Tag: Philosophical Theology

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Grants & Fellowships, Opportunities

Two Funded PhD Scholarships in Philosophical Theology – St. Andrews Univ – Apply by 15 Jan. 2022

Two funded PhD scholarships are available for those interested in doing research in philosophical theology.

*Deadline is 15, January 2022*

As part of the international research initiative Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology, two fully funded PhD studentships are being offered in philosophical theology in the broadly continental tradition.  

Scholarships comprise home or overseas fees, as well as living support of c. £16,000 per year. Students will be part of the School of Divinity and pursue their proposed projects under the supervision of Prof Judith Wolfe and/or Dr King-Ho Leung. 

Projects should participate in the vision of Widening Horizons. 

Questions? 

Informal enquiries may be directed to Prof Wolfe or Dr Leung. 

How do I apply? 

Applications should be submitted through the PhD application portal of the University of St Andrews by 15 January 2022. 

Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology (WHiPT)

Image of William Abraham in a library.
Faculty Updates, Master Category

William J. Abraham 1947-2021

Last week many in the theology community gave voice to sorrow at the sudden passing of theologian William J. Abraham. Abraham was a winsome philosophical theologian, Methodist scholar, and philosophical theologian. Among his many publications are books on divine revelation, the Christian canon, evangelism, divine action, and grief. Abraham was one of the editors for the Oxford Handbook of the Epistemology of Theology. This year, the fourth of his four volume set on Divine Agency and Divine Action was released. Comments appeared quickly across social media about how “Billy” Abraham impacted lives as a teacher, scholar, and friend. We have included links to some tributes to Abraham below.

You can read about William Abraham’s legacy at the Eerdman’s blog here.

A United Methodist News article on Abraham’s life and passing can be found here.

A “Tribute to William J. Abraham” can be read on the Wesleyan Covenant Association website here.

Frederick Schmidt’s memories can be read here on Patheos.

Call For Papers, Master Category, Opportunities

IVP Early Career Philosopher of Religion Contest

Inter-Varsity Press and the Tyndale Fellowship’s Study Group for Philosophy of Religion are pleased to announce this year’s ‘Early-Career Philosopher of Religion’ competition.

This year’s essay question:
What does it mean that God is good?

Prizes: Book prizes are to be awarded to the value of:
1st Prize: £100
2nd Prize: £50
Books must be purchased from IVP books.

The winner is also to be named ‘IVP Early-Career Philosopher of Religion 2021’, and offered a slot to present at the 2022 Tyndale Conference.

Submissions are welcome from those that are either within three years of their first, permanent academic position (on the closing date) or have never held such. Previous winners are requested not to re-enter. Submissions must be between 2,000 & 4,000 words, and will be assessed by a small committee on professional Philosophy benchmarks, including:

  • Display of a questioning intelligence
  • Ability to engage critically with ideas
  • Clarity in making relevant distinctions
  • Ability to construct reasoned arguments
  • Ability to evaluate arguments critically
  • Knowledge of the history of Philosophy and the Philosophy of Religion

There is no requirement that the essay defend any particular theological or philosophical view. Essays must be written in English, and submitted electronically as either a Word Document or a PDF to:

Daniel Hill (djhill1972@gmail.com) by midnight on Friday September 10th 2021.

We hope to announce the winners within one month of the closing date.
Dr Daniel Hill (Chair, Tyndale Fellowship’s Study Group in Philosophy of Religion)
Dr Yang Guo (Co-Chair, Tyndale Fellowship’s Study Group)

Grants & Fellowships, Master Category, Opportunities

The Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology project announces new funding opportunities.

Interactions between Christian thinkers and continental philosophy often have a critical focus, whether on the intellectual debt continental philosophers owe to the Christian tradition, or on the ways secular philosophers critique classical theological accounts of ultimate reality. The newly-funded Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology project at the University of St Andrews focuses on the joint potential of theology and continental philosophy for discovery and growth, using the intellectual resources continental philosophy makes available to open new horizons in philosophical theology.

Widening Horizons is offering twelve grants for research projects that advance this constructive aim. Applications may be for

  • small projects of up to £60,000 (including c. £8,000 fixed costs); or
  • large projects of up to £160,000 (including c. £23,000 fixed costs).

Projects should start between 1st October 2021 and 1st March 2022, and end between 30th September 2023 and 28th February 2024. Most activities may be concentrated within a shorter period if desired.

The call for proposals for these projects is now open until 31 May 2021 (17:00 BST). Application details and further information can be found at: https://philosophical-theology.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/.

Details about the wider multi-year project can be found here.

