Tag: apologetics

The Faith & Reason courses require no prior qualification or background in philosophy or theology, and are suited to anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, whether from within or without the Church.

The courses will be particularly helpful for:

• secondary-level teachers of RE
• catechists, especially those working with teenagers and adults
• leaders in educational or Church institutions

Each course consists of 9 lectures and a workshop, and closes with a general Q&A session.

The course is framed by opportunities for Mass during the day and communal prayer in the morning and evening.

Some free time for walks and reflection is offered as part of each course, as well as evening socials with a well-stocked bar!

Dr Caroline Farey has taught catechesis, theology and philosophy for many years throughout the English-speaking world. In 2017 she was appointed by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation to the working party for the General Directory for Catechesis, and in 2012 she was appointed by the Vatican as one of the lay experts at the Synod on the New Evangelisation. Dr Farey taught at St Mary’s Seminary Oscott and the Maryvale Institute, before working in Evangelisation and Catechesis for several UK dioceses.  She has licentiates in both philosophy and theology, besides a doctorate in philosophy, from pontifical institutes.

Dr Andrew Beards is a lecturer in philosophy at Allen Hall, London. For over thirty years he has lectured in Philosophy and Theology in Canada and the UK. Andrew has published work in academic journals and is the author of books, including Objectivity and Historical Understanding, (Brookfield. VA & Aldershot: Ashgate, 1997), Method in Metaphysics: (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008), Insight and Analysis, (New York and London: Continuum, 2010), Philosophy the Quest for Truth and Meaning, (Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press, 2010) and  Lonergan, Meaning and Method: Philosophical Essays, (New York and London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016)

Stefan Kaminski is the Director of The Christian Heritage Centre. Since 2019, he has overseen the charity’s development of in-person and online content, both theological and spiritual, to support adult Catholics, lay and ordained, in their mission in the UK. Stefan has organised a number of Catholic formation initiatives in the UK, including symposiums and online formation programmes on the Theology of the Body. Together with his wife, Eleonora, he provides marriage preparation courses and continuing theological formation for catechists, teachers and diocesan leaders. Stefan gained a licentiate in sacred theology (STL) from the John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family Life, Rome, specialising in the theological anthropology of the sexual complementarity.

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.

• Arrivals from 3pm (Thursday)
• Course commences at 6pm (Thursday)
• Departures after lunch (Sunday)

• What is Truth? Contemporary Secularism vs Catholicism
• Truth in the Public Square: Ideas & Ideologies
• The New Atheists: Faith without Religion
• Faith & the Arts: Reflecting the True, the Good & the Beautiful
• Philosophical Foundations for Sacramentality
• The Church and the Eucharist: One Faith, One Body
• Societal Truth: Discerning the Common Good
• Catechetical Pedagogy: Fundamentals of Communicating the Faith

The course requires no prior qualification or background in philosophy or theology, and is suited to anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, whether from within or without the Church.

In delivering a very practical approach to philosophical and theological themes and dealing with contemporary challenges to Catholicism, the course will be particularly helpful for:

• secondary-level teachers of RE
• catechists, especially those working with teenagers and adults
• leaders in educational or Church institutions

Our Faith & Reason series consists of a cycle of three summer courses, which together provide a systematic overview of the fundamental themes of the Catholic faith. At the same time, these are approached in the context of contemporary culture and thinking, in order to prepare

Each of the Faith & Reason courses is entirely standalone and does not require attendance at the other courses.

The courses nonetheless offer a progression through the below three themes, whilst also providing some link-up material between each course:

F&R 1: Preparing a rational ground for faith and responding to perceived challenges to faith from philosophical and scientific viewpoints

F&R 2: Identifying and responding to underlying philosophical differences between the Catholic and secular conceptions of reality

F&R 3: the lived-out dimension of the Catholic faith, with its moral and sacramental dynamic

Dr Caroline Farey has taught catechesis, theology and philosophy for many years throughout the English-speaking world. In 2017 she was appointed by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation to the working party for the General Directory for Catechesis, and in 2012 she was appointed by the Vatican as one of the lay experts at the Synod on the New Evangelisation. Dr Farey taught at St Mary’s Seminary Oscott and the Maryvale Institute, before working in Evangelisation and Catechesis for several UK dioceses.  She has licentiates in both philosophy and theology, besides a doctorate in philosophy, from pontifical institutes.

Dr Andrew Beards is a lecturer in philosophy at Allen Hall, London. For over thirty years he has lectured in Philosophy and Theology in Canada and the UK. Andrew has published work in academic journals and is the author of books, including Objectivity and Historical Understanding, (Brookfield. VA & Aldershot: Ashgate, 1997), Method in Metaphysics: (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008), Insight and Analysis, (New York and London: Continuum, 2010), Philosophy the Quest for Truth and Meaning, (Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press, 2010) and  Lonergan, Meaning and Method: Philosophical Essays, (New York and London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016)

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.

• Arrivals from 3pm (Thursday)
• Course commences at 6pm (Thursday)
• Departures after lunch (Sunday)