Heythrop College: News and Events

Key academic appointment for Heythrop College

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Release date: 16 September 2011

Key academic appointment for Heythrop College Heythrop College, the specialist philosophy and theology college of the University of London, has appointed a new Vice-Principal – Academic, following the retirement of Dr Peter Vardy, who was Heythrop's Vice-Principal for twelve years. Professor Gwen Griffith-Dickson, Founder and Director of The Lokahi Foundation, will take up her new role at Heythrop in January 2012. She will be responsible for the academic leadership of teaching and research in the College, and will report directly to Heythrop's new Principal, Father Michael Holman, who takes up his post in January 2012. Professor Griffith-Dickson will remain the Director of The Lokahi Foundation, a social impact charity that delivers innovative programmes which address community tensions related to community and religious diversity, a link with the potential for future collaboration with the College in this area. Born and raised in Hawaii, Professor Griffith-Dickson specialises in the philosophy and theology of different faiths. Her research focuses on the beliefs of different religions, their mutual relations and their impact on contemporary issues. She gained her degree and doctorate in Theology at Heythrop College and went on to Birkbeck College, University of London, where she developed and managed the country's largest continuing education programme in religious studies, along with Islamic studies, theology and philosophy. She left Birkbeck College in 2005 to found The Lokahi Foundation. “I am delighted to accept the role of Vice-Principal - Academic at Heythrop College, and I am honoured to be joining its dedicated staff,” Professor Griffith-Dickson said. “I have been involved with Heythrop since the 1980s. I studied there, served as governor, and have deep knowledge of the College. Its distinctive identity is a great source of inspiration and its extremely outward and forward-looking mission has always impressed me.” Professor Griffith-Dickson will play a lead role in developing and realising the strategic vision of the College and provide strong leadership of the academic portfolio of teaching and research. “There is a huge research potential here and rich opportunities to grow the College in the UK and internationally with its exciting mix of programmes. Innovative research and outreach has always been key to Heythrop’s mission, and so has making an impact on society’s most pressing issues. The Lokahi Foundation shares this vision and so it is my hope that they will bring rigorous academic insight to bear on creating real social change for the common good.” -ENDS- Download Press Release as a Word document For more information please contact Phil Smith, Media Relations Consultant for Heythrop College, on 01727 733888 or phil@communicationsmanagement.co.uk Kawika Solidum, Strategic Communications Manager for The Lokahi Foundation, on 020 7688 6722 or ks@lokahi.org.uk ABOUT HEYTHROP COLLEGE Heythrop was established in 1614 in Louvain by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) for the study of philosophy and theology. Since 1970, it has been a College of the University of London, while retaining a modern Catholic ethos, and offers an educational experience that respects all faiths and perspectives. In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, it also provides a resource for faith communities and others, especially through the work of the Centres and Institutes. College staff have a wide range of expertise, with particular research strengths in interreligious dialogue and comparative theology, Middle Eastern Christianity, practical and pastoral theology, Catholic theology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind/psychology, and aesthetics. Research is an increasingly important part of the College's academic life and Heythrop participated for the first time in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, gaining recognition for its work at an international level. Heythrop is also the Lead College for the University of London International Programme's Bachelor of Divinity degree and Diploma in Theology. ABOUT THE LOKAHI FOUNDATION www.lokahi.org.uk The Lokahi Foundation is a non-profit, social impact charity that was founded in 2005 by Professor Gwen Griffith-Dickson in order to enrich society and enable it to embrace community and religious diversity with respect and understanding. Lokahi is religiously impartial and works alongside community partners to develop and deliver innovative programmes that address problematic tensions and promote positive social change from within. The framework that Lokahi provides community organisations, businesses, government agencies and universities is based on their context and deep theoretical and practical knowledge of the fundamentals of religious and cultural relations. The charity pioneers projects with measurable impact and ground-breaking, evidence-based research that probes the universal foundations of society’s faiths, beliefs and values. Campusalam.org is one of Lokahi’s largest platforms, supporting university students and staff throughout the UK by supplying the advice, training and resources to bridge the gap between their hope of a safe, cohesive community and their reality. Lokahi’s mission is to make a positive impact on diverse communities by transforming the relationships within them. Through informed analytical research and practical community projects, Lokahi achieves harmony from diversity – which is what the Hawaiian word lokahi means.

The Power of the Word

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:41:00 +0000

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN VIA THE IES WEBSITE

An international conference organized jointly by the Institute of English Studies and Heythrop College, University of London. Venue: Senate House, University of London "Prayer is the little implement Through which Men reach Where Presence—is denied them", Emily Dickinson The analogy and continuity between poetry and prayer, the poetical and the mystical, has often been discussed. T he psychological mechanism used by grace to raise us to prayer is, Henry Bremond wrote, the same as that set in motion in poetic experience. Both poetry and prayer are rooted in an inner experience of concrete and fundamental values so that both invite, using the language of John Henry Newman, a real rather than a notional assent. Reading a poem can be perceived as a prayerful experience. W.H. Auden wrote: ‘to pray is to pay attention to something or someone other than oneself. Whenever a man so concentrates his attention – on a landscape, a poem, a geometrical problem, an idol, or the True God – that he completely forgets his own ego and desires, he is praying.' And yet it is also true that we have no shared understanding of the terms ‘prayer' and ‘poetry'. Some might claim that there is no connection between them. The traditions of poetry and prayer are numerous and the connections between them elusive. And poetry is, self-evidently, not exactly the same as prayer. The conference will consider the similarities, interrelatedness and differences between poetry and prayer. What do poetry and prayer share? How do they differ? In what ways do they relate to each other? Theoretical reflections and historical surveys will provide a context for the discussion of individual texts and authors from different countries and cultural and religious traditions.

