LEST IV

Religious Experience and Contemporary Theological Epistemology

General Information Theme of the Conference Programme of the Conference & Time schedule Call for Papers &  Accepted Papers Juniors Scholars Conference& Accepted Papers About L.E.S.T Preceding Conferences & Proceedings Traveling to Leuven Conference Secretary

GENERAL INFORMATION

Following the 1997 LEST I international conference on The Myriad Christ, the 1999 LEST II international conference on Sacramental Presence in a Postmodern Context and the 2001 LEST III international conference on Theology and Conversation, the Department of Dogmatic Theology (Faculty of Theology, KU Leuven), organises a fourth Leuven Encounters in Systematic Theology, LEST IV, focusing on the status of religious experience in theological epistemology.

This international conference aims at stimulating thought and research on the role of religious experience and a contemporary theological epistemology. Religious experience play an even important role of tradition in theology today. Some important questions involved in the elaboration of this theme are: What is religious experience? What is its status in theological method? How to relate contemporary reflection to the traditions of mystical theology?

Main speakers include:  Lieven Boeve (Leuven, Belgium), Laurence Hemming (London, UK), Grace Jantzen (Manchester, UK), Jean-Luc Marion (Paris, France), Sebastian Painadath (Kalady, India), Sylvie Robert (Lyon, France), Richard Schaeffler (München, Germany),  Francis Schüssler Fiorenza (Cambridge, USA).

THEME OF THE CONFERENCE

Diverse sample studies taken from the more extensive field of religion and reflection on religion reveal that ‘religious experience’ is clearly a pivotal issue: this is made evident in, among other things, (modern) theological hermeneutics and (anti-modern or post-modern) reactions thereto, the theology of world religions and inter-religious dialogue, the contemporary resurgence of religiosity in society and culture, and the theme of religion in philosophy. It would appear from such studies that the category of ‘religious experience’ is frequently employed to clarify or explain the phenomenon of religion and religiosity on the one hand and to support and legitimise religious positions and other fundamental life options on the other. Following the loss of plausibility of foundational, onto-theological conceptual schemes and of traditional religiosity, ‘religious experience’ has come to constitute, for many, the last (or latest) point of departure and anchor for religion/religiosity and reflection thereon. This is certainly the case with respect to tendencies within contemporary Christian traditions and theological reflection. In a multitude of ways and from a variety of different perspectives, ‘religious experience’ and ‘experience of transcendence or of the divine’ has been given a prominent – often foundational and legitimising – place in religio-philosophical and fundamental-theological conceptual schemes. In reaction to this, other authors have denied the very primacy given to religious experience in reflecting upon faith.

The category of religious experience today is in great need of reconceptualisation, not least from a theological point of view. On the one hand, religious experience is all too easily called upon to legitimise religious claims (often against ‘tradition’) and on the other hand, the category has become misleading in so far as it is tainted by the modern scientific methodologically influenced understanding of experience (in reaction to which ‘tradition’ is then too quickly invoked to protect the core of religion). Thus, a refined understanding of religious experience (experience of God) is crucial for theological epistemology. Certainly in the face of the actual challenges that there are: religious plurality, aestheticisation of religion, etc.

 CALL FOR PAPERS  Accepted Papers

With the theme and questions formulated above in view, we seek contributions especially, though not exclusively, from the fields of fundamental and systematic theology, and philosophy of religion. A closer treatment of a specific theme or debate regarding religious experience and theology is equally welcome. We invite papers to be given in sessions arranged around related themes. The Conference working language is English but papers can be presented in French and German as well. 

Paper proposals can be made in the form of an outline or abstract of approximately 250 words. Please include also your academic profile and bibliographic references to recent articles or books. Evaluations of paper proposals will take place in January 2003 and in April 2003. Deadlines for paper proposals are thus set for December 2002, 15 or April, 1, 2003 respectively. Authors of accepted proposals will be duly notified in the month immediately following their evaluation. 

JUNIOR SCHOLARS CONFERENCE   Accepted Papers

In conjunction with the conference, there will also be a day reserved for doctoral students and recent Ph.D.'s. The Junior Scholars Conference will take place on Wednesday November 5, 2003, from 9.30am to 6.00p.m.

