Why Attend
Join the largest European gathering of researchers across the five major religions.
With over 130+ panels and a diverse programme of cultural and social events, there are lots of ways to get involved and extend your research community.
Learn
Explore over 130 new panels across the five major world religions.
Explore this year’s theme.
The European Academy of Religion’s 2023 conference theme, Religion from the Inside, explores those characteristics of religion that are clear for those within it, but which are difficult to grasp for those without it. It explores how appreciating such knowledge invites investigation and relationship across fields like theology, law, ritual, sacred textual analysis, and more.
Watch the keynote lectures.
Featuring experts in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism, our keynote lecture series is a highlight of the conference programme—and now available to view online for free.
Choose from a diverse programme of panels.
With over 130 panels, there is something for everyone—whether your interest is systematic or political theology, religion and the arts, science, ethics, interreligious dialogue, or something else. Besides paper presentations, hear authors of recent major publications engage with responses to their work.
Network
Connect with subject specialists and publishers.
Come together with pre-eminent researchers.
There are many ways to engage with subject specialists—whether at the keynote series offered throughout the week, during Q&A following the 130+ panels, or sharing a meal together in the EuARe conference marquee (lunch included for all registered delegates).
Photo credit: European Academy of Religion
Meet publishers in our exhibition marquee.
Representatives from Baker Academic, De Gruyter, Mohr Siebeck, Palgrave MacMillan, and Religions will be on hand to show their latest monographs and articles, hear proposals, and help you navigate the publishing process.
Connect with our sponsors and supporters.
Visit the European Academy of Religion and St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology booths in the conference marquee, speak with a representative at the Australian Catholic University Reception, or connect online to find out about how they are expanding research in religion.
Build Community
Make strong memories with a diverse social, cultural, and religious programme.
Sand Mandala
Of all the artistic traditions of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, painting with coloured sand is one of the most exquisite. Visit the monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery throughout the week as they create this sacred art.
All Week
Old Union Diner
Opening ceremony: Monday 09:00
General viewing: Monday 09:30–18:00, Tuesday and Wednesday 09:00–18:00, Thursday and Friday 09:00–17:30
Religious • Cultural
Cultural
Transept Art
Exhibition
Charred Branch Line
Art Installation
Cultural
Transept, a group of artists and theologians from the School of Divinity’s Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts, is exhibiting multi-media work responding to the conference’s theme of ‘Religion from the Inside’.
A loosely arranged line of charred branches placed vertically in the grass of St Salvator’s Quad. The artist, PhD researcher Dan Drage, hopes the abstract nature of the piece will allow for open interpretation, while evoking symbolically rich possibilities with which members of the various belief systems represented at the conference may find resonance.
Monday to Friday | EuARe marquee
Monday to Friday | St Salvator’s Quad
All Week
Monday 11:00–18:00; Tuesday to Friday 09:00–18:00
Arts Building, Seminar rooms 8 and 9
Multifaith prayer spaces are available to all delegates throughout the week.
Prayer Rooms
Religious
Australian Catholic University Reception
Researchers from ACU welcome all delegates to join them for Australian-themed refreshments to mark the opening of the conference.
Monday 19 June
18:15-19:30 | EuARe Marquee
Social • Cultural
Social • Cultural
Whisky Tasting
Tickets must have been purchased at the point of registration.
20:00-22:00 | Lower College Hall
Tuesday 20 June
In Colour: Memories of a Telescope
Cusanus Service
Cultural
Religious
An exclusive preview of a new art installation is offered to conference delegates.
All are welcome to an ecumenical service of Christian prayer including scriptural readings, period liturgical music, and a sermon of Cardinal Nicholas Cusanus.
08:00-12:00 | St Andrews’ Observatory
15:45-16:45 | St Salvator’s Chapel
The Cusanus Society UK & Ireland Dinner
Social
Tickets must have been purchased at the point of registration.
