THE ST. PETERSBURG SCHOOL OF RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

There were different events that happened within the framework of SPECRS (see SPECRS News). There were special seminars organized by SPECRS, in which participated not only the group of volunteers acquainted by the time of the conference 2000 and 2001, but also scientists and scholars specially invited to speak at the seminars of SPECRS or to participate as disputants.

To learn more about different types of SPECRS activities look at the titles of the events, organizations, time and places of the events, names of the main speakers and some characteristics of the participants:

2009

JANUARY	Business meeting on launching SRPh/SPECRS activities for the year 2009
FEBRUARY	SPECRS elaboration of the idea of the project The Problem of Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Science, Religion, and Culture as a Task and Condition to Prepare Responsible Community Leaders for the Twenty-First Century and discussion with the possible participants on the level of organizations and individuals from Russia and USA
MARCH	SPECRS joint work on the project application "Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Science, Religion, and Culture: Preparation Community Leaders for 21st Century to acquire the Metanexus Global Network Initiative Catalyst Grant Award", USA
APRIL	SPECRS presentation by Natalia Pecherskaya at IAPCHE Europe 2009 Conference "Bridging the Gap", 21-24 April, the Netherlands.
MAY	SPECRS presentation by A.G. Chernyakov at the conference "Languages of Science" in the realm of the festival "Days of Science", sponsored by the Zimins Foundation, 21-23 May at the "House of Scientists" of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
JUNE	Preparation of the presentations for the 1-st SPECRS/MGNI Consultation in the frame of MGNI project in USA, correspondence, skype discussions on the organizational matters between the MGNI members: Dr. N.A. Pecherskaya, Prof. Dr. William Cahoy , Prof. Dr. Noreen Herzfeld, Prof. Dr. Grigory Benevitch, Dr. Darrell Jodock, Abbot John B. Klassen, OSB, Archpriest Dr. Kirill Kopeikin, Priest Dr. Dimitry Kiryanov, Dr. A.A. Oskolsky, Prof. Dr. Kirk Wegter-McNelly.
JULY - AUGUST	1-st International Consultation of the MGNI project, 28 July - 2 August, at the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research (CIECR) in Collegeville, MN, USA. Sponsored by the Metanexus Institute, USA http://www.metanexus.net/globalnetwork/
SEPTEMBER	Preparation of the SPECRS news and event for the SRPh site. Elaboration of the new concept of SRPh/SPECRS collaboration with the State University of Technology and Design.
OCTOBER	SPECRS audio-video presentation at the 20-Anniversary of St. Petersburg Association of Scientists and scholars, 31 October. SPECRS preparation of the application to the Russian Foundation of Basic Research for the conference in 2010
NOVEMBER	SPECRS/MGNI Consultations with the MGNI group members from Russia about the 2d Consultation in the frame of MGNI project, 23 November. Publication about the MGNI Consultation in the CIECR journal "Bearings", Summer/Autumn 2009, p.23.
DECEMBER	SPECRS presentation Socio-Ethical Potential of Religious Education at the conference in the City Museum of the History of Religions, ST.Petersburg, 3d December. Skype conversations with the MGNI group members from the USA, 16 December.

