The Search for Truth:
Engaging Philosophy & Theology
[residential course]
27th -30th August 2021
Philosophical & theological workshops
on foundational themes for truth
Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth — in a word, to know himself — so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves (Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio)
In partnership with
Explore the foundational themes that structure the human search for truth, with the two pillars of reason and Revelation.
CEPHAS 2021 consists of 5 philosophy and 5 theology workshops over three days, to reflect on core human questions and desires and to understand how Christianity responds to our natural capacities to know and to love, to seek the truth and to desire happiness.
Plenty of opportunity for discussion and debate, as well as for Mass, communal prayer and reflection.
Course topics: Philosophy Workshops / Theology Workshops
- Ethics: Good, Evil, and the Purpose of Life (PW) / Nature and Grace (TW)
- Philosophy of Mind: Mind, Body, and the Meaning of Life (PW) / Made to the Image of God (TW)
- Epistemology: The Hierarchy of Knowledge (PW) / Reason and Christian Revelation (TW)
- Philosophy of Nature: Matter, Form, and the Problem of Change (PW) / The Existence of God (TW)
- Philosophy of Being: Essence, Existence, and the Nature of Being (PW) / The Mystery of the Transubstantiation (TW)
Is this course for me?
The course requires no prior qualification or knowledge, but is intended to serve as an introduction or primer to Catholic, Thomistic philosophy and theology.
The course is offered to anyone wishing to engage in this area. It may be of special interest to future, current or former students of philosophy and theology, and secondary-level teachers of the same.
For queries about the course content or requirements, please contact Dr George Corbett at gc63@st-andrews.ac.uk
Philosophy workshops with Dr George Corbett
Dr George Corbett is Senior Lecturer in the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews. Previously, he held positions as Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy, Trinity College, and affiliated lecturer in Italian, University of Cambridge, where he also taught English literature and theology. He received his BA (double first), MPhil (distinction), and PhD (AHRC-funded) from the University of Cambridge. He has also studied in Pisa (as an Erasmus-Socrates exchange scholar at La Scuola Normale Superiore), Rome (Institutum Pontificium Alterioris Latinitatis), and Montella (Vivarium Novum).
Dr Corbett directs CEPHAS (a Thomistic Centre for Philosophy and Scholastic Theology), TheoArtistry (a project linking up theologians and artists), and is leading on a new collaborative MLitt in Sacred Music.
Theology workshops with Sr Valery OP & Sr Mary-Magdalene OP
Sr Valery is a Dominican Sister of the Stone Congregation. In the early 1970s, she was introduced by Fr Romuald Horn O.P. to a particular method of studying the Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas. Since then, she has run numerous S Thomas study days and weekends.
Sr. Magdalene is a Dominican sister of the Stone Congregation. She received a Master’s degree in Theology (Ave Maria University, Florida), a Licentiate in Sacred Theology in Thomistic Studies (Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C.), and she is currently pursuing doctoral studies with the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. Sr. Magdalene teaches courses on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas online, and has developed a website called Thomisticstudies.org, as well as a Youtube channel, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
About the venue
Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.
For more information about Theodore House, please click here.
Timings
- Arrivals from 3pm (Friday)
- Course commences with dinner at 7pm (Friday) and introductions; lectures commence Saturday at 9:15am.
- Departures after lunch (Monday)
Cost
Single room: £240 p.p.*
Twin room (sharing): £190 p.p.*
Non-residential, (includes lunch and dinner): £120 p.p.
*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Monday lunch inclusive.
If financial assistance is required, please contact us for information about bursaries
Precautions against Covid-19 are implemented at Theodore House as advised by the Government.
In case of cancellation or postponment resulting from Covid-19, deposits and payments will be refunded or carried over.
Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):
Venue:
The icon currently planned for this course is that of Mary, Mother of God of Tenderness. The template for this icon will be based on the ancient archetype.
For years Nikita Andreyev apprenticed to his father, Vladislav Andreyev, complimenting this experience with postgraduate theological studies in Paris and the United States.
