Call for Papers - Rethinking Political Catholicism: Empirical and Normative Perspectives Rethinking Political Catholicism

International Conference John Cabot University Rome, May 22-23, 2014

Call for Papers

Although the study of religion and politics has blossomed over the past decade, the normative debates over the appropriate place of religion in modern democracies often remain divorced from the study of the actual practices and meanings of religion in these democracies. Consequently, many new normative concepts and arguments have not filtered down to the empirical study of religion, while normative debates are often inadequately informed by the empirical realities of contemporary religious practices and beliefs.

Rethinking Political Catholicism aims to bridge this divide by focusing on the fertile case of political Catholicism in Italy. Empirically, the conference aims to take stock of political Catholicism in Italy today, compare it with Catholic and Muslim politics elsewhere, and use contemporary theoretical and normative insights to better understand its post-secular dynamics. Normatively, the conference aims to evaluate the practices of contemporary political Catholicism in Italy and elsewhere, and thus contribute to developing a more sophisticated debate about the proper roles of religious politics in contemporary democracies.

The empirical papers of the conference are invited to analyse the project and impact of political Catholicism in Italy and elsewhere today. Suggested themes include the following.

Current Catholic political groups, claims, or activism, in Italy or elsewhere; The normative meaning and grounds of ‘political Catholicism’; Catholic analyses of contemporary political issues; New challenges posed by Catholic political thought and practice to liberal democratic theory; The significant of the church-state relationship in Italy for theories of post-secularism; Comparisons with recent trends in Islamic political thought and practice.

Normative contributions to the conference are instead invited to consider such themes as the following:

Current Catholic political groups, claims, or activism, in Italy or elsewhere; The normative meaning and grounds of ‘political Catholicism’; Catholic analyses of contemporary political issues; New challenges posed by Catholic political thought and practice to liberal democratic theory; The significant of the church-state relationship in Italy for theories of post-secularism; Comparisons with recent trends in Islamic political thought and practice.

The working language of the conference will be English, and a collection of papers based on the conference will also be published.

The conference is part of the John Cabot University Summer Institute for Religion and Global Politics (May 19-June 20, 2014).

Confirmed speakers:

Paola Bernardini (Contending Modernities Project) Luca Diotallevi (Roma Tre) Agostino Giovagnoli (Cattolica, Milan) Paul Weithman (Notre Dame)

Submission guidelines

A 500-word abstract, of a paper suitable for presentation in 20 minutes, should be sent by March 15, 2014, to the organizers, Tom Bailey (tbailey@johncabot.edu) and Michael Driessen (mdriessen@johncabot.edu). Notice of acceptance will be provided by March 22.

Selected papers will be considered for publication in a collected volume.

Registration fee (includes lunches and refreshments): Faculty € 50, Students € 25

The conference is funded by John Cabot University.