Summer NEH Seminar on Free Will in Medieval Jewish Philosophy

From Jonathan Jacobs (Colgate University [Faculty Page]):

I want to bring to your attention a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar taking place in 2010. The topic is “Free Will and Human Perfection in Medieval Jewish Philosophy.” I will be directing the five-week seminar, beginning on June 27 and concluding on July 31. I invite you to apply to be a participant. There will be a total of sixteen participants, which may include up to two graduate students. It is not necessary to be a specialist in the seminar’s topical area or even to be in the discipline of Philosophy. Our main aim is to have an engaged, energetic group, exploring the issues in depth. This should help the participants to develop their own scholarship and curricular plans. Applicants may come from Philosophy, Religious Studies, Medieval Studies, Theology, Jewish Studies, and other areas. The focus will be on philosophical topics and texts but the treatment of them should prove to be valuable and interesting to scholar/teachers in many fields.

Jonathan Jacobs, Richard J. and Jean Head Professor of Philosophy,
Director, Center for the Arts &
Humanities, Colgate University

See the attachment for more.

Thomism and Anti-Thomism in the Middle Ages

The universities of Paris and Freiburg-Germany have initiated an exciting and ambitious new research-project entitled ‘Thomism and Anti-Thomism in the Middle Ages’. The project, directed by Ruedi Imbach and Maarten Hoenen, will focus its attention on medieval and Renaissance-interpretations of Aquinas and continues the results published in two thematic fasciculi of the Revue Thomiste 2008.

A first conference is scheduled for January 28-30 in Freiburg on “German Thomism 13^th-14^th Century.”

While Paris will focus on the 13^th-14^th Century, Freiburg will investigate the 15^th Century. The project in Paris includes among others an investigation of the authenticity of the opuscula De principio individuationis, De natura materiae, De natura accidentis, De natura generis, De instantibus, De quattuor opposites, an edition of the Metaphysics-commentary by Humbertus de Prulliaco (†1298), a partial edition of the Summa by Nicholas of Strassbourg and investigations on Dietrich of Freiberg.

The German section envisages a edition of the Tractatus ostendens concordiam Thomae Aquinatis et Alberti Magni by Gerardus de Monte, dating from 1456, an investigation of the Concordantiae-literature esp. Peter of Bergamo and the publication of a Companion to Renaissance Thomism to appear at Brill (Leiden) as the first volume of a new series on Thomism.

Full descriptions (in French and German) of the project can be found on its website.

Aquinas and the Arabs Session at Kalamazoo

Next Spring's medieval conference at Kalamazoo, MI, will have one session reserved for the theme of "Aquinas and the Arabs," sponsored by the Aquinas and the Arabs International Working Group (led by Marquette's University's Richard Taylor [link to site]). He will have a paper on the following, "Natural Epistemology in Aquinas's Earliest Major Work: the Roles of Avicenna and Averroes" (description scraped from an e-mail from Taylor):

This short presentation is focused on the roles of Avicenna and Averroes in the account of natural human knowing in Aquinas's Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. Particular attention is given to the accounts at In 2 Sent. d. 3, q. 3, a. 1 (sol.: in intellectu vero humano similitudo rei intellectae est aliud a substantia intellectus, et est sicut forma ejus; unde ex intellectu et similitudine rei efficitur unum completum, quod est intellectus in actu intelligens; et hujus similitudo est accepta a re) and at In 2 Sent. d. 17, q. 2, a. 1 (sol.: anima habet uirtutem per quam facit species sensibiles esse intelligibiles actu, que est intellectus agens, et habet uirtutem per quam est in potentia ut efficiatur in actu determinate cognitionis a specie rei sensibilis facta intelligibili in actu; et hec uirtus uel potentia dicitur intellectus possibilis. Et harum duarum uirtutum operationes sequitur omne nostrum intelligere, tam principiorum quam conclusionum) and the sources for these teachings in Avicenna's De Anima and Metaphysics and in Averroes' Long Commentary on the De Anima. The paper indicates precisely how Aquinas cobbled together his understanding of the process of human apprehension of intelligibles from selected texts and teachings from these thinkers of the Arabic / Islamic tradition.

