Theology conference - 13th September

St Mary’s University is delighted to welcome learners in their first and second year of sixth form or college to our Theology Conference, where attendees will get a taste of what it’s like to study Theology at degree level and give them some fantastic evidence to include in their university applications.

Timetable

• 9.30am - arrive
• 10am - welcome and introduction
• 10.15-11am - The Divinity of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels

The Divinity of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels

Jesus: mad, bad, or God? Christians all around the world believe that Jesus is God, but what do the gospels have to say and how do they portray Jesus?

• 11.15am-12pm The Meaning of the Incarnation and Human Suffering

The Meaning of the Incarnation and Human Suffering

In this session, you will consider how the Fathers of the Church understood the fact of God becoming man, and then examine the significance of human suffering in the light of Christ's redemptive work.

12-1.30pm - lunch and tour of the campus

1.30-2.15pm ‘Religions’, ‘Cults’, or ‘New Religious Movements’? Exploring identity and influence in contemporary culture

‘Religions’, ‘Cults’, or ‘New Religious Movements’? Exploring identity and influence in contemporary culture

This taster lecture, taken from our Undergraduate module 'The Nature of Religion', will explore some of the key themes around the landscape of New Religious Movements. We will be thinking about how we use typologies to distinguish between a church, sect or cult and we will look at a few real-world examples to understand how and why people are drawn to cults in the broader context of religious change, belief and practice.

• 2.30-3pm - award ceremony

If you’d like to book a cohort of students to attend this event, please email schools.colleges@stmarys.ac.uk