[Bilimsel Haber] Forum "Religious Tradition and Innovation in the Post-Soviet World: a case of revival or rejection?" Jan.31-Feb.2 (Windsor, UK)

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

*From:* Daniel Washburn [mailto:daniel at cumberlandlodge.ac.uk]

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Cumberland Lodge, an educational trust and former royal house in
Windsor, UK, will soon be hosting a residential forum called “Religious
Tradition and Innovation in the Post-Soviet World: a case of revival or
rejection?” The event will begin with afternoon tea on Wednesday 31^st
January and will finish after lunch on Friday 2^nd February. The Lodge
particularly wishes to extend an invitation to members of the academic
community who are concerned about the future development of Europe and
the post-soviet world.

About the Event:

 From Orthodox churches in Moscow and London to the Islamic political
party Hizb ut-Tahrir in the East End and Central Asia, the post-soviet
world is not contained by national borders – its issues and religious
concerns are quickly becoming our concerns. As the EU expands eastward
we will need to understand the culture and faith of our new compatriots
and neighbours. This forum seeks answers to a series of questions around
the most pressing issues of religious change. Key speakers have been
drawn from journalism, politics, academia, law, arts, and religion. It
is a rare opportunity that we are able to gather such an informed range
of expertise on this topic. As such, the Lodge has taken care to ensure
that subsidized places will be available to students (£50), clergy
(£190), academic staff (£190) and others (£310). Meals andaccommodation
will be included.

Conceptual Statement:

Faith knows no borders, and yet it often becomes a principle factor
dividing groups, nations and religions. Several instances of intra- and
inter- faith misunderstanding have arisen since the demise of the Soviet
Union. The tensions that these misunderstandings create often find
expression in forms of anxiety, nationalism, and xenophobia. They are
the observable symptoms in the clash between tradition and innovation.

As post-soviet states adapt to international conventions on human rights
– most of which place the individual prior to the group –historic
religious traditions such as orthodox communalism and sharia law,
frequently take issue with the projects of foreign missionaries, laws on
freedom of expression, western understanding of the individual, and
legal statutes protecting a plurality of choice. They must now contend
with social and religious innovations that undermine tradition, such as
the debates surrounding homosexual rights and women’s rights, as well as
the increasing appeal of non-abrahamic faiths. Thus the revival of
religion in the post-soviet world takes place in a nexus where
traditions are not only constantly rejected and challenged by
innovation, but where “tradition” itself is resurrected for innovative
purposes, as in the building of national identities or for claiming a
connection with the pre-Christian past.

This conference will debate the place of religious tradition and
innovation in various aspects of post-soviet life. It will ask whether
such a perspective is useful to describe religious change in the West,
and will assess how far the lessons of the post-soviet religious
experience are important for understanding today’s interfaith and
ecumenical issues in our own societies.

Programme:

WEDNESDAY Jan 31^st

17.00 As Europe grows eastward what can it learn about religious issues
from the post-soviet world?

Jonathan Luxmoore, journalist, The Tablet

Alexei Lidov, Director of the Centre for East Christian Culture, Moscow

20.30 Women in religion: How to think about Faith and Patriarchy?

Dzintra Ilisko, Latvia, European Society of Women in Theological Research

Sonja Besford, Serbia, poet

THURSDAY Feb 1st

09.00 The role of religion in policy and human rights: is tradition a
problem?

Felix Corely, Forum 18 News

Saule Mukhametrakhimova, Inst for War and Peace Reporting

11.00 Discussion Groups

15.00 Revival or Rejection: What happens when religion becomes politicized?

Professor Elena Miroshnikova, Religious Studies and Theology, Tula
University, Russia

Dr Edwin Bacon, Comparative Politics, Birkbeck

Professor Malcolom D Evans OBE, Dean, Faculty of Social Science and Law,
University of Bristol

17.00 Discussion Groups

20.30 Religion and the Arts: Has post-soviet art experienced a religious
revival?

Oleg Kulik, artist, Russia

Dr. Razia Sultanova, musician, Uzbekistan, SOAS

Followed by musical performance

FRIDAY Feb 2nd

09.00 When do religious identities become dangerous?

His Excellency Rafael Ibrahimov, Ambassador for Azerbaijan to the Court
of St James’s

Ravil Bukharaev, poet, author, BBC world service, Russia

Dr. Galina Yemelianova, University of Birmingham, CREES

11.00 Religion and Nation: What becomes of tradition in the era of “open
societies?”

Dr. Jonathan Sutton, Leeds

Dr. Marat Shterin, KCL

About the Place:

A visitor to Cumberland Lodge is surrounded by all the trappings of a
stately home. Portraits of former occupants grace its walls – kings,
dukes, princesses and lords. Ancient tapestries hang in oak panelled
recesses, looking out across the rolling valleys of crown parkland. For
almost three hundred years Cumberland Lodge was an intimate retreat for
Windsor royalty, and occasionally a home for the few courtiers lucky
enough to be given the title “Ranger of the Great Park.” In its early
days, King Charles II would frequently travel the four miles between the
Lodge and the Castle to pursue amatory affairs with the likes of Nell
Gwyn and Barbara Villiers. In the 1700s the first Duke and Duchess of
Marlborough, for whom Blenheim palace was erected, chose to transfer
much of their family life to the Lodge. They were followed by others,
such as William Duke of Cumberland, for who the Lodge is now named, and
King George III who added a touch of neo-gothic architecture. In the
20^th century Cumberland Lodge was the site of secret meetings which led
to abdication of the throne by King Edward VIII in 1936. After WWII
ended and the horrors of Nazism became apparent across Europe, a plan
was devised whereby the Lodge would be used to discuss the most pressing
issues of the day in the hope that forthcoming generations would not
make the mistakes of the past. To fulfil this plan the King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth Foundation of St. Catharine was created at
Cumberland Lodge in 1947. It continues today to operate under royal
warrant as a Christian educational trust and charity, and it is in this
spirit that special gatherings are arranged to discuss the social,
moral, and ethical issues of our time. Whilst some of these gatherings
are aimed at a particular audience, for example vice-chancellors of
universities or police chief constables, others will attempt to engage a
more eclectic mix.

Contact Janis Reeves to register or enquire about the forthcoming
residential forum.

Janis at cumberlandlodge.ac.uk

T: 01784 497794

www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk <http://www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk/>

ANNOUCEMENT END