About us
CETR is an independent space for reflection, study and teaching interested in finding out more about ideas connected to religious experience in contemporary society. It aims to increase awareness about the diversity of religious experience and promotes activities which will encourage a deeper examination of the challenges society and religion needs to face up to within a cultural environment characterised by globalisation, continuous innovation and the transformation of the accepted order of things.
“The English version of the website (is still under construction and) will be enriched gradually. Meanwhile, we offer an introduction to the centre and its activities as well as a selection of articles.”
CETR is a study centre specialising in the study of the universal nature of religious experience and the established religions. It is based in Barcelona, Spain. It’s a secular centre that offers the possibility of accessing the knowledge of the wisdom of religious traditions, their Masters and their Great Books.
Through a program of seminars, practical workshops, a library and a meditation room the Center provides the opportunity to study the teachings and methods of silent practice which are revealed as part of the legacy of religious traditions. It aims to help the growth of human qualities and the inner personal life of people living in a society which is responsible for the development of its own destiny and that of the planet.
In order to achieve our objective it is necessary to follow closely the continuous transformations taking place in out societies, both cultural and otherwise. For this reason our program includes subjects concerned with the changing state of society and others about religious experience and the different religious traditions.
CETR activities are addressed, indistinctly, to all people interested in the deep dimension of existence.
The Centre sets out to sustain a double line of work. On the one hand it organises an open program of teaching activities (courses, seminars, conferences, roundtables, cinema cycles) and on the other hand it encourages investigation into religious phenomena and spiritual development in the contemporary world. With this in mind, diverse initiatives are encouraged (such as a teaching group which prepares courses which examine the universal nature of religious experience, or annual inter-religious meetings)
In order to put these aims into action, Cetr relies equally on the collaboration of people who teach at University level as on others who are more concerned with inner reflection from a view point associated with one of the distinct religious traditions. From the very beginning, the initiative behind this project and its central support has been Maria Corbi, epistemologist, and researcher into phenomena affecting values.
The core members of the group are Mariano Corbí, Montserat Cucarull, María Fradera, Marta Granés, Teresa Guardans, Salvador Junca, Merce Sala, Josep Ma Suris, Dolors Tarrés, Francesc Torradeflot
A brief history
Since the eighties the team that created CETR has been studying and engaging in dialogue about the fact of religion, from the perspective of the deep cultural transformations taking place in our contemporary societies. The organisation came into being through the initiative of its teaching staff who wanted to be able to offer students greater access to religious thought and experience from a viewpoint of independence, respect and investigation. Activities began in the academic year 1990-2000. Courses were offered on…
CETR proposes
To provide people living in contemporary society with access to the wisdom found in the religious traditions. Despite the fact that this wisdom is often presented to us embedded in the cultural forms of the past and as such can appear to be difficult to understand. To encourage people to reflect upon the crisis of the forms in which religion is practiced without blaming anything or anyone. Such reflection should be based on the analysis of the way the cultural…