected for the purpose of honoring the dead at military bases have been completely removed. This excessive exclusion of religious elements from the SDF raises the question of whether it might conflict with the freedom of religion of its personnel.

Panel description: When considering the role of religious attitudes, beliefs and meanings in the context of socio-cultural transformation, we are led to theories in which religious content is perceived from perspectives that are not primarily or not genuinely religious. Among these approaches, there are also some examples of philosophical reflections in which philosophers refer to the Bible. References of this kind appear in a variety of philosophical fields - from philosophy of language to ethics and social/political philosophy. Quite often, philosophical recourse to the Bible occurs in thinkers or contexts where one would not necessarily expect it. The panel aims to analyse some instances of such engagement and to discuss similarities and differences. What are the pressing issues of our time that prompt philosophers to draw on biblical material? How do they deal with the challenges that arise with regard to the precarious normativity of religious ideas and beliefs? Does the philosophical reception of the Bible provide any insights into how the current dynamics of transformation can be aligned in favour of a prosperous coexistence of different social and cultural identities? We invite proposals for papers that address these and related questions. We particularly welcome established as well as emerging scholars. Please send your abstract of no more than 300 words to the co-conveners of the panel Esther Heinrich (esther.heinrich@univie.ac.at) and Annette Langner-Pitschmann (langner-pitschmann@em.uni-frankfurt.de). The deadline for submissions is 4 April 2025. By 18 April, the organizers will let you know whether your proposal could be accepted. Both conveners are happy to answer any questions you might have before you submit.

Papers:

FREEDOM AS EXPERIENCE. THE BOOK OF EXODUS IN CHRISTOPH MENKE'S THEORY OF LIBERATION

Langner-Pitschmann A. (Speaker)

Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main ~ Frankfurt am Main ~ Germany
In his 2022 "Theory of Liberation", Christoph Menke develops the idea that the connection between freedom and self-consciousness, which is particularly powerful in modern thought, results in a complex relationship between freedom and bondage. On the one hand, liberation is the movement that enables a critique of bondage; on the other hand, freedom in its unity with self-consciousness is the starting point for the development of domination. Menke sees an alternative to this dilemma of liberation in the exodus. In the desert as a "place where one cannot act" and prompted by the confrontation with the burning bush as a moment of extreme fascination, freedom is detached from its connection with consciousness and is instead tied to experience. Based on this figure of thought, Menke's reading of the exodus narrative ultimately develops an account of the relationship between heteronomy and autonomy that is stimulating in many respects. Based on Menke's reflections, the paper shows how the examination of a biblical narrative provokes the socio-philosophical reconceptualization of freedom as liberation and equips it with thought figures.
WITTGENSTEIN READING THE OLD TESTAMENT

Heinrich E. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Wittgenstein did not refer to the Old Testament very often in his written notes, but he did do so several times. In these notes and in conversations, he voices reservations about the Old Testament insofar as he sees it - without the New Testament - as a "body without its head". However, if we look at what he says about specific passages of the Old Testament, we find little of these concerns realised. In these contexts, he is much more interested in the question of whether wisdom can have a life-changing effect. In my lecture I will take a closer look at Wittgenstein's approach to the Old Testament, focussing in particular on a wisdom that oscillates between individual and socio-cultural meaning.
THE GOD OF RETURN. VATTIMO AND HÖLDERLIN READ THE BIBLE

Deibl J. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The lecture is dedicated to Vattimo's and Hölderlin's reading of the Bible. It avoids a direct approach, as exemplified by the questions: How does Vattimo read the Bible, how does Hölderlin read the Bible? The lecture avoids this immediacy in two ways: Firstly, it brings the two philosophers into a dialogue and in this way, i.e. in conversation, asks about their relationship to the Bible. Secondly, it considers their reference to the Bible on the basis of the figure of return: something that was once relevant has receded into the background, but its trace is taken up again. However, this is not merely an external, coincidental process, but rather God's departure and return are part of the very concept of God. The lecture aims to examine how - in their reconstruction of the notion of God - the two thinkers refer to the Bible.
LEVINAS AND THE WEEPING PROPHET

Breunlich B. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Emmanuel Levinas' philosophical engagement with the (Hebrew) Bible is based on the view that it is not merely a source of metaphysical truth, but must be read primarily as an ethical text. For Levinas, the absolute is not a tangible, numerical entity, but the infinite, which always calls man to ethical responsibility. In particular, the Lamentations, attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, provide a suitable framework for the development of his ethics, which is based on the responsibility of the individual towards others. In the Lamentations, suffering is understood not only as an expression of grief, but also as a kind of encounter with the Absolute. However, this encounter does not represent a spiritual resolution of suffering, but rather demands an ethical relationship based on listening, understanding and a profound moral commitment. Furthermore, the question of hope in the face of trauma is not understood as a hope for immediate redemption, but as a hope that manifests itself in the ability to formulate an ethical response in the face of destruction and loss. This perspective allows us, despite the constant presence of trauma and suffering, to seek a renewed relationship with the Absolute, not based on a classical hope of redemption, but on a deeper ethical transformation and turning towards the Other. The lecture aims to present Levinas' reading of Lamentations as an ethical-philosophical interpretation that demonstrates the possibility of ethical transformation in the face of suffering and trauma.

Panel description: In the contemporary landscape of socio-economic transformation, the interplay of race, class, gender, and other intersections present complex challenges and opportunities for creating meaningful and lasting change. This panel seeks to explore the multifaceted nature of intersectional solidarity by delving into the critical role that feminist and Black liberation theology, class analysis or queer theory play in understanding diverse forms of oppression and the diversity of exploitation that shape our collective experiences. We are bringing together scholars, activists, and practitioners from various backgrounds, in order to foster a rich dialogue on how race, class, gender and beyond intersect with the way we organise life and work in society. Furthermore, the panel examines specifically the role of religion, religious communities and institutions in promoting or hindering intersectional solidarity. The panel continues a series from previous EuARe annual conference panels on labour, economic justice and queering liberation. It is open to anyone who wishes to share their research on intersectional solidarity in transformative changemaking. It aims to contribute to a global critical discourse on intersectionality and solidarity, providing a platform to exchange insights and strategies for creating more equitable societies.

Papers:

THE RESTLESS EARTH: THE WORKER AND SPIRITUALITIES OF RESISTANCE

Ranawana A. (Speaker)

Durham University ~ Durham ~ United Kingdom
This paper discusses how embodied spiritualities of resistance manifest in how the worker is distanced from their land, and how this has, intergenerationally shaped the worker's identity as a worker but also in terms of race, gender, and faith. The land, carried with you and longed for. The paper draws from empirical research conducted in Dominican Republic, Burundi and Malawi.
TRANSFORMING QUEER THEOLOGY

Thomaier S. (Speaker)

University of Hildesheim ~ Hildesheim ~ Germany
Marcella Althaus-Reids Indecent theology is a milestone within transformative queer theology. At the heart of her work she brings together queer theory with liberation theology and a materialist perspective. Three concepts that are often in tension or even brought into opposition with one another. The lecture wants to show how Althaus-Reids work combines these concepts in order to transform not only traditional theology but also the main concerns of a queer theology that really want to deliver what it promises - a better life for all.
BREAD AND PRIDE: QUEERING LABOUR AS THE INTERSECTION OF EVERYTHING

Jacobs C. (Speaker)

FSU Jena ~ Jena ~ Germany
This paper reflects the long-standing tradition of invisibilising the real diversity of labour - a practice that continues to this day, perpetuating the myth of the white, male working class. It is exploring what the concealment of Mary's labour pains in the Nativity story has to do with the invisibilisation of the gendered, racialised and queer working class in modern capitalism, past and present. Labour is examined as a site where forms of oppression and exploitation do not merely intersect by coincidence, but play a crucial role in shaping the challenges and opportunities within the socio-ecological transformation conflicts we face today.

Panel description: Africa was the first continent where Islam spread from the Middle East in the mid-seventh century and by the 1880's it had taken root in a third of the continent. As Scott S. Reese reminds us, African Muslims played a major role in shaping the history of Africa and beyond. They contributed to the expansion of the Islamic faith and to the transnational circulation of knowledge, to the emergence of the commercial empires of medieval western Sudan and the Swahili trading cities of East Africa, and to the modernization of societal structures, to name but a few. This panel aims to shed light on various aspects of this important presence, starting with the dynamics resulting from the encounter with local cultures and communities, as well as with Christianity, also (indirectly) addressing the issue of slavery. The aim is to stimulate research into other topics from multiple perspectives.

Papers:

THE ROLE OF ENSLAVED MUSLIMS IN THE ISLAMIZATION OF THE SAHEL REGION IN AFRICA IN THE 15TH-16TH CENTURIES.

Phiri F. (Speaker)

Institute for Interreligious Dialogue and Islamic Studies, Tangaza University ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
Islam arrived much earlier in the Sahel, by the 15th century a number of areas had been touched by the Muslim presence in one way or the other. Different factors contributed to the penetration of Islam in the Sahel. Trade was the most outstanding vector of the arrival of this new religion in the vast regions of the West African territories. Subsequently, the slave trade actively contributed to the spread of Islam in the region in the later centuries, as some of them eventually took to the religion of their captors as a way of reducing the harsh treatment. The paper examines how the enslaved Muslims contributed to the Islamization of the Sahel in West Africa. Islamization of West Africa was an ongoing process since the inception of Islam, but the enslavement of some local Africans contributed indirectly to the indigenization and spread of Islam.
INSPIRING ISLAM: THE MUSLIM MODEL IN PAN-AFRICANISM AND NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY.

Cristofori S. (Speaker)

Link Campus University ~ Rome ~ Italy
This paper is based on the study of printed sources produced by the Nigerian Christian elite in the last quarter of the 19th century. It highlights how, in this body of work, Islam was interpreted as a positive model for adapting a universal religion to African cultures. The paper's aim is to show how the Nigerian Christian elite, by creatively engaging with themes and issues from the contemporary transnational Pan-Africanist debate, addressed the success of Muslim proselytism in Nigeria. This engagement with Islam allowed them to critically reassess the work of European missionaries, develop their own biblical exegesis, and simultaneously contribute to the construction of a Nigerian national culture.
MISSIONARIES OF AFRICA AND ISLAM IN SÉGOU (FRENCH WEST AFRICA) IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. REPRESENTATIONS AND INTERACTIONS.

Rovellini M. (Speaker)

Independent Researcher ~ Oggiono, Lecco ~ Italy
In colonial Africa, the ways in which Catholic missionaries related to Islam and its representatives varied according to the specificities of the local contexts. In the Ségou district, in present-day Mali, the Missionaries of Africa competed with the Muslims for the conversion of the Bamana people, many of whom practiced traditional cults. Their depiction of Islam was essentially negative: it was considered a foreign religion (linked to the Fulbe ethnicity), associated with the slave trade, religious violence and excessive ritualism. However, in practice, relations between the representatives of the two religions were more nuanced. The mission environment saw frequent interactions between Christians and Muslims, which were not necessarily conflicting. In the early years of the colony's existence, the French administration entrusted the missionaries with the task of providing primary education to the children of local intermediaries, almost all of whom were Muslims. Through these young people, the missionaries were able to establish solid and lasting friendly relations with some of the most prominent Muslim notables in the region.
THE MISSIONARY SISTERS OF OUR LADY OF AFRICA AMONG THE MUSLIM POPULATION OF TANZANIA IN THE LONG 20TH CENTURY: ANATOMY OF AN ENCOUNTER.

Macconi I. (Speaker)

Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII ~ Bologna/Palermo ~ Italy
The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA), commonly known as the White Sisters for the color of their habit, were founded in 1869 by Cardinal Charles Lavigerie to evangelize the African female population. In 1894 they were among the first missionary women to enter what is now Tanzania, at that time a protectorate of German East Africa (since 1881), later a British mandate (1920) and finally an independent country (1961). The White Sisters opened the first of several mission stations in Karema (on the shores of Lake Tanganyika) and Ushirombo, along what was then an important slave route from the coast (Bagamoyo) into Congo, and among one of the largest Muslim communities in the region. Islam had been firmly established in the coastal belt of East Africa since the end of the 15th century and continued to flourish during the Omani period (1821-1880). In this paper, I examine the Christian-Muslim interaction that took place at the grassroots level in selected missions of Tanganyika, based on the sources produced by the aforementioned religious congregation. My focus is on the development of this encounter and the sisters' agency to bring about change.
THE IMPLANTATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAM IN ZIMBABWE. A FOCUS ON THE VAREMBA PEOPLE AS THE FIRST BLACK MOSLEMS IN ZIMBABWE

Zangairai F. (Speaker)

Arrupe Jesuit University ~ Harare ~ Zimbabwe
The coming and implantation and development in Zimbabwe did take a long route from as long as the 15th Century at the coast when the country was under the Monomotapa dynasty. The first Moslems were traders in ivory and mercantile. This period also coincided with the presence of Fr. Goncalo da Silveira a Portuguese Jesuit missionary who intended to evangelize the Monomutapa of the day, the young king Negomo Mupunzagutu. It is from this interaction which forms the bedrock of presence of the first Black Muslims in Africa and particularly Zimbabwe who eventually spread to as far as the Varemba land or the vaMwenye people. Through the interviews, questionnaires and participant observation, I carried in the Varemba or vaMwenye land, the first black Zimbabwean Muslims emanated there as the remnants of the contacts between Muslims and traditional Zimbabweans before the coming of the Portuguese in the 16th century. To be specific I will narrow this research from the establishment of the Varemba (the first black Muslims) in Zimbabwe to independent Zimbabwe. I had the following research Questions: 1. Is Islam as it exists today in Zimbabwe borrowed or unique to Varemba land? 2. If it is a migrant religion, what period could we look at as the inception of this religion? 3. Are there any pioneering Black Muslims who were heroic or championed its implantation and flourishing? 4. If any, what challenges were met in the confrontation of Islam and Indigenous religions and culture?

Panel description: Both Religion and the many Feminist movements share an important commonality: a tension between Praxis and Theory. The relationship in religion is between the lived life of the believing community—in worship and with communities outside of the believers—and the confession of their belief. In Feminist movements, there is an informative relationship between the social movements and the lived lives of women with varying Feminist theories. Feminist theologies complicate themselves as they touch upon the relationship between feminist movements, the life of the believing community, and theory (both Feminist and theological). Overall, praxis and theory exist in an informative relationship with one another. At some times, the lived life is the orientating matter of theory and the informing object of knowledge for theory. At other times, theory reorients and critiques the lived life of the people. This is a simplistic presentation of the relationship between theory and praxis, as it is a complex relationship for both religion and the Feminist movements. This panel seeks to research the connection between praxis and theory for the various Feminist theologies. We overall are looking for papers that seek to understand this relationship, approaching from the various feminist and intersectional perspectives (Womanist, Asian, Queer, Crip theory, etc.). As well, approaches from either the more theological or epistemological are welcomed. Potential questions to be examined: Is there a priority in whether praxis or theory influences the other more? How can, does, or should either praxis influence theory and vice versa? Potential avenues to rethink specific theological dogmas, such as reconsiderations of sin or other doctrines? Ethical questions that theory poses to feminist movements or worshipping communities? We also welcome papers that think outside these questions. For any questions, please contact Peter: peter.jonescu@uni-heidelberg.de.

Papers:

POLITICS OF DIVINE LOVE: PUNISHMENT, HIERARCHY, AND GENDER WITH JULIAN OF NORWICH

Jonescu P. (Speaker)

Heidelberg University ~ Heidelberg ~ Germany
There exists a continual tension between politics and theology. The tension persists so much so that in writing theology, one can find political and social ramifications in works that do not seem to concern themselves with the political. The direction of influence, of who affects who first, is difficult to discern. This paper seeks to show this relationship through Julian of Norwich and her 'Showings.' The 14th-century Anchoress of Julian of Norwich is an enigmatic figure. Due to the lack of information about her, many persons have focused only on her "Showings"as a theological only work. I plan to emphasize, however, the political dimension within Julian's work. I first will evoke research regarding the social Julian, who was aware of society's ongoings and the machinations that maintained society. Second, I plan to argue how Julian's revelations contain critiques of both hierarchy and civil punishment. These two criticisms are contained in her description of the eschatological Kingdom of Heaven and denial of God's wrathful forgiveness. I plan, as well, to highlight her important evocations of Christ and God as s/he, embodying both aspects of motherhood along with the traditional aspects of fatherhood. This engagement with Julian of Norwich will show an equal relation between the influence of life upon theology and theology upon life.
QUEERING THEOLOGY THROUGH PARODY

Thomaier S. (Speaker)

University of Hildesheim ~ Hildesheim ~ Germany
Queer theologies have transformed theological and biblical traditions from the very beginning. The method of doing parodies is an essential component of this type of transformation. Parodies are not a mockery or distortion of Christian tradition. On the contrary, a parody is a repetition with a critical difference (Linda Hutcheon) and therefore a creative-productive and distance-sensitive approach to tradition and beliefs. "Queering Theology Through Parody" wants to explore how parodies are used in pertinent queer theological works such as Indecent Theology by Marcella Althaus-Reid.

Panel description: The panel aims to present the results of recent research on intertextuality, with a specific focus on the two sets of issues involved in the study of ancient works, especially the Scriptures and their commentaries, at both the source and the target levels. The problem with authoritative source texts is their intrinsic textual plurality, which is itself a sign of and a reason for exegetical plurality. The problem with target texts regards the possibility of tracing and exploring how an "autonomous" line of thought emerges and develops from the interpretation of a source text by which the target text is influenced, but from which it is at the same time emancipated. These two fields are closely intertwined since the text, understood as a historical object, may also be reconstructed from its tradition. Within this framework, two types of proposals will be accepted: 1) themes and challenges of intertextuality research (historiographical approach). 2) technology and intertextuality (experiments and pilot projects).

Papers:

A TYPOLOGY OF PSALM INTERTEXTUALITY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Mellerin L. (Speaker) [1] , De La Selle T. (Speaker) [2]

CNRS, HiSoMA-Sources Chrétiennes, Lyon ~ Lyon ~ France [1] , Université Grenoble-Alpes ~ Grenoble ~ France [2]
In the context of the BiblIndex project, an online index of biblical quotations by the Church Fathers, the question of the boundaries to be drawn between quoted and citing texts is of significant importance. The distinction between the Bible and patristic texts is not sufficiently nuanced to account for the phenomena of intrabiblical intertextuality, the fluctuations in the canon at the time when the first Christian writings were produced, or the influence of patristic quotations on the canonical form that biblical texts will subsequently take. This paper addresses the first of these problems by examining the reuse of psalmic texts in the New Testament. The numerical analysis method employed is founded on a comparison of Biblical verses, utilising similarity measures based on various natural language processing operations, namely tokenisation, lemmatisation, part-of-speech tagging, stop-word filtering and synset assignment. The textometric measures provide a framework for the numerical assessment of syntactic, lexical, and semantic similarities between textual units. The aim is to employ these measures to detect instances of textual reuse in a comprehensive manner and subsequently establish a typology that can be applied to other biblical and patristic corpora.
ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA AND INTERTEXTUALITY: A STUDY OF QUOTATION CULTURE THROUGH NETWORK ANALYSIS SOFTWARES

Hermanin De Reichenfeld G. (Speaker)

Aarhus University ~ Aarhus ~ Denmark
This presentation examines the role of biblical quotation patterns and clusters in shaping knowledge production in early Christian literature. It explores two key methodological aspects: (1) the relevance of quotation culture principles to non-narrative texts such as treatises, homilies, and commentaries, and (2) the potential benefits and challenges of applying network and social network analysis to the study of these patterns. The discussion is grounded in a case study of Origen of Alexandria, highlighting how such approaches can enhance understanding of ancient Christian biblical exegesis.
GENDERED BIBLICAL METAPHORS AND INTERTEXTUALITY: FROM SOURCE TO TARGET MEANINGS

Cerioni L. (Speaker)

Aarhus University ~ Aarhus ~ Denmark
Gendered biblical metaphors (as discussed by Løland 2008, Løland 2022, and Clives 2022) play a pivotal role in shaping gender archetypes, cultural commonplaces, and the social and religious norms that influenced early Christian authors (Cerioni 2024). This presentation examines the intertextual dynamics of these metaphors, focusing on how early Christian authors navigated the process of moving from source to target meanings, with the help of principles of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson 1980).
"I HAVE BEEN COMMANDED TO RECITE THE QURAN TO THE ǦINN TONIGHT. WHO AMONG YOU WILL FOLLOW ME?": TAFĀSĪR AND AḤADĪṮ ON Q46:29

Abram S. (Speaker)

University of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy
Q46:29 refers to Muḥammad's encounter with a group of ǧinn who listened to the Quran and embraced Islam. This presentation explores the recurring words of the Prophet in the tafsīr corpus in relation to this verse, analyzing whether and how the commentators draw from both canonical and non-canonical collections. Additionally, the presentation will explore the potential of digital tools to trace text reuse and provide deeper insights into the transmission of the Prophetic tradition.

Panel description: Over the past three decades, scholars from various disciplines have increasingly identified religious illiteracy as a significant barrier to the development of a cohesive, inclusive and democratic society. This phenomenon goes beyond a simple lack of knowledge about the variety of religious "alphabets"; it is marked by the inability to meaningfully engage with the intricate languages, doctrines and practices of the different religious groups and to bring such an engagement into the public debate. This lack of knowledge and capacity/abilities often results in the perpetuation of stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices, which, also due to the influence of social media, fuel widespread intolerance and discrimination. Religious illiteracy has garnered particular attention in Europe and North America: in these regions, the academic discourse has largely centred on identifying effective strategies to improve religious literacy, by posing a particular emphasis on religious education in public schools as a crucial starting point for fostering a process of democratic citizenship and social cohesion. However, the issue of religious illiteracy cannot be addressed solely through, for example, a system of teaching about or from religions: it requires a deeper and inter-sectoral analysis. This panel seeks to critically explore the role of religious illiteracy in European and Northern American history, culture, society and education. The aim is to identify and analyse historical phases, turning points, shifts, reforms, educational approaches, laws, court decisions etc. that had a (decisive) role in generating and enlarging the lack of knowledge and understanding that constitutes religious illiteracy.

Papers:

RELIGIOUS ILLITERACY IN COURT RULINGS: AN ANALYSIS OF LANDMARK CASES IN EUROPE

Uxhi P. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy
In 1993, the European Court of Human Rights was called upon to rule on a landmark case concerning religious freedom: Kokkinakis v. Greece. This case serves as a clear example of the profound impact that religious illiteracy can have in shaping public policies, legal rulings and individual's freedoms. Mr. Kokkinakis was indeed convicted for attempting to convert others to his religion, as national authorities had failed to recognize and understand, among other issues, that proselytism represents a core practice in Jehovah's Witnesses faith. This paper aims to explore, analyse and reconstruct the history of European key cases, focusing on how the lack of "functional understanding" regarding the beliefs, doctrines and practices of religious communities has manifested in judicial national and international rulings.
CONTESTED BOOKS, CONTESTED HISTORY. RELIGION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES

Cadeddu F. (Speaker)

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Modena, Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
The paper aims at offering an historical perspective on the United States religious illiteracy starting from the debates concerning the inclusion of the Bible and other references to Christianity in the United States public school system teaching materials, paying attention to court rulings, the role of federal and national authorities and governmental agencies, the political context. The analysis aims at understanding the purposes, contents, educational approaches and institutional settings contributing to the construction of religious illiteracy in the United States.
THE PLACE OF RELIGION IN EDUCATION: BETWEEN RIGHTS AND DISCRIMINATION. CASE STUDIES FROM THE ATLAS PROJECT

Passarelli A. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy
The Atlas is an interdisciplinary project focused on the rights of religious or belief minorities (RBMs) in 16 EU countries through 5 policy areas: legal status, education in public schools, religious or belief symbols, spiritual assistance and family law. By analysing data on the policy area 'Education in Public Schools' in a comparative way, this paper discusses the place of religion in different education systems in Europe. Which religions are taught in schools? Who decides the curricula? Who pays the teachers? Are RBM representatives satisfied with the system of teaching religion(s) in their country? To tackle religious illiteracy and discrimination linked to religions and its members, it is important to know how the religious factor is dealt with in schools; from this point of view, the results of the Atlas stand as an important analytical and reflective tool for students, teachers and policy makers.

Panel description: This panel draws inspiration from Donna Haraway's concept of situated knowledge to explore its application to the study of religion and its role in social transformation. Understanding religion as a type of situated knowledge is a productive heuristic for examining processes of social transformation. Recognizing religious knowledge as situated makes it possible to include multiple social, disciplinary, and epistemic perspectives. This involves an understanding that it is not only recognized representatives of religious institutions who effectively act as religious agents or produce religious knowledge. When we see religious knowledge as a productive resource for generating understanding, 'religion' recovers its status as a resource for social transformation. Such an approach helps to circumvent overdetermined narratives which would cast 'religion' as an order of 'non-knowledge' over and opposed to secular 'rationality'. Taking developments from the German-South African International Research Training Group (IRTG) Transformative Religion as its point of departure, this open panel invites papers from across the EAA that examine the different ways religious concepts, discourses, practices, and materialities function as resources for social transformation. Submissions might address how local or indigenous knowledge and practices are recovered to challenge the impositions of colonial religion or how such recoveries drive new and entangled ways of knowing and understanding religion in globalized societies. The intent is to cast a wide net-contributions may be quite differently-situated in their cultural, religious, or geographical focus. The submissions might illuminate how religious transformation is driven by various socio-cultural factors and how such encounters of transformation produce new and entangled ways of knowing and understanding 'religion' in contemporary and globalized societies.

Papers:

IMPLICIT NEGOTIATIONS ON INNOVATION (BI'DAH) AS SITUATED KNOWLEDGE

Hasan F. (Speaker)

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ~ Berlin ~ Germany
This paper examines how Muslims respond to change and innovation. Based on my research with young digital content creators, I will investigate how they invoke the idea of bid'ah (innovation) in discussions about religious transformation. Some Muslims noted instances where they recognised innovation, associating these moments with the concept of bid'ah, and they considered such innovations undesirable because, according to their interpretation of a key Sunnah, innovation can be seen as misguidance. By examining such moments, this paper aims to closely analyse how Muslims navigate religious changes by remaining ambiguous. I contend that the way Muslims negotiate innovation leads to a transformation in their understanding of specific Islamic concepts and practices, forming a type of situated knowledge. This approach allows for a careful and flexible updating of Islamic traditions, enabling the integration of various ideas from multiple knowledge systems.
(PRE)-FIGURING FORGIVENESS: THE SOUTH AFRICAN TRC AND THE DIALECTICAL IMAGE IN SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

Wurts K. (Speaker)

Humboldt Universität zu Berlin ~ Berlin ~ Germany
The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1996-1998) is widely regarded as one of the paradigmatic projects in transitional justice. It also involved a distinctly Christian emphasis, which was advanced by multiple activists and theologians involved in the Commission, including the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The TRC was a unique transformational process, in which an entire society was invited to engage collectively with a profound set of ethical, theological, and political issues. It was initiated in the hopes of effecting social transformation in the aftermath of the brutal and oppressive system of Apartheid. In the public proceedings of the TRC, a theological approach to reconciliation was simultaneously asserted and put to the test. As theological ideas of forgiveness met immediate attempts to forgive in a public forum, a most fundamental question was posed: Who forgives, and in whose name? This paper will ultimately argue that the TRC functions as a kind of Benjaminian dialectical image in its presentation of a prophetic, utopian and paradoxical picture of reconciliation, able to hold contradictions in tension and thereby evoke transformation. This revisiting of the situated knowledge developed in and around the TRC involves an effort to reflect on the contemporary relevance of the dialectical image in politics—particularly the politics of reconciliation, transitional justice, and peacebuilding.

Panel description: The panel's objective is to examine the pivotal function of legal and canonical production in European culture between the 12th and 14th centuries, commencing with the production, dissemination and application processes of legal texts. In greater detail, the panel will analyse the networks of exchange between study centres, cathedral schools and monasteries, as well as the role of emerging universities. Specific focus will be given to the study of material culture, encompassing the production and tradition of manuscripts, glossaries, and collections of decretales. Additionally, the mechanisms of institutional and local implementation of legal norms will be subjected to analysis. This investigation will consider research based on manuscript and archival sources, with a preference for a historical-critical approach, as well as a more purely codicological and palaeographical analysis. The objective is to demonstrate how legal production, in its various dimensions, has contributed to the formation of a network of knowledge and practices capable of shaping the identity of medieval Europe.

Papers:

ARS SCRIBENDI IURIS: THE CANONICAL BOOK PRODUCTION CHAIN IN MEDIEVAL BOLOGNA

Impagnatiello M. (Speaker)

University of Modena and Reggio - École Pratique des Hautes Études ~ Modena, Reggio Emilia, Paris ~ Italy
The objective of this intervention is to examine the production and trade of canon law texts in medieval Bologna, with specific reference to the 13th and 14th centuries, through an investigation based on local archival sources. The production chain of the manuscript book will be the focus of the investigation, beginning with the identification of the workshops and continuing through to the definition of the role of the patron and concluding with an analysis of the material characteristics that affected the final cost of the codices. ​​The study of documentary data, including price, script type and workshop reputation, will present significant case studies of manuscripts produced in Bologna. The objective is to elucidate the economic, social and cultural dynamics that rendered Bologna a principal hub for the production of legal texts, with a particular emphasis on the interconnection between bookcraft and the dissemination of canon law.
MATRIMONIUM PUBLICE CONTRAHATUR. THE FORMULATION AND DIFFUSION OF BANNS BETWEEN THE 12TH AND 13TH CENTURIES.

De Lorenzo L. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy
The study seeks to examine an aspect of the phenomenon of clandestine marriages following the promulgation of canon 51 of Lateran IV. It will explore the production and use of banns, the announcements read publicly before the marriage took place, within diocesan legislation and in the context of the trial between the 12th and 13th centuries. The objective is to ascertain how and to what extent this legal device was formulated and used within medieval legal production.

Panel description: This is a closed panel which seeks to explore the various ways in which cultural specificities and religious diversity feed into our understanding of what it means to be human in relation to God/the divine, other people, and the world. Featuring speakers who belong to various religious traditions, schools of thought, and academic specializations, the panel will focus on several particular areas. First, it will critically analyze the conflict between the (Christian) West and the (Christian) East, civilizations that were once decisively shaped and ruled by Christianity, significantly influenced by Judaism, and coexisting with and struggling against Islam - and have for a longer or shorter period been learning to navigate their way through a secular age. Second, the panel will engage in interreligious ways of doing theological anthropology. Particular attention will be given to the Abrahamic faiths and their specific convergences and divergences. Finally, the panel will practice a hermeneutics of scriptural, spiritual, theological, and literary texts, images, myths, rituals, and works of culture to inquire into how various religio-cultural contexts can contribute to understanding human personhood and dignity and the pursuit of the common goods; to overcoming the abuse of power and the destructive consequences of conflicts; to discovering viable models of addressing conflictual interpretations and the potential for transformation; to discerning between good and evil and strengthening resilience, trust, and solidarity.

Papers:

A SEARCH FOR UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF A CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Noble I. (Speaker)

Charles University ~ Prague ~ Czech Republic
The contribution presents shifts that have formed what we today understand as Christian theological anthropology. Looking at two collective volumes, Who is the Human Being? Theological Anthropology in an Ecumenical Perspective; and The Process of Maturing: Human Childhood and Adulthood in a Theological Perspective, it evaluates the importance of human freedom, relationality, creative search for meaning, the gift/ability to discern, and capacity to grow in the social, cultural and political challenges of our century. It analyses different underlying philosophical and theological ideas and methodologies implemented in order to take on board social, cultural and political challenges of our century, and within them to communicate an ecumenically informed vision of humankind in relationship with God and will all that is of God. It pays attention to the differentiation between being and becoming, that helps in perceiving human life as a movement in which the personal, the historical, and the eschatological orientations interact.
LISTENING AND BEING HEARD AS BASIC ANTHROPOLOGICAL PHENOMENA IN A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

Maikranz E. (Speaker)

Heidelberg University ~ Heidelberg ~ Germany
The act of listening and the experience of being heard have both a social and an existential significance for people. The act of speaking and listening serves to facilitate connections between individuals, thereby enabling the formation of relationships. The quality of human relationships is contingent upon the extent to which individuals are heard, as this serves as the foundation for interaction. In light of an integrated, interdisciplinary analysis of interpersonal listening and the act of being heard, this paper will delineate the implications for a Christian understanding of these phenomena.
THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN INTERRELIGIOUS CONTEXT: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Demiri L. (Speaker)

University of Tubingen ~ Tubingen ~ Germany
The presentation will focus on Islamic theological anthropology. With a special reference to a recent publication Theological Anthropology in Interreligious Context, it will consider the themes that are central to theological anthropology in current Islamic discourse. These include some of the anthropological foundations of Islamic theology, such as the concept of childhood, the treatment of "sin" or "sinfulness", the human capacity or incapacity to know God, and the understanding of death. It will also note where there seem to be parallels, in themes or structures, between diverse Islamic and Christian theologies. In doing so, it will emphasize that the question of the human is a crucial one in different forms of theology: to talk of God is also to talk of God's creation, and especially of the human being.

Panel description: This panel delves into the intricate intersections of race, religion, and whiteness, drawing on the insights of practical theology to examine how normative assumptions influence religious spaces, practices, and pedagogies. By critically analyzing the structural and aesthetic elements of sacred spaces, the discussion sheds light on how whiteness is implicitly communicated, often perpetuating subtle yet powerful messages of exclusion and reinforcing hierarchical power dynamics embedded in religious traditions. Furthermore, the panel explores the complexities surrounding anti-racist education within faith communities, emphasizing the tensions between resistance to change and the emotional labor of addressing white guilt. Through this lens, we investigate how these dynamics shape theological discourse and community responses to calls for racial justice. By engaging these pressing issues, the panel aims to challenge dominant narratives that sustain inequities within religious contexts while simultaneously inspiring reflective theological practices that prioritize inclusivity and justice. Ultimately, the discussion will propose actionable strategies for faith communities to recognize and address systemic inequities, offering pathways for transformation that are both contextually sensitive and theologically grounded.

Papers:

THE WEIGHT OF GUILT. NAVIGATING WHITE RESPONSES TO ANTI-RACIST EDUCATION (WITHIN PARISHES).

Kalian J. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This presentation delves into the complex role of white guilt in the context of racism, exploring its significance, the attitudes it fosters, and the resistance it can provoke. White guilt, often emerging in anti-racist educational efforts, can serve as both a barrier and a catalyst for meaningful change. Beyond its psychological and sociological dimensions, guilt is also a deeply theological category, granting it particular relevance in parish contexts. Through a critical examination, this talk will address how communities might navigate guilt constructively, transforming it into a force for accountability and growth rather than defensiveness and stagnation. Drawing on examples from a parish-based project, the presentation will highlight moments where the question of guilt surfaced explicitly and discuss strategies to engage with these challenges in faith-based settings. By focusing on both practical and theological responses, the talk aims to equip participants with tools to foster a deeper sense of awareness and knowledge about applicable anti-racist practices for their own contexts.
RACISM AS A TOPIC OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION?

Lehner-Hartmann A. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Racism also and especially plays a role in religious education processes when religious belonging justifies racist behavior. With Aladin El-Mafaalani, it can be said that awareness of racism has grown. This is also due to the fact that PoCs are making greater use of their experiences of discrimination. Plural societies are challenged to respond to this. Education can provide impulses that help to develop a reflective attitude. It should be noted that not only aggressive, explicit forms of racism are addressed, but also structural forms, such as those found in Eurocentric perspectives and hegemonic differentiations. Is social diversity reflected in the respective target groups, or can one-sided shifts be identified that result in disadvantages for a particular group? In educational processes, ideological statements must be taken into account as well as structural aspects and processes in which Othering can lead to people being regarded as inferior or excluded from participation in social and ecclesiastical areas of life. Here, the question of how educational processes can be initiated and accompanied that raise awareness of our racist entanglements, but which at the same time do not lead to the derivation of a moral superiority, remains as one major challenge.
BOUNDARY MAKING PROCESSES AND LIVED CATHOLICISM IN A POSTSECULAR CULTURE

Dillen A. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
Based on empirical research we will explain how daily processes of boundary making by Catholics in Belgium look like. If persons who call themselves catholic in Belgium reflect on their own identity, they do this in reference to others. In this paper I will focus on issues of 'lived Catholicism' in Belgium related to daily life, such as romantic and sexual partner relations and parenting practices. Belgian Catholics often do not take Catholic teachings on these issues for granted. Their Catholic identity is the result of a form of negotiation between their own views, influenced by many socio-cultural factors, and church teachings on the family. This paper will delve into the question how this negotiation processes of Belgian Catholics are related to what is called 'othering', as a term which refers to the process of creating a clear boundary between 'we' and 'they'. The 'they' are not seldomly essentialized or presented in a stereotypical way. Is the creation of an own identity linked with forms of 'othering'? Is a form of 'white normativity' at stake in these processes? Is space, time and openness available for questioning the own identity if this identity is already the result of clear negotiation processes in relation to issues on partnership and parenthood? Are forms of 'intercultural learning from each other' possible when Belgian Catholics reflect on partnership and parenthood? Initial answers to these questions will be explored, in combination with another question that is raised when the discourses on 'white normativity' and 'negotiations of Catholic identity' are discussed in dialogue with each other. One should also ask how the relationship between individual identities (of persons who call themselves Catholic and speak in this context about their views on partnership and parenthood) on the one hand, and more common identities of groups of Catholics (e.g. in parishes) on the other hand?
ENCOUNTERING WHITE SPACES: A SPATIAL APPROACH TO CONSTRUCTIONS OF WHITENESS

Verbeeck S. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
The intersection of whiteness and Christianity receive increasing academic attention and has been explored from different perspectives. Yet, despite scholarship on the whiteness of Christian identity in relation to racial prejudice or on the colorblindness of 'white' as an aesthetic ideal in Christianity, the construction of white discourses has not been examined thoroughly from the perspective of religious spaces. Drawing on a spatial approach, I investigate how the material and visual construction of whiteness dis/enables encounters with difference. The whiteness of places often goes unnoticed under the guise of neutrality, even though it reproduces hierarchies of visibility, reinforces dominant positions and constitutes what is out of place. Drawing on parish-based research in Belgium, I will combine material and visual analysis in order to examine performances of whiteness and diversity in symbols, objects, iconography and church design. In conversation with art-based research, I explore the limitations and possibilities of material engagement - as a situated participatory practice - to address unacknowledged whiteness. Ultimately, this presentation aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of spatial representations of whiteness as to create space for encounters with difference.
IN WHAT WAYS MIGHT MATERIAL CULTURE IN CATHOLIC PARISHES IN BELGIUM AND AUSTRIA ENGAGE IN BEHAVIORS THAT SUPPORT A FRAMEWORK OF EUROPEAN WHITENESS?

Casteel A. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
Studies in Europe show that Europeans largely presume that Christianity is ethnically homogenous which contradicts the reality that the Catholic church is one of the most diverse world-wide organizations. However, a majority of Europeans are not actively involved in Christian religious practices. Among Europeans in Austria and Belgium, it is unclear whether the everyday practices of religious faith support diversity within their Catholic parishes or whether their practices uphold an ethnically homogenous parish. What framework for Religion and Whiteness applies to Catholic parishes in Austria and Belgium? In analysis of material culture and group interactions, an initial framework for whiteness as a competitive practice embedded within Christianity will be presented in this paper. It will elaborate both direct and indirect ways that boundary making and everyday racism (Philomena Essed) are deployed to support the privileging of white expressions and experiences. On the other side, direct and indirect ways that belonging and inclusion are expanded will also be explored. This presentation will address these tension created as parishes are simultaneously involved in both defending and opposing white normativity.

Panel description: 2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Helsinki Accords of 1975. That moment is a major achievement of the Vatican's Ostpolitik during the Cold War and a high point in the history of international conference diplomacy in general. This call invites papers to explore ways in which Helsinki is remembered (or forgotten) in Global Catholicism today, a time of new geopolitical challenges in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the changing face of global superpowers more generally. We invite papers that address Catholic understanding and practice of diplomacy and international relations over a period of transition from a European-centered to a more truly Global Catholicism. We welcome papers that explore continuities, changes, and contradictions in the pursuit of peace by Catholic institutions, movements, and Vatican diplomacy. We encourage studies of the effects of Helsinki 1975 on Church thinking (religious liberty, human rights, democracy), the place of Europe in the Vatican's vision, or wider shifts in the perspective of the diplomacy of the Holy See from John XXIII to Francis.

Papers:

BRINGING RELIGION IN FROM THE COLD: THE HELSINKI ACCORDS AS A TURNING POINT FOR FOREIGN POLICY'S RELIGIOUS POLITY

Mclarren K. (Speaker) [1] , Troy J. (Speaker) [2]

Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law ~ Heidelberg ~ Germany [1] , University of Innsbruck ~ Innsbruck ~ Austria [2]
What today seems the standard liberal paradigm, framing religion in the polity of foreign policy as a matter of human rights was already enshrined in the Helsinki Accords of 1975. In the ensuing fifty years we can observe that an increasing number of (secular) states have recognized the value of engaging with religion in their foreign policy beyond the matter of promoting religious freedom. We thus argue that this historical event might serve as a critical turning point regarding how instituting religion in the prerequisites of foreign policy, in the polity, has taken on very different shapes in the past decades. The questions therefore arise as to what significance secular states ascribe to engaging with religion in their foreign policy or why they believe it matters. Here we want to focus in particular on how engaging with religion has been integrated in the polity of foreign policy. We do that (i) by focusing on the development over time (i.e. localizing major polity implementations in foreign ministries), (ii) the development in space (i.e. localizing the context of the former implementations), and (iii) the development in substance (i.e. identifying the prioritization and expansion of issues).
HELSINKI 1975: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE GLOBALIZING NETWORKS OF EAST EUROPEAN CATHOLICS WITH A FOCUS ON CATHOLICS IN THE SOVIET REPUBLICS

Beliakova N. (Speaker)

University of Bielefeld ~ Bielefeld ~ Germany
The paper explores the influence of the Helsinki Accords on Catholic institutions and networks in the Soviet Union during the final decades of the Cold War. The paper would examine how the Vatican's Ostpolitik and the emphasis on religious liberty shaped the activities of underground Catholic communities and their interactions with both Soviet authorities and global Catholic networks. The paper will also address the broader impact of Helsinki's principles on Catholic conceptions of human rights and religious freedom in the Eastern bloc, contributing to the dialogue on how the Church adapted to geopolitical challenges during this period of transformation.

Panel description: Abstract: This panel aims to explore the role and relevance of Christian anthropology as a fundamental basis for ethical responses to the challenges of contemporary postmodern societies. As secularization, moral relativism, and cultural fragmentation increasingly define the modern age, Christian anthropology, rooted in the belief that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, provides a comprehensive framework for understanding human dignity, freedom, and social responsibility. Through a multidisciplinary approach, integrating philosophy, theology, and the social sciences, this panel will discuss how Christian anthropology can guide ethical reflection and practice in addressing social issues, relationships, and the common good. The session will also examine the challenges and opportunities of applying these principles in today's pluralistic and diverse cultural landscape. In a time of ethical confusion and cultural fragmentation, Christian anthropology offers a compelling and holistic vision of the human person. Its principles of dignity, freedom, and communion provide a solid foundation for ethical reflection and action in postmodern societies. By addressing contemporary challenges—from moral relativism to social justice—Christian anthropology serves as a beacon of hope and a guide for building authentic human relationships, promoting the common good, and fostering societies that honor the truth of the human person. This panel invites scholars, practitioners, and interested participants to engage in a rich and multidisciplinary dialogue on the role of Christian anthropology in responding to the ethical and cultural challenges of our time.

Papers:

CHRISTIAN ANTHROPOLOGY AS THE FOUNDATION OF ETHICS IN POSTMODERN SOCIETIES

García Casas P. (Speaker)

Universidad de Murcia ~ Murcia ~ Spain
This panel aims to explore the role and relevance of Christian anthropology as a fundamental basis for ethical responses to the challenges of contemporary postmodern societies. As secularization, moral relativism, and cultural fragmentation increasingly define the modern age, Christian anthropology, rooted in the belief that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, provides a comprehensive framework for understanding human dignity, freedom, and social responsibility. Through a multidisciplinary approach, integrating philosophy, theology, and the social sciences, this panel will discuss how Christian anthropology can guide ethical reflection and practice in addressing social issues, relationships, and the common good. The session will also examine the challenges and opportunities of applying these principles in today's pluralistic and diverse cultural landscape.
STUDIES ON RELIGION, HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING

Oviedo L. (Speaker)

Pontificia Universidad Antonianum ~ Roma ~ Italy
Research on religion, health, and well-being has proliferated in recent years to the point of becoming unmanageable. Theologians do not know what to make of this abundant research. On the one hand, the results clearly point to a moderately positive effect of religion on these human dimensions; indeed, they inspire a certain renewed interest in religion and its function or utility. On the other hand, its methods (predominantly empirical) and its approach (typically pragmatic) strike theology as something quite foreign to its own tradition. A question worth further exploration is whether the subdiscipline of science and religion is better equipped and could provide a more suitable framework to receive and manage this research. After all, the health sciences are a well-established scientific field, and no one doubts the epistemic and methodological quality of their status as a science. However, as far as I know, theologians engaged in dialogue with science have paid very little attention to these developments, perhaps because they have focused more on other natural sciences (physics, biology, neuroscience...) and have simply neglected the health sciences, considering them more applied or secondary, despite their undeniably greater social impact. This article aims to highlight the role that the health sciences can play in this dialogue with theology, pointing to new forms of convergence and conjunction between both disciplines, and to a rich interaction that can help overcome old tensions and prejudices. Health sciences now come to the aid of religion and a more engaged and "lived" theology.

Panel description: In this panel, we will explore the materiality of religion as it manifests in lived religions through the lens of various religious groups. The analysis will focus on how material objects, rituals, and symbols contribute to religious experiences across different faiths intending to identify critical analytical methods for interpreting the role of materiality in religious contexts. By examining the interplay between the materiality of religion and its broader social and cultural frameworks, we aim to highlight how physical objects, spaces, and practices are embedded in and interact with religious beliefs and practices. This comprehensive approach seeks to uncover how material culture reflects and actively shapes religious experiences. This panel aims to enrich contemporary discussions on interfaith and intra-faith dialogue and religious diversity through a holistic reading that emphasizes pluralistic and inclusive perspectives. Keywords: Materiality of religion, theology, religious diversity, lived religion

Papers:

UNVEILING VISUALITY AND MATERIALITY OF LIVED RELIGION: PHOTO-ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF ALEVI PLACES OF WORSHIP IN VIENNA

Cosan Eke D. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This paper delves into the visual and material aspects of lived religion, particularly focusing on Alevi places of worship in Vienna, Austria. Drawing from the concept of lived religion, it explores how tangible objects and artifacts within religious spaces contribute to individual spirituality, communal memory, and religious identity. Combining photography and ethnographic techniques, the research aims to deepen understanding of religious experience and the transformative power of religious spaces. Through a photo-ethnographic approach and visual representations of Alevis, the study examines how Alevi religious centers visually embody distinct religious characteristics associated with Alevism. The research underscores the importance of visual representations in enhancing the visibility of Alevi faith and acknowledging its unique identity within the legal, political, and socio-cultural framework.
MATERIAL DIMENSIONS OF PRAYER. INTRA-RELIGIOUS PLURALISM IN SUNNI AND SHIA TRADITIONS

Koçyigit I. (Speaker)

University of Fribourg ~ Fribourg ~ Switzerland
This paper analyses prayer as an expression of intra-religious pluralism between Sunni and Shia traditions. Both currents of Islam share fundamental principles of faith, but differ in ritual practice, for example in sequences of movements, recitations and the use of material elements such as the call to prayer, prayer rugs, or the torbat (prayer earth for Shiites). These differences show the influence of theological and historical developments on religious practice. The materiality of religious objects and spaces not only functions as a supporting element, but also actively characterizes the diversity and dynamics within Islamic identities. The presentation will show how material dimensions of faith produce intra-religious differences and at the same time deepen the relationship between unity and diversity in Islam.
ZION AND ITS ISMS: THE MATERIALITY OF A CONTESTED RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL SYMBOL

Kramer M. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The presentation examines the materiality of Zion as a physical place, religious symbol, and political construct, focusing on its multifaceted role in shaping Jewish-Muslim relations. Zion, deeply embedded in Jewish religious tradition, functions as both a tangible locus of divine connection and an enduring symbol of Jewish identity and eschatological (messianic) hope. Through the emergence of the modern Zionism in the 19. Century, its material and symbolic dimensions have been recontextualized, becoming a focal point of political conflict and religious contestation. It holds a pivotal influence in shaping the dynamics of the relations between Jews on the one side and Christian and Muslim Arabs on the other side. By adopting a multiperspective approach, this paper explores how Zion has materialized in religious rituals, political ideologies and practices in its different forms, from the practical and political to the revisionist and religious Zionism; the latter might be Jewish or Christian Evangelical. Through an analysis of sacred texts, religious practices, and modern geopolitical developments, the presentation highlights the interactions between material culture, religious belief, and socio-political realities. This critical inquiry contributes to the broader discussion on the materiality of religion by revealing how contested material symbols like Zion shape interfaith relations and contribute to religious and cultural polarization. In doing so, it seeks to identify pathways for dialogue and reconciliation, emphasizing the importance of pluralistic and inclusive approaches in navigating religious diversity.

Panel description: This panel seeks to explore the multifaceted role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the borderlands of the Amur River. By examining the period from the early Qing dynasty (1644) onwards, we aim to delve into the intricate interplay between religion, diplomacy, and cultural exchange between Russia and China. Key themes to be addressed include: • Diplomatic Relations and Religious Exchange: Analysing the impact of diplomatic relations on the exchange of religious ideas and practices between the two nations. • The Sinicisation of Russian Orthodoxy: Investigating the adaptation and transformation of Russian Orthodox beliefs and practices in the Chinese context (and the reverse process). • The Role of Missionaries and Foreign Denominations: Examining the influence of missionaries and other religious groups on the development of Christianity in both Russia and China. • The Geopolitical Significance of the Amur Borderlands: Exploring the broader geopolitical implications of the Russian Orthodox Church's presence in this region. Within this framework, contributions are welcome that also analyse the events that developed from the first Russian mission to China to the resolution of the disputed Amur border issue by Soviet policy and the Japanese occupation of Manchuria with the subsequent founding of Manchūkuo.

Papers:

DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AND IMPERIAL AUTHORITY: RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL DISCOURSES IN EARLY SINO-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

Bottanelli V. (Speaker)

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
This paper aims to discuss the divergent conceptions of religion and sovereignty that characterised the initial diplomatic exchanges between the Russian and Chinese Empires over the Amur and Nercsk river disputes. By examining the influence of Iosif Volotsky's ideology on the concept of Car' and the "Symphony" between the Orthodox Church and the state, alongside the Manchu concept of sovereignty and the Chinese Celestial Mandate, we aim to highlight both parallels and stark contrasts between the two worldviews. The involvement of Jesuit missionaries as interpreters in these early diplomatic exchanges adds another layer of complexity. By scrutinising the role of Jesuit intermediaries, particularly Thomas Pereira, we explore how these contrasting viewpoints were mediated through the lens of Catholic universalism, offering a third perspective. Ultimately, this presentation aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the historical roots of Sino-Russian relations and the evolving concept of sovereignty in the early modern period.
RUSSIAN AND/OR ORTHODOX: UNTWINING POLITICS, CULTURE, AND FAITH IN NORTHEAST CHINA

Kim L.E. (Speaker)

The University of Hong Kong ~ Hong Kong ~ China
The formation of the border between the Romanov and Qing Empires in the seventeenth century involved the contrastive identification of persons as subjects of one state or another. Integral in this process was the differentiation of political and economic loyalties and the social and cultural identities that various communities in the borderland-to-be claimed. Qing authorities assessed evidence of material customs to evaluate which groups were at risk of defection to Romanov territory. However, the Qing state's knowledge of "foreign" practices like Orthodox Christianity developed gradually, and there were substantive variations in how the concepts of "Russian-ness" and "Orthodoxy" were associated with each other. This study thus explores how what is now commonly known as "Eastern Orthodox (Christianity)" (Dongzhengjiao) and its roots as a religion of the "Russians" (Luocha, and later Eluosi). This research builds upon the extensive previous research on Russian Orthodox Christianity in China by focusing upon areas that have not been considered hubs of the faith, like Beijing and Harbin, and probing the broad range of perceptions about Orthodox Christianity as a component of Russian cultural identity rather than as an instrument of political domination.

Panel description: Religious communities hold no exclusive rights to spirituality, consequently the concept has been enlarged: from specific Christian spiritualities (like marianic, franciscan, ignatian...) to non-Christian and even atheist spiritualities. The transformation of the concept itself, the unfolding of its different dimensions, is one research question, to be discussed in relation to the phenomena. On the other hand, spirituality is a key resource to confront the crisis, ruptures and transformation processes we are experiencing. Which form of spirituality can nurture hope, resilience, resistance and the capacity to act in a time of disaster and war? A third focus will be how spirituality is itself a performance of transformation of the self and of the world, in which responsiveness and receptivity, the experience of grace and the exercise of human freedom, contemplative and political praxis go hand in hand. The plurality of forms of spirituality demands philosophical and theological investigation, from anthropological, epistemological, cultural or metaphysical perspectives.

Papers:

SPIRITUALITY AND SCIENTIFIC THINKING /KNOWLEDGE

Dohna Schlobitten Y. (Speaker)

Pontificia Università Gregoriana ~ Roma ~ Italy
In the 20th century, R. Guardini spoke of a crisis of thinking. He was also able to show how this crisis is actually a crisis of belief. Trust in yourself and others is an essential element of knowledge. Is this argument still relevant and convincing in the age of AI? Do we need the religious dimension in scientific research? Can we really recognize the truth - regardless of the discipline - without contemplative knowledge? These are the questions that should help to show that spirituality is a key to new knowledge. We could speak of a trinitarian knowledge that is threefold. In ancient times, theory had a contemplative component, which then became more and more separated over the centuries. We cannot return to this way of thinking, but we can try to understand how theoretical knowledge, experiential knowledge and contemplative knowledge met without mixing and without being separated.
EXPERIENCES OF RESONANCE

Riedenauer M. (Speaker)

KU Center for Religion, Church and Society in Transformation, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt ~ Eichstätt ~ Germany
The theory of modernity which Hartmut Rosa developed and his concept of resonance are highly relevant for understanding spirituality and religion in our society. As experiences of resonance cannot be intentionally produced or reproduced at will, they are characterised by uncontrollability ("Unverfügbarkeit"). This forms a strong contrast with the dominant tendency in modern Western society to master, monitor, manage and control everything. But this does not generally make life more secure and happy, instead it forms an aggressive mode of being in the world, resulting in a crisis of uncontrollability. Spirituality, as it is understood in this article, implies to refrain from controlling and to become free for resonant experiences, for a call and for answering it. In any field of human experience, such dialogical transcending of control and dominance may happen. Religions with their rites, teachings and ethos do interpret and unfold, encourage and stabilise experiences of resonance. In so far as they recognise the fundamental importance of resonance, insofar as they cultivate a responsive way of life in a spiritual relationship, they might become very important in societies marked by a crisis of uncontrollability.
DARK GREEN RELIGIONS AND THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF THE WORLD: INVESTIGATING NEW ENVIRONMENTAL SPIRITUALITIES

Bruckner I. (Speaker)

Pontificio Ateneo Sant' Anselmo ~ Roma ~ Italy
In his 2010 book, "Dark Green Religion", Bron Taylor examines non-institutionalized forms of environmental spiritualities, which he categorizes as "religion" due to their attribution of intrinsic sacred value to nature or the earth. Taylor offers a structured framework for analyzing biocentric or ecocentric spiritualities, distinct from the religious traditions that originated in the Axial Age. Understanding them as a response to Charles Darwin's treatise, On the Origin of Species (1859), Taylor compiles a variety of phenomena, such as surfing spirituality and artistic expressions. These examples express a longing for new, meaningful relationships with non-human reality, countering the modern disenchantment of the world caused by the extensive impacts of industrialization and technologization. Taylor highlights the ecological relevance of these movements, while indicating the possible "shady" sides like intrinsic potentials of violence. This contribution presents Taylor's concept and the associated research, subjecting them to a critical discussion of their philosophical suppositions, and asks, from a Christian theological point of view, for potential trans-religious alliances in regard of the "care for our common home" (Laudato Si').
INTERRUPTION AND SYNODALITY: ON THE RELATION BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND ORGANISATION IN TIMES OF SYSTEMIC DISASTER

Kirschner M. (Speaker)

KU Center for Religion, Church and Society in Transformation, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt ~ Eichstätt ~ Germany
In a time characterized by the logic of anonymous systems, looming catastrophes and increasing violence, spirituality represents a possible resource for humanity, resilience and resistance. This requires relating spirituality as an individual, personal and dynamic relationship to the spiritual, to transcendence and to the living God to public institutions and organizational structures, so that spirituality becomes effective in the public, ecclesiastical and political spheres. The lecture explores the productive tension between spirituality and organization in the context of a catastrophic present. It traces how the turn to synodality is testing new ways of linking spirituality and organization that connect the hierarchical moment of the church with processes and structures of communal discernment and participatory decision-making, so that the church takes shape as the messianic people of God in fellowship with all people and creatures.

Panel description: With attention to Augustine and Foucault, this panel examines the political and ethical potential of strands of ancient theology, philosophy, and ethics. In recent interpretations, Augustine has been marked as a proto -liberal, -conservative, and -neoconservative. Two of the panel's papers explore more agonistic possibilities in his theology, one in conversation with Chantal Mouffe and her account of the common good and the other in conversation with feminist and queer concerns. The third paper treats Foucault's discussions of ancient philosophy and religion. It understands his late work as appropriating an ethics and spirituality "as a way of life" in the work of ancient philosophers, and argues against readings of late Foucault that would see him as turning apolitical or neoliberal.

Papers:

AUGUSTINE AND THE POLITICS OF DIFFERENCE

Stewart-Kroeker S. (Speaker)

Princeton Theological Seminary ~ Princeton ~ United States of America
In The Augustinian Imperative, William Connolly suggests that Augustine's confessional politics (characterized, notably, by policing the inner life) reflect a dogmatic intolerance of difference. This presents a challenge to interpreting Augustine in service of a politics that endorses diversity on multiple fronts, gender and sexuality among them. This paper seeks not to "solve" the various problems that Augustine's views on women and sexuality present in this regard, which are significant. Rather, it will pursue the sources of agonism generative for a diverse politics present in Augustine's thought, in order to articulate a queer, feminist, constructive approach for working with this figure.
AUGUSTINE, THE COMMON GOOD, AND AGONISTIC DEMOCRACY

Bush S. (Speaker)

Brown University ~ Providence ~ United States of America
Augustine's political theology has been appropriated by liberals, conservatives, and neoconservatives. However, the connections between his perspective and agonistic theories of democracy have not been noted. Agonistic democrats tend to be suspicious of the notion of the common good, in that particular political regimes often impose themselves coercively on others in the name of a common good that is not actually held in common. Whereas Augustine does have a robust notion of the ultimate common good, which is God, he recognizes that this good is not recognizable to those who are not Christians. In City of God XIX, he affirms temporal peace as a common good of diverse constituencies who have different ultimate ends. However, this understanding of peace is very thin, as Augustine acknowledges that different people have different interpretations of peace. In this respect, Augustine resembles Chantal Mouffe's agonistic understanding of the common good as also thin. For her, the common good in democratic societies consists in the ideals of "freedom" and "equality," but she acknowledges that these ideals are understood in radically different ways by parties across the political spectrum. For Mouffe, the thinness of the common good allows for an agonistic, pluralistic politics, and we can see the potential for the same in Augustine.
FOUCAULT'S ANCIENT POLITICS 

Clements N. (Speaker)

Rice University ~ Houston ~ United States of America
Michel Foucault is often critiqued for becoming apolitical and neoliberal in his last years' attention to ethics. Yet between 1981 and 1983, he was at work on a volume « separate from the sex series » called « Le Gouvernement de soi et des autres » (The Government of Self and Others). Only accessible in the Foucault archives at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the drafted chapters for this volume reflect his profound attention to the intersection of politics and ethics, focusing on philosophical texts of the first and second centuries CE. Ethics as a way of life is the precondition for both good political governing (as Socrates trains Alcibiades in the Athenian polis, and Marcus Aurelius as emperor) and for being governable (as members of the polis or empire) while also challenging excesses of power. Philosophy, Foucault says, must stay in restive exteriority to politics — that is to say, the capacity for critique requires resisting the temptation to offer new prescriptions. Foucault frames this in his final years as a question of spirituality in ways that strikingly show how political and ethical questions knit together the possibilities for transforming selves and collectives.

Panel description: Recent studies of law and religion have begun to discuss anew the role rituals play in both spheres, paying attention to the intertwining of ritual and order, which plays out powerfully in legal and religious contexts. This connection is evident in liturgies which convey their specific meaning with the help of invariant action established on the bases of normative frameworks. It is through "liturgical law" that ritual develops performative power to transform reality in all spheres of the social: in legal, religious and other social contexts. The panel examines this connection. (1) By studying THE LAW OF THE LITURGIES, we collect case studies to analyse the normative foundations of rituals in order to discover more about what unites liturgical laws in different domains of the social. As we do not merely seek to study particular liturgical laws, but want to understand more of the general function of law for liturgies, we encourage contributions with a comparative methodology or multidisciplinary perspective. (2) While religious studies has devoted attention to the study of the rituals of various religions, less attention has been paid to THE LITURGIES OF THE LAW, those rituals used in legal contexts to produce legal effects. Recent scholarship, however, has noted that liturgical action plays an important role in establishing legal community and asserting authority. By comparing legal liturgies from different legal traditions we aim to shed light on the function of liturgies for the law. (3) These considerations might help us to develop new theoretical approaches to see the essentially contested concepts of "law" and "religion" in a new light. We are therefore interested in THEORIES OF LAW, RELIGION, AND RITUAL that support the study of law and religion by contributing to the question of what law and religion are and what they have in common if examined through a ritual lens.

Papers:

LITURGY WITHOUT THE ORDAINED? A COMPARATIVE-THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON FORMALLY DESIGNATED LITURGICAL LEADERSHIP AND ITS ALTERNATIVES IN CHRISTIAN AND LEGAL CONTEXTS

Bobrowicz R. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
While division of roles is an enduring feature of rituals, legal and Christian liturgies within the broadly understood West developed particular "liturgical laws" that guide the designation of formal roles. One of the defining characteristics of both contexts is the distinction between the lay and the ordained: professional lawyers and clergy, respectively. Just as the celebration of Mass traditionally requires at least a presbyter, court proceedings are similarly expected to involve a judge. Even in many Protestant communities that rejected the sacral character of ordination, the division of roles between lay and ordained remained firmly intact. However, this division may no longer be sustainable. The decline in the number of priests necessitates a rethinking of liturgical leadership and the sharp distinction between lay and ordained roles. Similarly, in the secular legal sphere, overburdened judges and the prohibitive costs of legal representation suggest that similar adaptations may be needed. From DIY Masses to decentralized legal practices, this paper will explore concrete examples of such adaptations and propose that a comparative-theological reflection on Jewish and Islamic approaches to liturgy could offer valuable insights for both Christian liturgical life and contemporary legal systems.
DISCOVERING COMMON GROUND OF LAW AND RELIGION IN LITURGICAL ACTION

Hahn J. (Speaker)

University of Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
This paper proposes to identify ritualisation—as the differentiation between the profane and the sacred—as the basic act underlying the creation of norms. In this light, ritualisation can be seen as a common ground of law and religion. This is particularly evident in 'sacraments', a specific type of liturgy that culminates in the realisation of the sacred in the profane. As 'norm-facts', sacraments draw the sacred into the everyday world. This connection has been evident since Roman times, when 'sacraments' denoted performative signs of a juridico-religious nature. If one acknowledges that both religion and law not only rely on essential liturgical action to generate normative meaning, but also use sacramental action to realise sacred norms within profane contexts, then speaking of 'law and religion' goes deeper than identifying two spheres of the social. They can then be seen to be intrinsically linked by their reliance on sacramental action as their elementary and common foundation.

Panel description: The panel explores how the study of religion is being enriched by the adoption of digital tools and the development of new technologies which move from the needs of the scholarly community investigating religions in the many scientific disciplines and from a diachronic and synchronic perspective. Its aims are: presenting new tools, projects, methodologies making use of IT technologies; analysing if and how the approach to the sources changed with the most recent technological developments; discussing both scientific and technical approaches chosen to address the needs of the user community; projecting the potential impact of the adoption of such tools within the scientific community and beyond. The panel is composed of an introduction and four sessions. Session I: Digital Humanities and non-Latin scripts: editions, corpora and digital libraries. The session aims to discuss various tools from diverse research contexts, focusing on corpora, editions and digital libraries. Session II: Understanding the meaning, identifying the tool. The session presents case studies in which the need to understanding the semantics of texts and the (often limited) available sources to work on challenged scholars to identify different technological solutions. Session III: (Re)Composing datasets: reading, describing, presenting research resources with new tools. The session presents different case studies on the composition of research datasets that face the challenges of digitisation and FAIRification, while also aiming at identifying new methodologies and tools to shift from more traditional to new/innovative research questions and approaches. Session IV: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Religious Studies. This session explores how artificial intelligence (AI) intersects with religious studies, introducing innovative tools and methods while addressing critical ethical and interpretive challenges.

Papers:

SUPPORTING RESEARCH, MANAGING PROJECTS, BUILDING RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES: LOOKING AHEAD

Cadeddu F. (Speaker)

Fondazione per le scienze religiose ~ Bologna ~ Italy
The paper will present the outcomes of the project from the perspective of the management team, analysing strengths, challenges and (un)accomplished missions. The aim is to discuss the role of the researcher in the humanities as a research manager and how such a role can be played in the development of research infrastructures in the local, national and international arena.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND RESEARCH LIMITATIONS IN THE SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF PRE-MODERN SLAVIC TEXTS: THE CASE OF THE SYMBOL OF FAITH

Napolitano M. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
This paper aims to present a dataset of pre-modern Slavic texts created collecting from various corpora available online. Indeed, research on pre-modern Slavic sources is conditioned by the absence of a sufficiently large corpus that can eventually further be used as a reference for the development of NLP tools and language models to extract the semantic value of individual terms or of longer expressions to carry out an analysis on them. This limitation is even more constraining when one considers that the available HTR and OCR techniques require a lot of data to be trained in order to achieve good performances in text extraction. It was only after the creation of this database that it was possible to proceed with the development of a tool for the semantic analysis of the terms of the Slavic translation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (case study of the project) and that we'll detail in this presentation. The research is part of a broader field of studies that in recent years has been devoted to the development of tools for gaining the annotation, lemmatization, dependency parsing of Slavic terms. In the framework of the research we are carrying on, these developments on the transmission and analysis of pre-modern Slavic sources, aim to provide essential material to develop a useful tool that can be a reference for the analysis of sources (included those written in old church Slavonic) in a research that, by recognizing semantic relations, can support historical-theological study and allow to grasp the value of the translation of Slavic terms into modern Western languages.
W.H. MILL'S SANSKRIT TRANSLATION OF THE NICENE-CONSTANTINOPOLITAN SYMBOL: THE APPLICATION OF LLM TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DATASET OF SANSKRIT TEXTS AND THE FIRST RESULTS OF THE COMPARISON WITH SOME KEY TERMS FROM THE SANSKRIT CREED

Spanò I. (Speaker) , Ali I. (Speaker)

Università di Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy
This presentation aims to illustrate the results of the development of a reference dataset of lemmatised Sanskrit texts through the training of machine learning models adapted to the peculiar linguistic complexities of Sanskrit, particularly the subdivision of sandhi, a neural network-based model of which is presented. The creation of the dataset made it possible to compare some significant terms in the Sanskrit translation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed with the texts in the reference dataset: the occurrences found allow us to verify or illuminate the translation strategies present in W.H. Mill's translation. The differences and semantic shifts found provide stimuli for comparative investigations and perspectives in historical-religious, philosophical, and philological studies.
LANGUAGE MODELS FOR EXTRACTING AND MAPPING THE SYMBOLUM IN ARABIC CORPORA

Panzeca I. (Speaker) [1] , Puccetti G. (Speaker) [2]

Università di Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy [1] , ISTI-CNR ~ Pisa ~ Italy [2]
The translations of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed into Arabic are preserved in manuscripts spread throughout the world and they are almost entirely unpublished. Modern tools for semantic search in large scale corpora allows the retrieval and discovery of these texts in documents that are too large to be manually explored. Since there are currently no online corpora of digitized texts belonging to the Arab-Christian tradition, we choose Kitab (https://kitab-project.org/) as the reference dataset, the Arabic subcorpus of the Open Islamicate Texts Initiative that contains more than 10,200 text files plus their corresponding metadata. To access and explore it proficiently, we developed a search engine that performs semantic similarity searches across the corpus, looking for the passages according to the semantic representation computed by a language model. This tool allows for a fast search through the entire OpenITI corpus, of text passages that are semantically similar to the Symbolum and allows domain experts to extract relevant references and map them to the document where they belong.
SENTENCE RETRIEVAL OF LATIN AND GREEK RELIGIOUS TEXTS, THE CASE OF THE NICENE-CONSTANTINOPOLITAN CREED

Iezzi F. (Speaker) , Scapini E. (Speaker)

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed stands as a cornerstone of Christian doctrinal expression, composed in Greek and later translated into Latin and other languages. This paper details the development and application of our approach to sentence and semantic retrieval applied to the Creed, starting from the selection and benchmark of Transformer-based models and describes the gathering of NLP tools and corpora on the platform DaMSym. Our methodology applies state-of-the-art sentence embedding techniques to open-data textual datasets to capture the semantic richness of ancient texts, opening also to cross-lingual retrieval between Greek and Latin. By embedding the Creed's sentences into a shared vector space, we enable precise comparisons across linguistic boundaries, preserving theological and contextual fidelity. A particular emphasis is placed on the description of how the complex syntax, morphology, and polysemy inherent in Ancient Greek and Late Latin shape this challenge, as well as the preservation of doctrinal subtleties, with a focus dedicated to x-from-x like formulas (e.g. "Light from Light"). The study contributes to the field by implementing and evaluating embedding-based approaches specifically fine-tuned for ancient languages, integrating BERT-like models and domain-specific preprocessing pipelines. A detailed case study of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed demonstrates how this methodology supports tasks such as intertextual comparison, semantic similarity assessment, and theological motif exploration across corpora: a particular interest will be devoted to the denomination of the Church as "apostolic". This research bridges the gap between the study of religious ancient texts and computational methods, offering tools for scholars to explore faith formularies with unprecedented granularity and envisions potential extensions to other multilingual, cross-temporal corpora.
GUIDELINES AND INNOVATIONS FOR DIGITIZING MAGICO-RELIGIOUS ARTIFACTS

Ferrandino G. (Speaker) , Alexia P. (Speaker)

Università di Napoli L'Orientale ~ Napoli ~ Italy
The paper aims to establish guidelines for the digitization of ancient magico-religious artifacts, particularly those from the Nile Valley and beyond, which are the focus of research conducted by WP10 within the ITSERR Project. These artifacts pose significant challenges, including the recognition and description of their content and the accurate representation of their form. Capturing the intricate information and relationships among the various components of an artifact in a digital catalog entry is a complex task. The use of metadata and thesauri helps integrate descriptions of these components and facilitates data sharing, adhering to the FAIR principles of Open Science. A key challenge, however, lies in automating the segmentation of the artifact's various elements, encompassing not only inscriptions but also symbolic motifs. High-resolution three-dimensional scanning supports the creation of digital replicas, yet fully analyzing the relational complexity of artifacts—such as the interplay between their physical structure and inscriptions—requires advanced technologies, particularly those leveraging artificial intelligence.
REVERINO: REGESTA GENERATION VERSUS LATIN SUMMARIZATION

Puccetti G. (Speaker) [1] , Sabbatini I. (Speaker) [2]

ISTI-CNR ~ Pisa ~ Italy [1] , Università di Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy [2]
We propose a novel dataset of Regesta with the texts they summarize and their apparatus: REVERINO. This dataset contains documents from two existing collections of Regesta, the Monumenta Germaniae Historica of 1883-1894 and the Auvray edition of 1890-1955. Through a pipeline involving Image Segmentation and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) we convert the existing collections, composed of images of the documents pages into machine-friendly textual versions, for a total of 6266 regesta extracted. Finally, we use REVERINO to measure how well current state of the art language models perform in summarizing latin texts, while still coming short of replacing field experts, they show promising zero-shot results.
EXPLORING DIGITAL HUMANITIES PERSPECTIVES: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF MARTYRDOM AND RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE THROUGH DIGITAL ARCHIVES OF ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP IN SOUTH ASIA (1982-2022)

Ruozzi F. (Speaker) , Shahnawaz S. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
This study employs digital humanities methodologies to analyze attacks on places of worship in South Asia over four decades (1982-2022), focusing on the connections between martyrdom ideologies and violent extremism within a digital context. By utilizing digital archives, databases, and tools for text mining and data visualization, this research contextualizes the increase in assaults on diverse religious sites—mosques, temples, and churches—amid intensifying communal tensions prevalent in the region. The investigation integrates both quantitative data analysis and qualitative case studies drawn from digital repositories, offering a nuanced understanding of the motivations behind these attacks. The findings reveal that extremist groups adapt and disseminate the concept of martyrdom through digital platforms, legitimizing violence against religious minorities while embedding their narratives within broader ideological, cultural, and geopolitical discourses. Furthermore, this study critically examines the role of social media as a catalyst in amplifying martyrdom ideologies, demonstrating its profound effects on community dynamics and interfaith relations in both online and offline realms. By foregrounding the cyclical relationship between martyrdom and violence in sacred spaces, the research poses significant implications for peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts in South Asia. This work aims to enrich academic discourse on religious violence through the lens of digital humanities, providing vital insights for policymakers and conflict resolution practitioners engaged in promoting sustainable interfaith dialogue and community resilience in an increasingly digital world.
DIGITAL INTERFACES FOR THE INTERTEXTUALITY OF SACRED TEXTS

Costa M. (Speaker) , Chiara P. (Speaker)

Università di Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy
This study aims to define new interaction patterns in designing digital interfaces for comparison of sacred texts. In Digital Humanities, intertextuality has to face new challenges to overcome the limitations of the current digital tools for text comparison. These tools frequently lack a user-friendly interface and partially assist scholars in managing their entire research flow. The purpose of the Ubiquity platform, as the final product of the WP8 research team, is to allow scholars to outline, trace, save, and share their research reasoning within the scientific community. New interaction patterns are proposed by the team to enhance the humanist interpretive approach to text comparison processes, providing more efficient and compelling tools that can have an impact beyond religious studies.
GROUNDING LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS IN AUTHORITATIVE ISLAMIC TEXTS: EVALUATIVE STRATEGIES USING SAHIH AL-BUKHARI

El Ganadi A. (Speaker)

Università di Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy
Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) have expanded their applicability to specialized fields such as religious studies. Customized AI models, utilizing tools like GPT Builder to draw from authoritative collections such as Sahih al-Bukhari or the Qur'an, have been explored for addressing queries related to Islamic teachings. However, evaluations reveal significant limitations, including hallucinations, reference inaccuracies, and difficulties in strictly adhering to designated sources, especially when faced with fabricated Ahadith. This study proposes a novel framework to assess and improve the ability of pre-trained LLMs to rely exclusively on Sahih al-Bukhari as a source. The evaluation involves testing the models with queries based on fabricated Ahadith to determine whether they can identify these as absent from Sahih al-Bukhari and comply with the required constraints. The findings underscore the necessity of anchoring AI systems in structured, authenticated datasets for sensitive domains like religious studies.
EXPLORING TRANSFORMER-BASED MODELS FOR THEMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF HADITH TEXTS IN LOW-RESOURCE LANGUAGES

Aftar S. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
This study explores the application of transformer-based models for classifying Hadith texts in Arabic and Urdu, addressing their significance in religious scholarship and their low-resource status in natural language processing. The task involves multi-class classification of Hadith content into seven predefined religious topics based on thematic relevance. Pretrained models such as AraBERT and XLM-RoBERTa are fine-tuned with a classification head utilizing softmax activation. The dataset undergoes comprehensive preprocessing, including tokenization, text normalization, and data balancing, to mitigate data sparsity and enhance model performance. Evaluation metrics such as F1-score, accuracy, and confusion matrices are used to assess classification accuracy. The findings demonstrate both the potential and limitations of transformers in classifying religious texts, offering insights into advancing Hadith studies through modern NLP techniques while addressing challenges unique to low-resource languages.

Panel description: The relationship between religion and politics continues to be highly contentious. This panel proposes to critically evaluate the potential contribution of the Dutch pastor, theologian, statesman, and educator Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) to current formulations of public theology. It will consider the global impact and use of Kuyper's thought in formulating principles to articulate the relationship between religion and politics, especially in the Netherlands, Indonesia, and the United States. The speakers will consider key Kuyperian notions such as sphere sovereignty, principled pluralism, Christ's lordship over all aspects of life and culture, and social programs for the less fortunate. In addition to discussing Kuyper's relevance for contexts as diverse as the democracy of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, and the United States, the panel will also consider critical reactions to Kuyper within the Reformed communities globally. It hopes to stimulate other religious traditions to consider interacting with Kuyper's proposal for understanding the role of religion in society.

Papers:

CHRIST'S SUFFERING AND KUYPER'S SPHERE SOVEREIGNTY: A FRAMEWORK FOR CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE IN INDONESIA

Kawira J. (Speaker)

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands
Indonesia, with its vast diversity in culture, ethnicity, and religion, may serve as a critical case study for exploring the application of Abraham Kuyper's concept of sphere sovereignty in a pluralistic society. As a nation of over 284 million people, comprising more than 1,500 tribes with their distinct customs and six officially recognized religions, Indonesia embodies contextual, directional, and associational plurality. This diversity provides opportunities for fostering mutual respect and tolerance but also poses challenges, such as susceptibility to horizontal conflicts along tribal, religious, and ethnic lines. Therefore, the founding fathers of Indonesia sought to unify this diversity through the philosophy of Pancasila, or "five principles," as a means of implementing the nation's ideology of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika or "Unity in Diversity." This framework may serve as a medium for a dialogical theocentric approach, facilitating the application of Kuyper's sphere sovereignty to influence the public sphere effectively. However, its practical application is increasingly threatened by the combined forces of religious fanaticism and political opportunism which create a hostile environment for minority groups such as Christians, who are systematically persecuted. Therefore, I argue that the appropriation of Kuyper's sphere sovereignty within Indonesia's public sphere should be complemented by a Christ-centered approach. This approach should emphasize the significance of Christ's suffering as a model for Indonesian Christians, enabling them to fulfill God's mandates in the public sphere faithfully, even in the face of adversity. In addition, I will provide the "successful" mission work of Ludwig Nommensen in North Sumatra as a case study on how, in the face of persecution, Nommensen's dialogical approach effectively engaged with the Batak tribes, introducing them to Christianity and transforming their cultural practices and social structures.
ABRAHAM KUYPER'S SEMINAL CONCEPTS SHAPING PUBLIC THEOLOGY: FRUITFUL YET INCHOATE.

Lillback P. (Speaker)

Westminster Theological Seminary ~ Philadelphia ~ United States of America
Abraham Kuyper, a prominent Reformed theologian and statesman, made significant contributions to public theology that bridged intellectual rigor, theological depth, and practical relevance. Key concepts central to his thought include palingenesis (spiritual rebirth), antithesis (the opposition between belief and unbelief), common grace (God's universal grace for all people), and sphere sovereignty (the division of authority across distinct social spheres). This paper examines the role these ideas play in Kuyper's understanding of the Christian faith's public witness and explores their ongoing relevance in engaging with secular society. Additionally, it argues that Kuyper did not fully clarify how these concepts interact, which has led to their occasional misapplication by Christian thinkers and leaders.
KUYPER AND PUBLIC LITURGICAL THEOLOGY IN INDONESIA

Pardede J. (Speaker)

International Reformed Evangelical Seminary ~ Jakarta ~ Indonesia
This paper will consider the understanding of true spirituality according to Abraham Kuyper and from there move to discuss the needed conceptual religious thinking in today's understanding of public life in Indonesia. Today there are an immense number of studies devoted to demonstrating how religion plays a major part in the development of public thinking, even in the more secular places of the world today. Not a few of those studies are indebted to Kuyper's thinking. This paper will, firstly, consider Kuyper's warning about the danger of superficial mysticism in his "Three Little Foxes," how this vision developed in the pre-Kuyperian reformed thinking, and Kuyper's own understanding of true mystical aspects of Christianity. After a brief survey of Kuyper's appropriation of Reformed theology, I will argue that one aspect that forms the contextual condition for mystical thinking is the presence of other religious mystical understandings contending for dominant influence in the public spheres. In the second part of this paper I will demonstrate how the mystical aspect in other religions in Indonesia, especially Islam, obliges Christians to articulate a biblical version of mysticism along the lines of Kuyper's model. I will attempt to show how Kuyper's thinking provides the needed perspective, especially considering the development of the Islamic movement in education from the early 20th century and the assimilated Islamic liturgy in the public spheres in Indonesia. This needed perspective cannot be executed by Christians with a disoriented understanding of spirituality and latent social perspective problems caused by false mysticism. That is why, concluding the paper, I would argue that the Neo-Calvinist perspective should gain (or regain?) the mainstream of Christian thinking in Indonesia, in the dire situation of the present condition, in developing religious aspect of public life.
A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF PANCASILA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ABRAHAM KUYPER'S CONCEPT OF PRINCIPLED PLURALISM

Intan B. (Speaker)

International Reformed Evangelical Seminary ~ Jakarta ~ Indonesia
With regard to the implementation of the first principle of Indonesia's national ideology Pancasila, namely, the Principle of One Lordship, the Indonesian government requires its citizens to embrace any one of the six religions formally acknowledged by the state, i.e., Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Kong Fu Chu. One implication of this regulation is the rejection of atheism as well as mysticism as a belief that a number of Indonesian citizens adhere to. The enforcement of the formal state religions on Indonesian citizens has resulted in efforts of criminalizing religion within the Constitution of Criminal Law (KUHP), of which the former governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (known as Ahok), had become one of its victims. During the three-and-a-half centuries of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, Protestant churches in Indonesia had become familiarized with Calvinistic teaching and Reformed ideas. The author, by analyzing the Principle of One Lordship from the perspective of Kuyper's teaching on principled pluralism, argues that the imposition of formal state religions that peaks in the criminalization of religion could not be justified as it denies religious freedom guaranteed by Chapter 29 of the 1945 National Constitution (UUD). The Principle of One Lordship must therefore be interpreted anew. From the perspective of principled pluralism, the Principle of One Lordship guarantees not only religious freedom but also the role of religion in the public sphere.

Panel description: Recent years have witnessed significant political upheavals in Europe and beyond. These range from the rise of new leaders and parties, some of which had previously struggled to achieve meaningful electoral success, to the crisis of established leaderships and the introduction of constitutional referenda proposing changes to fundamental principles historically enshrined in foundational charters. This panel aims to assess the impact of these developments on religious dynamics and the Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). It seeks contributions from scholars — across disciplines — who have studied the jurisdictions most affected by these transformations, including France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. On one hand, the panel will address common challenges that have transcended national borders to become central issues for Western societies. These include the relationship with religious minorities, the management of increasing religious and cultural pluralism, and the balance between religious freedom and security. Such topics are now unavoidable for Western legal systems, drawing the attention of both policymakers and the judiciary. On the other hand, the panel will highlight system-specific issues that uniquely characterize each jurisdiction. For example, it will examine the evolution of the principle of laïcité in France following Law No. 1109 of 2021, the approach of the United Kingdom's new government toward the Muslim minority — whose strong presence has given rise to phenomena such as Sharia Councils — and the latest trends in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice on matters of law and religion. Ultimately, this panel seeks to foster a deeper understanding of how political transformations are reshaping religious freedoms and interactions in Western legal systems, offering insights that are both timely and crucial for academic and policy discussions alike.

