Religion, Civil Religion, and the Common Good

June 20, 2012 - June 21, 2012
Centre for the Study of Religion, Conflict and Cooperation, London Metropolitan University

16 Goulston Street
London
United Kingdom

View the Call For Papers

Speakers:

Ronald Beiner
University of Toronto
Jeremy Carrette
University of Kent at Canterbury
Timothy Chappell
Open University (UK)
Brian Girvin
University of Glasgow
Lord Glasman
Heythrop College
Patrick Riordan
Heythrop College

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Programme:

Wednesday 20th June 2012

09.00  Conference registration and tea & coffee

9.30  Welcoming Remarks:

Lord (Professor Raymond) Plant of Highfield

King's College London

9.45  PLENARY 1
Dr. Patrick Riordan
Heythrop College, University of London
Talk of the Common Good: Promises and Prospects

Discussant: Dr. Jeffery Nicholas, Providence College, Rhode Island

11.00  Tea and Coffee

11.30  Panel 1  

Religion, Economics and Common Goods

Dr. William Dixon and Dr. David Wilson

Daniele Morici

Helly Chahal 

Liberalism and the Common Good

Dr. Helen McCabe

Dr. Terri M. Murray

Dr. Jonathan Garthoff

13.15  Lunch

14.15   PLENARY 2
Prof. Ronald Beiner
University of Toronto
Chair: Lord (Professor Raymond) Plant of Highfield, King's College London
Secularism as a Common Good

15.30   Panel 2

Catholic Social Teaching 1.

Dr. Marian Kuna

Tobias Schaffner

Civil Religion and the Public Sphere 1.

Prof. Andrius Bielskis

Dr. Sante Maletta

16.45  Tea and coffee

17.15   PLENARY 3
Lord Glasman of Stoke Newington and Stamford Hill
London Metropolitan University

Chair: Dr. Anja Steinbauer, Philosophy Now Magazine
Faith, Citizenship and the Politics of the Common Good

18.15   Drinks reception

19.30   Speakers' dinner

Thursday 21st June 2012

09.00   Day registration

09.30   PLENARY 4
Prof. Timothy Chappell
Open University
The goods and the persons they are goods for
Discussant: Dr. Tom Angier, University of Kent 

10.45   Panel 3  

Civil Religion and the Public Sphere 2.

Prof. Jeff Haynes

Renée Wagenvoorde

Theology and the Common Good

Dr. Chris Ryan

Gavin Keeney

12.00   Tea and coffee

12.15   PLENARY 5
Prof. Brian Girvin
University of Glasgow
Chair: Dr. Hilary Kalmbach, University of Oxford
Religion, Liberalism and the Search for a Common Good

13.15   Lunch

14.15   Panel 4   

Between historical and religious utopias and communicative action: The ethics of common good 1.

Dr. Mohammad Nafissi

Dr. Tolis Malakos 

Religion and Secularism

Dr. Emmanuel Nartey

Sebastián Rudas Neyra

15.30   Panel 5

Catholic Social Teaching 2.

Dr. Jeffery Nicholas

Dr. Joel Warden

Between historical and religious utopias and communicative action: The ethics of common good 2.

Dr. Willy Pfändtner

Dr. Lovisa Bergdahl

16.45  Tea and coffee

17.15  PLENARY 6
Prof. Jeremy Carrette
University of Kent

Chair: Prof. Jeff Haynes, London Metropolitan University
Global Power, Pluralism and the Common Good: Critical Perspectives from Religious NGO's and the UN

18.15   Closing remarks
Prof. Jeff Haynes (CSRCC) & Dr. Kelvin Knight (CASEP)
London Metropolitan University

 

The controversial topic of religion, secularism and the common good is the focus of an international conference to be held in the heart of London, bringing together moral philosophers, political theorists, policy-makers, theologians and others to debate the idea and pursuit of the common good. Whereas secularization was once presumed to progressively marginalize faith, religious actors now refuse political marginalisation. The conference will ask how, why and to what purpose religious traditions and organisations promote political ideals. Perhaps they do so because they believe that modern individualism is contrary to the true common good, or because they believe it important to promote the modern idea of a common good of rights-bearing citizens. Perhaps it is because they believe that the idea of the common good is crucial to the defence of social welfare or even of society itself, or because they believe that a common good can now only be pursued within particular communities. The controversial and topical nature of the subject should stimulate new academic and policy thinking, in the UK and elsewhere.

The two-day conference will explore the following issues:

  • What is the common good?
  • What have philosophers, such as Aquinas, Rousseau or Rawls, contributed to our understanding of the common good or of the public interest?
  • What should be learned about the common good from Catholic, Protestant, Judaic or Islamic traditions?
  • Does the very fact of religious pluralism entail that religion is now more an obstacle than an impetus to the common good?
  • Does modern politics promote a civil substitute for traditional religion?
  • How might particular communities or subsidiary institutions contribute to a wider common good?
  • How are disputes about the common good best resolved?
  • What are the prospects — in local communities, in the British state, and elsewhere — of actualizing the common good?

The conference is organized jointly by the Centre for the Study of Religion, Conflict and Cooperation and by CASEP, the Centre for Contemporary Aristotelian Studies in Ethics and Politics. It will be held in London Metropolitan University's Faculty of Law, Governance and International Relations at 16 Goulston Street, London, E1 7TP.

Our online booking page is now open. Please visit www.londonmet.ac.uk/religionandthecommongood

Conference fee: £60 (£35 for one day)

Concessions available for postgraduate students and the unwaged at £20 for one day and £30 for two days

If you require any assistance with your booking or have any non - academic queries please contact Lucy Hall via: [email protected]

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June 20, 2012, 10:00am BST

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