12th–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 path through a world that seems to have gone mad.
"Peace is a breath of the eternal: while to evil we cry out “Enough,” to peace we whisper “Forever.” Into this horizon the Risen One has led us. Sustained by this conviction, even amid what Pope Francis called “a third world war fought piecemeal,” peacemakers continue to resist the spread of darkness, standing as sentinels in the night."
– Pope Leo XIV, January 1st 2026
Course Overview
When registering, you have the option of two different types of attendance. In-Person & Hybrid, for those who wish to join us for in Maynooth for all five days (or most of them); and Online Only, which offers a livestream of each presentation via Zoom, and access to the recordings of each after they have taken place.
For All Attendees
Twelve presentations (in-person and livestreamed), four each from each presenter, on the following topics:
Kieran: Breaking down the dividing wall of hostility in Ephesians
Séan: Reconiliation in the stories of Joseph and Ruth
Jessie: Jesus on peace-making in the New Testament
Access to the course resources online, where you will find the livestream of the course, recordings of each presentation (after they take place), slides, and additional materials.
For In-Person Attendees Only
Tea, Coffee, and Croissants each morning between the first and second presentations of the day.
Optional activities each evening, aimed in particular at those staying in Maynooth, but open to all. These activities are informal, may focus more on Scripture in general than the overall theme, and they are not recorded or livestreamed.
Accommodation
Limited accommodation will be available on South Campus, with some shared-facility apartment options on the North Campus (a 10–15min walk from the Summer School). However, due to operational changes at the university, the availability of ensuite rooms on the South Campus may be particularly limited this year.
We are in the process of arranging a discount code for those wishing to stay on campus, so we would encourage you to wait a day or two before booking your accommodation. If you have already registered for "in-person" attendance, we will be emailing you directly once we have further details arranged.
Tentative Schedule *
We will provide further details on individual events (e.g., keynote speaker, evening activities) in a programme booklet as June draws closer. This will be automatically sent out to all those who have registered, and available to view on this page for those who might still be considering joining us!
* There may be minor adjustments to the arrangement of this schedule, particularly on Friday, but the timeslots should remain unchanged.
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