International Conference

K.U.Leuven

17-19 December 2009

“Noli me tangere in Interdisciplinary Perspective”

The conference “Noli me tangere in Interdisciplinary Perspective” aims at an international conference of researchers on one specific verse, namely John 20:17: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not touch me (or: do not touch me, Greek: mê mou haptou), because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’”, the verse that some have labelled the most difficult verse of the fourth gospel.

The disciplines of exegesis, literature study, philosophy, art history and practical theology will collaborate in this conference to investigate the meaning, reception history and present-day relevance of “mê mou haptou” in John 20:17. The element of continuity in this multidisciplinary study of John 20:17 is the theme of touching/holding/letting go.

The conference will mark the completion of an interdisciplinary research project, sponsored by the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (2005-2009) “Mary Magdalene and the Touching of Jesus. An Intra- and Interdisciplinary Investigation of the Interpretation of John 20:17 in Exegesis, Iconography and Pastoral Care”. It is a cooperation of researchers of the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Arts of the K.U.Leuven and of Saint Paul University Ottawa. For more information concerning this research project, its activities and publications, please visit: www.nolimetangere.net.

Scholars, including junior scholars are encouraged to submit paper proposals that address the main theme of the Conference ‘Noli me tangere in Interdisciplinary Perspective’. Papers can focus on the meaning, the relevance and/or the reception of the noli me tangere motif. Proposals to study this theme from an exegetical, reception-historical, literary, philosophical, art historical or pastoral theological perspective are welcome.

Paper presentations should be delivered in English and should be approximately 20 minutes in length. At the conference they will be given in the format of parallel sessions. They are scheduled on December 18 and 19, 2009 between noon and 1 pm.

Paper proposals should be accompanied by an abstract of 200-250 words in English. We are planning to publish the papers of the conference with an international publisher based on a peer review process.

Please send your paper proposals with the abstract as an attachment to the Noli me tangere Research Project, at the following e-mail address: nolimetangere@theo.kuleuven.be. The proposal submission deadline is April 1, 2009.