The Alnmouth Formation Conference and John Duns Scotus

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The C-SSF On-going Formation Conference was held at Alnmouth Friary, 13-16 February. With the assistance of Billy Crozier, the group considered the writings of John Duns Scotus, a 14th century Franciscan theologian and philosopher, especially Scotus’s teaching on the reason for the incarnation of Christ, and the Immaculate conception of Mary.

Then the group made a ‘pilgrimage’ to Duns, the place of John’s birth (the name we know him as now is derived from how he would have been called: ‘John of Duns, the Scot’). The Rector of the Episcopal Church in Duns made us very welcome, and presided at a Eucharist, and after our picnic lunch (indoors) Kenny, a local historian, spoke about Duns through the ages, and educated the group a little on Scottish history, generally, in the process.

The group standing round the cairn in the top photo are: Maureen, Gina, Benedict, Micael Christoffer, Beverley, Judi, Finnian and Sue.

Afterwards, a short walk took the group to the cairn which marks the likely birth place of John Duns, and then down through the square to a park where there is a statue of him. We felt that the pose of the statue make the theologian look rather too superior, and Sr Beverley and Br Micael Christoffer mimicked it, in a fun way.