Within the framework of the 10th Seminar of Literature and Faith (Xo Seminario de Literatura y Fe) carried out in Santiago de Chile between September 26 and 29, 2005, professors coming from Faculties of Theology and Letters of the Pontifical Catholic Universities of Chile, Río de Janeiro and Argentina, decided to found the Latin American Association of Literature and Theology (Asociación Latinoamericana de Literatura y Teología -ALALITE-) in order to get in touch and boost the investigation tasks that they were doing separately.
Dr. María Clara Luchetti Bingemer, Dr. Eliana Yúnes and Dr. José Carlos Barcellos (PUC -Pontifical Catholic University-, Río de Janeiro, Brazil) took the initiative in inviting Dr. Clemens Franken (PUC, Santiago de Chile, Chile) and Dr. Cecilia Avenatti de Palumbo (UCA -Argentinean Catholic University-, Buenos Aires, Argentina) to a first formal meeting at PUC-Rio’s Center of Theology and Human Sciences (Centro de Teología y Ciencias Humanas) carried out on April 1st, 2006. Fruits of this meeting were the foundation of the Association, the redaction of the first statute’s outlines and the decision of making biannual colloquiums with rotative venues. According to what it was decided, the organization would be in charge of the hosted country, represented by a president and a board of directors chosen between his fellow countrymen.
In order to set off the Association’s activities, it was agreed the execution of a colloquium in which all those who were investigating in this interdisciplinary area could get to know, share their works and plan for future projects. By unanimous vote it was decided: In the first place, to choose the city of Río de Janeiro as venue for the first colloquium; in the second place, to designate Dr. Eliana Yúnes as President and Dr. Cecilia Avenatti de Palumbo as Vice President during the period 2006-2007, in order to coordinate the organization of this first meeting jointly between Brazil and Argentina.
1st Latin American Colloquium of Literature and Theology -1er Coloquio Latinoamericano de Literatura y Teología- (Río de Janeiro, April 2007)
After an intense preparation, where we counted with the permanent collaboration of Dr. José Carlos Barcellos and the help of Fundación Porticus (Brazil) and Fundación Antonio Quarracino (Argentina), during the days of April 27, 28 and 29, 2007 the First Latin American Colloquium of Literature and Theology (Primer Coloquio Latinoamericano de Literatura y Teología) carried out in the city of Río de Janeiro, related to the subject: “Literature and theology: theoretical and practical approximations”, with the presence of representatives from the three countries of the founding members (Argentina, Brazil and Chile) and from Spain. In the first Association’s Assembly carried out on April 28, the first members were incorporated, the statute was discussed and Santiago de Chile was designated as the venue for the Second Colloquium to be carried out on the following October in order to intensify in this first stage the frequency of the first two meetings. During the Assembly, Dr. Clemens Franken was chosen by unanimous vote to be the President of the Association for the period 2007-2008. Thereupon, he proposed his collaboration team, which was accepted by the members. Dr. Alberto Toutin Cataldo was designated as First Vice President, Dr. Jaime Gagliani as Secretary, Dr. Ester Saide Cortés Jacob as Treasurer and Dr. Cecilia Avenatti de Palumbo as Second Vice President.
During the First Colloquium carried out in a cordiality and brotherhood atmosphere, the interdisciplinary subjects and methodologies of the thirty five papers and two lectures presented showed great interest in generating a new space and a new language for the 21st century mankind. After almost twenty years of solitary work, this meeting also showed up how much is still missing to do with regard to the dialogue. The presented material was published in Argentina, in CD format entitled Actas del Primer Coloquio Latinoamericano de Literatura y Teología -Records of the First Latin American Colloquium of Literature and Theology- (ISBN: 978-987-23520-0-4). The subjects discussed at the Colloquium were the following: a) Theoretic-methodological proposals; b) applications in Latin American literary works; c) applications in works of universal literature.
The Theoretic-methodological perspective addressed by Dr. Cecilia Avenatti inaugural lecture was widen by the papers of Brazilian professors Dr. Manzatto and Dr. Soethe, the Chileans Dr. C. Franken, Ba. C. Bustamante and Dr. J. Galgani, and the Argentineans Ba. E. Koira, Ba. S. Campana, Prof. P. Bayá Casal and Ba. J. Quelas.