Papers:

POLITICAL SHIFTS AND RELIGIOUS DEBATES IN THE UK: NAVIGATING CHANGE IN A POST-BREXIT ERA

Negri A. (Speaker)

University of Milan ~ Milan ~ Italy
The United Kingdom has recently undergone profound political transformations, marked by the fallout of Brexit, the end of over a decade of Conservative governance, and the Labour Party's ascent to power. These shifts have reignited discussions on national identity, governance, and the role of religion in shaping the public sphere. As the UK seeks to redefine its place on the global stage, domestic debates reflect a broader tension between the preservation of traditional values and the embrace of an increasingly pluralistic society. Religion has emerged as a critical axis of this renegotiation, with issues such as the ongoing discussions around Sharia Courts exemplifying the challenges of integrating diverse legal and cultural practices within a cohesive national framework. These debates spotlight tensions between multicultural ideals and concerns over social cohesion, particularly in the face of growing nationalism and a renewed focus on "British values." This abstract examines the intersection of political upheaval and religious discourse in the UK, exploring how recent political developments influence and are influenced by questions of faith, law, and identity. By contextualizing these issues within the broader narrative of post-Brexit realignment, it aims to illuminate the dynamic interplay between governance and religion in a rapidly evolving sociopolitical landscape.
FRENCH-STYLE LAÏCITÉ: STATE PRINCIPLE OR PRESIDENTIAL VISION?

Palazzo M. (Speaker)

University of Milan-Bicocca ~ Milan ~ Italy
Laïcité has always represented one of the core values of the French nation, to the extent that the Republican Constitution of 1958 employs the adjective "laïque" as a fundamental qualifier to describe the French Republic, alongside terms such as "democratic" and "social". Despite the concept of secularism being deeply ingrained in the French nation over the past two centuries, its defining characteristics have frequently evolved. Initially understood as the mere separation between the State and churches, it has progressively shifted toward a more proactive role, mediating dialogue between religious interests and those of the republican order. These transformations, however, have been accompanied by - and, in some cases, driven by - changes in presidential leadership, which have imparted new dimensions to this long-standing issue. This contribution aims to examine the trajectories of French-style laïcité, with a particular focus on the stance taken by Emmanuel Macron, especially following the promulgation of Law No. 1109/2021. Moreover, following the very recent motion of no confidence filed against former Prime Minister Michel Barnier and in light of the reactions from Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, France is facing months of significant political instability. In this climate, the Head of State will bear the imminent and arduous task of appointing a new Prime Minister, a decision that will have direct repercussions on both domestic and European political dynamics and, consequently, on church-state policy as well. The contribution thus aims to provide a synthesis and analysis of the ongoing political crisis and the dynamics it generates with regard to secularism and the handling of the religious factor in France, ten years after the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo
THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE AND RELIGION: ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPEN QUESTIONS IN THE EU LEGAL LANDSCAPE

Croci F. (Speaker)

University of Milan ~ Milan ~ Italy
Over the past few years, the European Court of Justice ("ECJ") has issued several judgments relating to religious matters, following a long period in which religion was almost entirely absent from its case law. These judgments address, from various angles, the general principle of non-discrimination on grounds of religion and belief, primarily (but not exclusively) focusing on religious symbols in the workplace, while other cases touch on religious holidays or ritual religious practices. All of these issues are sensitive, often regulated differently across Member States, and can be both contentious and controversial. The emerging ECJ case law on these matters is particularly significant in a legal order such as that of the European Union. The other (non-jurisdictional) EU institutions - notably the political institutions, such as the European Parliament, the Council of the EU, and the European Commission - rarely engage with religious matters, in line with the EU's lack of specific competences in this area. By contrast, the ECJ is increasingly confronted with questions involving religion through the preliminary ruling procedure, at the request of national courts in the EU Member States. Against this backdrop, the aim of this contribution is, first, to assess the progress the ECJ has made in addressing religious matters, identifying some open issues arising from its case law. Secondly, the emerging definition of a principle of EU neutrality in the religious sphere will be considered, in the light of the provision laid down in Article 17 TFEU. Finally, it will be examined whether, in the absence of a policy direction from the EU political institutions, the ECJ case law can be seen as progressively outlining de facto policy lines on religious matters at the European Union level, or whether the Court's judgments should not be viewed from such a systematic, policy-oriented perspective.
RELIGIOUS RHETORIC IN RECENT U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

Pagotto T. (Speaker)

University of Milan-Bicocca ~ Milan ~ Italy
The trends and narratives of recent U.S. electoral campaigns have shown how candidates appeal to religious constituencies, from evangelical and Catholic voters, for support based on shared values. Rhetoric related to religious liberty has been particularly effective, especially in issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. This paper analyses the strategic use of religious rhetoric in the recent U.S. electoral politics. How have recent U.S. presidential campaigns strategically employed religious rhetoric to mobilize specific voter demographics? What are the legal implications of invoking religious liberty in contemporary U.S. electoral politics, particularly about the First Amendment's Clauses? The paper examines the complex interplay of law, religion, and politics in shaping the trajectory of U.S. elections.

Panel description: This panel aims at conducting a broad, longue-durée historical-religious analysis of collapses and crises in the history of the Abrahamic religions, and the closely-related religious discourses of legitimation and delegitimation of power. The term "collapses" refers to sudden and traumatic changes that necessitate a revision of positions and impact the life of a society. Actually, it's well known that the collapse is not a sudden event, but could be faced as a long term process segmented in several stages. This process could be divided in four main phases: a) before the collapses; b) during the collapses; c) immediately after the collapses; d) a distance from the collapses. It is not always suitable to classify the available sources on the basis of this chronological sequence. However, it is possible to identify key issues and problematic junctions within each of these. The panel would like to consider the most important and well known collapses, which have significant theological-religious implications. Among the most relevant collapses, could be find, for example: the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem (70); the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476); the fall of Jerusalem (1099 and 1187); the fall of the Mongol Empire (1368); the fall of Constantinople (1453); the fall of Granada (1492); the fall of the Mughal Empire (1858); and the abolition of the Ottoman caliphate (1924). Also other collapses which are not too much studied today could be analyzed. The aim of this panel is to investigate the "turmoil" and its phases, considering the phenomenon of the prophetism after collapses, and its relationship with the eschatology. The reception and the perception of the collapses will be analyzed from the points of view of the religious authority and communities involved, considering different types of sources (i.e. homilies, public speeches, liturgical writings, letters, sermons, decretals, registers, chronicles, hagiographic sources and devotional practices).

Papers:

THE FIGURE OF THE SHEPHERD BETWEEN PROPHECY AND ESCHATOLOGY IN GREGORY THE GREAT'S HOMILIES TO EZEKIEL. RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES.

De Lorenzo L. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy
The paper aims to analyze the state of studies on the role and figure of the bishop in the works of Gregory the Great, particularly with regard to the Homilies to Ezekiel, where the figure of the bishop, often identified and configured in the author's works as pastor or speculator, emerges in relation to his prophetic role. The aim will be to identify, within the panorama of older and more recent studies, new research perspectives on an author whose reception, especially in the medieval age, was of long duration and importance.
THE FALL OF THE ISLAMIC UMMA: THE SALVIFIC ROLE OF THE PROPHET IN MUḤAMMAD AL-ĠAZĀLĪ (1917-1996)

Badini F. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Palermo ~ Italy
This paper aims to examine the ways in which the scholar Muḥammad al-Ġazālī (1917-1996) has elaborated and interpreted the role of the Prophet Muḥammad in contemporary times. In particular, it will consider how al-Ġazālī conceives of Muḥammad as a salvific element in the face of the crumbling of the Islamic umma. The significant decline that al-Ġazālī identifies as a defining feature of the twentieth century encompasses not only the dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate but also the dissolution of the Islamic community as a whole. This decline was attributed by al-Ġazālī to the advent of colonialism and imperialism. The author's sole response is a return to the origins, in which the prophetic figure plays a pivotal role. In order to gain insight into the contemporary interpretation of the prophetic example, this analysis will primarily focus on two key texts: Fiqh al-sīra (1954) and Naḥwa tafsīr mawḍū'ī li-suwar al-Qur'ān al-karīm (1995). Furthermore, the sermons delivered by the preacher at the ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ mosque in Cairo, which were collected and published posthumously under the title Ḫuṭba al-Šayḫ Muḥammad al-Ġazālī (1988), will be considered.
REFRAMING THE END: BALANCING ESCHATOLOGY AND POLITICAL REALITY IN EARLY FATIMID RULE

Favaretto G. (Speaker)

FSCIRE, University of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy
On 4 January 910, Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh entered the conquered city of Raqqāḍa in triumph and formally established the Fatimid dynasty. Declaring himself Mahdī, he claimed the eschatological role in Ismāʿīlī doctrine of ending the era of law and ushering humanity into a new age. Scholars have noted how the dynastic succession to the imamate, in contrast with the promise of an imminent end of times, compelled the imām caliphs to reinterpret Ismāʿīlī eschatology, projecting the apocalypse to a distant future. This paper explores how the perceived crisis in messianic expectations arose not from the collapse of a political system, but rather from its consolidation and the unique features of the imām-caliph role: leading a minority religious community while governing a vast, socially and religiously diverse territory.
A SNOWBALL IN EGYPT: THE 'URABI REVOLT'S APOCALYPTIC NARRATIVE

Abaddi I. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Palermo ~ Italy
Šayḫ Aḥmad's dream, known as the Ruʾuya Ḥamil Mafatiḥ al Ḥaram, the "Meccan letter", or the "snowball letter" is a chain letter of a purported apocalyptic vision of the prophet related by an alleged Šayḫ Aḥmad styled as custodian of the prophet's mosque/tomb. With the promise of salvation if disseminated and damnation if withheld, this chain letter took a life of its own, pulling at the heartstrings of that which speaks the most to the religious masses and has remained a staple of the collective Islamic apocalyptic conversation for nearly 2 centuries. This chain letter's earliest available versions are dated to the early 19th century with some iterations making an appearance and playing an active role in fomenting dissent across East Africa, Indonesia, Arabia, amongst the ranks of Indian Sepoys in the British colonial army in France, and in Egypt. In the early stages of the 'Urabi revolution In 1877 Lord Hussey Crespigny Vivian British Consul general to Egypt (1834-1893) and Ottoman Khedive (Viceroy) Ismai'il (1830-1895) expressed concern at the circulation of this particular missive posted in june of the same year. A telegram containing this message was posted in the Arab quarters of Cairo in a time of rising political and religious militancy amongst the local arab Muslim population. These tensions are those that eventually culminated in what is known as the 'Urabi revolt. The purpose of this study is to look into the 'Urabi nationalist uprising in the Khedivate of Egypt from 1879 to 1882 and the apocalyptic narratives that animated it, with a particular focus on the role of this missive in shaping these narratives.
DEFENDING THE OTTOMAN CALIPHATE IN TIMES OF DISTRESS: THE CASE OF ḤASSAN ḤUSNĪ AL-ṬUWAYRĀNĪ (1850-1897)

Cargnelutti F. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Palermo ~ Italy
The academic literature confirming the pan-Islamic turn and the adoption of a caliphal policy by the Ottoman government during the 19th century and especially under the rule of Abdülhamid II is established. State-sponsored propaganda attempts to consolidate such a policy through the literary production of the ʿulamāʾ have also received scholarly attention. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of this topic by focusing on the ideas on the Caliphate of a neglected voice of the Nahḍah, the native-born Egyptian journalist and poet Ḥassan Ḥusnī al-Ṭuwayrānī (1850-1897). While considering the whole literary activity of this Ottoman journalist, this paper focuses on his ideas on the Caliphate by providing an analysis of his paper titled Maqālah fī Iǧmāl al-Kalām ʿalā Masʾalat al-H̱ilāfah bayna Ahl al-Islām, published in 1891 and written as a reaction to the spread in Egypt of the Arabic translation of Wilfrid Scawen Blunt's (1840-1922) The Future of Islam. Building on a comparison between the two works, the paper highlights al-Ṭuwayrānī's distinguishing conception of the prophetic mission of Muḥammad and of the function of the Prophet's successor, or Caliph.

Panel description: The panel proposes a reflection starting from a series of experiences in a large prison in Northern Italy over the past four years. Among these, focus will be put on the following: a) an annual workshop on reading literary texts in a framework of philosophical and religious questioning; b) an experience of university-level study of religious sciences in a pluralistic and multi-religious context. A series of contextual elements and possible theological insights emerging from these experiences will be highlighted: (a) contextual elements - institutional and existential, related to the complex and often, in Italy, dramatic reality of detention; (b) some theological, philosophical and anthropological assumptions (Illich, Latour, De Certeau) on the basis of which the presented experiences were moulded; (c) reflections on the method and place of an extroverted theological reflection; (d) issues linking the practice of exegesis with the type of work with detained persons; and (e) some overall considerations on the renewal of theological practices and institutions. The panel foresee the possibility of debate between an external panelist and the attending audience.

Papers:

THEOLOGY, THEOLOGICAL TOPOLOGY AND PRISON

Mandreoli F. (Speaker) [1] , Bernardoni M. (Speaker) [2]

Istituto di Ricerca in Scienze delle Religioni (Facoltà Teologica dell'Italia Centrale) ~ Florence ~ Italy [1] , Biblioteca Dehoniana ~ Bologna ~ Italy [2]
The paper proposes a reflection starting from the experiences of the last five years in a prison in northern Italy. In particular, it reflects on the possibility of 'reading' life in detention as a very eloquent theological locus that allows us to re-read central issues of theology and theological ethics. The reference authors are Michel de Certeau, Bruno Latour, Ivan illich. The paper will also use two short interviews: the first from an Islamic theologian and Imam who works in several Italian prisons, the second from an Italian systematic theologian who deals with the connection between the gospel, justice and detention.
EXPERIENCES OF THE OBSERVATION AND (THEOLOGICAL) INVOLVEMENT WITHIN THE REALITY OF A PENITENTIARY FACILITY

Merighi R. (Speaker) , Donini C. (Speaker)

Centro RIcerche Insight Aps ~ Bologna ~ Italy
This paper considers two main experiences conducted in a large adult prison in Northern Italy over the pas three years. The first consists of an annual workshop on reading literary texts both in a philosophical and in an existential perspective.The project is developed within the school environment provided by the penitentiary instiate, and concern the students - belonging to different prison wards, both male and female - who actively discussed the topics emerged during the collective reading. The second experience is based on the university-level study of religious sciences in a pluralistic and multi-religious context. It involves 7 students, regularly enrolled to the 3-year-academic course in Theology/Religious Sciences, regurarly witnessing lessons and exams, held in presence by teachers and tutors. The aim of this contribuiton is to provide a general overview of the activities carried out in the detention facility, and to assess in detail the peculiarities of the academic theological studies in prison.
CHALLENGES FOR THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH FROM CONTEXTS

Giovannoni M. (Speaker)

Istituto Superiore di Scienze Religiose della Toscana ~ Florence ~ Italy
80 years after the end of the Second World War and 60 years after the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, those who practise interreligious dialogue in our societies find themselves at a crossroads of challenges that cannot be ignored. These challenges are particularly significant if we start from concrete contexts: in our case, the prisons. Which we understand not only as a space for meaningful experiences and encounters, but as a real theological 'place'. These challenges are - without claiming to be exhaustive - the issue of violence and war, the challenge of the New Climate Regime (in Bruno Latour's terms), the misery generated for billions of people by the inequitable management of the earth's resources, and the issue of gender discrimination and violence. These four challenges also constitute, however, four possible directions in which interreligious dialogue can be practised and - starting from the practice in complex contexts, such as prison - thought of as a resource to draw on in order to understand the reality - which will turn out to be more complex than the geopolitical readings (indebted to a patriarchal history writing) with which human coexistence on the planet is being re-organised, would suggest.
HERMENEUTICS, CONFLICT OF NARRATIVES AND DETENTION

Ibba G. (Speaker)

Istituto Superiore di Scienze Religiose della Toscana ~ Florence ~ Italy
Starting from the experiences of dialogue between theology and prison presented in the panel, this paper focuses on a specific issue: life in detention as a place of conflict of multiple narratives that are intertwined at several levels (that of the detained persons, that of family members, the judicial auotiary, the prison administration, the victims of crime, society, the religious communities they belong to). It seems to us that such a perspective shows an example of the fruitfulness of an interdisciplinary contextual theology (in this case, the methods of exegesis are used) to grasp the theological and hermeneutical thrust that opens up perspectives within contexts but also discloses other, more general issues of theology.

Panel description: How can we live in harmony with the universe, and not just in it? What is it to feel at home in the world? 'Negative Natural Theology' engages with sites in contemporary thinking, where the concept of the divine beckons, or looms, but also, perhaps, repels, or hides. It asks 'what is at stake' in the decision (if it is that) to talk about God and the divine, or not to do so, with a wide and deep curiosity about what this might include: reasons and arguments, certainly, but also more biographical, intuitive, and affective dimensions, including imagination, and feelings about what is valuable. Also relevant are unconscious drives and factors, and undercurrents of motivation and yearning. Concepts can convince, or fail to convince, but, also, they can attract and repel. The book draws on theology, anthropology, literature, and philosophy, engaging with analytical and continental post-Kantian sources, and treating individual thinkers such as Immanuel Kant, William James, Carl Jung, Josiah Royce, Karl Rahner, Albert Camus, Saul Kripke, Thomas Nagel, Derek Parfit, Tanya Luhrmann, Mathew Engelke, Karen Kilby, Judith Wolfe, and Janet Soskice, as well as cultural movements such as modern paganism, new atheism, and humanism. 'Natural theology' involves speaking about God, using the resources of 'reason alone'. 'Negative theology' is concerned with the ways in which some types of reasoning might run out, without this necessarily being an ending. Negative Natural Theology involves thinking about God, in the light of, and under the shadow of, limits, tensions, and fragmentations in our lives, with the question of what is at stake never far from the surface.

Papers:

Panel description: Surely, the Trinity is the core of Christian faith. Despite the incarnated second person of the Trinity, the human body has been long undervalued, neglected, and sidelined throughout the history of Christianity and continues through to the present. While there are a variety of causes, the significant influence of Gnosticism plays a disproportionate role. That being said, one of the most precious aspects of the Christian gospel (and, according to Merleau-Ponty, its precious originality) is its appreciation of corporeity, specifically on account of the mystery of the Incarnation. If the Trinity and the appreciation of the body are two fundamental tenets of the Christian faith, it is surprising that there has not yet been a theological treatise which precisely treats the relation between the Trinity and the Body. While this is a rich opportunity, two topics of such theological depth have the potential to cover a vast multitude of topics. The aim of this panel covers this important and unexpected gap through a systematic-praxeological discussion, developing reflections on the interface between the Trinity and the Body through a range of contemporary lenses. The panel "Trinity and Body, 1" is part of a book scheduled for publication in 2026 as part of Brill's Studies in Theology and Religion (STAR) series. In this panel, some of the book's chapter authors will present and discuss their ongoing research. The book itself is the result of a long and fruitful partnership between FAJE (Brazil) and KU Leuven (Belgium), and includes contributions from academic friends around the globe. We welcome submissions of papers that explore the relationship between the Trinity and the Body.

Papers:

KENOSIS AND KINESIS: TRINITARIAN PERICHORETIC DANCE OF AN ETERNALLY EROTIC AND AGAPEIC LOVE

Méndez Montoya Á.F. (Speaker)

Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico ~ Mexico City ~ Mexico
At the heart of God's trinitarian perichoresis, there is an exchange of a gift of eternal love and desire, an ecstatic dance of moving, kenotically, towards the other in an act of self-giving, becoming oneness in this kenotic and kinetic love. At the same time of moving, there is a simultaneous kinesis—of being moved by such kenotic desire. Perichoresis is the inhabiting of a communal exchange of love within the divine community, it is a dance of moving and being moved by divine eros and agape, at the same time giving, receiving and sharing in ecstatic love. The choreography of divine kenosis and kinesis invites thinking about the paradox of an unchangeable love that is being moved by or being moved with (conmover, in Spanish) the suffering and the delight of the other. We envision the trinitarian exchange of divine love as an eternal dance of kenotic and kinetic eros and agape, eternally becoming both the dancer and the dance. With this evoking trinitarian theo-choreographic approach, we discern on how it provokes thinking—affirmingly—about the body, embodiment, and corporeal life. And how this further invokes transforming theological discourse and practice.
TRINITARIAN UNFOLDING OF BEING AND THE VALUE OF CORPOREALITY IN EDITH STEIN: ANTHROPOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Bello H. (Speaker)

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile ~ Santiago ~ Chile
Starting from a theological anthropology with a tripartite structure, Stein grounds each component of the human constitution — the corporeal, the psychical, and the spiritual (leiblich-seelisch-geistig) — in Love, which is God Himself. Taking this perspective, the chapter proposes to address two relevant issues for the vision of the human being. First, the consideration of how corporeality is conceived from a Trinitarian foundation, where the Creator Father acts ad extra as a psychical (seelisch) being, the Son gives His corporeal being, and the Spirit in His freedom provides the intimate bond that unites God with His creature and sustains it. Second, the development of an anthropology that values corporeality in an integral and consummated manner. The author does this from the Pauline proposal present in 1 Co 15:35. In it, a distinction is made between the animal body (corpus animale, σῶμα ψυχικόν) and the resurrected body that is spiritual (corpus spirituale, σῶμα πνευματικόν). For Stein, it is no longer about the basic distinction between Leib and Körper, nor "is it about the difference between «animated body» (beseeltem Leib) and «spirit-living body» (Geist-Leib), but about what is the foundation of this difference: the «living soul» (lebendige Seele) and the «life-giving spirit» (lebenspendenden Geist)". Therein lies the essential distinction in the understanding of the material body in a human way and the leap to the knowledge of a Trinitarian corporeality that participates in this divine inner life.
OF EARTH: A FULLY EMBODIED SPIRITUALITY

Zapita P. (Speaker)

King's College London, UK ~ London ~ United Kingdom
As a movement that unapologetically draws its thought from the life experiences of black women, womanism is inextricably linked to embodiment. I use the word embodiment as a concept that resists the duality of body, soul and spirit and instead adopts a fully holistic view of a person, sees the body in its totality as significant and inextricably linked to the theological enterprise, fortified by God's creation, the incarnation and the commitment to live out faith practically in the world. Womanism recognises how racism and sexism excluded black women from theological discourse and the academy, and therefore uses what black women recorded through the centuries in multiple forms, including literary sources. Hence, I will use reflexive analysis to explore womanist thought from several angles. First will be its historical roots as it arose as a corrective of black theology's sexism and feminism's racism. As this is a theological text, I will then focus on womanist theology and its radical validation of embodiment and experience as theological and epistemological sources alongside the other traditional ones: scripture, tradition, and reason. This affirmation of other sources of knowing is not only deliberately revolutionary; it also has socio-political and practical implications, as it resists Eurocentric, hierarchical and hegemonic epistemologies that prioritise reason more than the others. Inseparably connected to embodied spirituality is the Spirit of God whom I will weave throughout the chapter through reflexivity and my experiences as a fully embodied human being, woman and mother. I aim for this chapter to be a tapestry that elucidates the what, how, and why of womanism, including its critiques and evolvement.
THE HUMAN DIMENSION IN RAIMON PANIKKAR'S COSMOTHEANDRIC VISION: A TRINITARIAN EXPERIENCE OF THE BODY

Grassi R. (Speaker)

École Pratique des Hautes Études ~ Paris ~ France
For the theologian Raimon Panikkar (1918-2010), reality should be perceived as a-dual, that is, with a perspective that unifies the senses, reason, and what he refers to as the "third eye," which may also be called a mystical experience. This experience is simultaneously bodily, intellectual, and spiritual, or material, human, and divine. To systematize what this experience would be, considering the needs of the contemporary world and his understanding that contemplation and action must go hand in hand, what he terms the cosmoteandric vision emerges. Panikkar's starting point for reaching this vision is the Catholic-Christian religion—represented by the symbol of the Trinity—progressing through the advaita trinitarian vision, which he understood from his engagement with the Vedic tradition and some aspects of Buddhism, leading to his cosmological view of reality, already showing traces of what he would later term "sacred secularity." Panikkar's understanding of the Christian Trinity leads him to view reality as trinitarian, composed of the elements: God-Human-Cosmos. Thus, the human being is a synthesis of the "trinitarian mystery," being "body (cosmos), soul (humanity), and spirit (divinity) in an irreducible, differentiated, and inseparable unity" and "the meaning of life is to achieve the realization of the person in their triple dimension", participating in the perichoresis and as cocreators of all reality. Jesus Christ, therefore, is the exemplar of this synthesis, the zenith of his trinitarian comprehension, what he will call Christophany, the fulfillment of the humanum. In this chapter, I will conduct a bibliographic analysis of how Panikkar arrived at his cosmoteandric vision through the persons of the Trinity, how he perceives Christ as the synthesis of this vision, and what the role of the human being as co-creator or microcosm of the universe would be.
PALESTINIAN LIBERATION THEOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF GAZA: "GOD UNDER THE RUBBLE"

Klassen M. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
During Christmas of 2023, Sabeel ecumenical liberation theologies center in East Jerusalem, put on a nativity play set in contemporary Gaza, which depicts Jesus born amongst the bombs and rubble of Gaza for displaced parents who have lost everything. Sabeel's performance echoes Palestinian theologian Reverend Munther Isaac's statement, "God is under the rubble in Gaza." Sabeel and Munther Isaac insist on a God who draws near to humanity and continues to be made manifest among those who suffer injustice. A consideration of the Trinity, from this perspective, does not begin with abstract theories but the concrete experience of suffering and desire for liberation. This chapter draws on ethnographic research in Jerusalem and the West Bank and the works of Palestinian theologians such as Naim Ateek, Mitri Raheb, and Jean Zaru, to consider how we might approach the Trinity beginning with the massacred and broken bodies of Palestinians from Gaza to the occupied West Bank. Palestinian liberation theologies provide rich resources for reclaiming the importance of the humanity of Christ, which reveals a God who suffers with us. The chapter further argues that God as one in three persons, reveals the centrality of communion at the heart of Being. For Palestinian liberation theologians, the only path forward is nonviolent resistance, because violence mars humanity as a collective, and in doing so, also mars the image of God. Liberation, in this account, must be collective. In this way liberation involves respecting both the image of God in the individual and reflecting the communion and unity of the Trinity as a community. The chapter concludes by considering the God-Trinity among the broken bodies of Gaza, and the obligation we have as theologians to move beyond writing to concrete solidarity.
PNEUMATOLOGY: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE FLOURISHING OF CREATION

Bargár P. (Speaker)

Charles University ~ Prague ~ Czech Republic
The Holy Spirit is admittedly the most difficult person of the Trinity to be treated systematically due to her elusive nature. Furthermore, it might on the face of it give an impression of having little to do with corporeity due to the perceived dichotomy of spirit and body/matter. This chapter, however, seeks to argue the opposite point, namely, that the body is the primary locus through which the Spirit of God acts. In particular, the main question this chapter will address is in which ways the Spirit of God works through people as corporeal beings to bring about the flourishing of the entire creation. This exploration will be undertaken in conversation with a number of theological and ecclesial voices, particularly related to the ecumenical movement.
COLLECTIVE ETHICS AS AN IMAGO TRINITATIS

Mata De Vasconcelos H. (Speaker)

FAJE, Brazil/KU Leuven, Belgium ~ Belo Horizonte ~ Brazil
How could a person alone be the image of a Trinitarian God? of a God who is Trinity? No one is Imago Dei alone. My aim in this chapter is to address the relationship between the image of the Trinitarian God and the ethics of collectivity, with the latter being a potential expression of the former. To this end, I will take a closer look at the doctrine of the Imago Dei in its collective dimension, the Imago Trinitatis, investigating the role and mission left by God in the account of human creation as the image of God in society. First, I will argue that, rather than a personal quality held by each person, the Trinity creates humanity as Imago Dei, human beings in their relational dimension. Here, my interlocutors will include St. Irenaeus, St. Gregory Palamas, Milton Schwantes, and Johan Konings, with their perspectives on the Imago Dei. Second, I will address the collective dimension of the image of God, which has an ethical mission as its divine mission. The ethics of collectivity is a way of promoting the kingdom of God in relation to social justice, understanding that it is essential to view the other with empathy and act in alterity. In such a complex world, marked by injustice, disrespect, and countless tragedies, it is possible to overcome ideological and political shortcomings through dialogue and a commitment to solidarity. Humanity, as the image of the Trinitarian God, as the embodied pneumatic body of Christ, can bring about a fairer reality through the ethics of collectivity. It is only together, in dialogue and compassion, that we can express the relational Imago Trinitatis.
THE VIRGIN MOTHER: THE POLITICS OF MARY'S BODY WITH FOUCAULT'S HISTORY OF SEXUALITY

Boyle Z. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
It was not enough for the early theologians to say in the passive voice that God was born into the world; the theology of the early councils required a woman's body. During these first councils, the miraculous nature of the virgin birth was indispensable for the incarnated mediation between the created and uncreated. It was only later that the virginity of Mary went beyond its Christological significance to mean moral and spiritual purity, becoming a role model for ascetics. This development can be seen as influenced by a Platonic-Christian anthropology that can still be traced today. The Platonic tripartite division of the soul promoted the discipline of reason over the body. According to Michel Foucault in his History of Sexuality, this relationship to one's own body (especially one's sexuality) is inevitably a strategy of politics with and over oneself. For the early theologians, sexual appetite was the most difficult to control, so sexual discipline was seen to go together with moral and spiritual purity. The irony at the heart of Mary's body is that she is considered Virgin Mother. To say that she is endowed with the grace of perpetual virginity suggests that her body (its sexuality, sickness, hunger) is obscured from her at the same time as it is her whole identity as Theotokos. What begs intrigue is an analysis of how and in what ways the body of Mary was politicised in her virginity in order to inspire the spiritual life.
UNITED IN THE TRINITY, RESURRECTED IN THE BODY: THE TREATMENT, REPRESENTATION, AND VENERATION OF THE HUMAN BODY AFTER DEATH

Mitov G. (Speaker)

Austrian Academy of Sciences / University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
As has been particularly emphasised in Orthodox theology, the deification of the human person, through the union of the human person and the Trinity, is intrinsically connected to the transformation of the physical body. In this discussion, the central question at hand is necessarily related to the treatment of the decay and death of the human body, and 2) how this affects the representation of the person after death. Firstly, we can see the significance of this theology through the exhumation of the saint's remains and the veneration of these relics as a vessel of the transformative power of the Trinity. And secondly, the representation of the person can be seen crudely framed by the question of what the essence of the resurrected body would appear like in the afterlife. The fields of disability theology as well as iconography have contributed significantly to answering these questions. This article will therefore be divided into two parts. The first part will investigate the attitude towards the body in the context of funerary services and the related question of the veneration of relics and icons, bringing examples from contemporary Mount Athos. The second part will explore how the stylisation of the represented person captures the essence of the deified person through the novel The Sandcastle by Iris Murdoch and the reflections of the iconographer Sister Gabriella, Painting as Prayer: The Art of A. Sophrony Sakharov.

Panel description: Christian Revelation shows the influence of the presence and the action of the Holy Spirit in the World, Society and the Church. No matter how hidden it might seem, theology knows about this divine transforming power that is at work everywhere. In this panel we aim to deepen our understanding of the role and dynamism of the life-giving Spirit of God in different areas of theology, searching to make more evident the many positive transformations He brings out to our cultures and societies.

Papers:

THE TRANSFORMING DYNAMISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ESCHATOLOGY

Arteaga Echeverría P. (Speaker)

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile ~ Santiago ~ Chile
The goal of this talk is to present the role that the Holy Spirit has played in the various eschatology books written over the past 25 years. The presentation will exhibit the importance of a more prominent role for the Spirit of God or pneumatology in modern Christian eschatology and its consequences for today's theology.
HOPE DOES NOT CONFOUND: THE DIVINIZING CHARITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Eitenmiller (Op) S.M.(. (Speaker)

PONTIFICAL UNIVERSITY OF ST THOMAS AQUINAS (ANGELICUM) ~ Rome ~ Italy
In Romans 5:5, St. Paul declares that Hope does not confound, because the charity of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. In this talk, I will discuss the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas regarding the Holy Spirit as Love Proceeding within the Trinity, as well as both the descending and ascending aspects of the Spirit's invisible mission to the soul in grace, and how this divinizes the human being, providing us with the hope of future glory.
HOLY SPIRIT, VIRTUES, AND COMMUNITY: A DOMINICAN CASE STUDY

Ramirez Guerra M. (Speaker)

Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
This paper is an exploration of the growth in virtues necessary for life in community but also dependent on life in community. Through Josef Pieper's rethinking of Thomas Aquinas' thought on the infused virtues and the action of the Holy Spirit in their development, this paper will explore how the lived experience of Dominicans living out the pillars of Dominican life and spirituality can serve as a basis for a deeper understanding of the connection between the exercise of virtues and family life.
THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN HUMAN ACTION AND IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE THEOLOGY OF S. BULGAKOV

Buch L. (Speaker)

UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRA ~ Navarra ~ Spain
The intellectual biography of Sergei Bulgakov, who moved from Marxism in the field of economics to philosophical idealism and finally to Christian theology, is well known. He is famous for his proposal concerning Sophia, created and divine. However, it is equally interesting the way in which he presents human action and the way in which the creature can transform created reality. In this session we will explore the role of the Holy Spirit in human action and in the theology of history, according to S. Bulgakov's thought.

Panel description: The study of the complex ways in which the creation of Christian normativity is linked to the production of non-Christian "others" through codependent processes of religious selfing and othering lies at the heart of Marianne Moyaert's study "Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other. A History of Religionization." Through examining the discursive fabrication and separation of "good" ("true," "pure," "healthy," "sincere," "liberal," …) religion from "bad" ("false," "impure," "pernicious," "dangerous," "fanatic," …) religion amidst asymmetrical power relations it traces the genealogies of patterns that still inform the modes of perceiving, judging and dealing with religious differences in (post)secular Western societies. In the panel senior and junior scholars engaged in interreligious and intercultural dialogue settings will engage with the argument of the book from the perspective of different denominational, religious, and disciplinary backgrounds. The focus will be on the theoretical framework of the book as well as on discussing how patterns of religionization play out in different social, historical, and cultural settings, thereby intermingling with a variety of other forms of "othering" (race, gender, class, handicap etc.).

Papers:

Panel description: This author-meets-critics panel will bring together scholars of secularism and Islam in Europe to discuss the recent book, Muslim and Catholic experiences of national belonging in France (Bloomsbury, 2024, Islam of the Global West series). This book juxtaposes experiences of national identity and belonging among French Muslims and Catholics respectively in order to examine the causes and dynamics of minority marginalization in plural secular societies. Drawing upon extensive ethnographic fieldwork across France within spaces of religious education and interfaith dialogue, the book illustrates the inequities between Muslim and Catholic citizens in opportunities for national belonging, political and civic engagement, and institution-building. This reexamination of Muslim exclusion against the backdrop of Catholic inclusion calls into question popular explanations for minority marginalization - especially those that blame non-adherence to French Republican principles or the exclusionary power of secular discourse. Instead, author Carol Ferrara argues that the boundaries of French belonging are policed by francité -a tacit national imaginary ideal-type that draws upon and reproduces national cognitive biases and undermines the French republican values of secularism, equality, liberty, and fraternity. Given the central role of francité in the politics of belonging, Ferrara suggests that paths toward greater pluralism in France and beyond lie in the reframing of national identity narratives and reimagining the inclusive potential of secular democratic values.

Papers:

Panel description: This panel on "Religion and Transformation in Africa: A Multifaceted Perspective", is part of the inaugural discussions  and motifs of the African Academy of Religion. It is a recognition of the diverse, double edged and dynamic reality of the presence and multi-prong manifestation of religion in the continent, over the ages; and the subsequent and consequent  changes and transformation in individuals and other key  institutions in the society, indeed in the life of the vast and historically rich continent.

Papers:

WHAT WAS AND WHAT IS, AFRICAN INDIGENOUS VALUES, SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES VERSUS CHRISTIANITY

Getui M. (Speaker)

Catholic University of Eastern Africa ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
African indigenous communities had values, systems and structures that governed day to day operations.  With the introduction and establishment of Christianity in the continent, these values, systems and structures have taken new dimensions, a testimony that religion contributes towards societal transformation.  The discussion focuses on this transformation on among other institutions, education and health.
AFRICAN INITIATED CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION IN AFRICA: AN EXAMINATION OF SELECTED CHURCHES

Njeri Mwaura P. (Speaker)

Kenyatta University ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
Since the introduction of Christianity in Tropical Africa in the 15 th century and later in the 19 th and 20 th centuries, there has been several responses by Africans to the Gospel in their midst. The variety of responses is viewed by scholars as manifestation of religious independency and innovation in Africa. They portray the development of a Christianity rooted more self-consciously in African culture and contributing to a richer world-wide interpretation of the Gospel. These responses have been described variously as African Initiatives (AICs) in Christianity, 1 African Independent, Indigenous, Initiated and Instituted Churches. These terms underscore the fact that the churches were started by Africans and have retained African ethos and their theology has a distinct African flavour. They have therefore contributed to inculturation of the Gospel in the African context. Many of the major AICs emerged which during the colonial era, were not only established to respond to spiritual needs but also other existential needs. The churches perceived their roles as holistic and hence established schools, health clinics, and agricultural activities and resistance against colonialism. In the post -independence era, some of the churches have continued with this mission, while others have continued to be churches of the poor whose focus is other worldly. This paper endevours to investigate to what extent selected AICs in Kenya have sought to promote social transformation. It hopes to examine the sermons, testimonies, teachings and songs. The paper contends that, AICs mobilise their members and audiences to become agents of social transformation. Data will be sourced from both primary and secondary sources.
INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE FOR PEACEBUILDING AND SOCIAL COHESION: A CASE STUDY OF THE COAST INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF CLERICS IN MOMBASA COUNTY, KENYA

Maganya I. (Speaker)

Tangaza University College ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
This paper examines the role of the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC) in promoting interreligious dialogue for peacebuilding and social cohesion in Mombasa County, Kenya. In a region historically plagued by religious and ethnic tensions, the CICC has emerged as a significant player in fostering peace between diverse religious communities, particularly Christians and Muslims. Drawing on qualitative research and grounded theory, this paper explores the approaches employed by the CICC, the challenges they face, and the effectiveness of their strategies in mitigating violence and promoting unity. The theoretical frameworks of Ubuntu and Harambee are applied to contextualize the CICC's efforts, illustrating how African-centered models of cooperation and collective responsibility can contribute to sustainable peace. The study also integrates recent global research on religious actors in peace processes, providing a broader perspective on the importance of interreligious collaboration in conflict transformation.
PENTECOSTAL CHARISMATIC INFLUENCE AND IMPACT IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AND NATION BUILDING: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO UNITED FAMILY CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (UFUIC) OF PROPHET EMMANUEL MAKANDIWA IN ZIMBABWE

Zangairai F. (Speaker)

Arrupe Jesuit University ~ Harare ~ Zimbabwe
It is a fact that religion over the ages has proved to be a multifaceted, multifarious and multidimensional phenomenon again nebulous and enigmatic to define. Conversely in the lives of humanity it has played several roles some of which could be opposing poles. It is also a well-known fact that religion serves and answers humanity's fundamental questions, needs and eventually points to the relationship with the Supernatural, and wholly other who is known by the different names in different religions. On the other hand, religion in the contemporary world is also a bridge and vehicle to the socio-economic transformation and aspirations, without of course ignoring the pacifying and nation building role that religion partakes. Thus religion is a double edge sword in the lives of mankind. This paper therefore, seeks to unravel the indispensable and noble role that religion plays in transforming the status, lives, welfare, worldviews and the socioeconomic degrees of humanity in general, and specifically Zimbabwe, with the aid of Pentecostal charismatic tradition as is exhibited in the Mugodhi apostolic church in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole.
ZIMBABWE CHRISTIAN WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH

Moyo M. (Speaker)

Arrupe Jesuit University ~ Harare ~ Zimbabwe
Women in Zimbabwe have often felt suffocated and discriminated through practices upheld by divine authority that have undermined their leadership in the church. The church opened up new opportunities for women through education for girls and skills training. However, the church has not always promoted and acknowledged women's full leadership capacities, even in churches founded or led by women. The contribution of women in the church has been phenomenal not only as Christian mothers, but also being pillars of the church, in fundraising, social involvement and care of the local church. However, women have not always taken this oppression meekly in their stride. The purpose of the study is, therefore, to explore the experiences of women in leadership in different churches in Zimbabwe. The study will seek to analyse and deepen our understanding of patriarch and theological themes used to undermine the experience and leadership roles of women. This qualitative study will employ interviews and case studies for data collection from 'three churches'; Mainline (traditional churches), African Initiated Churches and Pentecostal, using an ecofeminist perspective methodology to better understand women's voices. Findings from this study can shade light on existing gender inequalities in the church, and probably be used to address such inequalities. They will also be used to promote women's empowerment and access to leadership roles in the church, and to foster positive change within the church and beyond.
EXAMINING THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Nambalirwa Nkabala H. (Speaker) , Mbabazi V. (Speaker)

Makerere University ~ Kampala ~ Uganda
Religion has a significant impact on socioeconomic growth, both positively and negatively. It can help to foster moral and ethical underpinnings such as work ethics, charity, social welfare, social capital, conflict resolution, education, human capital, economic behaviour, and ethical business practices. Religious institutions may provide a sense of community and social capital while simultaneously advancing knowledge and creativity. Religious traditions, such as Islamic finance, which avoids interest and ethical business practices, can impact economic behaviour. Religious organisations like those the Catholic Church, Islamic charities, and Buddhist organisations all impact international charity and development. These organisations provide humanitarian help, construct infrastructure, and promote social initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and improving healthcare in underdeveloped countries. Sometimes, religion is called the dancing partner of development agencies and organisations which are working to achieve sustainable development goals. However, religious beliefs and practices can potentially prevent or hinder social and economic development, deeply intertwined with conflicts and unrest, sustaining disparities and increasing social inequality.
A (… N EDUCATIONAL) REFLECTION ON CHRISTIAN (SOCIAL) ETHICS AS A CATALYST OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

Sakuba X. (Speaker)

University of KwaZulu-Natal ~ Durban ~ South Africa
In this presentation I will argue that while the church's contribution to social transformation, has always been a common feature in the history of the church ministerial activities since the time of the Early Church Fathers, it was not until the advent of Liberationist theologies in the 20 th Century that significant strides in the church's involvement in social transformation took a new turn. This new development, as I will demonstrate, took place under the auspices of what can be characterized as a peculiarly post-modern articulation of Christian ethics. I will further argue that it is equally on account of this shift that it is now becomes possible to talk of what could be seen as a difference between Christian ethics and Christian morality or moral philosophy.
VEREAD: BRIDGING CULTURES AND FAITHS THROUGH VIRTUAL EXCHANGES IN EU-AFRICA RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

D'Antone A. (Speaker) [1] , Macconi Heckner I. (Speaker) [2] , Cargnelutti F. (Speaker) [2]

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy [1] , Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose (FSCIRE) ~ Bologna ~ Italy [2]
This paper addresses the issue of interculturality within the Veread project, designed to foster intercultural and interreligious exchange between African and European universities. To achieve this, the project adopted a virtual exchange framework that values diversity as a resource and cooperation as a medium for attaining shared goals. The contribution highlights how this framework facilitated intercultural dialogue within the project through tools such as project-based learning and the involvement of facilitators. Additionally, it explores the project's impact on the religious dimension, analyzing how Veread influenced interreligious dialogue and discussions surrounding religious themes. In conclusion, it will be argued that the Veread project demonstrates the potential of virtual exchanges in fostering meaningful intercultural and interreligious dialogue, emphasizing the transformative power of diversity and collaboration in addressing shared global challenges.

Panel description: The ENTER/EXIT project explores the legal, social, and cultural dimensions of entering and exiting religious denominations, with a focus on their impact on fundamental rights, religious freedom, and personal identity. It examines three key areas: 1. Entry into Religious Denominations: Analyzing conversion laws in Abrahamic faiths, the research highlights issues of genuine versus simulated conversion, coercion, and the tension between religious norms and civil rights. 2. Exit from Religious Denominations: Investigating apostasy and excommunication, it addresses the personal, social, and legal repercussions of leaving a faith, particularly in restrictive religious systems. 3. Protecting Religious Freedom: The study evaluates legal tools for fostering transparent processes and promoting interreligious dialogue to support pluralism and coexistence. The project aims to reconcile doctrinal authority with individual freedoms, advancing understanding of religious dynamics in diverse societies.

Papers:

ONCE CATHOLIC, ALWAYS CATHOLIC OR UNUM BAPTISATUM SEMPER BAPTISATUM: ERASURE FROM THE CHURCH BOOKS AND POTENTIAL DEMANDS OF GDPR

Savic V. (Speaker)

Catholic University of Croatia ~ Zagreb ~ Croatia
When initiated, GDPR regulation was intendend only for business entities and marketplace in order to provide secure and private space for those who were, traditionally, weakest parties in the sale of goods proces: customers and consumers. Those privacy laws eventually evoluted into something much bigger and with a broader catchment scope. The question is if GDPR is applicable to the books and records of the Catholic Church (as well as to other religious communities' registries). Catholic Church teaches that baptism can not be erased and that every person who was baptised remains as such for the rest of his or hers life. For that reason Canon Law only accepts annotation to be written, that the person left the Church or that someone was excommuniated, but in that case also, sacrament is not erased. The problem exists if someone requests erasure from the Church books on the basis of GDPR, and Church authorites do not have ability to do so. Church records are permanent and non-eraseable. How this should be solved? Combination of factors will influence this matter like status of the Catholic Church in particular country, existance of treaty between the state and the Holy See and how the Church books are regarded form the perspecive of protection of public books or as documents of particular national and historical value.
APOSTASY AND RELIGIOUS CONVERSIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS AND LEGAL CHALLENGES IN AN INTERCONNECTED WORLD

Decimo L. (Speaker)

Università degli Studi di Sassari ~ Sassari ~ Italy
Apostasy and religious conversions in the digital world represent a growing and complex phenomenon that reflects the intersection between religion and technology. The advent of the internet and online platforms has profoundly transformed the ways in which religious freedom is practiced, particularly by offering new spaces for the dissemination of beliefs, religious practices, and interfaith dialogue. Digitalization has increased visibility for minority religious groups and facilitated the spread of religious messages through blogs, podcasts, videos, and social media. Digital communities, often not sharing the same physical space, foster dialogue between different religious perspectives, accelerating processes of individual religious identity reconfiguration. However, conversions in the digital context raise questions about the authenticity of spiritual experiences, the potential alienation from traditional communal settings, and the influence of digital media on religious choices. This phenomenon also implies a new role for religions in global society, with the risk of fragmentation of religious identities and the need to adapt religious practices to the challenges of the digital age. Furthermore, this digital transition raises complex legal issues, such as the protection of "online religious freedom" and the management of conflicts between religious identities and national regulations. Laws regarding the protection of individual rights and the privacy of those involved in conversion processes are being tested by anonymity and the globalization of digital platforms. This paper aims to explore the legal and social implications of apostasy and religious conversions in the digital context, identifying new legislative challenges in an increasingly interconnected world.
RELIGIOUS CONVERSION IN THE INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION: A NEW TEST FOR NEGATIVE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?

Ferrari D. (Speaker)

Università del Piemonte Orientale ~ Alessandria Novara Vercelli ~ Italy
This paper introduces and investigates some transformations that the legal category 'freedom of religion or belief' (FoRB) has undergone at the international and European level. Towards that aim, particular emphasis will be given to the protection of negative religious freedom in the status of 'religious refugee'. In this connection, this analysis will start from: article 18 of the 1948 UDHR, devoted to the protection of negative religious freedom as an absolute freedom to have or change one religion or belief; 1951 Geneva Convention, it will first be provided religion as a valid criterion for accessing to refugee status. To slightly anticipate things, certain individuals might claim, for instance, to suffer persecution precisely because of their religious conversion. This approach, in turn, has led to a substantial re-definition of the protection of negative religious freedom for purposes of refugee law. Taken together, the criteria of 'religion', 'well-founded fear' and 'persecution' have in fact represented transformative elements in the protection of religious conversion as an absolute freedom. Indeed, if in the general context of FoRB no limitations to religious conversion are admitted by internationals and Europeans institutions, in the different context of asylum nationals institutions can verify sincerity of conversion as a reason of well-founded fear of persecution. This transformative trajectory of religious negative freedom constitutes the fulcrum to this study and will be explained in several steps. First, and on a methodological level, a 'vocabulary test' will be employed to highlight how religious negative freedom has progressively integrated the elements of 'well-founded fear' and 'persecution'. Based on this analysis, and second, this paper will move on to stressing the evolution of the protection of negative religious freedom from FoRB to international protection thanks to the analysis of the European and Nationals cases law.
THE LIMITS OF TESTAMENTARY FREEDOM: RELIGIOUS CONVERSION AND PRIVATE AUTONOMY

Hussen B. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Modena ~ Italy
Private autonomy encompasses both contractual autonomy—the ability to engage freely in contractual relationships—and a broader freedom to regulate all legal acts concerning one's juridical sphere. While testamentary dispositions are a significant expression of private autonomy, this freedom is not absolute. Conditions that undermine fundamental rights, such as the right to convert or adhere to a particular religion, are considered contrary to public order and human dignity. Art. 634 of the Italian Civil Code renders conditions impossible to fulfill or contrary to imperative norms, public order, or good morals as null and void. The "favor testamenti" principle ensures that such unlawful conditions are treated as non-existent unless they are the sole motivation for the disposition, in which case Article 626 applies, nullifying the entire provision. The interplay between private autonomy and constitutional values, particularly human dignity and freedom of religion, buttresses the illegality of conditions restricting religious conversion in testamentary dispositions. These conditions conflict with the broader instrumental role of private autonomy in safeguarding economic initiative and the free enjoyment of property (Articles 41 and 42 of the Constitution). Thus, any testamentary clause limiting an heir's freedom to convert or adhere to a religion contravenes not only public policy but also the constitutional guarantee of personal dignity and religious freedom, rendering such clauses unenforceable.
CHANGING RELIGION AND CHILDREN'S RIGHTS

Viani A. (Speaker)

Sapienza Università di Roma ~ Roma ~ Italy
The right to freedom of religion under supranational human rights instruments includes the freedom to change religion. According to Article 14 of the CRC, this fundamental right must also be guaranteed to children. Therefore, every child deserves the freedom to think freely and to embrace his or her beliefs, even changing them over time, but this freedom must be harmonized with the rights and duties of parents to provide guidance to the child in exercising his or her rights in a manner consistent with his or her developmental capacities. This opens the way to some debated issues. Indeed, there is no doubt that it is the child who exercises freedom of religion, not the parent, as well as the fact that as the child's abilities evolve, the parents' role of providing guidance diminishes and the child obtains an increasingly active role in making his or her own choices. However, decisions about children's religion are usually made by their parents at birth or at an early age, based on their own religious affiliation, and as they grow up, the educational role and influence of parents often constitute an obstacle to the effective exercise of children's right to freely choose their own religion, or to change the one imposed by the family. How can respect for parents' religious beliefs be balanced with the exercise of the child's right to religious self-determination? What happens when this right conflicts with the parents' educational project? Through the analysis of some practical issues that might lead children to want to abandon or change their religion before the age of consent, such as freedom of marriage (especially with reference to the question of forced marriages), health treatments, sexual activity, forced display of religious symbols and clothing, etc., the paper aims to try to answer these questions, highlighting the difficulties in the exercise of children's right to change religion and the possible consequences of this will in the family context.

Panel description: This panel aims to continue the research previously presented at the EuARe Conference 2023. In the current context, the theme of "sacred ecologies" will be prominently explored through the lens of practical solutions envisioned or implemented by religions, particularly those within the Abrahamic tradition, but not limited to them. The underlying principle for these actions is the imperative to safeguard and protect the Earth and its biodiversity, for the sake of future generations, recognising it as the common home of all humankind. This intent is emphasised by various precepts and rules, enshrined in the sacred texts and their authoritative sources. The objective of this research is to examine the active engagement of religions in promoting social and cultural change related to environmental sustainability. The analysis will prioritise actions and initiatives, implemented at both national and local levels, which embody concrete and virtuous practices. Activities and practices encompassing, for instance, the stewardship of religious cultural heritage, sacred spaces, and religious rituals, including pilgrimages and religious routes, as well as the public engagement of religions in the transition to sustainable energy, in accordance with the objectives outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were ratified by the UN General Assembly in 2015. Submissions are welcome from up to four junior and senior scholars in the fields of Law and Religion and any related disciplines.

Papers:

THE "LAUDATO SI' MOVEMENT". A MODEL OF CONCRETE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PAPAL MAGISTERIUM

Lapi C. (Speaker)

University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli ~ Caserta ~ Italy
After explaining the history of the birth of the Laudato Si' Movement, referring in particular to the publication of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' and the Paris climate agreement, this essay will focus on the mission and identity of the movement itself. Among the main objectives of the movement is ecological conversion, through the promotion of the principles contained in the encyclical Laudato Si' which has a global dimension. The Movement is made up, for the majority, of both lay people and ordained people who, through the instrument of dialogue, are at the service of others and institutions in pursuit of the objective of protecting creation, as a common home.
RELIGIOUS PATHWAYS BETWEEN LAW AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. THE ITALIAN CASE

Ivaldi M.C. (Speaker)

University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli ~ Caserta ~ Italy
This paper focuses on the approach of religions - especially the religions of the book - to the issue of respect for Creation and its preservation, to argue how certain religious practices may themselves constitute a threat to the environment and be a cause of pollution and consumption of resources. Among these practices, the major religious pilgrimages (jubilee pilgrimages, haji, tirtha yatra, etc.) certainly entail risks of environmental sustainability that need to be monitored and countered. Focusing only on the Catholic religion in the Italian scenario, this paper emphasises how minor pilgrimages, especially those linked to religious routes or paths of faith can be a practice to be encouraged.
RELIGIOUS CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ABANDONED SACRED PLACES: PROSPECTS FOR REUSE COMPATIBLE WITH A CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Tigano M. (Speaker)

University of Messina ~ Messina ~ Italy
The aim of this paper is to explore potential methods for repurposing derelict sacred spaces in a manner consistent with circular and sustainable economic principles, while respecting their historical context and initial function.
"TO BREATHE, TO BE". ENVIRONMENTAL ECUMENISM AND GREEN THEOLOGY IN BARTHOLOMEW I: PATHWAYS AND INITIATIVES"

Falivene P. (Speaker)

University of Ferrara ~ Ferrara ~ Italy
For decades, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been at the forefront of the global fight against the climate crisis and the preservation of Creation: since 1989, commitment to the natural world has been a key pillar of the Phanariot See's work. This contribution reflects on the efforts of "Green Patriarch" Bartholomew I and the complex of initiatives he has led - such as the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the Halki Summits and environmental ecumenism - highlighting the theological pathways behind the cosmic-Eucharistic vision of life and environment, a practical example of the "Liturgy after the liturgy".
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY IN MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE IN THE CONTEXT OF UNEP'S FAITH FOR EARTH 2023 INITIATIVE

Osnato S. (Speaker)

University of Ferrara ~ Ferrara ~ Italy
The paper presents a reflection on the dialogue between the Islamic and Christian faiths on the subjects of the environment and sustainability, highlighting the existence of common views which can provide an important impetus for global reflection on the ecological crisis and sustainable development. The study aims to underscore the significance of the discourse among faith leaders on this matter, which has been disseminated to other religious communities and has led to the establishment of a shared commitment within UNEP Faith for Earth initiative at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Dubai in 2023.
THE PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA: GOOD PRACTICES FOR AN ECO-FRIENDLY HAIJ

Bottoni R. (Speaker)

University of Trento ~ Trento ~ Italy
This paper aims at examining the good practices that in the past years have been recommended or even established in order to promote an approach that, while addressing the religious needs of the faithful who perform one of the five pillars of Islam, minimize the environmental impact and maximize sustainability. These practices take into account different aspects involved in the hajj, including the travel to Mecca, the consumption of food and drink, the management of waste, the use of clothes and textiles, and the issuance of guidelines directed respectively to each faithful, to the community and to governments and institutions. They revolve on the importance of providing information to help and make informed choices, and they highlight the importance of concepts, as khalifa (steward), amanah (trust) and mizan (balance).
A SUSTAINABLE WORLD. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN JEWISH TRADITION

Martinelli E. (Speaker)

University of Ferrara ~ Ferrara ~ Italy
The prevailing stance in Jewish orthodoxy is that environmental issues are extra-legal and not under the purview of Halakhah (Jewish law). While considered important, environmental protection falls only under midat haḥasidut (extraordinary piety). This has created a significant barrier to halakhically driven environmental decision-making. Indeed, a persistent problem can be identified within the discourse of Jewish law: namely, the paucity of scholars addressing that which is regarded by many as the most significant issue of our era, namely the environmental crisis and the suffering of our planet. The article claims that focusing strongly on a self-concerned environmentalism, where damaging the environment is seen as the same as harming oneself, can help Jewish legal discussion move closer to mainstream environmentalism.
TIMES OF CRISIS, TIMES OF CHANGE: IS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY EVEN POSSIBLE? AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATURAL CAPITAL FROM AGENDA 2030 TO THE DYNAMICS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Tamburini E. (Speaker)

University of Ferrara ~ Ferrara ~ Italy
In recent years, the global community has faced successive crises in a challenging socioeconomic context. While some crises were unavoidable, others resulted from specific policy decisions and the failure to urgently address climate emergencies. In the summer of 2024, global temperatures reached unprecedented levels, causing extreme weather events like heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and storms, particularly impacting economically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. These events highlighted deficiencies in social protection and service delivery, worsening existing inequalities and further marginalizing vulnerable populations. Although recovery occurred, it was fragile and unequal, as evidenced by the repeated ineffectiveness of recent Conferences of the Parties (COPs), which fail to establish concrete objectives and actionable plans. Agenda 2030 has raised awareness of environmental, social, and economic emergencies and provided a framework, but it faces criticism for being "too boring" to capture public interest, "too vague" for practical guidance, and "too delayed" to address global challenges adequately. Thus, environmental and global sustainability issues remain unresolved. Environmental sustainability involves conserving natural resources and protecting ecosystems to support health and wellbeing now and in the future. Transdisciplinary and multi-sectoral collaboration in science, policy, and society, summarized in the one health approach, is essential. However, human activities are both the cause of environmental degradation and subject to climate crisis impacts, with spatial heterogeneity adding complexity. The primary contributors to the climate crisis do not necessarily face its most severe consequences, and much of the global population aspires to a level of wellbeing incompatible with the planet's resources. These aspects, focusing on the environmental pillar, will be discussed in depth.

Panel description: This open panel is the result of a collaboration between the Foundation for Religious Sciences (FSCIRE, Bologna), the Jean Monnet research project "Freedom of Religion and Right to Information - FreeBeRI" (Link Campus University, Rome), and the research project "Towards a History of Italian Antisemitism (1870-2022): Rhetorics, Narratives, Conspiracies" (PRIN 2022 PNRR, Ca' Foscari University of Venice). The central theme on which the convenors invite paper proposals focuses on the emergence, development, and dissemination of conspiracist discursive practices within various religious traditions. Particularly welcome are proposals that explore conspiracy theories as: - forms of hate speech in antisemitic and racist propaganda in contemporary era; - conspiracist interpretations of power relations in colonial and post-colonial contexts; - conspiracy theories and historiographical interpretations; - European and American right-wings, religious cultures and identities; - the legacies of Vatican II: anti-Conciliarism and traditionalist cultures in recent times.

Papers:

MISSIONARIES, VAMPIRES, WITCHES: CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND SPIRITUAL ACTIONS IN THE COLONIAL SITUATION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Cristofori S. (Speaker)

Link Campus University - FSCIRE ~ Rome ~ Italy
Historians and anthropologists have extensively documented and variously interpreted discursive practices which, in the variety of colonial situations in Sub-Saharan Africa, mobilized the spiritual forces of both "traditional" religious forms and Christianity to make sense of the balance of power during the colonial era. Many of these discursive practices have been interpreted as conspiracy theories. This paper does not aim to provide an exotic overview of such conspiratorial discourses but rather to trace the main paradigms that have been used over time in African studies to interpret them. The objective is to highlight heuristic strengths and limitations of these paradigms and to show, through them, the mutual influences and exchanges between African studies and the historiography of religion in Europe and North America.
JESUITS, PROTESTANTS, AND THE US GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY DURING THE YEARS OF "LA VIOLENCIA" IN COLOMBIA (1948-1958)

Ferracci L. (Speaker)

University of Modena Reggio Emilia - FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy
In Colombia, in 1948, a coup crushed the challenge made to the traditional political order by the progressive liberal Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. Among those who paid the highest price for the season of violence and instability that lasted until 1958 were the many Protestants in the country, on whom the accusation of conspiring with the old liberal party and foreign democracies fell without distinction. Colombian Catholicism had a role in providing religious justification for the government's persecution. In fact, the Catholic episcopate was convinced that Protestant proselytism, which was stronger and more widespread than elsewhere, represented a threat to the revival of Catholicism after a long period of marginalization and conflict with the political powers during the years of liberalism (1930-1946). This paper focuses on the fierce defamation campaign against foreign missionaries launched especially by Jesuits during the so-called decade of La Violencia.
ANTI-CONCILIAR CULTURES BETWEEN RADICALIZATION AND THE QUEST FOR IDENTITY IN POSTMODERN SOCIETY

Mazzini E. (Speaker)

University of Ca' Foscari ~ Venice ~ Italy
The paper will examine the main manifestations of the anti-conciliar movement in the Catholic Church, analyzing its origin and evolution from the Second Vatican Council (1965) to the present time. Since their inception, these movements have been characterized by a complex dynamism, oscillating between ideological radicalization and a persistent need for identity definition. This need is rooted in opposition to the drives of secularization, which, in their view, led to the 'degeneration' promoted by the Second Vatican Council, particularly in its documents on liturgical reform, relations with non-Christian religions and with contemporary society, as well as in its pastoral activities. The paper will attempt to analyze these manifestations in specific historical and geographical contexts, exploring two main axes: on the one hand, ideological radicalization and the exclusive assertion of a paradigm of truth; on the other, the identity function of such movements, which offer their adherents a sense of belonging and stability in a post-modern context marked by uncertainty and continuous transformation.
FROM VATICAN II TO TRUMP'S USA: RACIST DISCOURSE IN THE ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE CATHOLIC NARRATIVE

Proietti M. (Speaker)

University of Modena Reggio Emilia - FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy
The evolution of racist discourse within ultra-conservative or "traditionalist" Catholic narratives is traced from the resistance to Vatican II to the Donald Trump's United States. The analysis explores how theological conservatism has been intertwined with racial ideologies, fostering exclusionary rhetoric. Key texts and speeches reveal a racist subtext, alongside attempts to use theological doctrines to resist social progress. This paper highlights therefore the alignment of Catholic traditionalists with nationalist and anti-immigrant agendas, emphasizing their role in shaping political movements. This perspective sheds light on the broader impact of faith-based conservatism in perpetuating systemic inequality.

Panel description: The two terms, esotericism and occult sciences, have in common the idea of a secret knowledge, reserved for initiates, which may refer to philosophical-religious doctrines or to practices and rituals that are usually not well accepted by the set of rules and norms that dominate a society at a given time (the so-called orthodoxy). The contents and the aims of such knowledge may be very different from each other, but, in some cases, they overlap and can be found in movements or authors of diverse backgrounds. Interest in these topics has accompanied the history of Islamic thought from the very beginning, and has transversally involved many disciplines: Qur'anic exegesis, Islamic law, theology, philosophy, history and mysticism. With this panel, we would like to provide some examples of the breadth of this literature, which has provoked lively debates and interesting reflections among the greatest Muslim scholars of the first centuries of Islam. Papers will range from the work attributed to the Brethren of the Purity, theal- Risāla al-Jāmiʿa, on the 'secret science' (Baffioni), to the Qur'anic commentary on the so-called 'Protective' Suras (nos. 113-114) by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (Budelli), oracles and divinations in the work of Ibn Ẓafar al-Ṣiqillī (Cargnelutti), the esoteric aspect of the work of the great Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyutī (Cuciniello), the treatises on alchemy and magic attributed to Avicenna (Panzeca), the esoteric interpretation of the isolated letters of the Qur'an in Abū al-Qāsim Qušayrī's commentary (Schimmenti), the accusations of magic levelled at the Prophet Muḥammad in the light of the work of al-Ḥaddād (Ghasemi).

Papers:

"MASTERS, PUPILS, AND ESOTERICISM IN THE AL-RISĀLA AL-JĀMIʿA"

Baffioni C. (Speaker)

The Institute of Ismaili Studies ~ London ~ United Kingdom
The paper will examine the 'secret knowledge' as is presented in the al-Risala al-Jāmiʿa, the so-called 'crown' (i.e., an esoteric explanation) of the epistles of the Brethren of Purity (al-Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ). While the Ismaili commitment of the Brethren is not unanimously accepted, scholars generally agree in recognising the Jāmiʿa as Ismaili. The doctrinal content of this work is reserved for initiates of a higher level with respect to those approaching the encyclopaedia. It mainly refers to philosophical-religious doctrines, but also to religious practices: the relationship with Epistle 50 of the Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ is significant with this regard. Whether or not they are the authors of the encyclopedia themselves, or related to them, the author(s) of the Jāmiʿa — just like the Brethren of Purity — appear to be an 'ideological minority', characterised by a philosophical approach of extra-Islamic origin, and an esoteric interpretation of the Holy Book that marks their diversity with respect to the so-called orthodoxy. It will be examined how ancient doctrines of Greek origin are elaborated in the light of the Islamic religion and interpreted as stemming from an esoteric interpretation of the Holy Book. This will provide an additional opportunity for comparisons with the reworking and use of ancient doctrines in the encyclopedia of the Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ.
"THE COMMENTARY ON THE PROTECTIVE SURAS (AL-MU'AWWIḎATĀNI) BY IBN QAYYIM AL-JAWZIYYA (D. 1350)"

Budelli R. (Speaker)

Fscire ~ Palermo ~ Italy
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya's commentary on the last two Suras of the Qur'an is found in the central part of his work entitled Badā'i' al-Fawā'id. Those chapters were, however, published separately under the significant title of 'Išrūna sabab-an li-daf' al-siḥr, al-ḥasad, al-'ayn wa-al-taḥarruz min al-Šayṭān min hilāl tafsīr sūratay al- mu'awwiḏatayn li-l-imām Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (Twenty Ways to Repel Magic, Envy, the Evil Eye and Satan's Assault through Commentary on the Two Protecting Suras by Ibn Qayyim al- Jawziyya). The healing and apotropaic use of these two Suras is justified in certain ḥadīts attributed to the Prophet that Ibn Qayyim mentions at the beginning of his discussion. Muhammad, who at first resorted to other, unspecified rituals, is said to have started using Surahs 113 and 114 to cure his illness as soon as they were revealed to him by God. In the light of the ḥadīts, the Ḥanbalite scholar invites to use the Protective Suras and other verses as invocations against deceases and the evil. In this paper, I attempt to examine the author's attitude towards magic, on the basis of his theological and spiritual vision and references in his other works.
"DIVINATIONS AND ORACLES IN THE WORK OF IBN ẒAFAR AL-ṢIQILLĪ (1104-1170 CA.)"

Cargnelutti F. (Speaker)

Fscire ~ Palermo ~ Italy
A so far neglected topic of the few academic works on divination in pre-modern Islam is the use and role of anecdotes related to different divinatory practices and experiences in the Islamic literature of the classical period. The aim of this paper is to contribute to fill this void by focusing on Muslim scholars' use of these reports in works regarding the Prophet Muḥammad and, particularly, the dalāʾil al-nubūwa (proofs of prophecy), defined as the literature aiming at proving the prophetic nature of Muḥammad. Recent academic literature has paved the way for such an inquiry. Aḥmad bin Muḥammad Fakīr has identified many works of dalāʾil al-nubūwa and Mareike Koertner has provided one of the first analysis of its genealogy and content in the early centuries of Islam, highlighting as one of its frequent topics the predictions of soothsayers, astronomers, animals, ǧinn and members of Jewish tribes. Building on these works, this paper provides an analysis of H̱ayr al-Bišar bi-H̱ayr al-Bašar (The best of announcements on the best of men) of the Sicilian-born Maliki Ashari scholar Ibn Ẓafar al-Ṣiqillī (1104-1170 ca.). This is structured in four sections: the first one is devoted to announcements of Muḥammad's prophetic mission in different texts of the Jewish and Christian traditions; the second focuses on predictions received or announced by members of different Jewish tribes (ḥabr, pl. aḥbār) before or after the beginning of the Islamic prophecy; the third presents anecdotes regarding soothsayers (kāhin, pl. kuhhān); the fourth part reports anecdotes involving ǧinn.
"JALĀL AL-DĪN AL-SUYŪṬĪ THE ESOTERICIST"

Cuciniello A. (Chair)

Univerisity of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī (d. 911/1505), as a religious scholar of the Egyptian Mamluk era, was one of the most prolific author in all of Islamic literature. In fact, although the number of his works is not shared by all - estimates range from 550 to 981 - his bibliography covers jurisprudence, theology, linguistic arts, history, sufism, geography, cosmology and so on. Al-Suyūṭī's conviction that theological knowledge was falling into oblivion, along with his assumed intellectual superiority, led him to make an audacious statement, namely, that God had chosen him to be the ninth mujaddid of the Islamic faith. He is said to have seen the Prophet while awake more than seventy times, and in one of these visions, Muhammad bestowed on him the honorific appellation of Shaykh al-Sunna ("Doctor of the Prophetic Way"). In this perspective, on the importance that al-Suyūṭī attributed to the complementarity between the esoteric and exoteric aspects of the Prophet, he wrote specifically al- Bāhir fī ḥukm al-nabī bi-l-bāṭin wa-l-ẓāhir ("The Brilliance of the Prophet's Judgment on Exoteric and Esoteric Matters"). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide a snapshot of the esoteric elements in the work of this polymath.
"THE ACCUSATION OF SORCERY AGAINST MUḤAMMAD (PBUH) IN EARLY ISLAM: REFLECTIONS ON PROPHETIC AUTHORITY AND OCCULT SCIENCES IN KITĀB 'UYŪN AL-MAJĀLIS"

Ghasemi E. (Speaker)

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia ~ Modena ~ Italy
Accusations of sorcery against Muḥammad (PBUH) in early Islam represent a pivotal intersection between societal perceptions of prophetic authority and esoteric practices. These claims, rooted in pre-Islamic Arabian thought, were frequently employed by opponents of Islam to delegitimize Muḥammad's message by framing his miracles and revelations as acts of magic. This paper explores how these accusations are addressed in Kitāb 'Uyūn al-Majālis, a 4th-century manuscript by al-Ḥaddādī al-Bukhārī, offering a unique perspective on the interplay between prophecy, occult sciences, and societal reactions. The study examines the historical and cultural contexts within which such accusations arose, with a specific focus on how al-Ḥaddādī interprets these claims within a broader theological framework. By comparing this narrative to other contemporary works from Greater Khorasan, including al-Balkhī's Kitāb al-Badʾ wa al-Tārīkh, this research highlights regional intellectual trends concerning the boundaries between the divine and the esoteric. Furthermore, it investigates the underlying power dynamics, exploring how accusations of sorcery functioned as tools of opposition and as reflections of societal anxieties about the transformative nature of Muḥammad's message. This analysis aims to deepen our understanding of early Islamic discourse on prophecy, occult sciences, and the construction of religious authority. Through its focus on 'Uyūn al-Majālis, the paper contributes to a nuanced appreciation of the intersections between early Islamic theology and cultural resistance to the prophetic message.
"AVICENNA'S PSEUDEPIGRAPHIC WORKS ON THE OCCULT SCIENCES IN PERSIANATE CONTEXT"

Panzeca I. (Speaker)

University of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy
This paper will examine the Persian manuscript tradition of some pseudepigraphic works, concerning magic, alchemy and prophecy, originally written in Arabic and attributed to Avicenna. The authenticity of these treatises has been denied by several scholars and, although they are mostly considered spurious, they nevertheless remain important testimonia for the history of the transmission of the texts. This corpus into Persian is also valuable source for the reception of Avicenna's thought and for the perception of it over the centuries.
"IN THE SIRR (SECRET-CORE) OF THE LETTERS: THE SPIRITUAL INTERPRETATION OF THE QURʾĀN'S ISOLATED LETTERS IN THE LAṬĀʾIF AL-IŠĀRĀT (THE SUBTLE ALLUSIONS) OF ABŪ L-QĀSIM AL-QUŠAYRĪ.

Schimmenti R. (Speaker)

University of Modena Reggio Emilia ~ Palermo ~ Italy
The knowledge pertaining to the interpretation of Arabic letters constitutes an esoteric science of Islam. Over the centuries, it has permeated various domains of Islamic thought, from magical-divinatory practices to philosophical and cosmological reflections, as well as mystical insights within Sufism. The topic has piqued the interest of exegetes, constituting one of the first forms of the interpretation of isolated letters. In Sufi tafsir, the commentary of those letters is characterized by a spiritual dimension that remain largely unexplored. The Laṭāʾif al-Išārāt by Abū l-Qāsim al-Qušayrī, composed in Nishapur in 437 AH, is among the earliest examples of Sufi tafsir. In his commentary on the letters, the author draws upon key interpretations from earlier exegetes, enriching them with allusions to spiritual stations and practices of inner purification. al-Qušayrī's analysis reveals that these letters convey a multiplicity of meanings, but attaining their spiritual understanding requires a path of purification and the unveiling of divine subtleties within the sirr (innermost self) of the disciple.

Panel description: In this Author Meets Critics panel, Daniela Lucia Rapisarda will present her book "Theology on the Border. The Mediterranean, Minority identity and Migration" (Routledge 2025) and discuss the book with Michael Nausner and Luca Ghiretti. Focusing on the Mediterranean, this book offers a theological hermeneutics from the perspective of the margin/border and a theological hermeneutics of the border. At the core is a case study of the Italian Protestant minority and its engagement with issues of migration. While much of current migration theology is built around the principle of sacralization of the migrant person or 'vertical' association between divinity (God or Jesus) and people on the move, this work offers a 'horizontal' perspective on humanization or recognition of the value of every human being, based on the principle of a shared humanity created in God's image, and a sense of identification, first by people at the margins. This approach seeks to avoid essentializing migrantness and victimhood. Elaborations on the relation between identity and migration are often sustained by exclusionary logics that lead to repressive policies. The book proposes a contextual theological reflection on minority identity that is at its core inclusive. It offers a contribution to theology beyond confessional borders and is open to dialogue with other disciplines, particularly critical border studies.

Papers:

Panel description: This panel will focus on Christian and Muslim understandings of 'transformation' through the use of the hermeneutical technique of Scriptural Reasoning (SR). Originating in the early 1990s US interfaith context, the SR is an empirically-tested practice that promotes a reparative reading of scriptures. The panel will include Christian and Muslim theologians and experts who will read, comment and discuss a range of texts from the Bible and the Qur'an, relevant to the theme of 'transformation', be it individual or societal. What is meant by transformation? What are the motivations and resources for transforming human life? How do Christian and Muslim scriptural traditions claim and aim to transform humanity? These and similar questions will be discussed by deploying the method of SR. Each scriptural passage will be briefly introduced by reflecting on the historical context, language, and ways of interpretation. This will be followed by a thorough discussion around the text and its meaning for today's readers, be they Muslim or Christian. This is an occasion of sharing one's own scriptural texts with others, as well as an opportunity to feel welcome to comment on the scriptures of another tradition. Being practiced worldwide in academia (in the form of scholarly activities such as university seminars, workshops, courses, etc.), and beyond (as a public outreach activity in parishes, prisons, schools, etc.), the SR has the capacity to transform the way we 'do' theology in today's globalised world.

Papers:

ISLAMIC SCRIPTURAL TEXTS ON INDIVIDUAL TRANSFORMATION

Demiri L. (Speaker)

University of Tuebingen ~ Tuebingen ~ Germany
This paper will reflect on a selection of Islamic scriptural texts dealing with the theme of 'individual transformation' through the use of the hermeneutical technique of Scriptural Reasoning (SR).
CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURAL TEXTS ON INDIVIDUAL TRANSFORMATION

Moyaert M. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
This paper will reflect on a selection of Christian scriptural texts dealing with the theme of 'individual transformation' through the use of the hermeneutical technique of Scriptural Reasoning (SR).
CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURAL TEXTS ON SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION

Pittl S. (Speaker)

University of Tuebingen ~ Tuebingen ~ Germany
This paper will reflect on a selection of Christian scriptural texts dealing with the theme of 'societal transformation' through the use of the hermeneutical technique of Scriptural Reasoning (SR).
ISLAMIC SCRIPTURAL TEXTS ON SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION

Gallien C. (Speaker)

Cambridge Muslim College & Divinity Faculty, Cambridge University ~ Cambridge ~ United Kingdom
This paper will reflect on a selection of Islamic scriptural texts dealing with the theme of 'societal transformation' through the use of the hermeneutical technique of Scriptural Reasoning (SR).

Panel description: Since Auguste Comte's epistemological positivism, which presupposed the study of observable facts, the immaterial has mainly been grasped by philosophers, theologians and the so-called "pseudo-sciences". Yet Max Weber's seminal work underlines the importance of studying the religious as ethos and lifestyle, and its influence on the practices of those involved (Weber, 1920). Other forms of the immaterial such as optimism (Luca, 2016, 2018), ethics (De Courcelles, 2008, 2014), emotions (Flam, 2002) or curiosity (Gottlieb, 2018-2023) also play a role. What about faith and intuition? Stemming from the Latin intuitio and intuitus, intuition is defined as "a direct and immediate knowledge of a truth which presents itself to the mind with the clarity of evidence" whether conscious or unconscious, or the result of reasoning (Pierce, 1978). Interviewed persons identify it as "divine guidance", a "6th sense" or "evidence". Can intuition be compared with the concept of "Revelation" in monotheistic or animistic religions? From the point of view of sciences and from religious texts, what distinctions are made between the notions of "intuition" and "revelation" ? Is "intuition" a secular side of "divine revelation"? If intuition appears as "self-evident truth", doesn't it share with faith the strength of conviction? The panel "Faith, revelation and intuition in social sciences perspective" explores the immaterial universe of these notions from a humanities and social sciences perspective. How can we analyze and interpret these human experiences and their traces in ancient texts? What are the nature, mechanisms and social implications of these notions? And finally, what are the similarities and differences between these four notions? An abstract (2500 words max, including brief bibliography) with a title, the name and the affiliation of the contributors can be send to : afsr.association@gmail.com

Papers:

"REVELATION AND INTUITION IN SELECTED MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIAN TEXTS"

Kammarti B. (Speaker)

research fellow Cespra EHESS ~ Paris ~ France
From an approach of a history of ideas, this paper will present textual work around the notions of revelation and intuition, as modes of acquiring knowledge/truth reputed to be "irrational". It proposes to study the way in which these notions are signified in medieval and modern scholarly and religious texts, from a comparative perspective in the Muslim and Christian worlds. This paper is based on the observation of how these notions are formulated, interpreted and explained in the texts of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) (980 - 1037), Al Ghazali (1058 - 1111), Thomas Aquinas (1224 - 1274) and Calvin (1509 - 1564). In particular will be presented, the notion of ishrāq, illumination and the notion of intellective intuition developed by the philosopher Ibn Sina. The notion of dhawq, "spiritual taste", as opposed to kalâm and the transmission of knowledge by word and teaching in Al Ghâzali. Thomas Aquinas's notion of faith and revelation as modes of truth and knowledge that are distinct from, but not incompatible with, reason, and Calvin's distinction between intuitive and abstract knowledge. These interpretations will be discussed alongside the notion of revelation and prophecy as modes of knowledge and transmission of truth in the New Testament and the Koran. The aim of this study is to understand the different meanings and interpretations of these notions by these authors, to observe cultural transfers and the way they are mobilized in medieval, modern and contemporary times. Is there a hermeneutical continuum between the different interpretations, or are the explanations circumstantial and subject to the context of enunciation and the author's cosmovision, i.e., representation of the world (Berger, 1967)? This study enables us to grasp the meanings, convergences and distinctions established between these authors, and to appreciate the hermeneutical continuities and ruptures, as well as the contemporary prints of the different knowledges built up around this notion.
"WHAT THE CONCEPTS OF HABITUS AND HABITUDE CAN TEACH US ON INTUITION AND REVELATION?"

Aréâs C. (Speaker)

maîtresse de conférence, Université de la Réunion ~ Saint Denis ~ France
Intuition is defined by the dictionary as "direct, immediate knowledge of the truth, without recourse to reasoning or experience" and by the CNRTL's as "direct and immediate knowledge of a truth that presents itself to the mind with the clarity of evidence". Definitions that come close to the notion of revelation in the three monotheistic religions. An ethnographic fieldwork with professionals and entrepreneurs shows that intuition is often referred by interviewees to a "guidance", an "evidence", "self-evident truth" or even an "instinct". But while religious interviewees identify it as "divine guidance", atheists and agnostics prefer to associate it with feelings and a "6th sense". We might ask whether what some people call "intuition" is a faculty of the mind that perceives information and subtly acts on the decisions and orientations of those involved (perception), or a cognitive knowledge acquired during socialization and personal experiences, which is triggered by stimuli (memory)? Are ideas and professional opportunities unpredictable, or are they the fruit of a multifactorial conjuncture that has made them foreseeable and possible? Like Christian Morel's (2002) absurd decisions, is intuition ultimately a cognitive bricolage? Does it act, like a habitus, as a "structured structure predisposed to function as a structuring structure" (Bourdieu, 1980: 88) on individual behavior? In Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic theory, the question of "habitude" plays a central role in all forms of knowledge, even the most immediate or direct (Pierce, 1978). He argues that all knowledge, including that which seems intuitive, is in fact the result of inferential processes, whether conscious or unconscious. In other words, Peirce did not believe that the human mind could have direct or immediate access to truths without reasoning (Pierce, 1978, Deledalle, 1979). So how does the notion of intuition differ from the notion of revelation?

Panel description: Serving as religious, social and business hubs by merging spiritual, economic, and cultural influence, catholic monasteries had and have profoundly impacted european rural areas, although their role has evolved significantly from the Middle Ages to the present. As rural populations gained economic and social independence through manifold changes from feudal to more individualistic social societies, the secularization of many states and the decline of monastic economic dominance have further transformed the role of monasteries. Adapting and shifting from their position in a feudal society to becoming centers of community support and cultural preservation, monasteries often focus on heritage conservation, tourism, and spiritual retreats, while continuing to serve as symbols of cultural identity, often due to architecturally significant buildings, libraries and scriptoria, but also preserving or extending to services such as education, healthcare, and almsgiving. Possible fields to explore: Did and/or do monasteries balance spiritual and economic roles in a rural society? Do their legacies shape and/or contribute to rural identities today? What role do monasteries play in contemporary rural development and how have modern social changes affected their relevance in rural life?

Papers:

FROM MONASTIC WILDERNESS TO RURAL HEARTLANDS: PRESERVING SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL LEGACIES

Mandelkow K. (Speaker)

Ateneo Sant'Anselmo ~ Rome ~ Italy
tbd
GUARDIANS OF FAITH, CULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY: THE ROLE OF CATHOLIC MONASTERIES THROUGH THE AGES

Prinesdom P. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
tbd

Panel description: The panel will build on two books recently published by the 'Love in Religion' interfaith project at Regent's Park College, University of Oxford., arising from international conferences. 'Loving the Planet' (2023) develops an eco-theology based on love of God and neighbour, with contributions from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim essayists. 'One Earth, One Love' (2024) contains essays on eco-theology written by contributors from the Orthodox and Baptist communions of faith. The panelists, all of whom have contributed to one or other book, will develop a theological approach to the environment which takes seriously the place of love in dealing with the emergencies of climate change, species extinction and the destruction of environmental resources. Issues to be covered include: the compatibility of the idea of a loving God with a creation which involves suffering and struggle; the motivation provided by love for engagement in resisting climate change; the place of love in relations between non-human members of the created order; the reciprocity of love in relationships between human beings and the rest of the natural world, and the centrality of love in divine activity in the world and purpose for creation. A new sub-discipline is thus proposed: an eco-love-theology. The four panel speakers are Dr Peter Petkoff, Dr Tareq Moqbel and Prof Paul Fiddes, all from Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, and Dr Jenny Howell from Baylor University, Texas.

