The study of Maximus the Confessor’s thought has flourished in recent years: annual international conferences, publications and articles, new critical editions and translations mark a torrent of interest in the work and influence of the most sublime of the Byzantine Fathers. It has been repeatedly stated that the Confessor’s thought is of eminently philosophical interest, and his work has been approached from a philosophical point of view in a number of monographs. However, no dedicated collective scholarly engagement with Maximus the Confessor as a Philosopher has taken place – and this colloquium will attempt to start such a discussion. Apart from Maximus’ relevance and importance for philosophy in general, a second question arises: should towering figures of Byzantine philosophy like Maximus the Confessor be included in an overview of the European continent’s history of philosophy, or rather excluded from it – as happens today with most histories of European philosophy? Maximus’ historical presence challenges our understanding of what European philosophy is. In this colloquium, we will begin to address these issues and examine numerous aspects of Maximus’ philosophical ‘system’: the logoidoctrine, Maximus’ anthropology and the human will’s freedom, the theory of motion, his understanding of time and space etc. – thereby also stressing the interdisciplinary character of Maximian studies.

Poster image: detail from George Kordis’ icon “St Maximus the Confessor contemplating the λόγοι of beings“.

Fr. Maximos Constas

Visiting Professor of Patristics – Holy Cross, Brookline MA

Christophe Erismann

SNFS Professor of Medieval Philosophy – University of Lausanne

Georgi Kapriev

Professor of the History of Philosophy – Sv. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia

Fr. Nikolaos Loudovikos

Professor of Theology – University Ecclesiastical Academy of Thessaloniki

Fr. Andrew Louth

Emeritus Professor of of Patristic and Byzantine Studies – Durham University

Fr. John Panteleimon Manoussakis

Associate Professor of Philosophy – College of the Holy Cross, Worcester MA

Torstein Tollefsen

Professor of Philosophy – University of Oslo

Christos Yannaras

Emeritus Professor of Philosophy – Panteion University, Athens

and a significant number of short papers.

We welcome paper proposals (presentation duration: 20 minutes) on Maximus the Confessor’s thought, work and relevance to any area of Philosophy by scholars in Philosophy, Byzantine Studies, Theology and related disciplines. Papers may examine the relationship of Maximus’ thought to that of other thinkers, but the paper must focus on Maximus the Confessor’s contribution. All papers must be presented in English.

Please send us the title and a short abstract of your presentation (200-400 words) in English, along with a short CV, untilSunday, May 11, 2014 via e-mail to maximus2014berlin [ at ] gmail.com. You will be informed concerning your possible acceptance on Monday, May 12, 2014, and you will be asked to submit the registration fee via bank transfer.

A volume on Maximus the Confessor as a Philosopher based on the colloquium is planned to be published.

Please send us your (1) full name with title, (2) institutional affiliation, (3) e-mail, (4) cellphone number and (5) postal address to maximus2014berlin [ at ] gmail.com with the subject “Registration” until May 16, 2014. Subsequently, you will be provided with information concerning the bank transfer of the registration fee.

The registration fee of 120,00€ covers registration, the coffee breaks throughout the conference, as well as two conference dinners on September 26th and 27th. Accommodation and lunches are not included.

Venue

The exact venue of the colloquium in Berlin will be announced soon.

Source de l’information : maximus2014.euhttp://maximus2014.eu/