Theologians, researchers and representatives of monastic communities will take part in a winter school organised by the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies (IOCS) in Cambridge, exploring the role of monasticism in the Church’s mission in contemporary society.
The academic event will take place from 3 to 5 December at Westminster College in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and will feature lectures and discussions on the influence of the ascetic tradition on Orthodox theology, the interpretation of Holy Scripture and pastoral ministry.
The organisers aim to encourage reflection on the relationship between spiritual experience and the academic study of theology, as well as on how the Church’s teaching is communicated to the faithful.
Lectures on bearing witness to the faith
Discussions will also examine how monastic experience contributes to understanding the human person, pastoral ministry and bearing witness to the faith in contemporary society.
Among the invited speakers is Fr Bogdan Bucur, Associate Professor of Patristics at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in the United States, who will deliver a lecture on the continuity of the saints’ spiritual experience in the writings of St Macarius and its implications for Orthodox theology.
Professor Georgiana Huian, of the University of Bern and the St Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris, will address the theme of the heart and the mystery of the human person in the ascetic tradition.
Winter school programme
The first two days will each feature five lectures, followed by discussions open to participants attending in Cambridge and those joining online.
Each presentation is expected to last approximately 30 minutes, with the daily programme running from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm.
The final day will be dedicated to a visit to the Monastery of St John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights, Essex.
Further details about the winter school are available on the official website of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge.
