Tradition Module - spring 2017
The module begun with a three-day educational retreat at the Center of Study Visits, which is part of the state castle in Český Krumlov.
DATES:
30 March – 2 April 2017 .
INVITED FOREIGN TEACHERS:
Rev. Sándor Kovács, Ph.D.
Educator at the Evangelical Theological Institute in Kološvár (Cluj)
• He teaches the history of Unitarianism and religion in general
• Ordained as a Unitarian minister in the year 1993
• After this, he worked as a minister of the Third Unitarian Church in Cluj
• Between 1995–1996 he was a scholar at the Starr King School for the Ministry (Berkeley) – a seminary for Unitarian and Universalist ministers
• In the year 2006 he studied and researched Unitarian history in Oxford and Manchester in the United Kingdom.
• In the year 2007 he received his Ph.D. in Unitarian history from Széged University (his dissertation was on English-Hungarian Unitarian Relations in the 19th Century)
• Since 1999 he has been the librarian of the Unitarian library in Cluj
• He is the author of two books (Angolszász-magyar unitárius érintkezések and 19. században; Unitárius egyháztörténet – The History of the Unitarian Church), edited another seven, and published cca 40 articles in prestigious magazines
• He is the editor-in-chief of the oldest Hungarian magazine dedicated to religion and theology Keresztény Magvető (Christian Sowers)
Rev. Eric Cherry
Director of the international office of the American Association of Unitarians and Universalists
• Studied at the Meadville/Lombard Theological School (1992-1997, and also worked there as a part-time assistant from 1993-1994). He has more than 20 years of experience as a minister and in service of the UUA,
• Worked as a minister in the Unitarian congregations of the UU Fellowship at Burlington (USA, Iowa, 1994–2001, as an intern up until the year 1997) and at the Unity Church of North Easton (USA, Massachusetts, 2001–2007)
• In the school year 1998/1999 he worked as an English teacher at the Unitarian institute in Cluj
• In 2007 he joined the UUA, where he still works, originally in the position of director of international resources. He now manages the international office with several employees. He is responsible for international cooperation in more than 25 countries and is in charge of the agenda concerning international UUA grants.
MODULE SCHEDULE
Friday Roots of Unitarianism and its formation up today
10:00-11:00 Oldest roots (Poland, Transylvania, England, the USA)
11:15-12:15 Formation of organized Unitarianism
14:00-15:00 Similar trends in Europe (liberal Christianity)
15:15-16:15 Similar trends in the USA (universalism, transcendalism, humanism)
Saturday Czech Unitarianism
10:00-11:00 Beginnings / Events of the foundation of the Free Brotherhood
11:10-11:40 Beginnings / Čapek’s synthesis; Czech Unitarianism as an experiment?
14:00-15:00 Personalities, locations and their connections
15:15-16:15 Postwar development / Economic crisis, Nazi and Communist occupation
16:25-16:55 Postwar development / Searching for an identity in the 1990s
Sunday Modern-day Unitarianism in the world
10:00-11:00 Organizations (IARF, ICUU, CLF, EUU)
11:15-11:45 Directions / Unitarian universalism in the USA and in the world
12:00-12:30 Directions / traditional and non-traditional Unitarian directions today
12:40-13:10 Directions / purpose and goal of transnational Unitarian activities