Religion and Nature: NSPR Conference

With the latest reports from UN Panels on loss of nature and biodiversity (2022) and human impact on climate change (IPCC 2021-22), the question of religion and nature is again highly topical in philosophy, theology and religious studies. Christian, indigenous and other religious responses to ontology, ethics and cosmology have received new attention and encourages scholars to reconsider their understanding of philosophy and religion in the broad sense.

Time and place: – , Oslo
Briller lagt ned i gresset. Foto: M. Mjaaland

The conference topic, Religion and Nature, is deliberately kept wide in order to include as many contributions as possible. It is also timely, given the present and precarious situation of the planet. We aim at accommodating as many presentations as possible, including senior scholars, PhD Students and other researchers on Postdoc and even MA level.

Call for paper: Please submit an abstract (250 words) by 15th of April to Atle O Søvik

Registration is now closed. Contact Prof. Søvik if you have further questions concerning registration and participation. 

Confirmed keynote speakers include Kevin Schilbrack (USA), Jan-Olav Henriksen (NO), Elena Kamlykova (SE), Sigridur Gudmarsdottir (IS) and Marius T. Mjaaland (NO).

There will be lectures, short papers and presentations from ongoing work. We welcome analytic as well as pragmatic and phenomenological (and possibly other) approaches. We will emphasize joint meals, good atmosphere, and possibly a discussion of how we may strengthen the field of Philosophy of Religion in the future, cooperate on PhD courses or even write an application for NordForsk or ERC.

The University of Oslo, Faculty of Theology, and MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion, and Society are hosting the conference with support from ReNEW.

Practicalities

Program


Monday, June 5th

Venue: Professorboligen,  Central Campus, University of Oslo 

  • 1500: Registration and Welcome. 
  • 1600: Opening: Mjaaland and Henriksen
  • 1615: Keynote I: Professor Kevin Schilbrack, Appalachian State University (US): Nature, Emergence, and Values
  • 1700: Response and plenary discussion 
  • 1800: Reception 
  • 1900: Ola Sigurdson: Atmosphere - some evening reflections

Tuesday, June 6th. 

Venue: Tøyen Hovedgård (easily accessible by the tube). 

  • 0900: Keynote II:  Professor Jan-Olav Henriksen, MF: On the need to eliminate two prevailing concepts in the religious discourse on nature
  • 0945: Response and plenary discussion
  • 1015: Coffee break
  • 1045: Paper session I
  • 1215: Lunch 
  • 1330: Keynote III: Dr. Elena Kalmykova, Uppsala University:  “Something exists”: embodied origins and rationality of new religious mainstream vs theistic religions
  • 1415: Response and plenary discussion
  • 1445: Coffee break 
  • 1515: NSPR Meeting
  • 1600: Paper Session II
  • 1730: Break
  • 1800: Group discussion on selected topics
  • 1930: Transfer to conference dinner
  • 2000: Conference dinner 

Wednesday June 7th.

Venue: Tøyen Hovedgård

  • 0900: Keynote IV: Prof. Claudia Welz, Aarhus University: Methodological Reflections on Philosophy of Religion and Environmental Protection
  • 0945: Response and plenary discussion
  • 1015: Coffee break
  • 1045: Paper session III
  • 1215: Lunch 
  • 1330: Keynote V. Professor Marius T. Mjaaland, University of Oslo: Against Nature. Reconsidering a contested notion
  • 1415: Response and plenary discussion
  • 1445: Closing discussion: Information about ongoing research and activities. Future work and cooperation.
  • 1530: Closing of the conference. 

Organizers

Jan-Olav Henriksen, Marius T. Mjaaland, Atle O. Søvik 

Published Feb. 8, 2023 2:30 PM - Last modified June 3, 2023 11:20 AM
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