Introduction to Pyrotheology

A Philosophical Reflection on Peter Rollins’ Theological Project

A Four-Week Seminar Series ft. Peter Rollins, Barry Taylor, John Feldmann, LaVonne Chantal

Throughout the course we will be hosting Peter Rollins, Barry Taylor, John Feldmann, and LaVonne Chantal for an introduction and investigation of Peter Rollins pyrotheological project. Peter Rollins will offer an introduction to pyrotheology, Barry Taylor will be exploring its relationship to everyday life, John Feldmann will be its theoretical relationship to religious structure, and LaVonne Chantal will be introducing an idea about the potential of pyrotheological practice.

Each session will give a different window into pyrotheology, from its basic relationship to everyday life, to the nature of religious structure.

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Pre-course video

Event at a glance

Keynote speakers:

Peter Rollins is a Northern Irish writer, public speaker, philosopher, producer and theologian. Drawing largely from various strands of continental philosophy, Rollins' early work operated broadly from within the tradition of apophatic theology, while his more recent books have signalled a move toward the theory and practice of death of God theology. In these books Rollins develops a "religionless" interpretation of Christianity called pyrotheology, an interpretation that views faith as a particular way of engaging with the world rather than a set of beliefs about the world.

Barry Taylor is a radical theologian whose work is focused on the intersections between religion, theology and culture, with a particular emphasis on the impact and interplay of contemporary digital life on religion and belief (particularly Western Christianity). I am particularly interested in religion where it is least obvious and in cultural clinamens, the behaviour and phenomena that escape our categorizing and thus provide opportunity for re-framing how we think and approach life.

John Feldmann is a Ph.D. Candidate in Political Theory at the New School for Social Research in New York City, specializing in psychoanalysis and its intersection with french philosophy, working on theories of the subject. He has been lecturing at various universities on social and political theory, psychoanalysis, international relations and post-Soviet politics.

LaVonne Chantal is a counsellor and small pizza shop owner who works at the intersection of psychological inquiry and lived experience. Her interests gravitate toward ideas that unsettle certainty and invite deeper reflection on relationships and life.

About Philosophy Portal

Philosophy Portal is an online education platform that hosts four live events every month. ​ To learn more about the overall initiative, see: The Portal.

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