Commended Courses

This an annual guide to courses throughout the UK & Ireland which are developed with an east-west theme or otherwise related to the sacred liturgy or its crafts. From time to time courses of general interest or relating to UK and Eire religious traditions are included. Direct links are included on this page.


If you know of a course you consider should be included in this guide, please click here to e-mail us.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF ST. ALBAN & ST. SERGIUS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
21-26th August 2006. Theme: The Cross. Venue: the Friars, Aylesford, Kent.

The Fellowship of St. Alban and St, Sergius grew out of contacts between Orthodox and Anglicans in the 19th century and includes significant contributions from both east and west. The chosen theme is expounded by a good range of well informed lecturers. Orthodox and other Christian liturgies are celebrated for participants in the course of the conference, and there is the opportunity to meet the lecturers and members informally throughout the whole period. The Fellowship puts out a very useful periodical called ‘Sobornost.’
www.sobornost.org

MINSTER ABBEY: EAST MEETS WEST ANNUAL CONFERENCE
September 2006 Theme: unknown. Venue: St. Mildred’s Priory, Minster Abbey, Isle of Thanet, Kent.

The conference is the initiative of the Benedictine nuns (Roman Catholic), and it has grown into an important meeting point for priests, religious and lay-people on both sides of the east -west divide, with high quality speakers The Abbey has no website, although a brief history can be seen at www.minster-in-thanet.org.uk/abbey.shtml.
Postal address: The Guest Mistress, Priory of St. Mildred, Minster Abbey, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 4HF Tel: 01843 821 254

CANADEC: ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE
May 28th-June 18th 2006. Theme: Spiritual Ireland. Venue: meet for ferry to Cork from Swansea

This incredibly comprehensive and ‘value for money pilgrimage’ includes Skellig Michael ( an early skete!), the Gallarus Oratory, the High Cross at Drumcliffe and a number of other fascinating religious sites, including Clonfort and Clonmacnoise and -of course - Downpatrick. You also get a look at the Book of Kells.
www.canadac.com/celtic/events.html

THE INSTITUTE FOR ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN STUDIES: SUMMER SCHOOL & CONFERENCES
2-7 June 2006. Theme: Orthodoxy & the World religions. Venue: Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

This is the Eastern Orthodox house of studies in Cambridge, founded in 1999 with the blessing of all the Orthodox hierarchs of Great Britain. It is a member of the Cambridge Theological Federation and offers various courses and seminars in Orthodox studies The conference explores the realities of living in a multi-cultural society.
www.iocs.cam.ac.uk/whoswho.html

SOCIETY OF ST. GREGORY: SUMMER SCHOOL
31-4 August 2006. Theme: unknown. Venue: Worth Abbey Sussex

The five day conference which gives a good grasp of the music resources available in the catholic church for choir leaders anywhere. Contributors include experts in a wide variety of modern music and traditional chants who have experience in a variety of parish and liturgical settings. The Society has a quarterly journal which updates you on what is going on in church music.
www.ssg.org.uk

CIEL: 11th. COLLOQUIUM
Theme: The Genius of the Roman Liturgy: Historical Development and Spiritual Reach 2006. Venue: Merton College, Oxford.

The conference starts with a paper on Pope Benedict XVI and the liturgy and includes papers on the various Rites existing in Europe until the Vatican II reforms and the music associated with those rites. It is the annual conference of the Centre International d’etudes Liturgiques (International centre for Liturgical studies). Bias towards Tridentine, but should include some excellent scholarship and research.
www.ciel2006.org

LAMPETER UNIVERSITY: SUMMER SCHOOLS & CONFERENCES 2006.
The Cistercian Experience. Venue: Caldey Island Cistercians, Near Tenby, Wales.

The theme of the annual Summer School is mediaeval monastic spirituality. the course, although open to all is also part of the MA pathway for monastic studies at Lampeter. A very good line-up of scholars in early UK/Irish Christianity including contributions from several of the monks.
www.lamp.ac.uk/celtic/Cistercian_Experience.htm

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