The present volume contains the proceedings of an international conference that was held at the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Leuven, October 28 to 31, 2008. 'Poetics' and 'religion' take an important place in Ricoeur's oeuvre; yet they still require further investigation. The common link between these two concepts may well be found in the creative dimension of language. Poetics reflect upon it; religion turns to it for help in expressing the experience of the transcendent. Ricoeur has explored and offered ways for reflecting precisely upon this junction. Contributors have studied the many ways these concepts function in the earlier and in the later work, and how they have been used and received in various in various fields and disciplines, including theology. Scholars have been working with Ricoeur in anthropology, ethics, Biblical studies, systematic and practical theology, intercultural philosophy, spirituality, and other disciplines, which together makes for a wide palette of interpretations.
Ricoeur's audacious explorations on the intersection of creative language, religion, and philosophical reflection continue to open new ways for reflection in many different fields.