Changing Our Mind on Secularization The Contemporary Debate about Sacred and Secular
in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Founded in 1981, the Atlantic Theological Conference brings together people from all walks of life to hear papers and participate in discussions on issues of enduring theological importance.
This year's Conference will explore the subject of "Secularization" and the contemporary debate about sacred and secular, in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The 2009 Atlantic Theological Conference will be held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Conference sessions will take place at St. Peter's Cathedral Hall. Worship services will be in St. Peter's Cathedral. The Cathedral is located at the corner of All Souls' Lane and Rochford Street.
The Atlantic Theological Conference has no official church sponsorship and is funded through registration fees and individual donations. For those attending the entire conference, a $50 registration fee is applicable. Those intending to attend individual sessions are asked to pay $10 per session. Those who attend only one session may attend for free, but are asked to contribute a donation towards the cost of the conference. Students are welcome to attend all sessions for free. All participants are asked to register.
For additional information about the conference, or if you have any questions, general e-mail inquiries may be directed to St. Peter Publications at office@stpeter.org.
The mosaic above is found in the Arab-Norman cathedral of Santa Maria la Nuova at Monreale. It depicts King William II of Sicily (d.1189) offering the cathedral to the Virgin Mary, thus representing one example of the complex relation between sacred and secular authority.The following information gives details on the schedule & papers
for the 2009 Atlantic Theological Conference:The 2009 Conference
Tuesday, June 23
4 p.m. Registration, St. Peter's Cathedral Hall.
5:00 p.m. Evensong in All Souls' Chapel
Tuesday evening June 23:
7:30 p.m. First Paper:
Problematic: Changing our Mind on Secularization: The Contemporary Debate about Sacred and Secular in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- Dr. Wayne Hankey, Professor and Chairman of the Classics Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Response:
- The Rev'd Dr. Gary Thorne, University Chaplain, Dalhousie University and the University of King's College, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Wednesday morning June 24:
8:15 a.m. Morning Prayer
10 a.m. Second Paper:
Origins: From Royal Priesthood to Hellenic Kingship to Roman Sacred Imperium
- Dr. Peter O'Brien, Assistant Professor of Classics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Response:
- Emily Parker, Graduate Student, Classics Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Wednesday afternoon June 24:
5 p.m. Conference Eucharist — Solemn Choral Eucharist in St. Peter's Cathedral:
(Observance of the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist)
Sermon: The Rt. Rev'd David Hamid, Suffragan Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe.
Wednesday evening June 24:
8:00 p.m. Third Paper:
"The European Sacred Secular"
- The Rev'd Dr. Thomas Curran, Senior Fellow, University of King's College & Adjunct Professor of German, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, AND Mr. Peter Bryson, Q.C., Partner, McInnes Cooper Law Firm, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Please note: This presentation will include slides.
Thursday morning June 25:
7:45 a.m. Matins; 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
10:00 a.m. Fourth Paper:
"The Sacred and Secular in Islam"
- Dr. Alexander Treiger, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Response:
- Dr. Philip Davis, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI.
Thursday afternoon June 25:
5 p.m. Evensong (said) in All Souls' Chapel.
Thursday evening June 25:
7:30 p.m. Fifth Paper:
John Calvin and the Secularization of Religion? A Twentieth-Century Debate.
- Dr. Bruce Gordon, Professor of Reformation History, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Response:
- Rebecca Coughlin, Teaching Assistant, Classics Department and Religious Studies Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Friday morning June 26:
7:45 a.m. Matins; 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
10 a.m. Sixth Paper:
Varieties of Irreligious Experience: Charles Taylor on the Historical Conditions of Contemporary Unbelief
- Dr. Eli Diamond, Assistant Professor of Classics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Conference Summary: Dr.Wayne Hankey.The Conference concludes at approximately 12 noon.
FOR MORE INFORMATION / REGISTRATION
The Atlantic Theological Conference
P.O. Box 713
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
C1A 7L3 CANADA
Phone/Fax: 1 (902) 368-8442
E-mail: office@stpeter.org
REGISTRATION FEES
For those attending the entire conference, a $50 registration fee is applicable. Those intending to attend individual sessions are asked to pay $10 per session. Those who attend only one session may attend for free, but are asked to contribute a donation towards the cost of the conference. Students are welcome to attend all sessions for free. All participants are asked to register.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The conference takes place at the heart of the tourist season, so all participants are advised to book accommodation before arriving in Prince Edward Island. Those who request it on their Registration Form will receive information on accommodations in the Charlottetown area. If you would like further information including travel information, you may contact Tourism PEI directly at 1-888-734-7529, or via this website.
DONATIONS
Contributions to defray the cost of the Conference are gratefully accepted. All donations are tax deductible. Please make all cheques payable to 'The Atlantic Theological Conference / St. Peter Publications.'
The Atlantic Theological Conference has no official church sponsorship and is funded only through registration fees and individual donations. Also, we acknowledge, with gratitude, an annual generous grant from the 'Segelberg Trust'.
Please watch this site for updates and further information as it becomes available.