Papers:

OUTLINES OF AN ECO-LOVE-THEOLOGY

Fiddes P. (Speaker)

Regent's Park College, University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
The paper will offer a proposal for a new sub-discipline of eco-theology, exploring the place of love in the relation between God and creation, between human beings and their environment, and between inhabitants of the whole natural world. In particular it will argue for reciprocity as an essential aspect of love in relationships between God, human beings, and every natural entity. Based on the image of the divine Trinity as a symbol for a reciprocity of love in God that eternally makes room in itself for created beings, it is argued that created intersubjective relations are held and nurtured in networks of relations in God. God in creating makes space in God's own being for everything to exist between the interweaving and dynamic relations of love that are God. The capacity of every entity for response to God and other entities means that failure to respond, with a consequent drift from the good, can account for excessive and gratuitous suffering in creation. Correspondingly, love can make a difference to the ecological crisis. A human loving of the world increases sensitivity to the needs of the world, and provides a motivation for welfare towards the earth. Loving a planet that exists in a 'network' or 'meshwork' of reciprocity will also have unseen impacts on the whole. Self-conscious loving will create a new community consciousness, and when divine love is understood as the 'energy' in the world, loving the earth will give that energy new opportunities to create a flourishing of life. The paper urges that every act of love is a personalization and instantiation of divine love, drawing the creative God deeper into the world.
ISLAMIC FINANCE, LOVE OF GOD AND A GREEN ECONOMY

Moqbel T. (Speaker)

Regent's Park College, University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
This paper builds on a chapter by the speaker in the recent book 'Loving the Planet' (ed. Paul S. Fiddes, 2023), examining the Islamic financial industry through the lens of the Love of God. It argues that the notion of love lies at the core of the Islamic financial theory and that it, consequently, has bearings on the practical applications of the industry. The foundation for this discussion, it is urged, lies in a reading of the Holy Qur'an through the hermeneutical tool of love of God and neighbour. The paper then connects love in Islamic finance with the 'Green Economy', suggesting that an authentic vision for Islamic finance is one which aims at establishing a green economy founded upon the love of God.
TOWARDS A PRIESTLY ECOLOGY IN LOVING THE PLANET

Howell J. (Speaker)

Baylor University ~ Waco ~ United States of America
This paper will expand more deeply an approach to understanding the complex connections between humans and the environment that I made in my chapter of 'One Earth, One Love' (ed. Paul S. Fiddes, 2025). The social and environmental issues we face are not separate crises, but one complex crisis with both social and environmental dimensions. Our role and response to these challenges could be framed through a re-examination of the theological account of imago Dei—what it means for humankind to affirm its blessing of being made in the image of God. Specifically, in this paper, I will deepen my exploration of the claim that an ecological and priestly account of imago Dei entails an understanding of the human logos as the unique creativity of the human being to bring about healing and generative work. Located within the framework of incarnational love, I will expand my account of creativity in this context as the capacity to knit together varying elements, materials, and forms of creaturely life into multifaceted, dynamic relationship. Drawing from my research in community efforts to bring about ecological healing, I will more fully make the case that priestly work, in ecological terms, is beautiful and leads to a sum larger than its parts.
ECO-THEOLOGY, NEIGHBOUR-LOVE, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Petkoff P. (Speaker)

Regent's Park College, University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
This paper builds on a chapter by the speaker in the recent book 'One Earth, One Love' (ed. Paul S. Fiddes, 2025). It draws on the work of the G20 Faith Group in viewing the goals of sustainable development from a variety of religious perspectives. From this base, the paper aims to shape a 'grammar' of engagement of religion in the area of development, taking account of the language and practice of neighbour-love. While the resources for this venture include distinctive themes of Orthodox theology, wider Christian and other traditions are also employed.

Panel description: Two millennia after Christ, seventeen centuries after the Council of Nicaea, a millennium following the Gregorian Reform, and sixty-five years since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church continues to explore its identity as a truly global community. With Europe's long-standing dominance waning and after centuries of centralization, the Church faces numerous internal and external challenges, ranging from sexual abuse and financial scandals to the shifting demographics of the global Catholic population and the imperative to address colonial legacies. Pope Francis has proposed sweeping reforms emphasizing synodality, pastoral sensitivity, and renewed approaches to canon law and doctrine. All this poses multiple questions. What sort of reforms will address the complex challenges of the third millennium? How might they meet the needs of local Catholic communities in their profound diversity and the tension between unity and uniformity? How can they bridge divides exacerbated by polarization? From Catholic constitutionalism to the polyhedron church, from questions of epistemic justice to recognizing spaces for divergent views and dissent from authoritative decisions, this panel examines challenges of current approaches to ecclesiology, canon law, ethics, and many others as a starting point for re-imagining how Global Catholicism might emerge over forthcoming centuries. In other words, we seek to open a conversation on ecclesial order(s) in the third millennium.

Papers:

EVALUATING FRANCIS'S GLOBAL TURN

Ott T. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
In 2010, Lisa Cahill noted the "global reorientation" that occurred in Benedict XVI's thought with the promulgation of his final social encyclical, Caritas in Veritate. She argues that while, generally, "Benedict's theology, centered on a relation to God in Christ, aims to bolster the countercultural voice of the Catholic Church against modernizing trends in European culture," CV "is a concrete response to global poverty and violence." Taking Cahill's assessment as a starting point, this paper argues that CV was only the beginning of a much more widespread global turn that would continue with the election of the first pope from Latin America and his own particular attention to the Global South throughout his papacy thus far. ​Through encyclicals, homilies, interviews, travel, and synods, Francis has modeled a global ecclesiology that is unique from the papal seat and necessary for the third millennium. For instance, the Amazon Synod in 2019 demonstrated Francis's openness to non-Eurocentric versions of Catholicism and responsiveness to particular needs of historically marginalized communities. He has also shown particular concern for migrants and refugees, pushed from their homes by global forces, and been the first pope to visit many locations around the world. However, Francis's global image is not perfect, particularly because of his lack of attention to the global voices of women, nor is he the originator of a global ecclesial vision. Part of his global concern, for instance, is the "ideological colonization" of historically oppressed countries, which stems from a concern for maintaining the cultures in those countries but also from a misunderstanding of critical gender theory. This paper will also therefore critique where Francis's global ecclesiology falls short of being truly globally inclusive by turning to the history of ecclesial base communities, feminist theologies of the subaltern, and decolonial theologies.
FROM COERCION TO CONSENT: REALIGNING CANON 1395 § 3 CIC/83

Albracht M. (Speaker)

Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
This paper examines the divergence between secular legal systems' transition from coercion-based to consent-based definitions of sexual assault and the current provisions of Canon 1395 § 3 CIC/83. The canon, addressing sexual abuse of persons of full age, penalizes clerics who commit such acts through violence, threats, or abuse of authority. While this approach focuses on coercive circumstances, it overlooks the centrality of consent as a safeguard of personal autonomy. The paper argues for the necessity of adapting Canon 1395 § 3 to incorporate a consent-based framework, ensuring that canonical law aligns with evolving standards of justice, the protection of human dignity and sexual self-determination.

Panel description: This panel explores the landscape of Islamic theology in West Africa, focusing on the intellectual debates and developments that have shaped the region's theological traditions. Taking a wide definition of theology, ranging from rational to experiential modes, this panel examines the parameters and debates within West African Islamic thought. It offers a valuable focal point for understanding how West African Muslim communities engaged with, contributed to, and were shaped by transregional religious discourse. Islam in West Africa has often been associated with its early adoption by elite trading networks and rulers. Their support facilitated the religion's establishment in urban centres and intellectual hubs through peaceful diffusion, trade, and the integration of Muslim courtiers and clerics into pre-Muslim empires, rather than military conquest. While these elites laid the foundation for Islamic institutions, the integration of Islam into rural and non-elite communities often took longer to materialise. Despite this rich history, studies of Islam in West Africa have yet to provide a comprehensive picture of the engagement with, incorporation of, and production of theological works in the region. While clerics played critical roles in the halls of power, the foundations, sources, and adaptation of theological discourse to West African scholarly debates and social contexts remain under-explored aspects of the region's Islamic intellectual tradition. Key questions include: How has theological discourse responded to intellectual, political, and social challenges? How do Sufism and kalam intersect in shaping West African Islamic thought? What are the parameters of theological debates in West Africa? How have theological ideas shaped public life? This panel seeks to illuminate the competing and coinciding strains of theological explanation that have defined Islamic thought in the region.

Papers:

EMULATION FOR REALISATION: RECLAIMING ISLAMIC THEOLOGY THROUGH ASHʿARĪ-SUFI SYNTHESIS IN WEST AFRICA

Andrewsen Y.C. (Speaker)

University of Oxford, Pembroke College ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
Responding to what he perceived as a hyper-rationalistic approach to theology, al-Mukhtār al-Kuntī (d. 1811) sought to reclaim Ashʿarī authorities within a creedal framework rooted in Sufi epistemology, emphasising intuitive cognition for theological realisation (taḥqīq). Al-Mukhtār's synthesis of rational and Sufi epistemologies renegotiated theological knowledge and authority by transforming Ashʿarī figures from rationalists into exemplars of piety and emulation (taqlīd), positioning established Ashʿarī creed as an unquestioned foundation for experiential realisation. By addressing debates on theological excommunication (takfīr) and the relationship between rational and intuitive approaches to knowledge, this study situates al-Mukhtār's project within broader efforts in 18th- and 19th-century West Africa to reclaim and reinterpret the Islamic tradition. His theological interventions exemplify the dynamic negotiation of intellectual currents, where local needs and contexts reshaped transregional legacies. This paper highlights how al-Mukhtār contributed to the evolving synthesis of Ashʿarī and Sufi traditions, offering new insights into the continuity and reconfiguration of Islamic theology in West African thought.
THE SCIENCE OF SUPERSTITION: DEBATING SORCERY AND COSMOLOGY IN ISLAMIC WEST AFRICA

Marcus-Sells A. (Speaker)

Elon University ~ Elon, NC ~ United States of America
This is a tale of two stories tied together across a century of cosmological and epistemological change. The first of these stories takes place in the Western Sahara Desert of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, where two Sufi scholars, Muḥammad ibn al-Mukhtār al-Kuntī and ʿAbdallāh ibn al-Ḥājj Ibrahīm al-ʿAlawī, debated a category of Islamic knowledge alternatively called "the sciences of the unseen," or "sorcery." My analysis demonstrates that, even though these two scholars disagreed about the permissibility of engaging with the sciences of the unseen, they shared the same underlying cosmological and metaphysical assumptions about how these practices worked. My discussion then turns to a short, and previously unstudied, work entitled "Easing the Heart in Discussing Sorcery," by the renowned Senegalese Sufi, Musa Kamara, who lived at the turn of the twentieth century, during the French colonial occupation. This work heavily cites the earlier debate between Muḥammad al-Kuntī and ʿAbdallāh al-ʿAlawī, but often strips the debate over sorcery of its cosmological foundations, resulting in a list of practices that the French would call "superstitious magic." While abundant scholarship has traced the development of the idea of "religion" from the Roman religiones until today, the development of "superstition" has received scant attention. The two stories examined in this paper provide a lens into the colonial-era cosmological transformations that turn true knowledge and effective practice into an assortment of irrational legends and habits.

Panel description: This panel aims to examine the dynamics that have characterized Jewish-Christian relations throughout history by both historical and theological perspective. It will focus on pivotal moments that have shaped these relations, highlighting the factors that have either encouraged and strengthened or, conversely, hindered them.

Papers:

JUDAIC ATTITUDE TO NON-JEWS

Maoz A. (Speaker)

Tel-Aviv University Law School and The Peres Academic center ~ Tel Aviv ~ Israel
The basic Judaic attitude towards other religions was laid down by prophet Micha: "All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever". In this regard a distinction was drawn between Islam and Christianity. Maimonides, and his disciples, while regarding Islam as pure monotheism, viewed Christian Trinity to be idolatrous. On the other hand, sagas that lived in Christian countries ruled that "though they utter the name of an alien divinity, their intention is to the creator of heaven and earth". Nowadays there is full agreement that the rules regarding idolatrous religions apply to neither Muslims nor Christians. Rabbi Menachem haMeiri regarded both Muslims and Christians "nations bound by the way of religion", different from the pagan societies of ancient times, that were not restricted by religious laws and norms. Thus, both Christians and Muslims were regarded as "assemblies for the sake of Heaven, destined to endure; their intentions are for the sake of Heaven and their reward will not be withheld". Rabbi Joseph Albo even admitted the existence of "two divine Torahs, at the same time, for different nations." Christianity and Islam were not only regarded as legitimate religions but were even praised for removing the idols and subordinating their nations to the Noahide laws, thus giving them "moral attributes" far beyond what was demanded of them by the Torah of Moses. The idea of equality between people of all religions has deep philosophical roots in Judaism. We find the following in our sources: And you shall love your neighbour as yourself' - Rabbi Akiba says: 'This is a great Biblical law'. Ben Azzai said: 'This is the book of the generations of Adam - it is an even greater principle.' Chief Rabbi Goren explained that the love of Israel is just an intermediate stage to universal fraternity, the final goal being love of all mankind when they have accepted upon themselves the Kingdom of Heaven.
UNWANTED CHILDREN OF VATICAN II? WESTERNERS, LIBERATION THEOLOGIES, AND THE ISRAELO-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (1960S-2024)

Maligot C. (Speaker)

FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy
In the late 1960s, some Western Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, lay intellectuals and clerics, based in Europe (Italy, France, Germany) or emigrated in the Middle-East (Lebanon, Egypt, Israel) redrafted their political vision of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through new theological lenses, that of Liberation theology. They remained a minority in Western Churches, wich tended to support the Israeli policy as a consequence of the new stance on Jewish-Christian dialogue, post-WWII or post-Vatican II. Nonetheless, their own pro-Palestinian stance not only challenged but also managed to recompose the new consense on interfaith dialogue with Jews, in Europe and in Israel as well as it triggered inner debates, among Catholicism, on Vatican II's heritage. Was Nostra Aetate 4 to be played against NA 3 or the new input on poverty, as some leaders in this dissent had been at the forefront of the fight against poverty, then shifting towards dissent against the institutional Church? While they were dismissed by national episcopal conferences in the West as too progressive, they were vocal enough to raise concerns and anxiety among the Jewish partners of dialogue, doubting the agenda of dialogue and the veracity of the efforts made to promote a new Christian understanding of Jews. How did their claims reconnect with the age-old anti-Jewish tradition, that had been rebuked at the Council, while at the same time inventing new forms of anti-Jewish rhetorics? This papers will analyse the continuities and discontinuities between these forms of anti-Jewish sentiment. It claims that beyond politics, their rhetorics claimed a profoundly theological approach to the conflict -- one of dissent, to be studied as counter-theologies, rather than a pure political anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist stance. These counter-theologies claimed for themselves the same status as the theological lines stemming from Vatican II, that contributed to the development of interfaith relations with Jews.
"FREEDOM OF RELIGION, CONSCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND CULTURE": THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN ITS TERRITORY (1948-1950)

Cimino A. (Speaker)

LMU/ DHI/ FSCIRE ~ Roma ~ Italy
This paper examines the State of Israel's attitude toward Christian communities within its territory in the years immediately following its establishment, from 1948 to 1950. The paper examines the creation of the Department for Christian Communities within the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs in 1948 and how its representatives sought to establish direct contacts with the heads of local Christian communities and the Holy See. These efforts aimed to understand their perspectives and collaborate on decisions affecting Christian communities in the State of Israel. Additionally, the paper explores the Department's later decision to publish the bulletin Christian News from Israel in 1949 and the book Christians in Israel: A Survey, written in 1950 by Chaim Wardi, an official within the same Department. The analysis highlights the objectives and topics addressed in these publications. By focusing on these three key moments, the paper sheds light on the State of Israel's initial policies toward Christian communities and its efforts to collaborate with their representatives and the Holy See, highlighting both the successes and challenges of these initiatives.
JEWISH-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE CONSIDERING NEW THEOLOGICAL CHALLENGES: SUSTAINABILITY AND NEW-TECHNOLOGY

Ben Pazi H. (Speaker)

Bar-Ilan University ~ Tel Aviv ~ Israel
This presentation examines the development of Jewish-Christian dialogue and its adaptation to contemporary theological challenges. In the latter half of the 20th century, the dialogue between these two faiths was largely shaped by the historical necessity of addressing the aftermath of the World Wars and the Holocaust. These events spurred a critical reexamination of foundational texts, prompted reflection on core beliefs within each tradition, and encouraged a rethinking of stereotypes regarding the meaning and potential of the encounter between Judaism and Christianity. This dialogue revealed that interfaith engagement not only fosters mutual understanding but also deepens the internal theological and moral discourse within each religion. Today, this dialogue faces a new set of challenges, particularly the urgent global issues of sustainability and technological advancements. These challenges call for a renewed and expanded interreligious conversation. How can Jewish and Christian theological frameworks contribute to the ethical imperatives of sustainability and the responsible integration of technology into human life?This presentation will explore how a critical and collaborative approach to these issues, rooted in the history of dialogue and reinterpretation, can redefine the responsibilities and roles of religious traditions in addressing the pressing global challenges of our time.
THE VISION OF THE SHOAH BY ANALYSING PIUS XII'S PUBLIC SPEECHES AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR (1945-1958)

Solazzo C. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia/ FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy
During the long pontificate of Pius XII, there was little room for dialogue between Jews and Christians, due to the increasingly permanent advance of Catholic anti-Judaism, as well as racist anti-Semitism. The weight of the words, expressions, and public positions, not only of the pontiff, but also of the Catholic press, is a fact to be taken into account in understanding how the dynamics of Jewish-Christian relations evolved immediately after the war. If, on the one hand, a public position was chosen at the beginning of the war that was not (in fact) one of explicit condemnation of the Nazi extermination, what happened next? In the aftermath of the conflict, Pius XII seems to have maintained a reserve with respect to the drama of the extermination, consequently few steps were taken to recover or mark a change within the dynamics of these relations. During the long pontificate of Pius XII, there was little room for dialogue between Jews and Christians, due to the increasingly permanent advance of Catholic anti-Judaism, as well as racist anti-Semitism. The weight of the words, expressions, and public positions, not only of the pontiff, but also of the Catholic press, is a fact to be taken into account in understanding how the dynamics of Jewish-Christian relations evolved immediately after the war. If, on the one hand, a public position was chosen at the beginning of the war that was not (in fact) one of explicit condemnation of the Nazi extermination, what happened next? In the aftermath of the conflict, Pius XII seems to have maintained a reserve with respect to the drama of the extermination, consequently few steps were taken to recover or mark a change within the dynamics of these relations. My paper aims to show, on the basis of an analysis of the sources and the pontiff's speeches, the characteristics with which, in his public magisterium, the pontiff expressed himself immediately after the conflict on the Shoah.

Panel description: This panel investigates how Generation Z identifies and engages with religious and spiritual role models amid the challenges of postmodern fragmentation and secularism. As digital natives navigating a complex socio-cultural landscape, Gen Zers often seek authentic spiritual expression outside traditional institutional frameworks. The panel explores how this generation's relationships with institutional religion and alternative spiritual pathways are shaped by their diverse cultural backgrounds and generational values. By focusing on the figures Gen Z looks to for inspiration, mentorship, and guidance—whether rooted in traditional religious traditions, secular frameworks, or new spiritual movements—the panel examines the reconfiguration of spiritual authority in the modern age. By drawing on global perspectives and interdisciplinary methods, this discussion highlights the challenges and opportunities for religious institutions, spiritual communities, and mentors adapting to Gen Z's unique needs and expectations. Through this lens, the panel provides critical insights into how Gen Z is shaping and being shaped by contemporary spiritual practices and discourses.

Papers:

UNDERSTANDING GENERATION Z'S RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL ROLE MODELS: AN ANALYSIS OF EXEMPLARIST NARRATIVES WRITTEN THROUGH STORY COMPLETION

David E. (Speaker)

Ling's College London ~ London ~ United Kingdom
This study examines how Generation Z, the first generation raised with smartphones, conceives of religious and spiritual role models when encountered online. Using story completion and a demographic survey, it gathers narratives from a global set of 100 participants aged 18 to 27. Through reflexive thematic analysis and a literary-theological framework, the study identifies five distinct narrative-types that reveal a complex engagement with religion and spirituality—with young people critiquing institutional failings, navigating existential uncertainty, seeking personal empowerment, and rediscovering connections to faith. Findings suggest that while many Gen Zers remain skeptical of religious institutions, they are not irreligious in their search for authenticity and meaning. This study also highlights the importance of online platforms in shaping spiritual exploration. Implications for religious institutions include the need to align moral teachings with authentic practices, provide mentorship for young people, and adapt to diverse expressions of faith.
USING STORY COMPLETION AND PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND GENERATION Z'S RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL ROLE MODELS

Macleod C. (Speaker) , Xu N. (Speaker)

University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
This paper explores the use of participatory research, a collaborative approach that actively involves participants in the research process to generate deeper, context-rich insights, to investigate Generation Z's religious and spiritual role models. Employing the story completion method, 100 participants aged 18 to 27 were asked to creatively complete a fictional narrative about an online encounter with religious or spiritual exemplar, and to complete a supplemental demographic survey about themselves. Story completion emerges as a promising qualitative alternative to direct interviews, particularly for uncovering latent beliefs—those subconscious or unspoken assumptions that shape individual worldviews. It is especially effective for exploring sensitive or taboo topics, such as religion, where social desirability bias or discomfort may obscure genuine responses in traditional interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis, guided by the Exemplarist Narrative framework, was applied to the data, identifying five narrative types. These narrative types reveal the multifaceted and often ambivalent ways Gen Z navigates spiritual authority, institutional critique, and personal meaning-making. The study's findings underscore the utility of participatory research and story completion for engaging younger participants through creative expression, providing an innovative lens for understanding the shifting spiritual landscapes of Generation Z. The paper also discusses the potential for broader applications of this method in future research.

Panel description: The intersection of faith and reason provides fertile ground for addressing societal divisions, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, and driving philosophical innovation. This panel explores the nuanced interplay between these forces, examining their potential to unite societies amid challenges like polarization, inequality, and environmental crises. Faith and reason, while often seen in tension, reflect humanity's shared quest for truth and reliance on an external force - whether the Absolute Creator in religion or universal laws in philosophy. This panel emphasizes dialogue and synthesis rather than conflict, demonstrating their potential collaboration in addressing modern global issues. Philosophers throughout history have sought to harmonize faith and reason, a pursuit that remains vital today. This panel invites contributions from three perspectives: 1. Rebuilding Bridges in a Divided World: Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Perspectives - Exploring how traditions can mend divides through dialogue and mutual understanding. 2. Bridging Religion and Philosophy: Synthesizing Spiritual Experience and Rationality - Investigating the convergence of spiritual practices and rational inquiry to deepen understanding of existence. 3. Faith, Science, and Environmental Ethics: Toward an Integrated Approach to Sustainability - Highlighting the interplay of faith-based ethics and scientific inquiry in addressing ecological challenges. By engaging with the conference theme, Religion and Socio-Cultural Transformation: European Perspectives and Beyond, this interdisciplinary discussion aims to provide fresh insights and foster meaningful connections across philosophical, theological, and cultural domains.

Papers:

SUFI PHENOMENOLOGY: A NEW APPROACH TO THE CHALLENGES OF A DIVIDED WORLD

Bunyadzade K. (Speaker)

Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences ~ Baku ~ Azerbaijan
Human consciousness lies at the core of both personal and global transformation. As the center of the material world, humanity is addressed directly by the Absolute Creator through holy texts, emphasizing the power of consciousness to create, improve, or destroy the self, society, and environment. The global challenges dividing humanity today stem from a lack of evolved consciousness, making its development essential to resolving these issues. Sufi phenomenology is a novel philosophical concept that bridges the gap between rational inquiry and spiritual experience, expanding the human worldview. Rooted in the traditions of Sufism and phenomenology - distinct yet united in their pursuit of understanding existence - this approach synthesizes the spiritual experiences of Sufism, which seek alignment with the divine will and knowledge through spirit, and phenomenology, a disciplined inquiry into subjective experience. By integrating human rationality and spirituality, Sufi phenomenology provides a comprehensive pathway to reconcile these perspectives. Engaging both Eastern and Western thought, as well as religion and philosophy, it offers a holistic framework for addressing contemporary challenges. This paradigm unites two major philosophical schools, guiding consciousness toward self-awareness and understanding the essence of being. It highlights the interconnectedness of all existence and the potential for universal harmony. Despite differences in methodology and sources of knowledge, both traditions converge on the shared goal of fostering personal and societal growth. Sufi phenomenology presents an opportunity to cultivate a culture of dialogue, enhance ecological ethics, and promote harmony within and beyond the self.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION IN SHAPING CONSCIOUSNESS FOR THE VALUES ENSURING COEXISTENCE

Gafarov A. (Speaker)

Azerbaijan Institute of Theology ~ Baku ~ Azerbaijan
In this article the issue of coexistence and its fundamental values are studied in relation to some aspects of philosophy and religion. Within the scope of the research, it will be discussed with basic scientific sources that what kind of problems there are on the basis of values related to social integration today and what are the main factors of these problems, on which basic values the principles that will ensure social integration can be built, and the place and importance of philosophical and theological contemplation on this axis. The study pay attention to the positive aspects of multiculturalism and diversity and debates on the negatives of othering. So, ways of solution to the problems have been debated on the basis of historical experiences, religious texts and philosophers` thoughts. In this sense, the method followed in the study will be to analyze the views of philosophers on the values that integrate society on a teleological basis and to evaluate the resulting data in an analytical and synthetic way in the light of historical experiences. The main goal of the study is to analyses the common conceptions of the philosophical and religious approach in the context of coexistence and to compare them. So firstly, it will be debated on Islamic philosophers` approaches and then the Western philosophers` thoughts related to coexistence and its field of values. The main thesis of the article is that coexistence in societies can`t be achieved in a healthy way unless international conventions and international institutions and organizations established on this axis are supported by religious, philosophical, moral and cultural infrastructure in order to create individuals and societies that can live together in accordance with human rights and morality. In the research, it is envisaged to revise the heritage of the West and especially the Islamic world, which will include its historical experiences, cultural values and civilization.
ALLAMA IQBAL'S PHILOSOPHICAL LEGACY: BRIDGING RELIGION AND SOCIO-CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION

Khanum A. (Speaker)

Government College University ~ Lahore ~ Pakistan
In an increasingly polarized world, the interplay between faith and reason remains central to addressing societal divisions. This panel discussion, titled "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Bridging Faith and Reason in a Divided World," delves into the enduring relevance of Allama Iqbal's philosophical legacy. Subtitled "Allama Iqbal's Philosophical Legacy: Bridging Religion and Socio-Cultural Transformation," the session examines how Iqbal's ideas provide a nuanced framework for harmonizing religious values with modern socio-cultural realities. Iqbal, a visionary poet-philosopher of the 20th century, grappled with the challenges of reconciling traditional religious beliefs with the rapid transformations of his time. His philosophy advocates for a dynamic interpretation of religion, one that emphasizes reason, selfhood, and collective progress. By reinterpreting Islamic thought through the lens of modernity, Iqbal sought to empower individuals and societies to transcend divisions and foster unity. This panel adopts an interdisciplinary lens, engaging scholars from philosophy, religious studies, sociology, and literature to unpack Iqbal's contributions. Topics of discussion include Iqbal's reinterpretation of Quranic principles, his critique of static orthodoxy, and his vision for socio-cultural renewal. Furthermore, the panel explores how Iqbal's insights can inform contemporary debates on pluralism, ethics, and the role of spirituality in public life. By revisiting Iqbal's ideas, the discussion aims to inspire new pathways for bridging faith and reason, ultimately contributing to the pursuit of harmony in a fractured world. This session invites attendees to reflect on Iqbal's transformative vision and its implications for today's global challenges.

Panel description: This panel explores the role of religion in conservative, right-wing and far-right politics and ideologies. Many actors on the political right lay claim to Christianity as the center of their ideological universe (especially in opposition to Islam and Muslim immigration). In some cases, this claim to Christianity has little to do with, or even conflicts with Christian doctrine, practice and institutions; in other cases, the claims of the Christian Right are at odds with mainstream Christian democracy. In the light of these multiple tensions, the emergence of anti-genderism as key ideological marker for the political right is of significance. Claims against gender-equality and gender-inclusivity unite these actors with factions of many (but not all) Christian churches in Europe. These claims are representative of a narrow ideological allegiance. It allows the actors involved to bracket questions of Christian doctrine, practice and institutions that regularly sets the political right-wing at odds with churches, for example on the issues of migration and hospitality, interreligious dialogue or religious liberty. This panel takes stock of new empirical research in the field and asks whether the political right in Europe still "needs" Christianity or whether anti-genderism has already replaced religion and if so, what consequences this shift holds for political as well as religious actors in Europe and beyond.

Papers:

"A WOMAN'S PLACE": RELIGION AND ANTI-GENDERISM ON THE POLITICAL RIGHT IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Stoeckl K. (Speaker) [1] , Bunnell A. (Speaker) [2]

Libera Università Internazionale degliy Studi Sociali LUISS ~ Rome ~ Italy [1] , University of Washington ~ Washington ~ United States of America [2]
The 2024 European Elections have witnessed a notable rise in the influence of conservative and far-right parties within the European Parliament. Represented across four party groups—European People's Party, European Conservatives and Reformists, Patriots for Europe, and Europe of Sovereign Nations—these factions share a commitment to promoting a Christian identity for Europe. Despite this commonality, their religious allegiances, ideological orientations, and transnational alliances exhibit significant differences. This presentation explores the intersections of religion, anti-genderism, and political conservatism within these groups. Drawing on literature and data about the religious vote, evangelical political influence, and the interaction between religious movements and parties, we analyze the ways religion shapes their agendas. We also investigate areas of contention between these groups and the European Union, particularly on gender and sexuality issues. The presentation contributes to understanding the evolving role of religion in European politics and its impact on the ideological contours of the European Parliament.
RESPONSE TO "A WOMAN'S PLACE": RELIGION AND ANTI-GENDERISM ON THE POLITICAL RIGHT IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Elsner R. (Speaker)

Universität Münster ~ Münster ~ Germany
Discussant: Regina Elsner
MORE JESUS FOR EUROPE - SPIRITUAL RENEWAL AND THE POLITICAL RIGHT

Kreuzer L. (Speaker)

Universität Wien ~ Wien ~ Austria
This paper aims to define the relationship between church renewal movements and the political right. It examines what concrete political demands can be derived from the work of the movements and what social order is being worked on. What parallels can be drawn between the rise of the New Right and the renewal movements? What methods are used to achieve discourse hegemony? Is there a link between spiritual longing and right-wing populism? What role, negative or positive, does the right to religious freedom play in the public image of these movements? The focus is on the network of initiators of the Mission Manifesto published in 2018, a private initiative to 're-evangelise Europe'. Parallels between conservative renewal movements and right-wing populist movements will be identified on the basis of the parameters of media presentation, in particular rhetoric, aesthetics, target group orientation and personal contacts. The paper is based on an analysis of digital artifacts. Media appearances, social media accounts, publications, songs as well as institutions founded by the renewal movements will be analysed.
CHRISTIANITY OR A FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENT? THE SHIFTING ROLE OF RELIGION IN THE AUSTRIAN PEOPLE'S PARTY

Mattes A. (Speaker)

Universität Wien ~ Wien ~ Austria
This paper explores the changing role(s) of Religion within the Austrian People's Party. The Austrian People's Party, historically rooted in Catholic conservatism, has long integrated Christian values into its political identity. However, in recent decades, with shifting societal trends, secularization, and changing political landscapes in Austria and Europe, the role of religion in the party's policies and rhetoric has been repeatedly reconfigured. While political science has discussed the "hijacking of religion" by populist and far-right actors, Christian-democrats are traditionally ascribed issue ownership regarding religion. Yet, members of this party family across Europe have been struggling with their relation to religion and these struggles had various outcomes. The Austrian People's Party is a prime example to discuss these repositioning and the question whether right-wing conservatives still need religion. The party's relation to religion - in particular the positioning towards Christianity, Judaism and Islam - has changed multiple times over the past decades, motivated by either Christian-social roots and Austrian consociationalism, imitation of right-wing populist strategies or, most recently, the replacement of religious elements by functional equivalents. Through an analysis of the ÖVP's political evolution with regard to religion, the paper traces the historical integration of Christianity from the party's founding in the early 20th century to the present day. It examines the ideological shifts that have led to the party's increased emphasis on cultural conservatism over explicit Christian doctrine, particularly since the 1990s. The paper further investigates the role of religious expressions, language, and discourse within the ÖVP's political campaigns and thereby aims to provide insights into the role of Christian-democratic parties in the political debates about religion in post-secular times.
FROM TIDES AND WAVES TO TIDAL CALM? A COMPARISON OF THE POPULIST RADICAL RIGHTS RELATION TO RELIGION IN SWITZERLAND AND AUSTRIA

Limacher K. (Speaker)

Universität Wien ~ Wien ~ Austria
Starting from the often cited argument that right-wing populist parties 'hijack' religion to advance their political agenda, this paper aims to take a closer look at the changing relationship of the populist radical right (PRR) to religion(s) in Switzerland and Austria. While the notion of the appropriation of religion by populist radical right (PRR) parties is compelling, this analysis argues that religion cannot be so easily 'hijacked' in a unilateral way. Instead, religious groups actively engage in the political process on the basis of shared ideological positions, particularly on issues such as sexual identity and gender diversity rights, including reproductive health or equality for LGBTQIA+ people. In both Switzerland and Austria, religious groups have historically worked with PRR parties when their views on anti-genderism and anti-Muslim sentiment coincided. In contrast, mainstream Christian churches have rejected partnerships with the PRR and criticised the use of religious slogans and identity markers. Recent events, however, suggest a shift away from the PRR's use of religious references. The paper therefore examines the relationship between the PRR and religion in Switzerland and Austria, taking stock of recent developments. By analysing party manifestos, speeches and electoral strategies from the last 20 years, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolving dynamics between religion and populist radical right movements in Western Europe.

Panel description: The Christian doctrine of the believer's union with Christ has, from its very beginnings, remained central to the church's theological reflection and public witness. Despite its foundational importance in Christian theology, its character has been variously conceptualized and construed throughout the church's history. Union with Christ, for example, has been proposed as the central organizing principle for theologians as diverse as medieval mystics and Protestant reformers. It continues to shape discourse within Reformed and evangelical traditions; and recently, union with Christ has been proposed as a potential rallying point for ecumenical dialogue and ecclesial cooperation by Lutherans and Roman Catholics. This panel will consider the roots of this doctrine in the Christian scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as well as its development and use in a variety of Christian traditions. The panel's primary aim is to foster theological clarity, encourage ecumenical dialogue, and explore practical implications for church and society.

Papers:

UNION WITH CHRIST IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Crowe B. (Speaker)

Westminster Theological Seminary ~ Philadelphia ~ United States of America
In this paper I will consider the role of union with Christ in the theology and structure of the Gospel of John. Union with Christ is a key theme in Reformational theology, and it is (with good reason) often related to the writings of the Apostle Paul. Yet the biblical basis of this doctrine is broader than only Paul's letters. In this paper I discuss the Johannine contours of union with Christ by looking at the structure of the Gospel of John, especially the seven signs of the Gospel, and will show how these point to the centrality of life by means of union with Christ. This investigation will include a sustained consideration of John 6 and the role that the Gospels should play in constructive theology. Beyond the seven signs, I will also discuss other aspects related to union with Christ in the Gospel of John, including the role of union with Christ in the Farewell Discourse (especially John 15), and I will also relate the Gospel's emphasis on union with Christ to similar themes found in 1 John. In brief, I will argue that union with Christ is a central Johannine theme that arises from a sustained study of the Gospel, which should inform how we understand the biblical basis for and contours of this historic doctrine.
LIVING AND SACRED SPACES: THE ONTOLOGY OF SPACE BASED ON OUR UNION WITH THE INCARNATED AND ASCENDED CHRIST

Santoso A. (Speaker)

International Reformed Evangelical Seminary ~ Jakarta ~ Indonesia
Although the special relativity of space and time has been theorized more than a hundred years ago, the common perception persists that space is the container of all things. How should we conceive about space properly in a triune manner, especially based on the fact of Christ's incarnation and ascension? By employing the accommodation model based on John Calvin's theology, we see a non-abstracted notion of space relevant to God's presence. Thus, it is a sacred space yet viable for human beings right from the original design in our protological state and to be fulfilled in our eschatological state. This future glorified space won't be empty but instead filled, to be experienced as a living space. The key to this future claim kindles hope based on the promise of Immanuel by the ascended Christ through the indwelling of the Spirit.
UNION WITH CHRIST. SOME SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Wells P. (Speaker)

Faculté Jean Calvin ~ Aix-en-Provence ~ France
The subject of union with Christ has generally been centered on questions relating to the nexus between Christology and soteriology. The work of Christ as mediator (prophet, priest and king) is foundational for a hermeneutic of salvation. Thus the close link between the person of Christ and the ordo salutis in terms of Calvin's two graces, justification and sanctification, with eventually an eschatological perspective opened on glorification. Implications are drawn out relating to personal growth in Christ, churchly communion and the expression of that union in the sacraments. Sometimes the link has been made between justification and freedom of conscience and speech. However, the mystical union of believers in Christ has most often been considered through an individual lens, and this has discouraged wider consideration of the social consequences of union with Christ. This presentation will attempt to open up this question a little. If union with Christ is primarily a mystical, spiritual and invisible reality, how does this translate into visible realities? The subject is approached from the perspective of union with Christ effecting the renewal of humanity. This is expressed first of all in the transformation of language, according to the image of Christ in justice and truth. It is experienced in the believing community through gospel freedom of conscience and speech. Observing the distinction between the church as organism and organisation (being and doing), the social effect of union with Christ is witnessed beyond the church in a renewal of language which expresses genuine freedom. From a position of weakness, believers « speak truth to power » by challenging accepted ideologies which close down debate because of vested interests.
UNIO CUM CHRISTO IN MEDIEVAL TRIPLEX VIA, CALVIN, AND FLAVEL

Kristanto B. (Speaker)

International Reformed Evangelical Seminary ~ Jakarta ~ Indonesia
Unio cum Christo is a central doctrine not only within specific theological traditions but also for its potential in fostering ecumenical dialogue. This paper seeks to explore unio cum Christo from both biblical and historical perspectives. Given its capacity to represent the Christian experience of faith, the potential of this doctrine for ecumenical dialogue should not be underestimated. We will examine the continuity between the medieval Triplex Via and the soteriology of Calvin and Flavel. Despite some notable differences, similarities emerge, particularly concerning the prior condition of repentance. In addition to its ecumenical significance, the concept of preparatory repentance can also serve as a defense against the charge of antinomianism.
UNION WITH MOSES: THE ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN BACKGROUND TO PAUL'S TYPOLOGICAL READING OF THE RED SEA CROSSING IN 1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-2

Coleman S. (Speaker)

Westminster Theological Seminary ~ Philadelphia ~ United States of America
Often explained with reference to his more frequent expressions that believers are "baptized into Christ," or "baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," Paul asserts that the wilderness generation was "baptized into Moses" (1 Cor. 10:2). Clearly, the apostle sees a correlation between these two realities. This paper will explore the ancient Near Eastern background to Paul's typological reading of the Red Sea crossing. Specifically, it will consider how the Red Sea event reflects the ancient Near Eastern legal phenomenon known as the judicial ordeal in which a physiological response to a test (in this case a water ordeal) reveals the guilt or innocence of the accused. Moses and Israel's crossing the Red Sea in safety and Pharaoh and his army's perishing in the same waters serves as the dramatic climax to the contest between YHWH and the Egyptian pantheon. When read against the widespread ancient Near Eastern literary-legal tradition, the event also conveys a judicial verdict revealing guilt and innocence of Egypt and Israel respectively. One of the perennial questions in studies on the doctrine of union with Christ regards the presence (or absence) of a forensic element to the believer's union. A consideration of the ancient Near Eastern legal background to Paul's typological reading offers a support to the forensic understanding of this central Pauline concept.
YOU IN WE AND WE IN YOU: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ONENESS OF FATHER, SON, AND SPIRIT AND THE COMMUNION OF BELIEVERS WITH GOD AS EXPRESSION OF THE JOHANNINE CONCEPT OF UNION WITH GOD

Van Den Os A. (Speaker)

Theologische Universiteit Apeldoorn ~ Apeldoorn ~ Netherlands
Regarding the concept of the believers' union with Christ, much attention has been paid to the theology of the Pauline letters. C. Campbell (2012) for instance shows that union with Christ is crucial for Paul. New Testament scholars have only recently delved into the Johannine concept of union with Christ. This is remarkable, while 'the Johannine literature contains some of the richest participatory language found in the New Testament' (Macaskill: 2013, 251). This recent research into Johannine texts has brought important nuances to the fore, such as the relationship in the Fourth Gospel between the motif of the oneness of Father, Son, and Spirit and the participation of the believers in the Son through the Spirit. Macaskill already exhibited that 'the participation of believers in the communion of the triune God proceeds from this primary union [between Father and Son through the Spirit]' (Macaskill: 2013, 270). A. Byers (2017) noted that this relationship between divine oneness and the believers' union with Christ does not entail the full deification of believers. He uses the concept of theosis to argue that believers are taken into communion with God, but they are not included in the divine identity that is shared between Father, Son, and Spirit. This paper will explore, in line with Macaskill and Byers, the relationship between divine oneness and the communion of the believers with God in John's Gospel. I will argue that the communal identity between Father, Son, and Spirit is presented by John as a closed relationship between the divine Persons which is communicated to the believers and the world. Yet, the believers have communion with the Son and the Father through the Spirit by filiation 'from above' (Joh. 3,3). John is perhaps more pronounced than Paul in linking and distinguishing the oneness of the divine Being and the union of the believers with the triune God, thus providing another (biblical) perspective on the theological theme of union with Christ.

Panel description: What is the future of academic theology and religious studies at public universities in Western Europe? This question frequently resurfaces in various contexts in Europe, where sociocultural changes as well as theoretical critiques have been challenging the self-evident position of theology at public universities. As a relatively novel discipline, religious studies has sometimes been advanced as the more scientific and neutral heir of theology, catering to the needs of these altered circumstances. But religious studies has problems of its own, such as whether it can uphold a disciplinary identity and unity without a conception of religion that bears significant traces of its inheritance from Christian (protestant) theology. The project group The Future of Academic Theology (FOAT) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (itself home to an interdisciplinary, multi-religious 'TRS' faculty) has taken upon itself to advance this debate, by addressing this topic head-on. As resembled in the title, the project takes its vantage point in the pivotal assumption that somehow, the future of this field has to be decided with reference to dichotomies that are inherently connected to this matter. Theology and religious studies, sometimes juxtaposed as religious science and science of religion, appear to be each other's mirror image, in a similar way as the categories of 'secular' and 'religious', or 'immanence' and 'transcendence', seem to co-constitute one another. Acknowledging the contextuality of these imaginations, the FOAT project seeks to draft various configurations, as well as means of understanding theology and religious, in the wake of contextual variations on the secular/religious theme. Stressing the importance of a multi-perspectival, international discussion of this matter, we welcome anyone who wishes to think along with our endeavor to contribute to our panel.

Papers:

TOWARDS A VIABLE FORM OF THEOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY

Van Den Brink G. (Speaker)

Vrije Universiteit ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands
In the recent past, many places have seen a parting of the ways of public universities and the discipline of theology. In this paper, it is suggested that this development is contingent rather than necessary and implies a loss for both. Two lines of argument for retaining a place for theology at public secular universities are explored: the first one, which attempts to align theology to the natural sciences, is found wanting; the second one, which situates theology in the realm of the humanities, turns out to be convincing. It follows from this, though, that in order to remain viable mono-religious theological faculties, schools or departments should open up so as to include a variety of religious perspectives. Finally, a brief suggestion will be made as to how such a new configuration might look like in actual practice.
THE PUBLICS OF ISLAMIC THEOLOGY IN THE WEST: FRAMING A METHODOLOGY

Mol A.Y. (Speaker) [1] , Sidat H. (Speaker) [2]

Leiden University Centre for Islamic Thought and History (LUCITH) ~ Leiden ~ Netherlands [1] , Cardiff University ~ Cardiff ~ United Kingdom [2]
Post-modernity and urbanisation impact the way Muslims engage in theology. Often, this can lead to a misplaced engagement with theological concerns as the boundaries between multiple types of publics becoming blurred. In this paper, we will use our biographies and experiences both as Muslim academics and Muslim scholars to think about our positionality by using and expanding David Tracy's concept of the three-publics of theology. For example, the 'mosque' requires practical and pastoral theology focused on community concerns which facilitates their religiosity as a minority community, and can also include healthcare and penitentiary settings. Western society combines both Muslim and non-Muslim, religious and non-religious, and requires a public theology which focuses on cultural and existential concerns which facilitates a 'civil religion' of shared humane values. With the rise of Islamic primary schools a pedagogical theology is forming which combines elements of mosque and public theology into a 'citizenship theology' where children are formed into Islam as a civil religion. The academy can be both religious and/or secular in community and/or in setting, such as seminaries, universities with a confessional outlook, and universities with a secular outlook. The academy requires an academic or critical theology which focuses on scientific criteria which facilitates both descriptive and normative research. The madrasa, the Islamic seminary, trains theologians through traditional methods into moral exemplars and religious leaders of the community, but who potentiality also must adapt and acquire the skill set to engage the other publics to a certain level. Each of the publics has therefore their own focus, hermeneutics, and criteria. Thinking through our lived experiences with a dialectical engagement with normative Muslim discourse will provide for a methodology to engage the multiple-publics theology in a distinct but coherent fashion.
THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES: CONTEXTUAL CONFIGURATIONS

Bouman M. (Speaker)

Vrije Universiteit ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands
In a variety of Western European countries, the academic disciplines of Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) are facing pressing challenges that urge them to reconsider their place and purpose at public universities. But the face of these challenges, as well as the directions of possible solutions coheres strongly with the contexts in which specific intuitions are embedded, be it their institutional, vocational, religious or political contexts. In this paper, I present various 'models' of configuring theology and religious studies based on preliminary results of four different case studies: 1) three 'TRS'-faculties in the Netherlands; 2) theology and religious studies at the KU Leuven; 3) at the University of Münster; and 4) at King's College, London. During the panel discussion, panellists and attendees are invited to comment on this research-in-progress.

Panel description: The trans-disciplinary panel is focusing the increasing inclusion of the analysis of 'religion' - in a broad understanding as a cultural field - in the humanities leading to shifts in perspective that could be termed as a post-secular turn. The contributions from literary studies, art history and memory studies will outline central foci of research and approaches in dealing with 'religion'. They explore how transformations in society as well as in literature, art, and dealing with memory in the last few decades as well as epistemological shifts in the fields of study mentioned above have enabled such a post-secular turn. The trans-disciplinary discussion in the panel will on the one hand systematize the 'new' complexity brought to the respective disciplines and fields of study, while on the other hand it will show how this turn leads to a significant broadening of 'religious studies', in which aesthetics, linguistic and visual ritual practices and communication creating transcendence (and transformed meanings of it) are brought into the centre of interest in cultural and social studies.

Papers:

FROM CULTURAL TO POST-SECULAR TURN: RELIGION IN MEMORY STUDIES

Metzger F. (Speaker)

University of Teacher Education Lucerne ~ Lucerne ~ Switzerland
The cultural turn in historiography since the late 1990s has been essential for the establishment of religious history, bringing about radical transformations in perspectives and approaches to religion in past (and present) societies through a focus on semantics, discourses and practices in and by religious communities. This contribution to the panel will systematically approach the question how this cultural turn in religious history has started to influence and can further influence fields of research beyond its own 'discipline', how it has triggered and can trigger a 'post-secular turn' in the sense of an appropriation of perspectives and approaches from religious history by other fields of research. The concrete focus will lie on memory studies.
ENCHANTMENT AND POST-SECULARITY

Morgan D. (Speaker)

Duke University ~ Durham, North Carolina ~ United States of America
This paper will consider the persistence of a variety of forms of enchantment in late modernity and examine the considerable scholarly literature that has arisen since the 1990s exploring enchantment as a concept and cultural range of practices. Principal questions to be taken up include: How is enchantment to be understood in the light of post-secularity? What role has enchantment, disenchantment, and re-enchantment played in relation to formal religions? How has enchantment been defined and theorized over the last three decades? And how has material cultures shaped the experience and the interpretation of enchantment?
TO THINK THE UNTHINKABLE, TO SAY THE UNSAYABLE. CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE FICTION'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE POST-SECULAR TURN

Innerhofer R. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Science fiction is a genre that, by definition, seems to be both a product and a catalyst of secularization, due to its orientation towards scientific and technological progress. However, since its inception, the genre has been associated with esoteric and occult ideas. In recent decades, science fiction has explicitly or implicitly favoured transhumanist and post-humanist theories, developing visions and narratives of the future that aim at a fundamentally different world of thought and life. On closer inspection, however, these fantasies reveal striking analogies to religious - including biblical and especially apocalyptic - promises of salvation. Using a number of examples from literature and theory, the lecture will show how religious patterns and post-secular thinking are currently being hijacked, translated, transformed, and put into action in a diction that purports to be scientific.
THE POST-SECULAR TURN IN LITERATURE: THE NOVELS OF IAN MCEWAN

Daphinoff D. (Speaker)

University of Fribourg ~ Fribourg ~ Switzerland
While Matthew Arnold is credited with suggesting that poetry was about to replace religion in the 19th century, some eighty years later T.S. Eliot deplored "that the whole of modern literature is corrupted by what I call Secularism, that it is simply unaware of […] the primacy of the supernatural over the natural life" ("Religion and Literature", 1935). Under the impact of New Criticism, literature was indeed increasingly understood and taught in the light of "secularism", while "religious" interpretations were disparaged as signs of hopeless backwardness. In the last 30 years or so, however, greater attention has been paid to the spiritual dimension of literary works, to their overt or residual religious content or "message", and to the question to what extent this post-secular turn, as it came to be called, reflects new or reawakened social sensibilities or, in the terminology of our Conference, significant social-cultural transformations. Ian McEwan's novels offer an excellent opportunity to examine this shift in perspective. This paper will deal with four of his novels since the 1990s: Black Dogs (1992), Atonement (2001), Saturday (2005) and Lessons (2022). In all four of them, the focus will be on whether, and to what extent, they exemplify a change towards the spiritual, and whether they confirm, question or even subvert the advent of the post-secular in fiction.

Panel description: The Christian churches in Germany are struggling with dwindling numbers of (active) members on the one hand and decreasing financial and personnel resources on the other hand. At the same time, the churches' missional intent of the traditional comprehensive coverage of religious needs remains. This tension between prerequisites and demands first puts church self-understandings as a territorial institution under pressure and points to a shift towards an interorganizational perspective. Secondly, it raises the question of the transformation of church spatial organization between the mechanical order of the parochial system and the organic network structure of functionally determined places and nodes. The parish, as the fundamental form of community in the people's church, carrier of religious communication, and subject of religious transformations, takes the centre stage of this panel. Among other topics, we will discuss the transparochial profiling of congregations and the significance of urban/rural contexts for their success. Contributions will address challenges, developments und issues in protestant and catholic churches as well. Those cases raise questions, such as how the church's narrowing of its social milieu is addressed, which aspects of parish life are actually transforming, how spatial proximity and communal closeness are linked, how the church is embedded in the societal dissolution of communities, and whether the terminology of a post-parochial turn is justified. Based on these considerations, we not only contribute to answering the question about the future of the religious social form of the parish, but also to the future role of Christian churches in a country of intensified interreligious and religious-secular competition.

Papers:

WHY SOME PARISHES THRIVE AND OTHER'S STRUGGLE? A STUDY ON THE (COR-)RELATION OF CONGREGATIONAL PRACTICES AND MEMBERSHIP

Gendig C. (Speaker)

Zentrum für angewandte Pastoralforschung, Ruhr Universität ~ Bochum ~ Germany
The commitment to church membership in Germany depends on two major aspects, the overall societal discourse about the church and the very concrete experiences with the local church community. While the societal discourse is transmitted via public media, it is not so clear which factors form the opinion and bond towards the church communities on the local level. For congregations it is crucial, to identify activities and communications that support and lead to sustained membership. In a mixed-methods study in the German Roman Catholic diocese of Speyer, we examined the connection between actions and practices of parishes and their impact on membership in three steps. First, we analysed church statistics to rank all local church communities based on their success in maintain/increasing church membership; second, we identified five particularly successful congregations, characterised by high levels of commitment, and conducted a qualitative field study to see, which characteristics of their actions could explain their success. Six central attributes were identified: Building relations, facilitate participation, empower youth, ensure contextuality, live catholic identity. Third, these attributes were operationalised in terms of their measurability. The data was collected using a standardised questionnaire among all church communities in the diocese to test the correlation between the success in maintaining/increasing church membership and action attributes. The results show that, secularization is a societal trend in Germany, but church membership also is affected by the actions and possibilities in the local communities. The results will be discussed in the context of studies on congregations of other religious affiliations, like the Congregational Studies (Kirchengemeindebarometer), which examined protestant congregations in different countries.
BETWEEN CANON LAW AND ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS - THE MANOEUVRING AMONG NEW SPATIAL AND LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES IN THE CATHOLIC DIOCESES IN GERMANY

Zimmer M. (Speaker) , Henkes M. (Speaker)

Zentrum für angewandte Pastoralforschung, Ruhr-Universität ~ Bochum ~ Germany
For a long time, Catholic spatial and leadership structures were strongly localized and organized in small-scale. Every village was a parish with its priest as the leader of the religious community. This model is firmly anchored in both canon law and state-church law in Germany. In light of the increasing shortage of priests, financial resources and church members, as well as modern discussions on the involvement of laypeople in church leadership and the professionalization of church organizations, dioceses have adopted various strategies to address these sometimes contradictory principles. Church leaders and their administrations are challenged to find a way between pastoral ambitions, organizational limitations, and legal requirements. The paper examines the different manoeuvres of the Catholic dioceses to comply with the requirements and aspirations. In the presentation, we will (1) provide an overview and categorization of the different approaches among the German dioceses, (2) examine contrasting solutions further to identify organizational and religious effects, and (3) offer a brief assessment of the consequences of these pathways for the landscape of Christian Congregations in Germany.
PARISH / CONGREGATION / COMMUNITY - DIFFERENT PATHWAYS FOR ORGANIZING THE LOCAL CHURCH

Rebenstorf H. (Speaker)

Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut der EKD ~ Hannover ~ Germany
The Second German Church Barometer (Lämmlin et al. 2024) shows, that the Protestant parishes in Germany can be clustered into 10 types based on their subjective development opportunities. From these Clusters about one third is doing well, another third is doing badly, and the last third is exposed to both positive and negative trends. While the parishes in a positive position, all of which are located in urban areas, are finding their future in establishing target group-specific profiles based on cooperation, shared use of resources and social space orientation, the situation for the rural parishes with a poor prognosis is quite different. Large areas, little staff and infrastructure, hardly any opportunities for cooperation with other parishes. Their chance, and to some extent also the chance of the peripheral municipalities, will only lie in cooperation between church, municipal and civil society actors, in which a joined congregation- and community-building takes place through secular-religious interaction.
CHURCH EXPLORATIONS IN 'UNKNOWN TERRITORY' - HOW NEW IS THE NEW?

Schendel G. (Speaker) , Elhaus P. (Speaker)

Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut der EKD ~ Hannover ~ Germany
For more than ten years, more and more Protestant churches and Catholic dioceses have been promoting church start-ups with the aim of testing new social forms and strategies of religious communication. In Germany, this explorations on the Protestant side characteristically began in East Germany, against the backdrop of a dominant secular context and an increasing overstretching of previous parochial structures. In the meantime, such promotion lines for church start-ups have also become widespread in West Germany. This paper is about an intermediate conclusion: What strategies and social forms are emerging and what is the situation regarding the diffusion of innovation in the pluralising parochial regulatory system? The results of evaluation processes in several Protestant regional churches provide initial answers. They show that exploration is moving in several directions (socio-spatial, biography-oriented, new forms of community) and is characterised by a targeted context orientation. This increases the pressure on the church's regulatory and leadership system (discussion about church images, managing diversity), while at the same time increasing the number of options for church action.

Panel description: The objective of this panel is to examine the principal trends that are shaping the established paradigms of governance of religion in a range of legal systems, with a particular focus on the management of religious diversity. The initial case study focuses on the governance of religious freedom in Portugal, which serves as a notable example due to its legislation on religious freedom. This has established a regulatory framework that strives to strike a balance between tradition and innovation in the governance of state-religious confessions relations. The second perspective shifts to Belgium and the (controversial) legal recognition of Buddhism. This analysis delves into recent case law in relation to the model of secularism and the legal relationship between the state and religious denominations. The third paper aims to investigate the consequences on religious governance policy brought about by the AKP's change in its conception of the principle of secularism (laiklik). The fourth talk, on the other hand, will focus on a scientific study of the Italian legal system in relation to the 'government of religion' and the practice between the competences of the executive power and the latitude of the legislative power. The debate is enriched with another perspective: the unicum in Greece with an identification between religious affiliation and 'Greekness' shows signs of instability, and this passage must be read within a European declination characterized by an expansion of fundamental rights. The increasingly secularized context has a clear impact on religious/state identity, creating fear of loss of recognized religious freedom. And finally, the last study analyses the direction followed by the European Court of Human Rights in assessing the internal governance of religious minorities, focusing on the protection of the individual and collective dimensions of religious freedom.

Papers:

THE GOVERNANCE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN PORTUGAL

Angelucci A. (Speaker)

University of Insubria ~ Como ~ Italy
The case study focuses on the governance of religious freedom in Portugal, which serves as a notable example due to its legislation on religious freedom. This has established a regulatory framework that seeks to strike a balance between tradition and innovation in the management of relations between the State and religious denominations.
THE LAÏCITÉ MODEL IN BELGIUM AND THE LEGAL RECOGNITION OF BUDDHISTS

Cupri A. (Speaker)

University of Insubria ~ Como ~ Italy
The analysis examines Belgium and the (controversial) legal recognition of Buddhism. The analysis delves into recent case law in relation to the model of secularism and the legal relationship between the State and religious denominations. The specific profile concerning the consequences on religious governance policy of the changed conception of the principle of secularism and its different declinations will not be neglected.
RELIGIOUS GOVERNANCE AND SECULARISM IN AKP'S 'NEW TURKEY'

Bottoni R.A. (Speaker)

University of Trento ~ Trento ~ Italy
This contribution aims to investigate the consequences over the policy of religious governance brought about by AKP's change in the understanding of the principle of secularism (laiklik). In particular, it will focus on the link among AKP's authoritarian trend, the repudiation of the Kemalist notion of laiklik and the adoption of Islamic-oriented or Islam-friendly policies (not least the lifting of the ban on the headscarf and the reconversion of Aghia Sophia as a mosque).
THE 'GOVERNMENT OF RELIGION': THE ITALIAN PRACTICE BETWEEN THE COMPETENCES OF THE EXECUTIVE POWER AND THE ABSCONDING OF THE LEGISLATIVE POWER

Croce M. (Speaker)

University of Firenze ~ Firenze ~ Italy
The concept of 'government of religion' in Italy, particularly in the context of the relationship between executive and legislative powers, refers to a dynamic in which government actions in the religious sphere are shaped by both legal and political influences. In areas where legislative processes may be absent, unclear or delayed, the executive branch may exercise powers that are not fully legislated or are underdeveloped within the legislative framework. This tension can lead to a situation where the government, through the executive, engages in what could be termed a 'government of religion', intervening in religious matters while the legislative branch remains inactive or absent in responding to these issues.This critical reflection forms the basis of the paper.
THE SLOW PROGRESS OF THE GREEK REALITY TOWARDS A GAP BETWEEN NATIONAL IDENTITY AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY IN THE LIGHT OF EUROPEAN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Fabbri A. (Speaker)

University of Urbino ~ Urbino ~ Italy
The unicum that was recorded in Greece with an identification between religious belonging and "Greekness" shows signs of instability, and this passage must be read within a European declination characterized by an expansion of fundamental rights. The increasingly secularized context has a clear impact on religious/state identity, creating severe inconvenience and fear of loss of recognized religious freedom.
DOMESTIC GOVERNANCE OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN ECTHR JURISPRUDENCE

Durisotto D. (Speaker)

University of Cagliari ~ Cagliari ~ Italy
The increasingly secularized context has a clear impact on religious/state identity, creating fear of loss of recognized religious freedom. And finally, the last study analyses the direction followed by the European Court of Human Rights in assessing the internal governance of religious minorities, focusing on the protection of the individual and collective dimensions of religious freedom.

Panel description: Historically, development cooperation organisations and projects were founded in a context of strong belief-systems, often inspired by faith and religion. However, this sector has been changing in the last fifty years: through the increasing secularisation process in the Western world; through a secularisation thesis which brought about an increasing suspicion and undermining of faith-based knowledge and religion; non-faith-based actors meanwhile entered the development cooperation field, namely the United Nations; finally, the rise of religious-based terrorism renewed the suspicion that religion is part of the problem and therefore ought to be discouraged. On the other hand, religious fundamentalism also served as a wakeup call for many politicians and decision makers, while the last ten years have brought several contributions challenging the secularisation thesis. Religion cannot be ignored when roughly 4 in 5 people in the world hold a belief system, particularly in territories who most benefit from development cooperation. When religion is often seen as part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution. But this calls for an urgent need for greater religious literacy from decision makers, and a need to go beyond the theoretical dismantling of the secularisation thesis into a praxis of faith in development cooperation. This panel welcomes contributions that help us discern further how to bring religion and faith back into the development cooperation discussion.

Papers:

DOES DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION STILL NEED RELIGION? 10 YEARS OF BMZ STRATEGY IN REVIEW.

Stierle W. (Speaker)

Bundesministeriums für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, Deutschland ~ Berlin ~ Germany
For most countries in the world, the question "Does development cooperation still need religion?" makes no sense. The world today is very religious, and in many development countries, religion is an essential element of the social fabric. However, the secularisation turn has provoked this question in several Western countries, where religion is often seen as solely instrumental for international affairs. References to faith and religion are increasingly discouraged in program development and funding applications. This poses a problem when it is these Western countries, namely Germany, who are those that most promote development cooperation across the globe. When religion and religious actors are not fully understood or listened to, development cooperation is seriously hindered, and the voice of intended beneficiaries may be undermined. Evidence from the ground points to the positive role of religion in development cooperation as well as in successful democratic transition and practices. When religion is often seen as part of the problem, it has also been shown to be part of the solution. The secularisation process has created a serious disconnect in political and development practice and policy, revealing the urgent need for a renewed approach to religion and an investment in religious literacy. This paper showcases experience from 10 years of BMZ Strategy (Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), arguing that faith matters, and Religion is a valued partner to Development Cooperation.
FAITH-SENSITIVE PROGRAMMING AS A WAY OF INTEGRATING FAITH IN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION.

Gebbe J. (Speaker)

PIRON Global Development ~ Bonn ~ Germany
Several development cooperation NGOs are guided by a sense of calling or a motivation grounded in their faith and belief system. This also shapes their understanding of what it means to develop and carry out development programmes. Faith-based approaches are often welcomed by programme beneficiaries, being a visible means of valuing belief systems which are integral to their lifestyle and community; this also contributes to community acceptance and trust building. Furthermore, for several communities, faith is integral to what they understand "development" to be, which may depart from academic or textbook development cooperation terminology and borrow terms from spirituality, such as "community flourishing". However, faith-based organisations (FBO) struggle with misunderstandings from Western decision-makers and funding opportunities. Fearing the misuse of religious narratives for political agendas or the lack of professionalism among FBO, these tend to downplay faith and religion's role in development cooperation, which hinders the work of practitioners, but also limits development as understood by beneficiary communities. This paper challenges the sustainability of development cooperation that is not open to an integration of faith in theory and praxis, arguing for "faith-sensitive programming"; an approach where faith and belief systems are taken seriously both for project programming and implementation, which supports the work of FBO in development cooperation, and ultimately contributes to a more comprehensive and indigenous community flourishing.

Panel description: The panel will explore the question of how religious education can contribute to intercultural understanding and overcoming social boundaries under the conditions of socio-cultural change. Based on European experiences including local perspectives, the discussion will focus on innovative approaches to religious education in pluralistic contexts. The panel aims to encourage discussion of the following questions or topics: How can interreligious cooperation improve mutual understanding in the classroom? What role can religious education play in promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue in polarised societies? The potential of interdisciplinary cooperation between religious education and for example, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, or religious studies to enrich religious education. What role does cooperation between school and non-school fields of action play with regard to formal and informal educational processes in the context of socio-cultural change? How can processes of religious education address people in secular contexts and make a contribution to general education and subject formation?

Papers:

RELIGION, INCLUSION AND PROPHECY. WHAT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CAN LEARN FROM RADICAL DEMOCRACY THEOR

Wiesinger C. (Speaker)

Evangelische Hochschule Darmstadt ~ Darmstadt ~ Germany
Radical democratic theory according to Ernesto Laclau is based on the idea that democracy is an unfinished project that must constantly undergo new processes of inclusion and reflection. This thesis is based on a special view of democratic representation: although it appears universalistic, it is based on a sublime singularity that sets its own limits and thus constitutively generates respective social hegemonies as mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. It is worth taking a closer look at the process of universalisation as an effect, as certain perspectives come into view here: the mediation of singularity to universality as a transformation process, the reflection on hegemonic exclusion through practices that create, stabilise and perpetuate it. The contribution transfers the political concept of radical democracy to the question of religion and the church. Behind this is the category of the one Catholic or Christian church. Under the promise of God, the question of the church as a radically inclusive project is posed anew. A church or a religion that does not just want to represent a partial generality must constantly update and realise itself anew: it reflects and includes the plurality of interpretations of faith, is based on discursively interwoven structures and seeks to recognise what is excluded and incomplete. Religious education builds a representative place this process takes place in. It shows a specific significance: the prophetic moment of religious education lies in discursively universalising perspectives, points of view and knowledge that would otherwise remain excluded. So how can a cooperative, inclusive religious education programme be conceived and designed that gives space to the other and thus serves less a static institution and more a dynamic community under the encouragement of the Gospel?
THE AMBIGUITY OF THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERRELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES

Baumert B. (Speaker) [1] , Teschmer C. (Speaker) [2]

Goethe-Universität Frankfurt ~ Frankfurt ~ Germany [1] , Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany [2]
At the latest since October 7, 2023, the Hamas attack on Israel and the ongoing war in the Middle East since then, the situation in Germany has also changed dramatically. Anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic violence have increased and are becoming more prominent in our consciousness. Anti-Semitic incidents and religion-related conflicts have also become more prevalent in schools. Anti-Muslim attitudes are becoming socially acceptable again, not least due to the refugee debate, which is currently shaping European politics as a whole. The myth of the clash of civilizations has long been present in the media. This lecture will address the ambiguity of the concept of culture in the context of interreligious education in schools, taking into account the current political situation. Reflecting on current processes will illustrate how relevant intercultural and interreligious understanding are and how closely religious and political education are connected. As a first step, the concept of culture will be examined. Using various headlines relating to culture, the underlying concept of culture will be reconstructed and deconstructed in a second step. Consequences for educational processes in schools are already considered at this point. In a third step, a distinction will then be made between intercultural and interreligious educational processes in order to discuss in a fourth step what contribution interreligious education can make in religious education. Finally, a brief conclusion will be drawn.

Panel description: Under the terms of Article 9 (1) of the European Convention on Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion." This seemingly self-evident statement does not fully reflect the obstacles and bloodshed that have marked the long journey toward religious freedom in the West—from the exclusion of individuals to the legal and political recognition of this fundamental right. Nor does it account for the new perspectives introduced in Europe by the Reformers, who explored the possibility of remaining united despite institutional separation. Legal historians specializing in religious issues can examine the origins and evolution of this freedom, from Christian Antiquity to the 1965 declaration Dignitatis humanae of the Second Vatican Council. Furthermore, this historically "subjective" freedom has often been intertwined with the freedom claimed by the Roman ecclesiastical institution, the Holy See, and the Pope, giving rise to a libertas Ecclesiae that served as a bulwark against the claims of secular states and their legal systems. This historical legacy continues, in part, to shape solutions to contemporary challenges surrounding religious freedom - such as secularism, religious symbols, dietary practices, and more - in our increasingly secularized societies grappling with religious pluralism.

Papers:

THE APOSTATE AND THE RULE IN ANTIQUITY

Ducros F. (Speaker)

Université Paris-Saclay ~ Paris ~ France
Rejecting a religious belief is now a possibility guaranteed by our European Laws. It even constitutes one of the essential elements of religious freedom (Art. 9 ECHR). However, while apostasy constitutes the refusal of a religion, it is also the rejection of a rule, a withdrawal from authority. In the context of the Roman Empire, the emergence of Christianity highlights a conflict between religious freedom and civic duty. Those who renounce their faith, or the faith of society, question the scope of the norms related to religious freedom. The case of the lapsi and their reintegration into the community, however, testifies to a renewed approach to apostasy and the tempering of rules.
APOSTASY, FROM OFFENCE TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Demoulin-Auzary F. (Speaker)

Université Paris-Saclay ~ Paris ~ France
The paper will not deal so much with this offence as such, but with its use by the Church as a response to a threat of destabilisation : destabilisation caused firstly by the disobedience of the cleric, secondly by the spread of new religious doctrines, and thirdly by the intrusion of modern methods into the field of knowledge. Apostasy, sanctioned by excommunication, led not only to the exclusion of the apostate but also to the exclusion of third parties guilty of related offences. It was not until 1983 that the latter disappeared from the legal arsenal of the Catholic Church.
SPIRITUAL FREEDOM ACCORDING TO JOHN CALVIN FROM THE REGISTERS OF THE CONSISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF GENEVA IN THE 16TH CENTURY

Meylan G. (Speaker)

Université Paris-Saclay ~ Paris ~ France
The Institution of the Christian Religion (1536) is a manual for those who want to free themselves. To free themselves from eschatological anguish, to free themselves from the text and the institutions that for centuries have been built on the service it calls for. It is an invitation to an inner journey and to departure, for it is better to choose exile than to remain a serf in one's own country. The Institution also has a political expression: the Ecclesiastical Ordinances (1541) of the Republic of Geneva. To understand John Calvin, it is necessary to understand this jurist who speaks of theology and to appreciate what the Genevan Reformation undertook when it sought to define its 'spiritual freedom'. In fact, it endeavoured to conceive of a freedom that explored the meaning of limits, against the libertines, in favour of a redimensioned institutional participation.
LIBERTAS ECCLESIÆ, THE RIGHTS OF GOD AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS IN PAPAL DISCOURSE, 16TH-20TH CENTURIES

Jankowiak F. (Speaker)

Université Paris-Saclay ~ Paris ~ France
The principle of libertas Ecclesiae, which emerged at the time of the Gregorian Reformation in the XIth century and had already been inferred from Gregory VII's Dictatus papae, initially referred to the necessary political independence and autonomy (in the sense, derived from Aristotle, of an entity capable of defining and implementing its own rules) of the Roman Church. Since these were based primarily on the pope's libertas in caput, the libertas Ecclesiae, initially applied to papal election, became part of an increasingly elaborate theological and ecclesiological scheme embracing the categories of God's rights, natural law (nature corresponding to the physical constitution given to the universe by God, and therefore irreducible to the conception of nature held by the proponents of the modern school of natural law from the seventeenth century onwards) and the rights of the Pope as both sovereign and pontiff. Constantly reaffirmed by the papal magisterium and canonical legislation since the post-Tridentine Reformation, libertas Ecclesiae underwent a doctrinal revival in the neo-Thomistic movement of the 1840s and 1880s, and found its last resounding application with the definitive prohibition by Pius X, the year after the conclave that elected him, of the so-called jus exclusivae used by the great European Catholic powers, with very uneven success and regularity, to exclude a cardinal deemed 'papabile' from election to the See of Peter.
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE IN CANON LAW: FROM TOLERANCE TO THE FOUNDATION OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRUTH

Joubert T. (Speaker)

Université de Strasbourg ~ Strasbourg ~ France
Freedom of conscience is the outcome of a long process in canon law that has seen the traditional principle of free adhesion to the truth become a right to absolute respect for the internal forum. Although the evolution of the law between the two Latin codifications is already well known, the anthropological and theological foundations of this renewal of canon law are still being discussed. This paper will attempt to show how freedom of conscience, long trapped in a conflict between ontological objectivism and subjective relativism, can today be considered in the light of a renewed understanding of progressive adherence to the truth in the real historical conditions of individuals

Panel description: The objective of this panel is to examine the intricate phenomenon of anonymity and pseudepigraphy in medieval Latin literature, with a particular focus on the period spanning from the 12th to the 15th century. These literary practices, which indicate a certain degree of cultural and intellectual fluidity, will be examined through the lens of the concepts of authorship and textual identity. This will be done during a period when the boundaries of these definitions were less rigid and stable than is commonly assumed today. Each panelist will examine particular cases, elucidating how these practices served as both creative and strategic tools in the formation of an intellectual community and an audience capable of comprehensive engagement with the presented content. These phenomena will be analysed not only in terms of their literary components, but also in the context of broader social and cultural dynamics. By examining the intricate layers of transmission, attribution, and reception of texts, the panel will seek to uncover how these phenomena contributed to the formation of a "textual community," one that approached authorship as a collective endeavour, where the distinction between individual creator and receptive tradition was seen as fluid and instrumental. The main questions the panel will address include: What literary and/or social value can we attribute to anonymity and pseudepigraphy in medieval Latin literary culture? What additional insights can this phenomenon provide in understanding the texts we study, particularly regarding their transmission and history of tradition? How did these practices contribute to the construction of the intellectual and cultural identity of medieval Latin Christendom? Through the presentation of these case studies, the panel aims to offer valuable insights into the role of anonymity and pseudepigraphy in shaping the intellectual landscape of medieval Latin Europe.

Papers:

TEXTUAL DNA AND ATTRIBUTIVE PROCESSES: FOR A CULTURAL CHRONOLOGY OF PSEUDO-THOMAS.

Filippini P. (Speaker)

Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli ~ Caserta ~ Italy
The pseudo-epigraphic phenomenon related to Thomas Aquinas is based on the creativity of a group of mostly unknown authors and a group of readers who identified these authors as Thomas Aquinas, either erroneously or consciously. The paper aims to analyze some aspects of this intersection between author and reader, both of whom are involved in the finished textual product. The need to assign different texts to Thomas Aquinas, which originated in different circumstances and moments, is a factor to be valued in depth: cases such as De humanitate Iesu Christi, a text with a quasimystical nature probably from the German area and dating back to the first decades of the 15th century, far from the authentic Thomasian production, lends itself to the investigation of the reasons for an attribution, its chronology and geography. A second step in this research is the coincidences between ancient lists and pseudoepigraphic attributions of texts: however weak, lists such as those drafted in 1319 or those of scholars such as Nicolas Trevet allow us to understand more or less from what point in time the Thomasian corpus began/continued to generate individual inauthentic titles. A third step in this investigation will be eventually a survey of the printed tradition of the works of authentic and pseudo Thomas Aquinas. The absence of many works from the ancient lists and their appearance in much later printed editions allows us to advance some hypotheses about the authors, their purposes, interests and respective chronologies (e.g., through the double printed and manuscript tradition), as well as pointing to some trails of investigation through the readers of these texts, who felt the need to read such works, producing a print of them, and attributing them to Thomas Aquinas, regardless of the mere content more or less consistent with the production of Thomas attested as authentic.
FRAGMENTS OF A VOICE: COMPILING THE CORPUS OF THE REVELATIONS OF PETER OF ARAGON

Morandi M. (Speaker)

SISMEL ~ Firenze ~ Italy
The corpus of the so-called Revelationes of Peter Infant of Aragon (1305-1381), preserved in the Apostolic Archives of the Vatican (Arm. 54, De schismate vol. 17, ff. 122r-152r), represents a diverse and multilingual collection of texts related to the figure of Peter of Aragon and written between 1365 and 1381 in the context of the disputes over the return of the Pope to Rome and the Great Schism of 1378. Not all of these texts, however, were written by Peter himself: while Peter consistently refers to a quaternus containing his revelations, the extant corpus contains, along with the texts of Peter, the examination of these texts by a theological commission, as well as sermons, prophesies and letters in Latin, Catalan and Castilian, thus illustrating the wide geographical and cultural scope of this collection. This study aims to reconstruct the content of Peter's original quaternus by separating his original writings from those later attributed to him. By analysing these layers, the quaternus of Peter of Aragon serves as a case study for understanding medieval concepts of authorship, textual authority and the interplay between individual identity and collective memory in manuscript traditions.

Panel description: This panel will explore in theory and in practice the core ideas of artistic research (AR) and performance philosophy (PP) as emerging research-fields in which handed downs forms of doing philosophy in a 'non-sensible' manner are questioned. Our panel considers 'non-sensible' forms of thinking to be expressions of an ascetic-image-of-thought, in which thinking seems to be performed entirely separate from the sensible realms of one's lived-body. As if it were carried out completely separate from the sensory areas of one's lived-body. One's bodily-felt-sense (Skora), which informs one about the soundness of a thought, therefore rarely matters for an ascetic-image-of-thought, whereas it is usually of great importance for the arts and their aesthetic way of thinking-feeling. It is telling that in Sanskrit, the word for an aesthete is sahṛdaya, which literally means: somebody, who has a heart; somebody, able to think in accordance with one's heart. And the Chinese word xin (心) 'heart-mind' tellingly refers to the 'heart' and the 'mind' simultaneously. To effect the socio-epistemological transformation from the ascetic to the aesthetic image of thinking, AR and PP call for new alliances between philosophy and art, experimentally crossing their practices to discover new forms of 'sensitive thinking'. Our panelists, a group of artists, philosophers, scientists and artistic researchers, will thus not only talk about the arts, but also make use of artistic practices in their lecture-performances to stimulate a vibrant research atmosphere in resonance with the heart-mind of the people participating in our panel. They all develop their cardio-philosophies in a close dialogue with Nietzsche's, Aurobindo's and Alfassa's philosophies of the heart from a cross-cultural, Gnostic (vijñāna) perspective. All of them are key-researchers in the PEEK-project AR822, funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF): Grant-Doi: 10.55776/AR822. Website: https://www.mdw.ac.at/the.heart/

Papers:

PHILOSOPHY IN THE ARTS : ARTS IN PHILOSOPHY. THE MERGING OF ART AND PHILOSOPHY IN THE WORKS OF THE ARTIST-PHILOSOPHERS FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE AND SRI AUROBINDO GHOSE.

Böhler A. (Speaker)

Univ. Doz. Dr. habil., University of Vienna, Department of Philosophy and University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (ARC-mdw, MRS-mdw) ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche and Sri Aurobindo Ghose are instructive examples of philosophy becoming artistic in its style and way of thinking. Both used artistic practices and poetic modes of writing in their philosophical works and also developed philosophical concepts of a philosophy of a future, in which a new kind of philosopher will be historically forced to integrate artistic practices into their way of thinking to trigger sensible modes of thinking, in which thoughts are constantly aligned with one's own feelings and taste. As if a thought must be not only logically, but also sensually coherent to be accepted as true. Nietzsche consequently distinguished the promised species of artist-philosophers with their converted sensitized hearts from their classical ancestors, who practiced an ascetic, rather than an aesthetic mode of thinking. In the second part of my performative lecture I will juxtapose Nietzsche's concepts of the artist-philosopher and his aesthetic image-of-thought (Deleuze) with the ancient Vedic concept of the Kavi (poet), who was considered also to be a seer. Aurobindo therefore translated the word Kavi as poet-seer. It was believed that the Kavis, driven by their poetic genius (pratibhā), were the bearers of a gnostic consciousness (vijñāna) that allowed them to see satyam, the truth of being, directly. The famous creation hymn (Ṛgveda 10.129.1-5) emphasizes that they have entered the gnostic plane-of-awareness by virtue of their rigorous mindful research into their heart (hṛdaya). The awakening of their gnostic heart released the fiery rivers of clarity within them, allowing them to glimpse satyam. A revelation that goes hand in hand with the feelings of righteousness (ṛtam) and brightness (bṛhat). It was this conversion of their heart, that gave the ancient arts a sacred character. In such events, something healing happened.
HEARTLESS, ADDICTED TO DEATH, FUGITIVE FROM DEATH

Granzer S.V. (Speaker)

em. o. Univ.-Prof., University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Max Reinhardt Seminar) ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Under the title heartless, addicted to death, fugitive from death, a short, poetic attempt is made to take a look at the current explosions of war--to the so called "just" [German: gerecht] war and to a kind of unbearable violence--trying to make them audible and tangible. Why does the word gerecht automatically resonate in German with the word gerächt, prolonging the old friend-enemy scheme? Isn't it accompanied by frightening coldness and cruelty stimulated by the explosion of accumulated trauma as a possible reason? Or is human mankind simply a kind of Leviathan and definitely not the crown of creation? "Time is out of joint" diagnoses Hamlet. A badly frightening, disappointing diagnoses. But, despite these historical facts, doesn't there also exist virtual possibilities (Deleuze)? Possibilities that are real, but still waiting to be actualized? But where do they wait? And, under which conditions do they become actual? How to find a way through the labyrinth life with the monster Minotaurus? In ancient Greek Mythology it was Ariadne's thread which leads through the labyrinth. Ariadne literally means "the holiest". Does the labyrinth of life probably comprise a hidden secret place, where she, Ariadne, the holiest, could find asylum and refuge? In ancient Vedic times it was said that the poets found such an asylum in the crypt of their heart. Safed by the heart behind the heart they "woke up" in a sort of vision which was showing them what mankind could be meant to be, once. A transformation of their minds, that went hand in hand with a conversion of their hearts. Such a metamorphosis only happens in companionship with a dangerous perhaps, as Nietzsche puts it. Nevertheless, it contains the power and potency of the knowledge of a future to come, in which yet unrealized possibilities eventually will have taken place as an ongoing chance and dilemma of our human, all too human existence - and it is also the power of Art in Philosophy + Philosophy in the Arts.
IMAGINING THE HEART

Holzer S. (Speaker)

performer, writer, choreographer, movement facilitator ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Can we continue to reach towards the dark place where we find birth, where we find creation, where we begin to be? Moment by moment. Pulse by pulse. Breath by breath. Imagining the Heart invites to a somatic, practice-based approach to the cardiovascular system of the human body. It is an exploration of philosophy-based artistic research that traces the translations and transformations of spoken and written words into choreo-graphy, gestures and actions. Thinking here is intrinsic to a sensitive form of embodiment and mattering. The attention is drawn to embodiment, imaginaries, materiality, and corporeal relations in ethics that extend beyond the individual, inspired by post-modern dance, yoga practice and resource-oriented ecology. 'To give birth to a dancing star' (as Nietzsche puts it) is envisioned as an fierce act of surrender, gratitude, permeability and receptivity in which the human body is expanded into living maps that are radically entangled with more-than-human agencies. The subjective sense becomes part of the surrounding atmospheres and questions the dichotomy of mind-matter, subject-object, and nature-culture critically. In this processual investigation of shardaya, - an aesthetic of the heart —, figuration for imagining and living otherwise might emerge, be welcomed and celebrated.
THE YOGA AND ART OF THE SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM AND BEYOND

Beldio P. (Speaker)

Visual Artist, Reunion Studios, LLC, Washington, DC (USA). Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA (USA) ~ Washington ~ United States of America
This lecture will introduce the foundational teachings and practices of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, in Tamil Nadu, India, called "the Integral Yoga." The Integral Yoga seeks the aspirant's growth in "wisdom, strength, harmony, and perfection" through a holistic approach. Central to this practice is the association of these four principles with the divine feminine or universal Śakti, as well as the archetypal human body as described in the Ṛg Veda—symbolized by the mouth, arms, torso, and feet. These elements form a framework for spiritual development that integrates mind, life, body, and soul. The lives and teachings of Sri Aurobindo (Aurobindo Ghose, 1872-1950) and the Mother (Mirra Alfassa, 1878-1973), who led the Ashram, serve as the guiding principles of this non-sectarian spiritual community. Their insights are found across various mediums, including the 66 volumes of The Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo, The Collected Works of the Mother, and Mother's Agenda, as well as in the arts: Sri Aurobindo's poetry, the Mother's visual art, architecture, urban design, music, and more. These works collectively express the vision of a transformative spirituality that integrates all phases of life. A key feature of the Integral Yoga is its emphasis on liberation (mokṣa) not just for the individual soul or "psychic being" located in the spiritual heart (hṛd), but for the entire material world. This approach is described as a "descendant spiritual path," in contrast to more traditional "ascendant" paths that focus on transcending the body and the material realm. The practice of the Integral Yoga seeks to transform and "divinize" both the individual and the collective, including the body and all matter. Additionally, Beldio, a sculptor and member of a Sufi tradition, will share images of his visual artwork, inspired by the lives and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, further exploring the intersection of spirituality and artistic expression in this context.
HEART _ SOUND _ REFLECTION

Kretz J. (Speaker)

University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (ARC-mdw), Associate Professor ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This contribution offers to reflect and comment the panel's topic with musical thoughts with and without lyrics. Most of the lyrics and some rap music elements (as audible in the Audio Abstract) have been created by feeding texts from the PEEK project's reading list (Aurobindo, Nietzsche) into a Artifical „Intelligence" Software like uberduck.ai, which transforms any text into rap songs. Through the interaction of sounds, products of AI software and text quotations, a level of thought is built up, which can maybe exceed the plane of argumentative/verbal reasoning and explore holistic modes of reflection on the topic. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/f589dv66pg816kdmc67up/Kretz-AudioAbstract.mp3?rlkey=d944g9x4ml4foo99lrmk5kft9&dl=0
THE HEART, DEEP SLEEP, AND DREAM AS TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES IN ARTISTIC RESEARCH

Jägle E. (Speaker) [1] , Müller C. (Speaker) [1] , Call N. (Speaker) [2]

BA MA, Artistic Research Center, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria [1] , B.A. MA - Prä Doc, Research Centre "Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society", University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria [2]
This presentation explores the intersection of heart, deep sleep, and dream states as transformative spaces in philosophical and artistic inquiry. Drawing from Kashmir Shaivism, Aurobindian thought, Merleau-Ponty, Jean-Luc Nancy, and others, it situates these states as key loci for embodied and trans-immanent transformation. The heart emerges as a dynamic locus bridging waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, between singularity and ontological interconnectedness. The heart, as conceptualized in the Shiva Sutras, is a "hidden chamber" where subjective awareness withdraws into broader fields of consciousness. Nancy's idea of sleep as the "presence of an absence" complements this view, showing deep sleep (suṣhupti) reconfigures being. Deep sleep merges consciousness with ānanda maya kośha, a blissful sheath. Aurobindo links this state to the latent potential of mūlaprakṛti and unmanifest energies. Dyczkowski highlights how deep sleep dissolves subjectivity, merging the self with higher consciousness, awakening the unmanifest. Dreams, as Nietzsche observed, are liminal spaces where identity and form fluctuate. In Aurobindo's integral yoga, they bridge lower and higher consciousness, animating latent vibhūtis (powers). This aligns with Arno Böhler's model of involution and evolution, where spirit descends into matter as latent consciousness ascends. Nancy and Merleau-Ponty describe sleep as holding singularities and dualities in tension, mediating individuality and interconnectedness. The heart becomes an artistic expression of an integrative "un-sleeping" of waking consciousness, opening an ontological space as the realm of virtual mattering. This is imagined as a performative act, awakening latent potentials and embodying a cosmic rhythm of transformation. Entering sleep enacts a process of de-subjectivating consciousness, opening a trans-immanent dimension of the self, hidden in the moment before expression—a transformative bridge between the visible and invisible.
SENSING HEARTEFACTS — NOTATING HEART-FELT PRESENCES

Gansterer N. (Speaker)

artist, lecturer researcher - University of Applied Arts Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
In my contribution, I will introduce, share, and discuss so-called heartefacts - matters of the heart (in German Herzensangelegenheiten) in the sense of embodied aesthetic processes. These hybrid, transmedial works, oscillating between drawing, performance, and matter, emerge from my artistic research practice, which centers on the notation of heart-felt presences. For several years, I have been exploring ways to cultivate an aesthetic thinking-feeling-knowing, characterized by the acts of sensing, registering, and notating sensory-perceptual processes. A central focus is on an empathic and sensitive engagement with the environment - or rather, the Mit-Welt (co-world) - conceived as a reciprocal and contingent exchange. This interaction reveals itself as a tactile sensory experience, a profound state of "being in touch." These atmospheres experienced in this context cannot be understood as separate from the sensing subject but rather as an intrinsic part of an embodied process of perception and meaning-making. I invite the audience to join me in exploring how these "heartefacts" - as material and immaterial traces of an aesthetic relationship with the world - can contribute to understanding and thinking through the lens of cardio-philosophizing.