Keynote speakers

Dr Mark Burrows (Cambridge, MA)
Prof. Dana Greene (Dean emerita, Emory University)
Dr Michael Barnes SJ (Heythrop College)
Prof. John Took (UCL) Plenary Panel entitled ‘Poetry and Prayer':
Dr Hester Jones (Bristol University): Deep Calls to Deep
Prof. Jay Parini (Middlebury College, Vermont): Poetry as Immanence: How Language Informs Reality Conference committee: Professor John Took (UCL), Dr Anna Abram (Heythrop College), Dr Antonio Spadaro (Gregorian University, Rome), Dr James Sweeney (Heythrop College), David Lonsdale (Heythrop College), Dr Francesca Bugliani Knox (Heythrop College), Dr Michael Kirwan (Heythrop College). Full conference information can be viewed on the IES website: The Power of the Word - Poetry and Prayer: Continuities and Discontinuities -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- General Enquiries: Jon Millington, Events Officer, Institute of English Studies, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU; tel + 44(0) 207 664 4859; Email jon.millington@sas.ac.uk.

Rt Revd Professor Tom Wright honoured by Heythrop College

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Wright studied for the Anglican ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and was ordained Deacon in 1975 and Priest the following year. From 1978-1981 he was Fellow and Chaplain at Downing College, Cambridge, before serving as assistant professor of New Testament Studies at McGill University, Montreal. Then followed a spell as Chaplain, Fellow and Tutor at Worcester College, and lecturer in New Testament in the University of Oxford. He moved from Oxford to be Dean of Lichfield Cathedral and then Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey. He was consecrated and enthroned as the Anglican Bishop of Durham in 2003. Best known for his writing, Professor Wright is one of the world's foremost New Testament scholars with an international reputation. He has written over 40 books, both at the scholarly level (e.g. Jesus and the Victory of God) and for a popular audience (such as his Everyone series of guides to the New Testament). His major historical and theological study of the resurrection (The Resurrection of the Son of God) was published in 2003. He has also broadcast regularly on radio and television. He retired from the See of Durham on 31 August 2010 to take up a new appointment as Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, enabling him to concentrate fully on his academic and broadcasting work. Presenting the Honorary Doctorate, Heythrop's Head of Philosophy Dr Peter Gallagher said that "Heythrop graduates feel both tremendous admiration and considerable fellow feeling for Professor Wright" and "a kind of awe-struck solidarity with him in his achievements". "The honour done this afternoon to Professor Wright and the honour he does Heythrop in accepting it are a refreshment to our faith in the best that all of us can be. This ‘best’ includes all our good deeds and the goodness of our heart. Such excellence of life is certainly worth striving for," Dr Gallagher added. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor also received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Heythrop College. Meanwhile, College Fellowships were awarded to Fr Kevin Fox SJ and Revd Roy Dorey. For more information please contact Phil Smith, Media Relations Consultant for Heythrop College, on 01727 733888 or phil@communicationsmanagement.co.uk.

Heythrop's Hindu-Christian expert gets audience with Archbishop of Canterbury

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Dr Rowan Williams has just completed a 16-day trip at the invitation of the Communion of Churches in India, travelling across several cites including Kolkata, Ranchi, Nagpur, New Delhi, Chennai, Vellore, Bangalore and Thiruvanathapurum, and in the build up to the trip Dr Martin Ganeri met the Archbishop to discuss Christian engagement with the philosophical and spiritual traditions of Hinduism. Dr Ganeri, who is Director of Heythrop's Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue, briefed the Archbishop on three important but different theological and spiritual engagements that have taken place in the 20th and 21st centuries - first, engagement with Advaita Vedanta, second with Hindu theistic or bhakti traditions, and third, the evolution of a distinctive Indian form of liberation theology. "My presentation to the Archbishop highlighted that there can be a positive and constructive engagement between Christian and Hindu religious traditions or cultures, be it in India or more widely," Dr Ganeri explained. "It's possible and indeed a good thing to have a distinctive Indian Christian community in the world and for Christianity globally to be enriched by Hindu insights; but second, that such engagement should be dialogical in character if it is going to work well. What's done has to be understood and accepted by both Christian and Hindu communities. It requires conversation and negotiation to take place between the members of these two cultures - if it is to work well." Dr Ganeri, who is the Prior of Blackfriars, Cambridge, has taught at Heythrop College since 2006. He is a member of the Catholic Bishops' Committee for Relations with Other Religions and a director of the Hindu-Christian Forum, UK. "It is obviously a tremendous privilege for me personally to be asked to brief the Archbishop of Canterbury - but it also brings hugely-deserved recognition to the college, and especially the work of the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue, for our world-leading expertise in this field," Dr Ganeri said. On 10 November 2010 Revd Canon Guy Wilkinson, Advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury on Interfaith Affairs (Church of England) will join Dr Ganeri and a number of other high-profile speakers at the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue's 'Meeting God in Friend and Stranger' conference. The event will reflect on the 2010 teaching document of the Catholic bishops of England and Wales on interreligious dialogue. For more information about the conference go to http://www.heythrop.ac.uk/outreach/centre-for-christianity-and-interreligious-dialogue/events.html. For more information please contact Phil Smith, Media Relations Consultant for Heythrop College, on 01727 733888 or phil@communicationsmanagement.co.uk. Download the Press Release

