Philosophy of Religion

2023 Call for Papers

Michael McGravey, Elms College (MA)
mcgraveym@elms.edu  

Ethan Vander Leek, Marquette University (WI)

ethan.vanderleek@marquette.edu

The Philosophy of Religion section welcomes all proposals concerning issues in the philosophy of religion or philosophical theology.  Preference will be given to proposals related to the conference theme, “Vulnerability & Flourishing.” Topics could include (but are by no means limited to):

• Phenomenological and philosophical expressions of the human experiences of vulnerability and flourishing
•  Explorations and assessments of the possible meaning of God-as-vulnerable (e.g., John D. Caputo's, The Weakness of God; Jürgen Moltmann's, The Crucified God; Open Theism)
• The vulnerability of philosophy, particularly vulnerability to religion or the divine. Is philosophy autonomous and self-sufficient? Or does philosophy flourish through vulnerability to otherness?
• The implications of vulnerability (generally human or precisely Jesus's vulnerability) for theological and philosophical anthropology
• Explorations of feminist philosopher Judith Butler or feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson and their work related to gendered experiences of vulnerability
• Contemporary presentations of Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Emmanuel Lévinas, or others who have explored aspects of human existence, including vulnerability and flourishing
• The application of Alfred North Whitehead and/or Charles Hartshorne as it relates to human suffering, climate degradation, and other natural challenges

We also welcome submissions that address trauma as it afflicts the most vulnerable, especially those essays focused on work by those in the philosophy of religion (or related areas).

Please submit a proposal of 300 words in the body of an e-mail message directed to both conveners by Dec. 15, 2023. Include your institutional affiliation (if any), contact information, and current status in academia, along with your proposal.