Past Events

The Synod on Synodality, launched in October 2021, is one of the most important initiatives of Pope Francis’ pontificate. It also represents the widest process of listening/consultation ever to have taken place across the worldwide Catholic Church. Its purpose – as the word “synod” signifies - is to enable all the members of the Church to learn better how to journey together, a journeying together that seeks to give witness to the mission entrusted to it by the Risen Christ. Through the gift and guidance of the Spirit the whole process seeks to open horizons of hope for the fulfilment [...]

Join us on the 15th of November at 5 pm for a thought-provoking commemorative event, "Thirty Years of Interfaith Dialogue among the Abrahamic Faiths: A Panel Discussion." This enlightening panel discussion will be chaired by Dr Anna Abulafia, Professor Emerita of the Study of the Abrahamic Religions, Faculty of Theology and Religion, Oxford University. The event will feature distinguished speakers who have made significant contributions to interfaith dialogue. Dr. Edward Kessler, MBE, Founder President of the Woolf Institute; Dr. Michael Barnes, SJ, representing the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology; and Dr. Tim Winter, Dean of the Cambridge Muslim College. The [...]

Synod synthesis documents make it clear that there is a strong call across the Catholic Church for the recognition and development of women’s ministry in the Catholic Church. The inclusion of women in the diaconate, attested in the New Testament, is proposed by the Synod's Instrumentum Laboris as a means to enable this. Scholars including Prof Phyllis Zagano and Prof Bernard Pottier SJ, former members of the first Papal Commission on Women and Diaconate, will examine the historical diaconate of women and what it could offer for the whole Church now, as well as considering how to promote the wider [...]

Come and join us for a delightful afternoon as we welcome Professor Janet Soskice, who will be presenting her latest work, "Naming God - Addressing the Divine in Philosophy, Theology, and Scripture." Date: Wednesday,6th December, 2023 Time: 2:00 PM Place: Wesley House. Dining Room *For those interested, we’ll also be gathering for Mass at the Wesley House chapel at 12:30 p.m. After mass, tea and coffee will be served. You are also welcome to bring your own lunch or there are places nearby where lunch can be purchased Afterward, we'll reconvene for this amazing book presentation. We look forward to [...]

We invite you to join us in this, the final event in our Pearl Anniversary calendar celebrating 30 years since the foundation of the Margaret Beaufort Institute. The evening will begin with a keynote lecture to be given by Baroness Julie Smith of Newnham which will be followed by celebratory drinks and a hot buffet supper. We will close the year with an invitation to join us for the Office of Compline (Vigil of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM) led by Dr Gemma Simmonds, CJ (Director of the Religious Life Institute, Margaret Beaufort Institute) in the College Chapel. Date: 7th [...]

This course will enable students to examine and reflect critically upon the theory and practice of Christian spiritual direction with a specific focus on the Ignatian Tradition. Building on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, this module will explore the dynamics of spiritual direction and issues that arise in the pastoral ministry of spiritual accompaniment. Students will examine the theory and practice of Christian spiritual direction with a specific focus on the Ignatian Tradition, engage with the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, reflect on pastoral ministry through the lens of spiritual direction, explore the issues that arise in the pastoral [...]

During this course we will be looking at how Christian spirituality relates to the arts - literature, music and visual arts, including film. We will consider this relationship in the socio-historical and theological contexts in which it has developed, exploring differences and similarities between the Eastern and Western Christian perspectives. This will enable students to appreciate the place of the arts in Christian worship and the life of the Church. Students will engage with theological ideas underpinning ekphrasis, images and icons, the relationship between literature and spirituality as academic disciplines, reflect critically on relationship between theoretical approaches to film, aesthetics, [...]

This course introduces some of the great figures in the history of Christian Spirituality. Common themes of personal transformation and of relationship with God, self and others will emerge across a wide time period from the third to the twentieth centuries. The focus on six figures and movements will allow portions of the texts to be examined in some detail, as well as following wider spiritual themes. Lectures by Dr Gemma Simmonds & Dr Edward Howells Thursdays, from 5.15 om to 6.45 pm Programme 18th January: Introduction; what is spirituality? Texts and methods 25th January: Augustine, Confessions 1st February: Monastic [...]

This course will enable students to evaluate key shifts in modern historiographical approaches to Celtic and medieval spirituality, e.g., whether Celtic spirituality is a modern construct. Assess the relationships between spirituality, theology, ecclesiology, science, politics, literature and art in medieval and Celtic thought. It will examine the relationship between Celtic and Medieval Christian spirituality and those of other religious tradition, especially Paganism, Judaism, and Islam. It will also consider the role of women in the Celtic and medieval church and their contribution to spirituality, and the place and function of the eremitic and coenobitical traditions. The course will be on [...]