Art and desire have been perennial objects of philosophical and theological questioning throughout the history of ideas in the West. Thinkers from within the phenomenological tradition, including those associated with the so-called theological turn in French phenomenology, frequently treat one or another of these topics. However, the relation between art and desire together in the human experience of the divine or Absolute broadly construed goes overlooked in contemporary academic discussions. The question remains: what is the role of the desire of/for God in art and aesthetic experience?
The exigency of broaching this intersectional question became all the more apparent in the diverse reactions to the partial burning of the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris on April 16, 2019, which inspired both secular humanistic and religious discourses to articulate the importance of the preservation of the cathedral. What, if anything, can phenomenological analysis of art, desire, and God shed on the political dimension of the relation between religion and secular culture?
“Art, Desire, and God: Phenomenological Perspectives” will convene at the Snite Museum of Art on the campus of the University of Notre Dame from October 2-3, 2020. Theologians, philosophers, artists and others are invited to contribute to a collaborative reflection on the application of phenomenology to the investigation of these themes.
The call for papers can be found at the website: https://www.artdesireGod.com. Paper proposals are due by June 1, 2020. Those interested are invited to join the Facebook group for updates (facebook.com/groups/artdesiregod), and email artdesiregod@gmail.com with inquiries.