Annual Reports
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998
2009
The 2009 conference, on the theme ‘Trinitarian theology’, was held at Kontakt der Kontinenten, near Amersfoort in the Netherlands, from 30 March to 2 April. Plenary papers were delivered by Celia Deane-Drummond (‘The breadth of glory: a Trinitarian eschatology for the earth through critical engagement with Hans Urs von Balthasar’), Larry Hurtado (‘Who is “God” in the New Testament?’), Karen Kilby (‘Is an apophatic Trinitarianism possible?’), Marcel Sarot (‘Trinity and Church: Trinitarian perspectives on the identity of the Christian community’), Pete Ward and Paul Fiddes jointly (‘The dance of the warrior bride: theological reflections on observed worship’) and John Webster (‘Trinity and creation’).
About 105 people attended, including about 15 living in the Netherlands. This lower attendance was due to the location, the exchange rate and the recession. 30 short papers and 15 seminar papers were also presented.
Tom Greggs and Paul Nimmo were elected to the committee and David Grumett, who had been Acting Treasurer since the previous summer, was confirmed in post.
2008
The 2008 conference, on the theme 'Theology and politics', was held at St John's College Durham from 31 March to 3 April. We had plenary papers from John Milbank ('Paul against biopolitics'), Oliver O'Donovan ('Romulus' city'), Tina Beattie ('"A fulfilment that is recognisable and yet unknown": Christian teleology and the end of human rights'), Charles Matthewes ('On political theology after the end of history'), György Geréby ('Some problems in medieval political theology: Carl Schmitt or Eric Peterson?') and Scott Thomas ('Toward a political theology of international relations: justice, peace, security, and economic development in the Ancient Near East international system'.
The conference was well-attended with around 160 delegates. There were 29 short papers and 16 seminar papers in addition to plenary papers.
Graham Ward was elected Vice-President, Tom Greggs was elected Assistant Secretary for 2008-2009 (while Oliver Crisp was on research leave) and Stefan Van Erp and Esther McIntosh were elected to the committee.
2007
The 2007 conference, on the theme 'Celebration and accountability: theology in the world', was held at Girton College, Cambridge from 26 to 29 March. We had plenary papers from Graham Hughes ('Faiths's materiality, and some implications for worship and theology'), Oliver Davies ('The interrupted body: theology in the world'), Linda Woodhead ('Sociology and theology'), Ben Quash ('History'), Paul Janz, ('Divine causality, world and reason') and Hans Ulrich ('Waiting for the other Word: God's advent in human preaching').
The conference was again well-attended, with 165 participants. There were 30 short papers and 18 seminar papers in addition to six plenary papers.
Janet Soskice was elected Vice-President, Oliver Crisp was elected Secretary, and Julie Gittoes and Susannah Ticciati were elected to the committee.
2006
The 2006 conference, on the theme 'Theology and the religions', was held at Bodington Hall, a campus of the University of Leeds, from 3 to 6 April. Rather than talking solely about methodological issues and then asking how theologians might respond to the presence of other religious traditions, the speakers spoke about specific theological issues in ways which drew on, responded to or took into account the presence of multiple religious and theological traditions. Gavin D'Costa and Gavin Flood both spoke about the self - the former as a Christian theologian trying to make sense of parallels between the practices of controversial Christian and Hindu figures; the latter as a scholar of religious studies, asking with reference to this topic whether a renewed 'comparative religion' is possible. Katherine Sonderegger and Randi Rashkover spoke about the 'people of God'. Aref Nayed and David Burrell both explored the interconnections between Jewish, Islamic and Christian medieval philosophical theologies and concepts of God.
The conference was extremely well-attended, with 180 participants in total from Germany, Norway, the United States, Canada, Ireland, Russia, South Africa, the Philippines, India, Iran, Libya, Israel/Palestine, Denmark, Lebanon, Belgium, the Netherlands and elsewhere. We had 39 postgraduates, 43 people attending SST for the first time, and 18 people admitted to membership. There were 38 short papers on the conference theme, and 16 seminar papers.
John Milbank and Morwenna Ludlow were elected to the committee and Chris Joby was elected as Treasurer, having been Acting Treasurer since January.
2005
The 2005 conference was held jointly with the Irish Theological Association and also supported by the UK Catholic Theological Association. We met in St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra for the bulk of the conference, although the final afternoon and evening were held in Trinity College, Dublin. The theme was 'Thinking through faith: the places of reason in theology', and we had papers from Janet Martin Soskice, a team from the Milltown Institute (Bernadette Flanagan, Una Agnew, Jack Finnegan), Stephen White, Fergus Kerr and Thomas Kelly. The final two sessions, at Trinity College, were devoted to taking the temperature of academic theological activity in the UK and Eire: a paper from Ann Loades (then President of the Society) and a panel discussion between David Ford, Linda Hogan, Eamonn Conway and Enda McDonagh.
At the AGM, David Clough and Gijsbert van den Brink were elected to the committee, replacing Ben Quash and Rachel Muers. Constitutional changes were agreed allowing the appointment of a Vice-President (that is, a President-in-waiting) and an Assistant Secretary. Oliver Davies was then appointed to the former position, and Dr Rachel Muers to the latter, although she woudld be unable to take up the post until 2006. Paul Murray stepped down as Treasurer and was replaced by John McDowell.
2004
The 2004 conference was held on the St Luke's Campus at the University of Exeter, 21 years after we were last there for a 1985 conference on providence. The theme was 'Bible and theology' and we had good papers from Ellen Charry, David Horrell, Diana Lipton, Christopher Rowland, Francis Watson and Frances Young. There were also more short papers than ever before. At the AGM, Karen Kilby and Angela Shier-Jones were elected to the committee, replacing Nick Adams and Anne Nickson, and Ann Loades was appointed President, to serve for 2005 and 2006. It was also announced that approximately £800 had been donated by members to the Colin Gunton Memorial Essay Prize Fund, which the Treasurer proposed to match from Society funds.