OFFA approves College Fees and Access Agreement

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The Office for Fair Access http://www.offa.org.uk/ has approved the College’s fees and support to students for 2012, set out in its Access Agreement. Heythrop College, the specialist theology and philosophy college of the University of London, has set its 2012-13 undergraduate tuition fee at £8,250 per annum. This was agreed by the Governing Body as being consistent with encouraging the study of theology and philosophy and maintaining the quality of the student experience, while also ensuring the College’s financial sustainability. In order to support access to its courses, the College is spending 52% of the additional fee income on a range of bursaries, one of the highest levels in the sector. All students enrolling on Heythrop's innovative BA Abrahamic Religions programme will receive a bursary of £1250 per annum. The BA Study of Religions and BA Theology programmes will carry a bursary of £1000 per annum for those students with household income of £25,000 or less. In addition, the College will offer matched funding to students under the National Scholarship Scheme. Dr John McDade SJ, Principal of Heythrop College, said: "We want to encourage the study of theology and philosophy among students from all backgrounds, while at the same time ensuring that the College is able to invest in improving the quality of its provision. We believe in the value of these subjects and our students go on to serve the community and society in a wide range of careers, from law to marketing, charities and teaching, as well as further study.” In the latest Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Institutional Audit Report, Heythrop College was commended for its excellent academic and pastoral support, including one-to-one tuition. "It is the College's mission to provide a resource for all interested in these important subjects," Dr McDade said. "Heythrop is absolutely committed to giving students the best possible educational experience that will benefit their future lives."

Media spotlight for Heythrop's 'Catholic feminism' expert

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Writing on the Reuters website, Dr Gemma Simmonds explored the role of women in the church and the question of gender. "I know many fine, intelligent, gifted women within the Anglican priesthood who are still struggling to fit the way they see and feel and think about things into a mould not made for them," Dr Simmonds wrote. "When the discourse in any group is dominated by men and what is considered the norm is based on male experience and perceptions, then the perspective, ways of doing things and concerns specific to women tend to be seen as trivial or irrelevant. Women become invisible in contexts where their experience is not thought to be significant. This can be unconscious, embedded so deeply into the internal culture of a group that the women in it themselves barely notice anymore that so much operates against their natural grain." Click here to read the full article. Dr Simmonds is no stranger to the national media spotlight. On 4 March she presented BBC Radio 4's 'Friday Act of Worship' for Women's World Day of Prayer. She is also the Press Officer for the English province of the Congregation of Jesus, a women's religious order modelled on the Jesuits, and is routinely quoted on issues relating to Catholic feminism. In addition, Dr Simmonds is highly active on the external speaking circuit, most recently talking about the role of women from the Catholic perspective at a Presentation Sisters conference in Ireland (4-5 March), and leading interactive debates on young women's aspirations in schools up and down the country. In her spare time, Dr Simmonds volunteers in the chaplaincy team at Royal Holloway prison. Heythrop's Religious Life Institute has a growing reputation for its work on the future of religious orders. "We study the needs of our time, how to respond to the crisis in confidence in the church resulting from cases of sexual abuse, but also how to respond positively to those with a vocation to religious life in the contemporary context," Dr Simmonds said. "We also research the role of women in the church and society generally, and specifically the position on women taken by decision-makers within the Catholic church."

Heythrop Life

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:35:00 +0100

The latest issue of Heythrop Life is available to download now. Highlights include: Notable students
International conference
New books
Students and
Alumni
Heythrop People
Careers Dinner
InterFaith Sharing Heythrop Life College Newsletter, Spring 2012 (.pdf)

Philosophy Essay Prize Winners Announced

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:18:00 +0100

The Soul in Christian Spirituality

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The first Heythrop/St Mary’s Spirituality Seminar took place on 30th April at Heythrop College, University of London. The aim of the seminars is to be a bi-annual gathering for students of Spirituality at the two Higher Education Institutes. Both are centres of excellence in the study of Christian Spirituality and it is hoped that this new forum will stimulate exchanges and discussion of ideas on a variety of topics in the broad area of this emerging academic discipline.

The seminar began with an overview of notions of the ‘soul’ in the early Christian and medieval traditions by Dr Edward Howells (Heythrop, Programme Director, MA Christian Spirituality). His talk particularly focussed on the dynamic use of the word in the works of St Augustine and how this is taken up by other medieval writers, especially St Teresa of Avila. In the ensuing lively discussion the group considered aspects of Platonic and Neo-Platonic influences in Augustine’s writing and how this coloured some of his views on the subject.

Dr Howells’ paper was followed by Richard Norton of MONOS on Aelred of Rievaulx and the ‘Treatise on Spiritual Friendship’. Again, Mr Norton presented an in-depth analysis of the text and drew on its relevance for contemporary notions of self in the Christian context. This contemporary theme was taken up by the next paper delivered by Ms Viv Rimmer of St Mary’s. Her phenomenological investigations of the self investigated the work of Eugene T. Gendlin, John Heron and Meister Eckhart with a particular emphasis on the practice of focussing. Dr Tyler’s paper (St Mary’s University College, Programme Director, MA Pastoral Theology) that followed shifted the focus to mindfulness as it is currently understood and related it to its Buddhist origins before a deeper investigation of the self in the writings of St Teresa of Avila. The afternoon concluded with a paper by Mark Murphy of St Mary’s who looked at notions of desire in the work of Jacques Lacan and St John of the Cross.

The seminar concluded with drinks and further discussion (and sharing of papers!). The next one is scheduled for Monday 19th November, 2 – 6pm at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham. The seminar will be open to all staff and postgraduate students of the two institutions however we are happy to welcome guests if space allows.

