Isaak Deman is a doctoral researcher under a joint-PhD project between KU Leuven and Australian Catholic University. He is a member of the Research Unit History of Church and Theology at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, KU Leuven. He holds a Research Master: Master of Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion, with a major in Systematic Theology, from KU Leuven.
His research focuses on the Catholic vision on education and formation before, during and after Vatican II. More specifically, he investigates the redaction and reception history of the conciliar document Gravissimum Educationis (1965). His research is part of the larger research project led by the Centre for the Study of the Second Vatican Council (KU Leuven), the Research Centre for the Studies of the Second Vatican Council (Australian Catholic University), and Tilburg University, that seeks to advance research into the global reception of Vatican II on four key themes: Revelation, Church, Ecumenism, and Education.
His research interests include the interplay between geopolitics and religion, theory & method in the study of religion and the secular, sociology of religion, and natural theology.
-
chapterDeman, Isaak; 2023. Catholic Education and Formation on the Threshold of Vatican II: Catechism, Catechesis, Seminaries and Schools within the Vota Antepraeparatoria. Vatican II After Sixty Years: Developments and Expectations Prior to the Council; 2023; pp. 287 - 312 Publisher: Brepols Publishers; TurnhoutLIRIAS4121522
description
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2023. The Suggestions of Catholic Women and Female Congregations during the Third Intersession on De Educatione Christiana (1965).LIRIAS4089752
description
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2023. A Decree becomes a Declaration: A Catholic Degradation of a Universal Issue? Part II: Towards a Declaration De educatione christiana (1965)..LIRIAS4073602
description
Published -
journal-articleDeman, Isaak; 2023. Catechese aan de vooravond van Vaticanum II: Een terugblik op de verwachtingen vanuit de vota. Collationes Vlaams Tijdschrift voor Theologie en Pastoraal; 2023; Vol. 53; iss. 3; pp. 311 - 332 keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4111143
description
It has been sixty-five years since Pope John XIII informed the Church and the world that an ecumenical council would be organized to decide the future of the Catholic Church. Although the major lines have already been discussed in detail since then, there are still some aspects which are currently underexposed. One of them is the content and historical value of the vota antepreaparatoria – an overview of the wishes of the world episcopate, the religious superiors, the Roman Curia, and the Catholic universities and ecclesial faculties. The role of these vota during the preparatory period and their function within the conciliar history, as well as the larger church history of the 20th century, are well-known; however, the topic of catechesis within the vota has not yet been discussed in detail. A cursory look at the Analyticus Conspectus – a bundle containing summaries of various thematic highlights within the vota – proves that a synthetic and exhaustive overview regarding catechesis is missing. In this way, a thorough overview of the various wishes regarding catechesis is necessary to comprehend the foci within each continent and/or country, as well as the ecclesiological background of the various actors involved. As such, we can see the similarities and differences, which provide an outlook of what captivated the mind and the overall zeitgeist. After all, the changes during the council can only be fully comprehended and appreciated in light of the ideas and movements that preceded the council. After providing this comprehensive overview, this article briefly touches upon some of the questions regarding catechesis for the Flemish context: were there some aspects of catechesis for which the Church waited too long to implement? Are there certain aspects which were highlighted back then and have since (not) been implemented?
Published -
journal-articleDeman, Isaak; 2022. Pre-Conciliar Expectations on Catholic Education and Formation: Perspectives from South and Southeast Asian Bishops as reflected in the Vota. Eastern Journal of Dialogue and Culture; 2022; Vol. 15; iss. 2; pp. 42 - 59LIRIAS3998681
description
Publisher: Chair for Christian Studies and Research
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2022. Exploring the Similarities and Differences between the Vota Antepræparatioria of the Bishops and the Roman Curia on Catholic Education and Formation.LIRIAS3762259
description
Published -
chapterDeman, Isaak; 2022. From Big Bang to Heat Death? Theological Considerations Concerning Modern Cosmological Issues, followed by an Update. The Fraser Prize Essays 2012-2019; 2022; pp. 83 - 97 Publisher: Handsel Press; Haddington, ScotlandLIRIAS3738697
description
Published online -
journal-articleDeman, Isaak; 2022. The Role of Religious Experiences and Religious Institutions: Comparing Peter L. Berger’s and Hans Joas’ Approach to Religion. Method & Theory in the Study of Religion: Journal of the North American Association for the Study of Religion; 2022; Vol. 34; iss. 4; pp. 328 - 348 keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS3552151
description
Hans Joas (born 1948) has repeatedly criticized Peter L. Berger (1929–2017) for placing religious experiences in the cognitive realm, where it runs the risk of being “contaminated” by secularization and pluralism. Instead, Joas has proposed to locate religious experiences in the “deeper layers” of the human person, where it is protected against mere cognitive reductionism and against contamination by secularization and pluralism. Despite his critique, Joas follows a similar path of Berger, as he explains the phenomenon of religion from an inductive point of view that originates in the experiential realm. This article demonstrates how Joas’ approach operates on a similar methodology like the one of Berger and ultimately results in similar theoretical conclusions despite their differing theoretical foundations. Moreover, this article illuminates an implicit methodological similarity between Joas and Berger that, on the one hand, differs from one of the taken-for-granted methodologies in the discipline of sociology (of religion), and, on the other hand, strongly influences the disposition of religious institutions in their definition of religion.
