Re-Enchanting the World: Spirituality, Ecology, Arts<\/b><\/p>\n
Call for Abstracts\/Proposals<\/b><\/p>\n
Keynote speakers: Richard Kearney, Mark I. Wallace The philosophical concern with disenchantment originates primarily in the German Romantic reaction against Enlightenment rationalism, seeking to reclaim sacred, organic, and mysterious dimensions of experience. But the urge for re-enchantment is felt well beyond philosophy. In explicitly religious discourses, innovative ideas have emerged that expand our understanding of what re-enchantment could signify in today’s world, including new senses of spirituality and spiritual practices. Beyond the religious, the question of disenchantment and re-enchantment have profoundly shaped ecology and the arts. While reconciliation with Indigenous spirituality has been vital to the ecological movement, the arts have embraced a renewed desire to inspire wonder\u2014particularly in recent cinema, where filmmakers evoke a striking sense of spiritual and natural beauty and wonder, at times using magic realism to re-enchant the everyday world.<\/span><\/p>\n This conference\u2013co-sponsored by the Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University, the Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology (SCPT), and the Society for the Phenomenology of Religious Experience (SoPheRE), in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival\u2013will provide the chance to cultivate and reflect more deeply on re-enchantment. Keynote speakers Richard Kearney and Mark I. Wallace will guide us in examining how, by weaving together philosophical inquiry, artistic exploration, and spiritual practice, we can foster a deeper appreciation of the interconnectedness of all things and inspire meaningful action in the face of alienation.<\/span><\/p>\n In the spirit of this multifaceted turn to re-enchantment, we invite abstracts and proposals appropriate for a 30-minute presentation or workshop that explore what actions, theories, motivations and approaches can help us re-enchant the world. How can we think, feel, and experience the deepness of our connections to the world again?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>October 15-17, 2025
\n<\/span>Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON Canada<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>There appears to be a consensus, even amongst the nonreligious, that the processes of disenchantment have gone too far. Its wrecking ball has not only shattered superstition but also the fragile bonds connecting us to the world, leaving many people feeling isolated and lonely in a seemingly uncaring world. Calls for a re-enchanted relationship with the living world have come from religious and non-religious thinkers, filmmakers, environmental activists, and others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n