To mark the 500th anniversary of the year that Martin Luther famously nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation, a major ecumenical conference will be held on Saturday 24th June in the Church of St John The Baptist, Seafield Road East, Clontarf.
The event will feature renowned theologians and ecumenists and allow plenty of time for discussion/questions from the floor in a bid to understand how we got to where we currently are on our ecumenical journey, and how we can all work together on the road to greater unity.
The facilitator for the day will be Philip McKinley, and there will be input from the following speakers:
- Dr. Gesa Thiessen: Background to the Reformation – An Introduction to Luther’s theology.
Gesa Thiessen is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Religions and Theology, in Trinity College Dublin, and an assistant Lutheran Minister. Her research interests include Ecumenical theology and ecclesiology.
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Dr. Andrew Pierce: The Ecumenical Journey So Far – inter-church dialogue and developments.
Andrew Pierce is an Assistant Professor in Ecumenics, Course Co-Ordinator of the M.Phil. in Intercultural Theology & Interreligious Studies and Head of Department, in the Irish School of Ecumenics, TCD. His areas of expertise include Ecumenical ecclesiologies and Ecumenical theologies.
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Fr. Gabriel Daly: One Bread, One Body – an ecumenical theology of the Eucharist.
Gabriel Daly OSA has taught and published widely in theology. Following his PhD thesis on Catholic Modernism, he lectured at the Irish School of Ecumenics as a founder member, and subsequently at TCD, of which he is now an honorary fellow.
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Gillian Kingston: Stepping Stones Towards Greater Unity – what can be done at local level to progress things.
Gillian Kingston is well known and respected in Ecumenical circles. She is currently Vice President of the World Methodist Council and was formerly the first Lay Leader of the Methodist Conference in Ireland.
The cost of the day is €20 per person. Patrons are invited to bring a packed lunch and tea/coffee facilities will be provided. Alternatively, there is a Coffee Shop which serves lunch a 5 minute walk from the Church.
Timetable for the Day
10 – 10.30am Registration, Coffee, Welcome, Introduction & Opening Prayer
10.30am – 11.30am Dr. Gesa Thiessen: Background to the Reformation – An introduction to Luther’s theology. (30 – 40 minutes input from speaker followed by questions/comments from the floor)
11.30am – 12.30pm Dr. Andrew Pierce: The Ecumenical Journey So Far – inter-church dialogue and developments. (30 – 40 minutes input from speaker followed by questions/comments from the floor)
12.30pm – 1.30pm Lunch
1.30pm – 2.30pm Fr. Gabriel Daly: One Bread, One Body – an ecumenical theology of the Eucharist. (30 – 40 minutes input from speaker followed by questions/comments from the floor)
2.30pm – 3.30pm Gillian Kingston: Stepping Stones Towards Greater Unity – what can be done at local level to progress things. (30 – 40 minutes input from speaker followed by questions/comments from the floor)
3.30pm – 4pm Closing Worship