A Future Full of Hope?

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Keynote Speaker: Timothy Radcliffe OP
‘Keeping the Balance: Religious Life, Church and Charism’

A podcast of the of the keynote speaker Timothy Radcliffe OP is now available. Gemma Simmonds CJ an also be viewed talking about her new book on YouTube. Please see our Books page for more details on 'A Future Full of Hope?', including links to purchase this book online.

Open Day

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 +0100

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Location: Heythrop College

Contact: (+44) 020 7795 6600

Test Event

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:44:00 +0100

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Event 2

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:44:00 +0100

Event 3

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:44:00 +0100

Comparative Theology Public Lecture and Conference Series

Thu, 31 May 2012 14:57:00 +0100

Comparative theology is an emergent discipline within Christian theology that explores and promotes theological engagement with the thought of other religious traditions. Christian comparative theology builds upon classical Patristic and Scholastic engagements with Greek, Jewish and Islamic thought, finding new applications suited to the contemporary encounter of religions.

Bishop Appasamy and Comparative Theology in India Today

A public lecture by Brian Dunn, Oxford University and Friends of the Church in India Mr. Dunn is currently pursuing his doctoral research in the field of comparative theology. His present focus is on the life and writings of a South Indian Christian theologian, Ayadurai Jesudason Appasamy, and his particular comparative interaction with Hindu philosophical and theological conceptions of divine embodiment. He is the guest lecturer of the Friends of the Church in India, a UK charity with strong links to the Church of South India and the Church of North India.

Radical American Nuns

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Gemma Simmonds on Radio 4's Woman's Hour on Radical American Nuns http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/whnews

Introduction to Theological Action Research Day Workshop

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:03:00 +0100

The ARCS team at Heythrop College, University of London and OxCEPT Ripon College Cuddesdon has developed a process of reflection for church groups to support them in their work called Theological Action Research (TAR). This day workshop is for Christian practitioners who are passionate about their practice and open to new ways of learning and reflecting upon their work. Theological Action Research helps practitioners to think theologically about what they do so that practice can renew theology and theology can renew practice. It aims to equip participants with the confidence and skills to carry out TAR in their own setting. No prior experience of research is necessary. Participants will develop new insights into their work through conversation and team work. This course is offered by authors of ‘Talking about God in Practice: Practical Theology and Theological Action Research’ (SCM, 2010). For more details about the ARCS project see: http://www.heythrop.ac.uk/outreach/arcs-project Course Leaders: Dr Jim Sweeney, Dr Clare Watkins, Catherine Duce Feedback from participants

Thanks for putting together such an enjoyable and informative Introduction to Theological Action Day Workshop. It is a credit to the team that, although delegates came from across the Christian tradition, we were immediately at ease; which enabled insightful and fruitful conversation

I was apprehensive about the day as I wasn't at all sure 'research' was my thing but what you all outlined so well was just the sort of creative data gathering, good listening and conversational approach that I could both understand and feel drawn to. I learned a lot and found the day really encouraging.

I found the day to be well organised and the method of delivery interspersed with interactive sessions and regular breaks was easy to stay with.

Bookings
Please download and complete a booking form (.doc) and send it with your cheque to: Catherine Duce, ARCS Fieldworker, Heythrop College, University of London, Kensington Square, London, W8 5HN by 25th May 2012 or e-mail to Catherine.Duce@heythropcollege.ac.uk The programme for the day can be downloaded here (.doc) Costs £45 Cheques payable to ‘Heythrop College’ Travel Travel information on getting to the College can be found here. Registration Registration opens from 10.00am for 10.30am start, departure 4.30pm

Prior reading We recommend that participants read ‘Talking about God in Practice: Practical Theology and Theological Action Research’ prior to the course, but this is not essential (Cameron et al, SCM 2010).

What is Comparative Theology?

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Francis Clooney SJ, Harvard 
Keith Ward, Oxford and Heythrop
Dr Michael Barnes SJ, Heythrop  
Dr Martin Ganeri OP, Heythrop Staff and students are welcome to attend this conference without charge, but please book a place with Dr Martin Ganeri O.P, Director of the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue: m.ganeri@heythrop.ac.uk

Exploring the Global Perspective: 50 years after Pacem in Terris

Thu, 31 May 2012 15:52:00 +0100

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXIII’s great final encyclical Pacem in Terris. Its bold reading of the signs of the times and its hopes for peace with justice are just as relevant today, but now have to be pursued in the context of greater globalisation.

Introduction - the Perspective of ‘Pacem in Terris’
Dr James Sweeney CP (Heythrop)

Globalisation, Justice and Catholic Social Thought - Will ‘love’ be enough?
Professor Johan Verstraeten (Catholic University of Leuven)

Healthcare and Religion: a Global Perspective
Dr Gillian Paterson (Heythrop)

The Common Good - Has Alasdair MacIntyre got it right?
Dr Patrick Riordan SJ (Heythrop)

A Response – Applying Virtue Ethics
Dr Scott M Thomas (Bath University; Heythrop research fellow)

Charge (including lunch) £20 (students/concessions £10)
Bookings can be made at conferences@heythrop.ac.uk

Is there Purpose in the Universe?

