Prof. Núria Calduch-Benages is currently a lecturer at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome. She specialises in the deuterocanonical work of Ben Sira (also known as Sirach). On March 9th 2021, she was appointed as secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, the first woman to hold this role.

In her first presentation, Nuria will look at the place of the Bible in the modern world, and explore how the Word of God has an enduring signficiance in our lives of faith today.

In her second presentation, Nuria will trace a "biblical anthropology" through Scripture to discover who we are, and what the Bible reveals to us about our place in creation and our relationship with God.

The act of translation is itself a form of interpretation. It is for this reason that there are many different English translations of the Bible, and likewise in other languages around the globe. While no translation will ever fully capture the original Hebrew and Greek, there are some which offer close translations, and others which are more imaginative. In this workshop, Seán will explore how different versions of the Bible come about, and offer some guidance on why certain translations are recommended over others.

Godly Play is a form of spiritual accompaniment for children which invites us to enter the stories of Scripture with openness and wonder. Though originally developed with children, its quiet, spacious approach helps people of all ages listen deeply, to the story, to one another, and to God. In this workshop, Jessie will offer a full Godly Play session and afterwards explain some ofthe theory behind the approach. You will also learn how you might use Godly Play in your own home or parish, and how to get involved with the growing network in Ireland.

When the evangelists wrote about the life and deeds of Jesus, they did not write as though they were recording history, but chose to tell events as a narrative, using literary techniques we find in novels to draw the reader in. Indeed, many biblical texts were written in the same way: consider the dramatic flight of the Hebrews from Egypt, or the twists and turns in the life of King David. This workshop will explore the surprising things we encounter when we pay attention to how we read, and how the narratives texts of the Bible are told.

Pope Francis spoke many times of the importance of the Bible for the life and continued evangelisation of the Church. Many parishes in the Catholic tradition gather parishioners to pray with Scripture in Lectio Divina groups, but fewer parishes offer “serious, ongoing study” of the Bible. Mary's workshop will discuss why you might consider gathering others around you to set up a Bible Study Group in your parish. It will examine the importance of Bible study for faith and provide practical advice and assistance as to how to set up and facilitate such a group.

Since its launch in 2020, Tarsus Scripture School has published almost 100 video presentations on various texts and themes in the Bible. This library has been a valuable resource for parishes, and the Tarsus team have been designing future courses with parish use in mind. This workshop offers an introduction for those who might wish to know more about setting up a Tarsus Scripture Group in their parish. Drawing on her own experience in presenting the Opening the Bible course, Nuala will offer advice and tips on how to best use these resources.