Every year in the first two weeks of July, the Old Catholic Seminary at Utrecht University offers two Summer schools in Old Catholic Theology – two weeks of interesting and deepening lectures, meeting people from various cultural and theological backgrounds and enjoying the beautiful city of Utrecht.
For the latest updates about our Summer school, you can sign up for its newsletter and/or follow its pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Summer school ‘Old Catholic Theology in its Ecumenical Context’
The Summer school ‘Old Catholic Theology in its Ecumenical Context’ will be from 7 to 12 July, 2024. This course offers an introduction to Old Catholic theology in a ecumenical context.
Old Catholic theology is understood as the main theological currents as they exist in the Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches. Students will be taught by experts in Old Catholic theology from the faculty at the Old Catholic Seminary, Utrecht. The topics covered by the course include the following: History of Old Catholicism, Old Catholic Spirituality, Ecumenism and Old Catholicism, Old Catholic Canon Law and Ecclesiology, Old Catholic Liturgy, and Old Catholic Systematic Theology.
Click here for more information about this course and to apply.
Old Catholic Theology Beyond the Basics: In Search of Being Church in Communion
From 14 to 19 July, 2024, we are offering a brand new in-depth summer school around the theme of Communion. Communion is a key topic in Old Catholic theology. What does it mean to be in communion with God, how is communion among Christians and churches to be shaped, is it possible to live in communion with all of creation? These questions drive Old Catholic theology since its inception and leave their imprint on Old Catholic form of spirituality as well as dogmatics, liturgy as well as canon law, ecumenism as well as ecclesiology, all of which are embedded in the historical tradition of the Old Catholic Churches. The new course “Old Catholic Theology Beyond the Basics: In Search of Being Church in Communion” offers advanced classes, intensive seminars and insightful field trips on the Old Catholic search for communion. It is a unique and exciting opportunity for deepening one’s knowledge of and insight in the Old Catholic tradition in its cultural, historical and ecumenical contexts.
This jubilee edition of the summer school in Old Catholic theology is inspired by the commemoration of the election of Cornelis Steenhoven as Archbishop of Utrecht in 1723. Although this led to a schism between the Church of Utrecht and the Church of Rome, it also inspired Dutch catholics to embark upon an ongoing search for being church in a good way. The course seeks to share the fruits of this journey.
Click here for more information about this course and to apply.
If you want to attend both weeks, you can apply for the Summer school track ‘Old Catholic Theology: The Early Church as Charism and Challenge’ which combines both courses. Applying for this track leads to a reduction of the course fee.
Click here for more information about the entire Summer School track and to apply.
The course director of the summer schools in Old Catholic Theology is Prof. dr. Peter-Ben Smit. For any inquiries, you can reach out to p.b.a.smit@uu.nl.