Thu, 31 May 2012 15:49:00 +0100

To register please send your full name in an email to f.ellis@heythrop.ac.uk with 16 June as the header, indicating your fees category (see below). Fees are payable on the day. U of L faculty/students – no charge
Students - £5
Concession and HAAS - £10
Standard - £20 Programme

10.00 Registration

10.30 ‘Cosmic Purpose and the Challenge of Wisdom’s Parable’,
Dr Andrew Pinsent (Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion, Oxford)

11.45 Coffee

12.15 ‘Synthetic Life and the Irreducibility of Teleology’,
Professor David Oderberg (University of Reading)

1.30 Lunch (Provided)

2.30 ‘What is the Point? Is there any Purpose in the Natural World?’
Dr Gerard Hughes (Centre for Philosophy of Religion, Heythrop College)

3.45 Coffee

4.15 ‘Why? Creation and Theodicy: Notes on Simone Weil’,
Professor Anthony O’Hear (University of Buckingham)

5.30 Close

Postgraduate Open Day

Thu, 31 May 2012 10:24:00 +0100

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Eastern Christianity: modern and contemporary trends in theological and political thought

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:44:00 +0100

Wednesday 27th June 9.30am -6.00pm (Registration from 9.00) Heythrop College, Marie Eugenie Room All are welcome The conference will look at modern and contemporary trends in theological and political thought in Eastern Christianity including Greek Orthodox reflections on the Economy; Anglican relations with Orthodox Christianity; Russian Orthodox Church and Islam; Orthodox Christianity and Palestinian Christian Liberation theology; Catholic-Orthodox relations; Eastern Christian thought in the Middle East.

The Study Conference will also include a celebration of the Special issue of Journal of Eastern Christian Studies, Volume: 63, Issue: 1-2, 2011 on "Eastern Orthodoxy: Modern History and Contemporary Theology" .

Full programme details and flyer are available to download. (.pdf) Attendance charge £20 – to be paid on the day

(Lunch not included - but the College cafeteria will be open for meals and snacks)

Wine and Wisdom

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:46:00 +0100

6.30pm for 7.00pm, Loyola Hall, Heythrop College
Free entry! To celebrate the end of the academic year, and to welcome our new graduates to the Alumni, we’re hosting a Quiz Night with Cheese and Wine
Teams of up to six, either pre-arranged, or grouped on the night, prizes for the winning team, and best team name! Please book a complimentary ticket from Simon Gillespie at simon@nottinghamcatholic.com Alumni and Guests all welcome

Undergraduate Open Day

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:45:00 +0100

You'll be able to see the facilities on offer and speak to staff and students to find out more about studying and student life. Book your place now.

If you have any queries about undergraduate open days or foundation degree open evenings please contact us at opendays@heythrop.ac.uk or by telephoning 020 7795 4124

Our Lady of the Wall

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:30:00 +0100

The Holy Land Icon Tradition from Origins to the Future

Ian Knowles, Founder-Director of the Bethlehem Icon School
After 25 years as an iconographer in the UK (Elias Icons), Ian’s work took a new turn in 2008 when he restored the damaged wall paintings in the Orthodox Church of St Nicholas’ Cave at Beit Jala. This led to commissions for icons at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Mount, at Anjara in Jordan, a new sanctuary design for the Sacred Heart Church at Naur near Amman, and saving the wall paintings at Bethlehem University Chapel. His most extraordinary commission is The Virgin Mother of the Church icon, written at the behest of local Arab Christians on the Palestinian side of the Israeli separation wall. Better known as Our Lady of the Wall, it places the Sacred amid the graffiti alongside the people’s suffering, but in contrast to violence and injustice, in the hope of peace and reconciliation for all. Ian will tell this remarkable story and also bring news of the Bethlehem Icon School. Newly founded under the aegis of the Melkite Patriarchal Vicar, Archbishop Joseph Zerey in Jerusalem, with the support of Tantur Ecumenical Institute, it will ensure that the indigenous Arab Christian icon tradition, now hanging on by a thread, is preserved in a new generation. 4.30pm on Wednesday 25th July 2012
Marie Eugenie Room, Heythrop College, University of London
For information on getting to Heythrop College, please see How to Find Us
Followed by Reception to mark the Opening of the Bethlehem Icon School Suggested £10 donation for BIS to “Friends of the Holy Land” All are welcome.
RSVP to johnchrysostom@btinternet.com appreciated

Undergraduate Open Day

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:45:00 +0100

You'll be able to see the facilities on offer and speak to staff and students to find out more about studying and student life. Book your place
Please see the Open Day programme for more details on the day. To book your place, please call 020 7795 4124 or opendays@heythrop.ac.uk We look forward to welcoming you to Heythrop College!

Evil and Suffering

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

10.30am - 4.30pm - Explore your faith and deepen your understanding at our one-day conference, which will address issues of evil and suffering through a variety of philosophical and theological approaches.
- Meet our students and hear first-hand about what it is like to study with us
- Thought-provoking lectures from Dr Ann Jeffers, Mr Ahmad Achtar and Dr Stephen Law
- Find out more about our distance learning courses
Download the full programme here. (.pdf)

Cost The cost of the conference is £25 (plus £3 booking fee), including lunch and refreshments.

Bookings Please book your place using our online booking form. After submitting your booking you will be taken to details of how to pay using our payment partner Google.

Further information If you have any queries or require further information on the conference or our distance learning courses, please email ipadmin@heythrop.ac.uk

Religious Life Institute Study Day

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 09:30:00 +0100

9.30am to 4.30pm Entry and exit of members, opening and closing houses – what are the current issues? What can we buy and sell? Who do we need to ask? What about ‘ethical investment’? Do we have to look after aged members? How do we relate to bishops? Can we appoint lay people to traditionally religious offices? Canon law is a mystery to many, but can provide an effective tool for helping with some of the challenging questions facing those in leadership. This study day provides a helpful forum in which to raise issues & find out about canon law & religious life from one of the UK’s foremost teachers in this field. Bookings To book, please send your name(s), address, Congregation or Order and email address to conferences@heythrop.ac.uk or by post, by sending the booking form (.doc) to Conference Bookings, Heythrop College, University of London, Kensington Square, London, W8 5HN. Please use ‘RLI September Study Day’ in the subject line of your email or letter. Cost: £15 (Refreshments provided). Please make cheques payable to ‘Heythrop College’. You can also pay on the day, by cash or cheque but
prior booking is required.

