| Submitted to Program Units |
|---|
| 1: Schleiermacher Unit |
We developed the following call for this session:
"While Friedrich Schleiermacher’s place in early German Romanticism is well-established, his original contributions to aesthetics, and the close interconnections of art with religion in his writings, have received significantly less attention in English-language scholarship. Following upon the recent critical edition of Schleiermacher’s writings on aesthetics (De Gruyter, 2021), this session invites papers reflecting on Schleiermacher’s distinctive understanding of art and aesthetics, and the various points of connection between his reflections on aesthetics and his broader thinking. Suitable proposal topics may cover a wide range, and might include themes such as the following: Schleiermacher’s theory of art, as developed in lectures on aesthetics; “religion as art” (Kunstreligion); reflections on the role of artistic expression in the Speeches, Christmas Eve Dialogue, and Christian Faith; Schleiermacher’s understanding of art in the context of early German Romanticism; the relation of aesthetics and anthropology; the role of artistic forms in worship or preaching; or artistic expression and affectivity"
We received one strong paper proposal, which focused on a nuanced discussion of the role of music in Schleiermacher's aesthetics, and which indicated a desire to present only in the online session. Other proposals listed both the in-person meeting or online meeting as options, but seemed better suited to the in-person meeting. We have developed a session, then, that centers on the role of music in Schleiermacher's theological writings and writings on aesthetics. The session also includes substantial responses from Schleiermacher scholars well-versed in German-language discussions of Schleiermacher's thought.
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
While Friedrich Schleiermacher’s place in the modern study of religion is well-established, his original contributions to aesthetics, and the close interconnections of aesthetics with religion in his writings, have received significantly less attention in English-language scholarship. This session draws upon the recent critical edition of Schleiermacher’s writings on aesthetics to explore his distinctive understanding of art and religion, and the various points of connection between his reflections on aesthetics and his better-known theological works. It centers especially on Schleiermacher’s novel reflections on music in both his theological writings and his writings on aesthetics, and on the significant links between music and religion in his thought.