CONFERENCE REGISTRATION, CHECK-IN, AND LUNCH BEGIN AT 12:00, JUNE 26,2008.
Gloria Patri: "For in Him We Live, and Move, and Have Our Being"
On June 26-29, 2008, a major international and interdisciplinary conference will be held at Cambridge University, titled "Gloria Patri: 'For in Him We Live, and Move, and Have Our Being.'" This conference will examine the ways in which the Christian tradition may uplift the God of creation through the disciplines of science, theology, history, philosophy, sociology, and psychology.
The conference takes its name from two sources:
The Gloria Patri is an ancient Christian hymn, first rendered in the Koine Greek of the New Testament church. Its words affirm the Christian belief in the glory and majesty of the triune God:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
Such belief, however, calls for witness. The Apostle Paul spoke of the Unknown god upon the Areopagus in Athens to Epicureans and Stoics. He reminded them that nature points beyond itself to its Creator, in whom "we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28a; cf. 16-34; Col 1:16-17). Christians are called upon to uplift the Creator and to seek evidences of him in his creation.
Additional Day Tour
For those who are interested in staying in the area at their own expense, there will be a field trip to the British Museum in London on Monday, June 30, led by Andrews University professor and curator of the Horn Archeological Museum, Constance Gane. Gane will demonstrate how archaeology helps to validate the accuracy of the Scriptures. A small fee will be collected at the Museum for covering the cost of a handbook.
Following the tour of the British Museum, the group will take a river cruise on the Thames to Greenwich, which houses the Royal Observatory for a guided tour (participants will be asked to contribute a small fee for the cost of the tour guide). Each person will be responsible for their own tube and river boat tickets.
Finally, the day will end with a trip back up the Thames River to Harrod's Department Store for supper at each person's own expense.
Venue, Housing, and Cost of Conference
The conference venue is Wyboston Lakes Conference Centre, located approximately 30 minutes from Cambridge and 10 minutes from St. Neots (http://www.wybostonlakes.co.uk).
Conference Registration Fees:
Resident Delegates Fees include accommodation, full board, and conference materials.
Day Delegate Fees include lunch and conference materials.
Click on the appropriate choice below to register. Registration is through PlusLine.org (you may also click on the following links: Event Registration, "Gloria Patria"). Online registration will open on April 30, 2008.
Fees in Fees in
British Pounds U.S. Dollars
**Note: If you are a university student who is in need of housing during the conference, please contact us at thecambridgeproject@gmail.com. We are working on possible housing solutions that will fit student budgets.
For further inquires, you may e-mail thecambridgeproject@gmail.com with the subject line "Cambridge 2008." Helpful numbers for additional questions: PlusLine.org (800-732-7587); Karen Abrahamson (American number: 269-208-8664; Skype: kabrahamson).
HELPFUL INFORMATION
Conference Check In and Check Out Times:
- Check in and Lunch: Thursday, 26 June 2008, at 12:00
- Check out and Take-away Lunch: Sunday, 29 June 2008, at 13:00
Travel from Heathrow: I recommend taking the tube---Piccadilly Line from the airport to London's King's Cross. This will take about 1 hour. From London's King's Cross take the overland train to St. Neots. Trains leave from King's Cross twice an hour: 22 minutes after the hour and 36 minutes after the hour. The earlier train takes 50 minutes and the later train takes 1 hour. At St. Neots, take a 10-minutes taxi to Wyboston.
Travel from Luton: Take the Luton Airport Parkway to London's King's Cross. Trains leave from King's Cross twice an hour: 22 minutes after the hour and 36 minutes after the hour. At St. Neots, take a 10-minute taxi to Wyboston.
Travel from Stansted: The least complicated route is to take the train from Stansted via Peterborough. Change for the train to St. Neots. Trains depart from Stansted at 8:21, 9:25, 10:20, at 25 minutes past the hours of 11:00-15:00, 16:20, 17:17, 18:20, 19:18, 20:20, etc. At St. Neots, take a 10-minute taxi to Wyboston.
Travel from Gatwick: Take the Gatwick Express to London Victoria. At Victoria station take the Victoria tube line to London's King's Cross. Trains leave from King's Cross twice an hour: 22 minutes after the hour and 36 minutes after the hour. At St. Neots, take a 10-minute taxi to Wyboston.
London City: Unless you get a really great ticket price that you can't pass up, avoid this airport. It is too far away and very hard to access and in a not-so-good part of town. Finally, it's a nightmare for baggage; too many narrow stairs through the tube. Take the DRL train to Bank. From Bank take the tube to St. Pancras/London's King's Cross (the stations are connected). Trains leave from King's Cross twice an hour: 22 minutes after the hour and 36 minutes after the hour. At St. Neots, take a 10-minute taxi to Wyboston.
