Contents
Conference: Being Human in a Divine Universe
The Platonic tradition’s primary point of focus, in common with other world religions and philosophies, is the question of how humans should live. The frame in which it sees this life lived is within a divine universe – a cosmos that is, in the words of the Timaeus, “a happy God.” What should be our intelligent response to this greater frame? This conference is an opportunity to consider a whole range of issues in this context – be they concerned with the inner world of the human soul, or the outer relations we individually and collectively form with the rest of the cosmos, and its divine source.
This conference invites submissions of papers addressing such matters, from both academics and non-academics, from within specialist areas and from more general perspectives.
A keynote address from an invited speaker will open the conference on the evening of the 27th and another invited speaker will deliver the seventeenth Thomas Taylor lecture on the evening of the 28th.
Call for Papers
As usual the Prometheus Trust is hoping that contributors will be drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, academic and non-academic, specialist and non-specialist, artistic, scientific, political, religious and philosophic.
Abstracts should be no more than 300 words and should be sent to conference@prometheustrust.co.uk at the latest by Monday, 7 April 2025. Acceptance of these will be confirmed as quickly as possible.
Papers should be around 2500-3000 words or 20 minutes’ presentation (we usually allow a further 15-20 minutes for a question and answer session after each presentation).
Keynote Speaker
The conference will be opened formally on the evening of Friday 27th, with a keynote address from an invited speaker
Title to be announced.
Thomas Taylor Lecture
On Saturday 28th the Thomas Taylor Lecture will be delivered by an invited speaker.
Title to be announced
Accommodation & Travel
The conference will take place at Purley Chase Centre, Mancetter, near Atherstone in Warwickshire, which is comfortable and well appointed. Residential prices are for full board for the weekend (from Friday supper to Sunday lunch) and are £200 (single or twin ensuite per person) and £175 (non-ensuite); non-residential price to include all meals except breakfasts is £80. Participants are encouraged to attend for the whole weekend and there are no reductions for partial attendance. There is limited ensuite accommodation available. If you are unable to afford these charges we do have a limited number of bursaries—please use general enquiries email address below.
Note the nearest international airport is Birmingham International. There is public transport available between Birmingham International and Atherstone rail station. By car the route is about 15 miles.
Conference Fee
This charge is £60 and is payable with your booking. It is non-refundable in the event of cancellation. There are no concessions for this charge and is applicable to all delegates. Accommodation fees are payable by end of May.
Booking
Please contact us using the general enquiries email on the footer.
Travel
By Car: The centre is just over 2 kilometres South of the A5 near Atherstone. It can be approached from all points of the compass via the motorway network, using M1, M6, M42 or M69 for instance. If travelling along the A5 from the East then just before Atherstone, take the B4111 towards Mancetter. If you are travelling along the A5 from the West, go past Atherstone on the dual carriageway and when you reach the large roundabout at the end, take the right exit towards Mancetter B4111. After about a quarter of a mile on B4111, just past The Plough pub and the church, take a right turn to Purley Chase Golf Club (brown road sign). Over the traffic light controlled bridge, follow the road round to the right and up through the trees, Purley Chase Centre is about a quarter of a mile further on, on the right.
By Rail: The nearest main line railway station is at Nuneaton, about 10 kilometres away. Nuneaton is on the main line between London and Lancashire, and trains also serve Atherstone about 2 miles away. These towns are also served by various bus and coach services. A taxi from Atherstone railway station to the Centre costs roughly £12. Local Taxi companies are: AAA Taxis: 01827 713637 A.R.L Cars: 01942 888111 Atherstone Taxis: 01827 712427. If travelling from London to Atherstone, the taxi rank is a short distance from the station, next to the bus station.
Contact info
For further details phone 01291 409018 (or +44 1291 409018 from outside the UK) or write to 14 Tylers Way, Sedbury, Chepstow, Glos, NP16 7AB, UK or email us via the general enquiries email in the footer.
Event Countdown
Conference Summary
17th Annual Conference Summer 2025
Being Human in a Divine Universe
The conference will be opened formally on the evening of Friday 27th, with a keynote address from an invited speaker.
Dates: 27-29 June, 2025
Venue: Purley Chase, Mancetter, Atherstone, Warwickshire, CV9 2RQ
Email for further details: Telephone 01291 409018 (or +44 1291 409018 from outside the UK) or write to 14 Tylers Way, Sedbury, Chepstow, Glos, NP16 7AB, UK or email: conference@prometheustrust.co.uk