The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues’ Attitude for Gratitude project has been engaged in research and reflection on gratitude since September 2012. Following a successful conference on the psychology and philosophy of gratitude in November 2013, we were pleased to offer an opportunity for conversation to theologians and people of all faiths on the subject of gratitude to God and gratitude to others.
The event was hosted jointly by The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues and The Aquinas Institute, Oxford and took place at Blackfriars Hall on May 17th. There were four speakers: Dr Tali Chilson, formerly of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies who spoke about 'The Sublimation of Sacrificial Service in Judaism from the Second Temple Era to the Spanish 'Golden Age'' , Dr Reza Shah-Kazemi of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London (From Gratitude to Beatitude: A Qur’anic Theology of Thanksgiving), Professor Tom Greggs (King’s College, University of Aberdeen) who presented 'In gratitude for grace: praise, worship and the sanctified life', and the Aquinas Institute’s Director, Fr Richard Conrad, OP who spoke of 'The Cycle of Blessing: Thanksgiving as a Means of Consecration'.
The day’s events began with the ‘premiere’ of the Centre’s new film Reflections on Gratitude: Gratitude in Public Life, currently available in the Media Gallery.
This one day conference was hugely successful in promoting stimulating interfaith conversation and was attended by over forty delegates.