Diocese of

Hexham and Newcastle

Bishop Robert Byrne CO

Durham University's Centre for Catholic Studies

Durham University's Centre for Catholic Studies is the UK's first permanent centre devoted to pioneering research and teaching in Catholic theology in the public academy. The Centre operates within the UK's premier research Department of Theology and Religion and works in close partnership with the Catholic Church to produce future leaders, foster talent, and foment Catholic scholarship locally and globally.

Clergy and Academics Logo for Centre Studies University Cloister

Click to access the dedicated Centre for Catholic Studies website.

Next events:

Paradox and Prophecy: Why the Study of Lived Catholicism Matters

The Second Online Lived Catholicism Conference on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 November 2021

Lived Catholicism is the study of Catholicism as lived across time and space. This conference will ask: what are the paradoxes of Lived Catholicism and how can it be authentically prophetic? Plenary sessions by Michele Dillon, Valentina Napolitano, Clare Watkins, and Massimo Faggioli. Also featuring Robert Orsi, Tricia Bruce, Alana Harris, and Stephen Bullivant.

See poster and find out how to submit a paper proposal, or to register for the conference online.

CCS – Online Resources:

Receptive Ecumenism Resources

The essential principle behind Receptive Ecumenism is that the primary ecumenical responsibility is to ask not "What do the other traditions first need to learn from us?" but "What do we need to learn from them?" The assumption is that if all were asking this question seriously and acting upon it then all would be moving in ways that would both deepen our authentic respective identities and draw us into a more intimate relationship.

We have published seven introductory videos on Receptive Ecumenism on our YouTube channel:

Paul D. Murray: 'Receptive Ecumenism's Distinctive Contribution'

Antonia Pizzey: 'Deepening the Spiritual in the Ecumenical'

Gregory Ryan: 'The Reception of Receptive Ecumenism'

Mathew Chandrankunnel: 'Wider Ecumenism: A Pilgrimage Towards Cosmic Christ Consciousness'

Sara Gehlin: 'Receptive Ecumenism and Cosmopolitan Conflict Resolution'

Gabrielle Thomas: 'Qualitative Research and Receptive Ecumenism: Contributions from Fieldwork'

Cyril Hovorun: 'Byzantine Ecumenism'

We hope they are useful. Please subscribe to our channel to be notified of new content!

You can find audio resources from the Centre for Catholic Studies on Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. We are also on Twitter and Facebook. To join our mailing list, please sign-up here.

We have published two online lecture series on Franciscan Studies:

The Francis and Clare course introduces the foundational figures of Francis and Clare of Assisi. Pioneering a new approach to forming Christian community in the thirteenth century, their vision of a form of life ‘according to the gospel’ drew criticism from many in their day, yet it endures today in the Franciscan Family worldwide. This course explores the basic elements of that life, its distinctiveness then and now, and the possibilities it offers to those seeking Christian life in common today.

The Franciscan Global Vision course focuses on Franciscan contributions to the development of Christian theologies and spiritualities of creation in the age of global climate change. It considers how the Franciscan tradition can build on the teaching of Pope Francis’ Laudato Sí’ and contribute to a robust understanding of our place within the community of creation, drawing on insights from figures including Francis of Assisi, Bonaventure, Angela of Foligno, John Duns Scotus, and Peter of John Olivi.

All 12 short lectures are freely available on our YouTube channel:

CCS Members Outreach:

Did you know, CCS members conduct outreach, in the form of talks, broadcasts and articles, on many aspects of Catholic theology and Catholic studies. You can keep up-to-date with these through the CCS mailing list. Sign up here and select Option C.

Recent CCS Outreach:

As part of our commitment to outreach, the CCS has expanded its newsletter to include accessible pieces on its research. This term’s newsletter features pieces on Suffering and the Christian Life and Franciscan Studies and Ecumenism. It is available here.

CCS member Maria Exall has written a piece on Brexit and Christian Identity. Information about her project on Brexit and Catholic Social Thought is here.

News:

Annual Director's Report:

The Centre for Catholic Studies' annual Director's Report is available here. It includes, among other things:

An address by Prof. Karen Kilby (holder of the Bede Chair and CCS Director)

Information about some of our major research projects

News of what some of our alumni are doing in the church and the world

Information about some of our recent outreach initiatives

Anglican – Roman Catholic International Commission III (ARCIC III): First Agreed Statement

Following seven years of work, the official body for Anglican-Catholic interfaith dialogue (ARCIC III) has released its first ‘Agreed Statement’, entitled, 'Walking Together on the Way: Learning to Be the Church – Local, Regional, Universal'. Shaped by the CCS’s method of 'Receptive Ecumenism', the statement focuses on the need for ecclesial conversion and reform by the churches of the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church learning from each other in relation to their respective wounds and difficulties. Read more about the publication, including the role of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, here.

Audio and video-recordings on the CCS website

The CCS has updated its repository of audio and video-recordings. New additions include talks by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, Catherine Pepinster, Roy Hattersley, Eamon Duffy, Karen Kilby and Daniel Mulhall. They can be accessed free of charge here.