Call For Papers, Conferences, Events & Conferences, Master Category

Christian Philosophy: Its Past, Present, and Future

From SCP:

September 22–24, 2020
Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow, Poland

We are happy to invite you to the conference organized by Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow. We hope that you may find it inspiring. Please see the Call For Papers below:

The conference is addressed to the representatives of Christian Philosophy, and researchers who are inspired by it. Two thousand years ago, when Christianity encountered Greek and Roman philosophy, Christian thought was born. This encounter, as John Paul II noticed (Fides et ratio, IV.38), was “neither straight-forward nor immediate”. It was also based on the presupposition that synthesis of faith and reason is not only possible, more so, necessary. Many contemporary thinkers, even if they not declare themselves as Christians or religious believers, who examine philosophical problems and search the truth, seem to be open to this mystery, which is experienced by faith.

In our Academy, Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow, we develop Christian Philosophy since 1867—that is to say, we participate in long and rich tradition of philosophizing. This tradition will be continued and developed, if only Christian Philosophy will be able to respond to contemporary philosophical, ethical and social problems. During the conference, we will also present the results of four-year research project, funded by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which conducted by our colleagues.

Proposals
We invite proposals that address the problems of Christian Philosophy. We are particularly interested in the following topics and questions, but any research on the conference theme is welcome.

Main problems and questions worth considering
•       What is a Christian Philosophy?
•       Methods of practicing Christian Philosophy
•       Faith & Reason – how this relationship was understood throughout the ages and how should we understand it today?
•       Interaction of Christian Philosophy with different paradigms of philosophy and religions
•       Great Christian Philosophers
•       Can Christianity provide a creative inspiration to solve the problems of philosophy?

Proposal Requirements
Proposal Submission: Please submit a 500-word abstract of your paper (in PDF format) by April 20. Link to submission will be enabled on March 1.

Language: we accept proposals in English exclusively.

Fees: TBA

How to Submit: Please submit a 500-word abstract of your paper (in PDF format) by March 31. Submissions will be handled through the online form, which will be available from March 1. The link to the form will be included on our website. Please follow our Facebook profile (Christian Philosophy Conference), and Twitter (@christianphilo4) to be in touch. Each accepted presentation should not exceed a 20-minute time slot. There will be maximum 20 mins for a talk, and minimum 10 mins for a discussion afterwards.

Keynote speakers
·       Robert Alexander Pruss, Baylor University, Texas, USA
·       Ted Peters, Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, California, USA
·       John Hittinger, University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas, USA

Registration  
The conference is open to the public. Speakers will be charged with the costs of conference (materials, dinner, etc.)—the exact fee will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Thus, we invite you to attend, regardless of whether or not you are presenting. However, we will have limited space, so please register for the conference, so we know that you are coming. Starting May 1, you will be able to register via online form. The deadline for registering is June 30, 2020.

If you have questions, please contact the conference secretary at christianphilosophy2020@ignatianum.edu.pl

Publication
After the conference we plan to publish a special issue in a philosophical journal with the articles based on the conference speeches. The speakers are encouraged to prepare a paper (up to 15,000 words) and submit it by December 31. Each article goes through the process of double-blind peer review. Forum Philosophicum, international journal for philosophy, has already agreed to publish a special issue in 2021 including the materials from the conference, though we are also open to the collaboration with other journals.

Deadlines
·       Submission of Proposals: March 1—31, 2020
·       Notification of Acceptance: April 30, 2020
·       Registration Deadline: June 30, 2020
·       Conference Dates: September 22–24, 2020
·       Paper Submission Deadline: December 31, 2020
More information on our website: www.christianphilosophy.ignatianum.edu.pl

 

Call For Papers, Master Category

CFP: Tyndale Fellowship Conference 2020 – Philosophy of Religion Abstracts

From Daniel Hill (Liverpool)

Dear Friends of Tyndale,

Next year’s Tyndale Conference is expected to be somewhat different from those of the last three years. We are due to meet together with all the other study groups (Old Testament, New Testament, Christian Doctrine, Systematic Theology, and Biblical Archaeology) at The High Leigh Conference Centre in Hertfordshire (https://www.cct.org.uk/high-leigh/high-leigh-conference-centre) from Monday 29th June to Wednesday 1 July 2020. There is an overall theme for the conference, ‘Doing Theology in a World on the Move – Migration, Borders and Citizenship’ (https://academic.tyndalehouse.com/TFC-2020), but there is no requirement for this to be the subject of any paper in Philosophy. The PhilEvents page for the conference is https://philevents.org/event/show/78474, and the PhilEvents page for the Call for Abstracts is https://philevents.org/event/show/78582.

