A Special Research Project

Understanding the Signs of Our Times:

Philosophical and Theological Perspectives

 

 

in collaboration with

Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy

University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany

 

 

The current pandemic felt by the entire globe has brought not only deep anxieties and fears but also profound quests and search for root causes and answers for our challenging situations -- socio-political, cultural, ecological, etc.. In order to understand the uniqueness and specificity of our times and to look for some resources that may help us deepen our understanding, this special research project intends to explore the philosophical-theological writings of a special fiture, Romano Guardini, one of most important Catholic intellectuals in the 20th century.

 

The goal is not just to focus on Guardini himself or one particiular religion but to look into urgent issues and challenges the entire humanity is facing today. His philosophical and theological insights may provide us with a specific perspective to study and diagnose the contemporary conundrums and to inspire us to develop new insights and thoughts compatible and corresponding to the complex and globalized world in our times.

 

This special research project will focus on four important issues: the crisis of the modern world, the impact of technology, morality and spirituality. Hence, a set of online seminars will study four most important works written by Guardini: (1) The End of the Modern World, (2) The Letter from Lake Como, (3) The Virtues: On Forms of Moral Life, and (4) Spirity of Liturgy. (Further bibliography related to each topic will be provided during each seminar.)

 

The Project is being coordinated by

William A. Barbieri, Professor of Ethics, Catholic University of America, Washington DC, USA

Yvonne Dohna Schlobitten, Professor of Theological Aesthetics, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy

João J. Vila-Chã, Professor of Philosophy, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy

Holger Zaborowski, Professor of Philosophy, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany

 

 

 

Online Seminar

The Meaningfulness of Romano Guardini's Thought in the Contemporary World

Saturday January 15, 2022 (10.00am-12.30pm Washington DC Time--EST)

 

This is part of a series of online/in-person meetings under the general theme "The Space of Knowlege: Grounding Cross-disciplinarity and Cross-culturality in Romano Guardini's Threefold Seesing of the World." This is an joint project of Pontificia Università Gregoriana, Pontificia Facolt à di Teologia Teresianum, Libera Univesit à Maria Santissima Assunt, Istituo Universitario Sophia, Virgina Theological Seminary and the CUA McLean Center for the Study of Culture and Values.

 

Speakers include:

 

- Michael Rutz (President, Guardini Stiftung, Berlin)

The Story of 'Weltanschauug' for the Guardini Chair

- Giuseppe Fraticello (President, Center for the Study of the Catholic Comprehension of the World, Rome)

The Role of 'Weltanschauung' in the Contemporary Scientific Thinking

- William A. Barbieri (Professor of Ethics, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC)

Views of the World: Guardini and Visual Ethics

- Yvonne Dohna Schlobitten (Professor of Theological Aesthetics, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome)

The Origin and Nature of Guardini's Polar Opposition

- João J. Vila-Chã (Professor of Philosophy, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome)

From Guardini to Levinas: On the Meta-Ontological Dimension of the Problem

- Holger Zaborowski (Professor of Philosophy, University of Erfurt, Erfut)

The Look and Call of the Beautiful: Art in a Technological Age

 

Registration Form

 

 

Schedules for Online Seminars

 

Seminar I. The Crisis of the Modern World

October 18 and November 1, 2021 (6.00-7.30pm Germany Time)

The End of the Modern World

(directed by Holger Zaborowski)

 

Seminar II. Aesthetics

April 2 and 9, 2022 (6.00-7.30pm Rome Time)

Guardini’s Aesthetics

(directed by Yvonne Dohna Schlobitten)

 

Seminar III. Power and Responsibility and the Challenges of Technologies

October, 2022

Power and Responsibility; The Letter from Lake Como

(directed by João J. Vila-Chã)

 

Seminar IV. Morality

January, 2023

The Virtues: On Forms of Moral Life

(directed by William A. Barbieri)

 

Seminar V. Spirituality

March, 2023

Spirit of Liturgy

(directed by Holger Zaborowski & Yvonne Dohna Schlobitten)

 

 

Schedules for In-person Conferences

 

November 2023

Modernity, Culture and Person

University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany

 

March 2024

Spirituality and Religious Experience

Gregorian University, Rome, Italy

 

 

Those who are interested in this research project, please click the link under each seminar above for further information and application.