2008

JANUARY	Business meeting on launching SRPh/SPECRS activities for the year 2008
FEBRUARY	SPECRS elaboration of the idea of the project The Problem of Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Science, Religion, and Culture as a Task and Condition to Prepare Responsible Community Leaders for the Twenty-First Century and discussion with the possible participants on the level of organizations and individuals from Russia and USA
MARCH	SPECRS joint work on the project The Problem of Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Science, Religion, and Culture as a Task and Condition to Prepare Responsible Community Leaders for the Twenty-First Century, to apply to the Metanexus Global Network Initiative Catalyst Grant Award, USA
APRIL	SPECRS presentation Intra-regional Research in the Frame of Intra-confessional and Intra-national Relations in North-West Region of Russian Federation at the conference "Russia: Tendencies and Perspectives of Development", Moscow: Institute for Information in Education and Science of Russian Academy of Sciences. Natalia Pecherskaya Fulbright award for her application "Review of the Effect of Scholarly Research in Science and Religion in the System of Higher Education in the USA (Case of Philosophy and Religious Studies Departments)" by The U.S. Department of State, Fulbright Program (Washington D.C., USA).
MAY	SPECRS presentation The Problems of Education in Theology and Religious Studies in Secular and Spiritual Institutions at the Institute of St. Philaret of Moscow conference "Education in 21st century: Strategies and Priorities", Moscow, 26-28 May. SPECRS presentation Science and Religion in Contemporary World: Dialogue, or, Conflict? At the IId Academician Machmutov Readings "Dialogue of the World Views in Education, Science, Culture, Philosophy and Religion", 15-16 May, Academy of Sciences of the Tatar Republic, Kazan
JUNE	Report to the Metanexus on the Grant Awards received by SPECRS during the grant period of 2005-2007.
AUGUST	Preparation for SPECRS-Fulbright research in USA
SEPTEMBER	SPECRS Seminar at the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research (CIECR), Collegeville, Butler Center, 9th September. SPECRS presentation The Nature of Science and Religion Dialog in Russia and Its Basic Ground. at the Institute for Theological Encounter with Science and Technology (ITEST) Conference "Faith/Science/Culture: Converging or Diverging Realities", Illinois, September 19-21. SPECRS lecture Orthodoxy to-da at the Central Methodist College, Fayette, Missouri, 22d September.
OCTOBER	SPECRS lecture Science, Orthodoxy, and Higher Education in Russia at the Metanexus Institute Board Meeting, Radnor Hotel, Philadelphia, 3 October.. SPECRS Interview for the newsmagazine St. Louis Review, October 3, 2008, Section 2, vol.67, No 39 http://www.stlouisreview.com/article.php?id=16168 (Reviewonline www.stlouisreview.com). SPECRS Presentation at the CIECR, Board of Directors Meeting, Main Hall, 16 October. Review of the Effect of Scholarly Research in Science and Religion in the System of Higher Education in the USA. SPECRS lecture The Problems of Science and Religion Interface in Russia to-day at the CIECR Resident Scholars Seminar, Butler Center, 21 October. SPECRS Lecture Science, Ideology, Religion. Is there immunity to ideology in either scientific or religious consciousness? (Looking from Russian perspective)at the University of MN, Institute for Advanced study, Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy,Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Minneapolis, MN, 31 October.
NOVEMBER	SPECRS Consultations with the scholars and educationalists on science and religion at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Hilton Towers, Chicago, Illinois, 1-3 November. SPECRS Lectures at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa, 4-5-6 November: The Problem of the Human Being in Science and Theology. Russian Foreign Policy and Its Relationship With USA.
DECEMBER	Lecture Russian Orthodox Church To-Day According to the Bases of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church at Saint John University, Emmaus Hall, 3 December. SPECRS presentation in the frame of "Russian Evening" at CIECR, Butler Center, 9 December. Interview for the CIECR Newsletter, Fall 2008. CIECR Resident Scholar Exit Evaluation, 20 December. Business meetings with the academic staff and the Abbot of St. John's Abbey, 22 December. Series of SPECRS seminars for teachers and graduate students "Physics of the New Time: Galilei and School Philosophy of the Jesuits", leader: V.L. Ivanov. October - December.

