Our Research Seminars

Theological Ethics Research Seminar Autumn Term 2025

Theological speech and political discernment amidst hot, cold and culture wars

Time and venue: 3-5 PM, Mondays, Humanity Manse Seminar Room

Seminar texts downloadable on the Theological Ethics Research Seminar stream on MS Teams (under “Files”)

Schedule (Please complete the noted readings before each week’s seminar.)

22 Sept., Introduction to seminar topic (Brock) and to Barth’s Theological Existence Today (Zeigler).

Readings: Christopher Morse, “Paul Lehmann as Nurturer of Theological Discernment” and Paul Lehmann, “Barmen and the Church’s call to Faithfulness and Responsibility”

29 Sept., Two context readings: Bernd Wannenwetsch, “My strength is made perfect in weakness: Bonhoeffer and the War over Disabled Life,” and Eberhard Busch, “‘Doing theology as if nothing had happened’—The freedom on theology and the question of its involvement in politics”.

6 Oct., No seminar

13 Oct., “Theological Existence Today” (1933) first section

20 Oct., “Theological Existence Today” second section

27 Oct., “The Church and the Political Question of Today” (1938), §§1-4

3 Nov., “The Church and the Political Question of Today,” §§5-8

10 Nov., “Letter to Great Britain” (1941)

17 Nov., “The Church Between East and West” (1949)

24 Nov., No seminar

1 Dec., “Letter to a Pastor in the German Democratic Republic” (1958)

8 Dec., Concluding discussion: criticism and implications

Seminar Chair: Brian Brock

Contact to attend: Brian Brock, b.brock@abdn.ac.uk

PT Seminar Fall 2025

There are a range of lectures and readings groups - open to all - this semester.

Please see here the Programme for the Classical Association of Scotland: Aberdeen and North of Scotland Centre: https://casnorthscotland.com/.

Further to this Programme of events, Sam Newington (Dr) will be hosting fortnightly reading groups in Greek and Latin. For the Greek reading group, we will be exploring Homer's Iliad 22 and for the Latin Virgil's Aeneid 6. If you are interested in joining please contact Dr Newington: s.newington@abdn.ac.uk.