Centre for the Study of Irish Protestantism
The Centre for the Study of Irish Protestantism at Maynooth University
The Centre (CSIP) was formed in 2012 in association with the Department of Adult and Community Education at Maynooth University. Its function is four-fold:
To engage in an academic exploration of the distinctive historical, cultural, sociological, theological and spiritual experience of the traditional religious minority in Ireland and to extrapolate from this to create a wider framework for the conceptualisation and understanding of minority experience in general.
To promote scholarly reflection upon the experience of the group and to promote reflexivity and critical reflection within the community, both North and South of the border, with a view to stimulating fresh thinking and new approaches to their role within Irish society.
To promote discussion, thinking and public debate through the holding of conferences, the presentation of papers, the publication of book, articles and reports and the promotion of local initiatives at both scholarly and communitarian levels.
To act as a resource and a safe and supportive space for communities and congregations seeking to experiment, explore fresh expressions and to interrogate their own experiences.
Currently the Centre is engaged in three major undertakings:
i) A Journey in Self-Belief;
Spearheaded by Rev Earl Storey and financed by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs this project
https://journeyinselfbelief.org/
a) engages in the delicate task of facilitating groups of Protestant ex-paramilitaries, Loyalist politicians and community leaders of varying shades within the traditional heartland of Ulster Protestantism in critically reflecting upon their experiences, their identity, their leadership needs and their goals - all with a view to building more useful, inclusive and constructive ways forward.
b) works with significant leadership elements and a number of local lodges within the Orange Order to facilitate critical self-reflection and to examine their role in Irish society with a view to building political and communitarian bridges.
ii) CSIP Academic and Consultancy
A Journey in Self-Belief joins with the wider CSIP in conference presentations, in the publishing of reports and articles and in providing consultancy to communities, diocese and parishes/ congregations both North and South of the border and their leaders in interrogating their experiences and in exploring fresh ways of thinking and being
iii) Young Centre for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies
The Centre works actively with the Young Centre for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, at Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania, in exploring the theological, historical and cultural influences of both Anabaptism and Pietism on the self-identity and spirituality of various branches of Protestantism in Ireland and the USA. A variety of new work has been published in academic journals in the last two years as well as presentations at a number of relevant academic conferences. Three more academic articles, a chapter on a forthcoming book on religion in Ireland (July 2022) a book to published by John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore are all in preparation.
Investigators/Contacts: Tony Walsh, Earl Storey
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation