BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//Grails iCalendar plugin//NONSGML Grails iCalendar plugin//EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20240329T044317Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20170715T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20170715T170000 SUMMARY:Speaking (Or Not Speaking) of God An Interdisciplinary Conference On The Dialectic Of Divine Presence And Absence UID:20240329T044318Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6f97df9687-7c6q9 TZID:America/Toronto DESCRIPTION:
When: \; October 6-7\, 2017
\nWhere: \; \;University of Denver\, Denver\, Colorado
\nSponsors: \; \;Department of Religious Studies\, Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory
\nDeadline for Proposals: \; \;July 15\, 2017
\nContact:  \;editor.jcrt@gmail.com
\nSince the philosopher Nietzsche announced the &ldquo\;death of God&rdquo\; over a century ago\, the specter of divine absence has hovered over Western civilization.
\nThe importance of this theme has not been limited to atheists. \; Since at least the 1960s\, the &ldquo\;death of God&rdquo\; movement has captivated the imagination of theologians and philosophers alike\, and as a result has been an ongoing &ndash\; and contentious &ndash\; issue for the public as a whole. \; The  \;box office success in recent years of such Christian films as &ldquo\;God&rsquo\;s Not Dead&rdquo\; and &ldquo\;God&rsquo\;s Not Dead 2&rdquo\;)\, which to date have grossed around $80 million\, attest to a profound\, popular interest in Nietzsche&rsquo\;s famous saying\, even if it has become a focus of the culture wars.
\nWhether God is dead or absent\, however\, the question of whether the divine continues to manifest in some way &ndash\; as a &ldquo\;still small voice&rdquo\; or as felt presence &ndash\; is a question that preoccupies religious believers and philosophers and theorists of religion \;alike. \; Theologian John D. Caputo contends\, for example\, that God may not exist\, but still &ldquo\;insists&rdquo\; in certain mysterious ways. A long spiritual tradition running back to the early Middle Ages known as &ldquo\;negative theology&rdquo\; holds that even if the divine itself is beyond human reach\, one can still &rdquo\;speak&rdquo\; of God &ndash\; paradoxically &ndash\; by &ldquo\;not-speaking.&rdquo\; \; Likewise\, God can also &ldquo\;speak&rdquo\; in the same way.
\nThe symposium will address a number of questions from an interdisciplinary perspective concerning the relationship between the presence/absence and the voice/silence of God. \; For instance: What does it imply (theologically\, linguistically\, existentially\, psychologically\, etc.) to invoke the expression &ldquo\;God speaks&rdquo\;?  \;If God is dead\, does God still &ldquo\;speak from the dead&rdquo\; in some extended sense of the word\, and what does that in itself say about God? \; What does it mean to talk about divine &ldquo\;presence&rdquo\; and \;&ldquo\;absence&rdquo\;\, or about God &ldquo\;speaking&rdquo\; or &ldquo\;remaining silent&rdquo\;? \; Are we simply utilizing \;metaphors when we talk about the &ldquo\;voice of God&rdquo\;\, or does such a locution have more palpable \;as well as empirical ramifications?
\nThe conference organizers invite proposals for papers\, panels\, or presentations.  \;Proposals should be a maximum of 500 \;words (full papers may also be submitted) and include the full names and affiliations of each presenter along with their email contact information and a 2-3 sentence bio.  \;Proposals must be submitted as an attachment in Microsoft Word\, or Word-compatible\, format no later than July 15\, 2017 to \;editor.jcrt@gmail.com.  \;Notification of accepted proposals will be sent no later than August 1\, 2017.
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