PThU International Conference 'Negotiating Good Life in Times of Crisis: Voices of Theology and Religious Studies'

Good life is often connected to living a meaningful life: a life worth living, that contributes to flourishing. It can be applied in many other contexts, as well: when coping with crises, vulnerability, fragility, hardships and suffering or in context of care and ageing, communities that deal with disaster and in response to ecological challenges.

Viewed from a religious perspective, good life typically relates to a transcendent and ultimate reality. It is, for example, characterised by being created in the image of God, by a covenant, good deeds, salvation, reconciliation, liberation, grace, discipleship, love, service, responsibility, compassion, community and, what has been called, eschatological imagination.

Christian theologians may refer to divine presence and intervention, to God, revelation in the Bible, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, cultural and religious experience. Other religions may call upon different sources. Religious studies scholars don’t necessarily identify with the various religious phenomena and sources they study. This may, in fact, also be the case with theologians when they refer to sources, beliefs and practices from the past. Those were once authoritative and inspiring, but are now challenged by new developments. This hermeneutical challenge also holds for developing views on what is good life in religious perspective in times of crisis.

Visions of good life need to be negotiated time and again, within a person, within a religion, and between persons, religions, and different contexts and situations. They may coincide or collide with other forces and ideals: political, economic, national, ecological, religious, cultural and many more. This is not only a phenomenon of our time. Throughout history and across the globe, cultural and religious traditions have interacted and often clashed, triggered by processes of globalisation,  human mobility, and economic disparity. Aspects of religions that were long taken for granted are challenged by religious diversity, sexual diversity, awareness of gender, racism and ecology. 

In times of crisis, religious identities react and shift. For example, the ecological crisis fundamentally calls into question the anthropocentric worldview of Western Christianity. The current racial struggles challenge the way we read and interpret our religious sources. Health crises involve negotiating moral views on life and death. All these factors challenge existing views of what is good. 

Globalisation is an ambivalent process, from many perspectives, including a religious one. On the one hand, a global world triggers world-wide solidarity by religious communities. A multi-cultural and (digital) network society bears the possibility for mutual enrichment of religions. It enables inter-religious dialogue. On the other hand, unchained globalisation may cause wars, excessive migration, poverty, and global natural, economic and health crises, which also bear local and personal effects. In today’s world, the individual, local, regional, national and global levels are inextricably connected. In turn, such crises may bring out the good in people. They learn to appreciate their local communities and environment and display solidarity and care for each other. They take a break from the rat race and may even decide to change their lifestyle drastically. 

History has known other periods with extensive globalisation, such as the periods of Persian, Greek and Roman dominion. The Mediterranean world in this period is the cradle of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the classical rabbinic literature, and the Koran were consolidated or written in this period. These sources bear witness to similar crises and responses to crises in different periods. Yet many of them are considered authoritative or inspiring to the present day. Throughout history, theological reflections on, additions to, and interpretations of these sources have been produced continuously, and they do until the present day. These reflections and interpretations, including those of people from the margins, have led to new practices and rituals. Asian religions such as Buddhism are currently gaining followers far away from their places of origin. Together with new religious forms, they offer sources for, and ways of dealing with good life and crisis.

The W. C. Brown Professor of Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She is a sought-after speaker who is known for making the “so what?” of Christian doctrine clear and accessible. Latest book Holding Faith: A Practical Introduction to Christian Faith (2018). One of the leading voices of public theology in the USA.

Cleric, politician, and anti-apartheid activist from South-Africa. Doctorate of the Theological University in Kampen 1976. President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches 1982-1991. Award winning author of 22 books. Latest book Children of the Waters of Meribah: Black Liberation Theology, the Miriamic Tradition, and the Challenges of 21st Century Empire (2019).

Former director of the programme on Women in Church and Society of the World Council of Churches, Geneva, and coordinator of Justice, Peace and Creation 1991-2009. Since returning to Chennai, India, she has been active in the Indian Christian Women’s Movement. Latest book With Courage and Compassion, Women and the Ecumenical Movement (2020).

Reform rabbi, spiritual leader and peacemaker. President of the European section of the World Union of Progressive Judaism and Vice President of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders. In honor of his father, he founded the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values that aims at building bridges between religions, cultures and generations.

Ordained minister and founder of De Nieuwe Poort Zuidas Weena Valencia. 

He studied Theology, Philosophy and International Relations in Leiden and Utrecht. At Tilburg University, he is working on a Ph-D studie on slavery in early Christian and early Arabic parables. In the final years of his PhD, he also participated in research into the role of Judaism and Christianity in Dutch slavery.

PhD- student at PThU. Her area of interest is exploring, through Intercultural Theology, how Jesus as healer Christologies are understood from the perspective of people/faith communities encountering incurable illness.

A paper written by you (and possibly a co-author) that you will present in response to the conference theme. The timeslot for a paper presentation is 20 minutes.  Please register your name and email address below, and upload your proposal with title and an abstract of 150-200 words describing the content of the proposed paper. Include also your name, email address and current position or affiliation, if any, in the file.

Proposals must include one’s name, email-address, and current affiliation and position, if any.

A proposal of a complete session of 3 or 4 different papers on a common theme related to the conference theme, complete with its own description, title, a presider, paper presentations, and (optionally) a respondent. 

Presenters in a panel session must submit their proposals (each also with a title and abstract of 150-200 words) to the panel session organiser, who in turn is responsible for submitting and uploading the entire proposal on the conference website. The proposal should include for all participants one’s name and current affiliation or position, if any.

The timeslot for a panel is 60 or 90 minutes, with each paper presentation lasting no longer than 15 minutes.