Call for papers on Aquinas at Kalamazoo 2010

R.E. Houser of the Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St Thomas (Houston, TX), in conjunction with John F. Boyle of the University of St Thomas (St. Paul, MN), have released their annual call for papers for sessions at Kalamazoo, 2010, where there will be six sessions in total devoted to Aquinas. Papers on all features of Aquinas's doctrine are welcome, but the proposals for papers are due on September 13^th. More can be found in this handout (PDF/DOC).

Boston Colloquy in Historical Theology for Summer 2009

By way of Boyd Taylor Coolman, the line-up for this summer's Boston Colloquy in Historical Theology, which will run Friday and Saturday, July 31-August 1, 2009.

Patristic

• Robert Wilken, University of Virginia, "The Nature of Historical Theology"
• Charles Stang, Harvard Divinity School, "Pseudo-Dionysius"
• Steven Hildebrand, Franciscan University of Steubenville, "Basil the Great's Trinitarian Theology"
• Ute Possekel, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox, "Ephrem the Syrian"

Medieval

• Stephen F. Brown, Boston College, "University Sermons on Lombard's Sentences"
• Paul Rorem, Princeton Theological Seminary, "Hugh of St. Victor"
• Giulio Silano, Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, "Gratian and the Theologians"

More information can be found on the organization's website.

Upcoming conference: Renewing the Face of the Earth: The Church and the Order of Creation (St. Paul, MN)

From the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity (at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota), comes a call for papers (PDF) for their conference, “Renewing the Face of the Earth: The Church and the Order of Creation,” to be held in St. Paul on October 29-31, 2009. Here is the announcement:

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

It would be an understatement to say that the natural environment is a current topic of concern in contemporary culture. And yet, though many may share in the concern, little work has been done to arrive at a common framework for considering possible solutions.

While a myriad of practical proposals have been aired in the public sector, this conference emerges from the conviction that more fundamental theological questions lie at the heart of the concern for our care of the earth, questions which the Catholic intellectual tradition is uniquely equipped to address: What is responsible stewardship? What is the meaning, value and destiny of created goods? How does one situate the dignity of the human person vis a vis created things? And are there distinctive Catholic features to any authentic response?

The aim of the conference is to consider the significance of grasping anew the Catholic theological and philosophical principles which may be drawn upon to illuminate the problem o f the environment. We invite papers that bring the wisdom of our own intellectual heritage, especially that of St. Thomas Aquinas, to articulate an adequate vision of responsible stewardship, one that is coherent, meaningful and faithful.

The conference will be held at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul, Minnesota. Paper proposals should be sent to Dr. Deborah Savage at pdsavage@stthomas.edu by June 1, 2009.

As the announcement indicates, there is a certain forefronting of the doctrine of Aquinas. The conference’s website is here.

The Leonine Commission and Marquette

Commission léonine – Bibliothèque du Saulchoir/«Aquinas and the Arabs Project» Marquette University (Paris – Milwaukee)

Séminaire de recherche sur «Thomas d'Aquin et ses sources arabes» (PDF)

27 mars 2009

• Richard C. TAYLOR (Marquette University, Milwaukee): The Role of Arabic / Islamic Philosophy in Thomas Aquinas's Conception of the Beatific Vision in his Commentary on the Sentences IV, d.49, q.2, a.1.
• Jean-Baptiste BRENET (Université de Paris X – Nanterre): L'image requise. Averroès et Thomas d'Aquin lecteurs de De anima 431a16-17.
• Rollen E. HOUSER (University of St. Thomas, Houston): How Br. Thomas Introduces the Principles of Avicennian Metaphysics into Sacra doctrina: In I Sent. d. 8, q.1.

28 mars 2009

• Cristina CERAMI (CNRS, UMR 7219, Paris): Physique et Métaphysique: l'ordo scientiarum chez Averroès et Thomas d'Aquin.
• Isabelle MOULIN (Université de Lyon): The Question of the Status of Secondary Causes in Three Commentaries on Peter Lombard's Sentences: Albert the Great, Bonaventura, and Thomas Aquinas.
• David B. TWETTEN (Marquette University, Milwaukee): Aquinas' Early Appropriation of Averroes: The Contra Gentiles' Reading of the Physics.

