Notes from Theology without Walls Planning Meeting
2018 TWW Planning Meeting
Thanks to John Becker, Center for Process Studies, for serving as rapporteur.
1. Brill Companion publication. Those interested in reviewing Jerry Martin’s contribution and offer suggestions, contact him directly.
2. Connect with Andrew Schwartz (Center for Process Studies) to explore the possibility of hosting a list-serv for TWW.
3. Possible themes for the upcoming journal topics/AAR sessions:
- TWW Approaches and Methodologies
- What is the Telos of TWW?
- TWW in conversation with theology of religions/global critical philosophy
- How do confessional theology and TWW align?
- Comparative Theology critiques of TWW: Is it pluralism? Relativism?
- The Western Framework of TWW: Eastern perspectives?
- Is TWW really novel or is it as old as religion itself?
- Transreligious theology vs. Transreligious spirituality
- What entails a Tranreligious theological literacy?
- Who is the audience/community of transreligious theology?
- Joint session with Comparative Theology on the issue of faith commitments
AAR 2018 National Meeting : Denver, Colorado November 17 – 20
M17-300 – Theology Without Walls Group
Theme: Rising Scholars and the Future of Trans-religious Theology Jerry L. Martin, University of Colorado, Presiding Saturday – 3:30 PM-5:00 PM Grand Hyatt-Mt. Columbia (Third Level)
Join us for a free-for-all discussion with opening comments aimed at helping scholars in process. All are invited who are interested in comparative theology, theology of religions, systematic theology, and American religion. Robert C. Neville, Boston University How to Become a Theologian Without Walls
. Wm. Andrew Schwartz, Center for Process Studies Theology Without Walls: Motive, Means, and Opportunity
M17-402 – Theology Without Walls Group
Theme: Planning Meeting Jerry L. Martin, University of Colorado, Presiding Saturday – 5:30 PM-6:30 PM Grand Hyatt-Mt. Columbia (Third Level)
Join us for a discussion of future panels and other projects of the Theology Without Walls group. All are invited who are interested in comparative theology, theology of religions, systematic theology, and American religion.
Panelists: John Thatamanil, Union Theological Seminary Kurt Anders Richardson, McMaster University
M19-101 – Theology Without Walls Group
Theme: Confessional Theology versus Theology Without Walls Jerry L. Martin, University of Colorado, Presiding Monday – 9:00 AM-11:30 AM Grand Hyatt-Mt. Oxford (Third Level)
Theology Without Walls proposes that, first, theology – take into account all genuine epiphanies wherever they can be found and, second, confessions not limit what epiphanies can be into account or require that such epiphanies be re-conceptualized to fit its theology. Do those proposals make TWW incompatible with confession-based theology? Or, given the protean character of religious traditions, might existing confessions have sufficient plasticity to accommodate unfamiliar truths? Instead of spiritual epiphanies being judge by conformity to one’s confession, should one’s confession be judged by its ability to give adequate expression to the full range of spiritual truths? This panel will explore both the conflicts and the synergy between confessional and transreligious theologizing and address issues in comparative theology, Hindu-Christian theology, and systematic theology. Francis X. Clooney, Harvard University Are There Permeable Walls in Catholic and Hindu Traditions?
. S. Mark Heim, Yale University Comprehending Multiple Truths
. Jeffery D. Long, Elizabethtown College Hinduism Without Walls
. Anselm Min, Claremont Graduate University Is Catholic Tradition Open to All Truths?
. John Thatamanil, Union Theological Seminary Modes of Spiritual Wisdom/Dimensions of the Divine Life
M19-200 – Theology Without Walls Group
Theme: Religious Belonging, SBNR, and the Task of Theology Jerry L. Martin, University of Colorado, Presiding Monday – 1:00 PM-3:00 PM Grand Hyatt-Mt. Oxford (Third Level)
Does theology require a religious home and identity, or can it be a free-ranging inquiry into the divine/ultimate reality? Is multiple religious identity possible and, if so, how does one theologize from that standpoint? Is drawing on multiple religious influences inevitably superficial? Can the Spiritual But Not Religious theologize or think rigorously about the divine reality and, if so, how might they best go about that? This panel will address issues in comparative theology, theology of religions, spiritual experience, and American religion. Linda A. Mercadante, Methodist Theological School in Ohio How Should the SBNRs Theologize?
. Rory McEntee, Drew Univsersity Multiple Religious Belonging or No Belonging? Discernment, Religious Depth, and TWW as Spiritual Practice
. Kurt Anders Richardson, McMaster University What is Theological Literacy in TWW?
. Jon Paul Sydnor, Emmanuel College, Boston Theology as a Spiritual Journey