Panel description: The famous adagium of Tertullian (What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?) proposes a discontinuity between (pagan) past and (Christian) present. And, indeed, there is a profound discontinuity in relation with a paradigm shift. That being said, the rhetoric of Tertullian's claim hides at the same time a continuity - of which, no doubt, Tertullian was acutely aware, and which carries the significance and transformative power of wisdom traditions, for instance that of the catholic intellectual tradition. The papers in this panel then, value the meaning and significance of the past for the present. Papers either research the meaning and (problem solving) significance of texts from the past in their original contexts and reflect on options and possibilities of their plausibility in relation to contemporary social and cultural transformations. Or, papers address the question how texts from the Catholic intellectual tradition can be brought in dialogue with new readers and related to their contemporary questions, for instance in religious education. The panel is organized in collaboration with the Catholic Study Network (CSN) initiative. CSN is building an inspiring network of and for the academic communities of KU Leuven (Catholic University Leuven), Tilburg University, and Radboud University (three catholic universities in the Low Countries) on topics related to or inspired by the catholic intellectual tradition.

Papers:

ANSELM'S PROSLOGION REINVENTED

Sarot M. (Speaker)

Tilburg University ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
One of the characteristics of classic texts is that in new contexts, they acquire new meanings and thus remain relevant. Here, I would like to illustrate this by discussing the interpretation of Anselm's Proslogion. Traditionally, the Proslogion has been read as presenting the ontological argument for the existence of God. In the early twentieth century, however, Karl Barth offered a new interpretation: Anselm does not offer an argument for the existence of God, but, to the contrary, he shows that all theology should be rooted in revelation. In the middle of the twentieth century, another and also influential interpretation was added by Charles Hartshorne, who used the Proslogion to argue for the bipolar concept of God of process theology. By the end of the twentieth century, Thomas V. Morris used the Proslogion as the first articulation of the method of perfect being theology, which, according to him, should be the method of all philosophical theology. And in the early twenty-first century, Robert McMahon argued that against its Neoplatonic background, the Proslogion should not be read as a philosophical treatise, but as a spiritual treatise dealing with the mystical ascent to God. This paper will discuss these various interpretations and show how each of them can be defended as being a natural interpretation, while all of them are also very much influenced by the contexts from which they emerged.
THE CONTESTED ROLE OF "GAUDIUM ET SPES" IN THE CATHOLIC INTELLECTUAL TRADITION

Faggioli M. (Speaker)

Villanova University ~ Villanova ~ United States of America
The pastoral constitution of Vatican II "Gaudium et Spes" is the last document approved by the council in December 1965 and, according to some prominent interpreters of Vatican II (e.g. Christoph Theobald), appears as its final synthesis. But the reception of the pastoral constitution has been contested and subject to new scrutiny in the theological and ecclesial conversations, especially in the Anglo-American sphere. The paper will try to assess the role of "Gaudium et Spes" in different theological streams and to make a case for its continuing relevance within the Catholic intellectual tradition.
FROM LECTIO DIVINA TO CONTEMPLATIVE READING: A PRACTICE OF PERSONAL FORMATION IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Van Deursen-Vreeburg J. (Speaker)

Tilburg University ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
Reading spiritual and religious texts from Catholic traditions helps students at different educational levels discover these texts' significance for their personal formation. We can define personal formation as an open transformation process for students' existential, spiritual and moral formation. Through dialogical interaction between students and others in the present and the past, students can form themselves towards mature freedom and a meaningful and ethical life orientation for themselves and society. This formation process requires attention, openness, space, and interruption. We examine how a contemplative reading model, based on the monastic practice of lectio divina, can contribute to the personal formation of students at various educational levels. Cultivating a space for freedom - vacare - appears to be essential in this process. The structure of the four steps of lectio divina, which ritualise the reading process, can enable depth and growth. The Catholic pedagogical view on integrated personal formation (cognitive, affective, moral, and spiritual) is essential to this transformative reading process.
NICHOLAS OF CUSA'S DE CONCORDANTIA CATHOLICA REVISITED

Van Erp S. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
This paper will concentrate on the mystical foundation of the political order as it can be found in Nicholas of Cusa's early work, De concordantia catholica, written between 1431 and 1435 during the Council of Basel, the last general council before the Reformation. At the heart of the council debate was the authority in the Church, i.e. the main point of reference for concordance and unity within the church. De concordantia catholica is a work of great importance for understanding the Catholic tradition at the threshold of modernity, and for understanding current developments in the Church. The real innovation of the book is Cusa's understanding that, although the social order is founded in an immutable God, the institutional and legal mediators of this order are entities within history, and therefore changing and changeable. Cusa proposes a pragmatic realism in De concordantia catholica, which could equally be called 'mystical', as he focuses his reflections on the hidden unity of the mystical body of the church. The book, therefore, is of crucial importance for the development of Catholic ecclesiology. The mystical character of political agreement is no longer situated in a vertical, hierarchical foundation, as was the case in the Dionysian model. Cusa's new conjectural method shows that the inability to provide a legal, philosophical, or theological base for political agreement is paramount. The agreement itself is a mystery, and it is this mystery that forms the very foundation of the Church; a mystery, not to be localized in God or the subject, but in the dynamics of a social network, a space of trust and love in which the mystery of agreement can manifest itself.
YVES CONGAR'S PNEUMATOLOGY FOR A SYNODAL CHURCH

Mangnus S. (Speaker)

Tilburg University ~ Utrecht ~ Netherlands
When Yves Congar wrote his most important works on the Holy Spirit, Je crois en l'Esprit Saint (1979-1980) and La Parole et le Souffle (1984) he was well aware of the historical circumstances within which he was writing. After the Second Vatican Council had renewed the Church's view of itself, what needed development was the penumatological character of ecclesiology, a pneumatological ecclesiology that in Congar's view was closely linked both to a pnuematological anthropology and to christology. Both Congar's ecumenical experience and his study of history on the one hand, and the emergence of the movement of charismatic renewal in his own time, had made Congar convinced of these needs, and he devoted the last years of his life to work on these topics. In the four decades that have passed since Congar's death, the Church has developed into a more synodal Church in which the working of the Holy Spirit in ecclesial and personal processes of discernment has received a lot of ecclesial attention. This paper will discuss the contribution Congar's pneumatology can make to a synodal Church.

Panel description: Following the Second Vatican Council, Italian literature was profoundly prompted to reconsider its position in relation to a rapidly secularizing world. The Council's call for rethinking the Church exerted a particular influence on Italian writers and intellectuals, for whom the geographical and cultural proximity to the Vatican State gave these issues a particularly familiar dimension. From Pasolini's reflections on the persistence of the sacred in the words of the poets, to Luzi's cosmological and Pauline research, which finds poetic expression in a dialogue with the thought of Teilhard de Chardin, to the influence of the figure of Christ and the theology of Simone Weil upon Morante, Italian literature of from the 20th onwards has adopted and continues to adopt a progressive and productive approach to the theological dimensions of literary practice and human experience in a rapidly changing sociocultural context. A fruitful intermingling of the aesthetic and the theological has developed: an interaction that has opened up new spaces for reflection and still deserves in-depth study today. This panel welcomes papers that explore how Christian theological trends have influenced Italian prose and poetry of the 20th and 21st centuries, offering a new framework through which these literary forms have been able to redefine themselves. Contributions that focus on one or more of these subtopics are particularly welcome: • Augustine and Augustinianism in contemporary Italian literature; • Forms of mysticism in contemporary Italian literature; • Apophatic and cataphatic trends in contemporary Italian literature; • The form of prayer in contemporary Italian literature; • Influence of contemporary theology (with a particular interest in Teilhard de Chardin, Balthasar, Barth and Rahner) on contemporary Italian literature; • Theology and sociocultural transformation in contemporary Italian literature; • Feminist theologies and contemporary Italian literature.

Papers:

NO SPIRIT IN THE WORLD: THE ANTI-THEOLOGICAL IMAGINARY OF ELSA MORANTE'S HISTORY (1974)

Walker R. (Speaker)

Trinity College Dublin ~ Dublin ~ Ireland
Fifty years since the publication of Elsa Morante's controversial magnum opus History in 1974, it remains perhaps the most closely discussed of her texts. As a condemnation of the violence inherent in human existence and the institutionalised 'History' which encodes these events and their consequences, the novel centres the lives of downtrodden, abandoned individuals grappling with material and spiritual forces beyond their control. This paper aims to situate the text theologically, or rather anti-theologically, for the way in which it undermines all 'master narratives' (Lyotard 1984) including, perhaps most especially, the Christian message of salvation which presents human history as a unifying moral structure directed towards an ultimate good. I will argue that the novel refuses the Rahnerian conception of God's self-communication in Jesus Christ as the divinising 'Spirit' in the world. In their place, the Spirit which is in the Morantian world is rather the malign forces of History and Power, which communicate and uphold a totalising system of oppression, crushing the human spirit and refusing any theological possibility of deification. Supplementing existing readings which consider the religious themes in the text (e.g. Redaelli 2016; Murphy 2024), I will show how, for Morante, the events of the twentieth century reveal a dark truth that 'History continues', all Messiahs die, and none are raised to life.
CONCILIAR AND POST-CONCILIAR PERSPECTIVES IN MARIO LUZI'S POETRY: AUGUSTINE, TEILHARD, AND BEYOND

Battistel L. (Speaker)

LUMSA - KU Leuven ~ Rome ~ Italy
The thought and poetry of Mario Luzi (Florence 1914-2005) reveals a profound influence of the theological legacies of St. Augustine and Teilhard de Chardin. The former's influence is embodied in the focus on the homo interior and a confessional dimension, while the latter's legacy is reflected in a vision of the world as a perpetually evolving reality, marked by a continual state of 'principianza'. This paper, concentrating on Luzi's works coinciding with the Conciliar and post-Conciliar period, specifically from Nel magma (1963) to the posthumous Lasciami, non trattenermi (2009) - aims to shed light on the productive tension between divine immanence and transcendence, as well as between dynamism and stasis, engendered by the theological heritage of Teilhard and Augustine, personally reevaluated in light of the new calls for renewal and problematization advocated by the Second Vatican Council. It further examines how this legacy manifests both explicitly, through the citation of key theological texts in the paratexts, and implicitly, through rhetorical and expressive strategies and the recurrent use of distinctive lexical motifs.

Panel description: On May 20, 2024, FSCIRE - Fondazione per le scienze religiose, the European Research Infrastructure for the study of religion RESILIENCE and DREST - Italian Doctoral School of Religious Studies promoted in the framework of the European Academy of Religion Annual Conference the "PhD Forum", aiming at discussing the future of the study of religion and the role of Research Infrastructures and Doctoral Schools in this field, in the European context. Thirteen scholars participated in the discussion, bringing to the forum the different national perspectives, and identifying the opportunities and challenges envisioned in a possible pan-European doctoral initiative. The purpose of this panel is to bring on the discussion on the Doctoral schools in this field by focusing on the students taking part in their activities and building their own professional and/or academic career along such a path. The panel welcomes short interventions presenting practices in career development, research support and cooperation endeavours in European Doctoral Schools, therefore encouraging both established and young scholars to bring in their perspectives and analyses. The expected outcomes of the panel are the identification of areas in which RESILIENCE and the European Doctoral Schools involved in the Forum can converge to better operate and contribute to the future of Doctoral students and early career scholars.

Papers:

PHD STUDENTS IN EUROPEAN SCHOOLS: PERSPECTIVES ON THE STUDY OF RELIGION

Melloni A. (Speaker)

Fondazione per le scienze religiose ~ Bologna/Palermo ~ Italy
Many are the layers that should be taken into account when addressing the challenges and opportunities offered by European doctoral schools contributing to the study of religion. Among them, European research and innovation strategies, the global advancement of the scientific fields, generational trends, and technological developments. This contribution will look into these four elements and propose a common operational framework for European doctoral schools willing to identify shared purposes and objectives.
SUPERVISION IN THE FIELD OF STUDY OF RELIGIONS

Ben Pazi H. (Speaker)

Bar Ilan University ~ Ramat Gan ~ Israel
Advanced students embarking on doctoral research in the field of religious studies come from within the religious world or specific tradition that they originate from. One of the greatest challenges in guiding such research is to help students move beyond their specific tradition to adopt a broader perspective. Therefore, it becomes crucial to identify and invite for a more expansive approaches to research. These approaches encourage early-career researchers to step out of their "comfort zone" and into comparative study. The first, and most straightforward, approach involves shared research workshops for doctoral students during their studies. These workshops, grounded in encounters between different traditions, provide a solid foundation for developing essential skills. The second, more challenging approach concerns facilitating the selection of a supervisor from a different religious tradition. The third approach is to utilize critical methodologies that demand advanced accountability. For me, the philosophical and ethical perspective is one of the most crucial tools for supporting such endeavors. The presentation will illustrate examples of guidance from each of these three approaches.
BALANCING PRIORITIES IN DOCTORAL EDUCATION: ENHANCING SUPERVISION AND ACADEMIC SKILLS TRAINING

Danz C. (Speaker)

Vienna Doctoral School of Theology and Research on Religion VDTR, University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The Vienna Doctoral School of Theology and Research on Religion (VDTR) addresses the challenge of balancing multiple priorities, particularly improving supervision quality while meeting the evolving needs of doctoral researchers in an interdisciplinary context through academic skills training. This contribution will briefly present the strategies of the University of Vienna and the VDTR concerning supervision and skills training. It aims to initiate a discussion on identifying key priorities for supervision and academic skills development in disciplines related to research on religion.

Panel description: There is no culture without narration. Processes of socio-cultural, religious, economic, and political transformation clearly show, that what is regarded as rational is not solely grounded on facts- or reason-based inquiry. Rather, narratives take a large role in developing and maintaining specific understandings of the world, which in turn supply means for making sense of it. In this respect, narratives exert an immense social as well as performative power. When looking into religion, narrative is one of the key aspects of providing and maintaining tradition, the formation of organisational structures, and theological orientation - the holy scriptures serving as prime examples. While the relevance of narratives for cultural processes is widely acknowledged, and many disciplines besides narratology have incorporated concepts of narrative in their own approaches, its potential is still far from exhausted. This panel aims to reflect on ways the fields of religious studies and theology can incorporate narrative as part of doing culture into specific desciplinary as well as transdisciplinary discourse. Presentations include the reciprocation of processes of collective and cultural memory and their shaping through religious narrative, as well as the situatedness of contemporary narratives as expressions of convictions in epistemological considerations. The panel invites contributions that explore the value narratives pose in the formation and establishment of religious groups, as well as ways, in which narratives result in the transformation of belief systems in different historical, social, and cultural contexts. Contributions from outside the fields of religious studies and theology are very welcome, as well.

Papers:

(IN-)VISIBLE STORIES. NARRATING AS A CULTURAL TECHNIQUE AND NARRATIVES AS TOPOI OF THEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE

Gialousis C. (Speaker)

University of Erfurt ~ Erfurt ~ Germany
Cultures live through their narratives. The French philosopher Roland Barthes characterises the construction of narratives as a universal phenomenon which influences the self-concept of cultures and individuals situated in them - there are no societies without narrations, their effect exceeds beyond social boundaries: they are international, transhistorical and transcultural. Diverse in their function, narratives develop and preserve memories, identity, and community as well as generate meaning through a sense of 'being-in-the-world' (P. Ricœur). The concept of narrative used in narratological-cultural theories thus forms a hermeneutical framework for approaching and comprehending anthropological and epistemological issues by addressing the needs, fears, and hopes (in sum: existential questions) of the culture in which they arise. Especially their epistemological value is of utmost interest, as narratives illustrate neither a complete nor a coherent portrayal of reality. Indeed, they process individually as well as intersubjectively shared experiences and conceive potential futures which lead to the opportunity of action. However, this says little about their epistemic determination. Based on these theoretical pre-considerations, the practical example of AI narratives will be employed to embed narratives in an epistemological model (according to P. Becker) and to consider their function as a tool for cultural analysis. Thereby, it can be deduced how they interpret, fix, and modify experiences/world and how they are both the source and the expression of beliefs. Finally, the significance for theology must be determined, as Jean-Baptiste Metz already points out that narratives are able to express experiences - in his case those related to faith and confession - in a form for which neither rituals nor dogma would be suitable.
NARRATING IDENTITY AND CRISIS. NEW TESTAMENT LITERATURE AS NARRATIVES OF RELIGIOUS SELF-DISCOVERY

Gialousis A. (Speaker)

University of Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
Literary and cultural scholar A. Nünning postulates that "narratives are one of the most powerful ways of worldmaking" - both because of their potential to imagine and interpret events from the past, present, and future, and because of their performative power. In this sense, they not only help to organize the world and make sense of it, they also invite participation through their social, and cultural dimensions. Cultures largely constitute themselves through narrative. New Testament literature, as the written record of religious narrative(s) of the earliest followers of Christ, is a prominent example, that through its relatively short period of formation in times of great political turmoil, gives insight into the dynamic processes of narrating the experiences leading to the formation of the religious group, and into their strategies to preserve and frame theological contents. Within biblical scholarship, the recognition of New Testament literature as religious and cultural texts is attested through the rise of approaches concerning cultural narratology in the last years, that yielded insights into their function as media of cultural memory, of negotiation of theological ideas and positions, and of reassurance of identity. This contribution aims to highlight the narrative strategies of New Testament literature from a cultural-narratological perspective. Using a short reading of central literary strategies found in the gospel of Mark, such as paradox, ambiguity, and regressive storytelling, the way New Testament texts address political trauma and theological crises by providing means to frame and fortify the religious identity of the group is discussed.

Panel description: This panel will examine the interaction between Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience, and religion) on the one hand, and Articles 8 (respect for private and family life) and 12 (right to marry) on the other, of the European Convention on Human Rights, with particular attention to nontraditional family forms and their evolving recognition within European jurisprudence. The discussion will focus on how the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) addresses possible tensions between individual religious freedoms, collective societal values, and emerging understandings of marriage and family. The panel will explore whether the Court's case-law reflects a dynamic adaptation to socio-cultural changes or reinforces established norms, particularly when addressing claims on nontraditional or contested family structures. The aim of the panel is ultimately to assess how the ECtHR balances competing rights and obligations, including the extent to which Article 9 supports or challenges traditional interpretations of Articles 8 and 12. The discussion will also consider how these legal intersections contribute to broader debates on pluralism, equality, and the role of religion in modern family law.

Papers:

BEYOND MATRIMONIAL LAW: THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF THE CASE PELLEGRINI V. ITALY FOR CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS

Pacillo V. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Modena ~ Italy
The Pellegrini v. Italy case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) addresses broader issues concerning the relationship between the State and religious authorities, extending beyond the specific context of matrimonial law. The case highlights the tension between the enforcement of ecclesiastical decisions by civil authorities and the protection of fundamental rights. The ruling emphasizes the State's responsibility to ensure that decisions originating from religious tribunals comply with human rights standards. This decision underscores the need for civil oversight in cases where religious norms intersect with the public legal sphere, reinforcing the primacy of individual rights. By challenging the extent to which religious decisions can influence civil matters, the case reflects a recalibration of the relationship between the State and religious institutions, advocating for stronger protections of personal freedoms within the framework of Church-State interactions.
COLLISION OF STATE AND CHURCH RULES CONCERNING MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE IN ECTHR CASE LAW, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE WIDE MARGIN OF APPRECIATION OF MEMBER STATES

Köbel S. (Speaker)

Károli Gaspar University of the Reformed Church in Hungary ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
In the presentation, I will focus on cases where the collision between the internal legal order of religious denominations in each state and the legal system of that state is the central issue. There are different models of the relationship between the state and the churches in the member states of the ECHR: the state-church model, a combination of separation, separation and cooperation, the state's ideological neutrality or engagement with religious doctrines, and the institutional relationship between the state and the church as two entities. This is why the ECtHR's practice is interesting in terms of the extent to which it respects the margin of appreciation of each member state, the different constitutional orders and the specific teachings of each religious denomination in relation to marriage and family life.
RELIGIOUS CLAIMS IN CHILD-REARING UNDER THE ECTHR CASE-LAW

Franceschi F. (Speaker)

Sapienza - Università di Roma ~ Roma ~ Italy
Many of today's most visible debates on religious freedom concern family-related issues. Among them, child-rearing is one of the areas where conflicts and disputes between religious beliefs, secular values and legal regulation are most prevalent in European countries. In order to resolve these disputes, CoE law (in particular, Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 to the ECHR) must be applied in a manner consistent with international law, and in particular with Article 14 (2) of the CRC, which requires States Parties to respect the rights and duties of parents to guide their children in the exercise of their right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, in a manner consistent with the child's developmental capacities (and on the basis of the best interests of the child, as guaranteed by Article 18 (1) of the Convention). The proposed paper examines the ECHR's not always coherent case-law on the subject, seeking a difficult balance between the protection of the religious freedom of both parents and children, the best interests of the child, and the state's protective function. The analysis inevitably leads to reflection on the proper scope of the margin of appreciation, often used by the Court to 'pilatesquely' resolve the most contentious cases at the intersection of law, religion and family.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION AND FAMILY IN THE LIGHT OF THE TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY CASES

Valero Estarellas M.J. (Speaker)

Universidad Villanueva ~ Madrid ~ Spain
This paper examines the interplay between religion, family life, and reproductive rights as reflected in the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), focusing on the legal and ethical dilemmas surrounding termination of pregnancy. Analysing the interaction of Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience, and religion) with Articles 8 (respect for private and family life) and 12 (right to marry) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the paper explores how the ECtHR addresses possible clashes between individual religious beliefs, societal norms, and the evolving conceptualisation of family. The study pays particular attention to cases where religious and moral convictions regarding the sanctity of life intersect with claims to personal autonomy and family rights. These cases illustrate how the Court balances competing rights: on the one hand, the religious freedom of individuals and communities; on the other, the private and family life of women seeking reproductive autonomy. While the ECtHR has shown sensitivity to pluralism and socio-cultural shifts, this paper argues that its jurisprudence often reveals latent assumptions about the "traditional" family, shaping the contours of Articles 8 and 12 in ways that can both challenge and reinforce entrenched norms. The paper situates termination of pregnancy cases within broader debates on pluralism, equality, and modern family law, and it critically evaluates whether the Court's approach represents a dynamic adaptation to contemporary socio-legal challenges or perpetuates a conservative framework under the guise of balancing rights. The findings contribute to an understanding of how the ECtHR negotiates the intersection of religion, family, and reproductive rights, participating in the debate on the role of Article 9 in redefining the boundaries of Articles 8 and 12 in contemporary jurisprudence.
ARTICLES 9 AND 8 OF THE ECHR: BALANCING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE RIGHT TO PRIVATE AND FAMILY LIFE IN NON-TRADITIONAL CONTEXTS

Kakavas G. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Modena ~ Italy
This presentation examines the relationship between the protection of private and family life, guaranteed by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and the autonomy of religious organizations, analyzing three significant judicial cases: Fernández Martínez v. Spain, Obst v. Germany, and judgment no. 4596/2014 of the Greek Council of State. In Fernández Martínez v. Spain, the European Court of Human Rights clarified that the term "private life" encompasses professional activities when they influence an individual's social identity and the way they build relationships. The Court reiterated that, in cases of conflict between the applicant's right to private life and the Church's right to autonomy, the State must ensure a proportionate balance, granting a wide margin of appreciation. The specific nature of the applicant's role - as a religion teacher in a public school - played a decisive role in assessing the proportionality of the interference. Similarly, in Obst v. Germany, the Court examined the relationship between the loyalty obligations required by religious organizations and individual rights. Finally, Greek judgment no. 4596/2014 highlights how the principles of the ECHR have been incorporated into the Greek legal context, emphasizing the tension between individual rights and religious norms in a society traditionally tied to Orthodox Christianity. The presentation aims to illustrate how, in each case, the balancing of fundamental rights resulted in decisions that uphold both religious autonomy and the protection of individual freedoms, offering a nuanced perspective on the legal challenges linked to religious pluralism within the European framework.

Panel description: The interplay between religious freedom and other fundamental rights represents a critical area of tension within constitutional and international normative frameworks, as well as in everyday life of individuals, communities, and diverse societies. The right to freedom of religion or belief safeguards pluralism and individual conscience but often conflicts with other rights, such as equality, freedom of expression, non-discrimination, education, women's rights, sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) rights, and more. These tensions pose significant challenges, raising questions about how to reconcile competing rights claims and the principles that should guide such adjudications. This panel investigates these dynamics from a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective, drawing on global case studies where claims to religious freedom intersect with other rights. Through an analysis of diverse constitutional and policy approaches and by looking at religious norms, expectations and experiences, the discussion will strive to identify novel approaches to rights conflicts at both conceptual and practical levels. By examining constitutional frameworks, cultural contexts, and methodologies, the panel aims to uncover transformative pathways for reconciling conflicting rights. Emphasizing mutual harmonization and concordance, the discussion aims to offer constructive perspectives for achieving equitable solutions in the face of challenges posed by culture wars, identity politics, rising illiberalism, and global backlash against human rights. We welcome multidisciplinary contributions engaging with this topic from the following perspectives: • Strategic litigation before national, regional, and international courts. • The use of the right to FoRB in relation to other human rights. • Intersectional discrimination based on multiple vulnerabilities, e.g. religion or belief, socio-economic status, disability, SOGI, age, etc.

Papers:

RELIGION, PUBLIC REASON, AND NEUTRALITY

Opacic L. (Speaker)

Sydney Law School ~ Sydney ~ Australia
This paper argues that public reason cannot form a fair basis for determining whether religious exemptions to laws of general application are justified. This is because the fallibilist moral psychology required to ground the plausibility of public reason as a justificatory mechanism is not shared by committed religious believers. This difference is even more pronounced in the case of religious institutions, who typically do not take a fallibilist approach their central doctrines. As a result, I claim that liberal theorists invested in the idea of public reason must either declare all such committed religious believers unreasonable or otherwise abandon liberal neutrality with respect to religious conceptions of the good. Finally, I show that this argument has significant implications for the way in which courts use proportionality analysis as a way of adjudicating disputes involving religious liberty claims and anti-discrimination law.
AGAINST STRATEGIC LITIGATION: RELIGION VS. DISCRIMINATION IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM

Vanoni L. (Speaker)

University of Milan ~ Milan ~ Italy
This paper critically examines the rise of strategic litigation in conflicts between religious freedom and anti-discrimination principles within the U.S. constitutional system. Strategic litigation has become a dominant tool for navigating these tensions, used by advocates on both sides to seek judicial resolutions to deeply polarizing disputes. While strategic litigation can be an effective means of advancing legal clarity and protecting rights, this paper argues that it often exacerbates societal polarization, entrenches adversarial politics, and narrows the scope for mutual accommodation. Focusing on U.S. Supreme Court cases, this paper explores how strategic litigation has led to outcomes that prioritize binary resolutions over nuanced approaches. It critiques the tendency of such litigation to frame religious freedom and anti-discrimination as mutually exclusive conflicts, marginalizing broader societal interests and eroding opportunities for constructive dialogue. The paper calls for a rethinking of reliance on courts to mediate these disputes, advocating instead for policy-driven and dialogic solutions that prioritize coexistence and mutual respect. By examining the limitations of strategic litigation and its impact on the broader constitutional balance, this paper contributes to ongoing debates about the role of the judiciary in resolving value-laden conflicts in a pluralistic society.

Panel description: This panel will explore how the Trinity and the body, two fundamental concepts in various Christian traditions, have been related and discussed by different theologians over the course of the past two millennia. Thus, the panel welcomes proposals dealing with various aspects of the topic of the body and the Trinity in a historical perspective from the early patristic period to the twentieth century. Therefore, the papers might focus on a single Christian theologian (e.g., Ephrem the Syrian, Augustine, or Gregory Palamas) or a whole group (e.g., the Cappadocians, early scholastic theologians), which can be taken as a representative for a major trend in the field of Church history. Furthermore, the panel aims to explore how the topic of the Trinity and the body has been treated by different female theologians throughout the centuries, such as Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Ávila, and Elisabeth Behr-Sigel. We also encourage papers on art representation of the Trinity and the Body in a variety of art traditions (e.g., Western medieval as well as Byzantine religious art) and the theological implications, which this question brings. We have planned that the high quality papers presented at this papel will be submitted for publication in a collected volume.

Papers:

THE HIGH DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN BODY AS THE IMAGE OF THE TRINITY: WHEN TRINITARIAN AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEOLOGY TOUCHES EACH OTHER IN GREGORY PALAMAS' THEOLOGY

Mata De Vasconcelos H. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
In Palamas' theology, the human body has clear Trinitarian dimensions, and it is essentially its Christological and Pneumatic dimensions that make its dignity higher than the one of the angels. However, the first human body's Trinitarian dimension is the Paterological one: it has its origin in God, being created by God's energies of creative power and of the act of creating. Second and third, its Christological and Pneumatic dimensions signify that the human body is both the place in which the Holy Spirit vivifies and the place where the incarnation happens, as well as it became the symbol of incarnation. These three aspects make Palamas' anthropological theology highly positive: first, by being created by God and capable of attaining deification—that is, in Palamas' theology, being capable of seeing God and the divine Light, which is a divine energy; and second, by being an image of God. The human body is more the image of God than the angels specifically because it is a corporeal being, which gives human beings a dignity higher than that of the angels. Angels are incorporeal beings and do not have a vivifying power that vivifies their bodies as human beings have, nor can they externalize the mental human word through speaking, writing, arts, and sciences, and we do. These are images of the Spirit's breath and vivifier power and of the incarnation of the Word of God. As it is in the Trinity with the Pneuma and the Logos, breath and expression are interrelated in human beings/bodies. In short, in Palamas angels do reflect the Trinity in its immanent incorporeal life and are thus an image of the Trinity in their immanent dimension, while human beings, who are human bodies, are an image of the Trinity in reflecting both the Trinity's intratrinitarian relations and its economic mission. It is by being bodily beings that human beings are an image of the Trinity. In Palamas, Trinitarian theology and anthropological theology overlap in a precious and invaluable way.
THE HUMAN BODY IN THE DEIFYING LIGHT OF THE TRINITY: BYZANTINE MONASTIC FUNERAL SERVICES

Mitov G. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The term deification or theosis has a pivotal position in Byzantine theology, in particular, and in Eastern Orthodox theology, more broadly speaking. At the centre of this concept is the theological understanding that the human person is made according to the image and the likeness of the Trinity (Gn 1: 27) and as the three persons of the Trinity dwell in each other, so each human being is called to dwell in the Trinitarian God. However, the human person does not become a tertium quid in the Trinity, i.e. God by nature—but only a god by grace. Even though deification is the final goal of each human being, one can argue that especially the Byzantine monastic tradition is prominently marked by the continuous strive for the achievement of this aim. Furthermore, in Byzantium, the theological interpretation of the nature of deification and the ways of achieving it took place mainly in a monastic milieu. The deification of the human person changes also their bodies, as evident from the icons, which represent the already deified and, in this way, changed body of the saints. Moreover, the Byzantine funeral services, especially the monastic ones, reveal more aspects of the Byzantine understanding of the human body, deified in the Trinity. Therefore, in my paper, I will focus on the notion of the deified human body in some Byzantine monastic funeral services, which so far have remained unedited and largely neglected in scholarship.
"LAEVA EIUS SUB CAPITE MEO ET DEXTERA EIUS AMBLEXABITUR ME": WILLIAM OF SAINT-THIERRY'S SPIRITUAL INTERPRETATION OF THE SONG OF SONGS AND HIS TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY OF DEIFICATION

Hin Cheng N. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
William of Saint-Thierry presents a Trinitarian theology of deification in his Exposition on the Song of Songs. He spiritualizes the erotic imageries of the Song of Songs to present his Trinitarian theology of deification. Comparing his theology of deification in the Exposition to his previous works on deification, we are able to see that there is a shift from a Pneumatological focus in On Contemplating God and Meditations to a Trinitarian framework in the Exposition. This, I argue, is partly due to his spiritual reading of the Song of Songs which contributes to his forming of his Trinitarian theology of deification. And whilst William is original in his reading a Trinitarian theology of deification from the Song of Songs, I will also explain how he is heavily influenced by Augustine's psychological analogy of the Trinity. In this paper, I will present how the erotic imageries of the Song of Songs contributed to William's understanding of the Trinitarian theology of deification, the Trinitarian image of God in the human person, the correspondence of the faculties of the mind to the appropriations of the Trinity, the three theological virtues, and the biblical historical events of the Passion, Resurrection and Pentecost. I will delve into William's texts to show how he interprets certain imageries and narratives to craft a Trinitarian theology of deification - which includes his understanding of anthropology, theological virtues, unity with God etc. At the end, I will also put St Bernard of Clairvaux's Sermons on the Song of Songs in dialogue with William of Saint-Thierry, comparing how they discuss the Trinity in their respective interpretations of the Song of Songs.

Panel description: The principle of self-determination in personal life choices and the principle of democratic participation in the forms of management of collective instances have become almost axioms following the socio-cultural and juridical transformations that have affected state systems. The transposition of the 'consensus method' has therefore also become a challenge for the Catholic Church, an institutionally hierarchical community founded on principles of divine derivation, to open up to forms of greater co-responsibility, participation and adherence of the faithful in the formation of rules or decisions that involve the good of all or of the individuals concerned. In the perspective of a more synodal Church, according to the orientations of the current pontificate, the panel intends to examine the actual declinations of the consensus method in the various spheres of the ecclesial order, both ad intra in the relations between hierarchical authorities and the community of the faithful, and ad extra in the relations with States or international organisations, seeking to compare, on the one hand, the sense and relevance of this value in the light of the nature and mission of the Church, and on the other hand, the limits and resistance that may arise from a juridical tradition, although original with respect to States, but not entirely autonomous, insofar as it repeats its authority from the divine mandate.

Papers:

RECEPTION AS A CONSENSUS-BUILDING TOOL IN CANON LAW: PAST AND PRESENT

Ruscazio M.C. (Speaker)

University of Turin ~ Turin ~ Italy
The paper focuses on reception processes of a canonical rule as a mean of integrating the faithful community's consensus in a legal system centred on the normativity of truth, as mediated by the legitimate authority. In particular, it aims at exploring the way socio-cultural transformations, such as the progressive democratisation of decisional processes in contemporary societies and the increasing ethical pluralism, are reflected in the positive or negative reception attitude of Catholic faithful towards canonical norms issued by ecclesiastical authorities, through the comparison between past and current examples of reception/non-reception of canonical rules.
SYNODALITY AND CONSENSUS IN THE CHURCH. PROBLEMATIC PROFILES CONCERNING THE ROLE OF THE LAY FAITHFUL

Fabris C.M. (Speaker)

University of RomaTre ~ Rome ~ Italy
The paper intends to analyse, in the context of the debate on synodality, what the real role of the lay faithful in synodal processes might be, taking into account the intrinsic limits deriving from canonical discipline. Expectations of a democratisation of the Church, which have been present in ecclesial discussion since the middle of the last century, need to be re-dimensioned in the light of a correct interpretation of the principle of co-responsibility of the lay faithful in the governance of the Church.
CONSENSUAL REMEDIES FOR DISPUTE MANAGEMENT IN THE CHURCH

Zuanazzi I. (Speaker)

University of Turin ~ Turin ~ Italy
The contribution examines the possibilities and forms of implementation of consensual remedies in the management of different types of disputes in the Church: conciliation or mediation, settlement and arbitration. In spite of a general principle of favor conciliationis, transposed from the previous historical tradition, the current legislation dedicates few and restrictive canons to the use of consensual methods, without providing either special bodies or specific procedures for their implementation. Through a systematic interpretation and de iure condendo proposals, an attempt is made to incentivise alternative methods to litigation for resolving disputes, in order to promote more co-responsible and peaceful relations of the faithful among themselves and with the hierarchical authorities.
STATE AND CHURCH RELATIONS IN ITALY: TOWARDS A NEW MODEL OF COLLABORATION?

Dimodugno D. (Speaker)

University of Turin ~ Turin ~ Italy
Forty years after the signing of the new Concordat between the State and the Church in Italy (18 February 1984), it is time to take stock of its impact and relevance. Over these decades, social, cultural, and demographic conditions have undergone significant changes, alongside an increased degree of secularisation. In this evolving context - where traditional religions appear to be in decline while new religious movements assert a growing presence in the public sphere - it becomes essential to reconsider the traditional approaches and frameworks for cooperation between the State and religious denominations. Therefore, this paper aims to explore how the "consensus method" and the tools of "participatory democracy" might be adapted to foster meaningful dialogue with the Church and other religious communities in a pluralistic and multicultural society.
THE ABILITY OF CONSENT TO BECOME A DYNAMIC LEGAL INSTRUMENT FOR ENHANCING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM

Ciravegna M. (Speaker)

University of Turin ~ Turin ~ Italy
The contribution aims to explore the importance attributed to consent in canon law, as well as its implications in the recognition of ecclesiastical decisions, particularly in matrimonial matters, in relation to the application of the public policy limitation. Significant attention will be devoted to developments in Italian jurisprudence and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, with a particular focus on the evolution of the concept of "mitigated" public policy. The aim is to propose consent as a mechanism capable, on the one hand, of balancing personal freedom with the protection of the fundamental values of the legal order, and, on the other, of mitigating tensions between religious and civil norms.

Panel description: While the traditional model of state regulation towards religions remains essentially bilateral, encompassing both concordatarian states and separatist states, new forms of multilateral consultation between religions are emerging to interact with public authorities. These are either initiatives by the religions themselves to negotiate more strongly, or invitations from the public authorities themselves. Such initiatives encompass a range of approaches, from the encouragement of non-discriminatory policies to the stimulation of horizontal cooperation between religions. How, then, can we analyse the emergence of such practices today, in the diversity of their forms (financing of worship, multiconfessional spaces, urban management, participatory democracy, etc.)? This raises the question of how this new form of multilateralism affects, or is affected by, the internal practices of religious groups and their management of diversity, whether internal or external. It also raises the question of how one can articulate the concrete practices of "synodality" in various Christian Churches and the learning of political participatory democracy. The challenge for the panel will be to engage jurists, theologians, political scientists and socio-anthropologists in a multidisciplinary debate on these issues.

Papers:

DIALOGUE WITH RELIGIOUS AND BELIEF ACTORS: WHAT ROLE FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS? A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE FROM THE EXAMPLE OF SECURITY ISSUES

Vanbelligen L. (Speaker)

Université catholique de Louvain ~ Louvain-la-Neuve ~ Belgium
The paper analyses the OSCE's recent work on Dialogue and Security and compares it with other international initiatives.
LES FABRIQUES D'ÉGLISE COMME INFRAPOLITIQUES DU DIALOGUE ETAT-EGLISE : REGARDS CROISÉS SUR LES AVATARS HYBRIDES DE L'ÉTAT BELGE

Baraka J. (Speaker)

Université catholique de Louvain ~ Louvain-la-Neuve ~ Belgium
L'argument est de démontrer que les fabriques d'Église qui comprennent des représentants de l'Etat et des représentants des paroisses et dont la nature juridique est celle des services d'utilité publique (re)questionnement la nature sécularisée de l'Etat belge qui a dans sa substance des institutions et des pratiques infrapolitiques (voir James Scott).Ainsi, les fabriques d'églises sont dès lors étudiées sous l'angle des cadres favorisant un dialogue institutionnel hybride par résistance "infrapolitique", c'est à dire des institutions qui sont présentées officiellement comme relevant des pouvoirs publics alors qu'en réalité il s'agit d'une forme de résistance ecclésiale permettant un dialogue permanent et institutionnel remodelant les rapports substantiels par le bas (communes) entre l'État et l'Église.
SYNODALITÉ CATHOLIQUE ET DÉFI DE NOUVELLES FORMES DE CONCERTATION AVEC LES ETATS

Christians L. (Speaker)

Université catholique de Louvain ~ Louvain-la-Neuve ~ Belgium
La communication analyse le document final du Synode catholique de 2024 et les conséquences sur les relations externes de l'Eglise catholique, en relation avec les autres confessions et religions, et les Etats. Comment une ouverture des structures ecclésiales internes à l'Eglise catholique pourrait annoncer (ou confirmer) un déplacement de l'implication des religions dans le multilatéralisme international.

Panel description: This panel features a combination of journalists and scholars exploring the ways the news media both contributes to, and reports on, religion and socio-cultural transformation in Europe. Journalists featured on the panel reflect on what it means to report on religious landscapes and communities with balance, accuracy, and insight. Keenly aware how "journalistic representations of religion can assume a reality distinct from religions' actual, in-the-world existence," (Winston 2012) the featured journalists will offer comments on how coverage of religion can avoid contributing to or exacerbating hate-speech, conflicts, and tensions among religious communities and/or towards religious communities. Elisa Di Benedetto, a freelance reporter and Managing Director of the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ), will explore the challenges journalists face when covering religion, faith and spirituality. Ken Chitwood, a religion reporter and scholar in Germany, compares and contrasts the norms, aesthetics, and ethics of academic and journalistic coverage of religion, offering suggestions for additional collaboration and cross-pollination between the two. The winner of the IARJ 2025 Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award will discuss their awarded work and what might be learned from their award-winning coverage. At the same time, every journalist appreciates that a key aspect of reporting on intertwined religion and socio-cultural issues such as individualization and secularization, gender identification and sexual orientation, digitalization and the ecological crisis, necessitates access to resources from the work of scholars doing in-depth research on such themes. Thus, this panel invites scholars to contribute their own comments on, experience with, and critique of media coverage of religion in Europe, with the aim of contributing to further dialogue between scholars and journalists in order to advance conversations around religion among various publics.

Papers:

THE RELIGION ANGLE: EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF COVERING RELIGION, FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY.

Di Benedetto E. (Speaker)

International Association of Religion Journalists-IARJ ~ Salt Lake City ~ United States of America
In a time when hate speech and fake news are increasingly fostering discrimination, the role of journalists and the media becomes critical - especially when covering issues such as religion, faith, and spirituality. What are the challenges for journalists reporting on religion? Is religion literacy enough to provide accurate and balanced coverage of religion? What are the tools available to journalists? The work of religion reporters shows how challenging and diverse religion journalism can be, in terms of contexts, standards, perspectives, and specific training. Nevertheless, there are some common features, including the intersectionality of religion with other social categories, as well as the skills necessary in dealing with sources and navigating how the journalists' own faith may affect their reporting. While the media are often considered responsible for fostering bias, stereotypes, and social polarization, religion journalists can play a key role in countering hate speech and the spread of fake news and discrimination, thus contributing to an inclusive society through their work.
"BUT YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND": RELIGION SCHOLARS, RELIGION REPORTERS, AND THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION

Chitwood K. (Speaker)

Universität Bayreuth ~ Bayreuth ~ Germany
Journalists turn to researchers as expert sources when reporting on issues of import in the world of religion. In turn, scholars of religion look to journalists to report on, and amplify, their academic insights and contributions. Both are committed to accurate, fair, and balanced coverage of religion in the media, so that multiple publics might have a better understanding of religion. Nonetheless, there can often be misunderstanding, disappointment, and outright conflict between journalists and scholars. On the one hand, journalists may be frustrated with academics' insistence on jargon in discussing their research or their lack of appreciation for the compressed timelines and need for quick turnaround on deadline. On the other hand, scholars may be disquieted by journalists' lack of nuance in covering complex issues, quote selection, or seemingly jejune simplifications as they attempt to communicate with popular audiences. In this paper, I compare and contrast the norms, aesthetics, and ethics of academic and journalistic coverage of religion. Given the symbiotic relationship between religion scholarship and journalism, I offer critical suggestions for additional collaboration and cross-pollination between the two, so that various publics might better appreciate the importance, diversity, and changing nature of religion in Europe.
COVERING RELIGION: PIAZZA GRANDE RELIGION JOURNALISM AWARD

Grande P. (Speaker)

International Association of Religion Journalists ~ Salt Lake City ~ United States of America
The winner of the 2025 Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award will discuss their awarded work and what might be learned from their award-winning coverage. The Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award, first launched in 2019 by the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ) with the support of Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII (FSCIRE), is aimed at honouring and promoting the work of journalists covering religion and spirituality in Europe and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin. In the first three editionsof the award, Journalists based in over twenty different countries submitted their stories exploring a wide range of topics related to religion and faith and their intersection with public life, migration, conflicts and human rights, but also with music, art and technology.

Panel description: This panel explores the question: What serves as an anchor for contemporary Hinduism even as political shifts and increased mobility worldwide have resulted in significant transformation of the social fabric of Hindu communities? The two papers in the panel examine this theme from different perspectives and find cultural memory - preserved through narratives and long cherished spiritual ideas - to be one such component. The first paper, titled "Leap of the Limping Goddess: Upward Mobility of Ai Khodiyar and Her Worshippers," examines the recent rise of the divine status of a regional goddess on pan-Indian and global stage with transformation of the socio-political standing of her worshippers as well as their immigration to different parts of India and the world. It focuses on the role played in this by Khodiyar's cultural memory, which was traditionally preserved in oral narratives, but now circulates in print, audio-visual media, and on the internet in Indic languages and English. The second paper, titled "Remembering in the City: Samadhis as Sites of Memory-making in Vrindavan," discusses how the memory of saints channeled through storytelling inscribes their burial sites - samadhi - with deep spiritual meaning and shapes the sacred landscape. Studying the samadhi of the sixteenth century Gaudiya Vaishnava theologian and saint, Rupa Goswami, in Vrindavan, north India, this paper discusses how it embodies the presence of the saint and spiritual teachings in present times, even though the material culture and social ethos around it have been continually changing with visitors from around the world. Both presentations engage with scholarship in religious studies, sociology, and memory studies. During their presentations, the presenters will support their core arguments with visual materials like photographs and videos.

Papers:

LEAP OF THE LIMPING GODDESS: UPWARD MOBILITY OF AI KHODIYAR AND HER WORSHIPPERS

Shukla-Bhatt N. (Speaker) [1] , Taneja L. (Speaker) [2]

Wellesley College ~ Wellesley, MA ~ United States of America [1] , Zayed University ~ Dubai ~ United Arab Emirates [2]
Socio-cultural transformations in the current era impact not only communities, but at times also divinities. The journey of a regional Hindu goddess, Ai Khodiyar, from the peninsular area of Saurashtra in western in India to the global stage in real and virtual spaces offers an illuminating example. Worshipped in a part of the present-day Gujarat state for centuries, Ai Khodiyar is a deified woman of a bard Charan caste. As per her myth, an accident led to her limping (khodi in Gujarati). Hence, the name Khodiyar, with ai (mother) added for respect. Until modern times, Khodiyar was a popular goddess in Saurashtra revered for her power to protect her worshippers, who, except for a few royal families, came mostly from the middle or lower classes. However, recently, with the rise of the socio-political stature of her devotees, her worship and the number of her shrines have seen remarkable expansion, in India and globally. Her worshippers now include people from all layers of society. Her myths, earlier in oral circulation, are now available in elite books, print media, films, videos, and on internet sites in Indic languages and English. Major businesses incorporate "Khodiyar" in their names. This paper will examine the rise of the divine stature of Khodiyar against the backdrop of socio-political shifts in Gujarat in contemporary times, propelled further by globalization. Engaging with concepts referring to two opposite currents in Indian history - Sanskritization (emulation of elite culture) and vernacularization (empowerment of local cultures) - offered by sociologist Srinivas (1952) and literary scholar Pollock (1998) respectively, it will discuss how Hindu religious ethos today engages with social transformation through cultural memory preserved in narratives
REMEMBERING IN THE CITY: SAMADHIS AS SITES OF MEMORY-MAKING IN VRINDAVAN

Taneja L. (Speaker)

Zayed University ~ Dubai ~ United Arab Emirates
The guru or spiritual teacher has remained at the nexus of Indic society as a figure revered for his innate wisdom, vast knowledge of spiritual texts, and status as a living receptacle for divinity. Given the importance of the guru in Indian religions, the structure of the samadhi or burial site occupies a critical position in South Asian architectural history. The samadhi shrine marks the final resting-place of a realized guru's body. In the past few years, research on samadhis has grown (Hatcher 2021, Kim 2021, Sears 2008). This paper advances these studies by undertaking an in-depth examination of the samadhi of Rupa Goswami (1489-1564), a revered Gaudiya Vaishnava saint and theologian, in Vrindavan, north India. In this region, the saint's cultural memory channelized through storytelling helps shape the history of the Gaudiya tradition and its sacred landscape. The stories locate, mediate and sustain the community's values and inscribe them onto the contemporary landscape. Drawing on ethnographic research, this paper probes the following questions: how do Vaishnavas remember and how do these practices shape and are shaped by the built form of the samadhi? How does the material culture around it embody the past presence of the saint? And finally, how does the samadhi help communities and individuals, create collective memory that is inscribed and has transformed the rural landscape of Vrindavan.

Panel description: This AMC panel focuses on Spirits of the Space Age (Oxford 2024), Kelly E. Hayes's study of the Valley of the Dawn. The largest new religious movement in Brazil with a growing international presence, the Valley is known for rituals of spiritual healing performed by adepts dressed in colorful vestments. Drawing on fieldwork at the Valley's Mother Temple near Brasília, Spirits of the Space Age demonstrates how NRMs respond to socio-cultural transformations that have marked the late twentieth century. Where NRMs in Europe tend to emerge in contexts of state-sponsored secularism, Brazil's Valley of the Dawn combines Catholic, indigenous, and esoteric traditions to address adepts' practical concerns. Founded in the early 1960s amid Brazil's dramatic modernization—marked by rapid industrialization, massive rural-to-urban migration, economic fluctuations, and the construction of Brasília—the Valley offers a distinctive response to these transformations. The founder Aunt Neiva, who migrated to Brasília to work as a truck driver, created an elaborate ritual system and material culture addressing the dislocations and aspirations marking Brazil's efforts to become modern. Since Aunt Neiva's death in 1985, the Valley has grown into a global movement with over 800 temples worldwide. Hayes argues this success stems from the movement's capacity to offer an alternative vision of modernity—one where the promises of collective progress, justice, and prosperity are made tangible rather than remaining unreachable ideals. While mainstream institutions in Brazil often perpetuate inequality and social isolation, the Valley provides free spiritual education, collective healing work, and restorative justice practices that embody the ideals secular modernity has failed to create for many. This case study demonstrates how religious movements create institutional alternatives that engage with and reflect the failures of the secular nation state.

Papers:

Panel description: Jewish thought in the twentieth century experienced profound upheavals, rivaling, if not surpassing, the turbulence of the two thousand years of Jewish exile. This reality profoundly impacted numerous thinkers who emerged from diverse Jewish communities across Europe, only to find themselves suddenly without a home, without a stable historical legacy, without a homeland, and facing a deep crisis of identity. In this panel, we aim to explore various approaches taken by these thinkers as they grappled with these crises, each in their unique way. Some chose to remain in Europe even after World War II, driven by a desire to rebuild Jewish communities, revive Jewish consciousness, and reconstruct European Jewish thought. Others sought new places to call home. Yet all of them, without exception, were part of an intellectual lineage with undeniable European roots. Indeed, those who stayed in Europe remained there physically, but their critical approach toward their environment and heritage resonates in their thought. Those who left the continent retained an enduring connection to their cultural origins, grappling throughout their lives with the tension between their departure and the enduring dialogue with the cultural incubator in which they were nurtured. What, then, is the place of European cultural and spiritual heritage in the works of these thinkers? Where do their loyalties lie? How does this dissonance—personal, social, national, and human—shape and sustain their intellectual pursuits? These questions, and others, will be examined in depth during the panel, which will showcase a wide range of strategies for confronting and engaging with these challenges.

Papers:

ARE WE STILL EUROPEANS? BANNING EUROPE IN POSTWAR JEWISH THOUGHT

Hershkowitz I. (Speaker)

Bar-Ilan University ~ Ramat-Gan ~ Israel
At the end of World War II, millions of Jews found themselves uprooted—not only from their homes, families, and communities but also from their heritage and cultural origins. Over time, various strategies emerged to cope with these profound dislocations. In this lecture, I will focus on one such approach: the symbolic and practical "ban" on Europe as a whole. For several thinkers and halakhic authorities, the only way to address the catastrophic rupture was through a complete severance—a religious "get" (divorce document) of sorts. The methods by which these thinkers and authorities implemented this ban were diverse. Some sought to codify it as a halakhic ruling, prohibiting Jews from ever setting foot on European soil again. Others took the form of personal oaths or public declarations, cutting ties with the historical covenant they had once shared with their homeland. Still others, whether quietly or with great fanfare, announced that they no longer had any connection to the continent that had expelled them. This lecture will explore the motivations, implications, and variations of this response, shedding light on one of the most dramatic and symbolic reactions to the devastation of European Jewry.
TRANSLATION, TRANSFORMATION & THE CONCEPT OF INFINITY: MODERN JEWISH THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF THE BURNING BUSH

Feldmann-Kaye M. (Speaker)

Bar-Ilan University ~ Ramat-Gan ~ Israel
This lecture proposes a new and developed theory of the dialogical strand in existentialist thought in light of Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. The biblical narrative of the Burning Bush offers a hermeneutic opportunity in the Jewish and dialogical strands of thought, which are rooted in philosophical translations of the words 'I will be what I will be'. This lecture will trace the philosophical interpretations of these thinkers of these words as a test-case for considering the role of the 'transformation' of the individual (based on the Mosaic figure at the theophanic moment) in different religious traditions.
THE POSTWAR JEWISH PHILOSOPHY OF RABBI DR. YESHAAYAHU AVIAD-WOLFSBERG

Mashiach A. (Speaker)

Ariel University ~ Ariel ~ Israel
Rabbi Dr. Isaiah Aviad (Wolfsberg) (1893-1957) was one of the leading thinkers of religious Zionism. This lecture will explore his perspective on the Holocaust and its implications for Jewish thought. Within Jewish theology, three primary approaches have traditionally addressed the problem of evil in the world: the classical-causal approach, the teleological approach, and the indifferent approach. The classical-causal approach interprets suffering as the result of a cause-and-effect process: the Israelites failed to meet God's expectations and were consequently punished. The teleological approach, by contrast, views present suffering not as a consequence of past sins but as having a future-oriented purpose. The indifferent approach, however, assigns no religious significance to human suffering, viewing it instead as a byproduct of human carelessness or apathy. Rabbi Aviad navigates among these three frameworks in his treatment of the Holocaust, incorporating an additional element—the Hegelian dialectic. Ultimately, he concludes that the establishment of the State of Israel represents both the redemption and the teleological significance of Jewish suffering, including the tragedy of the Holocaust. This lecture will analyze Aviad's synthesis and its implications for religious Zionist thought.
THE CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES OF RABBINICAL STUDIES IN (POST) CENTRAL-EUROPE

Balázs G. (Speaker) , Zeitler Á. (Speaker)

Országos Rabbiképző - Zsidó Egyetem ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
This lecture will demonstrate why the contemporary Jewish reality in Central and Eastern Europe cannot be adequately understood through the traditional conceptual frameworks of Jewish religion and identity. The case study will focus on the rabbinical training programme of the Hungarian Rabbinical Seminary, which has been in operation for nearly 150 years. The main challenge of rabbinical training lies in developing curricula that are both theoretically relevant and practically applicable to a Jewish community that has undergone profound transformations. Although traditionally part of European Jewry, today this community exists in a post-European political and social milieu. It can be characterized not only as post-denominational—eschewing rigid affiliations with traditional Jewish movements—but perhaps also as post-religious, with many members redefining their Jewish identity in cultural, historical, or ethnic terms rather than through religious observance. The lecture will explore how these shifts impact rabbinical education, focusing on the tensions between maintaining continuity with European Jewish traditions and addressing the radically changed realities of Jewish life in a secularized, globalized world. It will also discuss the implications of these dynamics for the future of Jewish communal leadership in the region.

Panel description: Following the core theme of EuARe 2025, "Religion and Socio-Cultural Transformation," we invite papers that explore the disruption of the postwar liberal order in Catholic political thought, whether from a decolonial focus, an anti-globalist frame, or even a revival of Catholic political discourse from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, some Catholic political theorists and actors, including Church leaders, have embraced integralism or a variety of other theories rejecting political modernity. Such thinking dramatically contrasts with well-established different ideas of church and state as well as interpretations of the Second Vatican Council and Catholic social doctrine, particularly on religious liberty, ecumenism, and inter-religious dialogue. We seek papers that explore local situations and theological traditions to assess how the disruption of the liberal order is received (or promoted) within diverse contexts of contemporary Global Catholicism.

Papers:

THE CATHOLIC SECTARIAN RESPONSE TO THE POST-WAR LIBERAL ESTABLISHMENT IN AMERICA

Massa M. (Speaker)

Boisi Center at Boston College ~ Boston ~ United States of America
In the decades after World War II a deeply sectarian form of Roman Catholicism emerged in the American Catholic Church in response to the perceived threats of modern culture. Much like its Protestant analogue (which emerged after 1919), Catholic Fundamentalism was a fragile coalition of anti-modernist activists deeply opposed to increasing pluralism within American society, changes within the Catholic Church itself, and "Liberalism" itself. Indeed, it was the opposition to this latter word itself which united the various individuals and movements that made up this phenomenon. Leonard Feeney,a Jesuit priest working in Cambridge, Massachusetts, embodied its first appearance, and the elements that defined Feeney's "crusade" (sectarianism, primitivism, an a-historical understanding of theological development, and an alliance with political conservatives) defined the movements that came after him.
THE POWERS OF THE CHURCH: INTEGRALISM AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

O'Regan E. (Speaker)

Trinity College Dublin ~ Dublin ~ Ireland
Before the Second Vatican Council, a dispute arose concerning the division of the powers of the Church, which had an immediate impact on the question of religious freedom. Joaquín Salaverri argued that the powers of the Church should be directly modelled on the threefold office of Christ, concerning the functions of teaching, governing and sanctifying (order, jurisdiction and magisterium), while Lawrence R. Sotillo defended the classical medieval view that there are just two powers in the Church - those of order and jurisdiction. Theologians such as John Courtney Murray followed St. Robert Bellarmine in arguing for the indirect power of the pope in temporal affairs (which allows for the separation of church and state). While others, such as Joseph Clifford Fenton backed Lawerence R. Sotillo in arguing for two powers, and in doing so, rejected any potential revision to the Church teaching on religious freedom. In order to advance his theory of the potestas indirecta, Bellarmine argued that there are three powers in the Church, and in doing so, supplied the basis for the concept of an ordinary exercise of the papal magisterium, which demands the assent of religious obedience. If there are only two powers in the Church, then the teaching power and ruling power are collapsed together under the power of jurisdiction. This means there can be no essential difference between doctrine and discipline, which leads to the conclusion that doctrine must be strictly enforced through the rule of ecclesiastical discipline. If there is no separation of the church and state, and the pope has a direct power in temporal affairs, then in the restored Respublica Christiania envisaged in integralist thought, the state can justifiably use coercion to suppress other religions, and ban secular freedoms such as civil divorce, criminalize homosexuality, etc.

Panel description: Robin May Schott pointed out in 2003 that Western feminists had moved beyond the phase of negative critiques of the Western canon and were increasingly engaged in the positive construction of feminist theories emerging from the ashes of those canonical texts. More recently, Li-Hsiang Lisa Roselee has argued that mainstream feminism constructs a hierarchy of cultures and imposes its biases on non-Western traditions. Echoing those voices, this panel aims to develop more positive perspectives on gender and sexuality within Confucian and Daoist traditions. Dr. Cai's paper focuses on the classical age of Chinese civilizations (ca. 8th century BCE-2nd century CE). She demonstrates that the Confucian canons acknowledge sexual desire as a fundamental instinct and an essential component of genuine human nature. Dr. Choo's paper examines Daoist canons in medieval China as a case study, showing that while childbirth-centered rituals reinforced prevailing misogynistic norms, they also created spaces for women to exercise agency. Dr. Xu's paper argues that during the Song dynasty, women from outside traditional social spheres often penetrated men's legitimate domains without jeopardizing the established social order. While some radical feminists focus on extreme criminal cases involving sex (e.g., The Right to Sex), analyzing such cases neither represents broader realities nor provides a normativity that can guide the future. Instead, this panel will concentrate on the positive representations of gender and sexuality in Chinese sources. These representations might be criticized for overlooking the darker aspects of reality. However, through this reconstruction, the panel hopes to inspire the younger generation—especially young women—with courage and confidence to embrace romance and sexuality in a healthy and fulfilling way.

Papers:

SEXUAL PROWESS EMPOWERS WOMEN: A CLICHÉ IN CHINESE TRADITION AND A NEW ARGUMENT FOR FEMINISM?

Cai L. (Speaker)

University of Notre Dame ~ Notre Dame ~ United States of America
Feminist critiques of the sexual subordination of women and the reduction of sex to male pleasure are relevant in every society. These critiques have played a crucial role in liberating women, particularly from sexual oppression. However, such phenomena do not represent the experiences of all men or women, nor do they reflect the normality of every society. Can we envision a more idealized norm of sexuality for future generations? Moreover, can non-Western traditions contribute to the discourse of Western feminism? In classical Confucian canons, romantic love and sexual desire are recognized as fundamental instincts and essential components of genuine human nature. Confucians argue that while uncontrolled sexual drives may lead to licentious and harmful behaviors, becoming a destructive force, they can also be elevated to something sublime. In fact, the sincerity of sexual desires can be celebrated as eternal. Additionally, classical Chinese literature and historiography often highlight the sexual prowess of women. These women were not only seen as possessing the monarch's body but also as presiding his empire. The sexual prowess of women was both acknowledged and found alluring by Chinese elites, yet they also feared its potency, offering serious warnings about its dangers to those in positions of authority.
WHEN MISOGYNY IS EMPOWERING: GENDERED SOTERIOLOGY IN DAOISM

Choo J. (Speaker)

Rutgers University ~ New Brunswick ~ United States of America
Daoism has often been characterized as reflecting a proto-feminist propensity due to its emphasis on the balance between yin and yang and its preference for the feminine and weak over the masculine and strong. However, this propensity did not extend to ritual practices. On the contrary, Daoist rituals frequently reinforced the patriarchal and misogynistic notions deeply embedded in medieval Chinese society. Yet paradoxically, these same rituals—particularly those addressing childbirth and maternal mortality—provided women with instruments to negotiate their familial and religious lives. This paper examines childbirth-centered rituals in medieval Daoism. These practices, often rooted in beliefs about female impurity and pollution—most famously illustrated by the 'blood hell' belief—simultaneously constrained and empowered women. By focusing on the cosmological frameworks and ritual mechanisms underpinning these practices, the paper explores how Daoist gendered soteriology operated. While the childbirth-centered rituals reinforced prevailing misogynistic norms, they also created spaces for women to exercise agency. This paradoxical dynamic highlights an intriguing tension between ritualized misogyny and gendered agency.
WOMEN, FAMILY, AND CONFUCIANISM IN CHINA DURING THE SONG PERIOD

Xu M. (Speaker)

Tufts University ~ Boston ~ United States of America
Although historians have pointed out the exclusiveness of Neo-Confucianism as an intellectual and political movement in the Song era, it does not suggest gender segregation was a Neo-Confucian-exclusive notion. A number of Song Confucian moralists, including Neo-Confucians, contextualized their knowledge of the ancient ideal of gender segregation in stressful political and social atmosphere, and promoted it as the linchpin of a reconstructed social order in theory and practice. Despite their efforts to keep women behind the middle gate in elite families, women found many opportunities to cross the main gates of their houses and go outside in reality. Confucian scholars did not apply the same expectations for elite women to commoner women, and low-class women's presence in outside spheres was ubiquitous and quotidian. Actually, Song narratives discussing women's activities outside the household show elite males' acknowledgement and acceptance of a more flexible space for women, which went beyond the limits imagined by Confucian moral preaching. Women on the outside thus penetrated men's legitimate territory, but without jeopardizing the social order. Furthermore, women's place in the afterlife was not a reflection of the hierarchies on earth but a new construction. The strict inner-outer separation proposed in family precepts did not find a place in the Neo-Confucian discourse on afterlife and local practice. Taking these facts into account, one can no longer say that there was a unified and dominant ideology of female seclusion or confinement in the Song period.

Panel description: This panel delves into the tumultuous journey of Chinese Catholicism during a period marked by profound social, political, and religious upheaval. From the anti-foreign Boxer Rebellion to the turbulent early 20th century, Chinese Christians faced the dual challenge of surviving persecution and adapting to a rapidly changing world. We will explore the intricate interplay between faith, politics, and international relations, examining the impact of pivotal events such as the Boxer Rebellion, the May Fourth Movement, and the onset of the Sino-Japanese War. A particular focus will be on the complex dynamics between the Holy See, Republican China, Imperial Japan (including Manchukuo), and their influence on the trajectory of Chinese Catholicism. The panel will discuss the diverse strategies employed by Chinese Christians to navigate these geopolitical tensions, including diplomatic efforts, theological adaptations, and social engagement. By doing so, we aim to shed light on the resilience and adaptability of Chinese Christianity in the face of adversity.

Papers:

"PERMITTITUR CONFUCII CULTUS" THE FIRST CHINESE COUNCIL IN LIGHT OF THE CHINESE RITES CONTROVERSY AND THE SINISATION OF THE CHINESE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Bottanelli V. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
The long longed for need for a mindful sinicisation of Christianity was answered in Shanghai Council through two routes: the indigenisation of the clergy - which follows the footsteps of 1845 De clero Indigena, and of the enciclica Maximum Illud- and the beginning of the resolution of the Chinese rites controversy. The fragile balance between adaptation and inreligionisation - as defined by the Sri-Lankan theologian Alosius Piers-, had on the Confucian rites its core focus for the history of Chinese Christianity. However, current historiography seems to relegate the issues to XVII and XVIII century debates. On the contrary, this issue was far from over, and the Chinese rites return to the forefront of discussion in the early 20th century, in a broader reflection on the role of the Catholic Church in the world and the new missiology. This paper aims to analyse the resolutions included in Book III, caput VI "De Vitandis Ritibus superstitiosis in funebris et cultu Defunctorum" of the acts of the Primum Concilium Sinense, and to connect them with the broader history of the Chinese rites controversy, from the first Jesuit mission to Plane Compertum, signed by Pope Pius XII. This will take the leads from XVIII century papal bulls Ex Illa Die and Ex quo Singulari, the latter mentioned in the act of the Council, and XIX century controversies involving Joseph Gabet and Jacobini, up to Celso Costantini letters and personal diaries before and after Shanghai Council.
HOLY SEE AND MANCHUKUÒ: THE DIFFICULT EPILOGUE OF A DOUBTFUL RECOGNITION

Solazzo C. (Speaker) [1] , Bottanelli V. (Speaker) [2]

FSCIRE ~ Bologna ~ Italy [1] , Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy [2]
Between the last years of the pontificate of Pius XI and the early pontificate of Pius XII, the cross-relations between the Holy See, China and Japan reached the most critical moment in the history of the 20th century. Caught between the desire to maintain an independent diplomacy from fascist Italy, which together with Japan was pressing for an official recognition of Manchukuò, and the need to have a representation for the over 150,000 Catholics, 0.5% of the population, in the occupied territory, the Holy See wavered between a persistent silence in answer to the official communication of the filo-japanese puppet state, and the final appointment of an ad tempore delegate to Manchukuò, Auguste Gaspais, in 1934. The aim of this work is to reconstruct the history of relations between the Holy See and Manchukuò, and their role in the aftermath of the war. This work will start from the reconstruction of the Holy See-Manchukuò relations as recorded in Celso Costantini's memorandum to Msr. Montini, dated 30 November 1944 (Propaganda Fide, rubr. 2411, Manchuria), and then turn the article published on the Holy See Journals and Periodical, with a particular attention ot the Osservatore Romano.

Panel description: Deconversion, the process of losing religious faith or beliefs associated with a particular religion, is increasingly prevalent in late modern societies characterized by pluralism, individualism, and fluid identity constructs. It is a multidimensional phenomenon that involves not only a departure from religion, but also a change in religious affiliation. This panel focuses on the diverse pathways and experiences of deconversion, highlighting the interplay between personal narratives, sociocultural contexts, and existential reflections. The dominant patterns of deconversion include not only abrupt and radical rejection of religious beliefs and practices, but also gradual departure from religious faith as well as the process of negotiation between different religious and non-religious identities. In each case deconversion is influenced by factors related to personalities, social networks, and cognitive and emotional processes. The study of conversion in late modernity should be situated in a broader cultural framework, including secularization, social acceleration, religious pluralism, privatization, and the rise of new forms of religiosity and spirituality. Religious scholars, sociologists, and psychologists interested in the dynamics and varieties of deconversion in the modern world are invited to participate in the panel.

Papers:

DECONVERSION AND IDENTITY IN LATE MODERN SOCIETY

Sztajer S. (Speaker)

Adam Mickiewicz University ~ Poznan ~ Poland
The relationship between late modernity and identity has been explored by scholars such as Anthony Giddens, Ulrich Beck, and Zygmunt Bauman, who argue that under the influence of broader social and cultural changes, risks, and uncertainties, identity is not only fluid and unstable, but also becomes a project carried out by individuals. Deconversion, like conversion before it, is a process that plays a significant role in the reconstruction of self-identity. On the one hand, deconversion becomes much easier and more widespread in late modernity, as there are many alternative worldviews and ways of life. On the other hand, under the conditions of late modernity, deconversion is an effective tool for constructing new and reconstructing existing identities, and thus one of many responses to experiences of uncertainty and confusion. As a result, deconversion takes on unprecedented forms in late modern society. It is also mediated and supported by new information technologies, especially virtual social networks. These technologies play a key role not only in facilitating deconversion, but also in mediating the process of deconversion itself.
PATHS TO DECONVERSION: FROM LOVE TO DISGUST. COGNITIVE DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Berdowicz E. (Speaker)

Adam Mickiewicz University ~ Poznan ~ Poland
The contemporary religious marketplace provides many opportunities for religious seekers to find a safe haven. Driven by various motives including life hardships or existential emptiness, they decide to join a chosen group they have got attracted to. While being novices, they tend to accept everything that is said without questioning neither the content nor the preacher. However, as time goes by, the already regular members may start to realize that the utopian vision they were cultivating at the initial stage of their formative process, has nothing in common with the reality. Moreover, the solutions they were hoping to find and then put into practice, have proved to be misleading. Their disillusionment may take different forms and what is most important, in some cases it may even lead to a permanent loss of faith. A cognitive approach to discourse analysis focuses on investigating how people think by looking at what they say and how they say it. This particular strategy may also be applied to studying how deconverts conceptualize specific situations and events they participated in or witnessed while belonging to a given religious community and which finally affected their current worldview. Understanding what is going on in deconverts' minds may help to gain a deeper insight into the causes of one's radical shift followed by their complete departure. Exploring opposite ends of the spectrum is therefore the main objective of this research.
NEGOTIATING NON-RELIGION: DECONVERSION AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH ISLAMIC BACKGROUNDS IN SPAIN

Sajir Z. (Speaker)

University of Salamanca ~ Salamanca ~ Spain
This paper explores the nuanced dynamics of deconversion within Spain's increasingly secular yet religiously pluralistic society, focusing on individuals with Islamic cultural and religious backgrounds. Informed by the theoretical frameworks of secularization, exculturation, and religious pluralism, the study situates non-religion as a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by intergenerational shifts, cultural stigmas, and sociopolitical contexts. Drawing on initial qualitative insights and limited quantitative data, this research reveals the complexities of deconversion in Islamic communities, where religious identity often intersects with broader questions of belonging, belief, and orthopraxy. It examines how social pressures within tightly knit migrant communities and the cultural taboo of apostasy challenge conventional narratives of deconversion, particularly in contexts where religiosity extends beyond belief to encompass lifestyle and practice. By bridging the sociology of religion with migration studies, this paper contributes to contemporary debates on the spectrum of non-religion and its implications for identity negotiation in late modernity. It calls for a critical reevaluation of sociological paradigms, advocating for more inclusive methodologies that account for the diversity of non-religious experiences across cultural and religious contexts. Ultimately, this study underscores the importance of understanding deconversion not as a mere rejection of faith but as a transformative process shaped by pluralistic and globalized realities.
DECONVERSION: LEGAL ASPECTS

Domzalski M. (Speaker)

Polish Land Forces ~ Lomza ~ Poland
Among all human rights, freedom of conscience and religion holds a special place. Freedom of conscience and religion has been shaped by numerous and long-term social, historical and philosophical processes. According to Article 53, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Constitution, "Freedom of conscience and religion shall be ensured to everyone" and "Freedom of religion includes the freedom to profess or adopt a religion of one's own choice and to manifest one's religion individually or with others, publicly or privately, through worship, prayer, participation in ceremonies, practice and teaching." International law also plays an important role in the system of protecting human rights, including religious freedom. In addition to national regulations, standards regarding freedom of religion are also included in numerous acts of international law. The right to change religion includes two rights: the right to join a religious community and the right to leave it. The right to change religion is closely linked to freedom from coercion in matters of faith and worldview. There is no possibility for the state to decide on the religious beliefs of its citizens, or even to take steps to force citizens to change their religious beliefs. The study uses the formal-dogmatic method, enriched by the theoretical-legal method.

Panel description: Religion and aesthetics are deeply connected. Various religious studies and theological analyses include aesthetic aspects and concepts. Aesthetics is thereby understood in a very broad sense, as there is no commonly accepted agreement on its definition, and its relationship with religious experience still offers much to be investigated. Aesthetics, as a philosophical discipline in its own right, has been established since the 18th century, and is thus (unlike ethics, for example) still a young interlocutor for religious studies and theological reflection. The main element that links aesthetic perspectives on religion is the fact that these perspectives do not primarily consider religions in their doctrinal, legal, moral, ethical, political and sociological dimensions, but rather look at religions as aesthetic programs: The context of their doctrine and law, their cultic and ritual prescriptions, their forms of institutionalisation and community building, etc., are always to be understood as aesthetic expressions as well. The aesthetic dimension pervades all religious domains. In line with this, the contributions to this panel should/do not consider the aesthetic dimension of religion(s) as a peripheral moment, but as a pivotal point for its (their) understanding.

Papers:

AESTHETICS AS RELIGION

Moser A. (Speaker)

Katholische Privatuniversität Linz ~ Linz ~ Austria
Religion contains the Latin term religare, which can be translated as 'to (re)connect'. The lecture takes up this term creatively and asks which connections are taken into account when reflecting on religion. Theoretical-logical connections play an essential role in sciences that deal with religion, such as in the philosophy of religion. However, in dialogue with aesthetics and contemporary art-scientific approaches, other types of connections become apparent. The seemingly 'coincidental' connections must also be taken into account. Aesthetics, for example, also draws attention to the material connections that are relevant for the reflection of religious practices and content.
CONTEMPORARY ART (STUDIES) AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

Trawöger S. (Speaker)

University of Graz ~ Graz ~ Austria
The dialogue between contemporary art studies and theology enriches systematic theology both in terms of content and on a methodological and epistemological level. Above all, the stimulation on the methodological and epistemological level will be illustrated in the lecture using examples from performance art and bio-art. Art-scientific and aesthetic theories that relate to the analysis of performance art can also be relevant to the analysis of religious practices and generally enrich the scripture-based methods of systematic theology. A glance at Sonja Bäumel's bio-art should clarify which epistemological adjustments need to be made when the ecological crisis is included in creation theology from a scientific perspective. The lecture argues in favour of including the aesthetic concepts of contemporary art in theological reflection so that theology can adequately incorporate and react to socio-economic changes and lay a good foundation for dealing with the challenges of our time.

Panel description: This panel aims to explore how texts of faith profession, particularly the Nicene and Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creeds, played a central role in defining both selfhood and otherness, shaping mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion within fourth- and fifth-century Christian communities. The overarching theme, "Defining Oneself and Defining the Other", serves as a lens to examine how early Christian groups articulated their identities through opposition to the "other" and in response to shifting political, social, and cultural conditions of their time. By analyzing key faith formulas, doctrines, and documents, this panel will highlight the dual processes of self-definition and differentiation. Special attention will be given to how these processes were shaped not only by theological debates but also by external pressures, such as political and social alignments. These dynamics often spurred significant internal divisions, as groups continually redefined themselves in reaction to doctrinal developments and political changes. The discussion will further explore how these mechanisms of identity construction included the rewriting of public identities in light of the Nicene faith, reflecting the evolving fortunes and strategies of key actors in the fourth century. Faith formulas, initially crafted to unify, often generated unintended consequences, such as further fragmentation within communities. Through an interdisciplinary dialogue engaging theology, history, and philology, this panel seeks to illuminate the fluid interplay between theological identity and external influences. It aspires to shed light on how doctrinal texts functioned not only as theological markers but also as instruments of social and cultural negotiation. It aims to provide a broader understanding of how early Christian groups navigated the tensions between unity and division, self-definition and othering, within the complex landscape of the fourth century.

Papers:

DEFINING THE DIVINE: THE INTERPRETATION OF GENESIS 1:26 IN EUSEBIUS, ATHANASIUS AND MARCELLUS

Iezzi F. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
This paper examines the theological and exegetical debates surrounding Genesis 1:26 in the fourth century, starting with Eusebius of Caesarea's interpretation and comparing it with the positions of Athanasius of Alexandria and Marcellus of Ancyra. By analyzing key texts from these authors, the study explores how each thinker approached the nature of the Logos, its role in creation, and its relationship to God the Father. The analysis highlights significant theological divergences: Eusebius' subordinationist interpretation, which conceives the Logos as a distinct and preexistent Second God, mediating between the transcendent First God and creation; Athanasius' defense of the Nicene homoousios, emphasizing the consubstantial unity between the Father and the Son; and Marcellus' monarchian emphasis on the monadic nature of God, interpreting the Logos as a functional aspect of the divine rather than a distinct hypostasis. These interpretations reveal tensions between the theology of the one God and the intra-divine relationship, both before and after Nicaea. By situating these debates within their historical and political contexts, the paper sheds light on the dynamic interaction between theology, ecclesiastical politics, and the quest for orthodoxy in early Christianity.
FATE IN FORMULAS. THE FORTUNE OF EUSTATHIUS AND MARCELLUS IN 4TH CENTURY

Scapini E. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
This paper offers a comparative analysis of the theological ideas of Eustatius of Antioch and Marcellus of Ancyra on the divine generation of the Son from the Father. The central insight is that their theological opinions were not heavily divergent, but that historical circumstances played a crucial role in determining the perception of their doctrines. Eustatius of Antioch, prematurely exiled, did not have the opportunity to defend and further develop his ideas in the context of the Arian controversies. Marcellus of Ancyra, on the other hand, continued to be active during a period of doctrinal evolution, which led him to be labeled as heretic. This paper examines texts and historical evidence to show how historical fortunes and political dynamics influenced the reception of theologies and shaped the perception of doctrines. The goal is to highlight that the doctrine evolves in pair with a complex number of elements, including self representation of a theological cluster, facing historical, political and geoecclesiasical events.

Panel description: The concept of sacred space transcends physical boundaries, intertwining tangible heritage—such as architectural structures and ritual artifacts—with intangible dimensions, including spiritual practices, oral traditions, and cultural beliefs. This panel aims to explore the multifaceted nature of sacred spaces, investigating how the physical and metaphysical coexist to shape cultural identity and collective memory. Scholars are particularly invited to reflect on how sacred spaces' tangible and intangible dimensions can inform contemporary design practices. The discussion will also address critical legal and ethical challenges: how can the notions of tangible and intangible heritage be defined, protected, and harmonized within legal frameworks? What mechanisms can ensure that the preservation of physical elements does not come at the expense of intangible cultural expressions, and vice versa? The panel will further explore the apparent dichotomy between tangible and intangible heritage, proposing that these concepts, often perceived as contrasting, can be reconciled through an all-around approach. By envisioning sacred spaces as dynamic entities where material and immaterial coexist in mutual support, it becomes possible to transcend traditional divides and foster innovative, inclusive strategies for their preservation and evolution. By addressing these themes, the panel seeks to inspire architects, legal experts, and cultural practitioners to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, offering a comprehensive understanding of sacred spaces and their stewardship in a rapidly changing world.

