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| Year 4 No 1 | January 16, 2018 |
Ethology and Religion
“While ethology demonstrated that under conditions of crisis the self-preservation instinct determined the fight-or-flight reaction of an individual, religious consciousness had demonstrated quite the opposite. By (re)interpreting life and its meaning, religion introduced the act of martyrdom not as a deviation from the biological instinct of survival, but as an intervention beneficial for the survival of the group; understanding that, by responding to violence with more violence, this can only lead to the implosion of humanity.” (fragment from Marian Gh. Simion, Metodologia Cercetării în Studiile de Pace Ortodoxe, Cluj-Napoca: Presa Universitară Clujeană, 2016, p.30) |
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IPSEC Trustee honored at the Romanian Parliament
Dr. Nelu Burcea receives
The Medal of the Romanian Parliament for Human Rights activity &
Special Award from the Romanian Evangelical Alliance |
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We are pleased to announce that on November 16, 2017, Dr. Nelu Burcea, the Vice-Chair of IPSEC Board of Trustees, was awarded the Medal of the Romanian Parliament by the Chamber of Deputies, The Juridical Committee on Discipline and Immunities, in recognition of his overall activity for the promotion, consolidation and respect for freedom of conscience and freedom of expression.
On the same occasion, Dr. Burcea had also received a Special Award from the Romanian Evangelical Alliance in recognition of his special contribution to the development of inter-confessional relations, and the promotion of the values of freedom of religion and conscience in Romania.
Currently, Dr. Burcea serves as Deputy Secretary General of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) in Silver Spring, MD, and IRLA’s Representative to the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.
CONGRATULATIONS!
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IPSEC, partner for the 2017 human rights conference
Freedom of Religion and Conscience in the Public Perception
@ Romanian Parliament, Bucharest |
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On November 15-16, IPSEC served as a partnering institution for the international conference on freedom of religion held at the Romanian Parliament, on the theme, “Freedom of Religion and Conscience in the Public Perception.” The main organizer of the conference is Conștiință și Libertate (Conscience and Freedom)—a leading Bucharest based NGO of the Seventh-day Adventist Church—with the additional partnership and sponsorship of the Romanian Parliament (the Chamber of Deputies’ Juridical Committee on Discipline and Immunities), Secretariatul de Stat pentru Culte (Romania's State Secretariate for Religious Affairs), Politehnica University of Bucharest, International Religious Liberty Association (USA), Association Internationale pour la Défense de la Liberté Religieuse (France), Université Paul-Valery Montpellier 3 (France), Essanchess-Journal for Communication Studies (France), and Institute for Peace Studies in Eastern Christianity (USA). During this event, the 2017 issue of the Journal for Freedom of Conscience was launched as well. IPSEC was represented by Dr. Marian Gh. Simion, IPSEC President and CEO, with a paper titled, “From Pan-Arabism to Islamism: How Modernity Failed to Redefine Collective Identity,” and by Shannon Noe`lani Schmidt, IPSEC Research Associate, with a paper titled, “Usurping Freedom of Religion? A Modern American Perception of Terrorism and Islam,” presented in absentia. |
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Dr. Simion attended the Romanian
National Prayer Breakfast |
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| At the invitation of the Romanian MP, Rev. Prof. Dr. Ben-Oni Ardelean, and the Ecumenical Prayer Group of the Romanian Parliament, Marian Gh. Simion, PhD, attended the Romanian National Payer Breakfast, which was held on November 7-8, 2017. The event included an international conference, “Integrity in the Public Sphere,” organized by the Chamber of Deputies and the Romanian Senate. |
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Marian Gh. Simion discusses his textbook
Research Methodology in Orthodox Peace Studies
on the national Romanian Orthodox Channel TrinitasTV |
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"Faith and Culture Today: The Pacifying Virtualities of Religion" discussion with Dr. Vasile Bănescu, Spokesman of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate. (November 12, 2017) |
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IPSEC Research Associate
Shannon Schmidt
publishes scientific paper in the Journal for Freedom of Conscience |
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We are pleased to announce that Shannon Schmidt’s academic paper titled, “Usurping Freedom of Religion? A Modern American Perception of Terrorism and Islam,” was accepted and published in the Journal for Freedom of Conscience 5/2017 (Les Arcs, France: Editions IARSIC, pp.596-622) The paper was submitted, reviewed and accepted as part of the scientific debates during an international conference on religion and human rights held at the Romanian Parliament on November 16, 2017. The Journal is a peer reviewed publication and it is Indexed by the European Reference Index for the Humanities and Social Sciences (ERIH Plus), CEEOL, Academic Resource Index, Directory of Research Journals Indexing and others. Shannon is also a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School.
