Scholar Lectures
The following lectures were part of the Spring 2009 Lecture Series. The Fall 2009 Lecture Series will be announced in September.Elaine Catherine MacMillan
"The Nature and Mission of the Church": Feminist Perspectives
Held Thursday, January 29 ~ 7:30pm ~ St. Benedict's Monastery Dining Room. Co-sponsored by Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict and School of Theology·Seminary.
Very few Roman Catholic feminists consider themselves ecumenists and even fewer consider themselves ecclesiologists. Though both feminism and ecumenism have influenced theology in the post-Vatican II Church, rarely does one discipline use the work of the other. This lecture will use the work of Roman Catholic feminists from around the world as the lens through which to study the recent ecumenical text, The Nature and Mission of the Church. View lecture poster.
Andualem Dagmawi
Soteriology in the Hymnody of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Held Thursday, February 5 ~ 3:00pm, Reception ~ 3:30pm, Lecture ~ Alcuin Library, AV2. Co-sponsored by Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML).
Theology and hymnody were intimately linked in early Eastern Christianity, as exemplified in the hymns, poems, and scholarship of St. Ephrem the Syrian (4th century). St. Yared, the great Ethiopian composer of the 6th century follows in the tradition of Ephrem. Both use symbols and images in their hymns that unfold a Christo-centric, ecclesial, and sacramental understanding of salvation. Join us for this lecture that focuses on St. Yared's unique contributions through song to the Christian theological tradition. View lecture poster.
  |
Paul Philibert, OP
Ministry in a post-Christendom Context
Held Thursday, February 12 ~ 3:00pm ~ Emmaus So. Lounge, SOT. Co-sponsored by School of Theology·Seminary.
This lecture will consider the following questions: Are the faithful clients or agents of the Church's ministry? Is the world an object of disdain or a partner in the manifestation of the Kingdom of God? Are the ordained the masters or the servants of the faithful, the anointed members of Christ's ecclesial Body? Should the Church seek to control all social structures, or to liberate and encourage them? View lecture poster.
Vance Morgan
Seeking the Absent God: Reflections of a Christian Ironist
Held Thursday, March 12 ~ 7:45pm, Quad 264, SJU. Co-sponsored by CSB/SJU Philosophy Department.
C. S. Lewis wrote that "the trouble about God is that he is like a person who never acknowledges one's letters and so, in time, one comes to the conclusion either that he does not exist or that you have got the address wrong." Can spiritual hunger and need be satisfied in a post-theistic age? Is it possible to live a meaningful life of spiritual integrity in a world in which God is arguably absent? Using examples from contemporary fiction and philosophy, we will explore one possible, ironic way of addressing "our need for the Friend who never comes yet is not entirely disproved." View lecture poster.
Conrad Kraus
Brand New - Very Old - Monastery in Novy Dvur, Czech Republic
Held Monday, April 20 ~ 8:00pm ~ St. John's Abbey Petters Pavilion. Co-sponsored by Saint John's Abbey.
After many years of no monasteries in this area, a French Trappist monastery decided to reintroduce monasticism to the Czech Republic, at Novy Dvur. Starting with an internationally-known architect, they began to study their history and traditions. Celebrities like Calvin Klein and Martha Stewart were part of the hype, their web-site was second to none, jet-setters from Europe flew their private jets to the dedication, but the monks kept things to a minimum. Even walls were kept to a minimum. Architecture matched faith.
Cistercianism, as directed by one of their famous members, St. Benedict of Clairveaux, opted for simplicity. "The architecture of silence" penned one author. This describes the monks of Novy Dvur. Prizes, tourists, and photographers came their way. Will this disturb their simple lifestyle, their expression of faith? Can beauty, silence, and simplicity be an essential part of a monastery (or a parish) today? View lecture poster.
Ivan Kauffman
Follow Me: Christian Monastics and Lay Evangelicals
Held Wednesday, April 29 ~ 8:00pm ~ St. John's Abbey Petters Pavilion. Co-sponsored by Saint John's Abbey.
From the very beginning there have been Christians who wanted to go all the way -- who, rather than asking, "What must I do to be a Christian?" asked instead, "What can I do to be more Christian?" These highly intentional Christians have had an impact on the development of both Christianity and western civilization that has been completely out of proportion to their numbers. The greatest impact of these Christians has come through the communities of like-minded believers -- some of lay evangelicals and others of celibate monastics -- formed based upon their common desire to live more intentional Christian lives. Throughout the past twenty centuries, hundreds of groups of both kinds have formed. Despite their diversity, the lessons learned through their stories can be summarized in three simple sentences: The Church needs its evangelicals. The evangelicals need their Church. The world needs both. View lecture poster.