The Christian Heritage Centre is delighted to announce a summer course in partnership with CEPHAS looking at the nature and knowledge of God from a pre-religious, philosophical understanding, before comparing the Islamic concept of God with the Christian, leaning on St Thomas Aquinas’ elaboration of the Trinity and the Incarnation.
On the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate (1965), CEPHAS 2025 invites participants to come together to reflect on the “unresolved riddles of the human condition, which today, even as in former times, deeply stir the hearts of men: What is man? What is the meaning, the aim of our life? […] What is that inexpressible mystery which encompasses our existence?” (NA, 1).
In considering concepts of God, this course will first differentiate between the knowledge of God that is attainable naturally, by human reason, and the knowledge of God that comes from Divine revelation, and so provide a brief, philosophical account of the Divine.
From this basis, the concept of God as formulated in the Islamic tradition will be examined, before providing a study of the Christian accounts of the Trinity and of the Incarnate Son of God, as synthesised in Thomas Aquinas’ writings. A final lecture will draw a comparison between the two monotheistic accounts.
The lectures will be interspersed with workshop sessions in which participants will be able to further discuss and unpack the lecture material.
Course structure:
CEPHAS courses are built around a combination of philosophical and theological lectures and workshops, with plenty of discussion.
A guest talk, accompanied by good wine, is offered on one of the evenings.
The course is framed by opportunities for Mass during the day and communal prayer in the morning and evening.
Further information and registration are available here. Download a poster here.