The 2006-2007 Colloquium Conference

The Future of Democracy
An Undergraduate Conference on Religion, Philosophy, and Culture

Keynote Address by Catherine Keller (Drew University), "The Dare of Democracy: Faith, Fear and Freedom"

March 31, 2007

This first annual regional undergraduate conference will be held at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania as a part of its 2006-2007 Colloquium on Democracy and its Discontents. This event will bring together undergraduate students in the humanities from a number of colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and beyond. The conference consists of two main components.

Undergraduate student participants will be invited to present short papers (20 minute presentations) on the topic of the future of democracy. A monetary prize ($100) will be given for the best paper as determined by a panel of judges appointed by the conference steering committee.
The conference will also host Professor Catherine Keller from Drew University. Professor Keller is a feminist theologian who is interested in the critical nexus between religion, politics, and culture. Her evening lecture will be open to conference participants and members of the LVC community and surrounding area. Participants are encouraged to read a selection of Professor's most recent writings in preparation for the conference (see below for list of recommended readings). Students will be given the opportunity not only to meet with fellow participants to discuss the book/author in question in guided, small-group discussion, but also to speak with the author in an open forum about the texts in question.

Call for Papers and Panels:
We invite any papers and/or panels that deal with the broad topic of the future of democracy, whether from a philosophical, political, religious, or cultural perspective. Paper submissions must be written by undergraduate students who intend to present their work at the conference. Complete papers are required for consideration. Panel proposals can be composed of a combination of undergraduate and/or graduate students, as well as faculty. One suggestion is that panels be organized discussion about a particular book, author, or theme. The panel proposal should include a title, brief one-paragraph description of what will be under discussion, and a list of participants. All papers and panel proposals should include the contact person's name, institutional affiliation, and e-mail address. Papers and panel proposals are due on January 1, 2007 and should be sent as an attachment via e-mail to Jeff Robbins at robbins@lvc.edu. Notification of acceptance of proposals will be sent no later than January 15, 2007.

Steering Committee:

Sharon Baker, Assistant Professor of Religion, Messiah College
Eric Boynton, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Allegheny College
Kenneth Lokensgard, Assistant Professor of Religion, Gettysburg College
Nathan Baruch Rein, Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Religion, Ursinus College
Jeffrey W. Robbins, Assistant Professor of Religion & Philosophy, Lebanon Valley College
Victor E. Taylor, Associate Professor of the Humanities, York College of Pennsylvania

Recommended Readings:

God and Power: Counter-Apocalyptic Journeys, by Catherine Keller (Augsburg, 2005)
Apocalypse Now and Then: A Feminist Guide to the End of the World, by Catherine Keller (Beacon, 1997)
Postcolonial Theologies: Divinity and Empire, edited by Catherine Keller (Chalice, 2004)
The American Empire and the Commonwealth of God: A Political, Economic, Religious Statement, by David Ray Griffin, John B. Cobb Jr., Richard Falk, & Catherine Keller (Westminster/John Knox Press, 2006
Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism, Cornel West (Penguin, 2005)
Democracy and Tradition, by Jeffrey Stout (Princeton, 2005)
Does American Democracy Still Work, by Alan Wolfe (Yale, 2006)
The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror, by Natan Sharansky (Balfar, 2006)
American Vertigo: Traveling America in the Footsteps of Tocqueville, by Bernard-Henry Levy (Random House, 2006)