Les séances auront lieu à la Bibliothèque du Saulchoir, Salle Saint Thomas, 43bis rue de la Glacière, Paris XIIIe (entrée libre). Ceux qui souhaitent prendre le repas sur place (15 Euro), devraient s'inscrire avant le 20 mars, en écrivant à : aoliva@commissio-leonina.org.

“The Ethics of Organ Transplantation” at University of St. Thomas (Houston)

The Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas, will be sponsoring a medical ethics conference addressing the topic of organ transplantation, on March 27-29, 2009. Here’s a scrape from the conference’s PDF file.

The Ethics of Organ Transplantation, an interdisciplinary conference on medical and philosophical issues surrounding organ transplantation, will bring together experts from a variety of fields, such as philosophy, theology, and medicine. The conference seeks a coherent vision that promotes healing united with a respect for the dignity of each individual.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
D. Alan Shewmon, M.D., Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Brain Death

Janet E. Smith, Ph.D., Fr. Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Issues, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI
Embryo Adoption as a Form of Organ Donation

A.A. Howsepian, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Administration Central California Health Care System, Fresno, CA
Organ Transplantation and Anencephalic Infants

Christopher Kaczor, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
Organ Donations after Cardiac Death

You may also wish to visit the conference’s website: http://www.stthom.edu/organ_conference.

The Journée saint Thomas d’Aquin you might have seen

I meant to post this, but life got busy.

If you had been in Paris on Saturday, December 6, 2008, at the Saulchoir, you might have gone to the annual "Journée saint Thomas d'Aquin," sponsored by La societe thomist and the Le centre d'etudes du Saulchoir. Here were the papers and presentations:

• John Marenbon (Trinity College, Cambridge): L'epicurisme et le problème du paganisme au Moyen Age et à la Renaissance
• Jean-Baptiste Brenet (Université de Paris X - Nanterre) : Thomas d'Aquin pense-t-il ? (Retours sur Hic homo intelligit)
• Iacopo Costa (Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen): Vertus générales et directives. Quelques problèmes de psychologie morale thomiste
• L. J. Bataillon, G. Berceville, R. Imbach, P. Krupa, A. Oliva : Présentation de quelques ouvrages de philosophie et de théologie médiévales

Mea culpa. I'll do better next time getting this upon the site in timely fashion.

Reading Romans with St. Thomas Aquinas: Conference line-up

Wow. If you are lucky enough to be attending Ave Maria University's upcoming conference, "Reading Romans with St. Thomas Aquinas (February 5-7, 2009)," you are in for a theological (and philosophical) feast. The conference:

…[i]n accord with the current interest in theological exegesis and the history of exegesis…investigates Aquinas's Lectures on Romans in hopes of understanding what Aquinas can teach contemporary Christians about the realities that Paul, and the Holy Spirit, sought to convey.

Here is the speaker and paper line-up for the conference:

