15th–19th June, Maynooth & Online
Embedded Files
Summer Scripture School 2026
In the description for our Summer School last year, we noted that we were living in unprecedented and uncertain times. A year later, against the backdrop of another war, protests, and economic upheaval, those times have become even more uncertain and frightening. To speak of peace in today's world may no longer seem idealistic for many people, but even unrealistic. Yet, as Pope Leo XIV notes, "Peace is more than just a goal; it is a presence and a journey. Even when it is endangered within us and around us, like a small flame threatened by a storm, we must protect it, never forgetting the names and stories of those who have borne witness to it."
With this in mind, our Summer Scripture School for this year will explore how peace, reconciliation, and hostility are presented in key texts of the Bible, and how they might offer a word of hope, and a path through a world that seems to have gone mad.
Course Overview
When registering, you have the option of two different types of attendance. In-Person & Hybrid, for those who wish to join us in Maynooth for all five days (or most of them); and Online Only (Individual & Groups), offering a livestream of each presentation via Zoom, and access to the recordings of each after they have taken place.
Both options are priced at €70 for the whole course:
For those joining in-person, this cost is per individual.
For those joining online only, this cost is per individual, household, group, or community.
For All Attendees
Twelve presentations (in-person and livestreamed), six each from Seán and Jessie, and a keynote presentation from Prof. Tobias Winright (details further below).
Access to the course resources online, where you will find the livestream of the course, recordings of each presentation, slides, and additional materials.
For In-Person Attendees Only
Tea, Coffee, and Croissants each morning between the first and second presentations.
Optional activities each evening, aimed in particular at those staying in Maynooth, but open to all. These activities are informal and optional, and they are not recorded or livestreamed.
Read on for More Details, or Download the Booklet
Presentation Topics
Reconciliation in Genesis, Ruth, and Jonah
Seán Goan
Questions of conflict and division loom large in many biblical narratives, which seek to explore where and how God is at work through human weakness and failure. Seán intends to explore the idea of biblical storytelling across six presentations, considering texts from Genesis (from Cain through to Joseph) and then the intriguing stories of Ruth and Jonah. In all these narratives, questions of wrongdoing, prejudice and peacemaking are raised and explored in challenging ways.
Jesus as Peace Maker in the Gospels and Ephesians
Jessie Rogers
In the Gospels, Jesus is not only a preacher of peace but a maker of peace. In her first four presentations, Jessie will explore how Jesus proclaims the coming of God’s shalom through his teaching, his healing and table fellowship, his engagement in controversy and conflict, and ultimately through the mystery of the cross itself. Far from avoiding tension, the peacemaking of Jesus challenges injustice, restores broken relationships, and opens a path toward reconciliation and new creation. In her final two presentations, Jessie will explore the theme of Christ as our peace through the lens of St Paul's theology and spirituality in Ephesians. Focusing especially on the vision of reconciliation in Ephesians 2 and the call to live in “the bond of peace” in Ephesians 4, she will consider how the peace won through the cross becomes the foundation for a new humanity and a reconciled community.
Professor Tobias Winright (SPPU Maynooth)
Keynote Speaker (Friday Morning)
On Friday morning, Tobias Winright—professor of Moral Theology at St. Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth—will deliver a keynote presentation on how the biblical understanding of peace has been put into practice. As a scholar with a special interest in ethics and justice, Prof. Winright offers a unique perspective on the challenges facing peace in the 21st century.
Important Update
As some of you may know, Kieran O'Mahony was recently in hospital and has been advised to rest over the coming weeks. Unfortunately, this means he will not be able to join us for this year's Summer School, though he will be with us in spirit. While Kieran's four presentations on Ephesians will not go ahead, Jessie now has two presentations on the letter as part of her own topic. Likewise, Seán has expanded his topic with two additional presentations, spending more time on Genesis and including Jonah. We apologise for this alteration, and encourage you to pray for Kieran as he recovers.
Further Information
Accommodation
Due to operational changes at the university, the availability of accommodation is severely limited this year. However, a number of college rooms (single or twin with shared facilities) have been reserved for the Summer School. Unfortunately, there are no ensuite rooms available at present.
To Book a Room
1. Please visit: booking.maynoothcampus.com
2. Select the dates of your stay.
3. Click on apply voucher and use the code TARSUS26
4. Click on show availability (do this after inputting the voucher code!)
Please note that no rooms may appear unless the voucher code is used. If you run into any difficulties, you can also call or email accommodation at 01 708 6400 or reception@spcm.ie
Tentative Schedule *
* There may be minor adjustments to the arrangement of this schedule, but the timeslots should remain unchanged.
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