St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newnan will host a live Webcast of the 2006 Trinity Conference Jan. 30 through Feb. 1.

This year’s conference, “The Anatomy of Reconciliation - from violence to healing,” brings together some of the world’s brightest and best theological thinkers to address issues of violence in our culture.

The church invites all interested people in Coweta County and surrounding communities to consider attending all or part of the conference.

There is no charge for the conference itself, but the church is charging $20 to help offset cost of lunch and snacks. Make reservations by phoning the church office, 770-253-4264.

While the conference is scheduled for Monday evening and all day Tuesday and Wednesday, participants are welcome to attend all or part of the conference.

“Trinity Church in New York makes their annual conference available to people around the globe through Webcasting,” explains the Rev. Russell Kendrick, rector of St. Paul’s. “Our church is one of the regional sites for the Webcast. We’ll spend Monday evening and the two following days listening to speakers and roundtable discussions and also discuss among ourselves how violence and reconciliation play themselves out in our context in Georgia.

According to the planners of the New York conference, society has seen many social conflicts reach a violent pitch in recent years – churches divided on moral and theological issues; a nation split on matters of personal and cultural values; a growing chasm between the wealthy and the dispossessed; and internationally, the forces that impel Western cultures and economies clashing with Islamic tradition. All of these polarities breed violence – whether in the form of bullets or of severed relationships. The conference will explore the meaning of reconciliation under these pressing circumstances.

Among the presenters are author-theologian James Alison, Yale Divinity School’s Miroslav Volf, Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, and Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, an American Muslim and a professor of religion. Bishop Michael B. Curry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina will set the tone at the opening event on Monday evening.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, located on Roscoe Road in Newnan, is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. The church offers numerous activities and programs for all ages.

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