• Robert Louis Wilken (University of Virginia): "Origen, Augustine and Thomas: Interpreters of Paul's Letters to the Romans"
• Charles Raith II (Ave Maria University):"Portraits of Paul: Aquinas and Calvin on Romans 7:14-25"
• Hans Boersma (Regent College): "Ressourcement of Mystery: The Ecclesiology of Thomas Aquinas and the Letter to the Romans"
• Matthew Levering (Ave Maria University): "Aquinas on Romans 8: Predestination in Context"
• Holly Taylor Coolman (Boston College): "Romans 9-11: Re-reading Aquinas on the Jews"
• Bruce Marshall (Southern Methodist University): "Beatus vir: The Role of 'Reckoning' in Justification"
• Markus Bockmuehl (Oxford University): "Aquinas on Abraham in Romans 4"
• Patrick Henry Reardon (All Saints Antiochan Orthodox Church): "Romans 11: Hermeneutics and Salvation History"
• Geoffrey Wainwright (Duke University Divinity School:) "Rendering God's Glory: St. Paul and St. Thomas on Worship"
• Michael Sherwin, O.P. (University of Fribourg): "The love poured into our hearts: Aquinas's Interpretation of the Pauline conception of love."
• Edgardo Colón-Emeric (Duke University Divinity School): "Aquinas' Theology of Preaching in the Commentary on Romans: A Lascasian Application"
• Leo Elders, S.V.D. (Rolduc Seminary): "St. Paul on Man's Natural Knowledge of God: Romans 1:18-32 according to the commentary of St. Thomas Aquinas"
• Scott Hahn (Franciscan University of Steubenville): "Sacrifice and the Spirit of Sonship"
• Bernhard Blankenhorn O.P. (University of Fribourg): "St. Paul's Flesh/Spirit Anthropology"
• Mary Healy (Sacred Heart Major Seminary): "Aquinas' use of the Old Testament in the Commentary on Romans"
• Emmanuel Perrier O.P. (Dominican Studium): "The Filial Economy of Grace"
• John Boyle (University of St. Thomas): "The Consideration of Grace in St. Thomas' Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans"
• Michael Root (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary): "The Christian in Binocular Vision: Aquinas and Melanchthon on Romans."
• Paul Keller O.P. (Franciscan University of Steubenville): "St. Thomas on Sacraments in Romans"
• Adam Cooper (John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family): "Degrading the Body, Suppressing the Truth: Aquinas on Romans 1:18-25"
• David S. Yeago (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary): "Fides Formata and Pauline Theology in St. Thomas"
• Gregory Vall (Ave Maria University): "Sonship and Glory in Romans"
• Michael Waldstein (Max Seckler Professor of Theology, Ave Maria University): "The Trinitarian, Spousal and Ecclesial Logic of Justification"

James Keating (Providence College), Jeremy Holmes (Wyoming Catholic College), Thomas Joseph White O.P. (Dominican House of Studies), Jörgen Vijgen (Rolduc Seminary), Daria Lucas (University of Notre Dame), Paul Gondreau (Providence College), Mark Johnson (Marquette University), and Robert Barry (Providence College), will serve as moderators of the sessions.

Aquinas conference at Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Hungary)

This in, from Kál Bulcsú Hoppál, a PhD student at the International Academy of Philosophy, Pontificia Universidad Catolica, in Chile, regarding a conference in Hungary from March 6-7, 2009. The conference is entitled "Thomas Aquinas and Thomism of Today—Tradition, Interpretation and Perspectives." Here is some more information, stripped from the conference flyer (PDF):

Contributions <were> invited from philosophers, theologians, religious scholars, medievalists, linguists, sociologists, psychologists, and other interested scholars on the following and related topics:

• Thomas Aquinas' philosophy and theology and its medieval interpretation
• Thomas Aquinas and Thomisms
• Scholastic and Thomist traditions
• Thomism and interreligious dialogue
• Thomism in modern philosophy
• Thomist schools in the 20th century
• In the footsteps of Thomas Aquinas: issues of ethics, metaphysics and epistemology today
• In the footsteps of Thomas Aquinas: issues of language and communication

The conference is organized by the Hungarian Thomas Aquinas Society (member of the S.I.T.A., Societá Internazionale Tommaso d'Aquino) and the Institute of Philosophy of the P.P. Catholic University, and is acknowledged as an official conference of the S.I.T.A. (http://www.hungariansita.org).

Alasdair MacIntyre 80th birthday conference in Dublin

By way of Fran O'Rourke (School of Philosophy, University College, Dublin):

A conference to honour Alasdair MacIntyre on his 80th birthday will take place at University College Dublin, 6-8 March 2009. Theme of the conference will be "What happened in and to moral philosophy in the twentieth century?".

Alasdair MacIntyre will deliver an autobiographical paper, "On having survived the moral philosophies of the twentieth century". A number of scholarships (air travel, registration, hotel) are available for postgraduates.

Details at http://www.ucd.ie/philosophy/macintyre