We are delighted to announce that our plenary speaker for Philosophy is due to be Prof. Dr Dr Daniel von Wachter (http://von-wachter.de/), Director of the Institute for Academic Philosophy in Liechtenstein (http://iap.li/en/#pll_switcher). He is expected to speak at the end of the conference on Wednesday. It is a great honour for Tyndale that Prof. von Wachter has agreed to come to speak to us. You can see his very distinguished CV at http://von-wachter.de/#CV (with two doctorates in philosophy!), and details of his 60 publications at http://von-wachter.de/#Publications.

There are due to be nine or ten slots for papers to be presented at Tyndale next year. If you would like to be considered for a slot please e-mail an abstract (no more than a few hundred words) to djhill1972@gmail.com by Friday 20th December. We hope to let successful applicants know by Monday 6th January, in plenty of time for you to book in before the closure of the early-bird discounted period on 31st January 2020.

A reminder that abstracts are welcomed from people of all faiths or none, men or women, analytic or non-analytic philosophers.

Any inquiries please do get back to me.

With best wishes,

Daniel H.

Call For Papers, Master Category

CFP: Theological Explorations in Time and Space (TheoLogica)

TheoLogica
An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology 

CALL FOR PAPERS
THEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS
IN TIME AND SPACE 

R.T. Mullins (University of St Andrews)
David Anzalone (University of Lucerne)
Ben Page (Durham University)

 

In 1969, T.F. Torrance published Space, Time, and Incarnation. This brought together recent work in philosophy and science on the nature of space and time in order to explore the implications for theology. Torrance’s theology engaged with the scientific thought of Albert Einstein and James Clerk Maxwell, as well as the temporal logic of A.N. Prior. The influence of this work on subsequent theology cannot be overstated. Yet, a great deal has changed since 1969, and most contemporary discussions in theology show little awareness of recent advancements in the metaphysics of time and space. The field of analytic theology has started to make progress in these areas, but
much work remains to be done.

We invite papers that offer a theological or religious engagement with philosophical issues related to time and space. Papers can be from any religious, theological, or atheological tradition. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

1) God’s relationship to time and space. Defences of traditional understandings
of timelessness and omnipresence using recent work in temporal ontology,
such as the moving spotlight. Alternative models of the God-world relationship
that engage with the metaphysics of time and space.

2) Divine foreknowledge, providence, and temporal logic. This could include
theological explorations of the open or closed future, or alternative ontologies
such as fragmentalism.

3) Religious perspectives on personal identity over time. Papers could include
discussions on the doctrines of the resurrection, salvation and enlightenment,
Samsāra, and eschatology.

4) Theological explorations of hypertime and hyperspace.

5) Time, space, and the incarnation.

6) Does time have a beginning? Papers could debate rival doctrines of creation,
the kalpas, or Sunyata.

 

Deadline for submissions: May 31st 2020.

Full papers should be submitted via our website:
https://ojs.uclouvain.be/index.php/theologica/index or sent to: managingeditor.theologica@gmail.com. In order to contribute equally to scientific international discussions held in several languages, articles written in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish are accepted. Visit the TheoLogica homepage for a description of the journal and instructions to authors.

 

Yours sincerely,
R.T. Mullins, David Anzalone, and Ben Page

Call For Papers, Conferences, Events & Conferences, Master Category

CFP: GOD, TIME AND CHANGE

GOD, TIME AND CHANGE

Call for Papers

​

23rd Conference of the European Society for Philosophy of Religion

God, Time and Change

University of Leeds, UK: 3–5 September 2020

This conference investigates the impact of time and change, as two facets of human experience and cognition, on conceptions of God, the divine and ultimate reality. While being a rich source for metaphysical speculation, questions about time and change also provoke discussion of what it means to be human, thereby having profound ethical and social implications. Reflection on time and change in relation to God, the divine or ultimate reality forms the philosophical core of many religious traditions, both theistic and non-theistic. The question, for instance, of whether or not temporality and change should be conceived as inherent attributes of God has been a focus of debate within philosophy of religion since antiquity. Time and change continue to be topics of ongoing research within many academic disciplines. The conference brings current philosophical and scientific theories of time and change into conversation with perspectives from the philosophy of religion.

