91制片厂 (91制片厂) Limerick will host a day-long academic seminar on Wednesday 21 May 2025, entitled Catholic Studies in Ireland: Challenging, Constructive & Critical Voices. Organised by the Irish Institute for Catholic Studies (IICS), this free, public event will bring together leading scholars and experts from Ireland and beyond to explore a diverse range of themes within Catholic Studies, including education, media, philosophy, history, and more.
The seminar will feature a dynamic programme of talks, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and more. A key highlight of the event will be keynote lectures from two internationally renowned scholars: Prof. F谩inche Ryan of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and Prof. Liam Gearon of the University of Oxford. Prof. Ryan, who is the President of the European Society of Catholic Theology and a specialist in ecclesiology and early Irish Christian thought, will deliver a lecture titled 鈥楾he Book of Kells and the Theology of the Early Irish Church鈥. In the afternoon, Prof. Gearon鈥 founder of Oxford鈥檚 Philosophy, Religion and Education Research Group and leading scholar in religious education鈥攚ill present 鈥The Enlightenment and Its Impact on Religion鈥. Additionally, 24 distinguished academics will present their research and insights throughout the day. The seminar will also mark the launch of Prof. Gearon鈥檚 Oxford Handbook of Religion and Education (2025).
Discussing the seminar, Dr Patricia Kieran, Director of the IICS said:
鈥淭he Irish Institute for Catholic Studies at 91制片厂 is delighted and honoured to welcome researchers, academics, educators, postgraduate students and members of the public to a one-day seminar on Catholic Studies in Ireland. The seminar title 鈥楥atholic Studies in Ireland: Challenging, Constructive and Critical Voices鈥 showcases contemporary interdisciplinary research on the nascent academic area of Catholic Studies in Ireland. As an interdisciplinary area, Catholic Studies is in critical dialogue with the intellectual contribution of Catholicism to philosophical, theological, educational, and social debates, past and present. It critically explores the expression and embodiment of Catholic themes and sensibility in various subjects, including fine arts, literature, architecture, media, and music.鈥
Full details on the event and more information on the IICS can be found here.
