Autumn conference 2018

17^th to 19^th October 2018, Meerscheinschlössl Graz

with the first and second cohort of doctoral researchers of the University of Graz and the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, Uni­versity of Erfurt, funded by FWF und DFG

"On the Relationship of Resonance and Reception"

Outline of the conference

The International Graduate School aims at the collaboration of ancient cultural studies and biblical studies with sociology with a focus on relations of individuals to his or her social, material, but also transcendental world, that are established and reflected in different social and especially religious practices. The core question is under what conditions and with what consequences such self-world relations can be experienced as resonant, i.e. dialogical-responsive.

With its sociologically oriented and historically based survey of resonance, the IGS contextualises rituals and their dynamics beyond their concrete social orders, and mono- or polytheistic ideas. With this approach, basic cognitive processes as well as their expressive character and the institutionalisation of resonances into sacralisations can be considered. The IGS thus inquires into ritual practices as socio-religious practices that create, determine, and express meaningful relationships of people with the world around them – with other people, with objects, with nature, with the Self, with the transcendent, or with various gods or god. The quality of self-world relations sheds light on socio-cultural settings, and social positions (gender, social inequality) that influence the options for resonances.

Texts, images and objects play an important role in ritual practices – in antiquity mostly in religious contexts. However, these are not static, fixed and invariable. Contemporary or later performers, audiences, readers, or specialists interpret, change, and modify practices. The speakers of the conference look at the phenomenon of reception and the actualisations induced by reception processes, adaptations or re-interpretations. In this frame it is not only necessary to analyse inter-textual receptions, but also inter-medial references, reflected in texts, literary images as well as iconographical representations, and objects. Experiencing resonance can be conceptualised as the unforseeable reaction of a reading, beholding, using or writing agent to give processes of reception and chains of transformations a new interpretative dimension. The conference of the IGS seeks to discuss the recent approaches to reception and resonance in the scope of the outlined issues of the graduate school.

What strategies can be found in texts or certain authors to enable resonant experiences? How do processes of reception of images and objects function that circulate differently to texts? What is received in certain periods and in what situations, what is not received and forgotten? What role do reception communities play for the development of traditions as societally accepted forms of reception? Why are some traditions more resonant than others? On what power relations are processes of reception based, that (at least for certain times) are able to produce resonant experiences?

A round table with the theatre director Volker Hesse (in collaboration with the Catholic-Theological Faculty and the Schauspielhaus Graz) on „Resonante Texte oder resonante Themen? Zur Rezeption literarischer Werke im Theater“ will elucidate the topic of the reception of texts in performing arts, and brings the topic to a wider audience.

To enable an intense discussion and a preparative reflection on the above mentioned questions the discussion papers of the speakers will be circulated a week before the conference. During the conference the main point of the papers will be presented in 5 minutes by the speaker, followed by 55 minutes of discussion. Papers should be ca. 15 p. long, preferably in English or German with an English abstract. Please send you papers by 5^th October 2018 to anna.rieger@uni-graz.at. The doctoral researchers of the 2nd cohort present their projects in the frame of the conference (10 minutes presentation followed by 10 minutes discussion).

Participants

Guest Speakers: Helmut Birkhan, Wien / Volker Hesse, Zürich / Nina Zahner, Düsseldorf

Speakers from the Faculty of the IGS: Irmtraud Fischer / Enno Friedrich / Ursula Gärtner / Eveline Krummen / Sarah Lang / Sabine Tausend / Markus Vinzent

Doctoral Researchers and Faculty Members of the IGS from the Universities of Erfurt and Graz (https://dk-resonance.uni-graz.at/de/das-doktoratskolleg/faculty/)

Roundtable discussion with the theatre director Volker Hesse, thursday 18th Oct. 2018 in collaboration with the Theological Faculty

„Resonante Texte oder resonante Themen? Zur Rezeption literarischer Werke im Theater“