European Society for Philosophy of Religion

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
