MICHAEL SOHN Cleveland State University Department of Philosophy and Comparative Religion 2121 Euclid Avenue, Rhodes Tower 1344 Cleveland, OH, 44115-2214 E-mail: m.sohn@csuohio.edu EDUCATION Ph.D. in Religious Ethics, University of Chicago, 2012. Qualifying Examinations: Modern Religious Thought, examiner: Kathryn Tanner Theological Ethics, examiner: William Schweiker Ethics and Political Life, examiner: Jean Bethke Elshtain Philosophical Ethics, examiner: Franklin Gamwell Dissertation: The Good of Recognition: Phenomenology, Ethics, and Religion in the Thought of Levinas and Ricoeur Advisor: William Schweiker; Readers: Paul Mendes-Flohr and Jean-Luc Marion M.A. in Religious Studies, University of Chicago, 2005. Honors B.A. with distinction in History and Religious Studies, McMaster University, 2001. RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS Ethics (religious/theological, philosophical, political, applied); modern religious thought (Jewish, Christian, Islamic); contemporary Continental philosophy; hermeneutics; methods and theories of religion; philosophy of religion. PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS 2013-Present Visiting Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Comparative Religion Cleveland State University (CSU), Cleveland, OH, U.S.A. 2012-13 Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, La Bourse Oratoire-Ricoeur École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) and Institut protestante de théologie (IPT), Paris, France 2005-2006 Lecturer Morton College; Cicero, IL PUBLICATIONS Books The Good of Recognition: Phenomenology, Ethics, and Religion in the Thought of Levinas and Ricoeur (Baylor University Press, 2014). Nominated for American Philosophical Association (APA) Best Book Prize. Reviews: Endorsements on the book cover from Claire Katz and J. Aaron Simmons. Philosophy in Review 35, n.1 (2015): 44-46. Reviewed by Scott Davidson. 1
Book Chapters Word, Writing, Tradition, in From Text to Phenomenon, ed. Scott Davidson and Marc-Antoine Vallée (forthcoming, 2015). Articles The Ethics and Politics of Recognition: Reflections on Taylor, Honneth, and Ricoeur, Eco-Ethica (forthcoming 2015). Emmanuel Levinas and the New Science of Judaism, Journal of Religious Ethics 41, n.4 (December 2013): 626-642. The Paris Debate: Ricoeur s Public Intervention and Private Reflections on the Status and Meaning of Christian Philosophy in the 1930s, Études Ricoeuriennes/Ricoeur Studies 4, n.1 (2013): 159-169. Paul Tillich and Paul Ricoeur on the Meaning of Philosophical Theology, Bulletin of the North American Paul Tillich Society 39, n.4 (2013): 23-29. Paul Tillich e Paul Ricoeur sobre o significado da Teologia Filosófica, Revisita Correlatio 12, n.24 (2013): 85-98. Portuguese translation by Vitor Chaves de Souza. La tradition dans l herméneutique biblique de Gadamer, Bulletin de l Oratoire n.795 (2013): 13-15. The Concept of Recognition in Levinas s Thought, Philosophy Today 55, n.3 (Fall 2011): 298-306. The Politics of Religion and Regionalism on the Supreme Courts, Sightings (December 22, 2011). Religion and Education in Ontario, Sightings (September 27, 2007). Reviews Review of Ethical Theory and Responsibility Ethics: A Metaethical Study of Niebuhr and Levinas. Kevin Jung. The Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 34, n.1 (2014): 223-224. Review of God and the Other: Ethics and Politics after the Theological Turn. J. Aaron Simmons. The Journal of Religion 92, n.3 (2012): 441-442. Review of A Covenant of Creatures: Levinas s Philosophy of Judaism. Michael Fagenblat. Studies in Religion/Sciences religieuses 40, n.4 (2011): 561-563. Review of Reification: A New Look at an Old Idea. Axel Honneth. Political Theology 12, n.4 (2011): 631-634. Review of Hermeneutics: An Introduction. Anthony C. Thistelton. The Journal of Religion 91, n.1 (2011): 122-124. Translations Translation of Olivier Abel, Paul Ricoeur and the Language of the Church Community, Svensk teologisk kvartalskrift (forthcoming 2015). 2
Works in Progress The Conflict of Traditions, single-authored monograph currently in progress. From Christian Philosophy to the Christian Philosopher: Ricoeur s Post-War Engagement with Existentialism and Barthianism, article currently in progress. SELECTED PRESENTATIONS Presenter, From Existence to Tradition: The Self and Its Historical Conditions, Society for Ricoeur Studies, Annual Conference at the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP); New Orleans, Louisiana, October 2014. Presenter, Event, Process, Structure: Paul Ricoeur and the Hermeneutics of Christian Tradition, Annual Meeting of Society of Christian Ethics (SCE); Seattle, Washington, January 2014. Presenter, From Christian Philosophy to the Christian Philosopher: Ricoeur s Post-War Engagement with Existentialism and Barthianism, Society for Ricoeur Studies, Annual Conference at the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP); Eugene, Oregon, November 2013. Presenter, Paul Tillich et Paul Ricoeur sur le sens de «théologie philosophique», Research Seminar at