Registration and Call for Papers Now Open

Anglo-Nordic-Baltic Theological Conference 2015

13^th-17^th August 2015

‘A Theological House Party’

Theology in the Public Square

The Anglo-Nordic-Baltic Theological Conference is a biennial gathering of lay and ordained, theologians and practitioners, primarily from the Anglican and Lutheran churches of Northern Europe. It takes the form of a theological house party, with short contributions around a common theme which aim to stimulate discussion, the building of relationships and sharing of experience.

You can find out more about the history of the conference – which has been meeting since the late 1920s and was instrumental in the development of the Porvoo network – at the history page of our blog, http://anglonordicbaltic.blogspot.co.uk.

The conference will be held in the Christian Institute, Turku, Finland: http://linnasmaki.fi/english/

We will begin in the late afternoon of Thursday 13^th August and conclude with breakfast on Monday 17^th, to facilitate travel arrangements. The nearest airport is in Turku itself; it is also possible to fly into Helsinki and take a bus, or take a ferry from Stockholm.

The cost of attending will be 250 euros per person INCLUDING CONFERENCE FEE, MEALS AND ACCOMMODATION: some limited bursaries will be available to participants who would otherwise find the cost of attending prohibitive.

 To Register:

Conference registration should be sent to the Turku Christian Institute kurssipalvelut@tk-opisto.fi  

by 15 May 2015.

 Call For Papers

The theme of the 2015 Conference will be Theology in the Public Square.

Proposals are now invited for short papers on any aspect of this subject. Papers are usually around 20 minutes long, allowing plenty of time for discussion and learning from all our many different contexts. Papers are delivered in English, the language of the conference, and are circulated in advance in order to facilitate participation by those for whom English is a second or third language.

We welcome and are hoping for a mix of papers by a mix of contributors: from academics, clergy, those working in public policy, artists and other creatives; on the idea of theology in public generally, or on specific aspects, questions or controversies; and from across all of the territories that we cover.

Paper titles and a short abstract should be sent to Rev. Dr. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, miranda@threlfall-holmes.net

Call for Papers for 2015

Anglo-Nordic-Baltic Theology Conference 2015

13^th-17^th August 2015

‘A Theological House Party’

Theology in the Public Square

The Anglo-Nordic-Baltic Theology Conference is a biennial gathering of lay and ordained, theologians and practitioners, primarily from the Anglican and Lutheran churches of Northern Europe. It takes the form of a theological house party, with short contributions around a common theme which aim to stimulate discussion, the building of relationships and sharing of experience.

You can find out more about the history of the conference – which has been meeting since the 1930s and was instrumental in the development of the Porvoo network – at the history page of our blog, http://anglonordicbaltic.blogspot.co.uk.

The conference will be held in the Christian Institute, Turku, Finland: http://linnasmaki.fi/english/

We will begin in the late afternoon of Thursday 13^th August and conclude with breakfast on Monday 17^th, to facilitate travel arrangements. The nearest airport is in Turku itself; it is also possible to fly into Helsinki and take a bus, or take a ferry from Stockholm.

The cost of attending will be 250 euros per person: some limited bursaries will be available to participants who would otherwise find the cost of attending prohibitive. Please let us know if you would like to be considered for one of these, by letter of application.

Call For Papers

The theme of the 2015 Conference will be Theology in the Public Square.

Proposals are now invited for short papers on any aspect of this subject. Papers are usually around 20 minutes long, allowing plenty of time for discussion and learning from all our many different contexts. Papers are delivered in English, the language of the conference, and are circulated in advance in order to facilitate participation by those for whom English is a second or third language.

We welcome and are hoping for a mix of papers by a mix of contributors: from academics, clergy, those working in public policy, artists and other creatives; on the idea of theology in public generally, or on specific aspects, questions or controversies; and from across all of the territories that we cover.

Paper titles and a short abstract should be sent to Rev. Dr. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, miranda@threlfall-holmes.net

2015 Dates and Theme Announced

The 2015 Anglo Nordic Baltic Theological Conference will take place on 13-17 August, in the Theological Institute, Turku, Finland.

The Theme of the Conference will be 'Theology in the Public Square'.

A formal call for papers will follow shortly, but early expressions of interest are welcome. The conference papers are generally 20-30 minutes long, and are given in English and circulated in advance to facilitate participation for those for whom English is a second language.
The papers aim to spark discussion and conversation rather than to be the 'last word' on a subject. Work in progress is welcome, as are reflections on practice and local contexts from non-academic contributors.

Suggestions for contributions should be sent to miranda.threlfall-holmes@durham.ac.uk

The ANBTC is a biennial 'theological house party' with the aim of fostering conversations and relationships amongst clergy and laity, academics and practitioners, in the Anglican and Lutheran churches of northern Europe. See more on the history page.

The conference is organised by
Rt. Revd. Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, Church of Ireland
Revd. Dr. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Vicar in Durham, Church of England
Revd. Dr. Mika Pajunen, Theological Advisor to the Archbishop of Turku.

All are welcome. We anticipate that this year's conference fee will be in the region of £160, full board, and we hope to be able to offer some bursaries to those who need them to be able to attend.

2015: Theology in the Public Square

The 2015 conference will be held in Turku, Finland, and will take as its theme Theology in the Public Square.

The conference team consists of:

Rt. Revd. Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin
Revd. Dr. Mika Pajunen, Theological Advisor to the Archbishop of Turku
Revd. Dr. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Church of England

Post Conference Reflections

The conference theme of Eduction, Ethos and Social Transformation has been a fascinating one. We have been able to gain new insights into the different ways in which education and the schools system engage with churches and religions in our different contexts, and also into the slippery but crucial concept of the 'ethos' of a school, and particularly a church school. What is ethos, how can it be shaped, and what impact does it have on a child's spiritual development?

These issues of education have also raised intriguing questions about church ethos and culture. Learning from teachers and educational theorists, how can church ethos as well as the actual content of our liturgy and teaching help and/or hinder faith development?

It was heartening and exciting to meet so many practitioners and theorists from across our region who are motivated and engaged with such questions, and who see the aim of education in radical terms, as being to change the world rather than simply to induct young people into the status quo. This raised important questions for me of the tension between these aims in the churches too (and I wrote this prose poem reflecting on this issue: 'To Change The World').

We intend to hold the next conference in Finland in 2015, on the theme of Public Theology or Faith in the Public Square. Watch this space!

Final Bookings Welcomed

Most bookings are now in for this year's conference, with people coming from all over the region: Latvia, Finland, Sweden, Scotland, Wales, England, Ireland...

There are still some places available, so if you would like to attend this year's conference please email Anne Lodge at the address on the bookings page. The conference fee has been kept as low as possible - just E150 - and you can pay cash on arrival, as we have not been able to arrange online payment for this year.

Alternatively, if you can't come this year but would like to be kept informed of the next conference (pencilled in for Finland 2015), email me at miranda@threlfall-holmes.net and I will add you to our mailing list; or follow this blog!

Call for Papers

Would you like to speak about your research or church practice with scholars and practitioners from all over the Anglo Nordic Baltic region?

The ANBTC is now taking proposals for brief discussion papers at the 2013 conference. The overarching theme of the conference plenary sessions is 'Education, Ethos and Social Transformation': short 20 minute papers may contribute to this theme, but equally may be on any subject broadly relating to the church, theology, or our regions.

Proposals for papers, and any enquiries, should be sent to Revd. Dr. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes: miranda.threlfall-holmes@durham.ac.uk.