Philosophy and Liturgy: Ritual, Practice, and Embodied Wisdom
May 20-22, 2008
Hosted by James K.A. Smith, John Witvliet, and Nicholas Wolterstorff
Prince Conference Center at Calvin College
Sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship; funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Plenary speakers: Sarah Coakley, Terence Cuneo, Reinhard Hütter, Peter Ochs, James K.A. Smith, and Nicholas Wolterstorff.

The renaissance in Christian philosophy has engendered sustained
philosophical reflection on a number of key aspects of Christian
theology, but there has been a notable paucity of philosophical
engagement with a central aspect of Christian practice: worship and
liturgy.  This conference brings together leading scholars in
philosophy and theology to investigate key themes in worship with the
tools of philosophy, with the ultimate goal of informing Christian
practice. There is also the reciprocal goal of letting Christian
liturgical practice become a fund for philosophical reflection on
classic questions and themes.  The conference will thus stage a
reciprocal encounter between philosophy and liturgy, with the goal of
generating a liturgical philosophy, and a philosophically-informed
liturgy.

Call for Papers: We invite scholars (including advanced doctoral
students) working at the intersection of philosophy and liturgy to
submit their work for possible inclusion in the conference.  We welcome
two kinds of submissions: (1) completed papers for presentation; and
(2) works to be included in an electronic “poster session” that will
also be a topic of discussion at the conference.  Such pieces could
include previously published work at the intersection of philosophy and
liturgy, or shorter “research notes” (of 3-4 pages) that identify a key
question or topic for the field and report on work in progress.  The
latter materials will be posted online before the conference.  Both
completed papers and works for the poster session should be submitted
to seminars@calvin.edu by February 15, 2008.  Those accepted will be notified by March 15, 2008.  For further information and updates, visit www.calvin.edu/scs/philosophyandliturgy.