Church and State in post-communist Eastern Europe

Iasi, Romania, 5-8 October 2005

Organizers:

Centre for Post-Communist Studies, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada
The Metropolitanate of Moldavia and Bukovina, Romania

Tuesday, OCTOBER 4

Arrival of participants

Wednesday, OCTOBER 5

8:00-9:15 Breakfast

9:30-10:00 – Welcome and opening address by Metropolitan Daniel Ciobotea

10:00-12:00 Session 1: South Eastern Europe

Davorin Peterlin (Keston Institute, Oxford, UK), “Regulating Religious Affairs in Croatia: The Genesis of Present Legislation and Its Reception”
Lavinia Stan (St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Canada), “Pulpits, Ballots, and Party Cards: Religion and Elections in Romania”
Daniela Kalkandjieva (Sofia University, Bulgaria), “The Consent of the State and the Blessing of the Church: A Case Study of the New Bulgarian Denominations Act”

12:00-14:00 – Lunch

14:00-16:00 Session 2: Religious Pluralism

Johan D. van der Vyver (Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, GA, US), “Constitution Making in a Plural Society”
John Young (University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada), “Religious Pluralism and Civil Society in Post Soviet Russia”
Marina V. Vorobjova (Director of Religious Studies Research Center, St.-Petersburg, Russia) “Religious Russia of the Last Decade: a Portrait by a Witness”

16:30-18:00 Guided tour of Iasi

18:30 – Reception and dinner

Thursday, OCTOBER 6

8:00-9:15 Breakfast

9:30-11:30 Session 3: Religious Education

Perry L. Glanzer (Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA), “Education and Church-State Relations in Post-Communist Russia”
Lucian Turcescu (Concordia University, Montreal, Canada), “Religious Education in public schools in Romania”
Dan Sandu (University of Iasi, Romania), Education in Theological Schools in Romania

12:00-14:00 Lunch

14:00-17:30 Session 4

Katja Richter (School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London, UK), “The Basic Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church: An anti-Democratic Manifesto?”
Alar Kilp (University of Tartu, Estonia), “The political influence of the Church during elections in post-communist countries of Europe”

15:30-16:00 Coffee break

Zoe Knox (Center for the Study of Cultures, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA), “Church, State and Civil Society in Eastern Europe: After Communism”
Cristian Romocea (Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, Oxford, England), “The Romanian Orthodox Church and the European Union: Challenges and Opportunities”
Mirel Banica (Universite Laval, Quebec City, Canada), “Religion and modernity in the European Union: The Orthodox Response”

17:00 – Closing remarks by Dr. Lucian Turcescu

18:00 – Dinner

Friday, OCTOBER 7

8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:30- Departure for monasteries

Saturday, OCTOBER 8
Late afternoon – return from monasteries to Iasi

Sunday, OCTOBER 9
Participants depart for Bucharest early in the morning

Contact information: lturcesc @ stfx.ca or lturcesc @ alcor.concordia.ca

www.stfx.ca/pinstitutes/cpcs