Pluscarden Abbey Events

Christianity and the World Religions
Clash of Civilisations or a New Opportunity?

The 2008 Pluscarden Pentecost Lectures - Given by Professor Gavin D’Costa

Professor of Christian Theology at the University of Bristol, advisor on relations with other faiths to the Catholic Church in England and Wales, the Church of England, and the Vatican.

13th - 15th May 2008 At Pluscarden Abbey, near Elgin

1. Tuesday 13th May at 2.45 pm
   A map of the terrain: Christian attitudes to other religions
2. Wednesday 14th May at 10.15 am
   Dying to redeem? a Hindu ‘saint’ and a Catholic saint
3. Wednesday 14th May at 2.45 pm
   ‘The descent into hell’’ as a doctrinal solution?
4. Thursday 15th May at 10.15 am
   Christianity in multi-religious Europe: The Clash of Civilisations?

Each year the Abbot and Community of Pluscarden Abbey sponsor a series of four lectures by an invited Theologian on an aspect of Catholic Theology. Previous Lecturers have included Bishop Michael Evans, Fr Aidan Nichols OP, Fr Thomas Weinandy OFM Cap, Fr Anthony Meredith SJ and Fr Paul McPartlan. The Lectures are held on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after Pentecost in St Scholastica’s Retreat House at the Abbey. They are open to all who wish to attend and are free. Limited accommodation is available at the Abbey and those who wish to stay should book as soon as possible. There are also many places to stay in the Elgin area: contact the local tourist office: 01343 542666.

The Lecturer

This year’s Lecturer is Gavin D’Costa who was born in Kenya, East Africa and lived within the deeply multi-religious Indian community in Nairobi. He came to England in 1968. His first degree in English and Theology was from Birmingham University, where he was involved in interfaith matters. He did his doctorate at the University of Cambridge, comparing a Christian and Hindu philosopher. He has written five books in the area of theology of religions, including The Meeting of Religions and the Trinity (2000), edited five books, and published numerous journal articles. He advises the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Committee (England and Wales) on Other Faiths, as well as the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Vatican City. In 1998 he was visiting Professor at the Gregorian University, Rome. He is Professor in Christian Theology at the University of Bristol. He is married with two teenage children.

The Lectures

Catholics, and all orthodox Christians, believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Saviour of the whole human race. At the same time there are many religions in the world holding a bewildering variety of mutually exclusive beliefs. This raises a number of important theological questions for Christians, which have become all the more pressing because of globalisation, decades of interreligious dialogue and the rise of militant Islam. In the sphere of politics the major world religions have also come to be seen as of primary importance, as in Samuel P. Huntington’s seminal work, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Within the Catholic Church the meaning and status of other religions has become a hotly debated and controversial issue, one in which Pope Benedict XVI has taken a personal interest. Professor Gavin D’Costa is one of the leading Catholic theologians working in this field and the Abbot and monks of Pluscarden Abbey are pleased that he has agreed to deliver this year’s Pentecost lectures and share with us recent developments in his research.

Professor D’Costa describes his four lectures as follows:

Lecture One: A map of the terrain: current debates in Christian attitudes to other religions

In this first lecture, I offer a map of the current debate amongst Christians regarding various issues in the theology of religions. My purpose is to locate the various doctrinal questions that remain unresolved as well as the historical, phenomenological, and social questions that need attention.

Lecture Two: ‘The descent into hell’ as a doctrinal solution to an unresolved question?

There has been considerable debate on the question of the possible salvation of non-Christians, especially those who die without a belief in God, let alone Christ. Since the Catholic Church teaches that they may be saved, the question as to how this is possible has been addressed in various ways. I look at the creedal statement, ‘he descended into hell’ as a way of addressing the problem.

Lecture Three: Dying to redeem? A comparison of two lives: a Hindu ‘saint’ and a Catholic saint

I turn to the question of comparative sanctity and examine the lives of two twentieth century women ‘saints’: the Hindu sati Roop Kanwar, and the Catholic Carmelite martyr, Edith Stein (St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross). I am concerned to note remarkable commonalities within the context of their much wider differences. This study is proposed as a model for comparative theology.

Lecture Four: Christianity in multi-religious Europe: The Clash of Civilisations?

This lecture turns to our contemporary European and North American contexts of religious pluralism and the debate about religion in the public square. Special attention is paid to Islam and to a Catholic Christian approach to the socio-political questions that arise, especially in the light of modernity’s definition of the public square.

For further information contact the Abbey at monks@pluscardenabbey.org and to book accommodation at the Abbey contact the Guestmaster at guestmaster@pluscardenabbey.org.

Monastic Experience Retreat 1st-6th September 2008

The Benedictine monks of Pluscarden Abbey are organising a Monastic Experience Retreat for single Catholic men aged 18-40 to be held at the Abbey on 1st-6th September 2008. Those who attend will live the same life as the monks and follow the monastic timetable. They will be in choir with the monks, do some lectio divina (spiritual reading) and prayer as we do, eat in the monastic refectory, do some manual work with the brethren each afternoon etc. There will be a few talks and discussions on things such as the meaning of monastic life, monastic prayer and the Divine Office, and Gregorian Chant, as well as a tour of the Abbey some periods of recreation and a chance to speak with the brethren.

To book a place on the retreat, which is entirely free of charge, please contact Fr Augustine via the Contact Us page.