Faithful Citizenship

In anticipation of the 2008 presidential election and in keeping with the Mission of the College – an election year series was held to promote discussion and reflection on issues related to faith, citizenship, political activity, voting, and elections. The series included an opening session, a closing session, and four intermediate sessions, each of which focuses on important issues, including: race and immigration, the conduct of war, the environment, health care, human dignity and the criminal justice system.

Drew Dellinger

Public lecture and poetry performance by Drew Dellinger We need a global movement that connects ecology and social justice. Thankfully, it's happening all around us. In fact, there are some two million groups around the planet working for justice, sustainability, peace and democracy.

Mapping Human Dimensions of Genetic Variation

Equipped with our new-found knowledge of the genetic Book of Life - the human genome - the world’s leading scientists are laying the foundation for a genomics revolution that will change the face of medicine in the 21st century. How will people of faith meet this challenging and promising new frontier? Join us to explore the issues.

To Build the Earth: A Proposal for Teilhardian Politics
By Political Analyst and Strategist Dick Morris

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the visionary French Jesuit, paleontologist, biologist, and philosopher, spent most of his life trying to integrate religious experience with natural science, most specifically Christian theology with theories of evolution. In this endeavor he developed a profound sense of the divine in the evolution of spirit and matter throughout the universe, and became deeply enthralled with the possibilities for humankind, which he saw as heading toward an "Omega point" where the coalescence of consciousness would lead us to a new state of peace and planetary unity - and he saw this unity as being based intrinsically upon the spirit of the Earth. This created for him a zest for life in the midst of human suffering and a desire to contribute to the future of the Earth community. His evolutionary vision has created the basis for a new cosmology – and challenges us to imagine a new politics for our times: "The Age of Nations is past. The task before us now, if we would not perish, is to build the Earth.”

Joining us for the evening will be Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire.

The Zest for Life: Teilhard and the New Cosmology
With Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker of Bucknell University

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a visionary French Jesuit, paleontologist, biologist, and philosopher, who spent most of his life trying to integrate religious experience with natural science, and Christian theology with theories of evolution. He developed a profound sense of the divine in the evolution of spirit and matter throughout the universe, and became deeply enthralled with the possibilities for humankind, heading toward an “Omega point” - a new modality of consciousness leading to peace and planetary unity, based intrinsically upon the spirit of the Earth. His zest for life in the midst of human suffering opened an evolutionary vision that is the basis for a new cosmology for our times: “The Age of Nations is past. The task before us now, if we would not perish, is to build the Earth.”

Sandra Rivera and The Omega Liturgical Dance Company, of the Cathedral of St. John the Devine performed an original choreography by Carla de Sola.

Well Being: An Intensive Exploration of Mental Health and its Relationship to Spirituality
With Dr. Timothy Ts’o, MD, PhD, ABPN

An exceptional opportunity to probe the fundamental interplay between mental health and spirit life, with a master of both domains. Dr. Timothy Ts’o holds degrees in medicine from the University of Hong Kong, and neuropharmacology from Stanford University, and combines a lifetime's experience in medicine, psychiatry, and spirituality. Dr. Ts’o unique style of teaching reflects the wisdom of the East with a deeply felt and lived Christian faith, grounded in the most cutting edge discoveries in the field of neuroscience. Join a skillful master whose creative and witty style of presentation promises to expand the horizons of deep-self understanding.

The Monk and the Rabbi
Thomas Merton and Abraham Joshua Heschel: 20th Century Prophets in Dialogue

The prophets of ancient Israel spoke with great urgency to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and likewise to the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, whose correspondence and friendship during the turbulent 1960s made them allies in challenging the political and social order of their day. From the mystical depths of their Jewish and Christian traditions they found the moral passion and wisdom which led each to confront the social conscience of America, as well as open new dimensions of dialogue between Jews and Catholics.