American Weil Society

 2022 Colloquy

We are pleased to announce that the 41^st Annual Colloquy of the American Weil Society will be held at the University of Notre Dame on March 17-19, 2022 and will be organized by Professors Ann Astell and E. Jane Doering. The topic of the colloquy will be: “Translations of Beauty: Simone Weil and Literature”.  Particularly welcome would be papers considering Weil’s use of literature, her skills in varied literary genres, her purposeful subversions of traditional meanings, her influence on other writers, etc.   The theme “Translations of Beauty: Simone Weil and Literature” is deliberately broad so that any aspect of Weil’s political, religious and/or ethical philosophy may be addressed under the heading.  

The colloquy will feature keynote speeches by Professors Robert Chenavier (President, Association pour l’étude de la pensée de Simone Weil), Vincent Lloyd (Villanova University) and Alex Nemerov (Stanford University), as well as a special roundtable dedicated to Peter Winch’s The Just Balance. Another special roundtable on translating Simone Weil’s work is also in the planning stages. The conference will consist of a mixture of in-person, standard paper presentations (held on March 17-19^th on the campus of the University of Notre Dame), and of some entirely virtual panels held on Zoom on select Fridays after the conference. (Please note that all presenters for the in-person conference will be asked to send a detailed two-page summary/outline of their talks by March 5^th (these will be posted on the website of the conference).

 There will be a conference registration fee (early bird 50$ for regular attendees & 25$ for students). This will cover the cost for most meals and all coffee breaks. People who are unable to come to the University of Notre Dame will be able to attend keynote speeches and panels via Zoom (for a modest registration fee of 10$ (early bird)).  More details about the plenary sessions, roundtables, registration and conference banquet will be sent out to all AWS members in January 2022.

** The deadline for proposals is November 30th, 2021. **  Your proposals (300 words maximum) should be prepared for anonymous review and emailed to E. Jane Doering (doering.3@nd.edu), with all contact details.  Your proposal should also specify whether you would like to present in person at the University of Notre Dame or on a virtual panel (on the Fridays following the conference). The proposals will be reviewed by a committee, consisting of the hosts (Ann Astell and E. Jane Doering), the AWS President (Sophie Bourgault), and the AWS Vice President (Scott Ritner). Letters of acceptance will be sent out to participants prior to January 1^st, 2022.     

We kindly remind you that in order to present a paper, you must be an up-to-date member of the AWS. Doctoral students who wish to apply for a Junior Weilienne Scholar Grant should attach to their email a brief statement of interest (one that specifies the title of their PhD thesis and that includes a short biographical note).

Annual Colloquy

The American Weil Society organizes an annual colloquy, which has been meeting annually since 1981.  This two-day colloquy, usually held the last weekend in April, is dedicated to the presentation of papers and discussion, and usually centers around a set theme or text, although all timely papers are welcome.  The site for the meeting varies, and has included in the past, Princeton, Cambridge, Toronto, Santa Fe, Providence, San Francisco, Barcelona, Ottawa and Los Angeles.  

Past Colloquy

To view a list of papers presented at past American Weil Society Colloquy, please click on the appropriate link below.

 Colloquy XL (2021):            'Weil on Spirituality, Beauty and Justice'

                                               (Boston College)

 Colloquy XL (2020):            CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19

 Colloquy XXXIX (2019):    'Rootedness, Identity and Nation'

                                              (Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona)

 Colloquy XXXVIII (2018):  'Simone Weil: Beyond Ideology?'