18:00 | Parliament Hall
Social
Photo credit: Tim Fitzpatrick
Tuesday 20 June
Ceilidh Dancing
Social • Cultural
An evening of traditional Scottish entertainment. Tickets can be purchased from the Help Desk in the EuARe marquee before 12 noon on Tuesday 20th June, subject to availability. (20:00-23:00 | EuARe marquee)
Wednesday 21 June
Special Collections Manuscript & Rare Book Viewing
Roman Catholic Mass
Cultural
Religious
View a specially curated selection of rare books and manuscripts which relate to some of the faith traditions represented by the conference. Booking in advance required; visit the EuARe Help Desk.
Mass is offered to conference delegates and their guests. All are welcome.
10:30-16:00 | Napier Reading Room, Martyr’s Kirk Library
15:45-16:45 | St James’ Catholic Church, The Scores
Lives of the Buddha Play
Social • Religious
A new play composed primarily of excerpts from early, popular Buddhist scriptures. A discussion between the playwright, the actors, and the audience will follow the performance. Tickets can be purchased from the Help Desk in the EuARe marquee, subject to availability.
19:00-21:00 | The Byre Theatre
Thursday 22 June
Service of Prayer
Gala Dinner
Religious
Social
All are welcomed to prayers offered by local Church of Scotland and United Free Church representatives in the historic Town Kirk of Holy Trinity.
Join colleagues for a memorable evening with friends old and new. Dress code: lounge suit / jacket & tie / cocktail dress / or equivalent. Tickets must have been purchased at the point of registration.
15:45-16:45 | Holy Trinity Church of Scotland
20:00 | Old Course Hotel
Masked Dance and Sacred Tibetan Chant
Religious • Cultural
Tibetan traditional monastic dance (cham) performed by the monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Tickets can be purchased at the EuARe Help Desk throughout the week or at the door.
20:00 | Younger Hall
Photo credit: Stephen Shephard (License)
Photo credit: European Academy of Religion
Friday 23 June
Muslim Friday Prayers
Religious
Religious
All are welcome to a service of Sung Evensong from the Book of Common Prayer with an address from Rev’d Dr Michael Hull, incoming Principal of the Scottish Episcopal Institute.
13:15-14:15 | Lochnagar Room, University Chaplaincy
15:45-16:45 | All Saints’ Scottish Episcopal Church, North Castle Street
18:00-19:00 | Old Union Diner
Prayer Book Evensong with Address
Religious • Cultural
Sand Mandala Closing Ceremony
Ritual destruction of the mandala, procession to the seafront (Castle Sands via the Scores) for dispersal of a small symbolic amount of sand, and the return to the Old Union Diner for distribution of the remaining sand to the audience.
Friday 23 June
Social
Christoph Schwöbel: Theology in Conversation Dinner
This dinner marks the culmination of the celebration of the work of a much-valued colleague. Tickets must have been purchased at the point of registration.
20:00 | Hotel du Vin
Social
Byre Opera: Mansfield Park
A contemporary operatic gem by Jonathan Dove with libretto by Alasdair Middleton, based on Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park. Tickets can be purchased directly from the Byre Theatre website.
19:30-21:50 | Laidlaw Music Centre
Photo credit: Laidlaw Music Centre and the Byre Theatre
present Byre Opera: Mansfield Park
Photo credit: Drkirstyross
(License)
Photo credit: Drkirstyross (License)
All Week
Sand Mandala
Of all the artistic traditions of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, painting with coloured sand is one of the most exquisite. Visit the monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery throughout the week as they create this sacred art.
Old Union Diner
Opening ceremony: Monday 09:00
General viewing: Monday 09:30–18:00, Tuesday and Wednesday 09:00–18:00, Thursday and Friday 09:00–17:30
Transept Art Exhibition
Transept, a group of artists and theologians from the School of Divinity’s Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts, is exhibiting multi-media work responding to the conference’s theme of ‘Religion from the Inside’.
