Performing theology

Online conference

20 - 22 May 2022

Digital conference room (Zoom): https://tu-dresden.zoom.us/j/61190039151?pwd=cE1SNGV6ZDdwZFFld2RhbmFzeC9TUT09

information about participants: https://padlet.com/giele/participants2022

Program with necessary links: https://padlet.com/giele/performingtheology

Whiteboard (Miro): https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_koCmvYk=/ 

Abstract

In academic work as well as in pastoral practice, theology is understood regularly and primarily as a verbal/oral activity. God-"talk" is taken literally and performed in appropriate oral formats: in academic lectures or group discussions; in homiletics, catechesis, and preaching; in text- and conversation-based religious education in schools; or in conversations about faith in everyday life. What is articulated orally may later be written down and recorded as a textual document. And vice versa: oral talk about God draws on available texts, extracts thoughts from them, and presents them in turn in oral form.

In the past years, on the other hand, an increasing sensitivity and attention to other forms of theology can be observed (in the German-speaking world as well as internationally). These forms do not work with oral articulation and structured reflection, but with bodily expression, non-verbal interaction and configurations, resisting as well a pure fixation and representation of their content and message: Dance, choreographed interactions, music and sound, performance art and other representational practices including painting, mime, political body assemblies, and nonverbal protest in public.

As nonverbal practices, they are characterized by something hyperbolic/by a surplus, non-determinable, open-ended, and ephemeral. It is precisely in this - in this open, fragile performance - that they seem to refer possibly to God as Other and do something within the context in which they appear: they open up space for gestures, feelings, ways of thinking and living that transcend previous cultural, social, political grids. The more explicit discourse recedes into the background, the more questions of embodiment, representation, gesture emerge.

The conference "Performing theology" has such "other forms" (heteromorphies) of theology as its subject. It takes them into consideration, thematizes them and tries to trace their performative dynamics. Four questions play a crucial role in the conference:

• Which body dimensions characterize such practices?
• In what ways are they resistant, irritating, interrupting, critical, creative, provocative, transformative?
• Is there a theological dimension in them – be it in on the level of contents or in regard to their performative dynamics?
• What are concrete impulses for theological-academic work and pastoral practice if we understand theology as logos-critical performative practice?

Target group: The conference addresses theologians, cultural scientists, scholars in religious studies, religious educators as well as practitioners in church pastoral work and social work, teachers with an interest in reflecting on other forms of theology in their own practice, and students of theology and related subjects.

The conference offers approaches to various embodiments of theology as theoretical input in four keynotes. On day 2 it also includes an experimental-participative part, in which the classical format of lecture - discussion is not applied, but conversely a performative experience is initiated experimentally (workshop-like), which is subsequently reflected upon.

At the end, the conference will also look into the future: On day 3, the network "Theology, performance, politics", which is currently being build-up / re-vitalized, will be introduced and a funding proposal for further cooperation will be discussed.

The conference will take place via Zoom, languages are English and German. Summaries of keynotes and main contributions in English will be available in German, and vice versa.

For registration, please send an email to . Participation in the conference is free of charge. Participants will receive the Zoom-Link after registration some days prior to the start of the conference.

Call for papers

The paper sessions on day 2 offers to all participants the opportunity to present own reflections on “performing theology” in the form of paper presentations, in two different perspectives:

• First, there will be a "workshop master thesis", in which advanced students 1-2 semesters before graduation can present their own projects and receive feedback. For this purpose, a lecturer is available to provide support and give feedback. Registration in the Master Workshop via email to  with indication of the topic of the Master thesis.
• Second, there will be research-oriented paper sessions for the presentation and discussion of scientific contributions as well as practical reports. Short presentations of 20 minutes are requested, followed by a 10-minute discussion.  Please send proposals for contributions in the form of an abstract (approx. 100 words) to . by April 23. You will receive feedback from the conference team by April 25.

You are cordially invited to present your own research projects, research results, practical experiences, and work results of "performing theology" and to bring them into discussion!

Schedule

Friday, 20 Mai 2022
5:00 PM CEST	Welcome and general Introduction	Dr Christian Kern
5:30 – 6:45 PM	Keynote 1: Theology and Dance	Prof Dr Heike Walz, Augustana Neuendettelsau, GER
7:30 – 8:45 PM	Keynote 2: Theology and Performance Art	Dr Praba Pilar, CCA/Oakland USA
	Open meetings on different media/platforms
Saturday, 21 Mai 2022
9 AM – 1 PM	Performing theology – research projects / paper sessions 9:05 – Argyro Tsamapzi (Belfast): The Application of Silence to Dance Practice 9:40 - Markéta Machková (Prague/Neuchâtel): Dialogical Acting with the Inner Partner 10:15 – V. Iswarya Bengaluru (India): God vs. Materialism: Defence and defiance in Tom Stoppard’s Darkside and The Hard Problem Break 11:00 – Rebecca Riehn (Dresden): ideas on “queer christologies” (master thesis) 11:35 – Nadir Nasidi Zaria (Nigeria): From Art to Blasphemy: Northern Nigerian Muslim Responses to Muazu Mohammed Sani’s Religious Paintings 12:10 – Carlton Chase (New York): The artful gap: fragments and theological performance	Chairs: Dr Riyako Hikota & Ellen Geiser
2:30 PM	Performing theology – Lecture performance	Concept: Nathalie Giele
5:30 – 6:45 PM	Performatic practices in religious education? Conversation with an expert (N.N.) in pedagogy and didactics	Prof Dr Dr Oliver Reis, IKTh Paderborn, GER
7:30 – 8:45 PM	Keynote 3: Zwischen den Noten – ungeschriebene Regeln und musikalische Praxis	Jprof. Dr Miriam Akkermann, TU Dresden, GER
Sunday, 22 May 2022
9:00 AM	Individual morning walk	Clemens Herrmann Wagner
10:00 -- 12:00 AM	„Performative Theologies“ – Network Discussion of Network proposal; planning	Dr Christian Kern