                                               (University of Ottawa)

 Colloquy XXXVII (2017):    'Simone Weil: Grace, Truth, and Justice'

                                                (Villanova University)

 Colloquy XXXVI (2016):     'Hope in Exile'

                                               (New Orleans, LA)

 Colloquy XXXV (2015):     'Religion and Rootedness'

                                                (Lesley University)

 Colloquy XXXIV (2014):     'Simone Weil: Between Antiquity and

                                               Modernity'

                                               (University of Ottawa)

 Colloquy XXXIII (2013):     'Simone Weil and the Question of

                                               Authority'

                                               (Providence College)

 Colloquy XXXII (2012):      'Simone Weil: The Drama of Grace in the

                                               Gravity of Contemporary Society'

                                               (University of Notre Dame)

 Colloquy XXXI (2011):       'Simone Weil and the Political'

                                        (Pacific School of Religion)

 Colloquy XXX (2010):        ‘Simone Weil: Texts and Contexts’

                                               (Boston College)

 Colloquy XXIX (2009):        ‘Simone Weil: Are We Ready Yet?’

                                                 (Southern Illinois University)

 Colloquy XXVIII (2008):     ‘The Nature of Grace & the Grace of

                                                Nature’

                                                (University of Toronto)

 Colloquy XXVII (2007):       ‘Simone Weil and the Concept of Love’

                                                 (St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM)

 Colloquy XXVI (2006):         ‘Simone Weil and Mysticism’

                                                 (Providence College)

 Colloquy XXV (2005):        ‘Simone Weil and Colonialism’

                                                (University of San Diego)

 Colloquy XXIV (2004):       ‘The Issues of  “The Iliad: Poem of Force”’

                                                (The Center of Theological Inquiry)

 Colloquy XXIII (2003):       ‘After Classical Science: Simone Weil’s

                                                Philosophy of Nature’

                                                (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)

 Colloquy XXII (2002):         ‘Simone Weil and the O/other’

                                                (University of Toronto)

 Colloquy XXI (2001):           ‘The Christian Platonism of Simone Weil’

                                                (University of Notre Dame)

 Colloquy XX (2000):            ‘The 20^th Annual Colloquy of the

                                               American Weil Society’

                                                (St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM)

 Colloquy XIX (1999):           ‘The Nature of Learning’

                                                (Meadville Lombard Theological School)

 Colloquy XVIII (1998):        ‘Spirituality: East and West’

                                                (University of San Diego)

 Colloquy XVII (1997):          ‘Justice and Civil Society’

                                                (The College of Wooster)

 Colloquy XVI (1996):            ‘Simone Weil and Politics’

                                                (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)

 Colloquy XV (1995):            ‘The Concept of Beauty’

                                                (The Center of Theological Inquiry)

 Colloquy XIV (1994):           ‘Nature and Culture’

                                                (St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM)

 Colloquy XIII (1993):           ‘L’Enracinement/The Need for Roots’

                                                (University of Toronto)

 Colloquy XII (1992):            ‘Simone Weil and the Concept of the

                                                Person’

                                                (Mount St. Mary’s College)

 Colloquy XI (1991):             ‘Simone Weil’s Philosophy of Culture’

                                                (The College of Wooster)

 Colloquy X (1990):             ‘Simone Weil and the Problem of Meaning

                                               and Interpretation’

                                               (Princeton Theological Seminary)

 Colloquy IX (1989):             ‘Simone Weil and Education’

                                                (St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM)

Colloquy VIII (1988):           ‘Simone Weil: God and Soul’

                                                (Harvard University)

 Colloquy VII (1987):            ‘Simone Weil and the World of Religions’

                                                (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)

 Colloquy VI (1986):             ‘Simone Weil: Spirit and Culture’

                                                (The Center of Theological Inquiry)

 Colloquy V (1985):             ‘Simone Weil and Culture’

                                                (Emory University)

 Colloquy IV (1984):             ‘Simone Weil and Spirituality’

                                                (University of Notre Dame)

 Colloquy III (1983):             ‘Simone Weil and Social Relations’

                                                (Princeton Theological Seminary)

 Colloquy II (1982):              'Simone Weil and Language'

                                                (Princeton Theological Seminary)

 Colloquy I (1981):               '1st Annual American Weil Society

                                              Colloquy'

                                              (Princeton Theological Seminary)