Philosophy Conferences and Calls for Papers

A Conference Sponsored by the Faith and Reason Institute of Gonzaga University and the Weyerhaeuser Center for Faith and Learning of Whitworth College, both in Spokane, WA, as part of a series of programs on “Faith, Reason and Popular Culture.”

Christian institutions of higher learning must engage popular culture if they are to respond properly to their charge to be places where faith seeks understanding. Among the most powerful of all forms of popular culture is film. This inaugural conference (for what is hoped to be an annual event) seeks to engage issues of faith and general philosophical import raised by contemporary cinema and its practices. Presenters need not have any formal academic appointment.

Featured speakers: Ralph Winter (film producer); Thomas Hibbs (Baylor University), and Michael Foley (Baylor University).

Public lectures will be given on the evenings of Thursday, Sept. 27, Friday, Sept. 28 and Saturday, Sept 29; plenary sessions and concurrent sessions will be held during the day on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Possible session titles include the following, though other paper or session proposals on specific topics, questions, or films are welcome and encouraged:

• Character, narrative and religious belief in recent films.
• Faith and morals in recent films.
• Cognitive uses of fantasy and film.
• Depictions of God in recent films.
• Depictions of the religious life in recent films.
• Naturalism and supernaturalism in recent films.
• The dream-film analogy (on which see C. McGinn, The Power of Movies).
• Faith and fantasy (or: why faith is not merely a fantasy).
• Fantasy and emotions in films (of particular genres or generally).
  Magical illusion and morals in recent films (e.g. The Prestige, The Illusionist).

• Possible world metaphysics and films.
• Science fiction, fantasy and emotions.
• The uses of silence in recent films.
• Modal concepts and modal thinking in films.
  Animated films, fantasies and cognition.

• Psychoanalytic notions of fantasy and film.
• Films by particular directors and any of the above topics.

Proposals not longer than one page (double-spaced), and in Word, should be submitted by May 11, 2007, and should include title, author(s), institutional association (if any), mailing address, email address, and text of proposal. Proposals should be submitted electronically to faithandreason@gonzaga.edu. Acceptances will be sent by June 15, 2007.