"The Biblical Language for Relationships" is the subject of a two-day conference to be held next month at Baltimore's Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation.
The public is invited.
The program is being arranged in conjunction with a televised seminar in New York that includes discussions with novelist John Updike.
The cathedral on University Parkway, between Charles and St. Paul streets, is one of two broadcast sites in Maryland and more than 80 across the nation where there will be opportunities for interaction with the participants in New York.
The other Maryland location is in Upper Marlboro.
In Baltimore, the sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 24 and at 9 a.m. Jan. 25. They will conclude at 4:30 p.m. the first day and at 3:15 p.m. the second day.
Inviting questions from groups assembled in 39 states and the District of Columbia, the 26th National Conference of Trinity Institute will originate at New York's Trinity Episcopal Church near Wall Street.
A spokesman for the institute said that an ecumenical panel of scholars from Baltimore will facilitate the discussions at the Cathedral of the Incarnation.
The facilitators are the Rev. Ebenezer Afful, chaplain at the Gilman School; Christopher Dreisbach, who chairs the Department of Philosophy at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland; Sister Mary Aquin O'Neill, director of the Mount St. Agnes Theological Center for Women; Lindsey Thompson, a doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins University; and Stephen Vicchio, who teaches at both the College of Notre Dame and at the Ecumenical Institute of St. Mary's Seminary and University.
In addition to Mr. Updike, who has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction twice, the speakers in New York Jan. 24 will include Douglas John Hall, professor of Christian theology at McGill University; Parker J. Palmer, a popular lecturer on Christian spirituality; and Renita J. Weems, an elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church who is a professor of Old Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University.
At the Jan. 25 session, the speakers will include Elizabeth A. Johnson, author and theology professor at Fordham University. Her subject is "Trinitarian Relations: A Model for Human Community."
Later the same day, Marcus J. Borg, religion professor at Oregon State University and author of "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time," will speak on "Jesus and the Community of Compassion."
Mr. Updike's talk is titled "Imperfect Relationships: Two Stories."
The television connections between the speakers and questioners around the country will be made by satellite over the Episcopal Cathedral Teleconferencing Network.
A reading list is recommended for participants. The books will be made available through the St. Bede's book store at the Cathedral of the Incarnation.
The registration fee for both days of the conference is $56. For one day, it is $35.
For more information and to register, call Pat Clagett at 467-3750.
Interfaith New Year's
A group of Christian and Jewish congregations will sponsor its second annual end-of-the-year music and prayer service from 8:25 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dec. 31 at St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church, Calvert and Madison streets.
Catholic Auxiliary Bishop John H. Ricard and Bishop Naomi DuRant of the New Refuge Deliverance Cathedral will be among the clergy participants.
Bishop DuRant will preach and Bishop Ricard will offer the closing prayer.
They will be joined by ministers and lay leaders from Episcopal, United Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Unitarian and Jewish congregations.
The clergy include the Rev. Edwin Ankeny of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church; the Rev. Harry L. Holfelder of First and Franklin Street Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Phyllis Hubbell of First Unitarian Church and the Rev. Patrick Earl of Loyola College.
Others taking part are Catholic Sisters Mary Neal Corcoran and Helen Amos, and Jim McKay of ABC Sports.
Music will be provided by the choirs of New Refuge Deliverance Cathedral and St. Ignatius Church; Cantor Faith Gurney of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation; and students from the Peabody Institute.
Admission is free, but tickets will be required. To obtain them, call 727-3848.