PANEL: AGAMBEN'S THEOLOGICAL-POLITICAL HORIZONS REIMAGINING JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND MESSIANIC POTENTIALITY
11/07/2025 11:00 - 17:30
HALL: Lecture Hall 05

Proponent: Dal Bo F., Pisano L., Salzani C.

Chair: Dal Bo F.

Speaker: Dal Bo F., Kirkland S., Kotsko A., Layus G., Pisano L., Reynard J., Salzani C., Thwaites J., Wright O.

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.

170.2
170.3
170.4
AGAMBEN'S SPEECH ACTS

Wright O. *

University of Oxford ~ Oxford ~ United Kingdom
170.5
AGAMBEN'S REMNANT AND THE CHRISTIAN PROBLEM

Kirkland S. *

Trinity College ~ Melbourne ~ Australia
170.6
AGAMBEN BETWEEN PAULINE MESSIANISM AND INSTITUTIONAL CHRISTIANITY

Kotsko A. *

North Central College ~ Chicago ~ United States of America
170.7
AGAMBEN BETWEEN PAULINE MESSIANISM AND INSTITUTIONAL CHRISTIANITY

Kotsko A. *

North Central College ~ Chicago ~ United States of America
170.8
170.9
170.10
SIDING WITH THE KATECHON: IS AGAMBEN'S MESSIANISM PRO-AUTHORITARIAN?

Layus G. *

Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven ~ Leuven ~ Belgium