“Green Values, Religion and Secularism” Seminar in Athens

This seminar is part of the Green European Foundation project “Green Values, Religion and Secularism”, which promotes and serves as a space for the debate within the Greens towards a more coherent stance on the changing role of religion in European society. The project is based on the book with the same name, published by the Green European Foundation together with six national Green foundations in 2015.

The seminar in Athens was entitled “Green Spirituality? Religious faith and the Political State” and it focused on the topic of separation of church and state in Greece, with reference to the situation in other European countries.

PROGRAMME:

17h00 – 17h15 Welcome Speech (by Alekos Georgopoulos, Professor of Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Member of the Board, Green Institute Greece)

17h15 – 18h00 A historical look at the need for Spirituality and the dialogue with the Green political thought in Greece and Europe

• Marios Bezgos, Former Dean of School of Theology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Ioannis Paraskevopoulos, Legal scholar, a member of Ecologists Greens
• Nuala Ahern, Psychologist, former MEP of Irish Greens, Co-Editor of the “Green Values, Religion and Secularism” book

18h00 – 18h15 Discussion

18h15 – 19h00 State and Church: Their distinct roles and social targets

• Antonis Paparizos, Professor of Sociology of Religion at Panteion University
• George Dimaras, MP of SYRIZA, member of Ecologists Greens

19h00 – 19h15 Discussion and conclusions 

Debates will be moderated by Konstantinos Loukeris, Educator- Political Scientist, former President of Green Institute Greece.