What Has Athens to Do with Jerusalem?

In the late second century, Tertullian famously argued for the authority of the Scriptures independent of the philosophers’ imprimatur, asking, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” That question, which concisely distills many Christians’ uncertainty regarding the relationship between philosophy and theology, has been debated throughout the Christian tradition, with a variety of different answers being proposed. This summer, the Western Dominican Province is hosting a colloquium in Berkeley, California, exploring that question not as a strictly historical endeavor but as a living reality. The colloquium is entitled “What Has Athens to Do with Jerusalem? Dialogue between Philosophy and Theology in the 21st Century.” Presenters will examine the theological implications of many current philosophical schools, including analytic, phenomenological, and Thomist schools, and the philosophical implications of contemporary theology as well. Major presenters include Michael Dodds, O.P., Michal Paluch, O.P., Edward Feser, Alfred Freddoso, and Linda Zagzebski, among many others. The conference will be held at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California, from July 16 to July 20, 2104. Registration will begin in late January. Those who are interested in submitting paper proposals can find information on how to do so here. Proposals are due by February 1. The colloquium is the first in a triennial series that focuses on bringing together philosophers and theologians for intellectual cooperation. For complete information about the colloquium, see the website here. Fliers for the conference are available in black and white here and in color here.

✠

Image: Gustave Courbet, The Meeting