After Christianity: Jan Patočka and the Future of Europe

“Christianity remains the greatest, unsurpassed, but also un-thought-through force which enabled humans to struggle against decadence.” These bold words by the Czech philosopher Jan Patočka can be found in his opus magnum, The Heretical Essays in the Philosophy of History (1975). Nowadays, we sense that Europe finds itself in the Post-Christian Era; secularization, detraditionalization, individualization are but a few hallmarks of the situation after Christianity. What to make of Patočka’s highly appreciative yet cautiously critical thoughts on Christianity? What does it mean to live after Christianity? Patočka’s life-long concern and rapprochement with Christianity, culminating in The Heretical Essays, does not offer apologetics. Rather, it helps us to rethink Christianity as less of a religion and more of an existential mode of being.

Speakers:
- Martin Koci, Post-doctoral Fellow at the Department of Philosophy, University of Vienna
- Péter Pásztor, Science Editor of Országút
- Dr David L. Dusenbury, Fellow at Danube Institute 
- John O'Sullivan, President of the Danube Institute