Speakers: Professor Salvador Ryan, Professor Roger Trigg, Nick Spencer

Chair: Dr Martin Mansergh

The Alexander Hotel, Dublin 2 (behind the Davenport hotel)

Thursday, April 25, 2pm– 5.00pm – Admission free

IRISH SOCIETY and Western culture have been profoundly shaped by
Christianity. However, our Christian heritage is now often viewed in
negative terms to the point where some people believe both Ireland and
the West would have been better off without Christianity at all.

Our next conference will challenge this view and show how Christianity
has influenced our societies profoundly for the better and in ways we
often forget today.

We will look at how Christianity has shaped Ireland for the better, how
it has shaped the political institutions of Western society for the
better, and how it has shaped, and is shaping our view of human rights
for the better.

Timetable

2pm       Registration
2.15       Welcome and introductory remarks
2.20       How Christianity has shaped human rights for the better
              Professor Roger Trigg
2.50       How Christianity has shaped our politics for the better
              Dr Nick Spencer
3.20:     Questions and answers
3.40:     Coffee break
4.00:     What Ireland owes Christianity
              Professor Salvador Ryan
4.40:      Questions and closing remarks
 
Speakers

Salvador Ryan is Professor of Ecclesiastical History at
St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. He is a native of Moneygall, County
Offaly. He studied Nua-Ghaeilge and History at NUI Maynooth and Theology
at St Patrick’s College Maynooth and St Patrick’s College, Thurles.
From 2005-08 he taught Church History at St Patrick’s College, Thurles,
and was employed as Academic Coordinator from 2006-08 before taking up
his present position. In 2011 he was appointed secretary to the Faculty
of Theology at the Pontifical University in Maynooth.

Nick Spencer worked as a researcher and consultant
for Research International, The Henley Centre, the London Institute for
Contemporary Christianity and the Jubilee Centre before joining Theos.
The author of several Theos reports and a number of books, including Darwin and God (SPCK, 2009) and Freedom and Order: History, Politics and the English Bible (Hodder and Stoughton, 2011).

Roger Trigg is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy from
the University of Warwick. He is now based at Kellogg College, Oxford,
where he is Senior Research Fellow and Academic Director of their newly
established Centre for the Study of Religion in Public Life.
His latest book is ‘Equality, Freedom and Religion’.  He is a member of
the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, New Jersey and Founding
President of the British Society for the Philosophy of Religion.

To attend, please let us know by emailing [email protected] or phoning 01 6619 204

ENDS