Junior Scholars are similarly invited to deliver papers of 20 minutes duration along the theme and guidelines given in the call for papers for the actual Conference. Paper proposals (in the form of an abstract or outline of approximately 250 words) will be similarly evaluated in January and April 2003. Deadlines are therefore also 15 December 2002 and 1 April 2003 respectively. As with the Conference papers, the working language for the Junior Scholars’ Conference is English but papers may be presented in French and German as well.

Paper proposals can be made in the form of an outline or abstract of approximately 250 words. Please include also your academic profile and bibliographic references to recent articles or books. Evaluations of paper proposals will take place in January 2003 and in April 2003. Deadlines for paper proposals are thus set for December 15, 2002 or April 1, 2003 respectively. Authors of accepted proposals will be duly notified in the month immediately following their evaluation.

ABOUT L.E.S.T.

LEST is an initiative of the Department of Dogmatic Theology, Faculty of Theology, K.U. Leuven. It is organised biannually and resorts each time under the responsibility of one of the Department’s professors.

The general LEST board consists of Prof. dr. Lieven Boeve, Prof. dr. Peter De Mey, Prof. dr. Jacques Haers, and Prof. dr. Terrence Merrigan, all of them members of the Leuven Department of Dogmatic Theology.

PRECEDING L.E.S.T. CONFERENCES & PROCEEDINGS

Up until now the Leuven Department of Dogmatic Theology organised three LEST conferences, in 1997, 1999 and 2001. The proceedings of the 1997 and 1999 conferences have been published and are available at Peeters Press Leuven

1st L.E.S.T. Conference - Leuven Nov.18-21, 1997
The Myriad Christ. Plurality and the Quest for Unity in Contemporary Christology

Theology as a whole and christology in particular are increasingly shaped by the challenge of contemporary pluralism. This pluralistic ethos is especially evident in the refusal to ascribe finality to any religious leader or tradition, as well as in the willingness to recognize the contribution made by other religious traditions. Both these aspects of pluralism have led to a distinct reassessment of traditional Christian claims about the significance of Jesus Christ. This process of reassessment has been characterized by a renewed interest in the person and work of the historical Jesus of Nazareth, a tendency which appears to provide christology with a new focus. The congress reflected on the impact of the contemporary climate on christological thinking and assessed prospects for the traditional Christian understanding of Christ at the end of the second millennium. 

Proceedings of the conference are published in: 

T. Merrigan & J. Haers (eds.), The Myriad Christ: Plurality and the Quest for Unity in Contemporary Christology (BETL, 152), Peeters Press, Leuven, 2000.

2nd L.E.S.T. Conference - Leuven, Nov. 3-6, 1999
Sacramental Presence in a Postmodern Context - Fundamental Theological Approaches

Christian identity today is confronted by a two-fold challenge. In the contemporary pastoral and cultural domain, it is nog longer evident that people can or will recognize themselves in the language and structures of traditional religions. This difficulty is repeated in the more speculative domain, where theologians attempting to respond to those problems face the additional task of reaffirming or perhaps redefining their place among the other disciplines. Wheter it is a matter of experiencing God in everyday life, or of offering plausible reflection on what experience on the locus theologicus, sacramental presence. 

Proceedings of this conference are published as:

L. Boeve & L. Leijssen (eds.), Sacramental Presence in a Postmodern Context (BETL, 160), Peeters Press, Leuven, 2001.

L. Boeve & J. Ries (eds.), The Presence of Transcendence: Thinking "Sacrament" in a Postmodern Age (Annua nuntia Lovaniensia, 42), Peeters Press, Leuven, 2001.

L. Boeve & L. Leijssen (eds.), The Presence of God in a Postmodern Context: The Sacramental Contours of a God Incarnate (Questions Liturgiques - Studies in Liturgy, vol. 81), Peeters Press, Leuven, 2000.

3th L.E.S.T. Conference - Leuven, Nov. 6-9, 2001
Theology and Conversation. Developing a Relational Theology

This international conference aims at stimulating thougt and research on the role of converstation and the idea of conversation in theology. Relational approaches play an ever more important role as a method in theology and in the elaboration of various systematic subjects. Conversation defines a challenging theological research programme. 

The proceedings of the conference will be published in 2002/2003