Centre for Marian Studies welcomed to St Mary's University

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St Mary's University, Twickenham has announced that the Centre for Marian Studies (CMS) is to become a part of the Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts at the University and will host a conference from 8-10th July.

The CMS, a registered charity founded in 1995 by Dr Sarah Jane Boss, is concerned with the advancement of the education of the public in all matters relating to the Virgin Mary. The charity runs educational courses, supports research, holds lectures for outside organisations, helps to supervise students, and provides information on Marian issues to the mass media and general public. The CMS has no religious affiliation and is open to members of any religious belief.

The CMS also has a book collection which has been curated over the past 26 years. Students will be able to access the collection from the University library and it may be of particular interest to students taking one of the modules in Mariology run by the Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts, which are included in the BA (Hons) Theological Studies, the STB programme run with Mater Ecclesiae College, and the MA Christian Spirituality.

The Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts at St Mary's is home to a number of distinguished academics who teach on its diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. The Institute is also home to several research centres, which regularly publish research and host conferences on history, theology, Catholic education, and contemporary religious life.

To celebrate joining the University, the Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts and the CMS will be hosting a conference entitled Bridges and Boundaries: the role of the Virgin Mary in faith and culture. This will be an online conference, running from 8 - 10 July 2021, focussing on Mary's roles in Christianity, Judaism, Islam and a range of literary and artistic representations and feature speakers from around the globe including US, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, and Taiwan.

St Mary's Head of the Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts Dr Jacob Phillips said: "We are delighted that the Centre for Marian Studies has joined us here at St Mary's. I look forward to our conference in July, which I am sure will be the first of many such events exploring this fascinating area of research."

To find out more or took your place at the conference, please visit the CMS website: www.marianstudies.ac.uk/conference-2021 or contact info@marianstudies.ac.uk.