2018 events at the FBK Center for Religious Studies

The 2018 calendar of the events organized by the Center for Religious Studies (ISR) of Trento-based Fondazione Bruno Kessler was presented to the press this morning.  The program, illustrated by director Marco Ventura, provides monthly meetings on the multiple interactions between religion and innovation, a theme around which all the activities of the Center revolve.

Along with the scientific seminars in English, there are also events dedicated to citizens, in Italian, on current topics. After the opening meeting on Thursday, January 25 at 6.00 pm entitled “Why does God change language? Dynamics of innovation in religious communication” by Massimo Leone (University of Turin), the next scheduled event will be held on Tuesday, February 6 at 5.00 pm at the FBK offices in Trento. Vincenzo Idone Cassone and Mattia Thibault (University of Turin) will hold a conference dedicated to the relationship between religion and videogames entitled “In the beginning were the bits: genesis and faith of the videogame worlds”. In particular, the speakers will highlight the innovative implications in the religious culture of video gamers and the possibilities that developers have to use religion related themes in the ideation and design of video games. The cycle of meetings will continue throughout the year and will end in November with the event “Religion, human enhancement and artificial intelligence”, in line with the choice of Fondazione Bruno Kessler to dedicate 2018 to the topic of artificial intelligence.

“The goal of this series of events”, explains Marco Ventura, “is to explore a territory that has not been studied until now: the relationships between today’s religion and the processes of innovation in areas such as science, technology, politics, culture, law. The series of events continues, strengthens and develops the research activities carried out at the Center for Religious Studies after the adoption of the new mission in June 2016 on the multiple interactions between religion and innovation in contemporary societies. The workshops and conferences in English will create a debate between religious scholars and researchers in different fields of innovation. The conferences in Italian will also allow the lay audience to become acquainted with and follow the Center’s work on religion and innovation “.

The topics will be analyzed and discussed by experts from all over the world and will combine the four ISR lines of research “Conflicts”, “Values, science and technology”, “Spirituality and lifestyles” and “Texts, doctrines and traditions “.

During the year, the Center will be promoting and offering a series of activities for schools, such as “Tell another story!” and “Discourses of hatred and online youth culture” that intend to contribute to educating kids in tolerance and recognition of diversity based on the communication of correct information and on the active involvement of young people in dialogue and study.