[H-verkko] CFP: Christianity and the Limits of Materiality

[agricola at utu.fi]

Agricolan artikkelipyyntöihin on lähetetty uusi ilmoitus:
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Christianity and the Limits of Materiality
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Christianity and the Limits of Materiality 
University of Turku, Finland
September 25-26, 2014

The relation between materiality and religion has quickly emerged as one of the
core dimensions in the study of different religious traditions. Religion and
religiosity are understood to be closely intertwined with matter. Throughout
times, also Christian faith has been expressed and lived out materially through
objects, symbols, the body, and the environment. But what happens when such
intertwinements fail? The purpose of this interdisciplinary seminar is to
examine the limits of materiality in relation to Christianity at different times
in history and within a variety of Christian traditions. What happens, for
instance, when a Catholic relic turns out to be powerless in spite of all
expectations? In what kinds of situations are statues of Virgin Mary or Orthodox
icons experienced as not ‘functioning’ or as failures? What does it mean to
a member of a Pentecostal church when faith refuses to manifest itself as gifts
of the Spirit? And what are the contexts in which the Bible becomes meaningless
or prayers do not work? Where do the limits of materiality lie and how are they
found to be or made meaningful or meaningless in different Christian traditions?

We invite proposals for papers on the theme of the limits of materiality in
Christianity from researchers working in different disciplines such as the study
of religion, history, arts studies, anthropology, ethnology, musicology,
folklore studies, gender studies, archaeology, museology, and theology, to name
but few. The papers may address e.g. the above mentioned topics such as objects
and things, the body, environment, symbols and other semiotic expressions of
Christian religion and faith, and they should also in some way touch upon the
issue of Christian views on the nature of materiality. Possible approaches
include, but are not restricted to the following:

contexts
instability
ambiguity
change and transformations
authenticity
orthodoxy
imagination
public – private
knowledge – emotions / senses
theory – practice
mediation, transmission
aesthetics

The keynote speakers of the seminar are Professor David Morgan (Duke
University, USA), Professor Jeffrey F. Hamburger (Harvard University, USA),
Dr. Matthew Engelke(London School of Economics, UK) and Dr. Marleen de
Witte (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands).

Please submit your 200-word paper abstract together with your contact
information to minna.opas(a)utu.fi by May 5th, 2014. We will notify of the
acceptance of abstracts by May 31st, 2014. The language of the seminar is
English. The seminar fee is 40 euros covering coffees and lunches. In addition,
you may participate to the seminar dinner, which costs 50 euros.

The seminar is organized by the Study of Christianity Roundtable group at the
School of History, Culture and Arts Studies, University of Turku, Finland and
the research project Materiality and Immateriality in Indigenous Amazonian
Christianities funded by the Academy of Finland.

 

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Ilmoituksen lähetti: Meri Heinonen <meri.heinonen at utu.fi>
Ilmoitus vanhentuu: 6.5.2014
Lisätietoja WWW-osoitteesta: http://limitsofmateriality.wordpress.com/