Travel Tips: Trains traveling close to the hour and half hour make more stops and thus take longer. Trains on the quarter hour and three-quarter hour are faster.
London Heathrow probably takes the longest amount of time to clear customs. Hopefully they will have Terminal 5 sorted out by the time we arrive, with British Airways safely parked there and the other airlines moved into Terminal 4.
Customs and luggage retrieval generally takes about an hour. Travel from any of the listed airports will take approximately two hours traveling on the tube/train. Expect to need approximately 4 hours from the time the plane lands until you arrive at St. Neots.
Passengers going through customs are separated into two groups: EU passports and all others. Generally, all others proceed to the right.
The busiest hours for the tube and King's Cross are between the hours of 7:30-9:30 a.m. and 4:00-7:00 p.m. Tube trains are often packed solid. Just politely push your way on and stand clear of the doors. It is acceptable to ask other passengers for directions if you become disoriented in the tube.
There are money-changing machines in all the train stations, most of which do not assess a fee for using. These take all major credit and debit cards.
If you are looking for a quick meal on the run, check out the Cornish pasties. I especially recommend the onion, mushroom, and vegetable types. They are imported from Wales and served very hot. These are located in just about every train station. At King's Cross, there is one located in the train docking room (follow your nose), located just behind the schedule board. If you want a sit-down breakfast, the Prince of York offers a fairly reasonable breakfast all day long. It is also located in the docking room at King's Cross.
Keep your train tickets handy at all times. You will need them to get through various exit and entry points. If you have trouble getting through the gates or if you get lost there are always lots of helpers. Just ask. When coming into London's King's Cross on the tube, you will exit through the shutter gates (must have ticket here). Immediately proceed up the stairs and to your left to exit. You will be right outside London's King's Cross.
If you turn slightly to the left you will enter the station. The train schedule board will be immediately in front of you, a cash machine will be immediately to your right, and pasties and boarding platforms straight ahead and behind the schedule board.
Platforms 1-8 are in the main docking room behind the schedule board and run 1-8 from right to left. Platforms 9-11 are reached by going down the walkway to the far left, under the crosswalk bridge, and entering to your left through the shutter gates (need ticket) into the docking area.
Please note that British trains and tubes are generally not places for loud or prolonged conversations or telephone calls. Reading and listening to music on ipods are encouraged. If someone pushes a paper into your hands at the train stations, it is free. Please do not litter!!
Calling a taxi. Taxis generally cannot be called from street side. To get a cab from a train or tube station, do one of the following: (1) stand in line at the designated spot, or if no one else is currently standing in line (2) go to the first taxi in line. Taxis will sometimes line up in two rows. The taxi to the left is considered the first in line and the taxi to the right the second. An appropriate tip is 20 percent of the taxi fee. Drivers do not ask, but are generally very appreciative.
Another way to find a taxi is to step into a grocery store. Near the door and just behind the cash registers there will be free taxi phone service.
Compared with American currency, British coins are worth a great deal more than American change and thus used much more than American change. I would recommend bringing a small bag for carrying British coins in.
Clothing: Appropriate dress for the conference is dressy causal. A light sweater or jacket and an umbrella are recommended as well. The conference facilities offer swimming, a gym, and golf. There will also be a nature walk each morning.
Helpful Websites:
St. Neots's station code is SNO. This is not listed on the pop-up list on the British National Rail website.
We look forward to having you join us in England! Safe journeys!
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Conference Proceedings will be published following the event. More details forthcoming.
Call for Papers
SCHOLARLY PAPER PRESENTATIONS
Scholarly papers from across the disciplines of science, theology, history, philosophy, sociology, and psychology are invited for presentation at the conference. Presentations are limited to 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes for discussion and questions. Applications should be received by May 1, 2008; decisions will be sent to the e-mail address supplied by May 15, 2008. The conference will be divided into three broad sections; however, other areas are also welcome for consideration:
A Christian View of the Natural World
The Nature of God and Humanity
God, Humanity, and the Future
Email paper abstracts of 500 words to thecambridgeproject@gmail.com. Please include the following:
subject line of email: "Cambridge 2008"
paper title
name, title, and institution
on a separate paper include a 200 word biography, written in the third person.
SCHOLARLY POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Scholarly poster presentations on the topics outlined above are also welcome. Poster session participants place materials such as pictures, data, graphs, diagrams, and narrative text on boards that do not exceed a width of 2.5 m wide. During their assigned time periods, participants informally discuss their presentations with conference attendees.
Posters are not to serve as advertisements for product sale. See above section for proposal submission.