Religious Life Institute Study Day

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 09:30:00 +0100

9.30am to 4.30pm Fifty years after the Council that produced Perfectae Caritatis where does religious life find itself? Are recent tensions between the leadership of women religious in the USA & the Vatican a sign of wider tensions affecting all religious? Should we be looking in a different direction for the future of religious life? Archbishop Joseph Tobin is a member of the Redemptorist Order and current secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome. We are delighted to invite you to a day of input, discussion, creative thinking and prayer with him about the current and future state of religious life. Bookings To book, please send your name(s), address, Congregation or Order and email address to conferences@heythrop.ac.uk or by post by sending the booking form (.doc) to Conference Bookings, Heythrop College, University of London, Kensington Square, London, W8 5HN. Please use ‘RLI TOBIN Study Day’ in the subject line of your email or letter. Cost: £25 (Refreshments provided). Please make cheques payable to ‘Heythrop College’. You can also pay on the day, by cash or cheque but prior booking is required.

Stories of Vatican II: The Human Side of the Council

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:45:00 +0100

The Tablet Lecture 2012 – hosted by Heythrop College 6:45pm Admission by advance ticket only, £12 incl drinks reception: For further information and bookings, please email: plee@thetablet.co.uk

Vatican II: An Appreciation of its Ecumenical Significance

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The Society for Ecumenical Studies hosted by Heythrop College With a response by The Revd Dr James Hawkey, Minor Canon and Sacrist, Westminster Abbey
6.30pm - 8.00pm The Marie Eugenie Room, Heythrop College, University of London Admission is by free ticket, please apply to secretary.sfes@gmail.com

Campus Tour

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0100

You will be given a guided tour of the campus by one of our students and where possible, will have the chance to discuss your programme of interest with a member of academic staff. All tours start at 2pm. To book a campus tour, please use our bookings form.

Vatican II: Continuity in Discontinuity?

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:30:00 +0100

18th October 2012, 6.30pm Pope Benedict XVI has proposed continuity and discontinuity as a way of interpreting the reform brought by Vatican II.
How much continuity? How much discontinuity?
Fr Gerald O’Collins, the renowned Australian theologian and author, will reflect on this theme in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and will launch his new book A Midlife Journey. This event starts at 6.30pm
Free admission – but booking is essential:
Annabel Clarkson, a.clarkson@heythrop.ac.uk

The current situation of Christianity in the Middle East, especially Syria, after the Synod of the Middle East's Final Declaration (September 2012) and the Papal visit to Lebanon

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:30:00 +0100

Friday 19 October 2012, 11.30-13.30, Marie Eugenie Room

Antoine Audo sj, Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, Syria. Born in Aleppo in 1946 he entered the Jesuits in 1969 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1979. He commenced his academic formation with a ‘licence de letters arabes’ from the University of Damascus, 1972, followed by a doctoral thesis at Paris III, Sorbonne, 1979. He completed his philosophical and theological formation with biblical studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome). and was for a time professor in biblical exegesis at Université Saint-Joseph and Université Saint-Esprit (Kaslik, Lebanon). Bishop Audo has lectured at the Centre for Eastern Christianity, Heythrop College on a number of occasions in recent years, with papers published as ‘Eastern Christian Identity: A Catholic Perspective’, in The Catholic Church in the Contemporary Middle East, (eds), A.O’Mahony & J.Flannery, London, Melisende, (2010), pp. 19-38; ‘Isaac of Nineveh, John of Dalyatha and Eastern Spirituality’, One in Christ: a catholic ecumenical review, Vol. 44, 20.2, (2010), pp. 29-48. Other notable publications include: Zakî al-Arsouzî un arbe face a la modernité Université Saint-Joseph, Faculté des letters et des sciences humaines, Collection Hommes et Sociétés du proche-Orient, Beyrouth, Dar el-Machreq, 1988; ‘Approches théologiques du récit de Joseph dans Gn 37-50 et Coran sourate 12’ Proche Orient Chrétien (Jersualem) , Vol. 37, 1987, pp. 268-281; ‘Storia e prospettive dei cristiani in Iraq’, La Civiltà Cattolica (Rome) 2008, (issue 3787) no. II, pp. 85-93; ‘Les chrétiens d’Iraq: Histoire et perspectives’, in: Études (Paris), Vol. 40, no.8, 2008, pp. 209-318; ‘Isaac de Ninive, Jean de Dalyatha et la spiritualité orientale’, in: Mélanges en mémoire de Mgr. Néophytos Edelby (1920-1995), Édités par PP. Nagi Edelby & Pierre Masri, Collection: Textes et Études sur l’Orient chrétien, Vol. 4, Beirut, Université St. Joseph, CEDRAC, 2005, pp. 43-62; ‘The Synod of Bishops: The Catholic Church in the Middle East’, One in Christ: a catholic ecumenical review, Vol. 44, 20.2, (2010), pp. 196-200; ‘Between Christians and Muslims a Pathway of Communion’ in: The Restless Middle East. Between political Revolts and confessional Tensions, Oasis 13 (2011) http://www.oasiscenter.eu/node/7149. This event is open to all. There is no charge for admission and no need to register in advance.

