The Lived Catholicism conference is a project of the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University. The conference is organised in conjunction with the Nanovic Institute of the University of Notre Dame.
Introducing Lived CatholicismIn autumn 2020 scholars from a range of disciplines came together from around the world to explore a distinctive new field of study which we termed ‘Lived Catholicism’.
With papers from Australia to Latin America via inter-faith marriages in Mumbai, residual Catholicism among student teachers in Ireland, and women leaders in Ghana, we explored Catholicism as lived across time and space.
Through this breadth of scholarship it became clear that Lived Catholicism is more than a subset of Lived Religion, posing many generative questions about the nature of Catholicism itself, for example the tensions between institution and individual experience; the manifold ways in which power is held and used; and the relationship between theology and the lived.
Third Online Conference on Lived CatholicismWe invite you to join us to us for the third online conference, on 2 and 3 December 2025. The conference will bring together scholars of theology, ecclesiology, ethnography, anthropology, organisational studies, cultural studies, history of Catholicism as well as practitioners in the field to explore the diversity of synodality as it is unfolding.
Many of these questions are now being raised by the synod process as we move into the implementation phase. If synodality is to be the ‘ordinary way’ of the Church (Preparatory Document 11), it is important to recognise these tensions as communities seek to address disconnects between the vision of a synodal church and the lived reality. At the same time, listening, ecclesial discernment, outreach to the margins, and synodal leadership are already present in Catholic communities around the world.
Registration
Please register by clicking on Tickets on this page. The fees are as follows:
£30: Standard registration fee
£15: Registration fee for students and anyone from the global south
Free: Durham University and Notre Dame University students and staff members. If you are a Durham University or Notre Dame University student or staff member registering for a free place, please register with your institutional email address.
Accessibility
We aim to make this online conference as accessible as possible. If there’s anything you can think of that would help you attend or participate more fully, please email ccs.admin@durham.ac.uk and we will do our best to help.