Call for short papers

Short papers (with a reading time of 20 minutes) are invited in either English or German on the above topics. The questions are suggestive rather than restrictive. Please send abstracts (with a maximum of 15 lines) to espr@godtimeandchange.com by 15th April 2020. You will be notified of the outcome by the end of April. If you need an earlier decision in order to apply for funding, please state this when you submit your abstract and submit the abstract as early as possible. Inquiries can be directed to espr@godtimeandchange.com

Keynote Speakers:

Prof. Robin Le Poidevin, Professor of Metaphysics, University of Leeds, UK

Prof. Lubos Rojka, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion, Gregorian University, Rome

Prof. Dr. Heiko Schulz, Professor for Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion, Faculty for Protestant Theology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany

Prof. Marcel Sarot, Professor of Fundamental Theology, Tilburg University, Utrecht Netherlands

Prof. Marius Timman Mjaaland, Professor of Religion, University of Oslo, Sweden

Dr Jessica Frazier, Hindu Studies and Philosophy of Religion, Trinity College, University of Oxford and Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Oxford, UK

Prof. Jayne Svenungsson, Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Lund, Sweden

Prof. Carla Canullo, Professor of Theoretical Philosophy, University of Macerata, Italy

​

About the ESPR: The European Society for Philosophy of Religion provides a forum for researchers employing different approaches to the philosophy of religion. See http://www.philosophy-of-religion.org

The conference website: http://godtimeandchange.com

For the full CFP see: https://www.godtimeandchange.com/

Conferences, Events & Conferences, Master Category

Analytic Theology at AAR 2019

The 2019 national annual conference of the Evangelical Philosophical Society will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California, from November 20–22 (Wednesday-Friday). After the EPS annual meeting, there will be several sessions at AAR which might be of interest to theologians, especially those who are interested in Analytic Theology. Sessions will be held at the Marriott Marquis and the Hilton Bayfront.

2019 EPS at AAR/SBL: Love: Divine and Human

November 22, 2019
Marriott Marquis-Solana
San Diego, CA

Theme: Love: Divine and Human
Friday – 7:00 PM-9:30 PM
Marriott Marquis-Solana (South Tower – First Level)

Love, Divine and Human: Contemporary Essays in Systematic and Philosophical Theology(edited by Oliver Crisp, James Arcardi, Jordan Wessling)is a collection of essays forthcoming from T&T Clark. This book panel would give some of the volume’s authors an opportunity to share their research with a larger audience.

Panelists:

  • Sameer Yadav (Westmont College) responds to the problem of divine hiddenness by way of an analysis of divine love.
  • Kent Dunnington (Biola University) argues on exegetical and philosophical grounds that there is not a Christian duty to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
  • J.T. Turner (Anderson College) argues against the notion that virtuous character formation in love for God provides a causal link between libertarian free will in pre-heavenly existence and moral impeccability in the eschatological state.
  • Jordan Wessling (Fuller Seminary) argues for a unitary account of the relation between God’s love and God’s punitive wrath.
  • Erin Dufault-Hunter (Fuller Seminary) on “Sex Is Really about God”: Sarah Coakley and the Transformation of Desire.

For more information: https://papers.aarweb.org/program_book?keys=Evangelical+Philosophical+Society&field_session_slot_nid=All

2019 EPS at AAR/SBL: Modern Philosophy of Theological Anthropology

November 24, 2019
Marriott Marquis-Torrey Pines
San Diego, CA

Theme: Modern Philosophy of Theological Anthropology
Joshua Farris, Houston Baptist University, Presiding
Nathan Jacobs, University of Kentucky, Presiding
Sunday – 7:00 PM-9:30 PM
Marriott Marquis-Torrey Pines 2 (North Tower – Lobby Level)

Modernity, some have suggested, sows the seeds for a purely materialist, mechanistic, non-experiential, a-religious perspective of the world. However, new work on God and Modern philosophy in philosophers such as Descartes, Hobbes, and Kant challenges this assumption. Through the lens of some of the most important Modern figures, the present panel discussion explores the following question: Does contemporary philosophical materialism regarding humans have much footing in the modern dialectic? We suggest that it does not by considering Descartes, Hobbes, Berkeley, Kant.

  • Charles Taliaferro, St. Olaf College: Descartes and the Primacy of Self-awareness
  • Richard J. Mouw, Fuller Theological Seminary: Hobbes and Descartes in Christian Anthropology
  • Chris L. Firestone, Trinity International University: Kant’s Existential Dualism
  • Geoffrey Fulkerson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School: Heidegger, the Technological, and Dwelling: A Theological Account

For more information: https://papers.aarweb.org/program_book?keys=Evangelical+Philosophical+Society&field_session_slot_nid=All

2019 AAR/SBL: Incarnational Model of the Eucharist

November 25, 2019
Hilton Bayfront-Indigo
San Diego, CA

Society of Christian Philosophers Session
Theme: Panel on James Arcadi’s An Incarnational Model of the Eucharist (Cambridge University Press, 2018)
Monday – 9:30 AM-12:30 PM
Hilton Bayfront-Indigo 204B (Second Level)

This is an author-meets-critics session on James Arcadi’s book, An Incarnational Model of the Eucharist (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

Panelists:

For more information: https://papers.aarweb.org/program_book?keys=%22Panel+on+James+Arcadi?&field_session_slot_nid=All