2003
The conference was held at Henderson Hall, part of the University of Newcastle, from 7-10 April. Plenary papers were given by Peter Selby (Presidential Address, 'Reigning from the Tree'), Kathryn Tanner ('Cross and sacrifice'); Oliver Davies ('Silences of the Cross'), Larry Hurtado ('New Testament images'); Mary Grey ('Cross and creation'), and Rita Brock and Clive Marsh ('Communities of the Cross').
The conference was attended by about 140 members and non-members.
During the year leading up to the conference, the arrival of a new baby meant that Harriet Harris decided to step down as Secretary. Mike Higton and Rachel Muers assumed her duties, and at the AGM Mike Higton stepped down as Treasurer and was elected Secretary. Paul Murray was elected Treasurer. John Webster and Jeremy Begbie finished their terms on the Committee, and were replaced by Steve Holmes and Richard Clutterbuck.
2002
Our 50th anniversary conference was held in April at Lancaster University. We took ‘God’ as our theme. David Fergusson gave his presidential address on the topic of divine action. Other plenary papers were given by Robert Hannaford ('The knowledge Of things hoped for: towards an eschatology of knowledge), Vincent Brummer ('Amicitia dei'), John Webster ('The holiness Of God'), Nick Adams ('The knowledge and love of God').
130 members and non-members attended. 21 participants gave short papers on the seminar theme, and 14 gave seminar papers.
Haddon Willmer was invited to give a 50th anniversary paper on ‘A half-century of theology’, recalling the highlights in the intellectual life of the Society since it began.
The new online philosophy of religion journal, Ars Disputandi was launched at a special reception during the conference. The Philosophy and Theology seminar focused on issues raised for philosophy by developing computer technology and online publishing as a discursive backdrop to this launch. The Theological Ethics seminar addressed issues of moral realism, authority, and the proposal that contemporary Christian ethics trades on an outdated, patriarchal and domineering concept of deity.
Alistair McFadyen came to the end of his six-year term of office as Secretary. He was warmly and enthusiastically thanked for his hard work over the years for the Society. Harriet Harris was elected to replace him. Jane Craske and Christopher Jones completed their terms on the committee, and were thanked for their work. Rachel Muers and Ben Quash were elected in their place.
2000
The 2000 conference was held in St Edmund Hall and the Examination Schools, University of Oxford from 10 to 13 April, with the theme 'Forgiveness and truth'. It attracted approximately 130 participants. Plenary papers were given by Christopher Jones ('Loosing, binding: the liturgical mediation of forgiveness'), Bishop Peter Selby ('The merciful economy'), George Hunsinger ('Baptism: the soteriology of forgiveness'), Fraser Watts ('Shame, sin and guilt'), Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger ('Forgiving abusing parents: psychological and theological considerations'), Haddon Willmer ('Christology and atonement'). A further 23 colleagues gave short papers on the conference theme, while 14 delivered seminar papers in one of the five seminar groups running at the conference. John Webster and Colin Gunton made a short presentation of their view of the discipline as new editors of the International Journal of Systematic Theology and Hugh Pyper presented a view from the perspective of the Learning and Teaching Support Network in Theology, Religious Studies and Philosophy. Approximately 130 colleagues attended the conference. The conference proceedings were published by T&T Clark.
We were grateful to the British Academy for its assistance in the form of a British Conference Grant, which contributed to the cost of international travel for plenary speakers.
1999
The 1999 conference was held in Holland House, Pollock Halls, University of Edinburgh, from 12 to 15 April, with the theme 'The future as God's gift: Christian eschatology for the year 2000'. Approximately 150 people took part. Kim Yong Bok from South Korea was unable to travel to speak to his paper 'Anticipating the future: the practice of hope'. Jürgen Moltmann, visiting the conference with his translator, Margaret Kohl, for the launch of Hope against Hope, very graciously agreed at short notice to deliver a replacement paper. Prof. Kim's paper was discussed in a special small group session. Other plenary papers were given by Tony Thistleton ('Signs of the times: theology for the year 2000'), Sarah Coakley ('The eschatological body'), Peter Scott ('The future of creation'), Garrett Green ('Imagining the future') and Richard Bauckham and Trevor Hart jointly ('The shape of time'). A further 14 short papers on the theme of eschatology were given to large gatherings.
The conference volume, edited by David Fergusson and Marcel Sarot, was later published by T&T Clark. It included plenary papers and additional material.
The Bursary appeal raised £220. In total, bursaries of approximately £1,000 were awarded for the conference.
At its AGM, the Society unanimously agreed to raise its subscription to £10 per annum for all members except for postgraduate students, who will continue to pay at the level of £3 per annum.
1998
The 1998 conference was held at Hulme Hall, University of Manchester, from 30 March to 2 April, with the theme 'God's life in the Church: the doctrine of the Church'. The conference attracted 130 participants. ALastair McFadyen was re-elected Secretary and Peter Scott as Treasurer. Harriet Harris and Esther Reed were elected to the committee. Other members of the committee were Alan Torrance, Marcel Sarot, Susan Parsons, Robin Greenwood, Trevor Hart, Alasdair Heron and Martyn Percy. The AGM commissioned a working party on the constitution, to be convened by the secretary.
A publishing agreement was reached with T&T Clark to publish papers and other material from and relating to the annual conference, beginning with the 1999 conference. The subsequent volume was intended to be available at the 2000 conference. Marcel Sarot was appointed Publishing Officer.
The bursary appeal raised about £110. Bursaries totalling about £800 were awarded for the conference.