The Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology will be meeting at Brigham Young University, October 8-10, 2015. This year’s conference theme is “Doers of the Word: Belief and Practice.” From the Call for Papers:
The Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology invites paper proposals on any aspect of Mormon belief, including its philosophical ramifications. We particularly encourage submissions on this year’s theme.
Religious faith is not merely a matter of belief but of action. Indeed, several passages in scripture suggest that true belief cannot be separated from action. In John 7:17, for instance, Jesus indicates that the practice of faith is a means of acquiring knowledge: “If any man will do [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.” Yet other scriptures seem to emphasize the intrinsic, perhaps independent importance of both belief and practice, as in D&C 131:6, “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” This year’s theme examines the distinctive roles of religious belief and practice, and their profound influence on one another.
Topics falling under this theme might include but are not limited to:
- the nature of faith
- belief as a source of action
- action as manifesting faith
- action as nourishing faith
- spiritual learning through experience
- the role of ignorance in spiritual development
- theologies implicit in Mormon practices
- orthopraxy versus orthodoxy
- religious results versus religious hope
- cognitive versus embodied truth
- history as theology
- engagement with Wittgensteinian, process, or other philosophical perspectives on belief and action
- analysis of scriptural passages on this theme, such as James 1: 22-7, John 7: 17, Alma 32: 21-43, 1 Samuel 15:22, etc.
Submission deadline: September 1st, 2015
For full details, including submission instructions, see the Call for Papers (PDF).