2007

JANUARY	Business meeting on launching activities on the SRPh/SPECRS project "Intranational Relations in the Context of Interconfessional in North-West Region of Russian Fedration", awarded by the grant from Management Department of the President of the Russian Federation, 11 January. Participation in the Expert Meeting "Eastern Orthodox Christianity and European Integration: Questions and Hypotheses", Radboud University Neijmegen, The Netherlands, 18-20 January.
FEBRUARY	SPECRS elaboration of the MA-Program for postgraduates "Comparative studies in Religion, Science and Society" (RSS) and application to JTF - January-February. Dr. Alexei Chernyakov's, SPECRS leader, presentation at Rotary meeting of four St.Petersburg Rotarian Clubs of, 23 February.
MARCH	Particpation with two presentations of the SPECRS Organizing Committee by Dr. Natalia Pecherskaya Spiritual and Ideological Basis of Politics in Poly-Confessional, Multy-National and Multy-Ideological Society, and by Dr. Grigory Benevitch Public and Political Actuality of Antinomy of 'Barbarianism' and 'Civilization' in Contemporary Russia at the Round Table "Spiritual Basis of Tolerance and Civil Peace in Multy-National Society: Philosophia Perennis, Natural Law, Cultural Values", organized by St.Petersburg State University, 27 March.
APRIL	Ending of the SPECRS series of 5 lectures and 5 seminars for post-graduate students dedicated to Science-Religion Dialogue in the Context of Modern Christian Thought started from February 2006 till April 2007 in the frame of the seminar "Orthodoxy Facing Western Ideas", organized by Dr, Grigory Benevitch at the SRPh. Dr. Natalia Pecherskaya participation in the International Conference "Tolerance and Intolerance in Modern Societies: Discrimination", organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of RF, St.Petersburg State University, Committee for External Affairs of the City Government, Kennan Institute (USA), 24-25 April.
MAY	Youth competition on contemporary questions in science, culture and religion organized by SPECRS in cooperation with St.Petersburg Association of Scientists and Scholars (SPASS), Museum of World Religions, Anna Achmatova Museum and City Exhibition Hall "Manezh" for graduate students of St.Petersburg secondary schools (more then 120 students participated in competition), 4-19 May. Participation with a paper of Dr. Pecherskaya in the International Conference "God's Logos and a Man's Word", organized by St.Petersburg University of Culture and Arts together with the St.Petersburg Theological Academy and Seminary, 24-25 May.
JUNE	Participating Annual Conference Rotary in Russia, Charter Districts of the American-Russian Intra-national Committee, 8-10 June, Skokie, Illinois, USA. Participation the International Conference "Community-The Art of Living Together", 10-13 June 2007, St. John University, Collegeville, MN (USA) Participation of Dr. Pecherskaya, Dr. Benevitch and Dr. Vasilik in the Round Table "Theological, Philosophical and Scientific Knowledge and Social Practice", on the initiative of the Committee of Youth, Department of Relations with Religious Organizations of St.Petersburg Administration, St.Petersburg on the questions of theological, humanities, scientific policy and state management, 14 June.
AUGUST	Report to the Metanexus on the Supplement Grant Awards received by SPECRS during the grant period of 2003-2006.
SEPTEMBER	SPECRSPECRS application to MGNI-LSI with the project "SPECRS' Program for the North-West Region of Russian Fedration and Internationally World Wide", 30 September. SPECRS/SRPh joint application together with the Interdisciplinary University in Paris to the Russian Foundation for Humanities (Russia) - Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (France) with the project "On the Way to a Comprehensive Ontology: Mathematics and Metaphysics", 30 September.
OCTOBER	Application to Fulbright "Review of the Effect of Scholarly Research in Science and Religion in the System of Higher Education in the USA (Case of Philosophy and Religious Studies Departments)", 19 October.
NOVEMBER	SRPh/SPECRS Report to the Management Department of the President of the Russian Federation on the project "Intranational Relations in the Context of Interconfessional in North-West Region of Russian Federation", 1 November.
DECEMBER	5-years Report to the Ministry of Education of Russian Federation on SRPh/SPECRS scientific projects, 3-5th December.

2006

JANUARY	Presentation of SPECRS activities at the Faculty of Comparative Religious Studies, of Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt (Germany), by Dr. Pecherskaya, 26-27 January
FEBRUARY	Round table in the frame of the Consultancy Center for Higher Education (Ministry of Education RF), Moscow, 3-6 February
MARCH	Seminar for postgraduates On the Anthropology of the Species Homo Sapiens by Dr. Alexei Oskolsky, 22 March
APRIL	Seminar presentation by Prof. Alexei Chernyakov Mathematics as a Formal Ontology: the Hermeneutical Dimension of Natural Sciences and Eastern Patristic designed for the Metanexus/LSI Annual Conference Prof. Grigory Benevitch gave a talk on The Present State of Science and Religion Relations from an Orthodox Perspective at the Conference on Science and Religion at the ST.Petersburg State University, Department of Philosophy Publication of the 3nd Volume of the Scholarly Research Papers by the 2005 academic year students of St. Petersburg Secondary Schools was prepared and published by SPECRS
MAY	A lecture for postgraduates The One and the Many. Plotinus' concept of number and contemporary set theory by Prof. Alexei Chernyakov, 24 May.
JUNE	Paper presentation Mathematics as a Formal Ontology: the Hermeneutical Dimension of Natural Sciences and Eastern Patristic was presented by Prof. Alexei Chernyakov at the Metanexus/LSI Annual Conference 2006, Philadelphia (USA) SPECRS Workshop Spiritual Investment and Scientific Research in the frame of the conference "Charity in Russia", 16-18 June SPECRS presentation at the Conference of Foundation of Local Societies Partnership of Russian Federation, by Natalia Pecherskaya, Kaliningrad, 29-30 June
JULY	Presentation SPECRS main resultson the GPSS project- 2006 and the Ideas for the future, by Dr. Natalia Pecherskaya and Prof. Alexei Chernyakov , Paris (France), 26-28 July

