Lectures and workshops to look at God and ‘green’ issues

Academics and theologians will meet up with ecologists and artist for a series of lectures and workshops based around Southwell Minster and the School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences at Brackenhurst Campus, later this month. Participants will have the chance to join discussions on a whole range of subjects from ‘Animals and the Trinity’ to the ‘Koran and Ecology’, or listen to a range of lectures including one on ‘Darwin and Creation’, along with taking part in woodland walks and leaf painting workshops.
 
‘Green As A Leaf – seeing the world afresh’, begins on Friday 17th September and run through until Sunday 18th September. The lecture series has been jointly organised by the Universities of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent, the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, and the Cathedral.
 
The Dean of Southwell, the Very Revd John Guille said; “We hope the three days will enable people to be challenged by looking at issues from new perspectives as very different disciplines come together. It will be a unique few days, bringing together students of religion and ethics from around the world to convene with artists, poets, those engaged professionally with horticulture and the environment, and the clergy and people of the local diocese. Rarely are such disparate groups brought into conversation, and yet they have much to offer each other.”
 
Debates and lectures between theologians and ecologists will form part of the conference, along with practical and creative sessions led by local artists and agriculturalists.
 
The stunning building of Southwell Minster itself, and in particular its renowned leaf and animal sculptures in the Chapter House, will be a focus for both lectures, discussions and practical workshops.
 
Some of the guest lecturers will include, palaeontologist and lay theologian from the University of Cambridge, Simon Conway-Morris, Michael Northcott who combines theology, ecology and practical husbandry, and Nottingham University’s John Milbank, renowned for his work in the fields of religion, social science and ethics.
 
The morning lectures will be open to the general public and there will be a £15 entrance fee, with interval refreshments provided. Lectures will start promptly at 9.15am until 12.45pm on Friday and Saturday, with plenty of time for discussion.
 
As part of the conference THE SOUTHWELL LECTURE 2010 will be given by Simon Conway Morris, Professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. His lecture is called ‘Creation through a Darwinian Lens’ and it will be given on Friday 17 September 2010 at 7pm in Southwell Minster. All are most welcome; entrance is free and there will be a retiring collection. Wine and soft drinks will be served afterwards.
 
Tickets are now on sale for the Special Harvest Supper celebration event on Saturday, 19th September at 7.30pm. Delegates from the lecture series will be joined by other guests for the evening, which will start with a drinks reception at 6pm in Southwell Minster, followed by a question and answer session with expert panel and a sit down meal with wine. For a full programme of events see: www. southwell.anglican.org or contact Catriona Gundlach tel 01636 817232 email: catriona@southwell.anglican.org
 
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For further information and photo opportunities contact Rachel Farmer tel 01636 817218 mobile 077 121 96381