For further information, please contact j.flannery@heythrop.ac.uk

Critchley, Kierkegaard, and the "Faith of the Faithless"

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Centre for Philosophy of Religion seminars take place on Tuesday, 5pm in the Rahner Room

Introduction to Philosophy - An Evening of Ideas

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Michael Lacewing, Director of ALP, Senior Lecturer, Heythrop College

Stephen Law, Editor of Think, Senior Lecturer, Heythrop College Taking place at Sutton Grammar School. For further information, please contact either: Adrian Brockless: abrockless@suttonlea.org Nigel Bartlett: nbartlett2@suttonlea.org

'A Common Word' five years on

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:00:00 +0100

10.00am - 4.30pm, Loyola Hall

Speakers Include:

Rev Dr Toby Howarth, Secretary for Inter-religious affairs to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Rev Dr David Marshall, Academic Director of the Building Bridges Seminar
and Research Fellow of Georgetown's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace &
World Affairs
Most Reverend Archbishop Kevin McDonald, Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark and Chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference Committee for Other Faiths and of the Committee for Catholic-Jewish relations
Dr Chris Hewer, Former Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations, St Ethelburga, London.
Professor Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at
Oxford University (Oriental Institute, St Antony's College), Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, (Qatar), Senior Research Fellow at Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan) and Director of the Research Centre of
Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) (Doha, Qatar).
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad (Tim Winter), Shaykh Zayed Lecturer in Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University, Director of
Studies in Theology at Wolfson College.
This study day is open to all.
There is a charge of £15 to cover refreshments and a vegetarian lunch. Please pay on the day or send a cheque made out to ‘Heythrop College.’ Current staff and students of Heythrop College may come free of charge. To book a place contact Dr Martin Ganeri, Director of CCID by email: m.ganeri@heythrop.ac.uk

Campus tour

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0100

You will be given a guided tour of the campus by one of our students and where possible, will have the chance discuss your programme of interest with a member of academic staff. All tours start at 2pm.

To book a campus tour, please use our bookings form.

Does modern science support belief in God?

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Centre for Philosophy of Religion seminars take place on Tuesday, 5pm in the Rahner Room

Undergraduate Open Day

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:45:00 +0000

You'll be able to see the facilities on offer and speak to staff and students to find out more about studying and student life. Please view our Open Day programme (.pdf) and book your place.
If you have any queries about undergraduate open days or foundation degree open evenings please contact us at opendays@heythrop.ac.uk or by telephoning 020 7795 4124

Patriarch Gregory III Laham of Antioch

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Marie Eugenie Room, 5.00pm-6.30pm

The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III Laham is based in Damascus. The Patriarch is the leader of the world-wide Melkite Church, which in the Middle East is mainly concentrated in Lebanon and Syria, although large communities live outside of the Middle East region, particularly in Europe, the United States and Canada, and also significant communities in Argentina and Brazil. Gregory III was elected patriarch on November 29, 2000, and might be considered one of the most important Christian leaders in Syria, the Middle East and the Catholic Church.

Open to all: there is no charge and no need to register.

For further information, please contact j.flannery@heythrop.ac.uk

Campus tour

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

To book a campus tour, please use our bookings form.

Action Research and Practical Theology: A Conversation Waiting to Happen

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:00:00 +0000

While Action Research (AR) and Practical Theology (PT) share some common ground their roots and approaches are quite different. As PT embraces AR there is much to learn from professional action researchers/practice centred enquiry specialists. At the same time, the vast and disparate field of practice-centred inquiry (action research/action learning/action inquiry etc) includes researchers who bring a faith perspective to their inquiries and some who are beginning to think theologically about their work. In this respect practical theologians may have tools to contribute to the conversation. So we have this question. How might these two fields of inquiry inform and enrich one another? Rather than pursuing the dialogue through academic journals or in online forums we believe it is important for us to meet, to exchange experience, and explore the territory we seek to explore and develop from our different perspectives. We expect to begin the day with several short “positioning statements” from both practical theologians and action researchers as a way of framing the conversation space, but most of the day will be designed to provide opportunity for a variety of conversations to emerge.

The Kevin Donovan Memorial Lecture

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:00:00 +0000

A lecture by Fr Christopher Willcock SJ For our third lecture in honour of Fr Kevin Donovan SJ, his friend Fr Chris Willcock SJ, will present a lecture which draws on decades of experience of research and composing of liturgical music since the Second Vatican Council. Sydney-born composer, Christopher Willcock studied composition under Peter Sculthorpe and was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1977. He then did doctoral studies in sacraments and liturgy in Paris. As a member of the United Faculty of Theology in Melbourne, Australia, he has taught courses in these areas with colleagues from the Jewish faith and from other Christian traditions.
Fr. Willcock divides his compositional time between writing for the church and for the concert hall. In the field of liturgical music he has published and recorded six collections with Oregon Catholic Press, the most recent one, Who Did You See? was produced for the 2008 World Youth Day gathering in Sydney. In 1993 he was the inaugural recipient of the Dr Percy Jones Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Liturgical Music. A member of both national and international liturgical bodies, Christopher Willcock has worked in the musical, translation, and pastoral areas of liturgy for many years.
For the concert hall he has composed orchestral, chamber, choral and solo vocal works these include commissions from Symphony Australia, Musica Viva Australia, the Melbourne Chorale and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. In 2001 the première was given of his song cycle, Akhmatova Requiem which had won the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award in 1998. In 2004 he completed Southern Star, a setting for choir and harp of a cycle of nine Christmas-inspired texts written by the cartoonist/poet Michael Leunig. Southern Star won the APRA/Australian Music Centre 2006 national award for the Vocal or Choral Work of the Year. In 2008 the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra premiered his Divertimento for Strings (Nolan’s Backyard) as part of their subscription series. In 2011-2012 he was professor in the Gasson Chair at Boston College. Fr Willcock writes: "In the nearly forty years since the Council’s constitution on the liturgy, what has been sung in church in that time has ranged across a sometimes bewildering spectrum of styles, manners, and yes, theologies. The account of my journey during these four decades is one among countless others whose details, and maybe even whose principles, may not be shared. As a priest-composer I have been both a witness to, and often a participant in, a number of the events that have marked the liturgical life of the post-Vatican II church. The “alien land” of this lecture’s title refers not so much to a geographical entity as to a world in which hostile, even angry voices make singing “the Lord’s song” a challenging task. This account revisits some of these events and looks to the next stage of the journey." The lecture which starts at 6pm will be followed by a reception. Free admission, booking essential: Annabel Clarkson, a.clarkson@heythrop.ac.uk.

