Hamalis speaks at conference about political theology

Perry Hamalis, North Central College Cecelia Schneller Mueller Professor of Religion, associate professor of religious studies and director of academic opportunities, was a featured speaker at the Third Solon and Marianna Patterson Triennial Conference on Orthodox/Catholic Relations held at Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y., June 11-13.

The conference, titled “Christianity, Democracy, and the Shadow of Constantine,” explored the modern relationship between Christianity—with its Platonic roots—and democracy and the extent to which it was shaped by the Constantinian revolution. The event was attended by regional faculty, graduate students, clergy and the broader public and included three keynote addresses and 11 shorter presentations by international scholars.
 
Hamalis’ talk was titled “Democracy and the Dynamics of Death: Orthodox Reflections on the Origin and Limits of Politics.” In it, Hamalis responded to recent work in Orthodox Christian political thought by drawing upon the work of Thomas Hobbes, Orthodox theological anthropology, and Byzantine imperial practices of “remembrance of death.”

As was the case with the two previous Patterson conferences, the presenters’ papers will be published in an edited volume by Fordham University Press.

Hamalis joined North Central’s faculty in 2004. He earned his B.A. from Boston College, his M.Div. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.