The International Conference on the Philosophy of Early Christianity in the Era of Digitalization in 2019
Theme: The Philosophy of Early Christianity in the Era of Digitalization
Conference Date: 6th-7th Dec 2019
Conference Venue: Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City
Organizer: The Department of Philosophy, Fu Jen Catholic University
Co-Organizer: Fu Jen Academia Catholica
Keynote Speakers:
Bernard Li, Emeritus Professor of Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
Christoph Horn, Professor of Bonn University, Germany
Mark Edwards, Professor of Oxford University, England
Igor Palvovich Ryazantsev, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, Russia
Tran Van Doan, Emeritus Professor of National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Yee Tet Lim, Biblical Scholar, Malaysia
Call for Papers
Submission Deadline: 2th Nov. 2019
Details:
Please send an abstract of maximum 500 words (in Word format and prepared for blind review) for a paper suitable for a 30-munite slot (20 minutes for a paper, 10 minutes for questions and answers) to joannaloh29@gmail.com with the subject heading “Submission to The Philosophy of Early Christianity in the Era of Digitalization”. Papers should be no longer than 5,000 words and include the abstract. Please include author’s information, including paper title and abstract, in the email. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 4th Nov., 2019.
The philosophy of early Christianity plays a very important role not only for the advancement of the Christian Church, but also for the philosophical development of Christian theology. It is known that Plato has been regarded as a Christian by some early apologists, such as Justin Martyr, which shows that the Christian faith has nourished the development of western philosophy. They are in nuce interdependent.
Platonic and generally ancient Greek philosophy weighed heavily on Origen, for example, who was not only the greatest theological luminary of his age, but also the head teacher at the Catechetical School of New Converts (founded by Mark, the apostle) in Alexandria, and was a Plotinic Christian. His On First Principles, which was translated into Latin by Rufinus, includes the concepts of the pre-existence of the soul and of emanation, which have been further developed by the Neo-Platonist, Plotinus. That is, if we don’t possess early Christian philosophy, our understanding of Plotinus is not able to reveal the whole picture, and perchance we misinterpret Plotinian theory. Additionally, Plotinus’ philosophy was also absorbed by St. Augustine. Hence, from this evidence alone the philosophy of early Christianity is crucial to understanding the whole picture of the development of Christianity and to keeping the Christian faith and tradition.
Early Christianity has been widely neglected in Taiwanese academia, albeit deeply rooted in the western academic sphere. So this is the mission that a Taiwanese Christian university has to carry out in the spirit of Christ, under the potential threat of the age of digitalization: to re-build the Christian faith by means of the medium of digitalisation.
The impact of digitalization upon economy, culture and politics is unfathomable, and has not only changed our lifestyle, but also our way of thinking. People who are not able to keep up with the trend of digitalization will encounter a lot of troubles, though Patriarch Kirill, Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, warns of the potential danger of the smartphone.
The advantages of the church online are great, for example, a house-bound patient who can listen to services, sermons and hymns at home, but the disadvantages cannot be ignored, for example, the potential dangers of internet chatrooms may cause some believers to be cheated. If we neglect the manipulation by digitalization on peoples’ behaviour, it is possible that the e-church will replace the real church, and that people will simply not go to church to worship God, but stay at home, singing hymns alone. Furthermore, social media, like Instagram, is arguably passively encouraging young people to commit suicide, which has happened in the UK to the shocking extent of more than 200 cases, according to the BBC; so that the impact of digitalization in the Church could play an important role. How can the church help believers recover traditional values from Christianity? It is an issue we are concerned with very much today.
The conference is invited to inquire into the following questions:
1. The influence of digitalization on society
2. The impact of digitalization on Christianity in society
3. The digitalization of society as a way to transhumanism
4. Christian theological views and philosophical insights on digitalization and virtualization in a society
5. The application of the interpretation of early Christianity to digitalization
6. The philosophy of early Christianity
7. Ancient Greek philosophy in early Christian theology
8. From Platonic theology to St. Augustine’s theology
9. Ancient Greek philosophy in modern society
For more information, please visit: https://philevents.org/event/show/75470 and http://philosophy.ourpower.com.tw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=707:call-for-paper-the-philosophy-of-early-christianity-in-the-era-of-digitalization-2019&catid=91&Itemid=140.