Papers:

SACRED PARADOXES: RECONCILING TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE

Bartolomei L. (Speaker)

Centro Studi Cherubino Ghirardacci ~ Bologna ~ Italy
The Catholic Church embodies a unique tension between tangible and intangible cultural heritage. While the notion of tangible heritage entered its lexicon with the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the concept of intangible heritage remains formally absent, despite being deeply rooted in its traditions. For centuries, the Church has fostered a communion of diverse cultures, adapting liturgical practices to local contexts, and highlighting the primacy of living traditions over material artifacts. This contrasts with secular heritage frameworks, which prioritize the preservation of static, tangible elements over dynamic, evolving practices. The Church, conversely, views material artifacts as subordinate to the traditions they serve, allowing for adaptation over time. This creates a paradox: the Church has adopted the secular notion of tangible heritage—risking an undue focus on objects—while overlooking the intrinsic alignment of intangible heritage with its historical and spiritual identity. Liturgical spaces exemplify this tension, where the need to preserve physical structures often conflicts with evolving gestures and traditions. Addressing this imbalance requires a rethinking of heritage frameworks, integrating both dimensions to honour the Church's dynamic interplay of tradition and continuity.
SAFEGUARDING THE INTANGIBLE RELIGIOUS CULTURAL HERITAGE: FROM THE 2003 UNESCO CONVENTION TOWARDS A NEW UNDERSTANDING IN ITALIAN LAW AND CANON LAW

Dimodugno D. (Speaker)

University of Turin ~ Torino ~ Italy
This paper aims to investigate and understand the concept of intangible religious cultural heritage, tracing its development from the 2003 UNESCO Convention to Italian legislation and canon law. By examining the interplay between these legal frameworks, the research seeks to identify gaps and challenges in the current protective measures. Ultimately, it proposes de iure condendo solutions to ensure more effective and comprehensive safeguarding of this unique and invaluable heritage.
HERITAGE, MEMORY, AND MISSION: TWENTIETH-CENTURY ANGLICAN CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Grieco L. (Speaker)

Tor Vergata University of Rome ~ ROMA ~ Italy
This paper explores the postwar evolution of Anglican churches between 1945 and 1975, examining how these buildings responded to both immediate practical needs and long-term aspirations within emerging community contexts and missionary aims. By analyzing adaptive strategies and experimental approaches, the paper reveals the nuanced relationship between tangible and intangible heritage in postwar Anglican church design. It argues that church buildings were not merely spaces for liturgical practice but also symbols of social cohesion, bridging the sacred and secular to meet the evolving needs of their communities.
LIFE AND FORMS OF THE SACRED SPACE

Buoncore G. (Speaker)

Univerisity of Florence ~ Firenze ~ Italy
In our history sacred places and spaces were influenced by the types of ritual, the meanings of the ritual itself, and the kind of involvement or interaction between the faithful, the celebrant, the divine presence and the space. At different scales, from the urban to the architectural, the perceived space results from the interaction between ritual and construction. In the 20th century, the European and Italian experiences that led to the liturgical reform of the Vatican Council II changed the rituals, the way the faithful interacted during the liturgy, starting a process of architectural and spatial renewal. The sacred building takes on a different meaning in the urban context, a house among houses, and the internal space returns to being a place of assembly. The paper aims to investigate the relationship between ritual and sacred space with a focus on research and experiences that began in the 20th century and are not yet concluded.
THE BOLOGNESE "CAMPANERIA" AND ITS INTERACTION WITH THE MATERIAL HERITAGE: FROM THE CODIFICATION TO TODAY'S PROTECTION CHALLENGES

Pandolfini P. (Speaker)

University of Bologna ~ Bologna ~ Italy
Sacred space has always been a space of change, moulded around the practice of those who live it. This is also the case for bell towers, the most forgotten sacred space, and in particular in the area of practice of the 'Bolognese-style' ringing tradition. This paper aims to investigate how the life of these bell-ringers communities has interacted uninterruptedly throughout history with the material heritage that constitutes for them both a place of life, an instrument and an object of practice. In addition, it aims to address the challenge of protecting this intangible heritage, which substantially inhabits and needs an equally endangered material heritage.

Panel description: This panel explores the multifaceted nature of the South Asian religious concept of Kundalini. Rather than imposing linear chronology as the only way of accounting for the development of Kundalini, it investigates the diverse expressions and dimensions of Kundalini across cultures, religions, and contexts. One key theme is the embodied experience of Kundalini, as suggested by the panel title paying homage to William James's Varieties of Religious Experience. In relation to experience we particularly draw attention to affect, sensuality, and sexuality. We explore how Kundalini manifests in personal experiences, highlighting its deep connection to physical, emotional, and psychological states. This theme invites reflection on the sensual dimensions of religious practice and the interrelationship between body, mind, and environment. Another central focus is the regional, national, and global articulations of Kundalini, considering how the concept has travelled and been adapted across cultural and geographic boundaries. We pose the question, "To what extent is Kundalini universal?", to expose how its interpretations have shifted in different cultural settings. This theme highlights the hybridity and local adaptations of Kundalini, showcasing its dynamic role in contemporary religious practices and ideas. The panel aims to present a rich, multidimensional understanding of Kundalini, emphasizing its diverse, evolving expressions in the modern world.

Papers:

HYBRID SERPENTS AND SOLAR POWER: EARLY TWENTIETH-CENTURY THEOSOPHICAL MODELS OF KUṆḌALINĪ

Foxen A. (Speaker)

Harvard Divinity School ~ Boston ~ United States of America
This paper examines some of the earliest complex engagement with the South Asian phenomenon of Kuṇḍaliṇi by European and North American authors, specifically the hybrid models of three early twentieth-century Theosophists: James Pryce, Charles Leadbeater, and George Arundale. Though such models have been at times critiqued for their appropriation of Sanskrit terminology to represent what may seem like unrelated concepts, they are best approached not as scholarly attempts to faithfully represent South Asian Kuṇḍalinī traditions and practices, but rather as novel spiritual explorations—ones that occur in and rely on a primarily "Western" conceptual framework, but nevertheless seek to build comparative bridges to South Asian traditions. A contemporary emerging consensus within the anglophone literature depicted Kuṇḍalinī as a "power," articulated in quasi-scientific language as a natural force akin but not exactly identical to electromagnetism. Insofar as it was related to electricity, this force was fiery. Insofar as it moved in a circular or curved path, it was snake-like. This language, which is also found among contemporary Indian popularizers writing for a global audience, both follows and modernizes traditional South Asian imagery. However, looking beyond these broad convergences reveals within the Theosophical accounts deeper and diverging cosmological assumptions that draw primarily on Gnostic and Hermetic rather than Tantric logics. Furthermore, such literature hints at an "on-the-ground" reality that a number of Western occultists are not simply writing about such matters, but are clearly also practicing—and experiencing—something. Theosophical authors are not particularly concerned that their portrayals of Kuṇḍalinī are inconsistent with traditional sources, or even among and within themselves. And yet all three describe a violent force—fiery, flashing, electric—that fundamentally transforms the body as it is normally felt and inhabited.
SNAKE, FIRE AND FLUIDS: KUṆḌALINĪ IN THE EARLY HAṬHA CORPUS

Westoby R. (Speaker)

Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
Kuṇḍalinī plays a key explanatory role in the technique of haṭha yoga in Sanskrit textual sources from the first half of the second millennium. This role increases through the corpus. Unnamed in the 11th century Amṛtasiddi, 'she' is the foundation of all yoga teachings by the 15th century Haṭhapradīpikā. In fact, she is described as the key (kuñcikā) of force in the Vivekamārtaṇḍa and Haṭhapradīpikā. Yet despite her pivotal role her description across the sources is heterogenous. This presentation traces the characterisation of kuṇḍalinī not only as snake but also as fire and fluids. She is awoken by being burnt with fire and experienced as fire or lightening flashing forth. She also produces and consumes elixirs in the body. The primordial dyad of fire and water may help elucidate the enigmatic accounts of kuṇḍalinī in premodern yoga sources.

Panel description: Anselm of Aosta (1033/4-1109) occupies an important place in both theological and philosophical discourse, bridging the realms of faith and reason, affectivity and intellect. Within the monastic tradition, his thought exemplifies a deeply integrated approach to spiritual inquiry, characterized by a dramatic interplay of personal experience, rational reflection, and affective engagement. As a Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher, theologian, and Archbishop of Canterbury, Anselm represents a foundational figure for both scholasticism and alternative sapiential approaches to the Logos. His work invites dialogue not only within his historical context but also with contemporary perspectives, including the affective and performative turns in the humanities. This panel investigates the interrelation of rationality, affectivity, and performative practice in Anselmian thought, considering its relevance for contemporary intellectual and spiritual frameworks. In particular, while Anselm's texts serve as a central focus, they are placed in conversation with other thinkers - past and present - who seek to integrate sapiential, affective and performative aspects in theology and philosophy.

Papers:

EXPERIENCING GOD BY LOVING THE OTHER: ANSELM'S QUEST AND THE ABYSS OF THE AFFECTS

Bruckner I. (Speaker)

Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm ~ Rome ~ Italy
Anselm's Proslogion bears a century-long history of reception in the philosophical and theological tradition of the Occident. By focusing on the unum argumentum (chapters II-IV) alone, the work has often been received in a reductive, merely rational way. If taken as a whole, the Proslogion performs a dramatic existential quest for God, which neither begins nor ends in pure philosophical speculation. Being initially rooted in spiritual practice (i.e. prayer), Anselm's logical parcours starts to erode when it becomes clear that solely knowing God in a conceptual way does not satisfy the human desire; the soul longs for the experience of feeling God, which finds its fulfillment at the end of the Proslogion in the joy for and love of the other. This contribution analizes the experience of Anselm's believer in its diverse registers and the shifts from one to the other. It reflects about the relation of these diverse registers, and above all about the possibility to feel God in an indirect way, by loving the others.
RATIO DILIGENS. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN REASON AND LOVE IN THE MONOLOGION OF ANSELM OF AOSTA

Marchionni S. (Speaker)

Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm ~ Rome ~ Italy
In Anselm of Aosta's thought and practice, the theme of reason and that of the dynamism of love are closely interconnected — even if a sometimes segmented reading of his work may not always have made it evident —, to the point that listening to this author's voice can offer contemporary culture — often characterized by a relative distrust in reason and by the growing awareness of the need to delve into the implications of love, often thought of in opposition to those of reason — the possibility of rediscovering the dynamism of love also through and within that of reason, in a conjunction that captures both of them in the tension of the rational creature towards the fulfillment of what it discovers it was made for, that is, for its rectitudo. This connection can be recognized in its development throughout Anselm's work. Our contribution aims to highlight this co-implication operating since the Monologion, fundamental and in some way "programmatic" text, in which reason is measured with its own exercise, with what moves it and towards which it is directed, with what it understands as its own telos and which it recognizes as the horizon of fulfillment of the rational creature, as well as in a certain sense of the supreme essence, understood by the path of sola ratione itself.
ALIQUID QUO NIHIL MAIUS COGITARI POTEST - OR IS THERE AN ADEQUATE NOTION FOR GOD?

Steinwender M. (Speaker)

University of Regensburg ~ Regensburg ~ Germany
Anselm of Canterbury's oeuvre is well known for its reason-centred character, establishing a form of theological thinking that shaped or even initiated scholastics. His main intention was to demonstrate that the content of faith can be understood and argued for intellectually. Anselm's conception of theology as fides quaerens intellectum unfolds itself methodologically in the principle remoto Christo, which forces the acceptance of reason alone as the criterion for knowledge. This leads, as a consequence - in terms of content - to his demonstration of God. A central question is whether it is even possible to find a notion which allows for a description of God's reality and essence. Already his coeval Gaunilo de Marmoutier thematises the limits of thinking, putting in discussion that it is impossible to define God as the unlimited within our intellectual structures and notions. In my contribution, I aim to analyse Anselm's demonstration of God, showing that the structure of his argument does not merely represent a logical deduction intending to develop a notion of God that necessarily includes his existence. In confrontation with the critics of Gaunilo de Marmoutier, I will show that Anselm rather seeks to find a way to express an inner experience in a rational-justified way. By examining at how he argues, I content to argue that he offers a form in which the unsayable, unnameable reality and essence of God can be communicated, not via defining notions but the performativity of thinking as affectus et intellectus.
THE TESTIMONY OF GOD AS A SOURCE OF HOPE. ON THE PERFORMATIVITY OF FAITH FOLLOWING SAINT ANSELM´S ARGUMENT

Kirschner M. (Speaker)

Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt ~ Eichstätt ~ Germany
The current global crisis of the prevailing civilization, in which ecological destruction is accompanied by political polarization, resignation and increasing violence while traditional forms of faith are eroding, provides the impetus to ask about the testimony of God as a source of hope. To this end, Anselm's theological movement of thought will be traced as a rational and mystagogical turn towards the performativity of faith. The starting point is the one argument of the Proslogion, which refers thinking to its dynamic of self-transgression, which it can neither establish nor bring to a closure. Turning to the reality of God confronts human thinking and striving with the aporias of self-failure and guilt. Anselm refers to Christ as the event of a love greater than which it cannot be conceived, which frees human beings anew to freedom and hope. To transform a person, this event must reach the mind and emotions, be accepted and responded to.
IUSTIFICATIO: A LUTHERAN PERSPECTIVE ON ANSELM

Jöri J. (Speaker)

Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm ~ Rome ~ Italy
The Old Lutheran dogmaticians of the 16th Century grappled with challenge of revisiting and engaging with the theological doctrines of Scholasticism. Central to their efforts were debates on justification within the framework of the Lutheran Reformation, which sparked renewed theological interest in the teachings of the Scholastics. Among these, the reception of the writings of Anselm of Canterbury's writing stands out for its influence on the development of Old Lutheran Christology. While the "doctrine of the threefold office of Christ" (officium Christi triplex) is a distinct innovation of the Reformation, notable parallels can be drawn from Anselm's thought, particularly in respect to the function of Jesus Christ as priest, which is understood in terms of His vicarious atoning death as the God-man. In his treatise Cur Deus Homo (1098), Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, introduces a distinction between the active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ (oboedientia activa/passiva) in the context of justification. This theory of satisfaction, transmitted through Philipp Melanchthon and later through Johann Gerhard, became integral to the Old Lutheran doctrine of justification. Anselm's insights not only shaped Lutheran theology, they also establish a common foundation for ecumenical dialogue between Lutheran and Roman Catholic dogmaticians. This presentation seeks to explore whether and to what extent engagement with Anselm of Canterbury's reflections on justification retains theological relevance today, particularly within an ecumenical framework.
BRIDGING TRADITIONS: ANSELM AND PALAMAS ON DEIFICATION

Semenikhin N. (Speaker)

Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm ~ Rome ~ Italy
St. Anselm and St. Gregory Palamas shared a common goal: the transformation of human nature through participation in divine perfection. Despite methodological differences and distinct emphases, both traditions articulate a vision of deification that integrates intellect, affectivity, experience, and contemplation. By engaging with Anselm's Western "logic of perfection" and theology as contemplation (theoria) in dialogue with Palamas' emphasis on experiential union with God's uncreated energies, we can construct an East-West dialogue that illuminates deification as a holistic process. Anselm's esse and Palamas' uncreated energies can be seen as complementary expressions of the same reality: God's self-giving to creation. This talk gives a different lens to look at the Western theology's relationship with the concept of theosis, where Anselm presents a "logic" that unites theology with existential transformation.

Panel description: Psychology-Engaged Theology explores the applications of research in the psychological sciences to theological discussions. There are several ways in which this can be done. One can explore the implications of psychological research on concepts like love, or empathy, for our understanding of divine love or empathy. Alternatively, one might investigate the implications of research on neurodivergence or mental illness on our understandings of theological concepts, such as the implications of depression for our understanding of flourishing, or the implications of autism for our understanding of how relationships with God are formed. Psychology-Engaged Theology is thus a multifaceted field that is broad in scope, and scholars can take a number of different approaches when undertaking research in this field. On this panel, participants will explore areas of research that fit broadly within this field, providing several different examples of how research in psychology can inform theological discourse.

Papers:

DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER AND CHRISTIAN FLOURISHING

Cawdron H. (Speaker)

University of St Andrews ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
Dissociative Identity Disorder - a mental disorder in which a number of personalities arise within the same body - is a complex disorder that has significant implications for the wellbeing of those with it. Thus far, it has not received substantial engagement in the theological literature. In this paper, I shall consider how those with Dissociative Identity Disorder can be seen to flourish in a Christian context, showing that those with the condition can flourish in the Christian faith whilst highlighting how Christian communities can help to facilitate this.
INTERDEPENDENT RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES AND SYMBOLIC THREAT

James H. (Speaker)

University of St Andrews ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
In some fundamentalist religious circles, such as evangelical Christianity, there are strict boundaries around who gets to identify as an "in-group" member. For evangelicals, one must accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and abide by in-group rules based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. When persons encounter "out-group" members, some evangelicals experience "symbolic threat"--or a threat to their ways of life, their culture, or their values. This paper will explore the ways in which evangelicals—and other fundamentalist religious persons—may dismiss out-group members so as to preserve their own comfort while potentially missing out on ways in which they might be able to grow in both their own religious identity and in their capacity for empathy and understanding in religious differences.

Panel description: Since after World War 2, Europe has embraced what critical theory and philosophy described as a postmodern condition, marked by relativism of identities and values, fluidity, ambiguity, irony, disenchantment, and anti-foundational thinking. Postmodernism was also intended to function as a rebuttal to the myth of a single Eurocentric historical narrative as universally true. However, the military, economic, and epistemic hegemony of the Global North meant that postmodernism as an ontological and epistemic condition imposed itself globally. To any believers, Jean-François Lyotard's definition of postmodernity as 'incredulity towards metanarratives' is counterintuitive to say the least. Indeed, theology or 'God-talk' constitutes precisely this meta- (i.e. transcendent) narrative. In addition, faith in God, and the cosmovision as well as the episteme that ensues from it, implies the belief in scriptural foundations (as opposed to anti-foundationalism), in clear demarcations between the ugly and the beautiful, the harmful and the beneficial (vs. relativism), and a perception of the world as God's to be preserved as His gift and re-enchanted as His signs (vs. disenchantment). As a rejoinder to Bauer's insightful investigation of Islam as 'a culture of ambiguity', this panel asks what it means to posit, reclaim, problematise Islam as a 'culture of certainty' and how such a culture may repair and positively transform inner-selves and contemporary societies. Panelists may pursue various venues of enquiries, including the definition of knowledge in Islam, its limits, foundations, tools, and claims; the concepts of certainty and 'anti-vagueness' in Islamic theology and philosophy; the removal of uncertainty in language, perception, and rational enquiries; the interplay between questions of certainty and truth and questions of genres and disciplines; the relation between certainty and mysticism.

Papers:

THE TRUTH HIDDEN FROM THE EYE. RESTATING THE EPISTEMIC VALUE OF MIRACLES IN A POSTMODERN AGE

Gallien C. (Speaker)

Cambridge Muslim College & Divinity Faculty, Cambridge University ~ Cambridge ~ United Kingdom
The question of miracles is a vexed area of enquiry. Miracles are the keystones of the entire Islamic religious system and believing in them is one of the tenets of faith. The Qur'an, Sunna, and kalām texts detail their nature, their bestowal on prophets, and their epistemic value as direct manifestations of the divine. More broadly, the literature of miracles found across many Islamic disciplines cover the question of the Qur'anic revelation as miracle, of prophetic mu'jizāt, their functions in establishing the veracity of prophecy, of saintly karamāt, and the believers' quest in partaking of divine 'openings'. And yet, the notion of miracle has been used and abused under modernity, with a 'regime of truth' (Foucault) that recognised scientific positivism and the separation of theology from 'scientific' pursuits as its core values, and under postmodernism, with its anti-foundationalist, relativist, and disenchanted epistemology. In such a context, miracles have been turned into myths to be studied or pleasant and marvellous stories to be enjoyed. This paper argues, in light of recent discussions on the 'interface theory of perception' (Hoffman) in cognitive neuroscience, that believers would be much mistaken to relegate miracles to an obsolete epistemic age. I propose first to return to works of kalām so as to understand how miracles are conceptualised in Islam. I then turn to current debates in cognitive neuroscience and discuss their conclusions of the existence of Truth hidden from our eyes. However, given their Darwinian framework and postulate that the Truth behind the 'interface' cannot be reached, I expose the fundamental differences between the Islamic and neuroscience cosmovisions, in particular by looking at how Sufi literature discusses assent to miracles and reception to disclosures. Ultimately, this paper restates the epistemic function of miracles for an age aching to move past the postmodern condition.
MUQĀTIL B. SULAYMĀN'S VISION OF THE PROPHETS' ENDEAVOR FOR CERTAINTY

Hentschel Y. (Speaker)

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ~ Jerusalem ~ Palestinian Territory, Occupied
This talk investigates the early Qur'ān exegesis of Muqātil b. Sulaymān who lived in the turbulent period of socio-political transition from the Umayyads to the Abbasids. I analyze his interpretations of selected Qur'ānic presentations of the prophets, their struggles, responses to difficulties, and searches for certainty. Further, I discuss Muqātil's stances on the prophets in light of his theological leanings of the irjā' - the postponing of judgement regarding religious and ethical transgressions of others. In this, Muqātil highlights self-accountability and forgiving as prime qualities for the believers in following the prophetic examples.
CERTAINTY IN ISLAMIC THEOLOGY. A REFLECTION ON EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC APOCALYPTICISM

Kawanishi H. (Speaker)

Tübingen University ~ Tübingen ~ Germany
To what extent can we attain certainty in Islamic epistemology? Among various theological subjects, the end of the world has convinced premodern Muslim theologians of its certain realisation in their own times as its imminence is prophesised in the Qur'an and Hadith traditions. From early on, Muslim scholarship has engaged with apocalypticism although none of them has known when it will take place except God. Despite this premodern scholarly engagement, contemporary scholarship has paid little attention to the subject of apocalypticism. Particularly, existing research has exclusively examined the issue in medieval times, leaving early modern scholarly engagement ignored. Addressing this gap, this study will examine three early modern apocalyptic treatises written by Muḥammad al-Usṭūwānī (d. 1072/1661), Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Rasūl al-Barzanjī (d. 1103/1691), and Niyāzī-i Miṣrī (d. 1105/1694). By investigating these early modern treatises, this research will argue that apocalypticism drew the serious attention from Muslim theologians across times and places, demonstrating apocalypticism as an urgent issue to be undertaken in their living realities. Further, by situating these forgotten treatises within the broader context of Islamic apocalypticism, this research aims to offer new insights into contemporary theological discourse of apocalypticism, focusing on how early modern Muslim theologians contemplated and theologised the imminence of the end of the world.
VERIFICATION (TAḤQĪQ) AS RELIGIOUS AND EPISTEMIC PRACTICE: ESTABLISHING CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PROPHETIC DESCENT IN THE ISLAMIC WEST

Kraneiß N. (Speaker)

Münster University ~ Münster ~ Germany
In Muslim societies, descendants of the Prophet Muḥammad enjoyed a special status and were often granted privileges and financial benefits. However, as the number of purported prophetic descendants grew, it became necessary to control access to their privileges and to verify claims of belonging to this distinguished group. In the 17th and 18th centuries, at a time of political unrest and uncertainty, this process of verification took on a new urgency in the Maghrib, in present-day Morocco. This raises the question of the methods and criteria by which certain knowledge about prophetic descent was established and legitimized. Focusing on Sulaymān b. Muḥammad al-Ḥawwāt (d. 1816), a Moroccan literary scholar, genealogist, and descendant of the Prophet, this paper examines his engagement with the verification of such claims in the 18th century. What epistemic practices did al-Ḥawwāt employ to produce certain knowledge in an age of increased uncertainty? One of his major projects was to investigate the lineage of the descendants of the Iraqi scholar and saint ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (d. 1166) in Fez, to whom prophetic descent was attributed. This endeavor, presented as verification (taḥqīq), involved the critical examination of information from books, letters, and documents, as well as the systematic and thoughtful evaluation of various forms of evidence. This paper shows how knowledge was understood by the author as a dynamic and processual concept capable of stabilizing both social and religious order. While aiming to establish certain knowledge, al-Ḥawwāt's writing also reflects an awareness of the limitations of human knowledge, illustrating the balance between certainty and ambiguity in Islamic thought. Religious obligation was what drove al-Ḥawwāt in his quest for verification. At the same time, he emphasized that reliable and accurate knowledge is a central foundation for stability and order in society, especially in times of political and social uncertainty.
THE EPISTEMIC STATUS OF SCRIPTURE BETWEEN SPINOZA AND THE FALĀSIFA

Safi M.T. (Speaker)

Northwestern University ~ Evanston ~ United States of America
A central question in philosophy of religion is the question of epistemic priority between reason and revelation. Debates surrounding this topic have resulted in several different views concerning the epistemic status of revelation. This paper compares and analyzes four views from four historical figures: Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī, Abū ʿAlī Ibn Sīna, Abū al-Walīd Muḥammad Ibn Rushd, and Baruch Spinoza. While all four figures take a "philosophical religion" approach to the question, comparing them illuminates important epistemic differences. After the initial comparison, I present a weak and a strong view of the epistemic status of revelation on their "philosophical religion" approach. I then proceed with an epistemic analysis and critique of each view. I conclude the paper by arguing that although different from one another in substantive ways, both views render scripture epistemically unreliable and thus fail to make sense of its epistemic value.
SCRIPTURALIST CERTAINTY IN MODERN MUSLIM THOUGHT: NASIR AL-DIN AL-ALBANI'S EPISTEMOLOGY OF PROPHETIC TEACHING

Sinani B. (Speaker)

Tübingen University ~ Tübingen ~ Germany
The late hadith scholar, Nasir al-Din al-Albani (d. 1999), has been often depicted in contemporary scholarship as an 'iconoclast' (Hamdeh), largely due to the challenge he posed against pre-modern Muslim schools of thought, and pre-modern structures of scholarly authority. However, in a time marked by loss of confidence in canonical sources (Brown), al-Albani successfully articulated for vast Muslim publics an epistemology of scripturalist certainty grounded on the collected statements of Prophet Muhammad (sunna), texts that have constituted the very nexus of modern contentions over Muslim scripturalist sources, interpretative methods, and authority. What are the features of his sunna - grounded approach, and its significance in modern Muslim thought and practice? How does his larger argument over divine guidance and the role of prophetic speech inform modern religious understandings of prophetic testimony? In this paper, we seek to address these questions as part of a larger exploration on the function of prophetology, religious conviction, and accessibility of divine guidance.
DISSOLVING THE FOG. ANTI-VAGUENESS WITH AND BEYOND FAKHR AL-DĪN AL-RĀZĪ

Zamboni F.O. (Speaker)

Tübingen University ~ Tübingen ~ Germany
This presentation will explore the concept of anti-vagueness and some of its implications, taking its departure from multiple statements scattered throughout Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's (d.1210) oeuvre. Vagueness is a situation where something's limits appear indeterminate or, in other words, a situation that admits of borderline cases. In the domain of objects, one may think of a cloud (where are the limits of a cloud?). In the domain of properties, stock examples mention imprecise concepts of quantity (being bald, being a heap) or quality (being red). Anti-vagueness is a specific metaphysical theory about vagueness and how to do away with it. Vagueness is unreal. Cases of vagueness that appear real are merely misapprehended combinations of more fundamental, non-vague phenomena. This can be shown via the method of analytic reduction: whenever a predicate appears to hold vaguely of a subject, both are analyzable into distinct aspects such that each aspect of the predicate holds non-vaguely of one aspect of the subject. Rāzī deploys anti-vagueness in three main domains, meaning knowledge, difference, and change. The presentation will draw some of the most important entailments following from the application of analytic reduction to these domains, and then explore whether Rāzī's anti-vagueness can explain the subjective experience of vagueness.

Panel description: The following proposal is for an Author Meets Critique (AMC) session. The author is Carl Raschke, Professor of Philosophy of Religion and University Lecturer at the University of Denver. Raschke is a distinguished international scholar and author of the recent book Sovereignty in the 21st Century: Political Theology in an Age of Neoliberalism and Populism. As Prof. Kurt Appel, Professor of Philosophy and Fundamental Theology at the University of Vienna writes ,the book is "a passionate plea for a new concept sovereignty in the face of neoliberal constraints and identity logics that determine the political events of our time." The book carries Carl Schmitt into the new millennium and shows how what the author calls the current "Manichean struggle" on the world stage between populism and a fading neoliberal global order is driven by profound religious tensions and motivations that cut across national borders and map the international political terrain for the foreseeable future. Prof. Raschke's new book is the third and culminating piece of a trilogy that includes Force of God: Political Theology and the Crisis of Liberal Democracy (Columbia UP, 2015) and Neoliberalism and Political Theology: From Kant to Identity Politics (Edinburgh UP, 2019). Critics include Michel Staudigl (UVienna), Kieryn Wurts (Humboldt U, Berlin). They will offer their different takes on certain key theses of the book. For example: 1) the nation-state is no longer the locus for the idea of sovereignty, as it has been since the early modern era 2) the question of sovereignty, which is simultaneously a political and a theological question, must be radically reframed in light of critical-theoretical and decolonial inquiries 3) the great transnational conflicts nowadays are not between authoritarianism and democracy, but between neoliberalism and populism, the latter of which harbors a wholly new construct of political agency, and hence a new model of "popular" sovereignty.

Papers:

Panel description: This panel discusses sharia law and its comparison to modern law. It will show how sharia law coincides with the modern laws if applied appropriately and how both laws can accomplish the same goal of social development.

Papers:

IS INHERITANCE OF POWER IN THE STATE OF QATAR CONSISTENT WITH ISLAMIC SHARIA?

Musiime M. (Speaker)

Qatar Centre for Peace and Democracy ~ London ~ United Kingdom
The issue of "inheritance of rule" is one of the important issues addressed in Islamic political thought, as it raises questions about how power is transferred from the ruler to his successor, and what the foundations are that govern this transfer. The hereditary rule in Islam deals with the issue of political leadership and is based on a set of principles that vary among the different views of Islamic schools and sects. In this paper, we will discuss the concept of hereditary rule in Islam, the history of this practice, and the most important jurisprudential views in this area. In some Islamic countries, such as State of Qatar, power is inherited within the ruling family based more on political custom than on an explicit religious basis. The Qatari Constitution stipulates that governance is hereditary and is limited to male descendants of Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, which often causes controversy over the legality of this system. Although some countries in Islamic history have adopted hereditary rule in certain periods, Islam, in its essence, emphasizes consultation and equality among Muslims in determining who is responsible for the affairs of the nation. Therefore, the idea of "inheritance of rule" as we see it in modern monarchies is not part of Islamic law and there is no evidence from the Qur'an or Sunnah to support it.
LEGAL PLURALISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS: BRIDGING SHARIA LAW AND MODERN LEGAL SYSTEMS FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT

Boehning M. (Speaker)

International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) ~ Bonn ~ Germany
This paper addresses a critical yet underexplored dimension of the panel's overarching topic: the role of legal pluralism in fostering inclusive social development within societies governed by both Sharia law and modern legal frameworks. Legal pluralism, the coexistence of multiple legal systems within a single jurisdiction, presents both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, it reflects cultural diversity and promotes community-driven governance. On the other, it risks perpetuating inequalities and undermining universal human rights if not carefully managed. This paper explores how these dual systems can interact harmoniously to advance equitable social development while safeguarding individual freedoms and rights. Through a human rights lens, the paper examines key areas where Sharia law and modern legal systems often diverge—such as gender equity, religious freedom, and the rights of marginalized groups. It presents case studies from nations that have successfully integrated pluralistic legal systems while adhering to international human rights norms. These examples demonstrate how principled legal reforms, public dialogue, and education can mitigate conflicts and create synergies between diverse legal traditions. The paper also critically assesses instances where legal pluralism has exacerbated social divisions, offering insights into the conditions under which it can hinder or enhance the goal of sustainable development. It argues for the necessity of a human rights framework as a guiding compass for navigating legal pluralism, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of gender, religion, or status, can participate fully and equally in social progress. Ultimately, this paper calls for policymakers, legal scholars, and human rights advocates to embrace legal pluralism as an opportunity rather than an obstacle—one that requires ongoing dialogue, vigilance, and commitment to the universal values underpinning human dignity and social development.

Panel description: In 1780, Gotthold Lessing famously wrote that "revelation gives nothing to the human race which human reason could not arrive at on its own." The correspondence established between the divine and the human in German Idealism catalyzed a secularized understanding of revelation. Revelation was brought into the realm of the immanent, transposed to the social-political and the progressing developments of national communities. In this panel, we invite papers that explore this novel rethinking of the concept of revelation in German Idealism in the wide-ranging ramifications associated with it in the domains of religion, theology, politics, ethics, and nationalism. Centering on (but not necessarily limited to) the philosophies of Kant, Fichte, Hegel, and Schelling, this panel welcomes papers that address the question of revelation in German Idealism from three related angles: (i) the religious, philosophical, and theological inheritances of German Idealism; (ii) the philosophical developments and innovations regarding the concept of revelation in German Idealism; (iii) the receptions of these newly drawn coordinates, especially in novel religious, political, or national contexts (e.g., secularization debates, religious nationalism, etc.). The medieval consensus between revelation and reason was brought into question in a radical way within philosophy by Spinoza in his 1670 Tractatus Theologico-Politicus. In 1775, Lessing's views on Spinoza and revelation became the subject of a heated debate between Mendelssohn and Jacobi that went on to engulf almost the whole of the German intelligentsia and had a determinative effect on the trajectory of German thought. In tracking the revision of the concept of revelation that this controversy precipitated, we hope to facilitate discussion on both the meaning and significance of this re-thinking of revelation in secular terms within Europe and beyond.

Papers:

HISTORIOGRAPHY, FICHTE, AND HINDUTVA: DEVELOPING A POST-COLONIAL NATION IN SECULAR GEOPOLITICAL CONTEXT

De Souza A. (Speaker)

McGill University ~ Montreal ~ Canada
This paper will elaborate on the influence of German Idealism on nationalism in the context of political decolonization. It will specifically argue that the reception of Fichte's work on thinking about the national "self" and the individual "self" by V. D. Savarkar, specifically through his foundational work Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?, bears out the primary features of Hindutva approaches to the ideal relationship between majority and minority, to secularism, and to successful decolonization. This can be seen in Savarkar's understanding of how historiography and national development draws on this tension between individual and group as well as the tension between past and future: it is fundamentally memorial as well as prescriptive. As national history is imagined to be the dualistic emergence of the national "self" into its rightful, dignified place on the geopolitical stage, Savarkar traces the emergence of the Hindu people through dualistic conflict with "others" down to the modern age. Thus decolonization becomes the re-emergence of national dignity through dualistic conflict, victory, and recognition on the geopolitical stage. The maintenance of national traditions, exclusion of anti-national elements, and control over resources within the national territory are consequently indexed to the success of political decolonization. In this context, secularism becomes another means of maintaining the national "self" and is illegitimately used for other ends. For Savarkar, the perspectives from German Idealism on world history become evidence for the logical necessity and permanence of the dualistic nation.
ON JACOBI'S ON THE DIVINE THINGS

Livieri P. (Speaker)

Università degli Studi di Messina ~ Messina ~ Italy
This paper will exposit and outline the contribution of Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi (1743-1829) to the debate on Spinoza and Lessing [Der Spinozismusstreit] that took place between Jacobi and Moses Mendelssohn. Jacobi both introduced and epitomized the great philosophical controversies of his age. His influential text Von den göttlichen Dingen und Ihrer Offenbarung [On the Divine Things and Their Revelation] aroused the final debate about the intrinsic nihilism of modern philosophy, which, he postulated, ran the risk of becoming a serious threat to human life and intellect. From the author of the first English translation of this text, On the Divine Things and Their Revelation, this paper will provide a historical investigation of the debates that preceded and followed Jacobi's book.
KANT AND FICHTE ON REVELATION: UNIVERSALITY AND SECULARISM

Smith A. (Speaker)

McGill University ~ Montreal ~ Canada
In response to the heated Jacobi-Mendelssohn debate on Spinoza and Lessing, the question of revelation was addressed with explicit urgency first by Fichte in his 1792 text An Attempt at a Critique of All Revelation, followed successively in 1793 by Kant's Religion Within the Limits of Mere Reason. Even though Fichte's text was published first it cannot be read without Kant's own later text, as it is written in Fichte's best impression of Kant's voice and style. This is why it was originally assumed to be written by Kant when it was mistakenly published without an author's name. However, it cannot be read as expositing Fichte's own philosophy—especially its later mature version and iterations, most notably the 1806 Die Anweisung zum sieligen Leben [Guide to the Blessed Life]—but rather as secondary literature on Kant. It is what Kant should have said if he was philosophically consistent, at least according to Fichte. In my paper, I argue that Fichte's account of revelation is a more thoroughly Kantian one than Kant's own. Kant wants to preserve the value of Biblical revelation through philosophy, even if in the limited sense of material that needs to be translated into philosophical truth-claims. Fichte, as I argue, shows that when Kant's philosophy is interpreted consistently (notably in light of the Critique of Practical Reason) it entails the full replacement of Biblical revelation by a secular universal reason.

Panel description: This panel highlights the vibrant and interdisciplinary landscape of religion-related research in Vienna, emphasizing its contributions to the broader discourse on religion and socio-cultural transformations. Vienna, with its unique position at the crossroads of diverse cultural, historical, and intellectual traditions, serves as a fertile ground for innovative scholarship that examines religion as a dynamic force in shaping and responding to societal change. While rooted in the city's scholarly environment, the panel's scope transcends local boundaries, engaging with global perspectives on religion and transformation. By adopting an intentionally broad thematic framework, the panel welcomes contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including religious studies, theology, philosophy, sociology, history, ethics, educational sciences, law, and South Asian studies. This openness facilitates the exploration of religion's intersections with pressing contemporary issues, such as migration and the reconfiguration of identities and communities in an increasingly interconnected world, while also incorporating historical insights and in-depth case studies. Through this diversity of perspectives, the panel seeks to demonstrate how Vienna-based research contributes to understanding religion as both a catalyst for and a reflection on socio-cultural transformation. It aims to foster dialogue among scholars and encourage new collaborations, ultimately showcasing Vienna as a hub for innovative and impactful research on religion.

Papers:

"PARTING OF THE WAYS" - THE LATE SEPARATION BETWEEN JEWS AND CHRISTIANS, AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR JEWISH-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

Tiwald M. (Speaker) , Öhler M. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This is a joint paper by Markus Tiwald and Markus Öhler (both Vienna): In the first part, M. Tiwald will show that all the books of the so-called "New Testament" can only be understood, it they are read against the backdrop of early Judaism. In the second part, M. Öhler will focus on the much-discussed passage in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (9:19-22), and will show how the self-perception of identity was described by a religious innovator.
TAPPING INTO EMERGING GLOBAL PUBLICS IN THE 1960S: PUTTING TO USE RADIO TECHNOLOGY IN AN EFFORT TOWARDS PROMOTING THE GOSPEL IN APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA

Rüther K. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Across Southern Africa, the 1960s were a period of huge change in church and mission structures. They were also a time when apartheid and the struggle against it became entrenched more pertinently. Moreover, they were a period characterised by optimism in the promises of technology and its possible positive impact on society. In the context of this transformation at he Lutheran World Federation launched a radio project intended to broadcast a devotional, educational and cultural programme, geared towards listeners in African and Asian countries and recorded and written up mainly by local staff. Whom did Radio Voice of the Gospel address? Which professional career paths did it open up? Whose tastes did it respond to? Did it offer a sense of unity to parts of a fractured South African society?
REDEFINING RELIGION AFTER 1979: ORIENTALISM MEETS ISLAM

Lohlker R. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the attacks of September 9, 2001, and after the perception of Islam changed. Islam was perceived as a threat to Western interest, civilization, religions. This development may be considered as the outcome of a conflictual history of Europe/Christianity and Islam since the emergence of Muslim communities. This contribution claims there is a qualitative difference in the Western perception of Islam after 1979 when Western polities defined what is to be considered Islamic without understanding this complex phenomenon, historically and contemporary. Religion turns out to be non-religion.
EXPLORING INTERTEXTUALITY AND CULTURAL INTERDEPENDENCE: THE ROLE OF ISRĀʾĪLIYYĀT IN ADVANCING QUR'ANIC TEXTUAL STUDIES

Kurt T. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This study examines the intertextuality and cultural interdependence between the Qur'an, its exegesis (tafsīr), and Jewish and Christian traditions, with particular attention to the role of isrāʾīliyyāt in shaping early Islamic thought. Qurʾānic exegesis emerged within the religious and cultural milieu of late antiquity, engaging with pre-existing Jewish and Christian narratives to affirm, reinterpret, and reorient theological paradigms. The incorporation of isrāʾīliyyāt, derived from biblical, pseudepigraphical, and apocryphal sources, reflects the dynamic interplay between the Qurʾānic message and external traditions. While these elements enriched exegetical efforts, they also introduced a potential tension between the Qurʾān's transformative theological vision and a later tendency in tafsīr to revert to pre-Islamic interpretations. This study highlights how the early exegetical tradition negotiated this tension, illustrating a broader process of interreligious exchange and theological redefinition that underscores the reciprocal and multi-dimensional interactions between Islamic, Jewish, and Christian intellectual and textual traditions.
AN ISLAM WITHOUT SHARI'A: TOWARDS CONCEPTUALIZATION OF ALEVI THEOLOGY IN CONTEMPORARY CONTEXTS

Yildirim R. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Over the past three decades, the history and religion of the Alevi community—a Muslim minority comprising approximately 12 to 15 percent of Turkey's population, as well as a significant immigrant population in Western Europe—have increasingly attracted scholarly attention across various academic disciplines, including history, sociology, anthropology, folklore, musicology, political science, and religious studies. This growing body of research has contributed significantly to our understanding of Alevism. However, while these studies have extensively explored the historical, cultural, traditional, and ideological dimensions of Alevi identity, relatively little scholarly focus has been directed toward the theological aspects of Alevi belief and practice. This is largely due to the tendency among scholars to regard Alevism as a heterodox tradition on the periphery of Islam, which is often presumed to lack a systematic theology. Challenging this assumption, the present paper argues that Alevi tradition has developed a coherent and systematic theological framework, distinct from both Sunni and Twelver Shi'ite theological systems. Drawing on recent research into primary sources produced by Alevis from the fourteenth century onward, this paper explores the foundational principles of Alevi theology and offers a conceptualization that presents Alevi theology as a spiritual, pledge-based alternative to the Shari'a-centered theologies of Sunni and Twelver Islam.
RELIGIOUS WOMEN AS POLITICAL ACTIVISTS AND/OR SEARCHERS FOR TRUTH. REFLECTIONS ON POST-SECULAR ENTANGLEMENTS

Grenz S. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The focus of this paper is on religious/spiritual women who also identify as feminists. The aim is to reconstruct their lived religiosity in terms of two aspects, their political activism and their knowledge production as self-empowered religious subjects. In both aspects their perspectives and activities on gender and sexuality or gender and sexuality rights is in the center of the analytical reconstruction. More concretely, this paper is on interviews with two feminists who are activists in the field of environment and gender and who link their religious/spiritual knowledge production and practices to academic knowledge stemming from areas such as quantum physics or climate research. Thus, both are spiritual but nevertheless academically interested. They do not neglect scientific results but instead integrate it into their religious/spiritual knowledge production and lived religiosity. As a result, they form an interesting case against stereotypical conceptions of religiosity.
RE-CONCEPTUALIZING SECULARITY: FREEDOM OF BELIEF, STATE NEUTRALITY, AND BEYOND

Hammer S. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
In today's liberal democracies, the principle of State secularity tends to be perceived as having been absorbed by equal religious freedom and religious neutrality of the State: Everybody has a guaranteed right to follow his/her convictions, and the State is limited to neutral rationality and must not adopt any positions based on particular comprehensive worldviews. Yet the possibility of isolating public political reasoning from deep convictions about the essence of being human is questionable. Thus, in a democracy, religions and other worldviews cannot be prevented from impacting political decisions. As an alternative, State secularity may be re-conceptualized by attaching it to the early modern virtue of tolerance and developing it into an institutional virtue: Beyond merely guaranteeing equal freedom of belief, secular democracy would thus aim at accommodating conflicting worldviews in political decision making as far as compatible with upholding equal rights for everybody.
JEWISH STUDIES IN THE FIELD OF TENSION BETWEEN CONFESSIONAL CULTURE AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Langer G. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
As an academic institution, Jewish studies is caught between the conflicting priorities of an objective academic focus and at the same time a positive reference to Judaism in the face of a massive rise in anti-Semitism and a growing urgency to position itself in an "identitarian" way. Jewish communities, but also the political and social public, expect clear stances and often statements. The paper sheds light on this, but also on the current situation of Judaism in Europe. All statistics point to a decline in the Jewish population in the coming decades from around 1.4 to 1.2 million people (2050). At the same time, the Haredi/ultra-Orthodox Jewish orientation is the only movement worldwide, and therefore also in Europe, that is ensuring a growth in the Jewish population. In their attitudes, these groups often counter a so-called "Western" model of society. This poses new challenges. How can and should Jewish Studies respond to these developments?
POLITICS AND THE SACRED. THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN SIMONE WEIL AND GEORGES BATAILLE AMIDST A EUROPE IN CRISIS

Schneider P. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The personal and theoretical relationship between the philosophers Simone Weil (1909-1943) and Georges Bataille (1897-1962) remains largely unexplored, despite their shared involvement in the French anti-fascist group Cercle communiste démocratique from 1932 to 1934. In my presentation, I will introduce you to the few surviving fragments of their stunted discussions about the nature of political revolution and appropriate forms of action against the rising threat of fascism in Europe. After the dissolution of the Cercle in 1934, Weil and Bataille each went their own ways - but not, as I will argue, without having left a lasting mark on each other. I will follow them on their respective journeys through the horrifically changing political landscapes of 1930s Europe. Constantly thinking, writing and acting in opposition to these developments, I want to reconstruct how both would eventually conclude that the political crisis of their time also has a religious dimension.
WHATEVER IT TAKES? A THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE OF SACREDNESS IN CONTEMPORARY HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPORTS

Wolsink S. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Contemporary high-performance sports are often about stories of athletes as heroes and legends, as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) achieving something superhuman. Such a view neglects the human nature of the athlete. This paper offers a theological critique of the sacredness in high-performance sports by considering modern sports in light of John D. Caputo's radical theology of the cross. Rather than seeing the cross as the site of divine victory, Caputo argues that the cross symbolizes the mortality and vulnerability of both humans and God. The cross represents the shattering of our expectations and illusions of power, status, and control. But it is exactly this shattering that opens up the possibility of the impossible beyond our expectations. What does this mean for sport? Instead of focusing on achievement and status, this paper argues for a view of sport in which the sacred is found in human vulnerability.
TECHNOLOGY, RELIGION AND MORAL CHANGE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF SOLIDARITY

Filipovic A. (Speaker) , Dolezal E. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Solidarity, traditionally understood as the foundation of social cohesion, is caught in-between opportunities and challenges of digital technologies. The article first examines theoretical foundations, in particular classical, religious and contemporary approaches to solidarity, and shows how its concept is being transformed by technological influences. Second, the role of solidarity in digital spaces is analyzed. Here it becomes clear how digital technologies not only create new forms of networking, but also challenge existing moral and social values, even those with ties to the religious sphere. The third section focuses on the political dimension: The digital structural transformation of the public sphere is changing the conditions under which solidarity, understood as a fundamental principle of Christian social ethics, can act as a political principle. The article concludes with the proposition that solidarity must be rethought in the context of digitalization in order to stay meaningful as a moral and political guiding principle.
RELIGION, EXISTENTIAL RISK, AND SOCIAL CHANGE: HOW RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS CAN HELP SOCIETIES ADAPT TO EMERGING THREATS

Sandsmark E. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Existential risks, ranging from climate change to rapidly advancing artificial intelligence systems, are exerting new pressures on the contemporary world, transforming societies, regions, and nations. As we attempt to grapple with these evolving threats, what role can religion play? This paper uses the Catholic Church as a case study to examine how religious institutions might play a more active role in addressing existential risks, with interventions spanning the abstract to the concrete. I focus primarily on the former, looking at the teaching functions of the Church (in the form of official pronouncements from the Vatican and more informal guidelines issued by local authorities), but I also consider some more practical, everyday actions religious leaders and practitioners can take as the paper concludes.
INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AS A TOOL FOR STRENGTHENING TOLERANCE, SOCIAL COHESION AND PEACE? EXPERIENCES AND PRACTICAL-THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS

Polak R. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
International organizations such as the UN or the OSCE as well as governments in Europe have recently discovered the contribution of interreligious dialogue to tolerance, social cohesion and peace. In fact, these social concerns are central to the theological self-understanding of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which are the focus of this lecture. Nevertheless, empirical studies demonstrate that the associated attitudes are not only absent among a significant proportion of believers, but that prejudices, nationalism and a limited universal ethical horizon are part of their set of values. Moreover, the understanding, expectations and interests with regard to interreligious dialogue often diverge - both in religious and political self-understanding as well as in practice. The lecture offers insights into this heterogeneous field and develops criteria and perspectives from an interdisciplinary perspective on how interreligious dialog can better unfold its potential. Thus, the possibilities, and the limits of interreligious dialogue will be explored.
EXPERIENCES OF FAILURE. THE TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF NEGATIVITY IN THE CONTEXT OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES

Novakowits D. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
As early as 2008, in her Discourses on Learning, Käte Meyer-Drawe coined the metaphor of the 'high-speed learner' as a new model for the learning sciences: oriented towards the requirements of increased efficiency and optimization, learning tends to become a process that should not be interrupted by disturbances and irritations. However, from the perspective of the philosophy of education, it is precisely such 'negative' moments of interruption that are considered to have an important educational potential. The relevance of these perspectives lies not least in the fact that even in current cultural studies discourses, moments can be identified that attribute to negativity a high significance for anthropological questions and for questions concerning the shaping of human self and world relations, which has so far received far too little attention. The lecture aims to take up the last-mentioned traces and to translate them into the context of religious education. Experiences of negativity (unavailability, absence, irritations, conflicts and failure) characterize a theological thinking that is oriented towards the biblical narratives. An attempt is made to show by way of example what educational potential can be developed from a stronger theological consideration of such negative elements in religious learning processes and how this can be used in the context of transformational educational processes.
RELIGION AND VALUES - A COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP. INSIGHTS FROM AN AUSTRIAN PERSPECTIVE

Rohs P. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
In recent years, religion has increasingly become a politically and medially important issue in many European countries - including Austria. On the one hand, ongoing secularisation processes can be identified in large parts of the population, while on the other hand the observable plurality in the religious field is on the rise. At the same time, these developments are also accompanied by discussions about the claim of religions to the public sphere and the relationship between state and religious communities. In the public and political debate, the concept of values plays an important role, especially against the context of social integration and social cohesion. This contribution aims to shed light on the complex relationship between religion and values based on various empirical survey data from Austria and to discuss the opportunities, challenges and consequences associated with this.

Panel description: By the late second century A.D., Christians began organizing as a system of congregations and placed great importance on preserving deeds, documents, and writings to maintain the memory of their faith and actions. The monarchical episcopate amplified this focus, with bishops establishing archives to manage diocesan activities, relationships with other congregations, and synods. Despite limited clarity on locations and personnel involved, studying early Christian archival practices is a significant challenge in historical research. Drawing from Greco-Roman traditions of recording and preserving private and public acts, Christians adapted these models to organize their communities. Insights into these practices come from sources like the prefectorial archives in Rome and Constantinople, which housed imperial legislation. Further evidence illuminates the development of the bishop's curia in Rome, particularly during Damasus's time, with roles such as notarii and exceptores managing administrative and judicial tasks. In the early Middle Ages, archival evidence grew, with Ravenna emerging as a key center for understanding document archiving from the fifth to seventh centuries. Research into the Medieval and Modern Ages remains open, particularly regarding monastic archives—both male and female—and institutions like the Holy Office. Overall, the aim of this panel is to show that even in earlier ages, no less than in contemporary times, 'establishing archives and building memory' were complementary and essential aspects of civil and religious life. The panel is edited by the international journal "Cristianesimo nella storia" and it is the seminar that the journal organises every year on a different theme.

Papers:

TRACES OF ARCHIVAL ACTIVITY IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES OF THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN BETWEEN THE SECOND AND FIFTH CENTURIES

Camplani A. (Speaker)

University of Rome La Sapienza ~ Rome ~ Italy
Traces of archival activity in the Christian communities of the Eastern Mediterranean between the second and fifth centuries reveal a growing emphasis on preserving texts related to theology, liturgy, and community governance. These early records, often housed in churches or monasteries, played a crucial role in shaping Christian identity and ensuring the transmission of doctrinal and administrative continuity.
PAPAL ARCHIVES: BETWEEN THE FITH AND SIXTH CENTURIES AD

Lizzi Testa R. (Speaker)

University of Perugia ~ Perugia ~ Italy
The theme of the Papal Archives between the fifth and sixth centuries AD revolves around the establishment and organization of a documentary structure within the Church of Rome. During this period, the Papal Archives began to collect letters, decrees, and administrative records, serving as a crucial tool for consolidating papal authority and managing relationships with other dioceses and civil powers, thus laying the foundation for a lasting institutional framework.

Panel description: This panel will focus on the challenge of hope in the intersection of religion and the ecological crisis. In the context of the climate crisis and growing "eco-anxiety", the question of coping strategies has become urgent. Among these strategies, hope emerges as a central concept, deeply rooted in religious traditions and salvation narratives, but increasingly taken up in psychological, sociological and economic contexts. This panel seeks to explore how theological research, interdisciplinary engagement and religious practice are being transformed by the climate crisis, particularly through the lens of hope. The role of religious frameworks in addressing the climate crisis has become more prominent, intersecting with the complexities of contemporary crises such as the pandemic and geopolitical conflicts. Some papers in the panel suggest that faith-based responses are being reframed in light of these overlapping challenges, while new approaches to hope are emerging in academic and public discourse. We seek for further contributions for example on the following questions: In what ways do findings on the climate crisis influence religious practices and implicit notions of hope? How do theological concepts of hope interact with the strategic functions of hope in social and religious contexts? What narratives of hope are emerging in religious practice, theological reflection, and broader academic discussions about the ecological crisis? This open panel aims to foster dialogue across disciplines, exploring the dynamic interplay of religion, hope, the climate crisis and ecological awareness. We welcome contributions from theology of all religious affiliations, religious studies, environmental humanities and related fields.

Papers:

NEW RESEARCH ON HOPE IN THEOLOGY IN THE FACE OF THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS: AN ANALYSIS OF INTERDISCIPLINARY ENCOUNTERS

Höftberger E. (Speaker)

Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Department for Systematic Theology ~ Salzburg ~ Austria
Recent publications and public and academic discussions reveal shifts in how hope is addressed in the face of ecological and other crises. Existing narratives of hope are being challenged, with many finding them problematic or inadequate. Individuals and groups are currently strategically foregrounding and rethinking hope in the public sphere. Theologians, thinkers and pastoral figures attempt to deal in different ways with the challenges this poses. This paper presents key findings from the research project "Theology as Hope Research? The Impact of the Climate Crisis on Theological Reflection and Religious Practice". It examines how the climate crisis affects the epistemological and social conditions of theological reflection and religious practice. It also explores how the semantic and narrative resources of religions can contribute to addressing the climate crisis in society. From the perspective of Catholic Systematic Theology and Religious Studies, the study incorporates interdisciplinary approaches and perspectives from different religious traditions.
IS HOPE THE ANSWER - OR RATHER THE QUESTION?

Huber M. (Speaker)

Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Department for Systematic Theology ~ Salzburg ~ Austria
The current crises have left a gap in our imagination of the future. In the discourse, we increasingly hear that it is hope that is supposed to close this gap. But can it? A critical look at the phenomena of hope shows that hope is highly subjective, uncontrollable, and dependent on many factors. So, if hope is to be the answer to the question of the future, the questions of hope itself must not be suppressed. Religions in particular, which struggle to be able to interpret the future positively on the basis of their faith, are challenged by this and must come to terms with the desire, the belief in what is possible and the expectations in relation to these possibilities.
GOOD FRIDAY FOR FUTURE? CHARISMATIC EVANGELISM BETWEEN CLIMATE SCEPTICISM AND ECOTHEOLOGY

Kosack D. (Speaker)

University of Erfurt, Professorship for Dogmatics ~ Erfurt ~ Germany
The most wide-reaching German-language YouTube videos that address climate change and ecology from a Christian perspective came from Leo Bigger (ICF Zurich) and Johannes Hartl (Augsburg House of Prayer). Both are shaped by a sceptical or even negative attitude towards the ecological movement. This position, in turn, is based on disintegrated-instrumental imaginaries of the relationship between human and non-human nature. In addition, Bigger and Hartl formulate anthropocentric and individualistic narratives of hope. Based on these three core categories - position, imaginary of nature and narrative of hope - the two videos of charismatic speakers are here analysed and furthermore discussed in the context of pentecostal ecotheologies. Indeed, the latter aim to correct theological reductions that are the basis of climate-sceptical Christian evangelism. For this purpose, pentecostal theologians develop, for example, a nature imaginative that assumes the presence of God in the 'spirit-baptised' creation and a hopeful narrative of reconciliation and the end-time completion of non-human nature. With its two simultaneous lines of examination (qualitative-empirical and systematic-theological), my contribution describes an example for the interaction of climate discourses, religious practice, and theological concepts - as well as for the way in which this interaction can be productively developed.

Panel description: This panel aims to explore the evolving dynamics between religion, migration, and cultural pluralism in contemporary Europe, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities that emerge at their intersection. As migration continues to reshape the demographic and cultural fabric of the continent, religious communities are increasingly called upon to adapt to new environments, navigate identity preservation and foster integration, while contributing to social cohesion. The panel examines the interplay between religious traditions, multicultural societies and diasporic contexts, offering a comprehensive analysis of the interaction and influence between these elements. Key themes include the legal, social, and institutional mechanisms that aim to address the complexities of religious pluralism and migration. The contributions explore how religious communities engage with integration processes, respond to social and welfare needs and confront discriminatory practices or biases. Particular emphasis is posed on the promotion of interreligious dialogue, the addressing of culturally-driven practices that challenge human rights frameworks and the ensuring of equal protection for all religious groups through innovative policy solutions. Contributions to this panel also reflect on the negotiation of identity among religious communities in diaspora, the tension between cultural diversity and universal human rights, and the role of educational and institutional frameworks in promoting coexistence and mutual understanding. Ultimately, the objective of this panel is to provide novel perspectives and propose actionable pathways for managing the delicate balance between cultural diversity and the protection of fundamental rights, offering insights into how Europe can advance coexistence, dialogue, and solidarity in an era of profound social transformation.

Papers:

MIGRATION, RELIGIOUS PLURALISM, AND CULTURALLY-ORIENTED CRIMES: LEGAL AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES IN EUROPE AND ITALY

Cavuoto M.L. (Speaker)

University of Pisa ~ Pisa ~ Italy
The complex relationship between migration, religious pluralism, and practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) presents a significant challenge at both the European and Italian levels. As migration reshapes the demographic landscape of Europe, the interaction between diverse cultural and religious backgrounds often leads to social and legal tensions, particularly concerning practices viewed as harmful, like FGM. This research will focus on how certain cultural or religious practices, such as FGM, which may be perceived as acceptable or customary in specific communities, directly conflict with universally recognized human rights standards and the legal frameworks of European Union member states, particularly Italy. The study will examine the factors driving such practices, including religious or cultural justifications, and investigate how the European Union and Italian legal systems respond to these challenges, addressing the tension between respecting cultural diversity and upholding the protection of fundamental human rights.
AN EU COORDINATOR ON COMBATING ANTI-CHRISTIAN HATRED

Di Nunno F. (Speaker)

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia ~ Modena-Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
This study examines the recently proposed appointment of an EU Coordinator on combating anti-Christian hatred by the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), to ensure equal protection to all dimensions of this core fundamental right, including the institutional one, allowing Churches and religious communities to function normally and without having to face bias or undue obstacles-interferences. Indeed, Jewish and Muslim communities are already covered by similar coordinators and European bishops, now, demand equal access to tools of protection, overcoming the usual dynamic majorities vs. minorities, considering also the migratory flows which are changing European societies.
RELIGIOUS PLURALISM IN SCHOOLS: THE RELIGIOUS HOUR IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Miccichè R. (Speaker)

University of Pisa ~ Pisa ~ Italy
The presence of multicultural and multireligious women and men in Europe has accentuated cultural and religious pluralism within contemporary society. Schools are one of the places where religious pluralism manifests itself the most, where the religious question enters transversally into all school disciplines. In recent years a social debate has developed on religious teaching in schools and all the problems connected with it. The contribution aims to analyze the importance and usefulness of the hour of religion at school in a multicultural and secular state such as Italy, highlighting that it is not a catechism 2.0, but a tool to stimulate students to interreligious dialogue and to explore issues and questions about today's religions and the role of religions in societies.
PROMOTING SOLIDARITY: THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN MIGRANT WELFARE IN ITALY. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S CONTRIBUTION

Osnato S. (Speaker)

University of Pisa ~ Pisa ~ Italy
The paper presents a reflection on religious welfare activities in Italy, with a particular emphasis on the role of religious bodies in providing assistance to migrants. The study aims to elucidate how religious organizations respond to the urgent and increasingly diverse social needs - expressions of a pluralistic society - and how they operate within the context of the Italian legal framework related to the Third Sector, with the objective of fostering a culture of solidarity. From this perspective, the essay also aims to present the specific case study of the Migrantes Foundation, established by the Italian Episcopal Conference, as a paradigmatic example of the Catholic Church's commitment to addressing the integration and welfare needs of migrants in Italy.
ORTHODOX DIASPORA IN EUROPE BETWEEN UNITY AND IDENTITY: BEING ORTHODOX HERE AND ELSEWHERE

Falivene P. (Speaker)

University of Perugia ~ Perugia ~ Italy
The experience of religiosity in a diasporic context, characterized by a distinct spatial and cultural location, presents groups of believers with the challenge of grappling with evolving categories such as the provisional, dispersion and plurality, as highlighted by Marguerat. The result is a multifaceted renegotiation of ties, stories, values and memories. The diasporic Orthodox moves between variable glocalizations according to the Patriarchate of reference, the personal experience, the social fabric, provoked to a continuous reshaping of the concepts of identity, nation, community. The contribution proposes an investigation of the theme of diaspora in Orthodoxy, with a focus on the European context. This is a complex topic, as it encompasses the jurisdictions of different Patriarchates. The intention is to explore not only the intermediate condition suspended between the current place and the place of origin, but also the relationship with the spiritual elsewhere that transcends borders and is the bearer of a feeling other than that, which nevertheless acts in everyday life.
THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AS A RELIGIOUS MINORITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR IDENTITY PRESERVATION

Arkhipov F. (Speaker)

University of Insubria ~ Como ~ Italy
This presentation will explore how the Russian Orthodox Church, as a religious minority in European Union countries, preserves its identity and traditions. Special attention will be given to the role of parishes and religious communities in supporting migrants, as well as the challenges of adapting to the cultural and legal features of European countries. The study will also examine the interaction of the Russian Orthodox Church with other Christian denominations and religious groups, and its role in the social and cultural integration of Orthodox communities into a multicultural society.

Panel description: This panel highlights the vibrant and interdisciplinary landscape of religion-related research in Vienna, emphasizing its contributions to the broader discourse on religion and socio-cultural transformations. Vienna, with its unique position at the crossroads of diverse cultural, historical, and intellectual traditions, serves as a fertile ground for innovative scholarship that examines religion as a dynamic force in shaping and responding to societal change. While rooted in the city's scholarly environment, the panel's scope transcends local boundaries, engaging with global perspectives on religion and transformation. By adopting an intentionally broad thematic framework, the panel welcomes contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including religious studies, theology, philosophy, sociology, history, ethics, educational sciences, law, and South Asian studies. This openness facilitates the exploration of religion's intersections with pressing contemporary issues, such as migration and the reconfiguration of identities and communities in an increasingly interconnected world, while also incorporating historical insights and in-depth case studies. Through this diversity of perspectives, the panel seeks to demonstrate how Vienna-based research contributes to understanding religion as both a catalyst for and a reflection on socio-cultural transformation. It aims to foster dialogue among scholars and encourage new collaborations, ultimately showcasing Vienna as a hub for innovative and impactful research on religion.

Papers:

RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN THE CONTEXT OF SCHOOLS AND TEACHING - A NEW FIELD OF ACTIVITY?

Wurzrainer R. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Within contemporary Religious Studies, there is a growing interest in the possibilities and conditions for contributing to education in the context of teaching and schools. This is due, on the one hand, to the religious plurality in society - and thus also in schools - but also to the fact that various subjects introduced as an alternative to confessional religious education - such as ethics education in Austria - also deal with religion(s) and religious plurality from a non-confessional, secular perspective. Religious Studies can be regarded as one of the central reference disciplines here, and at the same time it also represents a new field of research and application. In this presentation, fundamental concepts and aspects of Religious Studies in the field of religious education will be presented and discussed with regard to the specific situation in Austria, including practical examples and future challenges.
INTERCULTURAL PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION: HISTORICAL AND SYSTEMATIC FOUNDATIONS

Schelkshorn J. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Since the "irruption of history" (Foucault) in the 18th century and the emergence of a global society, all topics of philosophy, as well as the concept of philosophy itself, must be treated from a historical perspective and in confrontation with the philosophical traditions of other cultures. For that reason, a philosophy of religion has to clarify both the concepts of "religion" and "philosophy" that were originally developed in European thought. Since a philosophy of religion cannot be reduced to descriptive analysis, the foundation of normative criteria for a critical examination of religions becomes a crucial task. In order to meet this difficult challenge an intercultural philosophy of religion does not merely interprets religions from the outside, but can also take up the philosophical re-interpretations of religious traditions themselves, which have been carried out in some religions at least since the axial period (Jaspers), in which both philosophies and reflexive religions have attained global significance to present time.
OVERCOMING NISHITANI: NIHILISM AND NATIONALISM IN KEIJI NISHITANI'S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

Völker F. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The lecture concerns, on the one hand, the crucial question of whether there is an internally consistent relation between Nishitani's individual philosophical endeavour of overcoming nihilism by existentially realizing a "subjectivity of no-self" and his collective political enterprise of overcoming Western modernity by creating a Japanese "state of no-self"; on the other hand, the equally pivotal question is addressed of whether Nishitani's position has substantially evolved or was significantly altered over the course of his intellectual development so that Nishitani's earlier political Vision and his elaborated philosophy of religion are no longer compatible. By unravelling Nishitani's argument and engaging critically with its Buddhist presuppositions, the article argues that he failed to solve man's existential dilemma and offer a philosophically convincing alternative to nihilism. Furthermore, Nishitani could never satisfactorily resolve the contradiction between his inherently cosmopolitan philosophy of emptiness and his lifelong commitment to cultural essentialism and nationalism.
HYPERBOLIC ONTOLOGY

Lehmann S. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The hyperbolic notion of being that I propose is guided by the idea that all being is characterised by an inner transcendence that makes it neither reducible to any other being nor to what it itself is in the course of its temporal unfolding. This inner transcendence, I will argue, is the effect of every being's existence. For it is the most common characteristic of existence that it cannot be reduced to anything objective and, being beyond any genus, ultimately escapes any conceptual framework. Since everything that is real also exists, it shares this general characteristic of existence. Thus, in its very existence, its that-it-is, everything is also beyond its own objectivity or what-it-is. In my talk I will discuss some basic ideas that arise from a hyperbolic understanding of being. In particular, I will suggest that the transcendent aspect of being must be united with a relational aspect, according to which everything is what it is, by participating in a plural hermeneutics of being. One can speak of hyperbolic ontology as holistic pluralism. However, the "holon" or the whole of this holism is not absolute. Rather, it is open to a constitutive, somewhat hyper-positive difference from itself, leaving room for the wonders, the secret depths, but also for the dignity of each singular being.
INTERCULTURAL PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION: HISTORICAL AND SYSTEMATIC FOUNDATIONS

Schelkshorn J. (Speaker) , Völker F. (Speaker) , Lehmann S. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Intercultural Philosophy of Religion - Discussion
THE RETURN OF RELIGION, YET TO COME? REFLECTIONS ON THE POLYCRISIS OF LATE MODERN SOCIAL IMAGINARIES AND THE AMBIVALENT POWER OF RELIGIOUS IMAGINATION

Staudigl M. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This talk reconsiders prevalent late modern discourses that all too unambiguously link religion and violence, rendering occidental conceptions of reason sacrosanct. In a first part, I flesh out the fault lines of a secularist modernity spinning out of control in times of manifold crises, recently named "polycrisis," a situation prone to acceleratingly motivate recourse to religious semantics and narratives of liberation. Secondly, I demonstrate how especially the "liberal imaginary" revolves around conceptions that short-circuit freedom and sovereignty and thus structurally turn parasitic upon imaginations of disorder and otherness that are tied to religious violence, finally to the extent of performatively producing it as the very other of discursive reason. I conclude that we need to develop a new understanding of the revelatory, and therefore apparently "violent" force of religious imagination, as something that enables us to transcend oppressive social imaginaries and neo-myths, be they called progress, globalization or "reason.
BETWEEN NOSTALGIA AND CONTAMINATION: THE DYNAMICS OF RELIGIOUS ATMOSPHERES IN MIGRATION CONTEXT

Diaconu M. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The neo-phenomenological theory of atmosphere has widely described ambiances of built environments and factors of staging atmospheric effects, yet seldom discussed places of worship. Strategies of designing atmospheres in sacral architecture present a heightened relevance in migration context: faith communities replicate historical models from their home country, adapt buildings which previously served utilitarian purposes or as places of worship for a different confession, and are "contaminated" by the culture of the host country. Although such processes are well-known in the history of architecture, they used to be explained in terms of practical-functional conversion and semantic-symbolic reinterpretation. The lecture argues that the emotional turn the aesthetics of ambiance partakes in sheds new light on the religious experience by emphasizing the diversity within Christianity based on the atmospheric profiles of its confessions. In particular, the dynamics of religious atmospherics will be illustrated by converted places of the Orthodox Church(es) in Vienna.
WALTER BENJAMIN'S DENKBILDER - MESSIANISM IN A NUTSHELL?

Bosoky I. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The German philosopher and literary critic Walter Benjamin (1892 - 1940) is often seen as a writer of the Jewish Messianism, and the focus of research on him has been based on his most reknown writings such as The Work of Art in the Age of mechanical Reproduction (1935) or Thesis on the Philosophy of History (1940). Thus, most of the time only some of his work is being analysed into depth and is then classified as being messianic. But what about his not so well know work such as the Denkbilder (published in the 1920s and 1930s) which have not formed part of the Berlin Childhood Around 1900 (1933) or the One Way Street (1928)? Do they also reflect on Messianism? This paper wants to draw attention to these Denkbilder and their vision of an In-Between. An In-Between realities, focusses, vanitas, language and times allowing open spaces for thought which might also be found in the heart of religious believes. The paper wants to argue in favor of open spaces, these In-Betweens, and perhaps not to immediately search for categories to classify them as, for example, Messianism, plagiarism and so forth as Walter Benjamin himself was always trying not to go along with categories.
MODERNIZED BUDDHISM MODERNIZES WESTERN SOCIETIES

Baatz U. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The modernization of Buddhism was and is a global exchange process. European and American scholars, but also other groups such as freethinkers, were appropriating and reinterpreting Buddhist topoi. These were in turn taken up by Asian Buddhists and used in the anti-colonial struggle. The modernization of Buddhism also affected meditation practices, for example, the "new Burmese school" emerged against the background of British colonial rule. The same applies to Zen practice. Both practices have been and are taken up in North Atlantic societies. Above all, the modernized version of Vipassana, mindfulness, is increasingly taking on the function of a self-technology and disciplining practice in both management and pedagogy, oriented towards usefulness and control in a post-industrial society.
BEYOND THE EDGE OF MADNESS: BUDDHIST AND SUFI TRADITIONS IN THE AGE OF CRYPTOCURRENCIES

Schönsee R. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
In a world increasingly shaped by digital economies and decentralized networks, contemporary fiction discovers in Buddhist and Sufi mysticism new avenues of critique and reflection. This paper explores how Don DeLillo's Silence and Thomas Pynchon's Against the Day draw on Buddhist and Sufi mysticism to critique the hyper-velocity of late capitalism and cryptocurrency markets. DeLillo imagines cryptocurrencies dissolving into syllables of a new temporal grammar, while Pynchon's vision of Shambhala transcends capitalism's time regimes, offering a mystical, elusive realm of escape from the global politics of money. By engaging with Eastern philosophies and (Techno)-'Orientalism,' these works suggest spiritual refuge and self-awareness as antidotes to the madness of financialization. This paper argues that through interreligious motifs, DeLillo and Pynchon develop contemplative frameworks that reclaim language critique as wisdom, providing a counterbalance to consumerism, resource depletion, and privatization, while inviting readers into "unmapped, sacramental places" beyond the games of modern capital markets.
ETHNICITY, LANGUAGE AND RELIGION: IDENTITY PRACTICES IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES

Nguyen K. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Many contemporary transformational processes currently affecting European societies revolve around questions of national and cultural identity. To provide an inside perspective, this talk explores the role of language and religion in constructing collective identities among ethnic and/or religious minority faith communities. Drawing on ethnographic research in Manchester, UK, on German-speaking Protestants, Vietnamese-speaking Catholics, and two Reform Jewish congregations, religion and language are shown to be both the subjects and the means of negotiating personal and collective belonging. Findings include the significance of linguistic and religious-cultural resources in negotiating the meanings of religiosity and of ethnic/national identity against the backdrop of migration-related pluralism, and in exercising, contesting and (re)defining institutional power structures. This approach offers a flexible understanding of social cohesion which captures the central role that religion continues to play on the personal and collective level of many communities while acknowledging the heterogeneity of contemporary European societies.
THE PERSPECTIVE OF MIDDLE EASTERN CHRISTIANS ON THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE SANCTITY OF RELIGION

Hager A. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Several controversies over the last decades, such as the fatwa against Salman Rushdie (1989), the so-called Danish Mohammed cartoons (2005-2006) or the lecture of Benedict XVI in Regensburg (2006) seemed to illustrate a dichotomy between the West defending the freedom of speech and the Islamic world upholding the sanctity of religion. The Christians of the Middle East are hardly ever mentioned in the (scholarly) discussions of such controversies. These controversies, however, put them in an uncomfortable position and churches in the region have been firebombed. But at the same time, Middle Eastern Christians should not be reduced to a position of passive bystanders. They have unequivocally condemned such alleged offenses out of a genuine rejection of what the West considers instances freedom of expression (for instance their rejection of the film Da Vinci Code). This presentation will offer insight into the perspective of Middle Eastern Christians on such controversies.
STRIKING FROM THE MARGINS - STATE, DEVOLUTION OF AUTHORITY AND RELIGION IN THE MASHREQ AFTER THE ARAB SPRING

Al-Bagdadi N. (Speaker)

Central European University ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The international research project and its team Striking from the margins run for several years in-depth studies of the phenomena of 'striking from margins' as multifaceted political movements which root in socio-economic, cultural and religious developments in the Middle East. Explosion of violence in the name of religion following the Arab Spring in the 2010s displayed ever-multiplying factional fissures and the disaggregation of states and societies. These developments have called the attention of a variety of interpreters and parties active and interested in the region searching for analytical and conceptual instruments that might enable a more cogent and convincing understanding of a seemingly intractable tangle of interconnected conflicts and the role religion plays in these. This search includes the protraction of the conflict and the lack of a transition into durable post-conflict situations and conditions.
THE PARAVUR DIALOGUES- THE FIRST INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUES BETWEEN TWO JEWS, A CHRISTIAN, A PAGAN AND A MUSLIM: A MULTI RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES OF INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGES FROM EARLY MODERN SOUTH INDIA

Joy E.M. (Speaker)

Central European University ~ Vienna ~ Austria
My paper examines the Jesuit mission strategies in Malabar (modern-day Kerala) through a literary and historical analysis of the Paravur Dialogues-an interfaith dialogue involving two Jews, a Pagan (Hindu), a Christian, and a Muslim, likely authored by Francisco Ros S.J. (1559-1624), a Catalan Jesuit priest and the first European archbishop of the Christians of Malabar. The Dialogues, dated to the late 16th- early 17th centuries, reflect early efforts to integrate European missionary methods with local religious and cultural contexts, particularly among the St. Thomas Christians, who claimed apostolic lineage but were viewed by Jesuits as requiring doctrinal "purification." This paper highlights the importance of the production of the interreligious dialogues and cultural and intellectual exchange. It also tries offer fresh insights into early Jesuit cultural translation, the dissemination of European knowledge in Kerala, and the overlooked literary contributions of Jesuit missions to Kerala's linguistic and intellectual heritage.

Panel description: Throughout history, the early Irish church has often been portrayed as heterodox, idiosyncratic and as insignificant, being called 'pips on the ends of the earth.' Meanwhile, politicians, theologians, writers and historians take inspiration from it and its impact on European religion, culture and society e.g. Pope Benedict XVI credits the earliest use of the phrase totius Europae to an early Irish saint which Robert Schumann, one of the founders of the European Union, calls 'the patron saint of all those who now seek to build a united Europe'. There is a continuing desideratum in the study of the early Irish church, particularly its theology, with most contributions being written from a narrow disciplinary perspective, and often with a partisan political and religious agenda, particularly regarding the Catholic and Protestant church. More recently, the terms 'Iromania' and 'Irophobia' have been used to describe the competing perspectives of the influence of the early Irish church in Europe and vice-versa. This panel aims to address these lacunae and problems by welcoming papers from multiple disciplines and institutions to promote the non-partisan theological study of the early Irish church and its impact on European religion, society and culture.

Papers:

THE EARLIEST IRISH EUCHARISTIC LITURGY IN THE ANTIPHONARY OF BANGOR

Cupples A. (Speaker) , Swift C. (Speaker)

Trinity College ~ Dublin ~ Ireland
A debate which has concerned many liturgists in the last 100 years such as Jungmann, is the question of the existence of a separate early Irish Eucharistic liturgical rite, and the study of the Eucharistic theology in the seventh-century manuscript, the Antiphonary of Bangor, could yield significant information to this debate. This paper will briefly outline the controversy regarding the early Irish Eucharistic rite, list the liturgical pieces related to the Eucharist in the Antiphonary of Bangor, and will focus on the theology behind supposedly the earliest Latin Eucharistic hymn, which is contained in this manuscript, plus its Eucharistic antiphons.
CAPPADOCIAN FATHERS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE IRISH CHURCH

Swift C. (Speaker)

Loyola Institute, Trinity College ~ Dublin ~ Ireland
The phrase Cappadocian Fathers is usually used to refer to St Basil of Caesarea (modern Kayseri in central Anatolia), his brother St Gregory of Nyssa (under the metropolitan jurisdiction of Caesarea) and Gregory of Nazianzenus (Archbishop of Constantinople in AD 380/381). They are most famous for their involvement in fourth-century Trinitarian disputes and, in the case of St Basil, their development of a monastic ideology which became dominant in later Orthodox tradition while there has been a recent interest in exploring their views on the definition of Christian virginity. Their writings are quoted in the Collectio canonum Hibernensis of early eighth-century date but the nature of their influence on Irish church thinking has yet to be studied in any depth. This paper builds on an earlier paper suggesting their interest in pragmatic charity within a community setting may have had a particular influence on Irish monastic thinking and seeks to set the Collectio evidence in a wider context.
IS THERE AN ERIUGENIAN ECCLESIOLOGY? REFLECTIONS ON THE POETRY AND COMMENTARIES

Kavanagh C. (Speaker)

Mary Immaculate College, University of LImerick ~ Limerick ~ Ireland
There is no treatise by Eriugena "On the Church" but he does have an extensive commentary on hierarchy, as found in ps-Dionysius, and several liturgically focussed poems. This paper seeks to explore this evidence in the consciousness of the backdrop provided by the Greek-speaking communities of Rome in the same era.

Panel description: This panel highlights the vibrant and interdisciplinary landscape of religion-related research in Vienna, emphasizing its contributions to the broader discourse on religion and socio-cultural transformations. Vienna, with its unique position at the crossroads of diverse cultural, historical, and intellectual traditions, serves as a fertile ground for innovative scholarship that examines religion as a dynamic force in shaping and responding to societal change. While rooted in the city's scholarly environment, the panel's scope transcends local boundaries, engaging with global perspectives on religion and transformation. By adopting an intentionally broad thematic framework, the panel welcomes contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including religious studies, theology, philosophy, sociology, history, ethics, educational sciences, law, and South Asian studies. This openness facilitates the exploration of religion's intersections with pressing contemporary issues, such as migration and the reconfiguration of identities and communities in an increasingly interconnected world, while also incorporating historical insights and in-depth case studies. Through this diversity of perspectives, the panel seeks to demonstrate how Vienna-based research contributes to understanding religion as both a catalyst for and a reflection on socio-cultural transformation. It aims to foster dialogue among scholars and encourage new collaborations, ultimately showcasing Vienna as a hub for innovative and impactful research on religion.

