Candle Conferences: Athens or Jerusalem?

Candle Conferences presents "Athens or Jerusalem? ", a live one-day event for students of the Philosophy of Religion studying AS / A Level Religious Studies. The conference is built around the compulsory Philosophy of Religion paper used by all English examination boards and is designed to enrich students' subject knowledge, support critical analysis, evaluation, and help students make well-reasoned academic judgements.

Sessions, led by Dr Peter Vardy, include Faith & Reason, Arguing for God, Religious Experience, and The Nature of God. Each session combines exposition of key ideas with activities and small-group work to engage students of varying abilities, plus exercises aimed at developing students' skills in forming and defending academic arguments.

The day concludes with a structured debate in which students prepare and present arguments before a final vote.

Dr Peter Vardy (former Vice Principal of Heythrop College, University of London) brings extensive experience in Religious Studies and Philosophy education. The events are presented at multiple UK venues across the 2025-26 academic year and are intended for AS/A Level students and supporting teachers.