2005

JANUARY	Round table dedicated to paper presentation "ON THE WAY TO A COMPREHENSIVE ONTOLOGY: MATHEMATICS, NATURAL SCIENCES AND EASTERN PATRISTICS" by Alexei Chernyakov, January 27 Interview at "Radio Russia" with Natalia Pecherskaya - 10 January, With Alexei Chernyakov - 24 January Lecture The Turin Shroud in the framework of a conference "XIII International Christian Readings" in Moscow, by Dr. Vladimir Vasilik, 26 January
FEBRUARY	Presentation at the Conference "BASICS AND PERSPECTIVES OF RUSSIAN SPIRITUALITY" (Rostov-on Don, February 11-12), by Dr. N. Pecherskaya Interview at "Radio Russia" With Alexei Chernyakov - 14 February, 28 February On-line publication of translation into Russian of the article by William Grassie "TEN REASONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION" http://www.srph.ru/txt/Grassie.doc
MARCH	International Conference "SCIENCE. IDEOLOGY. RELIGION," St. Petersburg, March 30 - April 2 SPECRS lecture presentation The FUTURE FOR THEOLOGY IN A SCIENTIFIC AGE by Prof. Dr. Arthur Peacocke (from Oxford University), 31 March SPECRS exhibition from the State Archives: SIENCE AND RELIGION UNDER SOVIET IDEOLOGY, Hotel "Angleterre", 31 March Interviews with the participants of the conference "SCIENCE, IDEOLOGY, RELIGION" for "RADIO RUSSIA", "THE OPEN CITY", "ITAR-TASS", "ECHO OF ST. PETERSBURG"
APRIL	SPECRS lecture PREEXISTENT LOGOS-CHRIST, CULTURE AND SCOCIETY by Prof. Dr. Igor Kiss (from Bratislava University), 4th April SPECRS lecture FAITH AND REASON IN THE CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH: THE PROBLEM OF THE HUMAN BEING, by Prof. Dr. Vittorio Possenti (from the University of Venice, Italy), 16 April SPECRS Coordinator, Rector SRPh Natalia Pecherskaya's interview for the newspaper "SPB Vedomosti", 28 April
MAY	SPECRS lecture THE EXTENSION OF EVOLUTION: SEEKING A HORIZON FOR MUTUAL INTERPRETATIONS OF CREATION AND EVOLUTION by Greg Sandstrom (from Canada-St.Petersburg University postgraduate), 6th May
JUNE	Paper presentation THE RELIGIOUS BASIS OF CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES in the frame of the Annual METANEXUS Conference "SCIENCE & RELIGION: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES" by Dr. Natalia Pecherskaya , Philadelphia (USA), 5th June
JULY	Paper presentation in the frame of GPSS Consultation by Dr. Natalia Pecherskaya and Dr. Alexei Chernyakov THE RELIGIOUS BASIS OF CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES in Paris (France), 18 July
AUGUST	Round table in the frame of the conference "CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITIES IN CIVIL SOCIETY" (Moscow, August 20-23)
SEPTEMBER	SPECRS sponsoring the International conference Russia and Phenomenological Tradition, 14-18 September, ST Petersburg. Co-sponsored by Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology, Inc.Department of Philosophy, Florida Atlantic University. Participation in the conference "Women - Leaders of the 21st century" with the presentation Christian Ethics and the Problems of Education in Contemporary Russia by Dr. Natalia A. Pecherskaya, 22-23 September, President Hotel, Moscow.
OCTOBER	SRPh/SPECRS preparation for the attendance at the Forum of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) in Dallas (USA)
NOVEMBER	Session in St. Petersburg together with the LSI group from the Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) and LSI group from Kharkiv State University (Ukraine) within the framework of the conference on cosmology "GOD'S DESIGN IN HUMAN'S PRESENTATIONS", 11 November, St. Petersburg Presentation "New Tasks of Education in the Context of World Integration Process in Science and Religion" at the Workshop of the Conference dedicated to 250th-anniversary of the Moscow State University, 22 November, Moscow
DECEMBER	SPECRS lecture for students "The yawning of Freedom in the Determinate World" by Rev. Dr. Kyrill Kopeykin, 1st December.

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