Seminar in Moscow devoted to the work of Jean-Luc Marion

A seminar devoted to the work of contemporary French philosopher and theologian Jean-Luc Marion was held on March 24 at St. Thomas Institute of Philosophy, Theology and History, Moscow. It was organized in cooperation with Sts Cyril and Methodius Church Post-graduate School.

The discussion was prompted by the publication of the Russian version of Marion’s Idol and Distance (1977) which came out in Issue 56 (2009) of the ‘Symbol’ magazine published by the institute.

Jean-Luc Marion renowned as researcher of Descartes’ philosophy is also an outstanding Christian philosopher of today whose name is associated with the so-called ‘theological turn’ in French phenomenology. The problems he analyzes in his Idol and Distance – his first book translated into Russian in full – especially his perception of iconicity and its relationship with idolatry, are close to the Easter Christian thought. A separate chapter is devoted to the theology of Dionysius the Areopagite, which the publishers believe is the central point of the book.

Among the speakers were Ms. Vdovina, the translator of the book (Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Philosophy), A. Filonenko of Kharkov University, A. Akhutin of the Russian State Humanitarian University, S. Khoruzhy of the Institute of Synergetic Anthropology, and Archpriest Vladimir Shmaliy.

Those who spoke in the discussion stressed the relevance of J.L. Marion’s thought for Christian theology, especially in its relationship with philosophy.