What? Talks from leading philosophers of religion: Robert Audi (University of Notre Dame) and Mark Wynn (University of Oxford)

Where? University of Birmingham, ERI building room 149

When? 13th May, 12.30pm for informal lunch, 1-2.30pm for talks by each speaker and a general discussion

Titles:

Audi - Aspirational Theism: Philosophical and Theological Dimensions of Hope

Wynn - Philosophy and Spiritual Practice: The Case of Ignatian Discernment

We are hoping the event will be hybrid. Small travel bursaries may be available for students travelling to the symposium. For the online link, a bursary enquiry, or to register in person for catering purposes, please contact gpr@contact.bham.ac.uk.

You may also be interested in Professor Audi's talk at the Department's Philosophy Society from 3.15pm in the same venue on the same day (title: Wittgenstein’s Subtraction Question: Movement, Action, and Intention).

Abstracts

Aspirational Theism: Philosophical and Theological Dimensions of Hope

Religions are often called faiths, and religious people are commonly conceived as people of faith.  For many of them, faith in God is central in life.  But in a world with the troubles of this one, many religious people might also say that they live in the hope that God will see us through, that they trust that God will do what is best for us, and that they are sustained by their faith.  These are all positive stances, but hope, faith, and trust differ in important ways.  This talk will concentrate particularly on hope.  What is it? Does it embody desire, reflect values, sustain commitments? Can it play a central role in human life and—especially, in a religiously committed life?  And—to ask a question many thoughtful people have been pondering—can hope be a sustaining rational stance in a world beclouded by so much evil and suffering?

Philosophy and Spiritual Practice: The Case of Ignatian Discernment

We are all familiar with thoughts that occur unbidden, and sometimes a question arises about whether such a thought is to be trusted as a guide to action. In his Rules for Discernment, Ignatius of Loyola proposes some criteria that can be applied in these cases, so sketching a kind of religious experience that is different in structure from those that are standardly discussed in the philosophy of religion, one that suggests the possibility of a strongly corporate form of mental life. In this paper, I examine some philosophical questions that are posed by Ignatius's account, and consider the fruitfulness of spiritual practices as a topic for philosophical reflection.