Conference: Religious Language and Communication
Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen, Frankfurt am Main
September 10-11, 2026
Both the possibility of genuine disagreement in the religious domain and the possibility of genuine understanding in religious dialogue rest on certain assumptions regarding the semantic properties of religiously used expressions. This conference aims to unveil and discuss those assumptions. Central questions to be addressed include: Is there something distinctive about religious language? If so, how does this affect religious discourse and the resolution of religious disagreement? What does the word “God” mean, and how does its meaning shape religious dialogue and disagreements about God? What consequences do apophatic approaches have for religious dialogue? What are the implications of fictionalist, expressivist, or realist interpretations of religious language in view of interreligious dialogue? How does religious language work in conversations between adherents of religious and secular worldviews?
Speakers:
Amber L. Griffioen (Konstanz)
Jacob Hesse (Bochum)
Lorraine J. Keller (Philadelphia)
Winfried Löffler (Innsbruck)
Eva Schmidt (Dortmund)
Michael Scott (Manchester)
Mikael Stenmark (Uppsala)
Åke Wahlberg (Frankfurt)
Oliver J. Wiertz (Frankfurt)
Organizers: Jacob Hesse, Åke Wahlberg
Participation is free of charge. Please register via e-mail by September 3: ake.wahlberg@sankt-georgen.de