Vulnerability - a new focus for theological and interdisciplinary anthropology
The goal of the conference is to bring together philosophers, lawyers, doctors, psychologists and theologians, in order to examine the extent to which human vulnerability can be understood as a key anthropological category.
The main methodological thesis is that the work on the concept of ‘Vulnerability’ will result in important clarifications of both a substantive and an exemplary nature. The needs and limitations of an interdisciplinary theological terminology will be explored in exemplary and fundamental respects.
In addition to the substantive work on this bridge concept, the conference is also concerned with a methodological challenge: Through the concept of vulnerability, a contact between Theology and other scientific discourses is constructed and a discussion with other relevant disciplines is sought. Simultaneously, the development of Theology’s own resources is challenged; yet it is imperative that contact with specifically theological terminology, as it is tangible in biblical texts, in discourses on the history of Christianity and in the dogmatic tradition, is retained.
Here the theological discussion of vulnerability comes objectively, as methodologically, into paradigmatic significance. The concept of vulnerability derived from systemic ecological research is introduced into theology, and in particular into theological anthropology, and is made fruitful for theological debate and interdisciplinary research. In theological-anthropological research vulnerability has thus far not been a key concept; however, the idea behind vulnerability has been present in Theology, which conveys at the same time critical interdisciplinary discourse.
The key questions of the project are: How is human vulnerability to be theologically interpreted and how is it to be developed over against medical, psychological, legal and philosophical research? Is vulnerability a threat, resource or deficit of humanity? To what extent is it socially dependent and socially effective? What can theology bring to the interdisciplinary conversation about vulnerability?
In psychological and ecological research, in which vulnerability has classically been explored, the concept has been understood as risk and as a threat to integrity, from which follows a focus on resilience and salutogenesis.
This conference also assumes that vulnerability describes the fundamental threat of people; yet as a fundamental threat, it argues that vulnerability can be a resource as well as a deficit. As such, our interest is in a differentiated anthropology, which considers man in his fragility, vulnerability and danger. Thus the implied structures shall be investigated in conversation with medical, psychological, legal, theological, and philosophical approaches. The intention is not - according to certain long-acting theological traditions - to speak in favour of a negative anthropology, but rather to understand vulnerability as a resource, without on the other hand underplaying its gravity.
The investigation of vulnerability stems from an interest, in conversation with relevant neighbouring-disciplines, to work out an anthropology that is both scientifically defensible and at the same time theologically realistic. This investigation specifies the perception of the fragile and finite aspects of human life in interdisciplinary discussion and classifies them in the context of religious symbolism.
The constructive interest in vulnerability as a key anthropological concept is connected to a paradigm shift in the life sciences from one oriented on autonomy and freedom of thought to one with a stronger perception of bodily and social dependence. In particular, vulnerability as an anthropological category comes into view in legal and philosophical drafts.
Kontakt:
Prof. Dr. theol. Dr. rer. soc. Günter Thomas (Th.M.)
Professor für Ethik und Fundamentaltheologie
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät
Gebäude GA 8 / 155-157
D-44780 Bochum
Tel: +49 (0)234 32 22 506
Fax: +49 (0)234 32 14 884
E-Mail: Guenter.Thomas@rub.de
PD Dr. Heike Springhart
Universität Heidelberg / Systematische Theologie, Dogmatik
Neuenheimer Landstraße 2
D-69120 Heidelberg
Telefon: +49-(0)6221 6513339
Fax: +49-(0)6221 13787712
E-Mail: heike.springhart@wts.uni-heidelberg.de