Monday to Friday | EuARe marque
Charred Branch Line Art Installation
A loosely arranged line of charred branches placed vertically in the grass of St Salvator’s Quad. The artist, PhD researcher Dan Drage, hopes the abstract nature of the piece will allow for open interpretation, while evoking symbolically rich possibilities with which members of the various belief systems represented at the conference may find resonance.
Monday to Friday | St Salvator’s Quad
Prayer Rooms
Multifaith prayer spaces are available to all delegates throughout the week.
Monday 11:00–18:00; Tuesday to Friday 09:00–18:00;
Arts Building, Seminar rooms 8 and 9
Monday 19 June
Australian Catholic University Reception
Researchers from ACU welcome all delegates to join them for Australian-themed refreshments to mark the opening of the conference.
18:15-19:30 | EuARe Marquee
Whisky Tasting
NB: Tickets must have been purchased when registering for the conference.
20:00-22:00 | Lower College Hall
Tuesday 20 June
In Colour: Memories of a Telescope
An exclusive preview of a new art installation is offered to conference delegates.
08:00-12:00 | St Andrews’ Observatory
Cusanus Service
All are welcome to an ecumenical service of Christian prayer including scriptural readings, period liturgical music, and a sermon of Cardinal Nicholas Cusanus.
15:45-16:45 | St Salvator’s Chapel
Cusanus Service
The Cusanus Society UK & Ireland Dinner
Tickets must have been purchased at the point of registration.
18:00 | Parliament Hall
Ceilidh Dancing
An evening of traditional Scottish entertainment. Tickets can be purchased from the Help Desk in the EuARe marquee before 12 noon on Tuesday 20th June, subject to availability.
20:00-23:00 | EuARe marquee
Wednesday 21 June
Special Collections Manuscript & Rare Book Viewing
View a specially curated selection of rare books and manuscripts which relate to some of the faith traditions represented by the conference. Booking in advance required; visit the EuARe Help Desk.
10:30-16:00 | Napier Reading Room, Martyr’s Kirk Library
Roman Catholic Mass
Mass is offered to conference delegates and their guests. All are welcome.
15:45-16:45 | St James’ Catholic Church, The Scores
Lives of the Buddha Play
A new play composed primarily of excerpts from early, popular Buddhist scriptures. A discussion between the playwright, the actors, and the audience will follow the performance. Tickets can be purchased from the Help Desk in the EuARe marquee, subject to availability.
19:00-21:00 | The Byre Theatre
Thursday 22 June
Service of Prayer
All are welcomed to prayers offered by local Church of Scotland and United Free Church representatives in the historic Town Kirk of Holy Trinity.
15:45-16:45 | Holy Trinity Church of Scotland
Gala Dinner
Join colleagues for a memorable evening with friends old and new. Dress code: lounge suit / jacket & tie / cocktail dress / or equivalent. Tickets must have been purchased at the point of registration.
20:00 | Old Course Hotel
Masked Dance and Sacred Tibetan Chant
Tibetan traditional monastic dance (cham) performed by the monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.
Tickets can be purchased at the EuARe Help Desk throughout the week or at the door.
Friday 23 June
Muslim Friday Prayers
13:15-14:15 | Lochnagar Room, University Chaplaincy
Sand Mandala Closing Ceremony
Ritual destruction of the mandala, procession to the seafront (Castle Sands via the Scores) for dispersal of a small symbolic amount of sand, and the return to the Old Union Diner for distribution of the remaining sand to the audience.
Christoph Schwöbel: Theology in Conversation Dinner
This dinner marks the culmination of the celebration of the work of a much-valued colleague.
Tickets must have been purchased at the point of reception.
Byre Opera: Mansfield Park
A contemporary operatic gem by Jonathan Dove with libretto by Alasdair Middleton, based on Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park. Tickets can be purchased directly from the Byre Theatre website.
19:30-21:50 | Laidlaw Music Centre