Doing theology with and amongst living bodies in contested spaces

Prof Johann Meylahn of the Department of Practical Theology in the Faculty of Theology presented a paper at the International Academy of Practical Theology conference, which was held in Oslo, Norway, from 20 to 24 April 2017. 

The purpose of the conference is to develop practical theology as an academic discipline in global conversation. The theme of this years’ conference was ‘Reforming: Space, body and politics’.

Prof Meylahn’s paper was entitled ‘Doing theology with and amongst living bodies in contested spaces’. In the paper, he points out that space is always situated in time, and time defines space. Time-spaces are filled with bodies and they give to those bodies identity and place. On the other hand, bodies carry out time-spaces and thereby in a sense create these time-spaces as a place or rather a home of and for these bodies, or the place is carried out as place of exclusion and marginalisation. The paper tried to think this interaction between space-bodies and politics of place with the help of Alain Badiou, who specifically focusses on language-body dualism, which he calls democratic materialism. The question of the paper is: what can practical theology contribute to this re-formation of space, if it understands itself as doing theology with and amongst living bodies in contested spaces seeking place?       

The International Academy of Practical Theology (IAPT) is a scientific community dedicated to the the study of and critical reflection on practical theological thought and action. At present, IAPT has members from over 20 countries.

Every second year IAPT organises an international conference. The 2017 conference was hosted by the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo, MF Norwegian School of Theology and VID Specialized University.