The dialogue projection applied to Latin American works, proposed by the lecturer Dr . A. Toutin was also addressed by the papers of the Brazilians Dr. E. Yúnes, Dr. R. Camorlinga, Dr. J.C. Barcellos, Dr. M.C. Bingemer and Dr. Ramos de Oliveira; by the Chileans Ba. M.P. Díaz Lazcano. Dr. J. de la Fuente, Dr. E. Saide Cortés and Dr. M. Donoso, Dr. C. Merino; and by the Argentineans Prof. L. Adur, Ba. M. C. Beraldi, Prof. L. Salcedo and Ba. M.C. Schindler, who referred to works of Lispector, Borges, Cortázar, Arlt, Blest Gana, Allende, Fijman, Guimaraes Rosa, Prado, Parra and Mármol.
Finally, the appearance of universal literature came out on papers about works of Dostoievski, Zola, Pamuk, Yourcenar, Teresa of Avila, Martín Descalzo, Tobías, Saramago, whose studies were headed by the Brazilians Dr. S. Ferraz, Br. W. Tenorio and Dr. L. Dreher; the Argentineans Ba. J.M. Poirier, Ba. E. Adrogué, Ba. A. Rodríguez Falcón, Prof. L. Giancarlo and Prof. G. Cargnel; the Chilean Ba. A. Highland Perez and the Spanish Dr. S. Rollán.
2nd Latin American Colloquium of Literature and Theology (Santiago de Chile, October 2007)
From October 8 to 10, 2008, the Second Latin American Colloquium of Literature and Theology (Segundo Coloquio Latinoamericano de Literatura y Teología) carried out in the city of Santiago de Chile, related to the subject “Latin American Identity and Christianity”, considering the proximity of the Independence Bicentenary for two of the ALALITE’s founder Countries: Argentina and Chile. As this Second Colloquium concured with the 11th Seminary of Literature and Faith, Faculties of Theology and of Letters from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile worked hard in its preparation.
The sixty six papers presented primarily studied literary productions of our countries which were tackled both in their popular and erudite expressions, in order to excel the matter of the Latin American identity in the framework of the celebration of the Bicentenaries of the countries.
The two central lectures deserve a special mention. The first one was in charge of Dr. Georg Langenhorst (Germany), and it’s title was “Teología y Literatura: Historia, hermenéutica y programa desde una perspectiva europea” (“Theology and Literature: History, hermeneutics and program from an European perspective”); the second one had Dr. Pedro Rodríguez Panizo (Spain) as a speaker, who expounded on “La imaginación anagógica: El arte cinematográfico y la teología” (“The anagogic imagination: Film art and theology”). It is also worthwhile mentioning that the meeting finished with the presence of the academics Dr. P. Morandé and Dr. J. Gissi, who suggested reflecting on the Latin American identity from sociological and psychological studies respectively. All the presentations were published in CD format entitled Actas del Segundo Coloquio Latinoamericano de Literatura y Teología y 11° Seminario de Literatura y Fe, Identidad latinoamericana y cristianismo -Records of the Second Latin American Colloquium of Literature and Theology and 11th Seminary of Literature and Faith, Latin American Identity and Christianity-.
Within the framework of the meeting, homage was paid to Dr. José Carlos Barcellos, founder of ALALITE, who early passed away on February 14, 2008. He was remembered as a critical, rigorous and enthusiastic thinker, who always encouraged the interdisciplinary work between our countries. The appreciation of his labor and human warmth finished with the book launch: O drama da salvação: espaço autobiográfico e experiência cristã em Julien Green (Juiz de Fora, Ediçoes Subiaco, 2008), posthumous work published on the initiative of ALALITE.
In the same line of acknowledgement to the pioneers, it was also remembered Dr. Ernesto Liviacic, professor of PUC’s Faculty of Letters, recently passed away, who had encouraged the realization of the Seminaries of Literature and Faith carried out in Chile under the direction of Dr. Clemens Franken during two decades.
After the closing of the last working day, the Board of Directors to be in charge of the conduction of ALALITE during the period 2008-2010 was put to the vote. Dr. Cecilia Inés Avenatti de Palumbo assumed as President and designated her team of collaborators, namely: First Vice president, Ba. Juan Quelas; Secretary, Ba. Estrella Isabel Koira; Treasurer, Ba. Silvia Julia Campana; Pro-secretary, Prof. Pedro Bayá Casal and Pro-treasurer, Ba. Ana Rodríguez Falcón. In order to organize the next meeting in 2012 in Brazil, Dr. Paulo Soethe was designated as Second Vice President. The Argentinean team will be responsible for the organization and carrying out of the Third Colloquium of ALALITE planned for October 2010, which will concur with the Forth Days of Dialogue Between Literature, Aesthetics and Theology (Cuartas Jornadas de Diálogo entre Literatura, Estética y Teología), organized by UCA’s Faculties of Theology and Philosophy and Letters .
History
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