The Theology at the Beginning of the Third Millennium conference series began as a result of an informal chat between three academics, one from The University of Notre Dame Australia, another from the Catholic Institute of Sydney, and the third from Campion College. The initial impetus for the series was simply a desire to stimulate discussion on the person of Mary, Notre Dame (Our Lady). This first conference on Mariology (2016) was a rousing success, so much so that participants expressed the hope that we could meet again to continue collaborating on important theological topics.

Our conferences are intentionally designed to be interdisciplinary. We firmly believe that this is a sound way to seek truth and, fortuitously, it is a wonderful way to improve collaboration with other seekers of truth outside our own circles. So, we encourage academics from fields outside of theology to contribute. Also, just as God is one, we believe that theology is a unity. Therefore, we encourage theologians of all disciplines to attend, even if the topic is not their speciality. We also welcome young academics, including students who are enrolled in Higher Degrees by Research. We encourage these researchers to participate so they can learn and practise the art of presenting an academic paper.