Sacred Silence Conference

Sacred Silence Conference

Friday 4 - Saturday 5 October, 2019
Australian Catholic University, Strathfield NSW
 

The Sacred Silence in Literature and the Arts Conference to be held at Australian Catholic University is the 10th International Conference in the Sacred in Literature and the Arts (SLA) series. This series built on the many RLA (Religion, Literature and the Arts) Conferences run during the 1990s at Australian Catholic University.

The event is truly catholic in that it is open to all faiths and to those of no faith. It invites participants to listen to speakers and performers from a number of faith traditions on the central topic, Sacred Silence, and to participate in experiences of meditative silence facilitated by the Benedictine monk Father Laurence Freeman renowned for his friendship with the Dalai-Lama and his openness to the contemplative tradition in all forms of practice, both religious and non-religious. Father Laurence is also the director of The World Community for Christian Meditation. Other speakers include, Indigenous Yuin Elder, Uncle Max Dulumunmun, Rachael Kohn, Michael Whelan, Carol Cuzak, Susan Murphy and many more.

The conference also hosts an art exhibition at its McGlade gallery by the renowned Australian contemporary and icon artist Leonard Brown. There is a concurrent digital photographic exhibition on the theme of Sacred Silence hosted by the Australia’s prize-winning photographer Juno Gemes. Leonard Brown created the icon featured in the Conference brochure and this post.

Christianity is at a cross-roads in its history and as Karl Rahner indicated in Foundations of Christian Faith, central to the survival of Christianity is the mystical and contemplative dimension. This Sacred Silence Conference, at its core, is directed towards understanding, exploring and experiencing this dimension.

For more information and to register: https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/events/2019/october/sacred-silence-in-literature-and-the-arts-2019-conference