UIV Religion and Philosophy trip

Firstly, we visited the Greek Orthodox cathedral, where the priest talked to us about the history of the cathedral and its features, whilst we took notes for our assignment. After asking the priest questions, were given the chance to look around and add more detail about the cathedral to our notes. A key feature that caught most of our eyes was the dome in the ceiling, which was covered by a detailed mosaic of Christ, which represented the reconciliation between humans and God. After we left the cathedral, we split into two groups. One group went to the synagogue whilst the other went to the church. In the synagogue, we all noticed the elaborate design of the architecture had been influenced by the Victorian style, which was when the synagogue was built. We were given a talk by one of its oldest members, who told us about the timeline of the synagogue as well as its significance in the Victorian era. We were also given the opportunity to look around, take pictures, and talk to the rabbi. At the Anglican church, we received a similar talk about the church’s purpose when it was built. We then had the opportunity to look around and read about its history and aims. By the end of the day, UIV had gathered lots of information about the three different places of worship. It was a very interesting afternoon, and we are very grateful that we got to see these places in real life and talk to people who know lots about them.

Matilda (UIV)