Le Fonds Ricoeur; Paris, France, December 2012. Presenter, Paul Tillich and Paul Ricoeur on the Meaning of Philosophical Theology, Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR); Chicago, Illinois, November 2012. Presenter, Paul Ricoeur and the Hermeneutics of Christian Tradition, Society for Ricoeur Studies, Annual Conference at the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP); Rochester, New York, November 2012. Presenter, Paul Ricoeur and the Renewal of Christian Tradition, Religion and Ethics Workshop, University of Chicago; Chicago, Illinois, March 2012. Moderator, French Theory in Translation: The Question of the Archive, International Symposium, Chicago, Illinois, November 2011. Presenter, Paul Ricoeur on the Nature and Task of Theology, Faculty Colloquium, Knox College, University of Toronto; Toronto, Canada, October 2011. Presenter, Paul Ricoeur s Existential Phenomenology and the Origins of Recognition, Society for Ricoeur Studies, Annual Conference at the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 2011. Presenter, Levinas Ethics of Recognition, Annual Meeting of Society of Christian Ethics (SCE); New Orleans, Louisiana, January 2011. Presenter, Levinas Creative Appropriation of the Hegelian Concept of Recognition, International Conference of Société Internationale de Recherche Emmanuel Levinas (SIREL) in conjunction with the North American Levinas Society (NALS); Toulouse, France, July 2010. 3
Presenter, From Particular Universalism to Universal Particularism: Levinas on the Question of Religion, Annual Meeting of American Academy of Religion (AAR), Eastern International Region; Ottawa, Ontario, May 2010. Panelist, Ricoeur s Philosophical Theology/Theological Philosophy, Society for Ricoeur Studies, Annual Conference at the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP); Arlington, Virginia, November 2009. TEACHING EXPERIENCE Courses Taught at Cleveland State University REL 101: Understanding Religion: Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015. REL 344: Rise of Modern Christianity: Spring 2016. REL 321: Contemporary Christian Thought: Fall 2014. PHL 283: Introduction to Ethics: Fall 2013. PHL 211: Morals and Rights: Fall 2013. PHL 377: Philosophy of Religion: Fall 2015. PHL 240: Health Care Ethics: Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016. Courses Taught at Morton College Introduction to Ethics (with full course design) Introduction to World Religions (with full course design) Introduction to Philosophy (with full course design) Courses Taught as Teaching Assistant Hermeneutic Theory - University of Toronto, Knox College: Fall 2011. Introduction to Medical Ethics - University of Chicago: Winter 2007. HONORS AND AWARDS American Philosophical Association (APA) Best Book Prize Nominee, 2015 Virginia Tech Future Faculty Development Program Honoree, January 2015 Cleveland State University Dean s Travel Grant, 2014 La Bourse Oratoire-Ricoeur, Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, Paris, France, 2012-2013 Martin Marty Center Dissertation Fellowship, 2011-2012 François Furet Travel Grant, France Chicago Center, Summer 2011, Summer 2010 University of Chicago Divinity School Fellowship, 2003-2005, 2006-2010 Norman M. Perrin Memorial Prize, January 2011, November 2009, May 2008 Doolittle-Harrison Travel Fellowship, May 2008 Chicago Forum on Pedagogy and the Study of Religion Fellow, 2007 Fellowship for Paris Center Conference on the Self, 2007 ACADEMIC SERVICE Co-Chair, Ricoeur Group, American Academy of Religion (AAR), 2015-2019. Board of Directors, Society for Ricoeur Studies, 2014-2016. Referee, Peter Lang, International Academic Publishers. Event Planner, Le Centenaire Ricoeur (1913-2013), Le Fonds Ricoeur; Paris, France, 2013. President, University of Chicago Divinity School Ethics Club, 2007-2008 4
LANGUAGES Fluent in English Fluent in French Fluent in Korean Reading knowledge of German PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS American Academy of Religion (AAR) American Philosophical Association (APA) Society of Christian Ethics (SCE) Society of Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP) Society for Ricoeur Studies (SRS) REFERENCES William Schweiker, Edward L. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor of Theological Ethics, University of Chicago Divinity School (Dissertation Supervisor) Ph: 773-702-8246 E-mail: w-schweiker@uchicago.edu Paul Mendes-Flohr, Dorothy Grant Maclear Professor of Modern Jewish History and Thought, University of Chicago Divinity School (Dissertation Reader) Ph: 773-702-5084 E-mail: prmendes@uchicago.edu Mary Ellen Waithe, Past Chair and Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religion, Cleveland State University Ph: 216-534-4717 E-mail: professorwaithe@sbcglobal.net J. Aaron Simmons, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Furman University Ph: 864-294-3526 E-mail: aaron.simmons@furman.edu Bradley McLean, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, University of Toronto Ph: 416-978-2788 E-mail: bhm.mclean@utoronto.ca 5