Conference: Phenomenology, Religious Experience and Spiritual Practices

Spiritual practices are central to practically all religious traditions. They often serve as a pathway to religious experience, a way to prepare oneself for revelation or illumination by the divine. Religious practices can shape a self that is open to revelation and thus able to experience the transcendent. Liturgical and ritual practices provide patterns of communal gathering that prepare participants for shared prayer and celebration. Sacramental practices communicate the holy by purifying, feeding, and sanctifying. Rites of repentance and forgiveness enable the processing of failure and guilt. Devotional practices open the self to hearing the divine voice. Ascetic practices sharpen the focus on repentance in the combat with passions and distracting thoughts. Regardless of tradition, personal and communal religious practices—often deeply affective and corporeal—direct, guide, shape, and transform people to be open to the holy other and the human (and nonhuman) neighbor.

The conference “Phenomenology, Religious Experience, and Spiritual Practices” seeks to explore these ritual, devotional, or ascetic practices that orient people to the divine and enable them to receive revelation.

The event is organized by Christina M. Gschwandtner (Fordham University) and Thomas Schärtl-Trendel (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität). Hent de Vries (New York University), Sarah Hammerschlag (University of Chicago) and Anthony J. Godzieba (Villanova University) are going to perform a lecture as plenary speakers. Join them this June at the Fordham University Rose Hill Campus in New York.

For more information contact: gschwandtner@fordham.edu