Strasbourg’s Institute for Ecumenical Research welcomes applicants for its summer seminar exploring the meaning of ‘a communion of churches’.
The old city and cathedral of Strasbourg in eastern France where the Institute for Ecumenical Research is located. Photo: Jonathan Martz for Creative Commons
Strasbourg Institute for Ecumenical Research welcomes applicants for 5 to 12 July international seminar
(LWI) - What do we mean by the term ‘a communion of churches’? What are key factors connecting and dividing one Christian community from another? How can the search for unity and mutual understanding be lived out in a local context?
The Strasbourg Institute for Ecumenical Research invites students interested in these questions to take part in an international summer seminar from 5 to 12 July 2023. This year the institute is also marking the 50th anniversary of the Leuenberg Agreement between Protestant churches in Europe, which focused on Christian communion lived out especially through shared witness and service.
The seminar will be held in English and will bring together theological experts from different churches to share how they see themselves as being part of the communion of churches. Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox and Pentecostal speakers will discuss relations with other Christian communities and offer insights to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by the ecumenical movement.
Sharing ecumenical experiences
In addition to the lectures and theological discussions, students will be encouraged to share their own confessional and ecumenical experiences in their congregations and countries of origin. This conversation will continue over shared meals and walks through the streets of Strasbourg’s old city and surrounding areas.
The cost of the seminar, including full board in a student hall of residence, is €800 and the organizers encourage prospective students to contact their church leaders about the possibility of financial support. As in previous years, a small portion of the fees is used to cover costs for students coming from Eastern Europe and the global south.
Registration for the summer seminar closes on 30 April 2023. For further details applicants can email the Institute at [email protected]
The Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg has been working in cooperation with the Lutheran World Federation since 1965, providing theological analysis and advice for the world’s Lutheran churches as they seek to resolve differences with other Christians and make visible the unity of the one Church of Christ.
