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Philosophy and Liturgy: Ritual, Practice, and Embodied Wisdom

May 20-22, 2008 | Hosted by James K.A. Smith, Nicholas Wolterstorff, and John Witvliet | Co-sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and Seminars in Christian Scholarship

The renaissance in philosophy of religion has engendered sustained philosophical reflection on a number of key aspects of theology, but there has been a notable paucity of philosophical engagement with a central aspect of religious 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 practice. There is also the reciprocal goal of letting 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.

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