Irish School of Ecumenics
Aim
Be an educational resource for students, religious traditions, government agencies, and civil society groups in Ireland and abroad, and to make available ISE's unique blend of expertise as they explore their traditions, identities, and emerging concerns.
History
ISE was founded in 1970 by Fr Michael Hurley SJ. Fr Hurley challenged many of the prevailing theological and political assumptions of that time on the island of Ireland, overcoming considerable odds to see that ISE was established as a centre for dialogue, scholarship, and service to the wider community.
IRD Activities
- Intercultural Theology & Interreligious Studies
Intercultural Theology & Interreligious Studies integrates a variety of disciplines in order to explore some of the complex relationships within and between religious communities and their traditions, as well as to attend closely to the connections and tensions experienced as the religions encounter alternative social, political, and cultural resources of meaning and identity. The course focuses on the practical and theoretical possibilities of dialogue, and is concerned with sustaining communities in which the challenging praxis of peace and reconciliation with others is given concrete embodiment. Modules include Issues in Buddhist-Christian Dialogue and World Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue
- Interreligious Dialogue Activities
Staff and students organise or participate in interreligious dialogue activities and discussions
- Visioning 21st Century Ecumenism-Diversity, Dialogue and Reconciliation
This three-year project was funded by the Irish Research Council. The project has resulted in numerous publications and online learning resources. It also provided the basis for a major international conference to mark the centenary of the 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference. The project evaluated the contributions of ecumenism in Ireland and globally, and identified key areas in which ecumenics contributes to conversations about theological and cultural diversity, immigration, inter-faith dialogue, and reconciliation.
Main Focus Countries of Activities
Ireland - UK - Ireland - UK - Ireland - World