Research Group Theology in a Postmodern Context - Schillebeeckx Symposium
International Expert Symposium
THEOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
THE ENDURING RELEVANCE OF EDWARD SCHILLEBEECKX
FOR CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY
Leuven, Faculty Club – December 3-6, 2008
Organisation:
L. Boeve & F. Depoortere (KU Leuven) and S. van Erp (R.U.Nijmegen)
in collaboration with E. Borgman (U.v.Tilburg)
AIM AND SCOPE OF THE SYMPOSIUM
From December 3-6, 2008, an international expert symposium will be held in Leuven on the theme ‘Theology for the 21st Century’. This symposium is organised within the framework of a joint project between the KU Leuven (Belgium) and the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (The Netherlands), in which the continuing significance of the thought of Edward Schillebeeckx for contemporary theology is being studied.
The theological work of Edward Schillebeeckx marks the transition from a pre-modern to a modern approach to Christian faith, Church, and theology. Already more than two generations of theologians have been trained in dialogue with his thought. Contemporary theology testifies, often implicitly, to the enduring relevance of many of Schillebeeckx’s insights, while in other instances it pushes his thinking to its limits in order to deal with the current challenges for faith and society.
It is not our aim, however, to organise a ‘Schillebeeckx symposium’ in the sense of a symposium dedicated to merely commemorating and developing Schillebeeckx’s achievements. Our scope is indeed larger. This international symposium’s main objective is rather to enquire what theology in the current and coming age should look like. Our focal questions, therefore, are: What are contemporary theology’s challenges? What are its fruitful approaches? Who are its promising contributors? It is from this broader perspective, then, that reference can/will be made to Schillebeeckx’s theology, treating it as a starting point for an up-to-date theological investigation and discussion rather than as a privileged sparring partner. It is our purpose, therefore, to follow Schillebeeckx’s lead and engage in an attempt at ‘faith seeking understanding’ for our own time – just as he did in and for his own time. As a result, we invite the participation of scholars who have dealt with Schillebeeckx in the past as well as others who have not done so explicitly. What they all do share, we are sure, is the sincere will to contribute to the future development of the theological project.
We intend to organise several discussion sessions on specific theological topics which were of interest to Schillebeeckx and remain important in our own times. These include hermeneutics, experience and method, revelation and tradition, Christology, ecclesiology, theology and praxis, etc. Each session will be introduced by two of the invited scholars, offering lectures of 20 minutes, after which they will engage, together with the other participants, in a thorough discussion of the subject matter. In order for all participants to be able to appropriately prepare for this discussions, we will ask all lecturers to make (the longer version of) their lectures available some weeks before the symposium. This will also enable us to devote a maximal amount of time to the discussions.
PROGRAMME
Wednesday December 3, 2008
19.00 Opening session
- Welcome by Marc Vervenne (rector of the KU Leuven) and Ben Vedder (dean of the Faculty of Theology of the R.U.Nijmegen)
- Aim of the symposium: Stephan van Erp (R.U.Nijmegen)
- Introductory lecture 'The Enduring Relevance of Edward Schillebeeckx for Contemporary Theology': Lieven Boeve (KU Leuven)
20.30 Reception
Thursday December 4, 2008
09.00-10.50: Session 1: ‘God Is New Each Moment’: The Question of God in Modernity
- First speaker: Anthony Godzieba (Villanova)
- Second speaker: Frederiek Depoortere (KU Leuven)
11.10-13.00: Session 2: ‘Everything Is Politics But Politics Is Not Everything’: The Social Role of Theology
- First speaker: Vincent Miller (Georgetown)
- Second speaker: Jürgen Manemann (Erfurt)
14.00-15.50: Session 3: ‘God Is Bigger Than All Religions Put Together’: Theology of/and the Dialogue Between the Religions
- First speaker: Terrence Merrigan (KU Leuven)
- Second speaker: Gemma T. Cruz (DePaul University, Chicago)
16.10-18.00: Session 4: ‘Deus humanissimus’: Christology and Suffering
- First speaker: Kathleen McManus (Portland)
- Second speaker: Jean-Louis Souletie (Institut Catholique, Paris)
Friday December 5, 2008
09.00-10.50: Session 5: ‘It Began With an Experience’: Experience of Faith, Tradition and Hermeneutics
- First speaker: Joachim Sander (Salzburg)
- Second speaker: Oliver Davies (King’s College London)
11.10-13.00: Session 6: ‘The Church with a Human Face’: Community, Eucharist, Ministry
- First speaker: Mary-Catherine Hilkert (University of Notre Dame)
- Second speaker: Marc Dumas (Sherbrooke)
14.00-15.50: Session 7: Philosophy and Theology
- First speaker: Stephan Van Erp (R.U.Nijmegen)
- Second speaker: Benoît Bourgine (Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve)
16.10-18.00: Session 8: ‘Extra mundum nulla salus’: History of Salvation and Eschatology
- First speaker 1: Elizabeth K. Tillar (Plymouth State University)
- Second speaker 2: Erik Borgman (U.v.Tilburg)
20.00: Dinner in town
Saturday December 6, 2008
09.30-11.30: Plenary Discussion
- First speaker: Robert Schreiter (Catholic Theological Union, Chicago)
- Second speaker: Kathleen Dolphin (Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame)
11.30 : Closing of the Symposium
