During April 16-17, 2015, the Saint Petersburg Christian University will be hosting its yearly international conference on the theme, "Apostasy from the Faith: Biblical-Theological, Historical, and Contemporary Perspectives on the Question".
Throughout church history, apostasy has been one of the most difficult and pressing questions both for the leaders of religious communities as well as for their members. Evidence for the existence of the problem of "apostates" is found in the Biblical texts themselves, as well as in later theological writings from various authors, and official church decisions. The reality of apostasy is evident in the modern church. Apostasy is multi-faceted - occurring in Christian communities of varying geopolitical, politico-economic, and social circumstances.
The purpose of the conference is to understand the phenomenon of apostasy from biblical-theological, historical, and contemporary perspectives. The conference will address issues related to the biblical material related to apostasy, the church's (historical) courses of action toward apostates, the psychology of apostasy, the effect of religious leaders on the phenomenon of apostasy, as well as consider the reasons for apostasy in contemporary churches that operate in the diverse religious milieu of the Russian Federation.
The conference will consist of plenary as well as sectional sessions.
Registration Procedure:
In order to participate in the conference, you must send your name, place of work, specialization, and academic credentials to [email protected] by March 1.
If you wish to present a paper, an application letter by email is required including a synopsis of your paper (up to 200 words) on one of the following areas:
- Biblical-theological investigation of apostasy
- Apostasy in the early church
- Apostasy in Russian Protestantism: reasons for apostasy and actual work with apostates
- Psychology of apostasy
- Leadership and apostasy
Housing Arrangements at St. Petersburg Christian University
The university is pleased to offer accommodations on campus for conference participants. For those simply attending the conference, housing is 750 rubles per day, while those presenting a paper will have their housing covered by the university. In order to secure housing for the conference, all participants must individually contact the manager of campus housing at (http://hotel.spbcu.ru/en/lodging/reservations)
