XVI International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford

The XVI International Conference on Patristic Studies is being held from August 8 to 12, 2011, in the University of Oxford, Great Britain, the Bogoslov.ru portal has reported.

The first Conference on Patristic Studies was held in Oxford in 1951. It was organized by Frank Leslie Cross (1900-1968), a senior Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford. Since that time the Conference has taken place once in four years and attracted an increasing number of specialists.

This year the Conference has assembled about 750 delegates from Europe, America and Asia. An active contribution to it has been made by Russian researchers, among them Archimandrite Kirill (Govorun), deputy chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church’s education committee, Prof. Yu. Shichalin, Prof. A. Fokin and others. Among the participants in the Conference are also Archpriest Pavel Velikanov, Moscow Theological Academy pro-rector for academic theological work, and his deputy Rev. Antony Borisov.

The forum began traditionally with a common meal at the yard of Christ Church College. Along with an opportunity to commune participants had a privilege to consult with Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia, Rev. Andrew Lauth and Archbishop Rowan Williams as leading patristic scholars of today.

The official opening of the Conference took place at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. The participants were welcomed by Prof. Sarah Foot and Prof. Gillian Clark. Prof. Guy Stroumsa delivered an inaugural lecture on Athens, Jerusalem, Mecca: The Patristic Crucible of the Abrahamic Religions.

After the presentation of papers in plenary sessions on the following day, the forum continued its work in smaller groups to deal with such themes as Holy Places and Cults, Women’s Images, St. Eusebius of Caesarea, Gnosticism, Church Discipline, Ambrose of Milan, the Goths and the Aryans, Christian Literature and Apocrypha, Old Asceticism, Augustine and Philosophers, Early Augustine.

In the evening there were twelve workshops dealing with various patrological issues.

Source: DECR Communication Service