Symposium "Partnership, Friendship, Dialogue"

The international symposium "Partnership, Friendship, Dialogue" will take place from June 20 to 22, 2015 in the "Paulinerkirche" (St. Paul`s Church, a historic building of the Göttingen State and University Library SUB), Papendiek 14, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.


Universities all around the world create networks in order to promote internationalization of teaching and research; churches in Europe maintain relationships at various levels. As an indispensable element of international networks partnerships became highly important. But such partnerships remain particularly deficient where they are supported only by institutional interests. The dynamics of the interaction gain a more profound dimension where not only crisis intervention or exchange of factual information is the focal point, but also human relationships have a decisive role.
Friendships can grow from partnerships - or vice versa they can lead to partnerships. But friendships are initially aiming at a totally different goal; something indefinable is inherent to them - something that both supports in private as well as proves itself in public. When partners and friends are distinguished by religious, denominational or cultural differences, dialogue will become a constant characteristic of their interaction in one way or another.


The Department of Ecumenical Theology at the Faculty of Theology in Göttingen has an internationally widespread network of partners, which mostly has its seeds in personal contacts between the head of the department and his international colleagues. For three days international partners of the Göttingen`s Department of Ecumenical Theology will reflect on this topic from their professional, personal or institutional backgrounds.

Everyone who is interested is cordially invited to attend this event.