CALL FOR PROPOSALS:
36th Annual Colloquy of the American Weil Society
Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
“Simone Weil: Religion and Rootedness”
April 24-25, 2015
Deadline for submissions: January 15, 2015
The 36th Annual Colloquy of the American Weil Society (AWS) will be hosted by Professor Christine Ann Evans at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 24 and 25, 2015. The topic of this year’s colloquy is: “Religion and Rootedness.” This theme is deliberately broad, so that Weil’s religious, social, political, and/or ethical philosophy may be addressed under the heading. Accordingly, some possible approaches include:
• An examination of some aspect of Weil’s L’enracinement (The Need for Roots) or any of her writings on religion, the supernatural, and/or mysticism
• Bringing Weil into conversation with contemporary works on political theology
• Weil’s philosophy as it would pertain to recent (uprooting) conflicts, colonizing forces, and the roles (good or bad) that religion might play
• An exploration of the tension between “detachment” and a “need for roots”
• An investigation into Weil’s critiques of idolatry and/or “the collectivity”
As usual, we welcome all relevant and timely proposals pertaining to Weil’s thought. The proposals will be peer reviewed and selected by a committee, consisting of the host (Dr. Evans), the President (Dr. Rozelle-Stone), and the Vice President (Dr. Bartomeu Estelrich). As a reminder, if your proposal is accepted, in order to be eligible to present a paper at the colloquy, you must be a member of the AWS in good standing. You may become a member or renew your membership on our website: www.americanweilsociety.org
Submission Guidelines:
• Proposals should be paper abstracts between 300-500 words.
• Please prepare proposals for anonymous review. Your name should not appear in the document containing the abstract, but you should submit a separate cover page with your name, affiliation, paper/proposal title, and email address/contact information. Please also indicate on the cover page whether you will require special equipment for your presentation and whether you would be willing to serve as a moderator.
• Email these two documents (proposal and cover page) in MS Word format (.doc or .docx) or as PDF to Dr. Christine Evans at cevans@lesley.edu by January 15, 2015. Questions may be directed to Dr. Evans or to Dr. Rebecca Rozelle-Stone at adrian.rozelle@email.und.edu
A bank of rooms has been reserved at the Sheraton Commander Hotel ($229/night) as well as the Mary Prentiss Inn ($219/night), both in Cambridge, for the nights of April 23rd, 24th, and 25th. Both hotels are in walking distance of the meeting sessions, which will be held on the Brattle Street campus. Further details on travel and meals will be provided to participants.