Cardinal Vincent Nichols to Speak at St Mary's Conference on Religion, Identity and Conflict

Chancellor of St Mary’s University, Twickenham and Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols is amongst a number of high profile speakers who will address academics, politicians, and theologians at a conference on Religion, Identity and Conflict.

Hosted at the University’s Strawberry Hill Campus, the conference is being held in collaboration with the Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP) whom St Mary’s entered into a formal partnership with in the summer. The conference will explore how the role of religion in the formation of identity has become a pressing issue for our time following recent global events.

Speakers will discuss the psychology, motivation and social consequences of using religion as legitimation for violence in the name of God, for coercive religious behaviours that cause division and destroy social cohesion, and for the persecution of religious minorities. Confirmed speakers for the event include H.E. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Dr Sara Savage, Cambridge University, Dr Brigitte Beauzamy, ICP, Emman El-Badawy, Exeter University, Sheikh Usama Hasan, Quilliam Foundation, Prof Ian Linden, St Mary’s, Dr Christopher Moran, Cooperation Ireland and Dr Abdullan Sahin, University of Warwick.

Speaking of the conference Director of the Centre for Initiatives in Spirituality and Reconciliation (InSpiRe) Prof Peter Tyler said, “In these times of heightened radicalisation and religiously inspired political violence the need to understand the rationale of such acts has become ever more pressing. The conference will offer a unique opportunity to explore these urgent issues.”

For further information please contact inspire@stmarys.ac.uk.