Papers:

REENCHANTMENT? DYNAMICS OF WORLDVIEWS, BELIEFS, AND PRACTICES THAT WE USED TO CALL RELIGION

Mattes-Zippenfenig A. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This study examines the evolving landscape of worldviews, beliefs, and practices traditionally categorized as religion, exploring whether contemporary society is experiencing a "reenchantment". The concept challenges the notion of secularization as a linear decline in religiosity as well as the idea of a "return of religion", which views religion as a concise phenomenon. The paper builds on empirical data from a representative survey on the Austrian population and discusses its findings against the arguments of representatives of different forms of the secularization thesis and their opponents. The empirical findings reveal a dynamic reconfiguration of fragments of what we used to call religion in diverse forms. Rather than Max Weber's idea of rationalization and devaluation of non-scientific ideas, we see a fragmented turn to magical elements, generalized transcendences such as the belief in "the universe" and other disintegrated facets of religious phenomena.
SECULAR SPACES OF CONTACT AMONG RELIGIONS

Lehmann K. (Speaker)

Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Throughout the last two decades 'interreligious dialogue (IRD)' has become a significant research-topic for the Academic Study of Religion. In most cases, the respective analyses focus on a variety of different contact-formats among individuals and/or institutions that are explicitly framed in religious terms. They tend to neglect, however, the fact that most contacts among religious individuals and/or institutions take place in secular spaces - from supermarkets up to parliaments. The paper will draw from data collected for an oral history project on religious plurality in inter-war Vienna. It will have a look at the school as a secular space of contact among religions.
INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INITIATIVES IN VIENNA AS A TOOL FOR CHANGE: POTENTIALS AND CHALLENGES IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY

Verbeek J. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Interreligious dialogue provides spaces for encounter, listening, and mutual learning — qualities that can ease tensions in (pluralistic) societies. In Vienna, Jewish-Christian dialogue exemplifies both the transformative potential and the inherent challenges of such initiatives. Shaped by the legacy of antisemitism and post-Shoah reconciliation, this dialogue is embedded within complex historical and power dynamics. These dynamics often result in imbalances and victimization narratives and the aspect of dialogue shifts towards an asymmetrical encounter that emphasises learning about Jewish experiences. Additionally, differing expectations and understandings of dialogue's purpose and outcomes are brought to the table. Outlining the history of Jewish-Christian dialogue initiatives in Vienna from 1945 till the present day, also including Muslim dialogue partners, the changing attitudes, themes and outcomes of interreligious dialogue will be presented, showcasing its transformative potential.
MAPPING CULTURAL CONVERGENCE: DIGITAL TOOLS UNVEILING THE CROSS-CULTURAL SCRIPT OF SYRIAC-MALAYALAM HERITAGE IN KERALA

Chandran S. (Speaker)

Central European University ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Garshuni Malayalam, a script developed in Kerala in the 16th century, was used to write the Malayalam language by the Saint Thomas Christian community, whose native tongue is Malayalam but whose liturgical language is Syriac. This unique script, a fusion of twenty-two Syriac letters and ten Malayalam characters, is written from right to left, much like Syriac. It was primarily employed by Saint Thomas Christians and Jesuit missionaries, and most historical documents related to this community are written in this script. However, due to the Hindu-centric nature of Kerala's history and the limited understanding of this script, the rich heritage of this community remains underexplored. This paper introduces digital tools, such as Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) and an online Syriac-Garshuni Malayalam dictionary, currently under development as part of my PhD research at Central European University, aimed at uncovering the historical legacy of Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala.
THE "CHRISTLICHE GEMEINSCHAFT HIRT UND HERDE". THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN UNKNOWN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY FROM THE GERMAN EMPIRE UNTIL PRESENT TIMES

Schuster D. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
In 1894, the Christian Community Hirt und Herde was founded in Saxony, which is a classic Christian New Revelation. Today, it is a relatively secluded community about which no serious research literature exists. In the decades following its foundation, Hirt und Herde gained more and more followers, founded communities in what is now the Czech Republic, among other places, and was briefly the third-largest religious community in Saxony in terms of membership. However, as a result of various political, cultural and social processes, membership numbers declined and the community withdrew completely from the public eye. Today, the community only has around 700 followers. In addition to presenting the doctrinal content and the history of Hirt and Herde, the development of this religious community, which exists in the heart of Europe but is nevertheless completely unknown, is analysed with the help of religious sociological models.
RELIGION AND RESILIENCE AT WAR. PERSPECTIVES FROM VIOLENT CONFLICTS OF THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES

Schulte-Umberg T. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
At the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in the spring of 2014, the Ukrainian writer Serhij Zhadan noted a strange incident. He observed priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church accompanying Ukrainian troops. It was strange to see these priests now, but, as he noted, after all there was no war before - although it remained a little bit unclear to him what meaning this could have. This is not an isolated perception. On the one hand the fact that clerical oPicials from many religions and denominations marched with troops into the violent conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries is a wellknown phenomenon. On the other hand, what is rather unknown is the comprehensive function of this 'spiritual support' for combatants, which transcends religions and denominations. The contribution analyzes this function on the basis of individual testimonies and attempts to place it in the context of religious and societal change.
BJD: THE ANIMATORS AND THE ANIMATED

Saikia A. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Dolls have been an integral part of history, intricately woven into the cultural fabric of society. They have been crucial in shaping socio-cultural practices. Throughout the course of history, dolls have transitioned from being ritual objects to children's playthings and are often viewed as juvenile artifacts. The scope and use of dolls is not limited merely to a child's toy but a wide variety of dolls are also collected by adult doll collectors. There are different categories of dolls collected by adult doll collectors and the category explored in this paper is called BJD (Ball-Jointed Doll). These fully articulated and customizable dolls possess a distinctively significant place in the collector's life who collect them and also in the artists life who create them. Through the lens of neo-animism, other-than-human agency and relational personhood, this paper engages in exploring the ontological status of the dolls created by the artists and collected by the collectors that transcend the subject-object divide and demonstrate instances of contemporary animism.
REPETITIVE VERBAL PRACTICES IN THE ANCIENT SOUTH ASIAN RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE

Haas D. (Speaker)

Austrian Academy of Science ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Repetitive verbal practices, such as praying the rosary, are known from various religions. Despite the popularity and the cultural significance of such practices, their historical origins and development are rarely addressed in academic literature. It is often assumed that they are in principle universal and timeless and can be explained as mere actualizations of an archetypical and inborn religious proclivity or ability. In my talk, I present first results of my research project on this topic. I argue that the historically earliest known religious practice involving the repetition of one and the same formula is that of mantra repetition, which first emerged in South Asia in the final centuries of the first millennium BCE. I hypothesize that two factors were particularly important for the popularization and spread of mantra repetition: first, its simplicity, and second, its power to alter the state of mind, i.e., its psychotropicity.
NAVIGATING RELIGION AND ORIENTALISM: THE PROBLEM OF 'RELIGION' WITHIN THE CHINESE MIGRANT COMMUNITY IN VIENNA

Chadwin J. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This paper intends to examine how alarmingly easy it is for scholars to Orientalise the Chinese religion in Europe. More specifically, this paper intends to provide insight into the lived context of Chinese religiosity in Europe through the lens of the Han community in Vienna. I intend to make the case that scholars, often unwittingly, utilise definitions of religion that simply cannot be applied to the Chinese context, and by doing so, perpetuate something of a cycle of Orientalism. I will ultimately conclude that Chinese religiosity in Vienna should only be examined by sufficiently utilising methodologies that wholly appreciate the Chinese context.
INTELLECTUALS AND DIGITAL RELIGION: RICHARD DAWKINS VS. JORDAN PETERSON—OR: MEN WHO WRESTLE WITH GOD

Zöhrer D. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The "intellectual" has been defined as (a) a well-published, secular critic of religion (Paul Johnson); and (b) a thinker who defends redemptive religiosity and offers meaning in a disenchanted world (Max Weber). Today, few public intellectuals fit these opposing paradigms as perfectly as the biologist Richard Dawkins and the clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson. This paper places the ongoing debate between the two in the context of modern intellectual history. Focusing on the intersection between intellectual and digital religion, this paper explores (1) the rivals' basic positions on religion; (2) influences from the field of religious studies on their theories of religion; (3) their public debates with each other; and (4) a sample of reactions from their online audience. Drawing on the Dawkins/Peterson-debate, the paper aims to highlight key problems and trends in the contemporary intellectual discourse on religion and how digital media reinforces them.
SECULAR ACTIVISM IN AUSTRIA. ORGANISED NONRELIGION AND ITS EFFORTS FOR SECULARISM, EQUAL TREATMENT AND VISIBILITY

Waldl E. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
There exists a small but active community for secular activism in Austria. Various initiatives, associations and individual actors are engaged intensively in the establishment of a strict separation of state and religion. They criticise the privileged position of religious communities - especially of the Roman Catholic Church - on a societal, political and legal level and one of their objectives is to make the discrimination of religiously unaffiliated people more visible. Substantive arguments in their critique are the neutrality of the state concerning worldview and religion, human rights and the ever-growing share of unaffiliated people within the Austrian population. My Master's thesis in religious studies focuses on these secular groups and organisations and their commitment to secularism. In my lecture, I will present my results based on my extensive empirical fieldwork, with a focal point on the societal, political and legal changes targeted by secular activism in Austria.
UNIVERSALITY IN A PARTICULAR PLACE: DIALOGUE AS THE ACTIVE FORMATION OF A NEIGHBORHOOD

Breu C. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The biblical commandment to love one's neighbor has recently been used in political campaigns and restricted to a certain group of persons. These campaings address the ambiguous relation between universality and particularity that is inherent in the concept of neighborhood. In this paper, the notion of an active neighbourhood formation is developed based on Alain Badiou's concept of neighbourhood, 1 Peter, and Qur'anic perspectives on neighbourhood. In contrast to the metaphor of building bridges, the concept of neighbourhood emphasizes the active work of building a new shared space together. In this shared space, the interacting parties are equally foreign and equally familiar to each other. It focuses not only on the exchange of ideas, but also on bodily and spatial conditions. The concept also emphasizes that neighbourliness is based on the choice to be a neighbor, not on coincidental coexistence.
PROPHECIES OF COLLAPSE AND RESET - THE PERSISTENCE OF APOCALYPTIC END-TIME NARRATIVES FROM BIBLICAL TEXTS UNTIL TODAY

Puschautz E. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The paper explores the enduring influence of apocalyptic end-time narratives, focusing on their occurrence and context in the New Testament, especially on texts in the book of Revelation and their persistence in shaping socio-cultural transformations throughout (European) history and beyond. Drawing on the imagery and motifs of collapse and renewal found in Revelation, the study traces how these narratives have transcended their original religious contexts to become powerful tools for interpreting and responding to societal crises. By examining the interplay between prophetic texts and historical events, the paper highlights the adaptability of apocalyptic rhetoric in addressing moments of upheaval, from ancient-christian eschatological movements to contemporary ecological and political discourses. This analysis underscores the dual role of these narratives as catalysts for societal change and as frameworks for resilience in the face of uncertainty. The paper ultimately considers the implications of such persistent apocalyptic motifs for the European socio-cultural imagination and global religious thought today
OVERLAPPING FOUCAULDIAN DISPOSITIVES AND THE STORYTELLING OF SALVATION

Mehring H. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
In one of her latest satirical personality TV-Show (11/28/2024 ), stand-up comedienne Carolin Kebekus combines "wars, murders, violence" with the hashtag #not all men but always a man, which has gone viral! Political "harm" is narrated in a gendered way, evaluated and parodied as the result of "male" actions. Which Foucauldian Dispositives are effective in an intersectional perspective of the gendered narration of the vision of salvation and its witnessing and proclamation by women? Simeon and Anna see salvation in Luke 2; in the face of Jesus' birth, Anna proclaims to those hoping for the liberation of Jerusalem! In the Gospel of John, Nathanael and the Samaritan woman become Jesus-recognizers in their encounter with Jesus, the seeing of the Anointed One. Once again only the Samaritan woman becomes a witness for the Anointed One to her village community.
KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN THE PRE-MODERN ERA. A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE SO-CALLED CATENA MANUSCRIPTS AS RELIGIOUS ANTHOLOGIES

Heil U. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The catena manuscripts present the biblical text together with various commentary fragments with named authors. More than eighty Greek manuscripts with catenae on the Psalms from the 9th to 16th century have survived. They offer an astonishing variety in the way they present and organize the material and in their interpretation of Scripture. They show a pre-modern, but highly professional way of collecting and presenting extensive knowledge about a biblical book. For a long time, research on catenae focused on the restoration of biblical commentaries that would otherwise have been lost in the direct tradition. It is only in recent years that this has changed and that manuscripts have become the focus of research as a whole. This article ties in with this and aims to examine the creation and use of catenae and their place in the intellectual history of Byzantium and the Middle Ages.

Panel description: This panel highlights the vibrant and interdisciplinary landscape of religion-related research in Vienna, emphasizing its contributions to the broader discourse on religion and socio-cultural transformations. Vienna, with its unique position at the crossroads of diverse cultural, historical, and intellectual traditions, serves as a fertile ground for innovative scholarship that examines religion as a dynamic force in shaping and responding to societal change. While rooted in the city's scholarly environment, the panel's scope transcends local boundaries, engaging with global perspectives on religion and transformation. By adopting an intentionally broad thematic framework, the panel welcomes contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including religious studies, theology, philosophy, sociology, history, ethics, educational sciences, law, and South Asian studies. This openness facilitates the exploration of religion's intersections with pressing contemporary issues, such as migration and the reconfiguration of identities and communities in an increasingly interconnected world, while also incorporating historical insights and in-depth case studies. Through this diversity of perspectives, the panel seeks to demonstrate how Vienna-based research contributes to understanding religion as both a catalyst for and a reflection on socio-cultural transformation. It aims to foster dialogue among scholars and encourage new collaborations, ultimately showcasing Vienna as a hub for innovative and impactful research on religion.

Papers:

ON CONSOLATION. PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS

Appel K. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Human longing for solace in times of uncertainty, suffering, and loss is of mutual interest to both philosophy and theology. Our contributions aim to explore the concept of consolation as a fundamental human need and examine its interpretations in philosophical and theological traditions. For example, thinkers such as Seneca or Boethius demonstrate how philosophical reflection can provide comfort by situating suffering within a broader cosmic order. Religious traditions have offered consolation through narratives of hope, redemption and communion with the Divine. The Biblical understanding of consolations expressed, for example, in the Psalms and the Writings of Paul, emphasizes its eschatological dimension. The notion of consolation has recently received little attention in the academic world and often seems restricted to the private space or the arts. While in the academic world, consolation is often merely reduced to a negative understanding of being, a false promise, or the accusation of preventing change, we address the question of consolation's potential to shape and transform the affective landscapes of communities by transgressing the individual perspective. Especially in times of global crises and individualistic dissolutions of reality, the difficult question arises of how we can go beyond merely recognizing a plurality of disparate world views. How must we conceive a fundamental human desire, such as consolation, so that it inspires us to create shared worlds in which we take responsibility in recognition of the Other? Our contributions ask how contemporary societies - marked by existential fragmentation and spiritual plurality - can engage with the timeless question of consolation. Can the interplay of philosophy and theology, reason and mystical tradition, offer new ways of providing solace in an age of disenchantment? This exploration seeks to reconsider the role of consolation in cultivating resilience, meaning, and hope in human existence.
ON CONSOLATION. PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS

Deibl J. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Human longing for solace in times of uncertainty, suffering, and loss is of mutual interest to both philosophy and theology. Our contributions aim to explore the concept of consolation as a fundamental human need and examine its interpretations in philosophical and theological traditions. For example, thinkers such as Seneca or Boethius demonstrate how philosophical reflection can provide comfort by situating suffering within a broader cosmic order. Religious traditions have offered consolation through narratives of hope, redemption and communion with the Divine. The Biblical understanding of consolations expressed, for example, in the Psalms and the Writings of Paul, emphasizes its eschatological dimension. The notion of consolation has recently received little attention in the academic world and often seems restricted to the private space or the arts. While in the academic world, consolation is often merely reduced to a negative understanding of being, a false promise, or the accusation of preventing change, we address the question of consolation's potential to shape and transform the affective landscapes of communities by transgressing the individual perspective. Especially in times of global crises and individualistic dissolutions of reality, the difficult question arises of how we can go beyond merely recognizing a plurality of disparate world views. How must we conceive a fundamental human desire, such as consolation, so that it inspires us to create shared worlds in which we take responsibility in recognition of the Other? Our contributions ask how contemporary societies - marked by existential fragmentation and spiritual plurality - can engage with the timeless question of consolation. Can the interplay of philosophy and theology, reason and mystical tradition, offer new ways of providing solace in an age of disenchantment? This exploration seeks to reconsider the role of consolation in cultivating resilience, meaning, and hope in human existence.
ON CONSOLATION. PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS

Kuran D. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Human longing for solace in times of uncertainty, suffering, and loss is of mutual interest to both philosophy and theology. Our contributions aim to explore the concept of consolation as a fundamental human need and examine its interpretations in philosophical and theological traditions. For example, thinkers such as Seneca or Boethius demonstrate how philosophical reflection can provide comfort by situating suffering within a broader cosmic order. Religious traditions have offered consolation through narratives of hope, redemption and communion with the Divine. The Biblical understanding of consolations expressed, for example, in the Psalms and the Writings of Paul, emphasizes its eschatological dimension. The notion of consolation has recently received little attention in the academic world and often seems restricted to the private space or the arts. While in the academic world, consolation is often merely reduced to a negative understanding of being, a false promise, or the accusation of preventing change, we address the question of consolation's potential to shape and transform the affective landscapes of communities by transgressing the individual perspective. Especially in times of global crises and individualistic dissolutions of reality, the difficult question arises of how we can go beyond merely recognizing a plurality of disparate world views. How must we conceive a fundamental human desire, such as consolation, so that it inspires us to create shared worlds in which we take responsibility in recognition of the Other? Our contributions ask how contemporary societies - marked by existential fragmentation and spiritual plurality - can engage with the timeless question of consolation. Can the interplay of philosophy and theology, reason and mystical tradition, offer new ways of providing solace in an age of disenchantment? This exploration seeks to reconsider the role of consolation in cultivating resilience, meaning, and hope in human existence.
ON CONSOLATION. PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS

Call N. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Human longing for solace in times of uncertainty, suffering, and loss is of mutual interest to both philosophy and theology. Our contributions aim to explore the concept of consolation as a fundamental human need and examine its interpretations in philosophical and theological traditions. For example, thinkers such as Seneca or Boethius demonstrate how philosophical reflection can provide comfort by situating suffering within a broader cosmic order. Religious traditions have offered consolation through narratives of hope, redemption and communion with the Divine. The Biblical understanding of consolations expressed, for example, in the Psalms and the Writings of Paul, emphasizes its eschatological dimension. The notion of consolation has recently received little attention in the academic world and often seems restricted to the private space or the arts. While in the academic world, consolation is often merely reduced to a negative understanding of being, a false promise, or the accusation of preventing change, we address the question of consolation's potential to shape and transform the affective landscapes of communities by transgressing the individual perspective. Especially in times of global crises and individualistic dissolutions of reality, the difficult question arises of how we can go beyond merely recognizing a plurality of disparate world views. How must we conceive a fundamental human desire, such as consolation, so that it inspires us to create shared worlds in which we take responsibility in recognition of the Other? Our contributions ask how contemporary societies - marked by existential fragmentation and spiritual plurality - can engage with the timeless question of consolation. Can the interplay of philosophy and theology, reason and mystical tradition, offer new ways of providing solace in an age of disenchantment? This exploration seeks to reconsider the role of consolation in cultivating resilience, meaning, and hope in human existence.

Panel description: This panel brings together papers that explore the legal, moral, and theological dimensions of corporate religious freedom. Starting from recent disputes at the U.S. Supreme Court (from Hosanna Tabor [2012] to 303 Creative [2023]), the panel pays particular attention to the ethics of acting together—specifically, in organized groups—for religious reasons. Coordinated activities are vital for the exercise of countless religious commitments. When unencumbered by social and legal interference, such activities can promote human flourishing. That said, they can have untoward consequences upon in-group and out-group members, as well. It is no surprise, then, that corporate religious freedom is a contested liberty. In its current form, it may be an undeserved privilege. Or it may be a fundamental right. The panel aims to examine diverse perspectives on the issue of corporate religious freedom. From a law and religion standpoint, it is crucial to address the challenges posed by above decisions, such as: Who is the subject of corporate religious freedom? Should for-profit entities be entitled to religious freedom protections? How do such protections impact the rights of third parties? However, the implications of corporate religious freedom extend beyond the legal framework. They also present significant challenges to religious groups, which risk being accused of leveraging religion to achieve political objectives. Consequently, it is equally important to examine the theological foundations for invoking religious protections through corporate entities. This analysis can help discern when such protections genuinely serve religious purposes and when they risk being co-opted for political exploitation. By integrating legal, moral, and theological viewpoints, the panel offers a rich and varied discourse on how states and societies might navigate the intricate relationship between corporate entities and religious freedom.

Papers:

ACTIONS OR RIGHTS-HOLDERS? TWO APPROACHES TO CORPORATE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Hau M. (Speaker)

University of Warsaw ~ Warsaw ~ Poland
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. initiated a significant discussion on corporate religious freedom, specifically the concept of for-profit incorporated entities exercising religious freedom. One of the most debated aspects of this judgment was whether a corporation can be a right-holder of religious freedom. In 2023, the Court issued its decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, which also addressed the exercise of religious freedom by corporate for-profit entities but from a different angle. While the case was ultimately decided on free speech grounds, it nonetheless remains a pivotal judgment in the realm of corporate religious freedom. Rather than focusing on the characteristics of the actor, 303 Creative invites to reframe the issue by emphasizing the characteristics of the actions performed. This paper examines Hobby Lobby and 303 Creative as representing two distinct approaches to corporate religious freedom: the right-holder approach (exemplified in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which considers the rights of the individuals involved) and the action-based approach (evident in 303 Creative, which focuses on the nature—and even the ontology—of the actions in question). The paper argues that these two approaches rest on differing moral assumptions and lead to divergent trajectories for the development of corporate religious freedom. Specifically, the action-based approach, while seemingly more accessible because it avoids analyzing the claimant's ontological characteristics, risks enabling a proliferation of uncontrollably diverse religious claims, especially in relation to religious exemptions. By contrast, the right-holder approach offers greater control over determining which entities can legitimately exercise religious freedom.
CAN THEOLOGY HELP? COORDINATING CORPORATE ACTS WITH GOD'S "BEING-IN-ACTION"

Hodson N. (Speaker)

University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
Recent efforts in legal philosophy have identified different ways in which the right of religious liberty can meaningfully apply to groups, whether they be manifestly religious (e.g., churches) or less obviously so (e.g., ostensibly secular, for-profit corporations). One of the most promising models analyses groups as coordinated actions, and it applies this ontology to the normative debate over corporate religious freedom. Meanwhile, in a separate field, recent studies in theological ethics highlight "actualistic" ontologies which understand God and creaturely realities in terms of action. As K.Barth argues, God is most fundamentally being-in-action. And as E. Gilson argues (through an existentialist reading of T. Aquinas), human persons are best understood through their act of being. This paper explores the serendipitous affinity between the coordinated-action approach to corporate religious freedom and studies of actualistic ontology in recent moral theology. It offers a theological account of the action approach with recourse to the theological ontology common to Barth and Aquinas. In doing so, it articulates a distinctly theological approach to religious liberty that is amenable to both evangelical and Catholic political theology. Special attention is given to the approach's ability to distinguish churches (as a particular sort of coordinated group action) from non-churches, and its ability to retain the latter "secular" groups within the remit of God's activity. The paper also explores the approach's strength in situating group rights within a theological order that accounts for the religious liberty of non-Christian faiths. Finally, the paper argues that recourse to an actualistic ontology helps make moral sense of corporate religious freedom: insofar as group acts are coordinated with God's being-in-action, they are morally justified. This paradigm is not only justificatory in a general sense, but it is specific enough to guide moral reasoning as well.

Panel description: Jews, Christians, and Muslims, shocked and traumatized by the current wars, come together to reflect on innovative approaches to dialogue and solidarity, as the urgency of our current situation demands. Our aim is not to adopt a comfortable stance that merely condemns war while hoping for peace; rather, we seek to reinvent interfaith dialogue and theologies of nonviolence. We strongly affirm the equality of all human beings and acknowledge that all victims are deserving compassion. Every child has the right to life, protection, and education. Yet, spreading these fundamental principles has become increasingly challenging. In an era where we can witness genocide live-streamed, we bear a profound moral burden that compels us to act. Interfaith dialogue and non-violence are inherently connected. Theologies have a special obligation in contributing to non-violence. However, they are deeply ambivalent. Theologies and religions may be deeply humanizing, but they may also serve totalitarian, hegemonic or colonialist projects. Similarly, nonviolence can serve a noble cause ethically or be manipulated by those in power. We invite papers that critically reflect: What are the boundaries of nonviolence? How can it be made effective? Observing the ineffectiveness of international institutions, the shortcomings of international and humanitarian law, the rise of political extremism and nationalism, we strive to articulate a credible ethical stance that aligns with our faiths, demonstrating solidarity with the suffering and dehumanized. How can we embody hope? How can theologies foster meaning and life rather than death and destruction? How can we endure the devastation of war while maintaining our faith in the inherent goodness of humanity? What strategies can we adopt to resist, ethically and humanely, ensuring we are not consumed by hatred, anger or despair? The panel is intended to foster the growth of an international working group for "Interreligious Non-Violence Theology".

Papers:

RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP AT A CROSSROADS: POLITICAL THEOLOGY AND PEACE-BUILDING IN ISRAEL

Raveh M. (Speaker)

University of Haifa ~ Haifa ~ Israel
This paper explores the critical yet underutilized role of religious leadership in peace-building processes within the context of Israeli democracy and its future trajectory. Religious identities deeply shape both Israeli and Palestinian societies, making the involvement of religious leaders indispensable for meaningful dialogue and reconciliation. Yet, historical peace efforts have often excluded religious figures, leading to limited trust and ineffective outcomes. In light of the pressing need for nonviolent theology, this paper examines three interconnected aspects of this challenge: the significance of religious leadership in peace-building, the reasons behind its limited engagement, and the transformative potential of political theology. By grounding discussions in religious traditions, political theology provides a framework for religious leaders to authentically contribute to transitional justice and peace-building. The paper highlights the reluctance of many Israeli clergy members to engage in political theology, often due to fears of association with radicalization or political exploitation. To address this, it emphasizes the creation of safe spaces for internal dialogue among religious leaders and the lowering of barriers to their participation in political discourse. Nonviolent political theology offers a vital pathway for bridging the divide between religious and secular perspectives, empowering clergy to confront the ethical and political dilemmas of the conflict. By fostering inclusive dialogue rooted in nonviolent principles, religious leaders can play a pivotal role in shaping a peace-building process that resonates with the deeply rooted religious identities of the region.
GOSPEL NONVIOLENCE: A THIRD WAY BETWEEN NON-RESISTANCE AND RETALIATION

Palaver W. (Speaker)

University of Innsbruck ~ Innsbruck ~ Austria
Anthropologically nonviolence must be understood against the background of the contagious nature of violence. Frederick Hacker, a psychiatrist and expert on violence, rightly observed that "violence is as contagious as the plague," an insight that is also confirmed by René Girard's mimetic anthropology. The Gospels show an awareness of this anthropological insight and provide a way out of the circle of violence. Many Christians understood this alternative, however, as a non-resistant attitude that remained passive and did not confront evil. Peace activists like Gandhi - influenced to some degree by Muslims - enabled Christians to discover an active and even militant nonviolence as the true meaning of Gospel nonviolence. From this perspective it is possible to criticize Max Weber's thesis that the Sermon on the Mount represents an "ethic of indignity" and is politically irresponsible.
A CONTEMPORARY JEWISH PERSPECTIVE ON MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.'S THEORY OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE

Pearce R. (Speaker)

Fordham University School of Law ~ New York ~ United States of America
Martin Luther King, Jr. embraced nonviolent resistance for both practical and religious reasons. He argued that that "the Christian doctrine of love operating through the Ghandian method of nonviolence was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom." In contrast, violence is "self-defeating." It "solves no social problems; it merely creates new and more complicated ones." From a Christian perspective, the foundation for King's nonviolence is the "Christian doctrine of love" and the belief that "God is on the side of truth and justice." Could analogous arguments for nonviolent resistance be grounded in the Jewish tradition? The presentation will propose such an approach. It will also acknowledge and examine arguments to the contrary, including the hostility of many Jewish commentators to Ghandi's assertion that Jews should have engaged in nonviolent resistance to Hitler. To further clarify the potential of a Jewish commitment to non-violent resistance, the presentation will explore how King's framework would apply to contemporary problems, including the cycle of violent conflict in Palestine and Israel. It will also explore the implications of Erica Chenowith and Maria J. Stephan's research parallelling King's practical argument and finding that in the period from 1900 to 2006, "nonviolent resistance campaigns have been more effective in achieving their goals than violent resistance campaigns. This has been true even under conditions in which most people would expect nonviolent resistance to be futile[.]" (306).
VIOLENCE AND NONVIOLENCE IN LIBERATION STRUGGLE: A THEOLOGICAL READING

Mokrani A. (Speaker)

Pontifical Gregorian University ~ Rome ~ Italy
This presentation is grounded in the idea that history, in addition to serving as an interpretative tool for Scripture, is a source of revelation through which God communicates with humanity. It raises important questions of external coherence for every theological framework, including those related to nonviolence. History acts as a criterion for verification, enabling us to refine our theories and interpretations. From this practical perspective, we investigate cases of liberation struggles that oscillate between phases of violence and nonviolence, aiming to provide a theological interpretation of modern and contemporary history, particularly focusing on the Algerian and Palestinian cases. What is the theological significance of these experiences? What are the limitations of applied nonviolence, and what risks arise from choosing violence as an alternative?

Panel description: «Throughout the history of our species, sacred fiction has dominated human existence like nothing else (...) The heroes of sacred fiction do not respect the barrier between the pretend and the real. They swarm through the real world, exerting massive influence» (Jonathan Gottschall). The narrative traditions of biblical figures have been much investigated by scholars who used the concept of Rewritten Bible referring to a specific interpretative literature in antiquity and late antiquity. The large number of Jewish and Christian texts that never became scriptures are evidence of the existence of different traditions and worldviews earlier, contemporary, and later than the biblical narratives: in no case can we speak of secondary literary products, but rather of prevailing literary traditions, whose choice must undoubtedly have been linked to the ideas of the authors and their expected audience. The purpose of this panel, then, is to attempt to understand, through the analysis of the narrative's details that tell the story of a specific character, what prompted different redactors, biblical and non-biblical, to choose one version over another, and how and to what extent the worldviews of the different users of the texts influenced the transformation of existing literary traditions. This analysis is ultimately aimed at identifying the genesis and development of these narratives, taking into account the historical context and the literary and ideological backgrounds.

Papers:

WHY MOSES HAS TO BE EGYPTIAN? ON MOSES EGYPTIAN IDENTITY IN BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL NARRATIVE.

Moro C. (Speaker)

Università Roma Tre ~ Rome ~ Italy
In the rich variety of traditional accounts about the birth and life of Moses, a special place is always reserved to his double nationality. In the biblical text of Exodus 2-3 Moses is Egyptian because of the reversal of an element in the traditional "story of the hero who was exposed at birth", the adoption of the abandoned infant by a commoner (like the gardener of Sargon the Great, the herdsman of Cyrus, the swineherd of Romolus and Remus): he is adopted by an Egyptian princess, becoming a prince himself and a potential heir to the throne of Egypt. As expected, authors and texts from the Egyptian Diaspora, like Artapanus, Ezekiel Tragicus, Philo of Alexandria and Josephus, put a strong emphasis on Moses' princely education, his devotion to adopted parents, and his legitimacy as Egyptian heir, with both apologetic and polemical intentions. In my paper I will search the meanings attached to this ethnical identity of Moses, exploring how each biblical and extra-biblical text used its set of ideas and data about Egyptian culture and civilization to build its own image of the Lawgiver.
THECLA OF ICONIUM. BETWEEN TRADITION, HAGIOGRAPHY AND LEGEND

Caruso F. (Speaker)

Loyola University ~ Chicago ~ United States of America
For hundreds of years Thecla of Iconium has been a figure at the intersection of tradition and memory. The first account related to her appeared in the Acts of Paul and Thecla, which represent the most extensive portion of the apocryphal text of the Acts of Paul. Soon, however, the stories of Thecla became a text in their own right and began to be handed down in an autonomous form, beginning to circulate in Greek, Syriac, Armenian, and Latin. Her story quickly moved into the category of hagiography, and expanded to the threshold of legend, creating new and different accounts and traditions of her life and death. The purpose of my paper is to examine some aspects of the figure of Thecla, as narrated in the Acts, and compare them with the reception (and of course interpretation) of the story offered by the Life and Miracles of Thecla, a work likely redacted around the mid-5th century CE.

Panel description: When exploring female theology in ancient African and Near Eastern cultures a rich narrative of divine femininity spanning millennia is revealed. From Neolithic fertility figurines to the sophisticated theological systems of Egypt, Nubia and Mesopotamia, women played crucial roles in religious culture. Female deities were central to concepts of creation and cosmic order. Egyptian traditions, particularly the "God's Wife of Amun," furthered the evolution of female theology. Theological roles evolved, with female consorts transitioning from secondary figures to essential forces in creation myths, reflecting societal change and recognition of feminine potential. Comparative studies reveal parallels across cultures. The coexistence of pagan traditions and Abrahamic faiths is well-documented in multiple transitional periods and contact zones throughout history. Alongside historical analysis, this panel will examine the phenomenological relationship between women, femininity, and the sacred. The focus is the connection between the "secret of life," inspiration, supernatural abilities and female figures. Examples include priestesses, magicians, and prophetesses in Africa and the ancient Near East. Modern gender studies offer insights into these ancient constructs, connecting contemporary feminist discourse with classic traditions. We will uncover profound insights into human spirituality and women's roles in religious understanding. Key questions: • How do ancient and post-Axial Age concepts of femininity differ? • What roles do women play in orthodox Islam, Judaism, and Christianity? • How is female sacredness manifest in living religious practices? • Are there parallels between the ancient "Sacred Female" and postmodern feminism? • How do marginal and transitional spaces and periods affect female sacredness? These questions will explore female theology across time, cultures, and academic fields.

Papers:

FEMALE THEOLOGY? SACREDNESS AND THE FEMININE IN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF VARIOUS ISLAMIC TRADITIONS THROUGH TIME.

Conermann S. (Speaker) [1] , El Hawary A. (Speaker) [2]

Professor of islamic Studies ~ Bonn ~ Germany [1] , Privatdozent of Egyptology ~ Bonn ~ Germany [2]
This paper will examine the role of women in the sacred sphere across various Islamic traditions. While Salafi Islamic currents adopt a stringent position concerning sacredness in general and women's role in the sacred sphere, other traditions such as Shi'a or Sufi tend towards a broader understanding of female impact in divine creation. Key questions to be addressed include: • What role do women play in the sacred sphere within the official and orthodox doctrines of classical Islam? Is it possible to speak of female theology within these traditions? • How is the sacredness of female figures manifested in living religious practices in Islamic societies, particularly in private and folk religious traditions? • What role does the margin play in tolerating and accepting belief in female sacredness? How do transitional periods and contact zones serve as fertile ground for diverse forms of coexistence? • The elaboration of the Islamic concept of the divine throne in female theology and its parallels in the Jewish Shechinah. • Fatimah and the concept of "Khadijah" in Sunni Islam. • Fatimah in Shi'a Islam and Gnostic Batini traditions. • The role of femininity in the philosophy and mysticism of Ibn Arabi. • The role of female members of Muhammad's (PBUH) family in modern and contemporary Egypt. This contribution will discuss these questions, focusing on the connections between ancient concepts of female sacredness and the Islamic debate about the nature of God from different perspectives throughout the long history of Islamic belief.
THE (FEMALE) ONE: THE EMERGENCE OF FEMALE THEOLOGY IN ANCIENT EGYPT

El Hawary A. (Speaker)

Privatdozent Egyptology ~ Bonn ~ Germany
The exploration of female theology in ancient African cultures reveals a rich narrative of divine femininity spanning millennia. From Neolithic fertility figurines to sophisticated theological systems of Egypt and Nubia, women played crucial roles in spiritual understanding. Female deities were central to concepts of creation and cosmic order. Egyptian traditions, particularly the "God's Wife of Amun," showcased the evolution of female theology. Women were seen as priestesses and mediators, deeply connected to life's mysteries like birth and regeneration. Their spiritual power was linked to concepts of purity and supernatural insight. Theological roles evolved, with female consorts transitioning from secondary figures to essential forces in creation myths, reflecting societal changes and recognition of feminine potential. Comparative studies reveal parallels across cultures, highlighting women's sacred roles in diverse traditions. Modern perspectives offer new insights into these ancient constructs, connecting contemporary discourse with classic theological traditions. By examining these rich theological narratives, we uncover profound insights into human spirituality and the complex roles of women in shaping religious understanding. Key questions emerge: • How do ancient concepts of femininity differ from later periods? • How is female sacredness manifest in religious practices? • Are there parallels between ancient goddess concepts and contemporary interpretations? • How do margins and transitional periods affect female sacredness? These questions explore female theology's evolution and significance in religious thought and practice, specifically within Egyptian and Nubian cultural contexts.

Panel description: This panel aims to address the debated question of "Uniatism" as a stumbling block in Orthodox -Catholic relations and as reason of their state of crisis vis à vis the official international dialogue between these two communions which can be traced back in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. It develops on the background of the attention devoted to the issue by the document "Uniatism, Method of Union in the Past, and the Present Search for Full Communion" prepared by the joint coordinating committee in Ariccia (1991) and finished at the seventh plenary session held at the Balamand Orthodox School of Theology in Lebanon (1993). The document hinged on the rejection of the method which has been called "uniatism" as opposed to the "common tradition of our tradition" for the search of full communion among Churches. Proceeding from the document adopted in Balamand, this panel aims to analyze the historical development which made "uniatism" a widespread phenomenon although several attempts to contrast its diffusion. In particular, it aims to thoroughly examine its history and present condition in contexts where processes of ethnicization of Orthodox and Catholic religious identities are taking place. In this framework, this panel aims to propose a reasoning in which "uniatism" is analyzed considering a) the international and national spreading of conservative moral and value conceptions; b) the relation between national and Christian values and therefore the relation between ethnicity and religion; c) challenges to ecumenism and strategies for the development of dialogue between Eastern Catholic Churches affected by "uniatism".

Papers:

UNIATISM AS COLONIALISM: DECOLONISING THE ECUMENICAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST

Latinovic V. (Speaker)

Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen ~ Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg ~ Germany
This paper investigates the conceptual and structural parallels between colonialism and uniatism, positing that both operate as systems of domination and assimilation. Colonialism sought to impose hegemonic cultural, political, and religious frameworks on indigenous populations, often under the pretext of "civilizing" or "elevating" them. Similarly, uniatism, presented as a means to unify separated Christian churches, allowed Eastern Christians to retain their liturgical and cultural practices but placed them within a hierarchical structure subordinated to Roman Catholic authority. While some view this as a preservation of Eastern traditions, others argue it effectively marginalized them, implicitly framing their theology and ecclesiology as incomplete or subordinate. This dynamic pressured Eastern Christianity to conform to Western paradigms, undermining its distinct identity and autonomy. This paper contends that addressing the legacy of uniatism requires more than formal apologies or rhetorical gestures. These actions must be complemented by dismantling lingering hierarchical models and fostering genuine equality. By analyzing historical examples and their present-day implications, this paper advocates for a decolonized ecumenical vision that prioritizes mutual respect, affirms theological plurality, and restores agency to marginalized Christian traditions, challenging the enduring effects of asymmetrical relationships in East-West ecclesial interactions.
EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES - A NEED FOR DISCUSSION OF THEIR ROLE WITHIN CATHOLICISM AND ECUMENISM

Németh T.M. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The presentation addresses current questions regarding the ecclesiological location of Eastern Catholic Churches. This ecumenically controversial topic has also ist development and ambivalent aspects within Catholicism. Although, according to the Second Vatican Council, Eastern Catholic Churches have the same dignity as the Latin Church and their theological, liturgical and canonical heritage forms part of the patrimony of the universal Church, they are often considered to be communities with a limited special status. From the point of view of Orthodox and Oriental Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches are often seen as an anomaly or as stumbling blocks for ecumenism, as they are interpreted in the light of "uniatism". In fact, these churches find themselves in a complex field between different influences and show an internal plurality that distinguishes them from other churches. The view that they are "caught between two stools" is, however, conditioned by confessional perspectives that are gradually being questioned. Representatives of Eastern Catholic Churches are increasingly taking part in professional and ecumenical discussions. This applies in particular to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the largest of the Eastern Catholic Churches. The history of these churches shows that for centuries they have played a significant role in shaping the ecclesiastical landscape of Central and Eastern Europe. Their role as „bridges" in relation to other denominations is justifiably being questioned. But the question arises as to whether they can contribute to a broadening of horizons within Catholicism, offering new potential for ecumenical dialogue, and also benefit from it for their own development.

Panel description: This panel consists of three stand-alone parts (or "slots"), each of which takes it cue from a theme alive in the recent work of US-American theologian and philosopher of religion David Tracy (bn 1939). These are: cultural fragments; the lasting responsibility of theology to be publicly engaged; and the search for relatively adequate thought-namings of God. The papers at the panel will address these very same themes. In 2020, Tracy published two volumes of his own re-edited essays, mostly recent, complete with new introductions (Fragments: The Existential Situation of our Time, and Filaments: Theological Profiles, University of Chicago Press). In 2023, he also contributed to an international volume of essays designed to reintroduce and creatively take up key themes from his work (Beyond the Analogical Imagination: The Theological and Cultural Vision of David Tracy, Cambridge University Press). The design of this panel will reflect Tracy's insistence on the central value and risk of open conversation. Each one-hour stand-alone part (or "slot") will kick off with two-short 10-minute presentations, to provoke questions and conversation in the content and form of Tracy's own endeavors. The remaining 40 minutes will then be for all in the room to join a conversation, building together new possibilities for inquiry and understanding.

Papers:

FRAGMENTS AND ENVISIONING THE REAL

Chase C. (Speaker) [1] , Turza Z. (Speaker) [2]

Fordham University ~ New York City ~ United States of America [1] , Catholic University of Croatia ~ Zagreb ~ Croatia [2]
Fragments are bits of content or time that disrupt our ordered understanding of reality, society, and the Church. By their acts of defiance, fragments free us to reconsider what we take as really real. Fragments impact us all; our lives are the records of our responses to their resonance. Drawing on insights from religion and art, this session invites presenters and the audience to openly discuss the fragment's presence in our contemporary moment and its potential to reshape current approaches to envisioning the Real and our place within it.
THE MUTENESS OF THEOLOGY AMID SOCIAL TURMOIL

Jeanrond W. (Speaker) [1] , Palfrey B. (Speaker) [2]

Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo ~ Oslo ~ Norway [1] , St. Augustine's College of Theology ~ London ~ United Kingdom [2]
What should be our hopes for public theological communication in Western societies in the face of these societies' current social polarisations and apparent crises of political legitimacy (including democracy)? Given Tracy's commitment to the publicness of theology, can theological discourse premised on the social effectiveness of love and intelligence contend to play a reparative role in such a conflictual present?
NAMINGS OF GOD: THE INFINITE

Telser A. (Speaker)

Faculty of Theology at the University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
While Tracy acknowledges and uses various namings for God, the Infinite has become the premier category of interest. The Infinite as invisible is a tremendously fruitful category that can generate transdisciplinary conversations that include mathematics, physics, philosophy, the arts, and theology. While the notion of the Infinite reaches back to antiquity, it continues to burst open within the everyday, thereby prolonging our unquenchable thirst for a reality semper maior.

Panel description: Nowadays, religions play a significant role in the globalized society. From one side, faiths are called to face new issues, from another side, they are called to offer new solutions for well-known problems. Economics is a sector in which religions undoubtedly play a central role. In Europe, the issue of poverty and growing inequality is increasingly deflagrating and intertwined with that of the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few and the unsustainable use of the resources of creation. Consequently, according to some faiths, the real "mortal sin" still belongs to the economic sphere. And wealth, if misused, becomes the only real reason for eternal damnation. With respect to these issues, however, religions have taken a more holistic approach and suggested an alternative way to the salvation of the soul that exalts the social function of wealth, as well as lifestyles inspired by "caritas" and civil economy on the one hand and care for creation on the other. Religious precepts thus become an example for civil law systems and a laboratory of ideas for achieving more widespread economic well-being as a potential element of social cohesion. The panel therefore intends to probe the role of religions and their precepts, as well as the ongoing "dialogue" between religious and civil law systems on issues of finance and economics.

Papers:

ETHICS, CHARITY, SALVATION

Saporito L. (Speaker) , Caporrino V. (Speaker)

Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli ~ Santa Maria Capua Vetere ~ Italy
The debate on poverty and richness has spanned the history of civilisations. In drawing the boundaries of what is "own" and what is "common", it has contributed to the elaboration of an economic ethic in which beliefs, mindsets and values have pervaded the actions of both individuals and community. In the different cults, the condition of poverty and the acquisition of richness are conceived as peculiar forms of com-participation with the divinities, at other times as immoral actions, or again - especially with reference to wealth - as earthly signs of providential election. In the interweaving of history, law and religion, it is interesting to investigate the role played by entities with ideal aims within the legal systems in which the relationship between economics and ethics is most firmly established. When economics is separated from ethics, everything seems infinitely manipulable; law, in that case, contrasts with justice, clemency and charity.
WITHOUT SLAVES OR EXCLUDED. RELIGIONS, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND WASTE PICKERS RIGHTS

Sorvillo F. (Speaker) , Abu Salem M. (Speaker)

Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli ~ Santa Maria Capua Vetere ~ Italy
The protection of human beings with their needs, values and rights is a common goal of many legal systems. Nevertheless, the dignity of individuals is often violated, just as the integrity of the environment in which we live is unrecognized and trampled upon. In today's world in which capitalism generates winners and losers, rich and poors, prized possessions and waste, religious rights represent a reaction against such phenomena. Indeed, they reject strictly binary divisions in order to side with the environment, the last and the 'discarded' from societies. An example of this is the Catholic Church's support for the fight of the waste pickers. An emblematic case study that reminds us that even today 'the rejected stone' can become a 'cornerstone' and that even the last ones can change their own condition. In this way, a circular economy simultaneously of goods, people and souls takes shape. It also offers the law the opportunity to reaffirm those values of solidarity and inclusion that are the ground of the Europeanist dream, as well as of all the most modern advanced democracies.
THE RULES FOR AN ETHICAL FINANCE BETWEEN THE VATICAN SYSTEM AND CIVIL SYSTEMS

Gravino F. (Speaker) [1] , Tipaldi A. (Speaker) [2]

Università degli Studi di Firenze ~ Firenze ~ Italy [1] , Università degli Studi di Salerno ~ Salerno ~ Italy [2]
Vatican finance is characterized by service to charity. Centrality of the person, achievement of integral human development and inclusiveness represent the boundary between economic actions in accordance with religious precepts and opportunities for the exercise of power. The contact between this system and that of civil ones poses a problem of coexistence between norms, principles and practices when the Vatican economic rules are not characterized only by their specific religious nature but they represent an expression of a state.
RELIGIOUS ENTITIES AND CHARITY: A BOND BETWEEN FAITH AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

Decimo L. (Speaker) [1] , Azevedo R. (Speaker) [2]

Università degli Studi di Sassari ~ Sassari ~ Italy [1] , Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli ~ Santa Maria Capua Vetere ~ Italy [2]
Religious entities play a crucial role in promoting charitable activities and addressing social and economic emergencies. These entities, often rooted in ethical and spiritual principles, act as intermediaries between public institutions and the needs of citizens, providing assistance, education, and material support. The charitable activities promoted by religious entities encompass a wide range of initiatives, including the management of soup kitchens for the needy, the reception of migrants and refugees, the promotion of educational programs, and the care of vulnerable individuals such as the elderly and disabled. Such actions are based on universal values such as charity, social justice, and respect for human dignity, contributing to collective well-being and social cohesion. This paper aims to: Analyze the contribution of religious entities in the realm of solidarity, focusing on the social impact of their activities. Examine the role of cooperation between religious entities, secular organizations, and government institutions in building an effective and inclusive support network to address contemporary challenges such as poverty, inequality, and humanitarian crises; Explore the legal implications of the charitable activities of religious entities, with particular attention to the regulatory framework governing their legal status and the modalities of their functions.

Panel description: At a time when suffering remains a central theme in theology, theology must be attuned to the sufferings of the "people" - especially of the poor - so as to be better equipped to engage in an authentic culture of dialogue with those who are at the periphery. Such a dialogue can also be reflected in inter-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches - especially with the social sciences - which can help theology to rediscover what constitutes the "people" without absolutizing that very constitution. Catholic theology must not be afraid to see itself reflected in that very context it hopes to transform, for its mission is about incarnating the Gospel of Jesus Christ from within the context and culture of the "people" themselves. Engaging in an authentic culture of dialogue in the 21st century is not possible, however, without taking into account the challenges brought about by artificial intelligence (AI). Questions must be consistently reformulated, for it is no longer appropriate for theology to simply pass on knowledge, professional competence and experience to the men and women who desire to grow as Christians but must also take up the urgent task of developing intellectual tools that can serve as paradigms for action and thought in a world in which the boundary between the spatial and the online, the physical and the virtual, and the touchable and the visual are blurred as never before. This panel brings together young scholars working on different themes in contemporary theology, from corporeality from a liberation theological perspective to a theology from the Mediterranean, from intersectional feminism to cognition and consciousness in AI. The aim is to discuss what a sound ethical anthropology in the age of AI might look like.

Papers:

SENTIPENSAR IN CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY AND ETHICS

Salfinger M. (Speaker)

Universität Wien ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Sentipensar is a Latin American concept that is primarily associated with indigenous traditions of thought. The term is made up of the Spanish words "sentir" (to feel) and "pensar" (to think) and describes an integrative way of thinking that aims to combine body, mind and emotions. Knowledge and action are linked with the mind as well as with feelings and intuition. The concept represents a holistic approach that attempts to overcome the dualistic separation of thinking and feeling. Sentipensar plays a particularly important role in the examination of indigenous knowledge systems and is applied as a critical stance in postcolonial and feminist theory. Knowledge is conceived from a pluralistic perspective. As a concept, Sentipensar has profound relevance for ethics as it brings a holistic, interdisciplinary and intercultural perspective to moral action, decision-making and social justice. It can help to take into account both the rational and the emotional, intuitive and spiritual dimensions of human beings in the field of ethics. The aim is to recognize feelings and emotions as equal sources of moral insight. Consequently, both the cognitive, rational dimensions of moral decisions and the emotional and physical experience of action and compassion are taken into account. This is intended to contribute to an ethics based not only on principles and norms, but also on the concrete, lived experience of compassion, responsibility and the effects of our actions on others. The concept offers a valuable contribution to contextual theology and thus also to ethics, as it goes beyond universalistic statements and includes concrete contexts. The aim of this contribution is to outline the potential and significance of the concept and to bring it into discussion with other approaches as part of a panel discussion.
MATTER THAT MATTERS: RECAPTURING THE 21ST CENTURY BODY FROM MEDITERRANEAN PERSPECTIVES

Attard J.C. (Speaker)

Universität Wien ~ Vienna ~ Austria
The human body, as the medium through which different cultural and moral experiences are lived out, has been the subject of numerous studies which have interpreted the body in different ways, as seen in art, architecture, and music, as well as in literature, philosophy, and theology. Whereas cultural movements and styles used to emphasise organic unity and functionality, the so-called "postmodern" movements and styles stress multivalence, blending together various forms and shapes, highlighting diversity and pluriformity - even if contradictory - through a hybrid of ideas and designs. A transdisciplinary approach between Anthropology and Theology will enable the possibility to explore in detail how the human body is a medium through which identity is experienced also in the field of theological ethics. At a time when technology is increasingly becoming a principal medium through which one makes sense of existence, and as life gradually becomes a surrender to situations conditioned by technology itself, the human body remains the battlefield upon which the tensions between "the noblest deeds or the foulest" (Gaudium et spes 9) are lived out. Furthermore, such a transdisciplinary approach must bring to the fore Pope Francis' call for a Theology that starts from listening to the roots and the present, and that speaks to the hearts of people and to their context. The aim is to propose an ethical anthropology from the Mediterranean by bringing into play "new narratives", as Pope Francis argues with respect to a Theology from the Mediterranean. For a discussion on the 21st century body from different Mediterranean perspectives can further help with the rediscovery of different narratives and theologies which constantly seek to contextualise the message of the Gospel.
CASTING DOWN THE MIGHTY FROM THEIR THRONES: AI, POWER AND SUBSIDIARITY

Gové J. (Speaker)

AI & Humanity Lab at the University of Hong Kong ~ Pokfulam ~ Hong Kong
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is profoundly reshaping human existence, transforming economies, politics, societies, and the very ways we relate to one another, technology, and ourselves. From education and healthcare to interpersonal relationships, AI tools offer remarkable opportunities but also pose significant ethical and anthropological challenges. The development and deployment of these AI technologies is disproportionately controlled by a handful of corporations, which operate with little to no oversight. This concentration of power raises profound concerns about the impact on human dignity, societal structures, and our shared understanding of what it means to be human. In this context, the Catholic notion of subsidiarity emerges as a vital principle by providing a compelling framework for resisting the centralization of technological power. By emphasizing the importance of empowering individuals and communities in their local contexts to make decisions that affect their lives, subsidiarity provides a framework for resisting the centralization of power in the AI landscape. This perspective invites a reimagining of AI governance and application that prioritizes human dignity and the common good. This work draws on research being conducted within the European AI Research Group at the Dicastery for Culture and Education, as well as experiences in Malta involving the practical applications of subsidiarity in addressing AI-related challenges, particularly in education, journalism, and pastoral work. It critically examines how AI technologies shape anthropological perspectives. In doing so, it contributes to the broader task of developing an ethical anthropology based on a contextual approach that can navigate the complexities of the digital age while remaining attentive to the experiences of those on the peripheries of society.

Panel description: Taiwan has one of the largest percentages of new religious movements in the world in proportion to its population. Compared to Mainland China, Taiwan is hailed today as a beacon of religious liberty for these movements—and rightly so. However, new religious movements suffered discrimination and even outright persecution during the Martial Law period, for different reasons. A case in point is Yiguandao: its members escaped persecution in Mainland China only to find new problems in authoritarian Taiwan. Soka Gakkai was also persecuted because of its Japanese origins and had to disband. As late as 1996, there was a crackdown on several religious movements for political reasons. Today, as evidenced by the case of Scientology, even new religious movements controversial elsewhere operate freely in Taiwan, although the case of Tai Ji Men shows that problems persist at different levels, particularly with respect to taxes. The session also discusses some features of Tai Ji Men and media opposition against movements stigmatized as "cults."

Papers:

A MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO TAI JI MEN IN TAIWAN: PERFORMATIVE AND POLITICAL ASPECTS

Nemes M. (Speaker)

Magyar Művészeti Akadémia ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
Founded in Taiwan in 1966 as a Qigong academy, Tai Ji Men is devoted to the practices of qigong, martial arts, and self-cultivation. Its primary goal is to create harmony between absolute dualities: yin and yang, heaven and earth, and body and spirit. The movement is particularly noted for its unique global peace initiative and the captivating Dragon Dance performances carried out by its devotees, known as the dizi, under the guidance of Dr. Hong Tao-Tze, often referred to by his disciples as Shifu. Despite the movement's contributions to a global peace initiative as well as maintaining and representing a valuable cultural heritage, Tai Ji Men has been facing significant scrutiny in both Japan and Taiwan in the past more than 20 years. These are primarily due to the misinterpretation of donation practices (e.g., the use of red envelopes) but also the unconventional organizational structure of the movement and their unison response to rising persecution and growing restrictions. My contribution aims to explore these issues from a scholarly perspective, applying two angles: a phenomenological approach and the morphology of religions framework. From these points, I will outline the main interpretive layers of Tai Ji Men's public activities, with a particular emphasis on the ringing of the Bell of World Peace and Love and the Dragon Dance. Next, I will investigate some factors behind the political and societal opposition towards Tai Ji Men in Taiwan. I will argue that a possible basis for opposition could be this minority movement's successful public presence in an environment dominated by suspicion and fear. Finally, I will draw some initial comparisons between Tai Ji Men and other movements that suffer from similar social stigma in Taiwan.
WESTERN SCHOLARS, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN TAIWAN, AND THE TAI JI MEN CASE: A CHRONOLOGY

Introvigne M. (Speaker)

CESNUR (Center for Studies of New Religions) ~ Torino ~ Italy
From the pioneer work of American legal scholar Kenneth A. Jacobsen, Western scholars have exhibited a special interest for religious liberty issues in democratic Taiwan. In particular, several dozen articles by Western academics have been devoted to the Tai Ji Men case. The paper explores the reasons why the Tai Ji Men case particularly resonated with Western scholars and discusses their main works. First, the Tai Ji Men case happened in a democratic context normally contrasted with non-democratic China and proved that religious liberty issues also exist in democratic parts of the Sinosphere. Second, the case focused on taxation and tax exemption of Qigong- and martial-arts-based communities of belief, a subject whose relevance goes beyond Taiwan. Third, Tai Ji Men's own activism and international outreach caught the attention of several scholars, making them sympathetic to their cause.
MISREPRESENTING GIFT-GIVING: TAI JI MEN AND THE CRISIS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN TAIWAN

Chen S. (Speaker)

Association of World Citizens ~ Taipei ~ Taiwan
Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpai of qigong, martial arts and self-cultivation. Its members, known as dizi (disciples) practice Qigong and self-cultivate to improve the health of body and mind. Shifu (master) and dizi utilize the wisdom of yin and yang to spread "the seeds of love and peace" around the Earth. Dizi give monetary gifts to their Shifu (Grand Master) as a token of respect and appreciation, which is a time- honored cultural tradition. Even after the lifting of Martial Law in 1987, Taiwan's National Taxation Bureau (NTB) misrepresented the organization and the practice of gift-giving to a spiritual leader, and treated the Tai Ji Men disciples-Master Ceremony as subject to taxation. TNTB even auctioned off Tai Ji Men's properties, creating widespread protests in the name of religious liberty. This paper will explore the Tai Ji Men case in order to analyze the current situation of religious freedom in Taiwan.
MORE THAN A TAX ISSUE: THE TAI JI MEN CASE IN TAIWAN

Huang C. (Speaker)

Lawyer and former District Prosecutor ~ Taipei ~ Taiwan
Tai Ji Men is a spiritual group, which practices Qigong and self-cultivation, with the aim of letting the body return to nature and finding the balance between body and mind. The master instructs the disciples to uphold the selfless heart of martial arts, and share the essence of Taiwan's cultural heritage to the world. However, in Taiwan, the authorities maliciously and distortedly interpreted the gifts that disciples offer to their masters as the fruit of fraud or as tuition fees. This situation represents persecution and ideological discrimination against the cultural activities and spiritual beliefs of Tai Ji Men disciples, illustrating a case of infringement on freedom of belief in Taiwan after the lifting of Martial Law. This article will explore the Tai Ji Men case and the situation of religious freedom in Taiwan.
A ROSE BLOOMING IN THE BITTER WINTER: AN EMIC VIEW OF THE TAI JI MEN CASE

Ho E. (Speaker)

Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy ~ Taipei ~ Taiwan
Tai Ji Men Master and disciples have been fighting for religious freedom for almost 30 years, much like seeds buried in the snow during a harsh winter, enduring immense suffering. Rooted in the spirit of practitioners—"love and peace"—they have persisted with patience and harmony, refusing to respond with violence, even when metaphorically buried three feet deep in the icy snow by persecution. Though seemingly dormant and lifeless, these seeds are expanding every ounce of energy to retain a breath of life, waiting for the arrival of spring to bloom as roses—a testament to the unwavering resilience in every person's heart toward faith, human rights, and truth. The spiritual cultivation group Tai Ji Men, which has been persecuted by the government, was deeply affected by the political struggles following Taiwan's lifting of martial law. For 29 years, they have fought for justice in their case, which has impacted a broad range of victims, including the first generation of affected individuals (the Shifu and his disciples), the second generation of disciples who were children at the time, and the third generation, who are now teenagers. This emic paper not only recounts the harm caused to the victims from the perspective of a second-generation disciple during the onset of the case but also extends into an observational report. It discusses how Taiwan's failure to achieve transitional justice since the Martial Law period has resulted in systemic and cultural crises, including severe threats to religious freedom. On the other hand, this paper highlights a unique phenomenon in the Tai Ji Men case—responding to persecution with love and peace. From the beginning, the Tai Ji Men Shifu has taught his disciples to handle injustice with a positive attitude. As we approach December 2025, marking 29 years since the case began, this paper will reflect on the profound significance of this spirit and the positive influence it can bring to addressing religious persecution globally.

Panel description: This panel explores the distinctive nature of Oriental Studies within the Russian Empire, highlighting how it diverged from Western Orientalism. It delves into the field's deep connections to the empire's geopolitical ties with the "Orient" and its governance of diverse populations across regions such as the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Siberia. Key themes include the institutional frameworks that shaped Oriental Studies, the interplay between knowledge production and imperial policy, and the broader reception of this scholarship. For instance, the panel will analyze Likoshin's contributions to the study of Sufi brotherhoods in Central Asia, as well as the pivotal roles of Kazembek and Runovskii in shaping subsequent historiography on Imam Shamil. In addition, the panel examines the enduring legacy of these studies, including their contributions to areas beyond the Russian Empire. Notable examples include Vladimir Ivanov's work and that of his predecessors on Islamic Sicily, showcasing their engagement with global Islamic scholarship. We welcome participants to join a dynamic discussion on the legacies and relevance of these studies, examining critical intersections and their implications for understanding East-West relations.

Papers:

N.S. LYKOSHIN: A RUSSIAN ORIENTALIST AMONG THE DERVISHES OF TURKESTAN

Rajola-Pescarini A. (Speaker)

DREST, UniOr ~ Naples ~ Italy
Nil Sergeevich Lykoshin (18260-1922), a Russian colonial officer of aristocratic origins, was one of the most influential personalities in the Central Asian region under Russian rule. Commandant of the Amu-Darya Department from 1912 to 1914, Governor-Generalship (Военный губернатор) for the region of Samarkand until 1917, Lykoshin is remembered also as a traveller interested in archeology and ethnography, publishing many works in Russian, so much that it earned him a great reputation as orientalist. This paper will report the understanding of Sufism in Turkestan through Lykoshin's eyes and experience during his travel in the region, comparing it with the specialistic literature on Sufism.
MURIDIZM BETWEEN A. RUNOVSKII AND A. KAZEMBEK, AFTER THE CAPTURE OF IMAM SHAMIL (1859 - 1862).

Carluccio A. (Speaker)

DREST, Fscire ~ Palermo ~ Italy
This presentation delves into the evolution of Muridizm as interpreted by A. Runovskii and A. Kazembek in the aftermath of Imam Shamil's capture. It investigates how the fall of Shamil, a central figure in the Murid movement, reshaped the ideological landscape of Islamic resistance in the Caucasus. The analysis contrasts Runovskii's and Kazembek's perspectives on key themes such as leadership, religious authority, and the role of jihad in a changing political environment. By examining their writings and public discourses, this study highlights the tensions and synergies between their approaches to Muridizm, reflecting broader socio-political dynamics of the time. Ultimately, this presentation aims to provide insights into how these two figures contributed to the legacy of Muridizm and its implications for contemporary Islamic thought and regional identity.
HISTORIOGRAPHICAL BRIDGES: RUSSIAN ORIENTALISTS AND SICILY'S FATIMID PAST

Favaretto G. (Speaker)

DREST, UniPa, Fscire ~ Palermo ~ Italy
The aim of this contribution is to shed light on an underexplored relationship in historiography: the connection between the work of Russian orientalists and the study of Islamic Sicily during the Fatimid caliphate and the Kalbid emirate (910 - 1053). This research builds on the preliminary discovery, acquisition, and edition of Ismāʿīlī texts, which had long been jealously guarded by the religious communities themselves and scattered throughout the territories of Central Asia. Initial contact with Ismaili communities was established through the efforts of a generation of orientalists, including Aleksey A. Bobrinskoy (1861-1938), Ivan I. Zarubin (1887-1964), and Aleksandr A. Semenov (1873-1958). In the early 20th century, these scholars conducted expeditions to Nizārī Ismāʿīlī communities in regions such as Badakhshan (northeastern Afghanistan) and southwestern Tajikistan. Their efforts led to the creation of an initial collection of Ismaili manuscripts housed at the Asiatic Museum in St. Petersburg (now part of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences). Building on their foundational work, Vladimir Ivanow (d. 1970) was commissioned in 1931 by Mohamed Shah Aga Khan III (d. 1957) to study the history and doctrines of the Ismailis. The work of these scholars has significantly enriched our understanding of Ismaili doctrine and illuminated aspects of the Fatimid caliphate's history. As a result, it has also become possible to gain deeper insights into the political and religious history of Sicily in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. This is particularly valuable since Michele Amari (d. 1889), in his Storia dei Musulmani di Sicilia and Biblioteca arabo-sicula, could not rely on Ismaili sources.

Panel description: "Every action I take, whether I feed myself or teach, is political because everything is connected to everything else." (Cohn and Schulz von Thun, 1994, p.42) This quotation highlights the interconnectedness of societal contexts, pointing out that even small actions carry political implications—particularly in pluralistic societies. Political and religious education share core values such as solidarity, community, and cooperative coexistence. This panel will focus on interreligious approaches while exploring the pedagogical and didactic dimensions of political education through the following topics and questions: (Historical-)Political Education in Supporting Democratic Values: Didactical Approaches • Which didactic principles are relevant for connecting history and political education? • What role does multiperspectivity play in political and history didactics? • What are the main opportunities and challenges identified in the teaching and learning processes of political education at schools? • Which factors influence the goals of political education and didactics, particularly in the development of students' critical thinking and participatory skills? Inclusive Political and Religious Education as a Key to Social Participation: Pedagogical Approaches • What role does political and religious education play in breaking down barriers to social participation, particularly for students who may be disadvantaged or excluded due to their educational biographies, religious affiliations etc.? • Which pedagogical approaches support involving students actively in political and religious education processes? Religious and Political Education: Interreligious Approaches • What is the significance of political-religious education? • What is the aim of religious education in the context of political education? • How could interdisciplinary and interreligious perspectives be explored within political education?

Papers:

POLITICAL EDUCATION IN THE AUSTRIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL. AN OVERVIEW OF CURRICULAR FRAMEWORKS AND CHALLENGES

Krösche H. (Speaker)

Department of subject-specific Education ~ Innsbruck ~ Austria
This contribution examines the opportunities and challenges inherent in the teaching and learning processes of political education at secondary schools. Political learning processes at school are oriented towards maturity as a central target dimension. Against this background, teaching should help to develop pupils' ability to judge and criticise, as well as their willingness to participate. This requires open learning processes that encourage dissent and contradiction, thereby fostering a dynamic and inclusive teaching and learning culture. Such an approach requires teachers to take a facilitative role, given up control to encourage self-directed learning. Krösche's analysis examines the normative framework for political education in Austrian schools, with a particular focus on teachers' perspectives as revealed through guided interviews. An important outcome of this research is the derivation of recommendations aimed at improving the implementation of political education within the school context.
RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL EDUCATION: CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM PERSPECTIVES

Aysel A. (Speaker) [1] , Juen P. (Speaker) [2]

Institute for Islamic Theology and Religious Education ~ Innsbruck ~ Austria [1] , Department for Practical Theology ~ Innsbruck ~ Austria [2]
As early as 1965, the Catholic theologian Theodor Filthaut emphasized that religious education plays an important role in political education. Its aim is to foster individuals who are willing to take responsibility and to comprehend their existence and their relationship to the world. The subsequent development of curricula in the 1970s, which established political education as an interdisciplinary principle, along with the growing significance of political-religious education in recent decades, underlines this recognition (Könemann 2016; 2017; 2020; Herbst 2022, 2024; Pirker 2020; Lehner-Hartmann 2020). In their contribution, Aysel and Juen address the diverse terminology associated with political education. They explore the theoretical relevance of religious education within the outline of political education, particularly in German-speaking countries. The focus lies on the interdisciplinary and interreligious perspectives in this context.

Panel description: The term transformation is a key concept in the history of Christian mysticism. On the one hand, it belongs to the specialised lexicon of spiritual authors. On the other hand, it designates a specific moment of mystical union: the moment when the soul loses its accidental qualities to acquire the divine nature. The Jesuit Sandaeus, for example, in his Pro theologia mystica clavis (Cologne, 1640), defines the term "transformation" as follows: «TRANSFORMATIO. Esse mutationem mysticam in Deum, quae sit per Deificationem, ac reddit hominem Deiformem». The concept of transformation in God (theosis) has been a dominant theme in mystical writing up until the 20th century and yet it opens up some issues of a hermeneutical order. However, it gives rise to a number of questions. Is it an inner process that concerns only the spiritual subject? How can such an intimate experience have an impact on society? What kinds of transformations can it inspire? What images can convey this journey of change, and how can the modern reader engage with it?The aim of the panel is to answer these questions by exploring the concept of transformation along three axes. The first axis, focusing on literary and translation studies, aims to analyse the mystical word and its transformative power through the exercise of translating texts of medieval women's spirituality. The second axis, on the other hand, will examine the verbal images of spiritual discourse, exploring their therapeutic power and their ability to offer new frames of meaning in which to interpret a person's inner experience. Finally, in order to make the richness of spiritual language accessible to a non-academic audience, the last axis, dedicated to the ways of dissemination and communication of the mystical word in contemporary society, will question the relationship between digital humanities (social media such as instagram, facebook, etc.) and women's mystical literature.

Papers:

MYSTICISM BEYOND THE LIBRARIES: THE CASE OF THE INSTAGRAM PAGE "BEGHINEINFUGA"

Meloni G. (Speaker)

Universitet Pompeu Fabra ~ Barcelona ~ Spain
In May 2003, the philologist Alois Maria Haas, during the inauguration of the Alois M. Haas Mystical and Philosophical Library at the Pompeu Fabra University, raised the question: "Wozu und zu welchem Ende erforschen wir die Mystik?" (Why and for what purpose do we study mysticism?). The renowned scholar attempted to answer this question from two perspectives: the anthropological and the theological, concluding that mysticism is an essential aspect of human existence. This reflection sparked a deep interest in me, as the same question has been posed to me on several occasions. Responding to those distant from this field of study is not simple, but it has stimulated my desire to understand who might be drawn to such topics, both in the academic world and beyond. This study aims to analyse the audience of the Instagram page "Beghineinfuga", a project created by Francesca Barresi, which has quickly gained significant attention. The analysis focuses on the content offered by the page and its target audience, through the administration of questionnaires designed to collect data on interest in mysticism and medieval female mystical figures. The goal is to understand whether this interest is confined to the academic world or, conversely, if it represents a theme that has sparked renewed interest and opened new perspectives even outside traditional academic circles. By social networks and the creation of digital content, the study seeks to foster a broader understanding of why, even today, there are people interested in studying these topics, helping to bring them out of the dusty libraries, making them accessible to a wider audience, and bringing them "on the streets".
WORDS OF WISDOM FOR A WIRED WORLD: TRANSLATING SPIRITUAL LITERATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Barresi F. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Modena ~ Italy
Focusing on the recent Italian translations of the Songs by flemish beguine Hadewijch of Antwerp (1200-1260 ca.) and the memorial Diary 1942 of Dutch Jewish writer Carla Simons (1903-1943), the paper investigates the process of translating and presenting spiritual texts for contemporary readership and audience. It will examine the strategies employed to bridge the gap between different historical and religious sensibilities, exploring the role of performance and public readings. Through these case studies, the paper seeks to highlight the power of spiritual literature to foster dialogue and understanding and its potential to inspire and transform our interconnected yet fragmented society.

Panel description: From the impact of globalisation and the correlated overcoming of the dogma of sovereignty derive multiple consequences heralding a new way of thinking about the regulation of relations between state and confessional orders. In particular, these transformations - which, on the ecclesiasticist side, pass first and foremost through an affirmed recognition of the public dimension of religions - have much to do with the extension of the applicative projections of religious freedom that is increasingly characterising contemporary society. It becomes crucial, therefore, to question the extent of the resulting insights - at the national level, as well as at the international level - in a more or less guaranteeist key of confessional specificities, especially in the face of the 'stress tests' that (had challenged and) challenge this bilateral regulation (new conflicts, migratory flows, the Covid emergency, etc.). This, in particular, because of the observed tendency of such regimes to reinvent themselves, in a plastic and mutable response to a 'society in need of contact' between the civil orbit and Confessions, in the sign of a collaborative dialogue for the benefit of basic instances of identity and freedom.

Papers:

THE THRIVING/EXPANDING BILATERALITY: THE ITALIAN AND SPANISH PARADIGMS

Ferrante M. (Speaker) [1] , Miccichè R. (Speaker) [2]

University of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy [1] , University of Pisa ~ Pisa ~ Italy [2]
Starting from the data that cooperation with religion is the rule in Europe, and that some countries with a Concordat with the Catholic Church, as Italy and Spain tend to extend this model, with some adjustments, to other religious communities, many recent insights suggest the possibility of framing bilaterality as phenomenon that is anything but lying in a shrinking circuit, as much as thriving, in a tendential expansion. This, first of all, because of an observed propensity of bilaterality to reinvent itself in a plastic and changing response to a 'society in need of contact' between civil orbit and Confessions, in the sign of a collaborative dialogue. The survey compares the two models, the Italian and the Spanish - as paradigms -in order to point out some interesting insights of the phenomenon in question.
THE WIDESPREAD BILATERALISM: COMPARING DIFFERENT MODELS

Ingoglia A. (Speaker) , Pappalardo D. (Speaker)

University of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy
In recent years, Europe has witnessed a transformation in the traditional modus operandi of public administrations with responsibilities in ecclesiastical matters, moving towards a system based on the direct involvement of religious groups in the decisions that affect them. Although the adoption of this system is relatively recent, it has significantly extended its appeal beyond the original European borders, ultimately attracting the attention of various non-European legal systems. These systems have been prompted to redefine the operational methods of their administrative bodies and organs, encouraging a broader application of the principles of participation and active involvement of religious representatives as exponential instances of social formations, well beyond traditional conventional frameworks.
HOLY SEE, "GLOBALIZED" CONCORDAT LAW AND "ENLARGED" BILATERALISM

Di Prima F. (Speaker) [1] , Malluzzo S. (Speaker) [2]

University of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy [1] , University of Enna "Kore" ~ Enna ~ Italy [2]
The contribution starts with the Church's fundamental declarations on its action in the world, analysing their magisterial and canonical foundations, and then dwells on the subject of the exercise of the right of legation and the mediation role of the Holy See in conflicts between third parties. It then proceeds with a survey of the recent negotiating activity of the Catholic Church itself, focusing in particular on the globalisation of concordat law. The aim, in particular, is to highlight the insights that show the attention towards an 'open' and 'enlarged' bilateralism. And conducting a similar screening with respect to the more specific phenomenon of the Holy See's renewed commitment to multilateralism (alongside the internationally relevant 'traditional bilateralism').
THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ENGLISH MODEL

Sammassimo A. (Speaker) [1] , Caprara L. (Speaker) [2]

University of Padova ~ Padova ~ Italy [1] , Catholic University of Milan ~ Milano ~ Italy [2]
Britain is one of the northern European monarchies which has a close relationship with a state church: the sovereign must be in communion with the Church of England, has been that Church's 'Supreme Governor' since the sixteenth century Reformation, and must not be a Roman Catholic. The relationship is one described as the Church being 'established'. But English establishment has evolved to the point where, although formally the sovereign still appoints all the senior clergy on the Prime Minister's advice and is committed by a coronation oath to support the Church, the Church is practically autonomous. Moreover, on one side, being faced by greater religious diversification in general and a growing influx of Muslims and other immigrant minorities in particular, Britain is now faced with challenges to traditional forms of church and state relations and issues of how to best comply with legal requirements regarding freedom of religion, non-discrimination, and religious minority flowing from national law, the European Convention on Human Rights, and European Union Law. And on the other side, over the past twenty years, both Labour and Conservative governments have increasingly looked to Christian and non-Christian communities to fill the gaps exposed by a retreating welfare state. While a nominal religious establishment still prevails in England (the Church of England in Wales having been disestablished in 1914), the Church of England is today viewed as merely one element of an increasingly diverse religious melting pot.

Panel description: New times call for new theologies. A phenomenon analogous to that which happened in the first half of the twentieth century can be observed in recent theologies. Faced with the radical transformations of modernity, an array of theologians—loosely grouped under the umbrella term nouvelles théolgiens—decided to go back to the drawing board and rethink the method(s) of theology. Similarly, in a contemporary context that confronts theology with challenges that are as radical as those of modernity, a demand has been felt by contemporary theologians to rethink the theological method in light of a transformed political, social, and intellectual setting. However, whereas early twentieth-century theologians chose the path of ressourcement, a going back to the sources of theology, contemporary theology feels called to a different kind of 'resourcement.' It looks for sources outside of theology. What this leads to is interdisciplinarity and the myriad of non-theological sources from which theology seeks inspiration. The idea of reflecting on theology and interdisciplinarity is in no way novel. What is urgently needed, however, is an analysis of the consequences of the premise—which often goes unquestioned—that contemporary theology has to be interdisciplinary. While a theology that draws on non-theological sources comes out undeniably transformed, the results, when it comes to theology's ability to be a transformative voice in today's academic and social milieux are less clear. Could it be that interdisciplinarity has become a problem, rather than an opportunity of 'resourcement'? Or, have we been too conservative in our understanding of the full potential of interdisciplinarity for theology? Could it be that we need a new nouvelle théologie, that is, a refreshed vision of what it means to be a theologian in the new radical context in which we find ourselves? The panel will discuss these and similar questions.

Papers:

THE LAW OF THEOLOGY: WHAT HAS LEX TO DO WITH ORANDI AND CREDENDI?

Wright O. (Speaker)

Keble College, University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
After many centuries, theology's relationship to law remains a fraught question. Does law, like flesh, stand against grace and spirit, in the classic 'Pauline' dichotomies? These polemical dialectics, however, have not always pertained. Prosper of Aquitaine's formulation 'ut legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi' unabashedly held the notion of law together with theological language (words about God and to God). My recent research has demonstrated for the first time what law is doing with theology in Prosper's aphorism, in particular the invocation of the Roman Legal concept of ius over and above lex. However, whilst this indisciplinary work yields fresh and important insights, there is still the feeling of leaving theology short. That is for two main reasons. First, if the boundaries between law and religion in Prosper 'almost' cease to be metaphorical, then we have not yet thought what theology's contribution to law might be. And second, the interdisciplinary study does not yet reveal anything new about theology itself. We are none the wiser about how theological language function as part of theology's deepest concern, which must include God's words to us. This paper argues for two alternative positions on the question of interdisciplinarity, using Prosper's famous aphorism as a test-case. On the hand, interdisciplinary studies are never theology, unless what has been brought to theology has been subsumed to the theological task. On the other hand, Prosper's aphorism is a perfect example of theology's refusal to be hermetically sealed into academic boxes. This is not to allow interdisciplinary work in by the back door. It is, rather, more radically, to suggest that theology is the most important goal to which other disciplines inexorably lead. For theology to become, once again, a 'transformative voice', means to recover the bold speech - parrhesia - which so characterised some of the original ressourcement in theology a hundred years ago.
CALL AND RESPONSE: MEDIATING BETWEEN MATERIALISM AND A SACRAMENTAL ONTOLOGY

Kahler Z. (Speaker)

Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
In contemporary theology, much has been made regarding the so-called "narrative" or "theory of disenchantment." Such narratives generally seem to assume that in some bygone age there was a way coherently relating the material and the spiritual, and that modernity has wrought deleterious effects on this synthesis. Often the solution proposed is to rehabilitate or even return to the understanding from a previous time in order to restore such unified vision of reality. For many, the term "sacramental ontology" been pressed into this service. In this paper, I will do three things. First, I will briefly elaborate Barth's method of interdisciplinary theological method, as employed in his theological anthropology. Barth critically appropriates insights from Karl Jaspers, Nietzsche, and others, while remaining loyal to the subject matter of theology as he conceives it, namely revelation. Secondly, I will utilize the work of Hans Joas to challenge any straightforward "narrative of disenchantment" as a woefully inadequate theory of modernity. Third, I will propose as an alternative to "disenchantment" a particular aspect of Hartmut Rosa's social theory of Resonance. Namely, our relation to the world as characterized dialogically by way of call and response. Though I will appropriate insights from both social theorists, I will do so in order to offer a theological account of their insights. It serves as an attempt to foster a form of interdisciplinary engagement that does not succumb to a bland reduction of disciplinary distinctions. In theology, if we elaborate the questions we want to have answered by revelation in advance of our knowledge of revelation, then we run the risk of hamstringing theological outcomes in advance. We must continually allow our theological questions to be shaped by the answers God has given. This is not hermetically sealed formula guaranteed to conceive of the truth but rather a never-ending task of more adequately perceiving God.
THE CONSCIENCE OF NEO-PROTESTANTISM:READING THE LUTHERRENAISSANCE AS INTERDISCIPLINARY THEOLOGY

Chan E. (Speaker)

Oriel College, University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
Since the advent of "interdisciplinary studies," the new pathways of theological inquiry that have come about deserve appreciation as outgrowths of late twentieth-century critiques of the Enlightenment. However, it is my contention that this trajectory is better understood from the vantage point of the nineteenth century, as an intrinsic feature of the vision of Wissenschaft first modelled at the University of Berlin. It was within this context of the productive exchange between the humanities and the social sciences that there emerged at the turn of the century the Lutherrenaissance. Often overlooked is the extent to which this retrieval of Luther was driven forth by basic questions of theological method. This paper argues that in the wake of the defining dispute of the Lutherrenaissance between Karl Holl and Ernst Troeltsch, there appears in outline an innovative theological method that pursues interdisciplinarity while keeping to a clearly delineated conception of the norms of theology. First, I will begin with an overview of how the Holl-Troeltsch dispute marshalled together various streams of philosophical, historical, sociological, and political thought within a theological framework. Second, I will proceed to analyse the underlying doctrinal disagreements of this dispute to detail the theological nexus that drew together these various scholarly discourses. Third, I will conclude by examining how the culminating projects of Holl's Gewissensreligion and Troeltsch's Neuprotestantismus present competing theological methods that are rooted in a robust understanding of theology's inherent interdisciplinarity. Whether one sides with Holl, Troeltsch, or neither, each of their accounts of Luther embody a crucial inflection point in their conception of theology's consequence for its neighbouring fields. Renewed attention to the transformation of theology at this juncture in history can provide pathways for rethinking the question of interdisciplinarity today.

Panel description: On 30 April 2024, four United Nations Special Rapporteurs sent an official letter to the Japanese Government. Those four Special Rapporteurs were those mandated by the UN for freedom of religion or beliefs, for freedom of education, freedom of association, and freedom of expression. They were alerted by a report by the Jehovah's Witnesses on an alarming situation in Japan. They then wrote an official letter to Japan's Prime Minister and expressed their "serious concern" about what appeared to be "an emerging pattern of attacks and threats" against religious minorities in Japan, through the publication of "Q&A on Responses to Child Abuse Related to Religious Belief. " What had happened in Japan was that a campaign presenting second-generation members of the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Unification Church as "victims" of "religious child abuse" and "brainwashing" through a restrictive and inappropriate education had led to regulations severely restricting the rights of parents to raise their children in conservative religious organizations. While the case of Japan is extreme, it is not unique. A global campaign revives old anti-cult stereotypes, including "brainwashing," and presents second-generation members of new religious movements as "victims" in needs of being "rescued." Apostate ex-second-generation-members provide well-publicized testimonies. However, media and governments rarely seek the opinion of the majority of second-generation members of minority religions and new religious movements, who either remain in the organizations or quietly leave them without expressing any special grievances.

Papers:

SECOND-GENERATION APOSTATES: AN OLD-NEW LEGAL WEAPON OF ANTI-CULTISM

Introvigne M. (Speaker)

CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions) ~ Torino ~ Italy
A considerable amount of sociological literature exists on exit processes from social organizations in general. A good number of these studies deal specifically with religious organizations and, more particularly, with new religious movements. An important part of this research is concerned with how exit roles are socially constructed. Starting from an earlier methodology developed by David Bromley, scholars have distinguished between three different kinds of ex-members of new religious movements: defectors, ordinary leave-takers, and apostates. Defectors express a mostly positive judgement about the group they have left and regret they were not able to continue their experience there. Ordinary leavetakers (the majority of ex-members) have mixed feelings about their ex-movements and do not feel the need to discuss them in public or with the media. In the case of the apostates, the ex-members dramatically reverse their loyalties and become "professional" enemies of the organization he or she has left. "The narrative," in Bromley's terms, "is one which documents the quintessentially evil essence of the apostate's former organization chronicled through the apostate's personal experience of capture and ultimate escape/rescue." The apostate—particularly after having joined an oppositional coalition fighting the organization—often claims that he or she was a "victim" or a "prisoner" who did not join voluntarily. The paper argues that this is even more frequent in the case of ex members who were born and raised in the movements rather than joining them as adults. Anti-cultists have discovered that the "victim-prisoner" narrative of second-generation ex-members is a powerful tool to involve governments and courts of law in their anti-cult campaigns. Japan is a spectacular case, but is not the only one.
INVESTIGATING INHERITED IDENTITY COMPONENTS AMONG HUNGARIAN SECOND-GENERATION SCIENTOLOGISTS

Nemes M. (Speaker)

Magyar Művészeti Akadémia ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
The Church of Scientology was first registered in Hungary on the 17th of July 1991, gaining a visible following in its early years and opening several Missions nationwide, of which the largest was the Budapest Mission (later Budapest ORG). On the 23rd of July 2016, this mission gained "Ideal" status, cementing the ORG's regional significance and ensuring its perseverance against the earliest forms of Hungarian anti-cultism. Since then, the new religious movement has stabilized its base community, laying down the foundations for a smaller second - and supposedly even a third - generation of young Scientologists. These individuals were born and raised in Scientologist families, inheriting their values, rather than the values of mainstream religions. Such youth cohort had completely different encounters and individual challenges than their parents. Rather than choosing a new religiosity, they inherited one. Instead of struggling with concerned family members and parents, they were confronted by the external world and their peers. My paper aims to provide a qualitative insight into this severely under-researched segment of Scientology Studies, focusing on the questions of the second generation's religious convictions and self-definitions. The examples I present will aim to diversify the scholarly view on new religious self-definitions and attitudes towards a born-into religiosity in the generation who grew up in Scientology and later chose to similarly follow their parents' values and religious views or distance themselves from the movement to varying degrees.
ATROCITY STORIES: SECOND GENERATION APOSTATES OF THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND ANTI-CULT CAMPAIGNS

Soryte R. (Speaker)

FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) ~ Rome and Torino ~ Italy
Anti-cult campaign against the Jehovah's Witnesses have a long history. However, the use of second-generation narratives of ex-members born and raised in the organization, who present themselves as "victims" "trapped" in the "cult" has gained momentum only in recent years as a weapon of choice for legal and other action against the Jehovah's Witnesses. It is claimed that, even when there were no issues of abuse, the conservative education of the Jehovah's Witnesses was harmful to the normal development of the children. This criticism has played a crucial role in the campaigns against the Jehovah's Witnesses in Japan and the enactment of regulations against "religious child abuse." However, similar claims are heard in several countries. One example from Lithuania is the propaganda surrounding the book "Secular" by photographer and stylist Deimantė Rudžinskaitė-Ivanauskė, who was raised as a Jehovah's Witnesses and is now promoted by anti-cultists even outside the country.
CHRONICLES OF A WITCH HUNT: SECOND-GENERATION BELIEVERS AND THE UNIFICATION CHURCH IN JAPAN

Zoehrer P. (Speaker) [1] , Shirotori S. (Speaker) [2]

FOREF (Forum for Religious Freedom Europe) ~ Vienna ~ Austria [1] , Translator and teacher of English language ~ Tokyo ~ Japan [2]
On July 8th, 2022, life changed drastically for Japanese members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly known as the Unification Church). Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated by a man who claimed he wanted to punish him for his cooperation with the Unification Church, an organization, he said, that had ruined his life after his mother, a member, went bankrupt in 2002 allegedly for her excessive donations to the group. The barrage of negativity against the church that followed the incident was excruciating for the members. What had been perceived in Japan (except by a few anti-cult activists) as just a minority religion, suddenly was thought of as an evil superpower manipulating politicians and controlling Japan. In a good part of media coverage, Unificationists were not seen as human beings, but rather as dangerous mind-controlled zombies, or worse-- vermin. After the testimonies of apostates and anti-FFWPU lawyers being broadcast frequently on the media and the internet, some members distanced themselves from, or left the church. There were even young members who committed suicide. The atmosphere in Japan became suffocating for the members who remained in the church. Still, there were second-generation devotees who were presented as quintessential "victims" who decided to stay. The paper presents the emic experience of one of them (Seijin Shirotori) and the observations by an Austrian journalist (Peter Zoehrer) who has closely followed the case

Panel description: In 1993, Samuel Huntington's seminal work, The Clash of Civilizations, identified religion as a key factor in global tensions, particularly between civilizations with differing values and worldviews, anticipating the end of religious influence on the secular sphere. This perspective still resonates with the current European context, except that his prophecy proved to be wrong as populist political leaders appeal more and more to religious language, especially regarding rights pertaining to gender and sexual diversity. Despite growing secularization, Christianity persists as a significant cultural and spiritual force. Christianity's enduring relevance lies in its eschatological orientation. Far from being confined to a distant future hope, this orientation inspires a present commitment to building a more human world. However, the potential of religious narrations is often co-opted and distorted in political propaganda, wielded as a tool to reinforce conservative ideologies and traditional power structures. The first paper, drawing on Laudatory Si' and Laudate Deum calls for rethinking the theological understanding of the human being in light of ecological interrelation and human multidimensionality—biological, psychological, spiritual, and cultural—beyond binary gender frameworks. Building on a renewed theology of Creation, this approach critiques reductive teachings that link gender solely to reproduction or idealize heterosexuality. The second paper, drawing on public theology insights, addresses the challenge of rethinking the forma ecclesiae in today's context, marked by distrust in institutions, a crisis of belonging, and a breakdown of the principle of authority. The third paper, by examining the Italian case, seeks to disentangle authentic Christian teachings from their instrumentalization, highlighting the importance of reclaiming the prophetic and liberative dimensions of the Christian faith in public discourse, especially pertaining to LGBTQ+ rights.

