European Society for Philosophy of Religion

Call for Papers: The British Society for the Philosophy of Religion's Sixteenth Conference - Creativity and Creation
2025-03-31
The 2025 conference theme encompasses both human creativity and divine creation, across the full range of religious and philosophical traditions, theistic or otherwise. Presentations may focus on either human creativity or divine creation, or consider the relationship between the two. They may explore the metaphysics, ethics or phenomenology of creative acts (human or divine). We welcome philosophical reflection on the role of the arts in religious life and thought. We also want to consider the creative aspects of philosophical work itself. Conceptual and historical approaches are equally welcome, and attention to both practice and theory is warmly encouraged.

Questions addressed by the conference may include, but are not limited to, the following:

What is the relationship between human creativity and divine creation?
To what extent is philosophical thinking a creative activity?
How can we think philosophically about the role of the arts in religious life?
What is the connection between creativity and desire / knowledge / freedom / flourishing?
What account of agency underpins our conceptions of creation and creativity?
How do alternative models of theism (e.g. pantheism, panentheism, polytheism, classical monotheism) conceptualise creation?

These questions are attracting attention in recent scholarship, and the conference organisers are keen to examine the relevant issues from the vantage point of philosophy of religion as broadly conceived. We welcome papers taking a philosophical and/or theological approach to all aspects of creation and creativity, including secular and diverse religious perspectives. We also encourage submissions from scholars who seek to make connections with other disciplines, such as religious studies, psychology, literature, and cognitive science. Members of under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to submit an abstract.
Those interested in presenting a short paper should send a proposal of no more than 250 words in a Word document to Dr David Worsley (david.worsley@york.ac.uk) no later than 31 March 2025. Please include the paper’s title, and your name, institutional affiliation, and email address (these are not included in the 250 word word limit). We expect to notify people about whether their proposals have been accepted by 30 April 2025.
Some partial bursaries (including bursaries to cover the cost of childcare) may be available for participants who do not have another source of funding for attending the conference, with preference for these given to those who are presenting a paper. If you anticipate being in need of a bursary, please indicate this in your submission.

25th Conference of the European Society for Philosophy of Religion. The Revival of Metaphysics in the Philosophy of Religion. New Universalisms, Catholicities, and their Opposites
2026-09-10 - 2026-09-12 | Catholic University Leuven, Leuven
Call for Papers
Deadline proposals: 15 March 2026
Notification of acceptance: 15 April 2026
Conference registration: before 1 July 2026
Metaphysics, once vehemently criticised by logical positivists and postmodernists alike, seems to make a comeback both in the context of the analytic tradition and of the continental schools of phenomenology and critical thinking. Is there really a return of metaphysics and if so, what types of metaphysics are involved? A return of metaphysics forces us to reconsider our attitude towards premodern and
modern philosophical and theological thought, with implications for the nature and tasks of philosophy of religion. What are the consequences for our view of the relationship between philosophy and theology?
Pressing questions are:
(1) Which varieties of contemporary metaphysics are most relevant for the philosophy of religion? What brings this metaphysical turn about? Can religion do without metaphysics? Is a metaphysical approach in the philosophy of religion in any sense avoidable?
(2) Does a metaphysical turn overcome the standard objections to metaphysics? Is there any truth to post-metaphysical approaches?
(3) Does the emergent universalism within contemporary metaphysics encourage a joint search for common ground between philosophical and religious traditions? Can a revised notion of catholicity which goes beyond particularist approaches, bring different traditions closer together? Or should it strengthen the post-metaphysical critique and formulate opposites at the
limits of possibility of that search?
(4) What are the ethical and political consequences of the return of metaphysics in philosophy of religion? Is a return to metaphysics and universalism in danger of bringing back a discourse of dominance and logocentrism? Is the search for common ground used as power tool?
Short papers proposals and more: Encouraging diverse approaches within the philosophy of religion, this conference invites short papers with a presentation time of 20 minutes (followed by 10 minutes Q&A). Templates for submission of paper proposals will be provided timely via a link on the ESPR website. The names of the keynote speakers will also be announced on the website as soon as available. The use of English is recommended, but the organizers are open to a limited number of papers in German, French or Italian. There will be no hybrid sessions but a separate online section will be organized for those unable to attend. Passive attendance of the plenary sessions will be made possible through live streaming. Submit your proposal online via https://theo.kuleuven.be/en/espr2026.
Keynote speakers will include: Cyro de Florio & Aldo Frigerio (Milan), Petr Dvorak (Prague / Olomouc), Malte Dominik Krüger (Marburg), Julia Jansen (Leuven), Gijsbert van den Brink (Amsterdam), Douglas Hedley (Cambridge), Sami Pihlström (Helsinki), Ivana Noble (Prague).
About the ESPR: The European Society for Philosophy of Religion provides a forum for researchers employing different approaches to the philosophy of religion. See http://www.philosophy-of-religion.org
ESPR board: Walter Van Herck, Andrea Aguti, Hans-Peter Grosshans, Victoria Harrisson, Lubos Rojka, Ulf Zackariasson
KU Leuven hosts: Stephan van Erp (Faculty of Theology) & Henning Tegtmeyer (Institute of Philosophy)
More information about the CfP and its subthemes is offered following the Link to the PDF document of the
Call for papers ESPR2026 final
