International Conference: Orthodox Theology and the Sciences

The project consists in the organization of an International Conference titled 'Orthodox theology and the sciences.' It will be organized by two project managers associated with the Faculty of Theology at Sofia University jointly with Fr. Prof. George Dragas from the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, April 26-30, 2011 in the Conference Center of the Balkanski Foundation. Given the specific choice of the Conference venue, the grant will be received by the Balkanski Foundation and managed by the two project managers. The experience of the Balkanski Foundation in dealing with US funds will greatly facilitate the financial management. The main objective of the conference is three-fold: a) to set a first local example of an international interdisciplinary science and theology forum with a high potential for enabling future cooperation, newly emerging projects and sustainable local resources and infrastructure; b) to address the science and dialogue topic within both, a specifically Bulgarian and fully International context c) to contribute to the science and religion dialogue by bringing together renown scholars who are able to uniquely contribute to such dialogue. The ultimate goal of the organizers is to prepare the ground for the creation of a future International Interdisciplinary Center for Theology and Science (I2CTS). The I2CTS is considered to be a key component of this project's enduring impact. The relevance of the Conference objective should be considered also in terms of its science and religion scholarship 'missionary' role. The requested support will be used for: a) travel and accommodation expenses for key speakers; b) technical assistance, coordination, translation and copying services at the conference, c) honoraria for speakers with respect to book contribution, d) transportation services during the conference, and e) the publication of a self-consistent book.