Papers:

RETHINKING THE FORMA ECCLESIAE FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE: INSIGHTS FROM BREITENBERG AND THIEMANN'S PUBLIC THEOLOGY

Noceti S. (Speaker)

Theological Faculty of Central Italy (ISSR Tuscany) ~ Florence ~ Italy
This paper explores the challenge of rethinking the forma ecclesiae in a contemporary context marked by distrust in institutions, a crisis of belonging, and the erosion of authority. Drawing on the framework of Public Theology developed by Breitenberg and Thiemann, the paper identifies key pathways for renewing ecclesial structures and the exercise of authority, essential for constructing an ecclesiology informed by gender perspectives. Proposed Framework: 1. Moving beyond traditional church models: exploring alternatives and the prophetic necessity of a collective (institutional) subject. 2. Foundations for renewal from Public Theology: posture, contextual engagement, and collective performance. 3. Directions for reforming the forma ecclesiae today: conversation, pluralism, extroversion, "just church," transcendence, and freedom. 4. Rethinking auctoritas through a gender lens: accountability, empowerment, inclusive authority, and the voice of an ecclesial "We" in society.
BEYOND SITUATED ANTHROPOCENTRISM. ANTHROPOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATURE-CULTURE RELATIONSHIP IN THE LIGHT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ECOLOGY AND GENDER PERSPECTIVE

De Biasio G. (Speaker)

Theological Faculty of Southern Italy (ISSR Caserta) ~ Caserta ~ Italy
'Situated anthropocentrism' (Laudate Deum, 67), invoked by the recent Catholic magisterium, entails the need to rethink the theological mystery of the human being: both in favor of an interrelational complexity, which emanates from the ecological-sociological world; and in light of the anthropic multidimensionality itself (genetic, gonadal, genital, hormonal, psychological, spiritual, historical, social, cultural), no longer reducible to the binary simplification of gender. It is precisely the development of the instances emerging from the paradigm of interrelationality (cf. Laudato Sì, 117), together with a renewed theology of Creation, that represent the heuristic horizon for approaching theological anthropology in a renewed way, so that it is capable of an 'aggiornamento' of the content of faith on the dignity of the human person, overcoming those cognitive and behavioral structures within which it has sometimes been simplified, stereotyped and reduced. Such a development highlights how, for human beings, the nature/culture relationship requires the effort to confront the simplifications offered by some decidedly culturalized teachings, such as those that reduce the gender distinction exclusively to the sexual-reproductive model and elevate heterosexuality itself to an ideal of interpersonal relationship. Precisely by taking the perspective of "gender" as the one capable of organizing the intersubjective relations and social structures within which the bodily psychic and spiritual existence of human subjectivity matures, it is possible to make a programmatic breakthrough to overcome the models of normality and normativity of the binary rhythm, challenging the metrics of ethical behavior associated with it.
RELIGION AND/AS POLITICAL PROPAGANDA: GENDER, FAMILY, AND CONSERVATISM IN ITALIAN POLITICS

Cinocca F. (Speaker)

Emmanuel College ~ Boston ~ United States of America
In contemporary Italian politics, religion often functions as both a moral compass and a political tool, shaping debates on gender, family, and social values. This paper explores the socio-political dynamics under Italy's first female prime minister, where feminist rhetoric coexists with policies reinforcing traditional family structures, criminalizing surrogacy, and rejecting progressive legislation especially concerning LGBTQ+ rights. This paper critiques the conflation of religious principles with political agendas, distinguishing between authentic Catholic ethics and its exploitation as political propaganda. By examining the intersections of religion, politics, and gender in the Italian context, the paper reveals the dangers of instrumentalizing religion for ideological purposes. It concludes by calling for a critical reevaluation of religion's role in promoting social cohesion, justice, and inclusivity, offering pathways to disentangle authentic religious teachings from the constraints of partisan narratives.

Panel description: Grappling with the notion of "transformation" in the context of the philosophical-theological and ecclesiological questions it raises, this panel presents interrelated papers investigating the dynamics of transformation, addressing its necessity, mechanisms, and implications. The first paper explores metamorphosis as a transformative process in Emmanuel Falque's incarnational philosophy and theology. It reframes the self-other dynamic as a relational encounter that transforms being itself, grounded in the tension between finitude and transcendence. The second paper examines transformation through the lens of dialogue, understood as a philosophical-theological category. It grounds a theology of revelation in dialogue, arguing that it is not merely a communicative divine act but a formative process that reshapes theological anthropology. A dialogical-hermeneutical paradigm becomes mutually transformative for theology as well as the socio-cultural world it inhabits, exemplified in the work of faith-based schools. The third paper discusses the theological significance of the processes of negotiation, differentiation, and exclusion that accompany the shaping of collective religious identity. Difference becomes recognizable not as a secondary context in which a (conceptually pre-existent) identity finds itself, but as the ambiguous site of its formation in which an unruly divine call may yet be discerned. The final paper develops the polyhedron as an ecclesiological metaphor for "fullness in distinction," addressing co-responsibility in Church authority without eroding distinctions in charism, competence, and ministry. It critically examines co-responsibility's promises and pitfalls, offering a transformative framework for lay participation in ecclesial authority. Together, these papers illuminate transformation as a multidimensional process, offering fresh insights for theological anthropology and ecclesiology.

Papers:

METAMORPHOSIS, INCARNATION AND CROSSING THE SELF-OTHER DYNAMIC: TOWARD A THEOLOGY OF TRANSFORMATION WITH EMMANUEL FALQUE.

Abraham R. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
This paper examines 'metamorphosis' as a transformative process within the incarnational philosophy and theology of Emmanuel Falque. For Falque, transformation is rooted in the Incarnation, understood not merely as a historical or doctrinal event but as the central moment in which human existence is redefined through the encounter with the divine. He situates the Incarnation as a theological locus where human finitude meets divine transcendence, opening a space for metamorphosis as a reconfiguration of being itself. Falque's emphasis on the existential significance of the Incarnation critiques static dualisms like the opposition between self and other, and instead proposes a dynamic reframing. Drawing on corporeality, he argues that embodiment is not only a limit to transformation but also is a condition of possibility. The Incarnation reveals the body as the site of relational depth where transformation unfolds—neither dissolving the self into the other nor isolating the other as irreducibly alien. Instead, transformation occurs through the encounter that respects difference while fostering mutual openness. Falque's approach insists on crossing between philosophy and theology which is itself transformative, reframing phenomenology to accommodate the transcendent horizon offered by theology. Metamorphosis also involves co-transformation of theology and philosophy as each informs the other to address questions of finitude, transcendence, and relationality. Finally, the paper engages Falque's eschatological vision, which reorients transformation as not merely an ontological event but one imbued with hope. Beyond Heidegger's being-toward-death, Falque proposes being-toward-resurrection, reorienting being toward hope and renewal. Integrating embodiment, relationality, and eschatology, Falque presents metamorphosis as both deeply existential and theological, offering a vision of transformation that redefines both intersubjectivity and the human encounter with the divine.
A DIALOGICAL-HERMENEUTICAL PARADIGM FOR THEOLOGY AND ITS TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL

Mcaleer R. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
Considering 'dialogue' as a deeply theological-philosophical category, this paper proposes a dialogical-hermeneutical paradigm that can renew how the task of theology is understood and practiced in the contemporary context. Dialogue is not merely a communicative exchange but a truly formative encounter that underscores its transformative potential. It recontextualises our understanding of God as a communicative event, profoundly shaping theological anthropology and the way human beings are understood in their relationality to the divine and each another. Drawing from theological and hermeneutical traditions, and understanding revelation as inherently dialogical, the paper explores how faith is an invitation to mutual transformation that challenges people of faith as well as their interlocutor(s). This dialogical framework allows theology to transcend static doctrinal formulations and enter into the dynamic interplay of meaning-making within diverse socio-cultural contexts. By situating theology in this dialogical space, it becomes a transformative praxis capable of engaging with, as well as renewing, the socio-cultural structures it inhabits. The paper finally focuses on the potential implications of this paradigm for faith-based education. It contends that dialogue offers a robust framework for fostering socio-cultural transformation in educational institutes marked by increasing pluralism and ideological fragmentation. Encouraging openness to the other, critical reflection, and a commitment to mutual growth, this paradigm offers holistic transformation that is both deeply theological and profoundly socio-cultural. Consequently, a dialogical-hermeneutical approach to theology enables faith communities to respond creatively and constructively to contemporary challenges, cultivating spaces for mutual enrichment. Through dialogue, theology becomes a living discipline that invites not only its own transformation but that of its interlocutors and their shared contexts.
THE MESSY NEWNESS OF LIFE: COMMUNITY, DIFFERENCE, AND AN UNRULY DIVINE CALL

Van Hoogstraten M. (Speaker)

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands
In this paper, I discuss the theological significance of the processes of negotiation, differentiation, and exclusion that accompany the shaping of collective religious identity. Even in a world marked by migration, colonialism, and transnational interactions, the meaning and effects of such processes are often still considered secondary to religion's own self-understanding and theological essence. On the contrary, religion as matter of collective identity and practice is always already constituted, shaped, and regulated in and by the negotiation of difference. Difference thus becomes recognizable not as a secondary context in which a (conceptually pre-existent) religion finds itself, but as the ambiguous site of its formation, for better or for worse. In the words of Daniel Boyarin, "the borders between Judaism and Christianity have been historically constructed out of acts of discursive (and too often actual) violence," especially directed against those persons and collectivities who embody "our terrifying bleeding into each other." Religious difference is not only conceptually not secondary to religious identity and (supposed) essence—its non-secondary character also de-centers the proud confidence of essence as an unruly insistence. Though this is on the one hand a commonplace observation, theology on the other hand still by and large does not take this realization to heart. Even so, the realization of such an unruly difference does not necessarily mean bad news for theologians. Indeed, we may find the ambiguous depths of difference, reminiscent of the Tehom of Genesis (in Catherine Keller), not merely threatening, but also the site (or non-site) of an unlikely promise. In Homi Bhabha's words, an "interstitial future" may unveil in and through the complicated relatedness and murky dislocation of such difference: Thus "newness enters the world." We may thus yet discern here a divine call, calling forth relationship and solidarity from the depths of difference.
TRANSFORMING CHURCH CO-RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH POLYHEDRIC ECCLESIOLOGY

Mendoza K.S. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
Pope Francis first used the geometrical metaphor of a "polyhedron" in Evangelii Gaudium to address the tension between the universal Church and local churches, illustrating how unity can embrace diversity without collapsing into uniformity or reducing the whole to individual particularities. The same constitutive dynamic can be observed in the principle of co-responsibility articulated in the Synod on Synodality, where all baptized members have equal dignity and a shared but differentiated responsibility for the Church's mission. A reception of this co-responsibility, particularly in the topic of authority and participation, has led to the proposal of an "all ministerial Church" that seems to advance the democratization of ministerial functions as a solution to power asymmetry and abuse of clerical authority, thereby suppressing distinctions in charism, competence, and ministries. This paper contends that authentic co-responsibility promotes the participation of all but defers to "fullness in distinction" and not equality of roles. It reads this principle by taking its impetus for transformation from the image of a polyhedron that integrates "faces" in all shapes and sizes into one unified whole without flattening their differences. A polyhedric ecclesiology illustrates the coexistence of unity and differentiation, where each member ("face") is a full subject with agency while remaining in synergy with other members. The paper hopes to develop the polyhedron as an ecclesiological metaphor and demonstrate its theological innovation as well as praxiological implications in ongoing debates about ecclesial authority and lay participation. Similarly, it critically examines the principle of co-responsibility that motivates participation at all levels, unveiling its promises and pitfalls.

Panel description: The digital revolution is still transforming how we learn, communicate, and experience the world— including religious education. This panel explores the theological, philosophical, and ethical questions emerging at the intersection of faith, technology, and education. How are digital tools reshaping the way religious knowledge, traditions, and values are taught and transferred? What opportunities and risks do technologies like virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and online platforms bring to religious pedagogy? From enhancing accessibility to challenging authenticity, digital technologies raise profound questions about the future of religious learning. How can sacred traditions adapt to digital mediums without losing their depth and integrity? What ethical principles should guide the use of AI and data-driven tools in teaching faith? Can theology provide a framework to navigate these shifts, ensuring that religious education remains a source of moral and spiritual growth in a rapidly changing world? This panel aims to critically examine these questions, offering insights into how technology might both enrich and challenge the practices of religious education in the digital age.

Papers:

THE CONCEPT OF EDUCATION AND CHALLENGES OF THE DIGITALIZED PRESENT - WITH REFERENCE TO KANT, WEIL, AND STEIN

Cuk B. (Speaker)

Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Zagreb ~ Zagreb ~ Croatia
Analyzing elements of Immanuel Kant's pedagogical theory and the concept of education as the process through which the human being becomes human, Simone Weil's reflections on the true goal and unique interest of all studies, and Edith Stein's thoughts on religious education as the most important component of education, I attempt to propound their relevance for giving us applicable standards which can help us to detect and valorize current transformations and challenges of education in the digital age.
FORMATION OF MORAL SKILLS, CAPABILITIES, AND VIRTUES: EMPATHY AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Žalec B. (Speaker)

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Theology ~ Ljubljana ~ Slovenia
The speaker addresses the topic of moral education in the digital age, focusing on the formation of moral skills, capabilities, and virtues, particularly those of a relational nature. At the center of the presentation is empathy, which holds fundamental ethical and religious significance. The discussion revolves around three main points: 1. A proper understanding of empathy and its connection to the body. 2. The importance of empathy for moral and religious education. 3. The deskilling and upskilling of empathy in the digital age and its integration and cultivation within the educational process. Religious education has a unique role in this context. By emphasizing relational virtues like compassion and understanding, it provides a framework for integrating empathy into moral formation. In a world where digital tools can both hinder and enhance empathetic capacities, religious education must adapt, leveraging technology thoughtfully while addressing its limitations. The discussion ultimately calls for an intentional approach to moral education in the digital age—one that bridges traditional values with modern tools to foster empathy as a cornerstone of ethical and spiritual growth.
AUTHORITY IN EDUCATIONAL WORK IN THE DIGITAL CULTURE

Vodicar J. (Speaker)

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Theology ~ Ljubljana ~ Slovenia
In a digital environment based on accessibility and freedom of choice, it is becoming increasingly difficult to build on the classical image of education, which was based on the authority of the wiser, more experienced person. Especially in the area of religious education, which presupposes the authority of the divine and the responsible authority derived from it. The turn brought about by the understanding of connectedness in the digital environment as a network, the so-called networked community, enables a different understanding of authority that does not lead to an authoritarian solution to the uncertainties of modern times. It is no longer authority that watches over and guards the truth. It is precisely the fragility of the digital assessment of reality that requires an authority that is more a reflection of the process, a solid foundation - a rock - than a first and last arbiter. Education, especially in faith, based on such an understanding of authority will need to be increasingly dialogical and open, starting from the inner inclinations of all, as increasingly emphasized in the Catholic doctrine of 'sensus fidei'. At the same time, such authority can be found in the synodal movement, which can also be transferred to the field of education. All this has implications for a different understanding of the role of the teacher and educator today.
AITHOS: INNOVATIVE TRAINING METHODS FOR NURTURING A CULTURE OF ETHICS AND RESEARCH INTEGRITY IN AI ERA

Miklavcic J. (Speaker)

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Theology ~ Ljubljana ~ Slovenia
The paper will present the AI-THOS project. The project focuses on fostering an Ethics and Research Integrity (ERI) culture in higher education and research through innovative training and curriculum development. Supported by the Erasmus+ KA220-HED Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education framework, the project aims to address the ethical challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic research. It emphasizes equipping Higher Education Institution (HEI) educators and students with the necessary digital, ethical, and research skills to promote responsible conduct in science. Key objectives include:Developing a Train-the-Trainer programme to enhance HEI educators' capacity for ERI instruction; Designing and piloting the AI-THOS Curriculum, which integrates experiential, arts-based, and inquiry-driven learning approaches to address ethical AI implications; Creating inclusive, participatory tools and resources to build a sustainable knowledge-sharing community that bridges research, science, and societal engagement. Project activities involve comprehensive research, co-creation of learning materials, international boot camps, pilot testing, and online course development. The outcomes include validated training resources, curriculum materials, and a European ERI knowledge-sharing network. The project envisions long-term impacts in fostering transparency, ethical awareness, and public trust in science, while promoting digital readiness and civic engagement. It is crucial to understand new practices for pursuing the ethical use of AI systems in higher education in an era when new technologies are entering the classroom, including in religious education.

Panel description: Referring to the main theme of the EuARe Conference "Religion and Socio-Cultural Transformation: European Perspectives and Beyond", we offer a panel devoted to the recent turns of reconceptualizing and reinvestigating the problem of "religion" in the Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe that attempt to reach beyond this category and its particular western-centred embediments. The objective of the panel would be not only to address the question of socio-cultural transformations in the region but also the transformation of recent religious-related research in this part of Europe and how they affect one another. We want to gather different research approaches, and epistemological and methodological standpoints after so many turns in cultural and religious studies. Our idea is to challenge the field from a different angle, providing a critical discussion with e.g. postsecular turn, ontological turn, and non-religion studies. For this purpose, we also encourage scholars that engage with different confessional and ontotheological traditions and (re)vitalize such seemingly well-recognized and investigated phenomena as the visual, material, sensual and written expressions of religious beliefs, but also the relationship between the Church and the State, interfaith coexistence and religious (anti)syncretism, gender-issues controversies.

Papers:

POSTSECULAR APPROACHES TOWARDS THE 'EASTERN EUROPEAN' REGION: A CRITICAL OVERVIEW

Drzewiecka E. (Speaker)

Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences ~ Warsaw ~ Poland
The presentation aims to show the potential of the postsecular approach in identifying and interpreting religion in so-called Eastern Europe. The first part of the presentation will present a critical overview of the use of the postsecular framework or terminology in current studies on the region. The context will be the epistemic prejudices that refer directly to the (post-Reformation) notion of the religious. It will be suggested that they manifest themselves mostly in the relationship between religious and secular powers, as well as the idea of religious pluralism and tolerance. In this context, the question of the Russian model as still predominant in scholarship will be raised. The second part will be devoted to a typology of postsecular approaches which refers directly to the ambivalent status of the region as the closer-to-home Other, which is part of Western civilisation, yet is misrepresented and misunderstood geopolitical prejudices and cryptotheological entanglements. Ultimately, it will be pointed out that one of the approaches - the deconstructionist one - would contribute in particular to current attempts to overcome scholarly biases and inaccurate epistemologies. It would also help with in interrogating the presuppositions about the Western (European) Self, including those concerning Christianity as a presumably 'Western' religion.
LOCAL RELIGIOUS CULTURES IN POLAND: FROM ROMAN-CATHOLIC-CENTRIC THEOLOGY TO THE STUDY OF LIVED RELIGION

Bychak K. (Speaker)

University of Szczecin ~ Szczecin ~ Poland
Research on "folk Catholicism" in Poland faces significant challenges arising from the coexistence of two divergent approaches: theological and religio-anthropological. Historically, these two perspectives have often operated in parallel, without substantial integration. Classical theology, rooted in the dogmatic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, has tended to overlook the dynamic processes shaping local religious cultures, particularly in rural contexts. On the other hand, religious studies and the anthropology of religion, while aware of theological contributions, have primarily focused on external analysis, emphasising the perspective of the observer. In recent years, a growing dialogue between theology and other humanities disciplines has emerged, offering new insights into "folk Catholicism" as lived religion - an individual and communal experience of faith. The aim of this presentation is to examine the methodological approaches used in Polish-language literature in theology and religious studies from the post-war period to the present and to identify potential risks associated with: a) the Roman-catholic-centric methodological bias within theology, b) the lack of consideration for internal perspectives and theological contributions in humanities research on the lived religiosity of Polish Catholics or individuals drawing upon this religious tradition.
"THINKING THROUGH THINGS": ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDIES ON "SACRED AGENCY" IN MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN BULGARIA AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY

Lubanska M. (Speaker)

University of Warsaw ~ Warsaw ~ Poland
In my presentation, I refer to those moments of my ethnographic fieldwork that proved epistemologically groundbreaking and led to the reconceptualization of "the religious" in my research findings. The fieldwork I conducted in Christian and Muslim communities in Bulgaria between 2005 and 2017 focused on non-western ontological beliefs, particularly regarding the materiality and agency of sacred objects, such as icons, relics, eulogies, and saints' tombs. I elaborate particularly on the problem of the interactions between the faithful and those objects. I conflate the emic (local) ontological beliefs expressed by the faithful with the visual representations and theological texts of the religious traditions they belong to. I elaborate on how various emic understandings of divine grace and power reveal specific ontological beliefs on immanence, transcendence and their relationships. I indicate the cultural background of these convictions, and I reflect on how they problematize the anthropological theory of religion. I also engage in a dialogue with the works of historians (especially Byzantinists and Ottomanists) on similar issues. I situate my findings within the so-called ontological turn in anthropological theory.

Panel description: Expressions of communal life and worship, including decision-making at councils and synods, have been integral to Orthodox Christian and broader Christian identity since earliest times. However, from the 19th to 21st centuries, notions and practices of conciliarity have taken on a more dynamic role in the Orthodox churches, bringing about a shift described by Paul Valliere (2012) as a 'conciliar renaissance'. The term conciliarity, together with the overlapping notions and practices of communion, catholicity, synodality, ecumenicity, koinonia and sobornost continue to generate intense debate and profound theological vision concerning the nature, governance and fellowship of the Church, as well as contributing to profounder understandings of the unity in diversity of human community and the relationality of human personhood. This panel aims to foster discussion of the rich diversity of theories, practical expressions, and theologies of conciliarity that have emerged in diverse contexts in the modern Orthodox oikoumene. It will foster discussion of questions such as: How has the renewed focus on conciliarity affected the question of women's ministry and representation in Orthodox church governance? To what extent has there been mutual interaction between Orthodox theology and traditions of conciliarity outside the Eastern Churches, including in the context of Roman-Catholic/Orthodox dialogue and the current discourse on synodality in the Roman Catholic Church? How has the notion of sobornost been used and/or abused in political theology and secular political theory? What new forms of Orthodox conciliarity have emerged as local identities and aspirations to ecclesial autonomy have been aroused by mission, migration, the break-up of empires and socio-cultural change?

Papers:

CONCILIARITY AND WOMEN: HOW 'ORTHODOX TRADITION' SERVES AS A PRETEXT FOR EXCLUSION

Beliakova N. (Speaker)

University of Bielefield ~ Bielefield ~ Germany
This paper focuses on how, in the second half of the 20th century, in the context of globalization and the changing geographical reach of Orthodox Churches, Orthodox Christianity began to be marked as a bastion of tradition or traditionalism. I will demonstrate how the positioning of Orthodoxy as a traditionalist faith—explicitly articulated from the 1970s onward—gradually led to the exclusion of women's issues from "conciliar" discussions. The paper argues that the systemic exclusion of women's topics from conciliar discourse is not a "traditional" feature of Orthodoxy but rather emerged as part of Orthodoxy's integration into the global cultural wars that originally arose within North American society. The intersection of these cultural wars with latent gender discrimination (despite the dominance of women within Orthodox congregations) will be explored in the presentation.
CONCILIARITY/SYNODALITY IN ECUMENICAL DIALOGUES BETWEEN ROMAN CATHOLIC AND EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCHES: COMMON CHALLENGES AND NEW APPROACHES

Oeldemann J. (Speaker)

Johann-Adam-Moehler Institute for Ecumenism ~ Paderborn ~ Germany
The paper explores how the topic of conciliarity/synodality has been addressed in theological dialogues between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics. The work of the official international dialogue commission as well as dialogues at a regional level (North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation) and unofficial dialogue groups (Saint Irenaeus Joint Orthodox-Catholic Working Group) are examined. The documents reveal broad agreement in the understanding of conciliarity, even if there are differences regarding tasks, responsibilities, and composition of synods. The differences between the theory and practice of conciliarity/synodality, which can be observed in all churches, represent a major challenge for the dialogue.
EGALITARIAN AND TOTALITARIAN LINES WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF SOBORNOST (CONCILIARITY): FROM KHOMYAKOV'S ANTI-HIERARCHICALISM TO KARSAVIN'S HIERARCHICAL PERSONALITIES

Biriukov D. (Speaker)

Osteuropa Institut, Freie Universitat ~ Berlin ~ Germany
The presentation examines the meaning of the concept of sobornost (conciliarity), and the superimposed driving forces that have shaped its historical trajectory as the term has made its way from the religious domain to the secular one. It analyzes how Eurasianism, a socio-political movement that emerged in early 20th Russia and continued in émigré circles, appropriated the concepts of sobornost and soborny (conciliar) personality and examines the debate among the Eurasianists regarding the object to which the term soborny personality can be applied. It focuses on Lev Karsavin's (1882-1952) doctrine of the hierarchy of the soborny personalities, highlighting the fascist tendencies within it, and explores the context of these tendencies by examining Karsavin's connections both to ideologues of German fascism and to agents of the Soviet state security services (OGPU). It concludes by analyzing Georges Florovsky's critique of Eurasianist utilization of sobornost and considers the parallel conception of a hierarchy of soborny personalities developed within the Soviet Union by Valerian Muraviev.
CONCILIAR CHALLENGES TO RUSSIAN ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDINGS AND PRACTICES OF MISSION IN THE LATE EMPIRE AND 1917 REVOLUTION

Kolosova A. (Speaker)

University of Tartu ~ Tartu ~ Estonia
This paper examines the entangled relationship between Russian Orthodox missionary activity and the broader movement promoting church reform and conciliarity within the Russian Orthodox Church between the 1880s and the Moscow Council of 1917-1918. It traces the influence of changing understandings and practices of conciliarity on the way that mission was understood, contested and defined at late imperial episcopal assemblies, missionary conferences and the Moscow Council itself. The paper demonstrates how we see in the resolutions on mission of the revolutionary period and at the Moscow Council, an increasing conciliar emphasis on the engagement of laypeople and the entire church community in shaping the contours of the Church's witness, as opposed to colonial views of mission linked with imperial expansion and the integration of new subjects into the social fabric of the Russian Empire.

Panel description: This panel examines how the scholar's understanding of the historical nature of knowledge influences their work in the study of religion. The imperative to 'always historicize,' as famously urged by Fredric Jameson, has often encountered several obstacles in this context. Indeed, the Western episteme's inclination for universalistic and meta-historical concepts, coupled with the de-historicizing qualities often ascribed to its object, has made the task of historicization particularly complex for scholars of religion. The reflexive examination of the categories scholars employ then becomes essential. Without such reflexivity, one runs the risk of running into the contradiction of looking at historical materials through the lens of ahistorical theoretical frameworks and methodological tools. However, even though greater attention toward the historicity of our enterprise has been a common point of emphasis, what is to be historicized and how this should be done remain open questions that have been taken in an array of different directions. This panel provides a platform in which these diverse possibilities can be explored, showing how a reflexive stance on historicization can operate at multiple levels of inquiry, from questioning the most abstract and analytic categories to the examination of those concepts pertaining to specific historical contexts. Hoping to foster a stimulating exchange on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the issue of historicization in the study of religion, we warmly invite participants across disciplines to engage in this conversation and explore its implications for contemporary scholarship.

Papers:

THE MORE IS NOT ALWAYS THE MERRIER: ONTOLOGICAL GERRYMANDERING IN THE PLURALIZATION OF THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION

Bollini M. (Speaker)

Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy
Despite being a key concept throughout the history of the discipline, sociology's relationship with the category of religion is a complicated one. Although scholars often point to the theological and Eurocentric legacies embedded in the notion of religion, theoretical efforts often tend to focus on finding "less biased" ways to conceptualize it (epistemic dimension), while maintaining the assumption regarding some transhistorical essence called "religion" (ontic dimension) as unproblematic. To illustrate the limitations of this strategy, I examine some of the proposals whose explicit aim is to go beyond what is regarded as sociology's Eurocentric and Christian "default view" of religion. I argue that these attempts at revisions, while motivated by solid reasons concerning religion's legacy, amount to an exercise in "ontological gerrymandering" that reinforces Western intellectual (and political) hegemony. By selectively relativizing cultural perspectives while withholding the category of religion itself from historical considerations, this approach naturalizes the concept altogether rather than addressing its fundamental issues. To avoid the pitfalls associated with employing arbitrarily historicized concepts, I suggest that the field would benefit from an appreciation of the work done in the Critical Religion and Discursive Sociology of Religion frameworks. Sociologists who adopt a reflexive approach would be able to construe "religion" as a historically situated object rather than a tool of sociological inquiry, thus highlighting its unstable and contested uses and their political ramifications.
CONTEMPORARY FRAMES ON MEDIEVAL TENSIONS: THE SUNNĪ-SHĪʿĀ POLARIZATION AND FATIMID HISTORIOGRAPHY

Favaretto G. (Speaker)

Università di Palermo - FSCIRE ~ Palermo ~ Italy
This study examines how the rise of Fatimid power in the 10th century is represented in contemporary scholarly literature, focusing on Sicily and modern-day Tunisia. In 909, a Shia Ismaili dynasty emerged in a region previously Islamized and governed by the Aghlabid Emirate, which was nominally subordinate to the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. The research critically addresses the tendency of historical narratives to focus on the Sunni-Shia conflict, often overshadowing the complex dynamics of the period that involved not only the religious sphere but also the legal, political, and military domains. While this division was undeniably significant, framing it as the exclusive lens risks reducing the rich historical tapestry of the era to a simplistic dichotomy. Instead, this study investigates how contemporary historiography has constructed this period, highlighting how modern narratives can reflect biases in the historicization of the Sunni-Shia contrast and the Fatimid rise to power. By doing so, it underscores how pre-existing tensions and multifaceted power struggles are often overlooked, filtered instead through the lens of contemporary geopolitical dynamics.
NINETEENTH-CENTURY CATHOLIC ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE INVENTION OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY

Denzey Lewis N. (Speaker)

Claremont Graduate University ~ Claremont ~ United States of America
The European conceptualization of World Religions might arguably be located in the nineteenth century. The driving forces of globalization and secularization that undergirded a new interest in religion and religious studies came to shape a new ethos which rested uncomfortably with Catholic historiography. In reaction to these forces, a new corps of Catholic scholars developed "sacred archaeology" in which the catacombs of Rome were reconceptualized as pristine spaces of pure, proto-Catholic Christianity. In this imaginative revisioning of the past, Catholic scholars laid down new concepts that would shape the discourse on Christianity's ostensible development: the power of the papacy, the primacy of saints and relics, the nature of Christian sacramentalism, and the role of women in the Early Church. More recent scholarship interrogates this discourse, reframing early Christianity's development as less linear and substantially more sophisticated. I argue that such revisionism is crucial to critiquing, in fact, the entire enterprise of conceptualizing religion.

Panel description: Being able to cope with ambivalent experiences and tolerating religious ambiguity can be regarded as a core competence in creating and maintaining social cohesion. Hence, the panel seeks to further the understanding of "ambivalence(s)" as a part of practicing social cohesion. The core assumptions is that the concept of ambivalence can only be understood on the basis of concrete, situational contexts and their narratives and practices. To approach the topic of ambivalences, the panel will start with three papers on the theoretical framework 1) with considerations on multiperspectivity and polyvalence of Christian and non-Christian narrations and their impact on dealing with ambivalences within a community (Armbruster) and 2) addressing how the fictious, symbolic and poetic character of religious texts in contrast to non (self-)reflective or highly dogmatic texts may further practicing social cohesion by integrating ambivalence and multiperspectivity (Richter). 3) This hermeneutical perspective is accompanied by understanding agape as an ambivalent concept in creating social cohesion and justice while at the same time maintaining asymmetrical relationships (Grassi). The topic is then explored in three papers that examine various interfaces between religious traditions and social practices reflecting the theoretical approach, using the context of German protestantism: 1) the inherently ambivalent narratives in religious tradition that may be applied to creating and maintaining social cohesion are regarded by a closer look at Dorothee Sölle's use of penance in her public speeches (Opalka). 2) An example will be given how the ability of religious traditions and their protagonists to create social cohesion (and social tension) is portrayed in works of fictions (Alles). 3) The role of the practices will be analysed by regarding meal-sharing, as for example in agape-meals, as a practice that transcends the borders of religious groups (Rossa).

Papers:

LEARNING TO DEAL WITH AMBIVALENCES AND MULTIPERSPECTIVITY BY CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIAN NARRATIVES?! CHANCES AND CHALLENGES

Armbruster A. (Speaker)

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
Besides rituals and practices, shared narrations are an elementary aspect for the cohesion of communities and societies. How communities and societies refer to these narrations can often be described as ambivalent in regard to excluding tendencies as well as to a felt unambiguousness of the narrations they share. Referring to narrations and narratives can be problematic because of another reason: It seems to be a common sense in narrative ethics that recipients learn a lot by reading literature on how to lead a life that is acceptable by social conventions and own moral standards. Among others, great literature is fraught with multiperspectivity as a way of representing reality that is full of ambivalences. Moreover, it seems to be an inappropriate way of taking narratives into account when it comes to challenging questions of distinguishing between good and evil, right or wrong, because then these narratives are reduced to a (wished) clarity everyday life is lacking of. Therefore, this paper focuses on the impact of the multiperspectivity in narratives, their polyvalent meanings and their presentation of ambivalence as a chance for communities to deepen their competences in dealing with ambivalences. For this, it is necessary to understand how individuals and communities refer to narratives and which roles narratives play in shaping the cohesion of communities. The paper aims to compare these two aspects for Christian and non-Christian narratives, that have had a great impact on shaping communities, and focus on their way of dealing with ambivalence, multiperspectivity and polyvalence within the narratives. Within societal transforming processes it is inevitable to face the question, whether religious narratives and their existential framing have the potential to lead communities to develop more tolerance for ambivalence and to integrate ambivalence and diversity into their self-conception, or if they hinder it.
VISIONS OF PEACE. RELIGIOUS IMAGINATION AND PRACTICE CULTIVATING SOCIAL COHESION

Richter C. (Speaker)

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
Religious texts and traditions live by their often fictious, symbolic, or poetic character, be they narrative or assertive in genre. Their potential to help cultivating social cohesion in and despite of processes of social transformation, however, will only be displayed if that character is reflected and understood as fictitious, symbolic, or poetic. Non-reflective, esp. non self-reflective, or highly normative dogmatic claims, on the contrary, are likely to deny the ambivalences and inevitable multiperspectivity in processes of social transformation and will enhance conflict and rupture. The paper will demonstrate this by a hermeneutic approach to visionary biblical texts and practices on trust, responsibility, and reliability.
A SOVEREIGN LOVE: AGAPE AND ITS AMBIVALENCES

Grassi M. (Speaker)

Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina ~ Buenos Aires ~ Argentina
The concept of agape was shaped by Christian theology in order to affirm that God is love without jeopardizing God's perfection and omnipotence. In contrast to the concept of eros, agape is a love that is not driven by any kind of need and that knows no condition to be given. Agape is an unconditional love, a kind of love that is defined by activity more than by passivity, and a love that is not responding to the goodness of the beloved but that it is given without a sufficient reason. This unconditional love has become the ideal of love, a love that is not self-interested and that is strange to any economical logic. However, this love is, at the same time, an affirmation of power and sovereignty. In this paper, I will show how this concept of agape is dependent on a paradigm that defines life in terms of self-sufficiency, and that I have called the bio-theo-political paradigm of autarchy (Grassi, 2022). If a perfect living being is essentially autarchic, and does not need anything nor anyone else, then the kind of love that is proper to this perfect living being must be also independent from anything else but itself. Whereas eros stresses dependence and necessity, agape is defined by independence and gratuity, and therefore only agape can be predicated of God as being absolutely powerful and self-sufficient. However, this sovereign love is troublesome and ambivalent, for, on the one hand, in its unconditionality it entails self-denial, but, on the other hand, its affirmation of the lover as the one who loves without any motivation ends up denying the value of the beloved one. Although agape has proven to be a key concept to think on social cohesion and justice, its meaning and definition shows that it is also deeply problematic, for it enables different kinds of asymmetrical relationships between human beings.
REPENTANCE AS AN AMBIVALENT NARRATIVE FOR SOCIAL COHESION IN DOROTHEE SÖLLES PUBLIC SPEECHES

Opalka K. (Speaker)

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
The German theologian Dorothee Sölle (1929-2003) is usually regarded for her approach to combine feminist systematic theology with an activist stance that aims to create a more just society. Hence, quite a lot of her theological ideas were presented in the form of public engagement, for example on podiums at the German "Kirchentag" (as for example published in: Dorothee Sölle, „Löse die Fesseln der Freiheit", Freiburg i. Br. 2010). The paper will explore how Sölles's use of "repentance" and related concepts such as "sin" or "evil" can be seen as ambivalent narratives that create social cohesion as well as social tension - while aiming to find a way to cope with certain kinds of social tension, namely unjust structures. The paper will 1) elaborate on the research question and the way ambivalent narratives relate to social cohesion, 2) contextualize Dorothee Sölle's public theological engagement at the "Kirchentag", 3) focus on the way an ambivalence is created, maintained and used by Sölle, especially in regard to her use of the concept of repentance as a way to create social cohesion, 4) the way Sölle's theology was received as creating social cohesion for some (e. g. a specific political oriented group in German Protestantism) as well as social tension for others (in the Churches as well as in politics), 5) conclude on how (re-)arranging ambivalent narratives such as repentance in a public context can be seen as way to stabilize and de-stabilize societal structures.
RELIGIOUS IDENTITY CRISES IN PROCESSES OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION. LITERARY AND CONCEPTUAL REFLECTIONS

Alles T. (Speaker)

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
Structural changes particularly affect tradition based regions, which are located at the outskirt of the large centres driving the changes. In her novels, the German linguist, journalist and writer Dörte Hansen sheds some light on how individuals and collectives in rural regions or villages struggle with these transformations. The novel "Zur See" (2022) offers as a side character a pastor who - though more accustomed to modern lifestyle than the old-established islanders - faces an identity crisis, of which his religious and theological life is a constitutive part. These literary and phenomenological dense descriptions of ambivalent experiences shall be taken as a starting point for some conceptual reflections on how to understand such specific religious identity crises which are produced by social transformation. These reflections shall be socio-philosophically grounded using Rahel Jaeggi's theory of social progress and regress in "Fortschritt und Regression" (2023). Her idea of an enhancing (or blocking) learning process and its criteria of success will be theoretically worked out and brought into conversation with Nancey Murphy's reflections on religious and theological large-scale traditions and their progress and regress in "A Philosophy for the Christian Religion" (2018). Turning back to the starting point the theoretical result will be applied to the literary example of ambivalent experiences in processes of social transformation.
'SHARING IS CARING!' - RECONSTRUCTING THE SACRAMENT OF SHARED MEALS AS A PRACTICE OF COSMOPOLITAN HOSPITALITY BETWEEN CULINARY ART AND SOUL FOOD IN CONSIDERATION OF SOCIAL COHESION

Rossa D. (Speaker)

Philipps-Universität Marburg ~ Marburg ~ Germany
The paper sketches the ambivalences of an understanding of (holy) communion as a way of radical meal-sharing in the agape tradition. 1) The paper argues for inviting not only Christians of different denominations but people from other religions as well as non-religious people to cook, bring and share their 'soul food' with one another. 2) It uses philosophical and theological positions on hospitality and meal-sharing from a cultural anthropological perspective to outline the potential of such a practice to strengthen social cohesion in pluralist societies. 3) In a constructivist and hermeneutical perspective it sees such a practice of shared meals and hospitality known from celebrating agape(-meals) as participating in the true Sacrament of the Holy Communion. It argues for this by marking a universal tendency of embodied philanthropy in the theological and philosophical understanding of Jewish-Christian figures of thought and Biblical (meal) narratives. Additional, it relates the Christology of Holy Communion to other figures of Christological mimesis more appropriate for a Christian Sacrament that transgresses the boundary of Christian believers. 4) As a consequence, the paper also addresses and discusses five risks for social cohesion of such an understanding of communion: These five risks are a) the risk of further ecumenical division, b) the risk of an appropriation of non-Christians by their invitation to a practice that is rooted in Christology, c) the risk of classism relating communion more to aesthetics of taste and lifestyle than to a matter of nourishment and fighting famine. Furthermore, the universal approach inherent to this functional program of social peace and cohesion is in danger of d) the tribal risk, that universalism is rejected for the singularity of particularities being not offsetable with one another. This tendency becomes abysmal in e) the risk of exclusivity that can lead to an othering and breaking the peace of fellowship at the table.

Panel description: From Socrates who once asked, "could Love be anything else but love of beauty?" (Plato, Symposium) to Augustine's cry, "Late have I loved you, O Beauty so old and so new," (Confessions X) the metaphysics of love calls for an appreciation of beauty. The reflection of divine beauty upon the created order has elicited diverging cultural and theological perspectives. The mystery of Incarnation both reveals and conceals Christ's incorruptible beauty, as Augustine describes in the enarrationes in Psalmos. At the heart of this existential hide-and-seek, lies beauty as arousing desire, as attracting love towards the divine. If the ugliness of evil renders even more acute the absence of divine beauty in the world, it further invites a reconsideration of the connection between beauty and morality. In this sense, the aesthetics of virtue may be interrogated. The present panel invites papers willing to engage the relationship between love and beauty in dialogue with the theology of Augustine of Hippo from direct exegesis of of Augustine, historical interrogations into Augustinian influence and theologies to contemporary receptions and critiques in different Christian traditions. Perspectives as diverse as philosophy, anthropology and epistemology, ethics and theological aesthetics, may echo and speak to the Augustinian tradition. In the current crisis of solitude, the emergence of artificial realities, the omnipresence of images, pondering these questions is to weigh upon our human condition in relation to beauty and eternal.

Papers:

THE DYNAMICS OF BEAUTY ACCORDING TO AUGUSTINE

Juurikkala O. (Speaker)

Pontifical University of the Holy Cross ~ Rome ~ Italy
....
BEAUTY AND THE THEOLOGY OF DESIRE IN AUGUSTINE

Bennett D. (Speaker)

University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
...

Panel description: Digital spaces define so much of our worlds today and both influence and inform opinions. The role of religion within those spaces, specifically religions' queer perspectives, has yet to be thoroughly studied as harbingers of coping with and/or providing impetus for social change, even though digital spaces are filled with queer perspectives from 'grassroots' organizations and movements as well as those from larger more established traditions. Therefore, we invite queer perspectives from various spiritual and religious traditions present online which address what religion means today in the midst of social change and/or as a force for social change. We also encourage queer interpretations of specific religious traditions, rituals, practices, the(a/o)logies, etc. which help us to define religion from a queer perspective. In addition to queer definitions of religion or definitions of queer religion, we are specifically interested in how these queer religious presences online define and create community. We ask that papers consider the insights from feminist, intersectional, and/or decolonial methodologies as significant to queering religion in society and in digital spaces. The central questions, this panel explores, are: How do we, from queer perspectives, define religions and/or the concept of religious community in online spaces, how do queer digital religious spaces help transform societies for the better (European and beyond), and what is it about religions online that is queer and/or conducive to queer religious practices? We especially invite new and upcoming scholars as well as scholars from diverse religious and spiritual perspectives.

Papers:

QUEER TRANSFORMATIONS: BECOMING THE BODY OF CHRIST IN A VIRTUAL CHURCH

Warren J. (Speaker)

Universität Wien ~ Vienna ~ Austria
What does it mean for LGBTQIA+ persons to be part of the Body of Christ when for so long we have been severed from it? Does a new body emerge, or is the same theological body enlarged? Put another way, is there one Body of Christ or many? This ethnographic community-based research paper operates from the theological proposition that digital meeting technology makes possible one of the queerest claims of Christianity: that many bodies in many places can become one, the Body of Christ - and that this Body is itself continually transformed. Through the stories of two members from Church of the Young Prophets, a virtual LGBTQIA+ church that meets on the Gather platform, this paper shares how these persons, from different geographical and social locations - a Black trans woman in Uganda in her 20s and a retired white gay man in Australia - experienced a sense of oneness with each other through the sacrament of Holy Communion. The paper further explores how this digital community and our practices queer of the Body of Christ as (1) LGBTQIA+ persons are affirmed and participate consciously as members of this Body and (2) the queer space and boundaries - drawing from the work of Judith Butler - as persons from different geographical regions participate synchronously in Holy Communion and pray together "make us one." Through the real virtual partaking of Holy Communion, the boundaries of physical and theological bodies are opened, and new modes of being the Body of Christ are made possible.
ONLINE SPACES' DEFINITION OF A QUEER JUDAISM FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: A QUEER ECOFEMINIST PERSPECTIVE

Helman I. (Speaker)

Karlova univerzita ~ Prague ~ Czech Republic
While much work has been done in terms of queer identities and inclusion within Judaism and Jewish spaces, this paper seeks to define the basic principles of a queer Judaism from the perspective of queer ecofeminism, a term first introduced by Greta Gaard. To do so, this paper pays attention to three online spaces which have already made considerable progress on defining a queer Judaism: SVARA, Judaism Unbound's "Queer Judaisms," and Keshet. The author first compiles together how each online space defines a queer Judaism. Using these definitions of what queer Judaism means to each of these groups, the paper then examines their similarities and differences and furthermore proposes a definition of queer Judaism that encompasses them all. In addition, the paper examines the presence or lack of environmental concern within these versions of queer Judaism. Finally, from an ecofeminist perspective that takes queerness seriously, the article assesses the potential of this redefinition of Judaism as queer in the midst of social change and the future and what it means for online spaces, paying particular attention to its feminist and ecological potential. Given the priorities to embodiment and bodies within queer Judaism, the author, from a queer ecofeminist perspective, argues that defining Judaism as queer must also include concern for the environment.

Panel description: Secularization is a two-faced process. On one hand, it transforms religious concepts into this-worldly (philosophical, political, or social) ones while inadvertently preserving structural analogies with their original models. The concept of human nature is no exception. Although it is sometimes suggested that the erosion of Christian anthropologies dominating European philosophy and social-political thought began already during the Middle Ages, it might as well be argued that its shadows have kept haunting modernity ever since. This panel examines the origins and effects of secularization on Christian perspectives of human nature, emphasizing theological anthropology. The discussion spans both Protestant and Catholic traditions, with key figures such as Reinhold Niebuhr and Joseph Ratzinger offering insights into the interplay of political theology and anthropology. The panel investigates how secularization recasts theological motifs, including the imago Dei, into modern concepts like human dignity, which remain structurally tied to their theological origins. Broader implications of these transformations are also explored. The reconciliation of Catholic and liberal traditions provides a lens through which to examine church-state relations and societal challenges. Ecclesiastical institutions, including bishops' conferences, play critical roles in addressing contemporary issues like human rights or environmental issues. Finally, the panel considers persistent anthropological tensions within secular religions arising from liberalism, individualism, and technological advancements like AI. These underscore the enduring challenge of reconciling Christian anthropologies with secular frameworks. By weaving these threads together, the panel highlights how secularization obscures, yet does not eliminate, the theological underpinnings of political and ethical thought in modern society.

Papers:

HUMAN DIGNITY AS THE SECULAR ANALOG OF IMAGO DEI

Fenyves K. (Speaker)

Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Pázmány Péter Catholic University ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
This paper intends to explore the enduring influence of the imago Dei motif from Genesis 1:26-28 on theological anthropology, examining its interpretation and implications across biblical, patristic, and rabbinic traditions. While secularization reshapes Christian anthropologies into modern concepts like human dignity, the imago Dei remains structurally linked to its theological origins, highlighting humanity's unique relational, functional, and ontological dimensions. This analysis juxtaposes the biblical narrative's anthropocentric stewardship mandate with critiques of ecological and ethical responsibility, arguing for a theocentric reinterpretation. Historical exegeses by Church Fathers and rabbinic Midrashim are compared, revealing how divergent readings shaped the philosophical and cultural ethos of their times. Finally, the paper critiques modern political science's underestimation of theological anthropology's impact on human rights, dignity, and bioethics, asserting that secular frameworks often obscure rather than eliminate their theological underpinnings. This study contributes to understanding the persistence of Christian anthropologies in shaping contemporary socio-political thought.
JOSEPH RATZINGER'S ANTHROPOLOGICAL THOUGHTS

Jancsó A. (Speaker)

Mathias Corvinus Collegium; Ludovika University of Public Services; Pázmány Péter Catholic Universty ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
Joseph Ratzinger's theological anthropology critiques the secularization of modern society and its impact on human identity and politics. Rooted in biblical traditions, his perspective contrasts with the classical liberal emphasis on autonomy and individualism. Thinkers like John Locke and Jeremy Bentham advanced concepts of freedom and rationality, but Ratzinger highlights their neglect of humanity's intrinsic relationality and transcendent purpose. For Ratzinger, secularization undermines the foundational role of divine truth in shaping human dignity and societal order. He argues that the liberal anthropological framework, centered on the self-sufficient individual, contributes to cultural fragmentation and moral relativism. In contrast, his anthropology emphasizes the relational nature of humanity, created in dialogue with God. The New Testament, through Jesus Christ, reveals humanity's destiny as beings called to divine communion, offering a vision of dignity grounded in transcendence. Ratzinger's political thought reflects this anthropology, critiquing secular liberalism for failing to provide a cohesive moral framework. He advocates for a political order that recognizes humanity's dependency on divine truth and the centrality of community. By integrating Teilhard de Chardin's cosmic Christology, Ratzinger envisions a society rooted in relationality and oriented toward communion with God, providing a robust foundation for human dignity and justice.
ORIGINAL SIN AND CONTEMPORARY POLITICS: THE RECEPTIVITY OF REINHOLD NIEBUHR'S THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Darabos Á. (Speaker)

Ludovika University of Public Service ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
The famous American Protestant theologian and political thinker Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) was one of the leading figures in reintroducing the notion of sin and original sin in the public sphere. In his theological magnum opus, The Nature and Destiny of Man (1941, 1943), Niebuhr provides a specific - more Augustinian than Thomistic - understanding of human nature in which he heavily stresses the element of sin and original sin. Published during the Second World War, Niebuhr's explanation seemed justified. Furthermore, this perspective served as a ground for his mature social and political writings, such as The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness (1944) and Christian Realism and Political Problems (1953). Interestingly, in his last book, Man's Nature and His Communities (1965), Niebuhr maintains the empirical evidence behind the fact of original sin. Nevertheless, he assumes using it was a pedagogical error since it has lost its meaning for the secular audience. After a brief introduction to Niebuhr's theological anthropology, focusing on sin and original sin, this dilemma of receptivity in current politics will be elaborated.
THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: THE CHALLENGE OF SECULAR RELIGIONS

Nagypál S. (Speaker)

Mathias Corvinus Collegium; Eötvös Loránd University ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
Globally, neither religion nor Christianity faces a crisis unprecedent-ed. But in Western civilization, Christianity is undeniably in deep crisis. While declaring the West a missionary territory, awaiting re-evangelization from other civilizations is an option, a prudent approach involves mobiliz-ing internal resources. Competition arises from three sources: traditional religions (Islam); new religious movements (Paganism, esoterism); secular religions. Secular religions stem from Enlightenment ideals, the separation of Church and state, and secularization. Contrary to predictions of religion's disappear-ance through rationalism, religions persist, with Western Europe seeing a shift from traditional organized religion to secular religions. Human nature in theological anthropology is challenged by liberal-ism, individualism, humanism, atheism, psychology; and by biotechnolo-gy, genetics, cloning, AI, post- and transhumanism as secular religions. We explore how secular religions fulfil anthropologically rooted religious needs, redefining the concept of religion. It considers how Christianity can respond to this evolving religious landscape and the challenges posed by political theologies and secular religions.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE BELGIAN LIBERAL CATHOLIC SYSTEM ON HUNGARIAN CHURCH AFFAIRS IN THE 19TH CENTURY

Balla J. (Speaker)

Ludovika University of Public Service ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
With the end of the French wars, in the first half of the 19th century, the moral and spiritual authority of the papacy was strengthened, and a new trend, Ultramontanism, developed among Catholics who looked to Rome as the only center of Catholicism, who were unconditionally obedient to the Pope, and who looked to him for guidance on the new phenomena and problems of the changed world. But Rome was clearly in favor of the ancien régime, of restoration, of a social and political order based on the principle of authority, rejecting the bourgeois revolution and the new world that emerged from it, and its ideological basis, liberalism. In Belgium, a specific movement emerged that tried to reconcile Catholicism and liberalism, called Unionism. In my presentation, I would like to briefly introduce this Belgian model and its little-studied effects on the Hungarian Church.
THE ROLE OF BISHOPS' CONFERENCES IN FORMULATING SOCIAL ISSUES

Ujházi L. (Speaker)

Ludovika University of Public Service; Pázmány Péter Catholic University ~ Budapest ~ Hungary
The Second Vatican Council reaffirmed the principles of synodality and the importance of the local Church. The Council's intentions were subsequently translated into a number of legal instruments, the most prominent of which is the Bishops' Conference. Although the Conference existed before the Council, it was a legally under-regulated and non-binding institution. However, the institution already proved that the Catholic Church could no longer be treated as one large monolithic community. The growing importance of the conference is shown by the fact that it was analyzed after the Council in a number of church documents and by prominent theologians. According to my hypothesis, it is historically, theologically, and juridically demonstrable that the Conference, using its legislative framework, can deepen or influence Catholic doctrine. I will also use historical examples to prove my hypothesis. I will show that not only has the universal teaching of the Church been adopted at the local level, but that the innovations of the local Church have been translated into the universal teaching of the Church. Along these lines, I explore how responses to contemporary social issues that also involve Christian anthropology, such as just wars, the LGBTQ movement, environmental issues, and the rule of law, can be articulated and translated into the universal teaching of the Catholic Church. I also point to the experience that only within the framework of the rule of law can conferences make full use of the leeway provided by canon law. I have used the qualitative method, drawing on primary and secondary sources, contrasting them and drawing conclusions. On this basis, I have made recommendations along the lines of the social issues mentioned.

Panel description: This interdisciplinary panel of Orthodox Christian theologians examine Orthodox Christian theology and symbolic meanings encoded in Orthodox theological discourses, liturgical life and material culture as they relate to promoting social cohesion and human solidarity in the face of global warming and climate change manifested in wildfires, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and polluted natural resources giving way to the loss of human life and the destruction of human settlements and ecosystems throughout the globe. Panelists examine themes articulated in contemporary Orthodox theological discourses and practices that speak to the environmental crisis applicable to Christians, faith communities, and secular groups seeking sources to guide personal and collective thinking, reflection, and action to mitigate global warming resulting from human production and consumption patterns that rely on excessive use and dependence on fossil fuels. The panel aims to generate discussion on the role of the Orthodox theology and Christians to meet this historical moment in which people throughout the world face human-induced climate catastrophes threatening the future of the planet. Questions the panel explores include: How can Orthodox eco-theological sources inspire personal and social transformations needed to rethink and reimagine self-destructive cultural, social, and economic systems upending the natural order on which life on earth depend? How can the Orthodox Church use theological sources to cultivate the capacity to work collaboratively with faith-based and secular groups to develop just and sustainable social, economic, and ecological systems? How can Orthodox theologians integrate the environmental sciences, social sciences, and humanities to develop their theological perspectives and responses to the ecological crisis? What prevents the Orthodox Church from environmental justice action?

Papers:

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Kostarelos F. (Speaker)

Governors State University ~ Chicago ~ United States of America
Based on a social anthropological background the author attempts to examine certain insights and symbols of the Orthodox Christian theology and their relevance for promoting social cohesion and human solidarity in the face of climate change manifested through various ways like wildfires, floods, droughts. The speaker explores how alternative patterns of social life informed by doctrinal, social and ethical ideals of the Orthodox Church can succesfully affect the life style of modern societies in their efforts to address the challenges posed by the climate crisis for social and environmental sustainability.
THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND ECOLOGICAL SIN: AN ORTHODOX REFLECTION

Durante C. (Speaker)

Saint Peter's University ~ New Jersey ~ United States of America
Almost foreshadowing our current era, Maximus the Confessor had claimed that "Creation is the accuser of the ungodly" and even went as far as to say "that by means of the visible [natural] world we should understand whence we came, what we are, for what purpose we were made and where we are going". If natural creation is indeed accusing us, as Maximus claimed, what is nature saying to us? Ultimately, if the human-induced climate crisis does indeed reveal moral truths regarding who we are as a species, how should theologians interpret the data garnered by environmental scientists? I raise these questions because I believe that part of getting on track to a more sustainable future is not simply getting the public policies right and inventing new technologies—which are both without a doubt necessary—but must also entail changing how we value the natural world, including our understanding of what natural creation inherently is as well as what we may learn from studying the natural world itself.
DOING ECO-DOGMATIC THEOLOGY? WHAT IS IT?

Asproulis N. (Speaker)

Volos Academy for Theological Studies ~ Volos ~ Greece
The speaker aspires to present a new model of doing Orthodox theology. By making use of relevant resources and methodological concepts and tools from enviromental sciences and ecology (e.g. ecosystem, interconnection among all human and non human entities, evolution theory), the speaker proceeds to a hermeneutical account of the basic doctrines of the Orthodox tradition like Triadology, Christology, creation theology, eschatology, and especially anthropology, in a way that are able to address challenges posed by the current ecological crisis. By this move, contemporary Orthodox theology can contribute to a modification of the socio-cultural landscape in an effective way.

Panel description: "Christianity after Christendom: Heretical Perspectives in Philosophical Theology" (Bloomsbury 2023) by Martin Kočí represents a significant intervention in contemporary theological discourse. The book addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing Christian theology today: how to articulate theological thinking in a world where Christianity no longer functions as society's primary interpretative framework. Through engaging with philosophers who have reinterpreted Christianity in the post-Christendom era, Kočí develops an innovative approach that reconceptualizes Christianity not primarily as a religious system but as an existential movement of being in the world. This panel brings together scholars to explore and critically engage with the key arguments and methodological innovations presented in Kočí's work. We will examine how his proposal for theological thinking after Christendom opens new avenues for dialogue between theology, philosophy, and contemporary culture, while also raising important questions about the nature and future of theological discourse. Critical questions for discussion include: How does Kočí's understanding of Christianity as an existential movement rather than a religious system reshape our understanding of theological method? What are the implications of this shift for traditional theological categories and concepts? To what extent does the author's engagement with philosophical reinterpretations of Christianity offer a viable path forward for theology in a post-Christian context? What might be gained or lost in this approach? How does Kočí's work relate to other contemporary attempts to reimagine theology's role in a secular age, such as radical orthodoxy or post-secular theology? What distinctive contributions does his approach offer?

Papers:

Panel description: With the rapid expansion both of comparative studies and of Tibetan Buddhist studies, Tibetan Buddhist traditions are more and more present as core interlocutors in comparative theology and philosophy, interreligious theology and philosophy, and global theology and philosophy. This panel showcases comparative theological, philosophical, and contemplative engagements with Tibetan traditions of thought and practice. Each paper demonstrates a different predominant mode of comparative engagement, and each indicates the way conversation with Tibetan Buddhist traditions engenders specific insight in its domain of inquiry. Tibetan traditions are here brought into conversation with Eastern Christian Hesychasm and its contemplative training, early Christian allegorical exegesis, and the wider theological-philosophical question of "theism" across traditions.

Papers:

DZOGCHEN AND THEISMS

Vale M. (Speaker)

Boston College ~ Boston ~ United States of America
Many scholars historical and contemporary have pointed to the East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions which closely verge on theism. I take "theism" here very broadly, referring to any metaphysical vision—whether Vedāntin, Neoplatonic, or otherwise—which affirms an unconditioned, limitless, conscious reality to be the most primordial ground of all reality. With the contemplatively and speculatively profound Dzogchen tradition (rdzogs chen, the highest "vehicle" of the Nyingma lineage of Tibet), we have very little philologically and philosophically precise work aimed at understanding Dzogchen's relation to this wide terrain of "theisms." This paper undertakes some of that work, closely following classical Dzogchen discussions of the key terms "ground" (gzhi), "essence - nature - responsiveness" (ngo bo rang bzhin thugs rje), and "primordial awareness" (ye shes). I will develop this core Dzogchen account in order to offer a conceptually and terminologically specified answer to these two questions: Does Dzogchen belong within this terrain of theisms (broadly construed)? And if so, what distinguishes the sort of "theism" Dzogchen is?
TIBETAN YOGIC PRACTICE AND EASTERN CHRISTIAN HESYCHASM: COMPARING CONTEMPLATIVE METHODS

Klarer D. (Speaker)

Rangjung Yeshe Institute ~ Kathmandu ~ Nepal
Both the Hesychast tradition of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and the Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) tradition of the Nyingma (rnying ma school) of Tibetan Buddhism refer to modes of awareness that lie outside the bounds of ordinary human cognition. Likewise, both traditions employ similar contemplative modalities to induce this awareness: mindful or neptic awareness, breath-control techniques, moral asceticism, repetition of prayer, etc. While much attention has been paid to the intersections of contemplative Christianity and Buddhism from the perspective of Western Christians interested in interfaith dialogue, very little literature has addressed similar intersections from the perspectives of Eastern Christianity. This paper will explore parallels between understandings of the "uncreated light" of theoria and theosis, and the clear light ('od gsal) of primordial awareness (rig pa), primarily through the lens of textual evidence from Orthodox ascetic manuals and Nyingma expositions on yogic practices. While acknowledging that each tradition's descriptions are conceptually and doctrinally non-reducible to one another, I still will argue that this is a concrete example of employing similar contemplative methods to circumvent the limitations of rational intellect, ultimately with the aim of guiding the practitioner closer to the experiential knowledge of a reality each tradition describes as ineffable. By examining this similarity in detail, I provide a basis for further, progressive inquiry into the intersections between the contemplative traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and Eastern Christianity.
ALLEGORY AS ENGINE FOR DOCTRINAL DEVELOPMENT: TSONG KHA PA'S ESSENCE OF TRUE ELOQUENCE AND ORIGEN'S HOMILIES ON LEVITICUS

Cattoi T. (Speaker)

Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) ~ Rome ~ Italy
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of allegorical reading of sacred texts in the Tibetan tradition and in the early Christian period, charting the use of exegesis as a strategy to push forward doctrinal development, affirm conceptual continuity within a tradition, and setting the terms for membership within a specific community of faith. Specifically, this paper will compare the supersessionist reading of the Mosaic law in Origen's Homilies on Leviticus, where temple sacrifices are read as foreshadowing the work of Christ, and Tsong kha pa's textual taxonomy in the Legs bshad snying po (Essence of True Eloquence), where he reads non-Madhyamaka texts as anticipations of later philosophical developments that require a specific hermeneutic. The discussion will outline the points of contact, but also the difference between the use of allegory in these two traditions, foregrounding their distinctive anthropologies and soteriologies.

Panel description: This year we hope to continue with the tradition established by most EUARE conferences to run a Religion and Policy pool which brings together a syndicate of associations which have established themselves as loyal supporters of EUARE an which have stake in bringing together the academia and the policy world as an attempt to find new and creative ways to generate Knowledge Transfer and Impact in the field of public policy in areas where religion, law and politics connect and often collide. The Policy pool has developed throughout the years certain ground rules it will enforce in EUARE Vienna 2025. RPP is co-oranised by G20 Interfaith Forum, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, Regent's Park College, Oxford, BYU Centre for Law and Religion Studies, KAICIID, Religion and Security Programme of the University of Thessaloniki, Soka University, Tokyo, and Religious Liberty Initiative, Notre Dame University, Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Monotheistic Religions, Doshisha, Kyoto, Bruderhof, Warwick University, Chiang Mai University Speakers include: Emma Nicholson (House of Lords), Alberto Melloni (FSCIRE), Baroness Elizabeth Berridge (House of Lords), David Burrowes (FORB Alliance), Jonathan Buckhurst (Soka University), Malcolm Evans (Regent's Park College, Oxford), Kishan Manocha (OSCE), Miriam Dies Bosh (Barcelona), Kristina Arriaga (University of Oxford), Cole Durham (Brigham Young University), Alistair Redfern (AMAR and the House of Lords), Nazila Ghanea (UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief), Johann Huleat ( Bruderhof), Pasquale Annichino (OSCE Advisory Panel), Nikos Maghioros ( Thessaloniki), Elizabeta Kitanovic, (Conference of European Churches), Brett Scharffs (Brigham Young University), Marco Haenssgen (Chang Mai), Ivan Krastev, IWM, Vienna, MArco Ventura (Siena) This year's overarching themes will include: Part 1 Religion and Diplomacy Part 2 Religion and Sustainable Development and Religion PArt 3 Human Rights and Security

Papers:

RELIGION AND DIPLOMACY

Albano T. (Speaker)

KAICIID ~ Lisbon ~ Portugal
This is a stream in a format of a round table within the Policy pool explores and challenges within the interplay between religion, interfaith dialogues and diplomacy
RELIGION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Durham C. (Speaker)

BYU ~ Provo ~ United States of America
The panel explores emerging trends within the G20 South Africa Agenda where religius perspectives face the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals

Panel description: This panel is dedicated to how a contemporary dialogue between Christians and Marxists can be designed to address the challenges of European societies in the 21st century. Based on an analysis of current social crises, an interdisciplinary approach will be presented that highlights the affinities between Christian and Marxist traditions. This panel aims to present a productive dialogical methodology and highlight the importance of transversal socio-ethical perspectives that transcend ideological boundaries. 1. Contemporary diagnosis of European societies: -A brief overview of central socio-political challenges from both a Christian and a Marxist perspective. -Topics such as social inequality, environmental crisis, war, and social fragmentation are named to identify common problem areas and divergent interpretations. 2. Affinities and differences between Marxism and Christianity: - The common philosophical and anthropological background as revealed through the history of ideas. -Reflection on the potential for mutual enrichment in the theoretical and practical discussion of social issues. 3. The need for a methodology for dialogue: -The conditions and principles of a dialogue that respects both traditions without blurring their distinctiveness. - Focus on differentiated consensus and qualified dissent. 4. The importance of transversal social ethics: -Arguing for an ethics that is not limited to single ideological systems, but mediates between disciplines and traditions. -How transversal social ethics can contribute to solving global challenges. Expected results: -A deeper understanding of the potential of a dialogue between Marxism and Christianity. -Development of a methodology for dialogical cooperation. -Impulses for a socio-ethical practice that addresses current crises in a transdisciplinary way and identifies transformative possibilities for action.

Papers:

"ONE WORD THAT WE SHOULD NEVER TIRE OF REPEATING: DIALOGUE"

Steinmair-Pösel P. (Speaker)

Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule - Edith Stein (Church College of Education - Edith Stein) ~ Innsbruck ~ Austria
In his inaugural encyclical Ecclesiam suam in 1964, Pope Paul VI had already described respectful dialog as an essential basic attitude and authentic path for the Church in the face of contemporary social developments: "The Church must enter into a dialogue with the world in which it now lives" (ES 67) Building on this, dialogue is a central motif in many of Pope Francis' texts. (Steinmair-Pösel, 2020) As early as 2014, in a private audience with Alexis Tsipras, Walter Baier and Franz Kronreif, he emphasized the importance of a transversal dialogue: only in this way could the great current problems of humanity be solved. This conversation gave rise to the DIALOP initiative - a dialogue project between left-wing/socialist/Marxist and Christian thinkers. (Baier et al., 2020, p. 2) In keeping with the attitude and working method developed in this project, my colleague Angelina Giannopoulou from the leftist side and I as a Christian social ethicist in this panel will be organizing our papers not monologically, but dialogically. In this way, we want to let the participants share our dialogue experience to a certain extent. I will start our dialogue by highlighting some of the pressing social problems of the EU seen through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching in order to open the conversation about common problem assessments and diverging interpretations. In a second step we will - referring to foundational documents of the DIALOP group - revisit more systematically some points of shared convictions as well as major differences. (Brie & Callebaut, 2022) In a third step I will talk about my own experiences of dialogue in the DIALOP group and explain why and how these are in line with Pope Francis' repeated calls for dialogue. In this context, we will also explain the methodology developed in the DIALOP project. (Kronreif, 2020) Finally, against the background of Catholic Social Teaching, I will argue in favor of multi-perspective approaches in social ethics.
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND THE KINGDOM OF FREEDOM

Giannopoulou A. (Speaker)

ISTITUTO UNIVERSITARIO SOPHIA (SOPHIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE) ~ Figline e Incisa Valdarno ~ Italy
The dialogue between Christianity and Marxism reveals a rich philosophical and anthropological terrain where divergent worldviews intersect to explore shared commitments to human dignity, social justice and freedom, fraternity, and solidarity. Grounded in the philosophical underpinnings of Christianity and Marxism, Dialop Project emphasises their shared anthropological commitments. While Christianity historically advances an ethos of solidarity and fraternity (Weil, 2014; Feuerbach, 2009), Marxism critiques the structures of power to champion human emancipation (Marx and Engels, 2009). Both traditions "seek" a point in history when people will finally live equally, freely, and fraternally. This convergence forms the basis for a transformative politics of unity, underscored by both traditions. Central to this exploration is the interrelation of dialogue and frame bridging. Dialop Project Aaspires to promote meaningful encounters between religious and secular worldviews (Weltanschauungen), building a shared language while preserving the distinctiveness of each tradition. While worldviews or ideologies are very solid systems of knowledge, views, and beliefs, one can think that bridging is impossible. However, by "breaking" the worldviews into smaller "frames" we can achieve this bridging between different worldviews/ideologies. Dialogue and frame bridging are essential processes toward a politics of unity that is desperately needed nowadays. Humanity faces enormous challenges, such as climate collapse, war, rising social inequalities, etc. The social and political alliance between people of goodwill can be the answer to the fragmented world we live in. We wish to dialogically illuminate the Dialop Project's potential to serve as a model for integrating ecumenical principles into broader political and social dialogues, advancing the vision of a united humanity.

Panel description: In his last post-humous book, "Remembering the future: Towards an eschatological ontology" John Zizioulas a renowned modern theological and Metropolitan of Pergamon, argues that eschatology is not simply a doctrine. It is rather an orientation, a perspective, a mode of existence, which does not concern only the future, the afterlife matters. It primarily affects our past, as well as the present, not only our personal/individual history but also our social, political, cultural and ethical life and norms. This is how the church, at least the primitive church in its liturgical life viewed and experienced the "last things" from the beginning. Following a specific interpretion of the Greek patristic tradition, Zizioulas views the eschaton, the kingdom of God as the cause of everything we say that exists. In other words the eschaton gives to history and beings their true meaning. The panel aspires to explore various aspects of Zizioulas' eschatological vision and its relevance for systematic theology, politics, ethics, hermeneutics.

Papers:

ESCHATOLOGICAL HORIZONS: TIME, REMEMBRANCE AND THE ETHICS OF THE FUTURE

Vasiljevic M. (Speaker)

Diocese of Los Angeles ~ Alhambra, California ~ United States of America
This speaker focuses on the transformative journey "From the Omega to the Alpha" with the late Metropolitan John Zizioulas. The author shares personal souvenirs of his encounters with him, recalling how his academic rigor and pastoral warmth had deeply enriched the author's understanding of faith. Metropolitan John had a unique way of blending the biblical and eucharistic traditions into his theological discourse, and his last book on eschatological ontologgy was no exception. This work, titled Remembering the Future, is a testament to his profound influence on Christian thought. In this magnum opus Metropolitan John embarked on a journey from the Omega to the Alpha. This was not just a clever turn of phrase but a profound exploration of biblical truth and hermeneutics. With this work he re-introduced us to the tension that early Christians felt between the "already" and the "not yet," challenging the modern Christian mindset. Based on his vision, the author then explores certain eschatological horizons through the lens of time, remembrance and the ethics of the future.
FUTURE-ORIENTED HERMENEUTICS IN MODERN ORTHODOX THEOLOGY: METROPOLITAN JOHN D. ZIZIOULAS

Kalaitzidis P. (Speaker)

Volos Academy for Theological Studies ~ Volos ~ Greece
Eschatology and future-oriented hermeneutics constitute a quite characteristic example of the fruitful encounter and exchange between the theological traditions of the Christian East and the West, initiated during the 20th century in the framework of the ecumenical dialogue. Zizioulas, since the beginning (late '60s), ascribed special importance and priority to the eschatological "outlook," which played a decisive role throughout his work. One would dare to say that he was destined to become the Orthodox theologian par excellence through his decisive focus on the importance of the eschaton for all aspects of Christian theology. In this light the speaker seeks first to focus on the foundations of Zizioulas eschatological vision, and the implication of this hermeneutic on the reading of tradition in relation to the ordination of women, gender issues etc.
THEOLOGIZING AS INTERLOCUTION: THE CROSSPOLLINATIONAL RELATION OF ZIZIOULAS AND GUNTON'S THEOLOGICAL TRINITARIAN REASONING IN LIGHT OF THE ESCHATA

Awad N. (Speaker)

Bonn University ~ Bonn ~ Germany
The speakers focuses on the impact of John Zizoulas's discourse on Gunton's trinitarian theology, and it endeavors to unearth in Colin Gunton's legacy some focal concurrences as well as central discrepancies between the two theologians. These similarities and nuances indicate Gunton's genuine interaction, attentive interlocution, and profound correlation with Zizioulas's literature and discourses. In the interlocution of these two giant trinitarian theoreticians we have the profound theological lesson that to reason the Trinity theologically means to image the trinity as such in your personal reasoning and theologizing activities and manners. By putting then this reasoning in the light of the Kingdom, it opens the horizon for future reflection and creative syntheses.

Panel description: Faith in Transition: Christian Orthodox Minorities in Changing Western Europe The panel deals with the changes that come along with the presence of Orthodox Christians in Western Europe. In a relatively short term two unpreceded transformations have taken place: First: the secularization of the present Western society and shrinking of the traditional Western Churches. And secondly the rise of the orthodox churches from an outsider to a bigger player in the religious that is still growing in numbers. The Orthodox in Western Europe cannot be longer ignored because now there is Orthodox religious education at schools, and the Orthodox clergy are present in ecumenical gatherings more often. The founding of more and more orthodox congregations is followed by a growing visibility and a higher self-esteem. Further this growth is changing the religious demography of the western Europe which brings unprecedented changes to the western societies. Different aspects of this process will be presented by the panelists.

Papers:

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GERMAN SPEAKING ORTHODOX CONGREGATIONS

Luhmann L. (Speaker)

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen ~ Göttingen ~ Germany
Christian orthodox Congregations in Germany used to be migrants churches. Many Greek and other orthodox churches were founded from the 60s due to labour migration in Germany. Because the immigrants remained, the churches are still present and consolidated. On the one hand the third generation often is not able to understand and speak their parents' and grandparents' language very well so that German is used more often in the liturgy. On the other more people from a German background become members of orthodox churches. Usually they had to adapt to a specific language and tradition that was not theirs. By founding German speaking congregations this situation changes. With these congregations the orthodox church can demonstrate that it is not only a South-Eastern European confession but is also willing to inculturate in a Western context. In contrast to the Protestant and Roman-catholic Church the orthodox in Germany are not shrinking but growing, even though their presence is still not acknowleged widely Nevertheless Christianity in Germany faces by this an evolution.
THE ECUMENICAL CHALLENGES OF ORTHODOX CHURCHES IN WESTERN EUROPE

John J.M. (Speaker)

University of Bern ~ Bern ~ Switzerland
The Orthodox churches in Western Europe face unique ecumenical challenges shaped by theological, cultural, and social factors. Theologically, unresolved issues such as papal primacy, the filioque clause, and differing views on Scripture and sacraments hinder deeper communion with Catholic and Protestant traditions. The decentralized, autocephalous structure of Orthodoxy adds complexity, as does its liturgical distinctiveness, including ancient languages, traditional practices, and differing calendars. Migration has expanded Orthodoxy's presence but also led to jurisdictional fragmentation, with multiple independent jurisdictions often prioritizing identity preservation over unity. Despite these challenges, shared commitments—such as sacramental worldviews with Catholics and social justice initiatives with Protestants—offer opportunities for engagement. However, the secularized context of Western Europe necessitates balancing tradition with a united Christian witness. Visible divisions among Christians undermine the faith's credibility, pressing Orthodox churches to foster collaboration. Platforms like the World Council of Churches provide opportunities for dialogue, though tensions persist. Ultimately, Orthodox churches must navigate the tension between preserving their heritage and engaging meaningfully with other Christian traditions. Addressing jurisdictional fragmentation, promoting mutual understanding, and adapting to a pluralistic society are crucial for advancing ecumenical unity and strengthening their witness in the region.
RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING AMONG THE GREEK ORTHODOX OF GÖTTINGEN, GERMANY

Kakouris G. (Speaker)

Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen ~ Göttingen ~ Germany
In 1963, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany established its Head Office in Bonn to organize the Greek Orthodox diaspora and advocate for their needs in a non-Orthodox country. Each parish aligned with a Greek diasporic community, shaped by shared language and religiocultural identity. Over time, demographic shifts led to declining local church communities, creating interconnected challenges. The Greek Orthodox community of Göttingen exemplifies these struggles, facing a lack of a permanent worship space and limited youth participation. These issues are intertwined, as younger generations increasingly lose touch with the Greek language, a key element of their diasporic identity alongside religion and culture. Families often cannot provide sufficient language education, weakening ties to these identities. The absence of a dedicated church further undermines religious upbringing, hindering stable worship schedules, Sunday school, and youth engagement. Services in Greek are often inaccessible to younger members, fragmenting their Orthodox identity. Can this trend be reversed? How can the Greek Orthodox youth in Germany receive religious education in a non-Orthodox context? This paper introduces the challenges facing the religious upbringing of Göttingen's Greek Orthodox community in the modern era.
ROLE OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE PRESERVATION OF IDENTITY AMONG THE SECOND-GENERATION ETHNIC SERB POPULATION IN KASSEL

Galic M. (Speaker)

University of Belgrade ~ Belgrade ~ Serbia
For centuries already, Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) plays a vital role in preservation of not only religious, but also an ethnic Serbian identity in different parts of the world where congregations of this religious community can be found. Although the majority of SOC members inhabit Balkan Peninsula, with the migration of ethnic Serbs to different parts of the world, the community started establishing its local branches in different parts of Europe, including Germany. Various local congregations of SOC in Germany are part of the Eparchy of Düsseldorf and all of Germany with one of them being church located in Kassel. SOC congregations, along-side family upbringing, usually play a noticeable role in preservation of ethnic identity, especially among the second-generation Serbs. As the children of Serbian labor immigrants, this generation faces the challenge of navigating dual identities - one rooted in their parents' homeland and the other shaped by their German surrounding. This research examines how the SOC serves as a vital institution in fostering a sense of belonging and cultural continuity. Relaying on ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews with community members, just like analysis of church activities, study explores how religious practices, cultural celebrations and various communal events serve as key mechanism in maintaining Serbian identity.

Panel description: This panel examines the multidimensional contributions of Imām al-Bukhārī to Islamic scholarship and their enduring significance for contemporary religious thought and practice. By engaging with distinct yet interconnected facets of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, the three papers collectively underscore how al-Bukhārī's work shaped—and continues to shape—religious, legal, and sociopolitical paradigms. Dr. Oumama Hamasha's paper, "Al-Bukhārī and al-Maghāzī: A Unique Perspective on His Ṣaḥīḥ," critically explores the Maghāzī (military campaigns) chapter, highlighting al-Bukhārī's nuanced treatment of historical ḥadīth while preserving authenticity. Dr. Belal Alabbas's "The Theological and Political Views of Muhammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī" investigates key doctrinal positions—faith and deeds, the uncreated Qurʾān, and the need for political stability—illustrating al-Bukhārī's influence in shaping Sunni orthodoxy. Lastly, Dr. Hossam Ouf's "Between Devotion and Partiality: Al-Bukhārī's Views on Saḥāba and Ahl al-Bayt in the Context of Sunni and Twelver Shiite Hadith" examines whether al-Bukhārī's perspective fosters inclusivity or sectarian bias, revealing broader implications for intra-Islamic relations. Collectively, the panel's discussions reveal al-Bukhārī's detailed methodology, theological-political stance, and sensitive handling of historical figures, highlighting how Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī continues to shape religious and cultural landscapes. By placing al-Bukhārī's work within broader religious, cultural, and political contexts, the panel encourages a reexamination of his legacy as a dynamic force for socio-cultural transformation across the Islamic world and beyond.

