2019 IARPT Conference Info and CFP

2019 IARPT Conference: Pragmatism, Naturalism, and Religion
Asheville, North Carolina
June 17-20, 2019

Location: First Congregational Church
Local Host: James McLachlan
Program Chairs: Matthew Bagger and Michael Raposa
Intellectual Autobiography: Wayne Proudfoot

For its 2019 annual conference, the Institute for American Religious and Philosophical Thought calls for papers addressing the issues raised by Pragmatism and Naturalism: Scientific and Social Inquiry After Representationalism (Columbia University Press, 2018), a collection of essays authored by Jim Wetzel, Jeff Stout, Michael Raposa, Wayne Proudfoot, Philip Kitcher, Jonathon Kahn, Terry Godlove, Nancy Frankenberry, Scott Davis, and Matt Bagger.*  Although it is not a festschrift, the volume honors Wayne Proudfoot by its focus on issues central to his work.  The volume’s essays specify the distinctive naturalism of the classical pragmatists, evaluate the contribution pragmatism can make to a viable naturalism, and consider the merits of pragmatic naturalism for democratic theory and practice as well as the philosophy and study of religion.

We invite proposals for presentations that respond to the essays in the volume as well as papers that pertain in a more general fashion to the topics addressed in the volume.  Specifically, we solicit papers on the following topics:

  1. The classical pragmatists and naturalism
  2. Pragmatism, naturalism, and the study of religion
  3. Pragmatism and democracy
  4. Pragmatism and the philosophy of religion
  5. Wayne Proudfoot’s scholarship

Wayne Proudfoot and Jeff Stout will deliver plenary addresses.

Proposals should contain a descriptive title and brief (no more than 500 words) but informative and readable description of the paper to be presented, with some indication of why the proposer considers the paper to be an important contribution. Proposals should also include a brief (150-word) biographical sketch of their authors.

All proposals should be sent in Word format to both Michael Raposa (mlr0@lehigh.edu) and Matt Bagger (matthew.c.bagger@gmail.com). The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2019.

*The Columbia University Press website for Pragmatism and Naturalism: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/pragmatism-and-naturalism/9780231181884

Use the promo code CUP30 to receive a 30% discount.