Two-Part Public Lecture
October 18 & 20 at 7pm
St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will host Dr. Ruth Gornandt, postdoc researcher at the University of Oxford in historical and systematic theology, this week when she offers two lectures at the seminary. She obtained her doctorate in Theology from Humboldt University, Berlin under the supervision of Johannes Zachhuber from the Theology faculty at Oxford.
Her research focuses on the history of philosophical and theological ideas and their reception in different contexts and times. During these studies she discovered the importance of mystical theology, as expressed particularly in Orthodox theologies, to define the relation between reason (science) and faith (theology) in a constructive way. Her current research investigates the Great Armenian theologian Gregory of Tatev whose work offers intriguing perspectives on this question.
Dr. Ruth Gornandt will give two lectures at the seminary. The first lecture, on Wednesday, October 18th, at 7:00pm, is entitled: “‘Implanted in us by nature’? The Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) and its importance for theology.” In this lecture, she explores ideas of how religious belief arises in a person engaging with the most recent research in the fields of CSR and theology.
Dr. Gornandt’s second lecture will be held on Friday, October 20th, 7:00pm, entitled: “On Knowing and Unknowing God: Gregory of Tatev’s rational and mystical doctrine of God,” exploring how Tatevatsi integrates the best theological, philosophical, and scientific insights into an impressive synthesis of Christian knowledge.