Must there be a religious foundation for morality?

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Centre for Philosophy of Religion seminars take place on Tuesday, 5pm in the Rahner Room

Aspects of the Politics of Church and State in Modern Greece

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Tuesday 13 November 4-6.30, Marie Eugenie Room Gerasimos Makris: Associate Professor of Anthropology, Panteion University, Athens. He has a special research interest in the Greek Orthodox Church and Christianity and Islam in the Arab World. His family origins are in the Greek community in the Middle East. Publications include: Changing Masters: Spirit Possession and Identity Construction among the Descendants of Slaves in the Sudan, Northwestern University Press, 2000; Islam in the Middle East: A Living Tradition, Blackwell, 2006; Islam: Practices, Beliefs and Trends (In Greek, enlarged edition), Patakis, 2012. ‘The Greek Orthodox Church in the Sudan” in O’Mahony, A. (ed.) Eastern Christianity: Studies in History, Politics and Religion, London, Melisende Press, 2004; with D. Oulis and S. Roussos, ‘The Orthodox Church of Greece: policies and challenges under Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens (1998–2008)’, International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church, (Special Issue guest edited by Charles Miller & A.O’Mahony: ‘Orthodox churches in contemporary contexts’) vol. 10, (2010) nos. 2–3, 192–210; ‘The Greek Orthodox Church and Africa: Missions between the Light of Universalism and the Shadow of Nationalism’, Studies in World Christianity, vol. 16, (2010). no. 3, 245-267.
This event is open to all. There is no charge and no need to pre-register. For further information, please contact j.flannery@heythrop.ac.uk

Philosophy, Religion and Ethics

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Further details of the day's programme will be posted shortly. Book your place now. Contact alevelconferences@heythrop.ac.uk for further information.

Culture and Mission in Eastern and Western Catholicism – Can Bishops Represent Cultures rather than Territories?

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Father Brent is Professor of Early Christian History and Iconography, King's College London and Professore Invitato, the Augustinianum (Lateran University), Rome
6.15pm - Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom
7.30pm – Lecture
Venue: Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, Duke Street, London W1
By the kind invitation of HE Bishop Hlib, Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainian Catholics in Great Britain and Ireland
Followed by a Reception - £10 donation suggested
All are welcome to this event. Please RSVP to johnchrysostom@btinternet.com

The Greek Orthodox Church and Muslim-Christian relations: some fractured vignettes from a sideshow

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Friday 15th November 11:30-12:45, Marie Eugenie Room
(Please note, new date and time)
Gerasimos Makris: Associate Professor of Anthropology, Panteion University, Athens. He has a special research interest in the Greek Orthodox Church and Christianity and Islam in the Arab World. His family origins are in the Greek community in the Middle East. Publications include: Changing Masters: Spirit Possession and Identity Construction among the Descendants of Slaves in the Sudan, Northwestern University Press, 2000; Islam in the Middle East: A Living Tradition, Blackwell, 2006; Islam: Practices, Beliefs and Trends (In Greek, enlarged edition), Patakis, 2012. ‘The Greek Orthodox Church in the Sudan” in O’Mahony, A. (ed.) Eastern Christianity: Studies in History, Politics and Religion, London, Melisende Press, 2004; with D. Oulis and S. Roussos, ‘The Orthodox Church of Greece: policies and challenges under Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens (1998–2008)’, International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church, (Special Issue guest edited by Charles Miller & A.O’Mahony: ‘Orthodox churches in contemporary contexts’) vol. 10, (2010) nos. 2–3, 192–210; ‘The Greek Orthodox Church and Africa: Missions between the Light of Universalism and the Shadow of Nationalism’, Studies in World Christianity, vol. 16, (2010). no. 3, 245-267. Open to all. There is no charge and no need to pre-register. For further information, please contact j.flannery@heythrop.ac.uk

The Religions, Plurality and the Common Good: The Proposal of the Oasis Foundation

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

In conjunction with Heythrop College, University of London, Oasis cordially invites you to a public lecture and discussion, with the president of Oasis, his Eminence Cardinal Angelo Scola, Archbishop of Milan. 15th November 2012, from 3.00 to 5.30pm
Loyola Hall, Heythrop College Entry is free but places are limited, so if you wish to attend, please book a place with Annabel Clarkson at a.clarkson@heythrop.ac.uk.
The Oasis Foundation exists to encourage mutual understanding and opportunities for encounter between Christians and Muslims in contemporary societies.