Congratulations, Shannon!
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Religion, Peace and Justice
CERTIFICATE @ St. Stephen’s University |
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The Institute for Religion, Peace and Justice of St. Stephen’s University is now accepting applications for the fall 2018 semester! The Certificate in Religion, Peace and Justice is designed to distill the best content and expose students to an experience that will expand their worldview in an organized, self-contained, digestible but thorough and infinitely enriching package. For details about the program, please contact Dr. Andrew Klager, Director of the Institute for Religion, Peace and Justice at andrewklager@ssu.ca or visit www.irpj.org
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THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
REFLECT, ACT, and MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE! |
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Orthodox patriarch: ‘Jewish settlers’ threat to Christian presence in Holy Land (The Times of Israel)
Al-Azhar grand Sheikh visits Coptic cathedral for Christmas (Egypt Independent)
Romanian Patriarchate declares 2018 Solemn Year of Unity of Faith and Nation (News Agency Basilica.ro)
For more news about conflicts affecting Orthodox Christians around the world, click here!
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WORDS OF SPIRITUAL BENEFIT
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“The wicked man delights in excess while he despises justice. He takes no account of the uncertainty, inconsistency and brevity of life, nor does he reflect that death cannot be bribed and is inexorable. And if an old man is shameless and stupid, he is like rotten wood and no use for anything.” (attributed St. Anthony the Great, On the Character of Men 103)
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SPONSOR A TEXTBOOK!
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The first part reviews ancient Christian writings, rituals, religious laws, and contemporary writings, for the purpose of identifying the core teachings of the Orthodox Church on violence and peace. The second part explores themes such as ‘evil’ and ‘dualism’ for the purpose of comprehending heretical attitudes that emerged during times of war. Political subjects such as Just War and Nationalism are explored for the purpose of identifying instances when members of the Orthodox Church sanctioned defensive violence and bolstered xenophobia. The third part recommends peacemaking methods applicable to Orthodox Christian settings in light of the tripartite dimension of violence against God, self, and another human being.
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
http://www.orthodoxpeace.org/news/
Institute for Peace Studies in Eastern Christianity, Inc.
Harvard Square | P.O. Box 380246 | Cambridge, MA 02238-0246, U.S.A. | msimion@OrthodoxPeace.org
| IPSEC Newsletter (ISSN 2473-9146) is the official newsletter of the Institute for Peace Studies in Eastern Christianity, Harvard Square | P.O. Box 380246 | Cambridge, MA 02238-0246, U.S.A. | www.OrthodoxPeace.org | The purpose of this publication is to disseminate information about our institute’s activity, and to disseminate selected news about conflicts affecting the daily existence of Orthodox Christians around the world, as well as various announcements from similar organizations. Focused on research, consulting and education, IPSEC’s goal is to make a positive contribution to the world peace by focusing on the role of religion in international and interreligious relations. IPSEC is affiliated with Harvard Divinity School as a field education agency; offering educational services to graduate students on the role of Orthodox Christianity in international relations, conflict, and policymaking.
We welcome your comments, queries, and suggestions; so please direct all correspondence to Dr. Marian Simion at newsletter@OrthodoxPeace.org |
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