Morny Joy reads Bruno Latour and William E. Connolly

Morny Joy is University Professor in the Dept. of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary, Canada.

Her REDO project "Changing the World" will formulate the foundations for new insights in both philosophy of religion and theology that take into account shifts occurring in contemporary movements at the popular level of rituals and behaviour, and in more reflective forms of cultural productions.

Since my work in the project will be mainly of a philosophical nature and a future aspect of my work will be to interpret/translate/adapt the findings of the social scientists in the group into insights about the motivations and worldviews of the peoples and groups they have studied, I have been investigating current theorists – not necessarily philosophers – who are offerings certain observations/takes of the current world situation from their own investigations. So I have been immersed in a number of recent books.

  1. Following Bruno Latour beyond his “reassembling” stage, I have been reading his latest books:

An Inquiry into Modes of Existence (2013) and Facing Gaia: A New Inquiry into Natural Religions (2014).

  1. I had read the political theorist William E. Connolly previously but I was extremely taken with his comments at the last AAR panel that looked at Latour –which Sara Pike chaired. I was intrigued with his perceptive criticism of Latour and so I have now started on his most recent books:

A World of Becoming (2011) and The Fragility of Things (2013)

Both authors have provided much food for thought.

 

- Morny Joy

Published Sep. 23, 2014 12:25 PM - Last modified Dec. 18, 2014 12:49 PM