„Neutral State? Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Autonomy of Religion, Art and Science” Conference of the RaT-Cluster "Transformations of Law between Religion and Society"

When: 19–20 June 2023
Where: 19 June: University of Vienna, Main Building, Dekanatssaal of the Faculty of Catholic Theology, 20 June: University of Vienna, Juridicum, Dachgeschoss.

Religion, Wissenschaft und Kunst verbindet ein durch das jeweilige Selbstverständnis geformter Anspruch auf Autonomie. Zu deren Schutz trifft der Staat institutionelle Vorkehrungen, die jeweils spezifische Konzepte von der „Eigengesetzlichkeit“ dieser Bereiche und damit vom Sinn der entsprechenden grundrechtlichen Freiheitsgarantien widerspiegeln. Damit sind auch normative Leitvorstellungen von „neutralem“ staatlichen Verhalten gegenüber diesen autonomen Sphären verbunden. In einem breiteren Bewusstsein steht vor allem die religiös-weltanschauliche Neutralität des Staates: Was bedeutet sie, und was sind die strukturellen Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten im Vergleich zum Verbot eines staatlichen „Wissenschafts-“ oder „Kunstrichtertums“?

Nach einleitenden Überlegungen zur Möglichkeit neutraler Staatlichkeit wendet sich die Tagung der Binnenperspektive zu und knüpft beim jeweiligen Selbstverständnis der Grundrechtsträger an. Eine philosophische Synthese leitet über zu Auseinandersetzungen mit den unterschiedlichen rechtlichen Autonomie- und Neutralitätsverständnissen. Eine empirische Analyse politischer Neutralitätsdiskurse bildet den Auftakt zur abschließenden Podiumsdiskussion mit Expert:innen zu kultur-, wissenschafts- und religionspolitischer Praxis.

The detailed program can be found here.

International Symposium "Religious Education at Schools in Europe and International KnowledgeTransfer: Looking Back and Looking Ahead"

When: 15–16 June 2023

Where: University of Vienna

The conference will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Martin Rothgangel and Prof Dr. Friedrich Schweitzer (University of Vienna). The aim of the conference is to connect and continue the two international projects "Religious Education at Schools in Europe" and "International Knowledge Transfer in Religious Education".
The detailed program can be found here.

VDTR Public Lecture with Joe Moshenska (University of Oxford): “Iconoclasm as Child’s Play: Dolls and Idols in the Reformation”

When: June 09, 18:15

Where: Dekanatssaal of the Faculty of Catholic Theology, Main Building, University of Vienna

Commentaries on Psalms Workshop of the working group "Reception of the Old Testament" (AKRAT:"Arbeitskreis Rezeption des Alten Testaments")

Faculties of Catholic and Protestant Theology, Vienna University
Monday, June 5th, 2023, 9.30-16.00, Schenkenstr. 8-10, A-1010 Vienna (+ Zoom)

The interdisciplinary workshop is dedicated to different conceptions of writing commentaries about the Psalms of the Hebrew Bible: Jewish and Christian, historic and contemporary. Inputs and discussion will deal with example texts, considering the following themes and questions:

•     the relationship between the concepts of the Commentaries and realization in the concrete examples;
•     explanations for the duplicity of Psalms;
•     Is historic and literary research on the Psalm a "neutral" ground?
•     How does the Jewish and Christian reception history influence the interpretation?
•     What role does reflection on the interpreters' contexts play in their interpretations?
•     Which new or critical perspectives can the reception history offer for today's interpretations?

A detailed program can be found here.

Contact for registration and zoom-link: elisabeth.oberleitner@univie.ac.at

the letter bā‘. Reflecting the ideas of Ibn ‘Arabi and wahdat alwujūd

Location: Seminarraum Arabica, Institut für Orientalistik, Universität Wien
Date: June 3, 2023, 11 am - 6 pm

Muhyi al-din Ibn ‘Arabi may be the most influential writer of Sufism. His influence is to be
detected all around the world. The workshop “the letter bā’” is an attempt to establish the
study of his ideas and the ideas and others referring to him in the German-speaking world
(although the workshop is held in English this time), thus, giving an impact for future studies.

The detailed program of the conference can be found here.

Poetics Lectureship: "Religion im Zeitalter der Biomacht. Ein Kreuzweg" by Sophie Reyer

When: 1 June 2023, 19:00

Where: Hörsaal 5, Main Building of the University of Vienna

The abstract of the presentation will be available on the homepage of the poetics lectureship shortly.

VDTR Lecture Series "Religion und Politik": Säkulares/religiöses Wien: Sieglinde Rosenberger im Gespräch

When: 22 Mai 2023, 18:00

Where: Kapelle im Albert Schweitzer Haus, Garnisongasse 14-16, 1090 Wien

Questions about the relationship between politics and religion have shaped the work of political scientist Sieglinde Rosenberger in many ways. Through the analytical lens of inclusion and exclusion, she has researched the relationship between religious and state actors, headscarf debates, religious law, and the politicization of religion. The longtime speaker for the Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society Research Center bids farewell to her role with a thematic evening of conversation on secularity in the city.

Discussing: Sieglinde Rosenberger, Omar Al-Rawi, Regina Polak and Fabio Wolkenstein. Moderation: Johannes Modeß.

The event is a cooperation of the ASH Forum of Civil Society, the Research Center Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society and the Vienna Doctoral School of Theology and Research on Religion.

You can find more informations here.

Poetics Lectureship: "Das Zimzum. Sechs Annäherungen an das Unsagbare" by Ulrike Draesner

When: 8 Mai 2023, 19:00

Where: Hörsaal 6, Main Building of the University of Vienna

The abstract of the presentation is available on the homepage of the poetics lectureship.