Papers:

AL-BUKHĀRĪ AND AL-MAGHĀZĪ: A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON HIS ṢAḤĪḤ

Hamasha O. (Speaker)

Assistant Professor in Theology and Religion\Islamic Studies at the University of Jordan ~ Amman ~ Jordan
This paper offers a critical exploration of the Maghāzī (military campaigns) chapter of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, presenting a novel lens through which to view this seminal work. Unlike other chapters, the narrations in al-Maghāzī are predominantly historical, requiring Imam al-Bukhārī to adapt his rigorous methodology to this unique narrative genre. This research highlights al-Bukhārī's exceptional ability to balance the principles of ḥadīth criticism with the demands of historical narrations, showcasing his nuanced and flexible approach. The study delves into three key aspects of the Maghāzī chapter: 1. Sources: Examining both oral and written materials that inform its narrations. 2. Methodology: Analyzing the techniques used by al-Bukhārī to critique and select narrations, demonstrating a context-specific relaxation of his usual stringent criteria while upholding authenticity. 3. Presentation: Investigating the structured display of narratives to preserve their historical significance. Employing inductive, critical-analytical, and comparative methodologies, the paper reveals how al-Bukhārī incorporated the insights of earlier scholars to address challenges in the chains (sanad) of transmission. The findings underscore the importance of contextualizing al-Maghāzī within al-Bukhārī's broader compilation, offering fresh perspectives on how his methodologies can be applied to diverse narration types. This research not only enhances understanding of al-Bukhārī's intellectual contributions but also addresses critiques directed at his Ṣaḥīḥ, reaffirming its enduring significance in the study of Islamic scholarship.
THE THEOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL VIEWS OF MUHAMMAD IBN ISMĀʿĪL AL-BUKHĀRĪ

Alabbas B. (Speaker)

Assistant Professor In Islamic Studies at Cambridge Muslim College and the University of Nottingham ~ Cambridge ~ United Kingdom
This paper examines the theological and political views of Muhammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, focusing primarily on his Ṣaḥīḥ. I discuss his key theological principles, such as the inseparability of faith and deeds, the uncreated nature of the Quran, and the doctrine of divine predestination. I also explore his views on the scholarly elite and the role of leadership (Imāma). This demonstrates how al-Bukhārī's theological stances were closely intertwined with his political views, particularly regarding obedience to rulers and the rejection of rebellion, which he regarded as essential for maintaining order and stability. This study positions al-Bukhārī and Ahl al-ḥadīth as pivotal in shaping Sunni orthodoxy.
BETWEEN DEVOTION AND PARTIALITY: AL-BUKHĀRĪ'S VIEWS ON SAḤĀBA AND AHL AL-BAYT IN THE CONTEXT OF SUNNI AND TWELVER SHIITE HADITH

Ouf H. (Speaker)

Research Assistant in Islamic Theology at the Tübingen University ~ Tübingen ~ Germany
Al-Bukhārī's views as expressed in the chapters on Manāqib (Merits) and Faḍāʾil (Virtues) in his Ṣaḥīḥ, reflect a devotion to the Prophet's Companions (Saḥāba) and the Prophet's Family (Ahl al-Bayt) from a Sunni perspective. This presentation explores whether al-Bukhārī portrays these figures as moral and spiritual exemplars whose recognition or whether his portrayal exhibits sectarian tendencies and is perceived as biased against the Ahl al-Bayt. This presentation aims to analyse the role of these chapters in hadith research and critically assess their potential contribution to advancing intra-Islamic dialogue.

Panel description: Livorno, the coastal city in Tuscany, Italy, has long been a hub of cultural and economic exchange, shaped profoundly by its unique history and policies. Established in the late 16th century as a free port, Livorno owes much of its distinctive character to the Livornine laws, which played a pivotal role in transforming Livorno from a modest fishing village into a flourishing cosmopolitan center. The Livornine laws granted religious and economic freedoms, offering protection and incentives to merchants, artisans, and individuals fleeing persecution. Jews, Armenians, Greeks, Protestants, and others found refuge and opportunities in Livorno. These edicts guaranteed freedom of worship, exemption from certain taxes, and immunity from prosecution for debts incurred elsewhere. Such provisions attracted a diverse population, establishing Livorno as a haven and a thriving port of entry for those seeking a fresh start. Over the centuries, Livorno has become a meeting place for religions and cultures. This coexistence made Livorno a model of tolerance and a precursor to modern multicultural societies. The city's open spirit, rooted in the Livornine laws and free port policies, continues to define its identity, making Livorno a testament to the power of inclusivity and trade in shaping human history. The goal of this panel is to promote an in-depth exploration of case studies centered on Livorno. By delving into the city's historical context, we seek to illuminate key moments of interaction, conflict, departure, and arrival throughout the centuries. We welcome proposals that adopt a multidisciplinary approach, particularly from emerging scholars, and research that engages individuals from Livorno who are acting beyond the city's borders. Additionally, we highly value innovative interpretations of new sources.

Papers:

CEDAR OF LEBANON IN TUSCANY: THE SYRO-MARONITES IN LIVORNO (1613-1931)

Litrico L. (Speaker)

DREST ~ Palermo ~ Italy
The interest sparked by the presence of foreign communities in Livorno, with different origins and religions, since the last decades of the sixteenth century, has led many researchers to study these specific realities from economic and religious perspectives. Among these national communities, perhaps the most marginal is the story of the so-called "Arab nation". The presence of Syrian merchants, including Melkites and Maronites, in Livorno dates back to 1613 when Druze emir Fakhr ad-Din sought support from Grand Duke Cosimo II against the Ottomans. In 1736, a group of Maronite merchants requested the establishment of an Office of Confessor in Arabic to accommodate their worship needs, leading to the development of a distinct community with a unique identity and trajectory, as documented in historical records. Last among all Eastern Catholic Christians, they succeeded in having the chapel donated to them - which was located in a peripheral area in the south of the city destined to become residential -, erected as a parish in 1900. Welcomed by the Medici and supported by the Lorraine, they accompanied the evolution of Livorno through the Italian unification and the suppression of the Free Port, maintaining a silent yet determined presence. During this time, they obtained privileges, concessions, and benefits that allowed them to endure until 1931, the year in which the parish was suppressed and the building transferred to the Bishop's Curia. The promise of guaranteed tolerance and freedom of worship to "all merchants of any nation", declared by the Livornine Laws is thus exemplified by the long history of this group of Christians. Their presence, spanning more than three centuries, marked them as custodians of the secret of coexistence in a city like Livorno, which became renowned for its ability to embrace different cultures and ethnic groups since its foundation.
SEPHARDIC INTERCONNECTIONS: MOBILITY AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES BETWEEN LIVORNO AND NAPLES IN THE 18TH CENTURY

Zocco V. (Speaker)

Università di Catania ~ Catania ~ Italy
This paper aims to explore the dynamics of mobility and integration of Sephardic Jews from Livorno who settled in Naples, following the reintegration edict promulgated by Charles of Bourbon in the first half of the 18th century. The royal decree, which allowed Jews to return to Southern Italy after more than two centuries of absence, was issued on February 3, 1740. A proclamation that was part of a more important reformist process and that was strongly supported by the Secretary of State José di Montealegre, Duke of Salas, and by the canonist Pietro Contegna, delegate for the Jewish Nation. Focusing on the prosopographic study and family narratives of Sephardic families, the presentation illustrates how these families capitalized on their artisanal and commercial skills to insert themselves into the Neapolitan economic fabric. Among the most important activities are: Daniel Fernandez's pastry shop; Maimone Benesdra's grocery store, with spices and prestigious goods; the tailoring craftsmanship of Giacobbe Relrei and Mose da Costa; and the dynamic trade of canvases and costume jewelry conducted by street vendors such as Lazzaro Sopino and Angelo Soria. A special case is the commercial company stipulated by Samuele Faro with two other co-ethnics, the Englishman David Curiel and the Venetian Giacobo Barcuh Caravaglio, an example of the ability to interact with international merchants, which testifies to the scope of the economic activities of the Jews of Livorno. This study therefore focuses on the relationship between Livorno and Naples, highlighting how this flow of Sephardic Jews stimulated the economic and cultural development of the places of arrival. The analysis of the economic activities and social roles of the Livorno Jews in Naples provides a rich framework for understanding the ways in which the Sephardic communities significantly influenced the economic dynamics of strategic cities such as Livorno and Naples in the 18th century.
CURIOSITÀ LIVORNESI: THE LIFE OF THE JEWS OF LIVORNO THROUGH THE WRITINGS OF FRANCESCO PERA

Di Giovanna S. (Speaker)

DREST ~ Palermo ~ Italy
This research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the lives of Jews in Livorno between the 17th and 19th centuries by examining the works of Francesco Pera, a notable local author. His writings, particularly Curiosità Livornesi (1888), Nuove curiosità livornesi (1889), and Ricordi e biografie livornesi (1867), encompass a diverse array of episodes featuring the Jewish community in Livorno. These narratives include significant historical events, such as the funeral of Rabbi Montefoscoli and instances of coerced baptisms, as well as the unique relationships some Jews had with prominent figures like Giacinto Cestoni. Additionally, Pera documents altercations outside the synagogue and various everyday occurrences that collectively offer a vivid and dynamic portrayal of the community. The significance of this documentation, characterized by its folkloric and ethnographic elements, lies in its demonstration of a profound understanding of historical archival sources, many of which are no longer readily available today. This study aims to trace the authenticity of these sources, examine the recurring themes, and present an image of Livorno as depicted by Pera—one where each individual plays a role that continually surprises.
JUDAISM AND ART IN LIVORNO (17TH - 19TH CENTURIES)

Papini S. (Speaker)

Università di Pisa ~ Pisa ~ Italy
This paper examines the relationship between art and Judaism, focusing on the distinctive context of Livorno over three centuries, from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to the Unification of Italy. Beginning with the Medici period in Seventeenth century, it investigates the presence of Jewish painters and even Jewish draughtsmen who actively participated in the field of natural science, benefiting from both the absence of a ghetto and the religious openness within their community. While observing religious holidays — which occasionally required them to justify extended periods of inactivity in October — Jewish artists collaborated with Christian counterparts in a cultural exchange that influenced both communities. It was not until the 19th century, however, that a formal debate on the role of Jewish artists and collecting practices emerged. National journals such as the Vessillo Israelitico (1874-1922) served as a platform where local and national rabbis deliberated on suitable themes for Jewish painters and sculptors, as well as for Jewish art collectors. An analysis of the journal's issues, including insights and recommendations from Livornese rabbis such as Dante Lattes, Giuseppe Cammeo, and Giacomo Mosè Montefiore, invites a reexamination of the complex relationship between Judaism and art, a subject often treated simplistically in existing scholarship. As this study underscores, rabbinical authorities in Livorno and Italy never wholly rejected figurative art. Instead, a more rigorous scrutiny of what aligned with Jewish religious and cultural values began to emerge after the Unification of the country, driven by growing concerns over the assimilation of Jewish communities and the potential loss of their cultural identity.

Panel description: In the past three decades, Western Islamic studies has witnessed a major paradigm shift regarding the history of theological and philosophical disciplines in the so-called Islamic West after the 6th/12th centuries. As a point of fact, most recent studies have not only overcome the prejudice that the death of Averroes (d. 595/1198) marked a long and steady intellectual regress of the Muslim world, but have also simultaneously broaden the research horizon beyond the best-known leading figures, such as Ibn Ḥazm (d. 456/1064), Ibn Tūmart (d. 524/1130), Ibn Ṭufayl (d. 581/1185-86), Averroes or Ibn ʿArabī (d. 638/1240). In this respect, the works of Saʿd Ġurāb, Delfina Serrano Ruano, Khaled El-Rouayheb, Justin K. Stearns, Jan Thiele, Yamina Adouhane, Caitlyn Olson, and Ilyass Amharar revealing the vivid theological and intellectual activity that occurred in Maghrib and al-Andalus after 6th/12th century, including the undeniable steady development of Islamic theology (kalām). Following in the footsteps of this most recent scholarship, the panel shall focus on authors, works, and themes that shape the form and content of theological debate in the Islamic West, taking into consideration primarily (but not exclusively) the historical period that stretches from Almoravid ruling to the establishment of later Berber dynasties (Ḥafṣid, Marīnid, Zayyānid). In particular, the panel shall host papers that research on: • The kind of Islamic theology that appears to be dominant in the Islamic West, that is, classical Ašʿarism • the social, religious, and political circumstances that determine certain turning points within the Andalusian and Maġribite theological trends. • The debate over al-Ġazālī's (d. 505/1111) legacy and the use of falsafa theories in kalām discourse. • The way Maghribite theologians receive and subsequently re-elaborate the book of other Ašʿarite authors such for instance al-Bāqillānī (d. 403/1013), al-Isfarāyyīnī (d. 418/1027), or al-Ǧuwaynī (d. 478/1085).

Papers:

THE DEBATE OVER TAKLĪF BI-MĀ LĀ YUṬĀQ IN AL-ANDALUS AND MAGHRIB DURING THE 6TH/12TH CENTURY

Brocato G. (Speaker)

Fscire ~ Palermo ~ Italy
In Islamic theology, the idea of taklīf bi-mā lā yuṭāq, literally "to obligate to what is unbearable," denotes the divine act of binding the subject to a duty that exceeds his or her ability to meet the demand. Early Ašʿarite theologians usually employed this concept within the question of whether God could require any believer, including ordinary people, to acquire a thorough theological knowledge. While the eponymous founder, al-Ašʿarī (d. 324/935-36), seemed to hold a very intransigent stance, later Ašʿarite generations tempered his attitude, stating that common people should be exempt from this divine obligation. As far as the Islamic West is concerned, Catylin Olson (2020, 2024) starts from the work of al-Sanūsī (d. 895/1490) and addresses the question of taklīf in the broader context of what kind of beliefs ordinary people (ʿawāmm) were expected to hold according to Early Modern Maghribite theologians. Taking a narrower approach, Delfina Serrano Ruano (2019) analyzes Ibn Rušd al-Ǧadd's (d. 520/1126) position, arguing that the latter rejected taklīf bi-mā lā yuṭāq to oppose Ibn Tumart's (d. 524/1130) teachings. In addition to their relevance, these contributions show that the concept of taklīf offers a vantage point from which one can grasp some crucial points concerning the features of theology in the Islamic West. In this regard, my paper focuses on the best known Almoravid theologians, Ibn Rušd al-Ǧadd, Abū Bakr ibn al-ʿArabī (d. 543/1148), and qāḍī ꜥIyād ibn Mūsā (d. 544/1149-50), in order to investigate what was the state of the art related to taklīf bi-mā lā yuṭāq in al-Andalus and the Maghrib during the 6th/12th century. In particular, the paper sheds light on how these authors approached the topic by drawing on and subsequently adapting earlier Ašʿarite sources. Finally, the article attempts to establish a possible connection between the emergence of a specific doctrine of taklīf and the Creed (ʿaqīda) tradition in the Islamic West.
THE THEOLOGY OF IMĀM AL-MĀZARĪ (D. 536/1141)

Adang C. (Speaker)

Tel Aviv University ~ Tel Aviv ~ Israel
The proposed paper deals with Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. ʿUmar al-Māzarī (d. 536/1141), a Tunisian scholar of Sicilian descent known to have been well-versed in a large number of disciplines such as ḥadīth, Ašʿarī theology, Mālikī jurisprudence, legal theory, arithmetic, adab literature, and medicine. Although he was apparently a prolific scholar, only few of his works (and a number of scattered fatwās) have come down to us, and unfortunately the theological tract entitled al-Fawāʾid fī ʿilm al-ʿaqāʾid is not one of them. To a large extent, however, his theological outlook can be deduced from the work for which he is best known: a commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim entitled al-Muʿlim bi-fawāʾid Muslim, which is based on lecture notes taken by al-Māzarī's students. It is available in a three-volume edition by Muḥammad al-Šāḏilī al-Nayfar (Tunis: Dār al-Ġarb al-Islāmī, 1988). I have selected four short chapters from al-Muʿlim for discussion, namely Kitāb al-ruʾyā, Kitāb al-qadar, Kitāb ṣifat al-qiyāma wa-l-ǧanna wa-l-nār and Kitāb al-ǧanna wa-l-nār, which together give a good indication of his views.
RATIONAL THEOLOGY UNDER THE ALMORAVIDS: AŠʿARĪS (AND MUʿTAZILĪS?)

Serrano Ruano D. (Speaker)

CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Spanish National Research Council) ~ Madrid ~ Spain
My contribution to this panel deals with one of my main lines of research: Ašʿarism during the Almoravid period. I arrived at this topic somewhat involuntarily, from the study of the legal sources relevant to that period. These sources, contrary to what might be expected, are a veritable mine of information for observing the evolution of the discipline in its broader political, social, and cultural context. The idea that the Almoravids opposed rational Islamic theology must be definitively banished, although as much as some of us have tried to show it, the stereotype seems to have much more force than the evidence of verifiable facts. Nevertheless, the need to revise the image of religious intolerance and of cultural narrow-mindedness refractory to rational speculation and intellectual sophistication with which the Almoravids have gone down in history is slowly though steadily gaining ground among al-Andalus specialists. The Almoravid period is one in which the study of rational theology was not only tolerated but promoted among the religious scholars by the ruling dynasty. The scholars, in turn, strived to disseminate among the common Muslims a moderate integration of rational arguments in matters of belief. On previous occasions, I have shown how the adoption and dissemination of Ašʿarism under the Almoravids sparked debates on theological anthropomorphism, the status of intellectual knowledge in the definition of faith, and the relationship between faith, knowledge, and action. On this occasion, I will focus on the question of predestination and free will, a question that leads me to rethink the presence in al-Andalus, physical or symbolic, of doctrines associated with Muʿtazilism, the theological trend against which Ašʿarism claimed to stand as a "golden middle ground".
THE SULWĀN AL-MUṮĀʿ FĪ ʿADWĀN AL-ATBĀʿ OF IBN ẒAFAR AL-ṢIQILLĪ (D. CA. 565/1170): A THEOLOGICAL-PHILOSOPHICAL READING

Cargnelutti F. (Speaker)

Fscire ~ Palermo ~ Italy
This paper focuses on Mālikite polymath Ibn Ẓafar al-Ṣiqillī (d. ca. 565/1170) and primarily, though not exclusively, on his Sulwān al-Muṯāʿ fī ʿAdwān al-Atbāʿ, a book that belongs to the literary genre of "Mirror for Princes" (ādāb al-mulūk) and that was written most likely during the 1150s. As far as the state of art is concerned, Kenneth Garden has recently reiterated that Ibn Ẓafar al-Ṣiqillī took an active part in the debate that arose after the spreading of al-Ġazālī's (d. 505/1111) Iḥyāʾ ʿŪlūm ad-Dīn by writing a book (to date considered lost) in which he defended al-Ġazālī from the attacks contained in al-Imām al-Māzārī's (d. 536/1141) al-Kašf wa-al-Anbāʾ. In addition to these books of refutation and counter-refutation, traces of pro/anti-Ġazālian debates can also be found in other fields, including the genre of ādāb al-mulūk. In this regard, by analyzing the content of al-Asad al-ġawwāṣ, an example of an early 6th/12th "Mirror for Princes", Frank Griffel identified the Ġazālian perspective of the unknown author, thus highlighting the cross-pollination between the debate on al-Ġazāli's legacy and this literary genre. In view of this connection, the paper focuses on the theological and philosophical elements that emerge in Sulwān al- Muṯāʿ fī ʿAdwān al-Atbāʿ in order to further investigate Ibn Ẓafar al-Ṣiqillī's positioning within the pro/anti-Ġazālian debate as well as to shed new light on Sunni political theory and its developments during 6th/12th century.
A FORGOTTEN PHILOSOPHER IN MUSLIM SPAIN: IBN AL-ṢĪD AL-BAṬALYAWSĪ (D. 521/1127) AND HIS KITĀB AL-ḤADĀʾIQ

Tevfik Kalyoncu R. (Speaker)

Ibn Haldun University ~ Istanbul ~ Turkey
The paper focuses on Ibn al-Ṣīd al-Baṭalyawsī, an important and still relatively little-known Muslim scholar, who lived between the Ṭāʾifa and Almoravid periods; in particular, the paper provides a philosophical analysis of al-Baṭalyawsī's main work, that is, Kitāb al-Ḥadāʾiq. Regarding previous studies, Miguel Asín Palacios (1940) addressed the text with reference to its place in the history of Andalusian thought. Delfina Serrano Ruano (2002) reconstructed al-Baṭalyawsī's bio-bibliographical account by using several historical sources. Ayala Eliyahu (2015) investigated the possible philosophical sources of Kitāb al-Ḥadāʾiq, pointing to Rasāʾil Iḫwān al-ṣafāʾ as the main reference. Concerning studies in non-Western languages, Ḥasan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAlqam (1988) wrote a monograph on the philosophical aspects of al-Baṭalyawsī's works, while Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Zayna (2010) analyzed their theological features. Finally, Mahire Deniz (2024) has recently authored a new critical edition of Kitāb al-Ḥadāʾiq, providing also a complete Turkish translation of the text. Although these studies help to understand the philosophical roots of Kitāb al-Ḥadāʾiq, the question of how al-Baṭalyawsī himself employs elements of earlier philosophical and religious trends has only been partially examined. In this respect, the paper explains in more detail the effects that different philosophical schools had on al-Baṭalyawsī. In addition to this purpose, the article aims to analyze al-Baṭalyawsī's Kitāb al-Ḥadāʾiq by highlighting the unity and coherence of its major themes. To this end, the article seeks to answer the following question: what are the main topics that al-Baṭalyawsī addresses in this book? I argue that God, the universe, and the human being represent the pivotal themes of the Kitāb al-Ḥadāʾiq and that al-Baṭalyawsī attempts to give coherent solutions to these subjects by drawing on earlier philosophical traditions.

Panel description: The religious history of the Russian-speaking world has been deeply influenced by the interplay between Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, and other religious traditions, shaped by the political power of the Russian Empire and the Soviet state. From the 16th century to today, these religious dynamics have been central not only to Russian identity, politics, and culture, but also to those of neighbouring countries. The Russian Empire sought to strengthen Orthodoxy as the dominant religion, using it to unify its diverse territories. While the state promoted Orthodoxy, other religions like Islam and Judaism were managed, and Catholicism, seen as a foreign influence, was marginalized. Recent studies highlight how the state used Orthodoxy for political control, both within Russia and across its empire. The Soviet period saw the imposition of state atheism, and religion suffered severe repression. Despite persecution, the Church and the Muslim Spiritual Board(s) - the heir of the imperial administration of Islamic religion - adapted, often cooperating with the state, while other religious currents survived in hiding or in the domestic sphere. Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, religions experienced a revival, closely aligning with the new post-Soviet state policies. This revival, marking religions as symbols of national histories, identities and cultures, has been a focus of recent academic work. Although Orthodoxy and Islam remain dominant, new religious movements are emerging, contributing to the growing religious pluralism of both Russia and the territories where Russian language is still in use, such as Central Asia. This panel aims to discuss cases representing the typical religious experience of the Russian-speaking world, i.e. the territories that after the domination of the Russian empire and/or the Soviet union have a Russian-speaking population.

Papers:

IMPERIAL SAINTS IN TRADITION: THE ROMANOVS AND THE CONTINUITY OF ORTHODOX ICONOGRAPHY

Di Cosmo A.P. (Speaker)

UNIVERSITY OF MODENA AND REGGIO EMILIA/ISACCL BUCAREST ~ REGGIO EMILIA ~ Italy
The modern Orthodox iconography of the Romanovs, developed after their canonization in 2000, is deeply rooted in tradition, emphasizing a historical continuity with the holy princes Boris and Gleb, the first canonized martyrs of Rus'. Like Boris and Gleb, who symbolize Christian obedience and sacrifice, the Romanovs are portrayed as strastoterptsy (passion-bearers), highlighting their acceptance of suffering for the sake of faith and spiritual unity. The Romanov icons strictly adhere to the traditional canons of Orthodox sacred art while incorporating distinctive elements that reflect their historical role as the last rulers of Imperial Russia. Notably, imperial regalia—such as the crown, scepter, and orb—are occasionally depicted in a stylized manner, symbolizing the connection between earthly authority and divine mission. The use of colors, regal fabrics, and decorative elements harmonizes with golden halos and liturgical symbolism, forging a visual and spiritual link to the sacred history of Rus'. This continuity with the holy princes Boris and Gleb underscores the Romanovs' role as a bridge between the past and present of Orthodox faith, portraying their legacy as an integral part of Russia's spiritual and cultural narrative. Their icons not only celebrate personal sanctity but also reaffirm Orthodox iconographic tradition as a means of preserving and renewing the collective identity of the Russian people.
A SACRED SPACE IS NEVER EMPTY. A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF LENINI'S EMBALMING

Baron G.B. (Speaker)

UNIVERSITY OF MODENA AND REGGIO EMILIA/ UNIVERSITY OF TOURIN ~ TOURIN ~ Italy
his intervention explores the intersections of scientific management, political ideology, and the discursive dross of the sacred through an analysis of Lenin's embalming. Despite the atheistic context of Soviet Russia, the preservation of Lenin's body has cultivated an experience of the sacred, which can be traced to the influence of Orthodox reliquary tradition. As it will be discussed, the "sacred" arises as a semantic effect stemming from the violation of Lenin's corporeal form. The subsequent investigation has a dual aim: firstly, it seeks to explain how the scientific managing of Lenin's body could signify the "sacrality" inherent in the political ideology of the party itself, namely, Leninism; secondly, it aims to elucidate the mechanisms governing visibility relations among social actors, which can indeed be perceived as figurativizations of more abstract organizations related to the circulation of knowledge among individuals. This examination is indicative of further developments in the contemporary context, where new "rhetorics" of the immortal body" endeavor to align with the self-descriptive models present in Russian culture.

Panel description: This panel invites contributions on any aspect of the academic study of world Christianity, including historical, social-scientific, theological, or theoretical approaches. We welcome papers from scholars in any academic discipline and at all career stages that address Christianity's global diversity and its ongoing transformation in a rapidly changing world.

Papers:

CHRISTIANITY IN SOMALIA CIRCA 1880-2020: AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN AND INDIGENOUS MISSIONS

Bódi M. (Speaker)

University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
Somalis are among the most overlooked ethnic groups in the scholarly literature on world Christianity. While some publications examine specific denominations and mission organisations, no comprehensive account of Christianity's historical development in the Somali peninsula has yet been produced. This study seeks to address that gap by providing an historical analysis of foreign and indigenous Christian missions in the territory of present-day Somalia, focusing on the period circa 1880-2024. By doing so, the study aims to identify the factors that have contributed to the consistently low number of Somali Christians throughout the decades covered.
NAZARETH VILLAGE OPEN AIR MUSEUM AND THE GROWING CHRISTIAN INTEREST IN SYNAGOGUES OVER CHURCHES

Bokedal J. (Speaker)

University of Oslo ~ Oslo ~ Norway / NLA University College - Bergen - Norway
The paper explores the increasing trend among contemporary Christians to engage with synagogues as a setting for the historical Jesus, focusing on the reconstructed ancient synagogue in Nazareth Village Open Air Museum as a case-study. By offering an immersive, first-century Jewish experience, Nazareth Village has become a significant site for Christian pilgrims seeking a deeper connection to biblical and historical narratives. The paper critically evaluates the concept of 'authenticity' in historical reconstruction, and seeks to briefly contextualise the growing role of the Jewish synagogue in Christian heritage discourse.

Panel description: The DiReSoM research group has adopted a functional definition of emergency. It concerns a «factual circumstances that require the production or application of extraordinary rules capable of facing the urgency of guaranteeing the exercise of the rights of freedom of religion, conscience and belief». This panel aims to explore how such definition can be adapted in relation to the specificities of religious laws, also considering a comparative perspective. The goal is to reconsider the transformative processes regarding religious institutions, characterized by gradual and profound changes, in the light of the concept of emergency. The flowing research lines will be addressed: a) What does emergency mean in the frame of religious laws?; b) Can emergency be considered a "normative fact"; c) What are the main strategies adopted by religious institutions to face emergencies?; d) What are the factors that determine their effectiveness?; e) What are the implications of the concept of "emergency" for the changes involving religious laws? The proposed panel constitutes a stage of the research entitled "Religion and emergency rules" funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (PRIN 2022)

Papers:

MIGRATORY EMERGENCY AND RELIGIOUS LAWS

Lo Giacco M.L. (Speaker)

DiReSoM, University of Bari Aldo Moro ~ Bari ~ Italy
Migration, although nowadays it is considered an emergency, is a phenomenon that has always accompanied the history of humanity. The paper aims to analyze the rules through which religious rights regulate migration, with particular attention to the right of asylum. A second topic that will be addressed is the role of religions in the reception of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
DIVINE LAWS IN EMERGENCY TIMES: IMMUTABILITY OR ADAPTABILITY?

Guzzo L.M. (Speaker)

University of Pisa ~ Pisa ~ Italy
This article examines the complex interplay between divine laws and human crises, that can be defined as "emergency". It concerns the question of whether and to how divine law, perceived as immutable by different religious traditions, can adapt to the exigencies of emergency situations. By analyzing historical and contemporary case studies across various religious traditions, this paper seeks to explore the ways in which divine law has been interpreted and applied in times of crisis.
RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY: IS RELIGION A FACTOR OF RESILIENCE OR OF VULNERABILITY?

Madera A. (Speaker)

University of Messina ~ Messina ~ Italy
In the last decade there has been a dramatic increase of the frequency and intensity of emergency situations. Religious minorities are deemed to be disparately affected by emergencies and the related regulation and policies, due to various factors (stigmatization, stereotyping, processes of othering). The paper aims to analyze the experience of religious minorities in copying with emergency situations. Although situations of emergency can exacerbate the vulnerability of religious groups, the paper will provide evidence that certain religious groups display significant levels of resilience and coping abilities in times of crisis. The paper aims to analyze the strategies adopted by religious minorities to face the COVID-19 crisis and the related restrictive measures, their level of effectiveness and their impact on religious laws.
WAR EMERGENCY: THE ROLE OF INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IN PEACE-BUILDING STRATEGIES

Tarantino D. (Speaker)

University of Genova ~ Genova ~ Italy
Interfaith dialogue creates spaces for the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in diverse and multicultural environments, especially in situations of war emergency. The document seeks to highlight some of the most important international initiatives and best practices of interreligious dialogue and collaboration, which would allow us to sustain peace, combat intolerance and discrimination and to create and sustain a space for mutual encounter.

Panel description: This interdisciplinary panel inclusive of scientists, philosophers, and theologians explore how the turn towards complex dynamical systems in the various fields of science can inform and transform theological responses to pressing social-cultural questions in Europe and beyond. As European societies experience progressive secularization alongside religious pluralism, traditional Christian narratives of God often struggle to address the contemporary issues of individualization, autonomy, ecological crisis, and human suffering. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, this panel critiques the reductionistic tendencies of classical science and systematic theology, paralleling shift in the sciences from deterministic framework to models emphasizing emergence, complexity and interconnectivity. This panel explores a theological re-envisioning of God using the science of complexity to describe this complex evolving world.

Papers:

THE PROBLEM OF REDUCTIONISM IN SCIENCE AND RELIGION.

Butler R. (Speaker)

AdventHealth University ~ Winter Park ~ United States of America
This paper applies insights from biological systems to reframe atonement within a dynamical theological framework. Drawing on Richard Lewontin's distinction between agents and causes, it critiques reductionist atonement models that isolate the Cross while neglecting the broader "envirome" of sin—social, systemic, and relational. Just as public health addresses disease through multifactorial causes, atonement is reconceptualized as Christ disrupting sin's strange attractor, catalyzing transformation toward shalom. By integrating biological systems theory and theological reflection, this paper advances a holistic vision of atonement for socio-cultural and ecological renewal.
CAUSALITY OF THE PERCEIVED GOOD

Wiese T. (Speaker)

University of St. Andrews ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
Traditionally sin has been perceived as the direct linear cause of Adam's first sin which resulted in sinful human nature with a propensity to transgress God's law and an effect of the lack or privation of the good. Recently society views behavior and status of people groups either their gender, sex, race or behaviors as constructed by the norms of society. This creates a view that sin is subjective, changing, and normalized contrary to the traditionally views that sin is violation of God's commands. I argue that sin is a complex dynamical system in which humanity is enslaved. This system of sin is interdependent and inter-relational. The choices the individuals make influence and enable consequences that are not proportional to the sin but nevertheless changes the systems and the individuals in the system, who is turn by their choices change the system. These choices create feedback loops, recursion, and constraints that change and affect the individual and the system. Thus, sin is a perceived good in which human choose within the constraint of the system.

Panel description: Tikkun Olam: "Repairing the world" - this concept was developed by Jewish mystics in the Galilean city of Safed in the 17th century. As descendants of the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula, they had recently experienced and survived the shattering of their world. While these mystics had wanted to put the fragments of the world back together again primarily through keeping the commandments, prayer and study, the concept of Tikkun Olam - originating from American Judaism - has experienced a tremendous renaissance over the past thirty years. Jewish communities, groups and initiatives in all parts of the world are striving to eliminate discord, social injustice and environmental destruction and to bring about the necessary social changes in a form of social messianism. The contributions of this panel will present concrete examples.

Papers:

JEWISH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ETHICS FOR A BETTER SOCIETY (TORAT HAKALKALA)

Klapheck E. (Speaker)

University of Paderborn / Regina Jonas-Seminar ~ Paderborn ~ Germany
Torat Hakalkala (Hebrew for "Economics" or "Tora of Economics") aims to formulate a Jewish perspective on today's economic and political challenges and to take a stand on current developments and trends. The millennia-old tradition of Jewish thought is analyzed to determine which considerations, ideas, concepts and models can be found that can inspire orientation today. The rabbis of the Talmud, for example, had already developed ideas based on the Torah of an economic community whose basic features have proven themselves in Jewish tradition from ancient times through the Middle Ages to modern times and have also found expression in some secular movements. What is essential about Jewish economic and social ethics is that they are fundamentally business-friendly and socially minded. In Judaism, the material world is not rejected, but is to be tapped through conscious interaction with it for the sanctification of life. Man is seen as God's co-creator. This promotes a religious realism that includes concrete economic activity.
JEWISH PERSPECTIVES ON NATURE AND ECOLOGY AND THEIR IMPORTANCE IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

Klein B. (Speaker)

University of Jewish Studies Heidelberg ~ Heidelberg ~ Germany
According to the biblical creation story, God entrusted humans with the responsibility for the environment: "And Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it" (Gen 2:15). Since the environmental movement of the 1980s, Jewish sources and their interpretations have also been used to advocate for ecology and the environment from a Jewish perspective. In the course of "eco-kashrut," the traditional rules and halachot for kosher food are expanded to include ecological regulations in the sense of tikkun olam, the repair of the world. For example, for meat to be "eco-kosher," the animal must not only be ritually slaughtered in the traditional sense and the blood removed. The circumstances under which the animal lived before slaughter also play a role - in other words, animal welfare, enough space to move, the feed components, and the design of cattle transport. In this way, the traditional kashrut is supplemented by modern organic standards. The lecture will use examples to show how Jewish ecological initiatives contribute to combating climate change.

Panel description: Historically, many different concepts of god can be found which vary greatly in many aspects. Some aspects are usually infinite (like their life span), whereas others may be infinite or finite (think of areas of responsibility especially in polytheistic religions). These varieties then may have consequences for, among others, their respective cosmology, overall world view, metaphysics, afterlife or ethical system. The panel is also open for historical considerations and explanations. This panel aims to explore the philosophical consequences of the variations of finitude and infinity found in different accounts of the concept of god. Its topics include relations between infinite and finite realms or beings, whichever form they might take, and how such a cosmology can work. Additionally, different notions of infinity are employed for a clearer understanding of what we are talking about when we say that god (or something else) is infinite or has infinite properties.

Papers:

ORIGINALITY, INFINITY AND THE DIVINE: HANS BLUMENBERG'S REINTERPRETATION OF MEDIEVAL SCHOLASTIC

Bunaciu A. (Speaker)

Independant ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Philosophy is understood by the young Hans Blumenberg as ontology. This conceptualization of the role and scope of philosophy shines through every page of Blumenberg's dissertation - Contributions to the Problem of the Originality of the Medieval-Scholastic Ontology - which was written and submitted in the year 1947 under difficult historical and personal circumstances. His dissertation is an attempt at analyzing medieval-scholastic thought through the lens of a key Heideggerian concept developed in Being and Time, namely that of originality (Ursprünglichkeit). Blumenberg's thesis states that medieval ontologies, as developed by Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventura and Duns Scotus, entail originality, being thus being thought of not as something manufactured (Hergestelltsein), nor as something existing (Vorhandensein), as an essence (Wesensein) or as an object (Gegenstandsein), but as something grasped in a pre-theoretical manner (Überhaupt-Sein). What Blumenberg tries to describe is an inner experience, which is to be seen as the separating line between ancient and Christian medieval ways of thinking: the hope for personal salvation. It is this lived experience, which, in close connection to the idea of the absolute will of God as responsible for the creatio ex nihilo, is seen as an important turning point towards the following understanding of the coming into being of our very own existence: There is an infinite abyss between nothingness and being, and it is the infinite might of God which is responsible for releasing being out of nothingness. My goal will be to analyze Blumenberg's concept of infinity as related to his concept of God. This entails an analysis of Blumenberg's understanding of the role of Aristotelian metaphysics within scholastic enquiry into the nature of infinity and some critical notes on Blumenberg's disregard of neoplatonic influences when dealing with the very same concept of infinity.
PERFECTION OUT OF REACH - LIMITLESSNESS AND THE POWER OF ABSTRACTION

Tsiros P. (Speaker)

Department of philosophy, University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
In his Meditations René Descartes famously enquires what can be surely known without doubt. Frequently not taken into account though, is the rather practical side to his argument, that culminates in the proof for the certain knowledge of god. In his last meditation Descartes concludes that one's bodily senses, while imperfect, generally give an adequate perception of reality. Certainly enough to maneuver everyday life. It seems then, that the goal of his radical delve into the foundations of knowledge was to expand on the possibilities of a good life, and underscore - even justify - the sensations and beliefs that come with it. In that sense, his proposed categorical split between thinking and extended thing, as two substances of human being, seems rather peculiar. While for Descartes secure knowledge is finally rooted in the idea of a complete being whose grace and goodness humans can grasp through their being res cogitans, the question arises: did the concept of god really prove our own experience here, or does the argument really follow the other way around? After all, the perfect being is inferred from the intuition of one's own fallibility - an intuition that takes its immediacy not from present experience per se, but from its negation, unfolded into the general method of critical doubt. Body and mind have hard to escape limitations, which can hardly be refuted. But where, then, does the plausibility of a perfect being, thought of as our supplemental and sublime origin, come from? Should it be explained as the psychological traces of idealized parental figures, a mere remnant of early childhood development - or can a more compelling argument be made, that finds in all abstract ideas our general motivation to confront our fallibility, rejection, hardship and death with their negation? This topic, then, promises to shine light on the nexus of the substance division: the principles of intellectual abstraction and the libidinous basis of the individual life.
LOOKING THROUGH THE UNIVERSE TOWARDS INFINITY. PERSPECTIVES FROM THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD

Mitterer K. (Speaker)

Independant ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Ever since Thomas Aquinas two kinds of Infinity can be differentiated: „in-finitum" as a negatively defined and material infinity in comparison to „aeternitas" as the categorically higher true infinity which is exemplified only by god. This differentiation is often used to explain disparities between the immanent perspective of human beings and the transcendent perspective of god. This concept allowed many philosophers and scientists to work with the concepts of infinity in regards to the universe and aside from god. Chief among them is Giordano Bruno, who could develop his theory of an infinite universe as a mirror of god's infinity. However, besides those two conceptions other philosophers have to spearhead new conceptions of infinity to fit their Systems. On one hand Descartes' concept of an unknowably big universe for example skirts the line between the conceptions of a finite and infinite universe. On the other hand, thinkers like Kopernikus, Keppler and Galileo conceptualize the universe as infinite without regard to how this reflects on the infinity of god. This presentation should present a select group of philosophers of the early modern period and showcase their work with infinity in respect to the conception of the universe. In this manner the nuanced relationship between the terms universe, infinity, perspective and god. The main Philosophers that will be discussed are Thomas Aquinas, Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei and René Descartes covering mainly the arguments in respectively Civitas Dei, De L'infinito, the Dialogo as well as the Principia and Le Monde. Of course, a point of the presentation is to highlight the discussion of shifting discourses besides the main discussion of the specific philosophical arguments concerning infinity god and the universe
ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT, BUT HOW MUCH IS THAT?

Klimbacher J. (Speaker)

Departments of Philosophy and Physics, University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
Among the many properties attributed to God omniscience and omnipotence are often mentioned. Thus, the answer to the question how many things God knows or can do is an infinite amount. For a long time, this answer was satisfying. But with the development of higher infinites in modern mathematics this answer can get more precise. The goal of this paper is to give a reason to choose Cantor's Absolute Infinity Ω instead of just assuming it. At first glance, it may seem that all propositional knowledge or descriptions of (possible) actions might be translated into numbers and fit into the reals. However, using God's omniscience and omnipotence, any large cardinal mathematicians might introduce can be reached quantitatively by God. God might even know or be able to do more than that. Therefore, I take the largest cardinal available to us to be the lower bound of the number of things God knows or can do. This sets us up for the Absolute Infinity Ω. It lies in the nature of Ω to be somewhat mysterious as it cannot be distinguished from the large cardinals. All properties of Ω are shared with the other large cardinals, but parts of it can be found out. The similarities are pointed out by Robert John Russell in his article "God and Infinity: Theological Insights from Cantor's Mathematics" from 2011, but he works only with the similarities. If we see God's knowledge as a subset of God, then Russell's link between God and Ω strengthens further because no superset could be smaller than its subset.

Panel description: We invite scholars, researchers, and practitioners to contribute to a conference exploring pilgrimage as a multidimensional phenomenon through historical, sociological, and anthropological perspectives. This event aims to examine the enduring and evolving meanings, practices, and experiences of pilgrimage across time and in contemporary contexts. Themes of Interest include but are not limited to: 1. Symbolic and Cultural Dimensions of Pilgrimage • The significance of symbols, rituals, and narratives in pilgrimage practices. • Cultural and religious narratives shaping pilgrimage traditions. 2. Literary and Artistic Representations • Pilgrimage as depicted in literature, visual arts, and media across historical periods. • How artistic narratives reflect and influence the experience of pilgrimage. 3. Ethnographic and Personal Pilgrimage Experiences • Fieldwork accounts and participatory studies on contemporary pilgrimage practices. • Interactions and shared experiences among pilgrims in diverse cultural and religious settings. 4. Technology and Modern Pilgrimage • The role of digital tools in reconfiguring pilgrimage routes and experiences. • Virtual and hybrid pilgrimages as emergent practices in the 21st century. We welcome contributions from history, sociology, anthropology, religious studies, literary studies, cultural studies, and related fields. Papers with interdisciplinary approaches are especially encouraged. Submission Guidelines: • Abstracts: Submit an abstract (250-300 words) outlining the focus and methodology of your proposed contribution. Deadline: April 4th, 2025 Notification of Acceptance: April 18th 2025 For inquiries and submissions, please contact: rossana.salerno@unipa.it stefano.montes@unipa.it federico.montanari@unimore.it

Papers:

PILGRIMAGE AS A CULTURAL JOURNEY: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON RITUAL, IDENTITY, AND SACRED SPACES

Montes S. (Speaker) [1] , Montanari F. (Speaker) [2]

University of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy [1] , University of Reggio Emilia and Modena ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy [2]
Pilgrimage, as a universal human practice, provides a rich field for anthropological inquiry into the ways individuals and communities construct meaning through movement, ritual, and shared experience. This paper adopts an anthropological perspective to analyze pilgrimage as both a spiritual journey and a cultural phenomenon deeply embedded in social and historical contexts. Focusing on ethnographic case studies, the study explores the symbolic significance of pilgrimage sites, the embodied practices of pilgrims, and the ways in which pilgrimage fosters connections across cultural, religious, and geographic boundaries. Special attention is given to the role of narrative, material culture, and local traditions in shaping the pilgrimage experience. The analysis also considers how contemporary factors, such as technological mediation and global tourism, are transforming the dynamics of pilgrimage in a rapidly modernizing world. This anthropological approach emphasizes pilgrimage as a lived experience that illuminates broader themes of mobility, Keywords: 1. Pilgrimage 2. Anthropology of Religion 3. Ritual and Embodiment 4. Sacred and Profane 5. Cultural Identity
A SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO PILGRIMAGE

Salerno R. (Speaker) [1] , Montanari F. (Speaker) [2]

University of Palermo ~ Palermo ~ Italy [1] , University of Reggio Emilia and Modena ~ Reggio Emilia ~ Italy [2]
Pilgrimage, as a cultural and social phenomenon, offers a unique lens through which to explore the intersections of individual agency, collective identity, and societal transformation. This paper adopts a sociological approach to pilgrimage, examining its role as both a personal journey and a communal practice. Drawing on classical and contemporary sociological theories, the study analyzes pilgrimage as a form of ritualized behavior that reinforces social cohesion while also serving as a space for individual meaning-making. Key themes include the interplay between tradition and modernity, the impact of globalization on pilgrimage practices, and the shining dynamics of sacred and secular motivations. Fieldwork insights, including ethnographic observations of pilgrimage routes, highlight the lived experiences of participants and their interactions with fellow pilgrims, religious authorities, and local communities. Through this sociological lens, pilgrimage is understood not only as a journey to sacred sites but also as a process that reflects and reshapes the values, norms, and power structures of the societies in which it occurs. This explorer: on underscores the enduring relevance of pilgrimage in addressing contemporary questions of identity, belonging, and spiritual renewal in an increasingly interconnected world. Keywords: 1. Pilgrimage 2. Sociology of Religion 3. Rituals 4. Transformation 5. Secularization

Panel description: Intensified datafication transforms contemporary societies. Research groups on Digital Religion and Digital Theology discuss already important markers of the process of transformation which takes place in cultural and religious contexts. Indicator of the change process can be seen e. g. in the understandings of identity, authority, the ways of community-building, the communication of the gospel including the understanding of its truth. They are changing, partly because in a datafied society the human possibilities for action are rapidly expanding and more and more transitions between human and non-human action are occurring in everyday life. This forces the questions of the panel: to what extent can agency be attributed to non-human entities (e.g., algorithms, AIs, etc.) - and thereby what roles they play in the agency of human actors (individual, collective or institutional). It discusses the relationship between human and non-human agency, between the capacity to act and the actors of agency, including questions about the of forms of collective, shared or relational interactions. These issues have been long explored and conceptually developed in disciplines such as communication and media studies; but such development and exploration are lacking in connection with religion and agency in a datafied society. Instead, agency, religion, and digitalization are discussed in specific disciplines largely independently of one another. Indeed, there is evidence of an increasing fragmentation in the research areas of religion and agency as well as agency and digitalization. These two research fields have yet to be brought together in any significant way. The speakers present and discuss study results from four European and one non-European country. The panel aims to contribute to the understanding of agency in religious contexts of datafication. The panelist's target groups are not only church groups, but also non-church groups in the Christian spectrum.

Papers:

PROBLEM SOLVING AND AGENDA-SETTING. QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS ON DIGITIZATION IN A GERMAN CHURCH

Nord I. (Speaker)

University of Wuerzburg ~ Würzburg ~ Germany
This article focusses arguments on changes and continuities related to the emerge and use of Artificial Intelligence and broader Digitization in religious leadership and governance contexts. It explores the sense-making, roles, responsibilities, and risks faced by religious leaders and structures. It asks for the implications of Artificial Intelligence and automation for their work. Investigated processes on negotiating authority, agency, or decision making within religious organizations and groups get transparent. Ethical criteria play an important role, while the assumption of personal responsibility is desired but hardly seems to be a reality: The barriers that cause this get identified, at least initially by reflecting on the way religious beliefs, ethical dilemmas, theological concerns, and value commitments related to the adoption and operability of technology in religious contexts are articulated.
RELIGIOUS MEDIA SETTLERS. THE STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN AGENCY IN TIMES OF DEEP MEDIATIZATION

Radde-Antweiler K. (Speaker)

University of Bremen ~ Bremen ~ Germany
This paper will show how different religious groups in Canada, Germany, Poland and Ireland/Northern Ireland used digital media during the Covid-19-pandemic. Even though there was initially a great deal of euphoria - particularly among Protestant churches - about using digital media as a communication technology, research shows that the majority of these activities were discontinued after the pandemic. Despite the growing interest in online worship and discipleship in all contexts, no organization changed their doctrines to accommodate digital media. Instead, all emphasized the indispensability of in-person gatherings and at best considered long-term integration of online activities. As research on religious corporate actors shows, organizations primarily aim to assert their authority and maintain community. The paper will discuss how religious organizations function as "media settlers," developing media strategies aligned with organizational objectives. Particular attention will be paid to their strategies for maintaining their agency, e.g., for preserving and asserting their authority and maintaining the unity of their communities, which they display and actively shape their media in response to far-reaching mediatization trends and their consequences.
RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP AND DIGITAL INNOVATION - AN EXPLORATIVE INTERVIEW STUDY WITH CHURCH ACTORS IN THE SWISS CONTEXT

Schlag T. (Speaker)

University of Zurich ~ Zürich ~ Switzerland
This paper discusses current theories on agency due to qualitative interviews with church leaders from the Swiss context on their understanding of and contributing to digital innovation. Where our findings reveal diverse attitudes towards digital media use, the broader question arises, in which sense they are shaped by personal, theological, and contextual factors, and can therefore be understood as certain forms of practicing and negotiating agency. The paper identifies possible key factors of this agency, shaping and embracing digital innovations, including the individual theological imperatives to contextualize the gospel, the need to meet people where they are in digital and analog spaces, and ethical responsibilities to engage in the digital sphere. The paper concludes that digital innovation offers opportunities for a theological reflected and "shared responsible agency" in the sense multi-professional collaboration, strategic resource allocation and the development of empowering communicative formats, aiming to foster balanced, reciprocal relationships between various actors in the church context.

Panel description: As presentations under this panel will demonstrate, a full appreciation of what undergirds the Modern Self's colonial inclination, further demands a thorough examination and subsequent understanding of how colonial impulses are borne out of a variety of modern scientific epistemologies and their emphasis on mastery and exploitation of "The Modern Other". Evidence coming out of a broader landscape of studies on religion in the African context, shows that the proverbial "Modern Self" can, has, and continues, albeit clandestinely, to exploit religion for the sole purpose of realizing the main objectives of the colonial project, namely to have power over with a view to master and exploit. Against this backdrop, the main objectives of this panel are first, to reflect on the nature of coloniality especially the roots of coloniality in a modern scientific worldview. Second, it seeks to reflect on religion, and to highlight the value of religion in typical colonial projects including how that gets to be reflected in areas such as race, class, sexuality, and gender. Third, it seeks to highlight the nature and place of decoloniality as a methodological approach to counteract the activities of the Modern Self through exposing the hidden side of modernity within a context religion in the African context. Fourth, it seeks to suggest effective pedagogies on how to teach about the role and place of religion within a context of clandestine colonial projects in the African context to a 21st century classroom environment.

Papers:

"COLONIALISM: TOWARDS A REFLECTIVE THICK DESCRIPTION"

Sakuba X. (Speaker)

African Academy of Religion (AFRARE) ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
What is colonialism - while the term colonialism predominantly denotes a situation wherein a dominant individual, group or nation conquers and annexes real estate in a form of land, aquatic space and even air space, less attention gets to be invested on how the actual practice of colonization begins with an anthropocentric inclination to study, master and exploit. As such conventional discourses on the subject of colonization and coloniality hardly focuses on inquisitorial scientific practices as an expression of a colonial inclination that is peculiar to all human beings, albeit for historical reasons more developed amongst different cultural groups. In this presentation I will attempt to show that one of the underlying aspects of the contemporary discourse involving the coloniality-decoloniality dichotomy is the fact that at the core of the arguments expounded by those who are calling for decoloniality is an understanding that apart from the fact that the root cause of coloniality is modernity, and modern epistemological frameworks in particular, coloniality also encompasses a myriad of inquisitorial human activities that results in mastery and exploitation of the objects of human inquisitiveness. This exploitatively skewed relationship, in favor of the inquisitive self of course, is the main driving force behind the modern self's relationship with all of alterity, including components of the self which the self is able to perceive and interrogate. Last but not least, I will also show that, according to proponents of decoloniality, not even a phenomenon of religion is immune from the exploitative shenanigans of the modern self.
DECOLONIALITY AND POST-COLONIALITY: A CRITIQUE FROM BELOW

Evaristi Cornelli M. (Speaker)

African Academy of Religion (AFRARE) ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
In Africa, the question of decoloniality and post-coloniality is characterized by two main approaches: the popular and the official. The official approach prevails mostly in institutions of higher learning, political circles, and among activists. The popular approach, is found mostly at the grass-root level of society, among ordinary people. This paper identifies the weakness of the official approach through the lens of ordinary folks in rural areas of the Coastal Region in Tanzania. Do they have an experience of decoloniality and post-coloniality? If they do, how do they manage to maintain their indigenous knowledge and identity? Based on tentative findings from the field, I argue that although they are not aware of the academic jargons expressing the phenomenon, they have an experience of the reality of decoloniality. For most folks, post-coloniality is just an invention of African elites and politicians. I maintain that for most ordinary folks, the discourse on decoloniality is a form of colonialism because it is imposed. I conclude by making a plea to the proponents of decoloniality and post-decoloniality to pay close attention to what ordinary people have been doing in preserving their indigenous knowledge and identity and the methods they are using to resist colonization. In that way academicians, may perhaps find the right path to the decolonization of the continent.
DECOLONISING RELIGIOUS PEDAGOGY THROUGH VIRTUAL EXCHANGE: A CRITICAL REFLEXIVE APPROACH

Muslim C. (Speaker)

AFRARE ~ Nairobi ~ Kenya
This paper critically examines the implementation of decolonised teaching pedagogies within the VEREAD virtual exchange programme for postcolonial and decolonial religious studies. Drawing on a critical reflexive ethnographic methodology, the research explores the complexities of teaching religion within the context of colonial legacies in a 21st-century culturally diverse virtual classroom environment. The study emerges from the unique positioning of three institutional professors with divergent conceptualizations of decolonial teaching praxis, and students with limited prior exposure to decolonial theoretical frameworks. By consciously employing decolonising pedagogical tools, the research aims to provide an innovative approach to dismantling traditional narratives of religious education. Through an in-depth analysis of workshop preparations, pedagogical implementations, and subsequent student and teacher feedback, the paper seeks to develop effective strategies for reimagining religious education. The research specifically focuses on interrogating the role and place of religion within covert colonial projects, particularly in the African context. Anticipated to be implemented between February and May 2025, this virtual exchange programme represents a critical intervention in religious studies pedagogy. By challenging established epistemological boundaries, the study offers a transformative approach to understanding religion through a decolonial lens, emphasizing the importance of alternative knowledge production and intercultural dialogue.

Panel description: We explore religious transformation in intellectual history in three episodes. The first is the Victorian cult of personality initiated by Thomas Carlyle when he resolves an existential crisis by his encounter with Goethe's writings. This post-Enlightenment development during Koselleck's Sattelzeit retains religious undertones and illustrates a key moment in the relocation of authority and the redirection of devotional energy. Similarly, we will examine Salamon Reinach's 1909 work, Orpheus, to show a spectrum of critical positions concerning the extent to which anthropology could explain Christian history. It relatedly considers the ways in which anthropology informed a debate about the moral and social authority of Christianity in early-twentieth-century Europe. And we review recent Christian critiques of the Enlightenment project, specifically Humean ethics and secular liberalism, to examine these claims as the 'religious turn' in historical studies seems to be converging with a 'post-secular' moment in social and political theory.

Papers:

THE EMERGENCE OF THE VICTORIAN CULT OF PERSONALITY VIA THOMAS CARLYLE'S GOETHE AND THE RELOCATION OF SOURCES OF AUTHORITY

Kerry P. (Speaker)

University of Texas at Austin ~ Austin ~ United States of America
Thomas Carlyle's connection to Goethe is often seen through the following lens: a struggling young Scot, newly married making a living by scraping on translations and literary reviews, reaches out across the sea to a living legend, Goethe and, much to his surprise, receives a reply to his letter. That letter would give way to a decade of full-blown literary correspondence. This can be seen as the first practical instantiation of Carlyle's emerging theory on heroes and hero-worship. As Gregory Maertz has pointed out there is a religious element to the cult of personality that Carlyle initiates around Goethe and that would flower in the Anglosphere in the latter nineteenth century. Carlyle's development of this cult of personality corresponds with Reinhart Koselleck's Sattelzeit thesis of the transition to modernity. The transformation of religion is seen in this relocation of sources of authority and the redirection of devotion, key elements of an emerging hero-worship within democratic culture.
THE SCIENCE OF RELIGION AND THE MODERN HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY: SALOMON REINACH'S ORPHEUS (1909) IN EUROPEAN CONTEXT

Bennett J. (Speaker)

University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
It is well known that the rise of anthropology in the nineteenth century existed in a tense relationship with theological approaches to the bible and Christian origins. But it remains uncertain when, why, and with what consequences European intellectuals began to apply techniques derived from an anthropologically-led 'science of religion' to interpreting the history of Christianity after the close of the patristic era. This paper focuses on the secular Jewish French anthropologist, Salomon Reinach, and his bestselling 1909 work, Orpheus, in order to examine a spectrum of critical positions concerning the extent to which anthropology could explain Christian history. It relatedly considers the ways in which anthropology informed a debate about the moral and social authority of Christianity in early-twentieth-century Europe. Locating Reinach's work in relation to contemporary movements in British and German scholarship, the paper uses a historical approach to investigate how secularist and religiously radical anthropologists used religious science to define the present-day authority of religion in relation to what they understood to be long-term processes of socio-religious transformation. It draws attention to the complexity of the encounter between freethought and religion at a period of widespread debate about the cultural and political influence of Christian ethics and the churches.
THE 'ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT' AND THE POST-SECULAR REVIVAL OF VIRTUE POLITICS

Young B. (Speaker)

University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
In 1776, the year of his death, the Scottish philosopher David Hume predicted that Christianity had perhaps two hundred years left ahead of it before ceasing to be the established 'superstition' of the West. In the same year, Adam Smith, the concerted opponent of any form of monopoly, called for the disestablishment of the established churches in the British Isles as monopolies that needed to be opened to competition from other denominations, an underexplored element in the unsystematic argument of the Wealth of Nations. Aspects of Smith's argument shadowed the disestablishment of the Anglican Church in Ireland and in Wales during the nineteenth century, the springtime of gradually but concertedly secularising liberalism; to this day. In 1981, Alasdair MacIntrye identified in Hume's ethical philosophy what he denounced as the relativism of what he called the 'Enlightenment Project', and sought in his celebrated study, After Virtue, to restore a Christian form of Aristotelian virtue politics that was briefly fashionable. This chimed with a moment that Habermas has described as the 'post-secular' reality of modern society. In addition to Humean ethics, secular liberalism has now come under attack from such Catholic critics as Patrick Deneen in his influential study, Why Liberalism Failed (2018), and a historicised revival of the Renaissance virtues has been undertaken by James Hankins in his recent study, Virtue Politics (2019.) With the election of Donald Trump to a second term as President of the United States, traditional liberalism is faced with serious challenges and Christian politics seems to be undergoing a revival, albeit one often critical of the libertarian conservatism of more secular Republicans. Nothing of the sort is apparent in Britain, a much more secular nation. This paper will look at religious transformation in the historical politics of a contested public sphere that is likely to be highly consequential in the decades ahead.

Panel description: After extensive focus on universals of various kinds during modernity, and the revelling in diversity within postmodernity, we seek better ways of thinking and acting which give due agency to, and creatively think together, both the distinguishing particularities of humanity and cosmos and what is common, shared or universal. Hegemonic, totalising, top-down ways (law, reason, positivism etc) fail to do justice to the dynamic and complex particularities of life, just as uncoordinated, atomistic, horizontal, ever-narrowing emphases on particularities (e.g. ever more particular identity politics, hardened nationalisms etc) reduce our ability to have shared discourse and flourishing life in our common cosmos. This task is urgent given the increasing environmental, political, and religious predicaments we find ourselves in. It is our conjecture that the religious concept of 'catholicity' (<i>kath'holou</i>, towards/according to the whole) may—historically nuanced, suitably critiqued and creatively extended—offer resources to help deal better with these issues. Most Christians profess a belief in catholicity, a concept which seems to conjugate particularity and universality, diversity and unity, the individual and collective. But fascinatingly, through history and in the contemporary world, theological ways of understanding catholicity are entangled—positively, negatively, and indifferently—with other ways of thinking about or locating the 'whole': non-religious universalisms, whether cultural, sociological, political or otherwise. Within the context of a 5-year international research project based at the ACU, this panel invites papers which consider secular analogues of catholicity, or non-theological ways of conjugating particular with universal, local with global, micro with macro. It is particularly interested in proposals which relate to the arts, history, politics, and the sciences.

Papers:

ON THE CATHOLICITY OF IMAGINATION: FRAGMENTS AND WHOLES

Wolfe J. (Speaker)

University of St Andrews ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
In the European philosophical tradition, 'imagination' refers to the human capacity to integrate discrete data points (whether sensory or rational) into 'wholes' or 'Gestalts'. Imagination in this sense allows humans to make sense of their sensory field, to shape events into narratives, and empirical data into larger theories. Imagination, in other words, leaps ahead to wholeness: it is the catholic motive force of human beings. This power is operative in all spheres of life, including political life, where (moral and prudential) evaluations, decisions, actions and policies depend on the ways in which we imagine the whole in and for which we are acting. In contemporary society, we are witnessing intense conflicts of interpretation about how to delineate that whole. Analysing our political and social predicament with reference not to substantive disagreements but to the way imagination operates can help us understand (and potentially resolve) conflicts on a more open plane. This paper discusses some relevant characteristics and pitfalls of the imagination as the 'catholic' human power, and concludes that it is necessary to practice a self-abnegating imagination which is not too quick to jump forward to wholes, but is capable also of enduring fragmentation and incompleteness.
ATTUNING APPROACHES, RECALIBRATING RESOURCES: THE CATHOLICITY OF FUNDAMENTAL THEOLOGY

Van Erp S. (Speaker)

KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium
This paper will explore catholicity as a principle for renewing fundamental theology. How can it serve as a single conceptual tool for understanding the nature of a field that consists of diverse methods, various loci, and developing insights? Fundamental theology seems to have come to a standstill. Theologians are either less concerned with method, or they have dispersed their methodological concerns over a variety of other disciplines while focusing on current practices and contexts of faith. Postfoundational and postcolonial critiques have contested the basic assumptions of fundamental theology. In After Method, Hanna Reichel advocates a more playful crossing of different approaches and redirects the attention to marginalized and "misfits". But how to avoid this leading to methodological tribalism in academic networks of the like-minded? In Theology Today, the International Theological Commission expressed its concern over the fragmentation of method and calls for a catholic unity of theology and a multitude of forms with "distinctive family traits". But how to avoid uniformity when setting a single standard undergirding theological principles and criteria? Bob Schreiter proposed a 'new catholicity' as a qualitative principle for a global and missionary theology that does justice to cultural, interreligious and methodological pluralism. Could this 'outsourcing' of theological loci (ad extra) also be used as an instrument for understanding the intrinsic dynamic in and through which theological method can be identified as 'catholic' (ad intra)? And could this new catholicity meet post-Enlightenment objections and renew fundamental theology, attuned to diversity, and accountable for its openness to new sources?

Panel description: This panel examines distinctively Franciscan insights for Christian reflection on Islam. Confirmed panelists investigate how Franciscan epistemology colors a Christian reading of the Qurʾān, the 'virgin point' in the theology of Louis Massignon (a third-order Franciscan), and some elements of one of Massignon's creative friar-disciples that have never been carefully considered by the theological community. This open call panel welcomes additional papers on this theme, to a maximum of three additional papers.

Papers:

"APPROACHING THE QURʾĀN IN TERMS OF 'FRANCISCAN KNOWLEDGE'"

Wiesenhütter L. (Speaker)

University of Bonn ~ Bonn ~ Germany
In her monumental work on the problem of evil, Eleonore Stump distinguishes between two types of knowledge: 'Dominican knowledge,' which emphasizes precision and propositional truths, and 'Franciscan knowledge,' which is not reducible to the former (E. Stump, Wandering in Darkness, Oxford, 2010). This paper argues that Christian theology could benefit from approaching the Qurʾān through the lens of 'Franciscan knowledge' to better understand its significance. It will demonstrate how this approach aligns with the tradition of the Qurʾān's recitation as beautiful (N. Kermani, God is Beautiful, Malden, 2015) and with the Qurʾān's structure as a second-person address. Following Stump's line of thought, the paper will explore the question of human suffering, showing how a 'Franciscan' reading, reshapes our understanding of it. This interpretation highlights how experiences of suffering are addressed in the Qurʾān, always framed by the presence of God in God's speech. Thus, the Qurʾānic event itself is understood as a potential 'second-person experience,' inviting an encounter between God and the listeners of the recitation.
"SPIRITUALITY OF THE 'POINT VIERGE' IN THE THOUGHT OF LOUIS MASSIGNON"

Sekowski P. (Speaker)

Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies ~ Rome ~ Italy
This paper examines the spirituality of the 'point vierge' (virgin point) in Louis Massignon's thought, a core concept in his Christian theology of Islam. Influenced by the mystical spirituality of Al-Hallaj and the feminine spirituality of Mary, Massignon defined the 'virgin point' as the deepest and indestructible part of the heart, open to the presence of God - the Mysterious Stranger. Through fasting and silent acceptance, the Word, Jesus Christ, enters human life, making it spiritually fruitful. The article explores the theological roots of this idea and its significance in Christian-Islamic dialogue, highlighting how Massignon integrated elements of both traditions into this profound vision of spirituality.
"GIULIO BASETTI-SANI'S APPROACH TO ISLAM: FRANCISCAN AVENUES THAT REMAIN UNEXPLORED"

Welle J. (Speaker)

Boston College ~ Chestnut Hill ~ United States of America
The friar orientalist Giulio Basetti-Sani (d. 2001) developed many creative hypotheses about the role of Islam in salvation history, including a reading of the Qurʾān as a confirmation of Christian doctrine, enabling him to evaluate it more positively than many other Christian theologians. While many of his ideas were dismissed at the time as idiosyncratic or theologically questionable, some elements of Basetti-Sani's Franciscan vision of Islam never received a fair hearing or evaluation in the theological community. This paper highlights some of these loose ends, focusing in particular on the friar's suggestion that a Scotistic framework offers distinctive resources for a renewed theology of religion that dominant Thomist frameworks in the period did not.

Panel description: This panel explores the question of hospitality in interreligious relations. Papers investigate examples of hospitality extended across religious boundaries but also comparative theological reflections on another religious tradition's notion of hospitality as such. This open call panel welcomes additional papers on this theme, to a maximum of three additional papers.

Papers:

INTERRELIGIOUS HOSPITALITY IN TURKISH TRAVEL LITERATURE: THE CASE OF EVLIYA ÇELEBI

Morrison C. (Speaker)

Institute for the Study of Religion in the Middle East ~ Istanbul ~ Turkey
Evliya Çelebi's 10-volume Seyahatnâme (his Travelogue) offers a unique window into life in the Ottoman Empire and beyond in the early modern period. Written to chronicle his journeys, to entertain, and to depict Ottoman/Islamic(ate?) society as Evliya Çelebi saw it, the Seyahatnâme includes details of countless interactions he had across cultural and religious lines. This paper focuses on several examples of hospitality that are shown to Evliya during his travels, and seeks to identify the social and religious factors that create the dynamics of these encounters. The aim is to understand what Evliya seeks to portray in these vignettes, and to make observations about the role and importance of hospitality both then and now.
"THREE LEARNED JEWS CAME TO ME (WA 53:461,28)" MARTIN LUTHER'S DISPUTATION WITH THREE JEWS ABOUT ISAIAH 7:14: FICTITIOUS HOSPITALITY OR OPEN HOSTILITY?

Hirschberger J. (Speaker)

University of Tübingen ~ Tübingen ~ Germany
The reformer Martin Luther repeatedly claimed that three educated Jews had visited him in Wittenberg and discussed certain passages of the Old Testament with him, particularly the semantics of עלמה in Isaiah 7:14. The authenticity of this claim is disputed, however, as there were hardly any Jews living in Saxony in Luther's time. This article will show that Luther's access to Jewish tradition was instead primarily due to written sources: the Latin excerpts from Jewish commentaries by Nicholas of Lyra and Paul of Burgos, early Christian Hebraistic literature, but above all the First Bomberg Rabbinical Bible printed in 1517. A case study of Isaiah 7:14 and 9:1-6 in Luther's lecture on Isaiah (1527) and his lecture on Isaiah 9 (1543/44) shall demonstrate that „the Jews" Luther argued against, were literary antagonists, constructed from these written sources. The paper will try to demonstrate that is it thus unlikely that Luther ever met any Jew in person and that his account of doing so is probably fictitious.
MANIFESTATIONS OF INTERRELIGIOUS HOSPITALITY: THE POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF INTERRELIGIOUS PRAYER WITH JUDAISM AND ISLAM

Ackermann D. (Speaker)

University of Paderborn ~ Paderborn ~ Germany
In recent years, interreligious hospitality has increasingly manifested itself in interreligious or multi-religious prayer services across Europe, but also in the United States, as interreligious houses of worship emerge across the globe. These prayer services aim at providing space for the experience of prayer and encounter and take various forms. This paper attempts to define the prospects and boundaries of such engagements on structural, experiential, and theological levels.
FRANCISCAN THEOLOGY OF HOSPITALITY IN DIALOGUE WITH ISLAM

Welle J. (Speaker)

Boston College ~ Chestnut Hill ~ United States of America
This paper opens with a discussion of contemporary Franciscan missiology, particularly the notion of mission inter gentes, bringing this into dialogue with recent Christian theological reflection on hospitality. Many missionaries report that they learn about hospitality from the Muslims among whom they live; the presentation attempts to articulate these points of learning and examine whether they are absent, latent, or simply understated in the Christian tradition. In comparative theological perspective, the paper asks not merely what is learned but what type of learning occurs, and how this can shape Franciscan missiology going forward.
VULNERABILITY, HOSPITALITY, AND HEALTHCARE ETHICS: COMPARATIVE REFLECTIONS

Goehring D. (Speaker)

Boston College ~ Chestnut Hill ~ United States of America
This paper examines the interrelationship between vulnerability and hospitality within the context of comparative theological exchange. Beginning with Moyaert's consideration of Clooney's understanding of vulnerability within comparative theology, this paper will show that vulnerability offers the notion of considering comparative theology as an ethical methodology, and renders hospitality an ethical imperative as such. Examples from Christian and Islamic medical ethics will be used as illustrative cases to probe the ethical boundaries of comparative theology.

Panel description: In the face of political oppression, silence has emerged throughout history not merely as absence of speech, but as a powerful form of resistance. This panel aims to explore various manifestations of silent resistance across religious, secular, and artistic domains, examining how deliberate withdrawal from discourse can paradoxically serve as a profound form of political expression. From religious examples such as Christ's silence before Pilate and the testimonies of martyrs, to philosophical instances like Socrates' acceptance of his sentence, to modern-day political prisoners and dissidents who choose silence as their weapon, we seek to understand how silence functions as both a personal and political act. The panel will particularly examine artistic representations of silent resistance in literature, film, and other media, investigating how creative works have interpreted and reimagined these acts of withdrawal. Furthermore, we will explore contemporary forms of protest through withdrawal, considering how historical examples of silent resistance inform and illuminate modern practices. We invite papers from scholars across disciplines including, but not limited to, religious studies, philosophy, political theory, literature, and art history. We are particularly interested in contributions that examine philosophical and theological interpretations of silence as resistance, as well as artistic representations that engage with this theme. Papers may address historical or contemporary examples, theoretical frameworks for understanding silent resistance, or comparative analyses across different cultural and temporal contexts.

Papers:

BURNED BY SILENCE

Koci K. (Speaker)

University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria
This paper examines the philosophical dimensions of political self-sacrifice through the lens of Agnieszka Holland's film "Burning Bush" (2013), which portrays the aftermath of Jan Palach's self-immolation in 1969 Prague. Rather than focusing on the act itself, we analyze how Holland's innovative cinematographic approach captures the "Wirkung" (effect) of sacrifice through its resonance in the lives of others. The film's deliberate choice to keep Palach physically absent while emphasizing his spiritual presence serves as a unique entry point for philosophical reflection on the nature of authentic sacrifice in political contexts. Central to our analysis is the paradox of silence in both its oppressive and resistant forms. We examine how Palach's act responded to the collective silence following the Prague Spring, while Holland's cinematographic philosophy employs absence and silence as powerful narrative tools. Through close analysis of the film's raw and severe style, we demonstrate how artistic representation can illuminate philosophical questions about authentic sacrifice, political resistance, and the transformative power of individual acts. This approach allows us to move beyond traditional philosophical frameworks that focus primarily on motivations and immediate consequences, offering instead a more nuanced understanding of sacrifice that encompasses its enduring societal impact and meaning.
APOCALYPTIC SILENCE

Koci M. (Speaker)

KU Linz ~ Linz ~ Austria
This paper builds on the Shanks' recent theological reconsideration of Patočka's thought (Apocalyptic Patience, Bloomsbury 2024). Where Patočka identified the transformative power of confronting finitude in the front-line experience, Shanks discovers a theological paradigm that illuminates how communities are formed through shared experiences of radical questioning and divine absence. This theological reading of Patočka provides new insights into how silence functions as both a crisis of meaning and a potential source of profound solidarity. We bring this analysis into dialogue with Falque's work on finitude, particularly his examination of Christ's experience in Gethsemane as presented in "Guide to Gethsemane" and "The Metamorphosis of Finitude." Falque's phenomenological approach to Christ's encounter with divine silence offers a unique perspective on how human finitude intersects with divine absence. His interpretation of Gethsemane as a paradigmatic moment where human experience of God's silence becomes universally accessible helps us understand how apocalyptic silence can function as a bridge between human and divine experience. By weaving together these theological perspectives, we develop a new understanding of apocalyptic silence as a phenomenon that transcends mere absence or negation. Instead, we argue that such silence, whether experienced as divine withdrawal or human response, creates a unique form of theological knowledge and community. This approach allows us to reframe contemporary experiences of God's silence not as obstacles to faith but as potential sites of theological insight and communal transformation.
ARTISTIC APPROACHES TO THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF LIFE AND DEATH

Resch M. (Speaker)

KU Linz ~ Linz ~ Austria
In her artistic practice, the Mexican artist Teresa Margolles addresses the taboo of dying and the death of those whom no one remembers. She transforms corpse wash water into fragile and playful soap bubbles that dance from the ceiling and burst silently on the bodies of museum visitors. These are the silent traces of death that literally get under the skin and are able to establish communication or even communion between the living and the dead. Where Margolles makes death performatively accessible in large Mexican cities, the Austrian artist Esther Strauß examines another taboo: that of birth. In the form of a small sculpture showing the Virgin Mary giving birth in the contemplative setting of the church, the artist thematises the moment of crowning, i.e. the unaivlable moment when the head stretches the woman's vulva to such an extent that the child's head can already be seen and, as if crowned with a crown, it only requires one last effort to see the light of day. Crowning, the title of the sculpture, could not be viewed for long. An unknown perpetrator decapitated the sculpture and took its face, symbolically speaking, robbing Mary of her voice. However, the sculpture, which was locked behind glass doors for almost three weeks, was intended as a silent memorial against the destructive rage against a birthing body. The lecture aims to analyse the aesthetic and political statements as well as the theological implications of the artistic positions. Silence or absence will be explored as a mystical-political category that has the force to approach the power and powerlessness of speechless practices.

Panel description: This panel engages the pioneering monograph of Stefano Luca, Teologia delle differenze (Edizioni Terra Santa, 2023) which draws upon instinctive insights of the Franciscan tradition to construct a renewed theology of religions and foundation for interreligious dialogue. Built first and foremost upon the extraordinary encounter between Francis of Assisi and the Sultan al-Mālik al-Kāmil and the effects of this encounter for the Poverello's understanding of mission, Luca sketches a concept of "integral integration" which provides the backbone for a "theology of differences." Discussants include experts on theology of religions and comparative theology.

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Panel description: A central practice to both premodern and modern yoga, prāṇāyāma (lit. "breath control") is practised in yoga classes worldwide. Just like prāṇāyāma, the notion of prāṇa (lit. "breath", "vitality") has a longstanding history in South Asia. From 1850 onwards the practices are subject to change, and prāṇa and prāṇāyāma are reinterpreted in light of the Hindu reform, nineteenth-century occultism, science, physical culture, medicine, and hygiene. In Yoga Breath: Prāṇa and Prāṇāyāma in Early Modern Yoga, Kraler for the first time traces the history of yoga's breathing techniques between 1850 and 1945. In doing so, Kraler demonstrates the centrality of prāṇa and prāṇāyāma for understanding modern yoga's praxeological, philosophical, political, and religious thrust. Part 1 "Contexts and Concepts" delves into transnational cultural and religious networks that enable the rise of prāṇa and prāṇāyāma within modern yoga. It also provides an overview of premodern prāṇāyāma and explores the notion of prāṇa as part of a cosmological outline of influential protagonists like Vivekananda. Part 2 "Pioneers and Practices" sets the stage to analyse the intricacies of prāṇāyāma practice and discusses the impact of ten influential yoga pioneers that were active in India and/or the United States, among these Vivekananda, Krishnamacharya, Yogananda, Sivananda and Yogi Ramacharaka. This book provides deep insights into the various practices, functions, and interpretations of prāṇa and prāṇāyāma. Engaging one of modern yoga's key practices, it not only offers a thorough academic analysis, but also responds to a growing interest in breath cultivation worldwide.

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Panel description: Religious freedom seems to be a no-brainer for most Europeans and yet the topic contains some serious challenges. How to deal with religious freedom when opinions based on a religious conviction conflict with general opinion? Is there a limit to religious freedom? How far can European and national laws go in checking content of religious education? How can academic study of religion contribute to this topic? Only some of the questions to be dealt with in this highly relevant roundtable.

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Panel description: Opinions and experiences differ on whether religion has a negative or positive effect on business. Religious values can have a positive effect on business ethics, on attitudes towards work and making money, on dealing with pressures and problems, but religion also asks for costly and time-demanding holy-days and rituals, and can cause moral and personal conflicts that effect business negatively. Are satisfying answers to the title of the roundtable possible? The panelist have experiences with both business and religion and will certainly be able to contribute to finding an answer. After each of the participants has given an opening statement ( each max. five minutes) on the question: Religion and business: a good match?, the moderator of the forum will start a conversation in which the following questions will be discussed: 1. What are your arguments for or against this statement: religion and business should stay away from each other? 2. In what way can research on religion as well as teaching in business schools contribute to this topic? 3. What effects have the variety of religions and the variety of contexts on a global economy?

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Panel description: The Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network (https://ei-research.net/) in close connection to the Ecclesiological Investigations Research Unit of the American Academy of Religion welcomes you for a session on 'Deconversion and Religious Belonging'. The nature of deconversion can be interpreted as both turning away and turning towards (i.e. deeper conversion) as an exercise of agency. One important feature of 'deconversion' may be a decision to leave or pull back from active association with a religious institution or a traditional faith community. How does disaffiliation function to critique or challenge religious organizations? What role does the abuse and exercise of power, especially institutional power, play in the process of deconversion? How might one consider the distinction between rejecting an institution and relinquishing a religious identity altogether?   Likewise, alternative sources of community, solidarity, and spiritual meaning may be significant pull factors that facilitate religious change. Where are people going and why are they drawn there? Following deconversion, in what ways, if any, do religious traditions still shape an individual's idea of "authentic community"? This panel seeks papers that advance our understanding of what changes and what remains the same, or even intensifies, when people find the freedom to redefine their religious belonging and turn to spiritual practices they experience as more lifegiving?

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DE-CONVERSION AND RE-CONVERSION: FROM CHRISTIAN SUPREMACY BACK TO EARTH-TAUGHT MUTUALITY

Perkinson J.W. (Speaker)

Ecumenical Theological Seminary ~ Detroit, Michigan ~ United States of America
De-conversion in this paper will be explored in a confessional mode on the part of a white Euro-settler evangelical/charismatic Christian colonist, living for more than 40 years in eastside inner city Detroit, gradually undergoing an initiatory re-arrangement of molecules and motor-muscle memory—much less spiritual ideas and faith commitments—under tutelage to low income black folk, and later on a Filipina partner and various Native American teachers.  Today, my commitments are overwhelmingly oriented in the direction of "indigenous" (land-taught) spiritual practice and priorities, informed by Black liberation theology and hip-hop poetry, Babaylan healing wisdom and Celtic cairn cosmology and mythology—all without leaving behind either Christian commitment or continuous re-reading of biblical texts in pushing back on imperial Roman warping of the original Galilean "back-to-land" movement of Jesus and John or the Euro-colonialist perversion of the same in the direction of Native genocide and African enslavement.  Deconversion in my case is actually a creative venture of re-conversion: a matter of "crossing over" to indigenous traditions and communities here, in the Philippines, and back in pre-Christian/pre-imperial (pagan) Europe, learning from extant traditions of living close to the land in those places and their own terms and then "coming back" over to mainstream, biblical Christianity. Deconversion in this mode is not abstract, individualist, and socially mediated, by rather informed by deep grief, inchoate longing to be "earthed," and a growing certainty that our species presumption of being supreme among life forms on the planet and thus unrestrained in our extraction, exploitation, and discard as garbage, of any and every other creaturely reality (plant, animal, water, metal, mineral, air, fossil, etc.) is profoundly geocidal and in dire need of being taught and converted by the ways of living of most of our indigenous ancestry.
CHANGING "MOTHERS": FROM CHRISTIAN BORN-AGAIN CONVERSION TO INDIGENOUS REBIRTH AND RESURRECTION

Mendoza S.L. (Speaker)

Oakland University ~ Rochester, Michigan ~ United States of America
As a Filipina whose first moment of conversion to born-again evangelicalism brought about a radical rearrangement of desire and life's purpose, I found it inconceivable to imagine that one day, I could ever undergo another conversion that would even more radical, upending all I had previously embraced as the Totality of life's Truth (with double capital Ts) up till then. The catalyst for that second de-conversion/re-conversion experience came unbidden: a life-transforming, epiphanic (!) encounter with indigenous beauty facilitated through an ethnomusicology professor's tutelage in graduate school)—a conversion unlanguaged except through tearful, bodily response to dizzying color, rhythm, movement, visual design, and a very different way of being in the world. This paper will map an understanding of this new radicalizing root-trajectory as portending another rebirth, this time, from a different Mother: the Wild Earth Herself, from whence, I was to learn, that indigenous beauty that hailed me into a new form of subjectivity ultimately came. The theoretical unpacking and gradual "composting" of the hidden civilizational logic hiding inside of what I now understand as imperial Christianity—mis-recognizing indigenous subjectivity as "primitive, uncouth, savage, etc." and one that must be left behind if one were to become a true child of God and a worthy human being—will constitute the paper's primary thematic.

Panel description: The English Dominicans of the 20th century offered a challenge to their society, questioning its structures and orientations. A century of tumult and uprooting progress, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe O.P. describes it as 'something of a cultural desert [with] no common vision of what it is to be human and of the destiny to which we are called,' a culture of consumerists with only a 'stunted and shrivelled perception of the human being'. Inhabiting this malaise, the English Dominicans recognised in it moments that could be cultivated to fruition, presenting alternative visions of the human being and the social order. This provides a model of relating religiously to society that is not merely counter-cultural (the counter-cultural must derive itself from the culture it counters) but is open to the possibilities of the world. Their critical engagements with Carl Jung, Eric Gill, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and David Jones among others combine a confidence in received tradition with a willingness to delve beyond inherited systems of thought. According to Cardinal Radcliffe, this posture stems from 'the contemplative rhythm of their lives'. Rooted in a living tradition they remained radical (in both senses), open to new ways of expressing this inheritance. Contemplation became a site and source for intellectual and practical engagement with society, dealing not only with abstract issues - What, if anything, can we know of God? What is the Good Life? - but also with the concrete - How Should We Respond to British Colonialism in Ireland? How Should We Promote Peace and Oppose the Nuclear Threat? Nevertheless, such a study cannot avoid the fact that the ambition of these Dominicans ultimately failed. The English Order of Preachers may have had a contemplative vision for the transformation of society, but it never came to fruition. Any reading of this attempt to renew culture through a contemplative mode of life must grapple with this failure.

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BRIGHT, MCCABE AND THE SLANT GROUP

Hewitt S. (Speaker)

University of Leeds ~ Leeds ~ United Kingdom
During the 20th century the English Dominican Province was notable for nurturing political radicalism. In particular, both Laurence Bright and Herbert McCabe were instrumental in providing mentorship to the Slant group, well-known for the pursuit of Christian-Marxist dialogue. This talk will lay out the politico-theological ideas of Bright, McCabe and Slant, and will situate them with respect to the broader Dominican tradition.
THE SPACE BETWEEN SPEECH: PREGNANT SILENCE AND THE FUNCTION OF FAITH-LANGUAGE IN IGNACE D'HERT O.P.

Kopack A. (Speaker)

University of St Andrews ~ St Andrews ~ United Kingdom
Belgian Ignace D'hert O.P. did his doctorate at Oxford in the early 1970s where he developed a close relationship with Cornelius Ernst O.P., supervised by (now Cardinal) Timothy Radcliffe O.P. His dissertation gathers insights from Ernst into an attempt to develop a Wittgensteinian ontology as a medium for theology. D'hert unites contemplative practice with mystical theology as he re-articulates the nature and function of faith language today.