Publisher: Brill
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2022. Pre-conciliar Intercontinental Perspectives on Catholic Education: An Analysis of the Episcopal Vota.LIRIAS3708822
description
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2021. Lived Catholicism through Catholic Education? Pre-Conciliar Expectations among the European Bishops as reflected in the Vota.LIRIAS3630111
description
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2021. The Significance of the Oneiric for Natural Theology.LIRIAS3483625
description
Published -
journal-articleDeman, Isaak; 2021. Religious Elements in Embrace of the Serpent (2015): Transforming the Dichotomies between an Amazonian payé and Western Expeditioners in the Wake of the Rubber Industry. Religions; 2021; Vol. 12; iss. 6; pp. 1 - 19 keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS3461172
description
Embrace of the Serpent (2015), directed by Ciro Guerra, narrates the parallel stories of Theo and Evan whose main purpose is to find the yakruna plant in the Amazon rainforest. Both men are guided by the payé Karamakate. The first story depicts Theo’s encounter with Karamakate and their travel through the Amazon for yakruna, which can cure Theo of his disease. Along the way, one comes to witness the parallel often disturbing events in the wake of colonialism, capitalism and the Catholic missionary movement. The second story narrates Evan’s encounter with Karamakate three decennia later, but this time, the viewer is informed about Theo’s preceding story and comes to see the devastating consequences. While Theo ultimately fails to utilize yakruna, Evan manages to find and utilize the plant, which leads him towards a radical self-transformation. In this way, Evan and Karamakate succeed where Theo and Karamakate failed. While Embrace of the Serpent has been hailed for its cinematography, its representation of the ecological decay, and the effects of Western colonialism, further reflection is needed with respect to the religious elements in the film. In doing so, this article proves that the film deals not only with the socio-political and ecological realities on the ground, but also with existential questions.
Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Published -
presentationBosschaert, Dries; Deman, Isaak; 2020. The Centre for the Study of the Second Vatican Council and Digitization.LIRIAS3284723
description
Published -
mediaBosschaert, Dries; Soetaert, Alexander; Lamberigts, Mathijs; Deman, Isaak; 2020. Workshop Centre for the Study of the Second Vatican Council.LIRIAS2957760
description
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2019. Peter L. Berger and Hans Joas on the Notion of Religion.LIRIAS2845412
description
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2019. The Shaping and Significance of Peter L. Berger's Sociological-Theological Approach to 'Religion'.LIRIAS2821682
description
Published -
presentationDeman, Isaak; 2019. Grace in Society: A Reflection on Peter L. Berger’s Notion of ‘Signals of Transcendence’.LIRIAS2790117
description
Published -
journal-articleDeman, Isaak; 2018. From Big Bang to heat death? Theological considerations concerning modern cosmological issues.. Theology in Scotland; 2018; Vol. 25; iss. 1; pp. 6 - 17 keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS2273693
description
This essay sets out to challenge the widespread assumption that scientific explanations for the creation and destiny of the universe are directly opposed to religious or theological explanations of the cosmos. It begins by exploring the cosmic geography of the peoples of the Ancient Near East and examining linguistic elements of the biblical creation stories in order to demonstrate that our modern concerns about understanding the cosmos are not necessarily the same as those of the biblical authors. It goes on to discuss current areas of debate – such as the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, the concept of a multiverse, and the idea of ‘heat death’ as a potential end of the cosmos – and considers how far such concepts are compatible with Christian teaching. (This paper was selected as the winning entry in the 2017 Fraser Essay Prize competition.)
Publisher: University of St. Andrews
Published