Research Group Theology in a Postmodern Context - Consuming Religion in Europe

Consuming Religion in Europe - Discussing Vincent Miller's Consuming Religion

March 27-28, 2006 - Conference Room Pope's College, Hogeschoolplein, Leuven (Belgium)

From 27 to 28 March 2006, the Research Group 'Theology in a Postmodern Context' and the Department of Systematic Theology at the Faculty of Theology (KU Leuven, Belgium) will organise a small book symposium on Vincent Miller's Consuming Religion: Religious Belief and Practice in a Consumer Culture (New York, 2004) investigating whether Miller's proposal also offers an adequate theological analysis of religion in Europe.

The effects of today's consumer mentality on society can hardly be underestimated. Religion too has been transformed into an object of consumption. Miller - who highlights the influence of culture on religion - describes consumption mainly as an attitude, that rips things and practices out of their contexts and treats them as 'flat' phenomena without any origin. To respond properly to this use of religious items that are detached from their tradition, he advocates a strategy by which the objects we consume are remembered as 'having an origin'. Only then, tradition will come into play again.

Some central issues we would like to discuss in our symposium are: Can we apply Miller's analyses on Europe? Is European culture as consumption-minded as American culture? The European Union explicitly intends to protect cultural diversity in her member states. But is that still possible in a consumer society where everything is being detached from its culture or context? Is (Christian) tradition already more fragmented in our more secularized Europe? What is actually our attitude towards tradition? Or is Europe less affected by neoliberalism and globalization (and thus by a consumption mentality) than the US? What role can be played by the Church in this matter?

During the symposium, we have planned several contributions of European scholars of 30 minutes each. Speakers who already have confirmed to participate are: Vincent Miller (Georgetown University, Washington), Edmund Arens (Luzern), Eamonn Conway (Limerick), Paul Cortois (Leuven), Yves De Maeseneer (Leuven), Henri-Jérôme Gagey (Paris) and Peter Scott (Manchester).

For more information about this symposium, please contact Kristien Justaert.

The texts of this symposium have been published in Bulletin ET >>> read more