Modern universities have witnessed an ever-growing trend of scholars criticising (Christian) theology, whether for its particularity, its presuppositions or its privilege. Such criticism of theology’s academic legitimacy, together with various other developments, has resulted in the marginalisation of academic theology, to the extent that, in some places, it has retreated from (public) universities altogether. But what is lost when theology no longer occupies a space in the university? A great deal, is the response that Lieven Boeve, systematic theologian at KU Leuven, will present in this lecture. If theology retreats (or is forced to retreat) from the university, it loses touch with other scientific approaches to religion and is no longer urged to reconsider its own religious critical consciousness from dialogue with such (often religion-critical) approaches. Moreover, in as much the university belongs to the secularised and pluralised public domain, theology is denied the opportunities of encountering (religious) others that challenge its self-understanding and truth claims. On the other hand, the university also profits from ‘criticising theology’, which, from its reflexive particularity, may critically engage with the epistemological and normative presuppositions that underlie other disciplines, as well as the university as a whole. After all, the academy is fundamentally a value-laden enterprise and a player within contemporary culture and society. Criticising theology is the double assignment resulting from theology’s critical-constructive dialogue in and with the university – a dialogue which, as a double-edged sword, cuts both ways.
Lieven Boeve is professor of systematic theology (KU Leuven) and has written extensively on the contemporary predicaments of academic theology. He established the research group Theology in a postmodern context, and published Orthodoxy, Process and Product (Peeters, 2009), Theology at the Crossroads of University, Church and Society (Bloomsbury 2016), and Lyotard and Theology (Bloomsbury, 2014), which was awarded with the biannual award for Europe’s best theological book in 2015.
Peter Versteeg, assistant professor of social and cultural anthropology (VU Amsterdam), will give a first response.
Information:
Date: June 12, 14-17PM
Location: HG15A37 Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam and online (Teams-link will be emailed at 12 June)
Costs: Free
Language: English
Registration: https://www.vvth.org/evenementen/critising-theology-the-double-edged-sword-of-dialogue
