Open and Relational Theologies Unit
Structuring the Future: Time and Development
A Co-Sponsored Session of the Schleiermacher Unit and Open and Relational Theologies Unit
This session investigates the theological and philosophical implications of time and development by bringing the thought of F.D.E. Schleiermacher into conversation with Open and Relational Theologies. We would like to explore how structures of human self-consciousness, especially temporality, shape religious consciousness. For example, we invite papers that ask:
- How do organic and developmental processes—natural, biological, or historical—serve as analogies for understanding divine immanence and its dynamic relationship to creation?
- What is the relationship between time and eternity in Schleiermacher’s thought, and how does this relationship impact development in the present?
- How does Schleiermacher’s understanding of the infinity of the universe, novelty, and contingency influence, converge with, or diverge from open and relational perspectives?
- In what ways might theological understandings of God’s relationship with time inform our ethical and practical engagement with pressing contemporary issues?
We are interested in a wide range of methodological approaches, including papers that: analyze key texts and concepts (e.g. doctrine of creation) in relation to temporality; critically or constructively compare Schleiermacher’s thought with Open and Relational Theologies; explore concepts of development, novelty, cosmic processes, and the interplay between structures of human self-consciousness and divine action.
The Open and Relational Theologies Unit promotes academic research and discourse on open, relational, and process methods and perspectives (including those of open theism, process philosophy, and other relational and personalists traditions). These explorations tend to be constructive in nature, regularly involving theological and philosophical speculation about the nature of God, freedom, power, relationality, materiality, love, and more. Our Unit's inquiries also explore the implications of open-relational methods and perspectives on a wide range of social, scientific, and spiritual topics. We welcome contributions from across religious traditions.
The ORT Unit is committed to diversity and inclusion. In order to maximize the diversity of our panels, our proposal review process stipulates that proposer names be anonymous to chairs and steering committee members during review but visible to chairs prior to final acceptance or rejection. Further, a successful pre-arranged session or panel proposal must incorporate gender and racial-ethnic diversity; diversity of theoretical method and rank are also highly encouraged.