Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Philosophy Of Michael Polanyi: From The Discoveries Of Science To The Contemplation Of God, Vincent M. Smiles

Forum Lectures

Human uniqueness revolves around our knowing. All knowing is "tacit" (Michael Polanyi) and leads to "indwelling" of mind in reality, as of reality in mind. This is why we always "know more than we can tell," which corresponds with another old adage, "the whole is more than the sum of the parts." This presentation will try to show that the vast spectrum of knowing is continuous, running from discoveries of the inanimate world, through biology and the humanities and arts, and even to "the face of God."

“Thus Seyden Sadde Folk” : Chaucer’S Oxford Clerk On Theological Controversy In The 14th Century, Molly K. Kluever

Forum Lectures

Of all of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the Clerk’s Tale is perhaps the most disturbing. The alarmingly submissive Griselda and her husband-cum-tormenter Walter have horrified and frustrated scholars with their irrational behavior for centuries. Although considered a teller of one of Chaucer’s “religious tales,” the Clerk’s seeming ambivalence about his tale’s moral has rendered most, if not all, theological readings unsatisfying and inconclusive. For this reason, the Clerk’s Tale has primarily been studied for the glimpse it provides into medieval gender politics. My research, however, attempts to situate the tale within its theological context by paying more attention to its …

Review Of Essential Catholic Social Thought, William J. Collinge

The Journal of Social Encounters

Bernard V. Brady titles his textbook Essential Catholic Social Thought to indicate that his focus extends beyond documents of the Church’s magisterium, usually designated “Catholic social teaching” (CST), but his emphasis is on those documents nonetheless. I will comment on this book from my perspective as a teacher for twenty years of a course called “Catholic Social Teaching.” My course is addressed to upper-level undergraduates in a Catholic university and specifically to those majoring in international studies (though it is open to others), but I hope these comments will be helpful to anyone who is considering Brady’s book for teaching …

Review Of The Practice Of Islam In America: An Introduction, Aisha Ghani

The Journal of Social Encounters

The demand, indeed urgency, within the American Academy for courses on Islam has perhaps never been greater than at current. Yet, the very conditions that create this urgency also produce anxieties for those fulfilling this pedagogical role. The challenge confronting many of us - knowing that our students will enter the classroom with ideas/questions about Islam stemming, in large part, from what they’ve encountered through popular media and the news – is how to carry out this work in a way that both acknowledges this abiding, even if delimiting, contemporary context without allowing our teaching to be subsumed by it. …

Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Disobedience And The Duty To Obey The Law: Where Do We Go From Here?, Walter J. Kendall

The Journal of Social Encounters

Not so long ago, several friends joined approximately 40,000 others in DC demanding action on climate change and opposing the Keystone pipeline. They left Illinois committed to breaking the law and getting arrested in front of the White House, as they put it, in the spirit of Dr. King. The law they broke when they got there was an anti-trespass type ordinance. They sat and waited to be ordered to move. They refused. They were arrested, fined and released the same day.

Being a lawyer, the son of a New York City police officer, and sometimes an activist I couldn't …

Africa Faith And Justice Network And The Damages Of Land Grabbing: The Case Of The Brewaniase Community, Ghana, Sr. Eucharia Madueke

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay discusses the procurement of farmland around the town of Brewaniase in the Volta Region of Ghana by the New York based agribusiness Herakles Farm (HF). The essay highlights some of the repercussions of land grabbing by foreign corporations that seek only profit and do not fulfill promises made to locals who lease their land for a better life. It provides information on the efforts of Africa Faith & Justice Network (AFJN), a faith-based Washington DC non-governmental organization, to enable the local communities to avert land grabs and its damages. The essay aims to help African communities and individuals …

Interfaith Dialogue And Comparative Theology: A Theoretical Approach To A Practical Dilemma, Michael Atkinson

The Journal of Social Encounters

Interfaith dialogue is based on the premise that there is more that unites than divides us. Epistemological humility, acceptance of religious plurality or the need for unity itself have all been presented as unifying pathways across disparate religious traditions. Despite such approaches, conceptual understandings of interfaith dialogue have not kept pace with practice. This theoretical paper argues that interfaith dialogical theory profits from a deep understanding of moral psychology and social learning theory. The former posits that a sense of ‘fairness’ and ‘universal care’ are aligned with religious acceptance. On the other hand, values of sanctity, loyalty and authority promote …

Cultivating Inclusive And Peaceful Communities: Multi-Faith Sources Of Inspiration, Mary Dana Hinton

The Journal of Social Encounters

Leaders, educators, clergy and laypeople engaged in the work of peacemaking must acknowledge the powerful role religion can play in the peacebuilding effort. However, we cannot limit our peacebuilding conversation to religious communities. Educational institutions also have a uniquely compelling role to play in the work of peacebuilding. This essay reviews why and how educational institutions must engage in this work; explores emerging best practices in this area; and concludes with a call to action.

Importantly, the essay highlights the importance, power and capacity of interfaith dialogue and education to support peacebuilding. Interfaith education and dialogue is not a call …

“The People Of Aram Shall Go Into Exile”: Practical And Theological Dilemmas Of Middle Eastern Churches Since The Beginning Of The Syrian War, Wilbert Van Saane

The Journal of Social Encounters

This paper discusses the way in which Christian churches in the Middle East have responded to the Syrian War. It signals some practical and theological dilemmas that these churches have faced since the conflict in Syria broke out. The description of these dilemmas is primarily based on interviews with a representative sample of church leaders. Analysis of these dilemmas sheds light on the way the churches of the Middle East have contributed to peaceful resolutions of the Syrian conflict, or failed to do so. Before going into the practical and theological dilemmas of the churches, the article provides a short …

The Conflicts That Pave The Way For Peace: Lebanese Poet And Philosopher Mikhail Naimy, Suha Naimy

The Journal of Social Encounters

Mikhail Naimy is a twentieth century Lebanese author and philosopher whose writings verge towards the mystical and the metaphysical. Naimy’s philosophy is a synthesis of his own life conflicts and his built premises and drawn conclusions that trivialize materialism, following the steps of Christ. Among Naimy’s first conflicts was leaving of his hometown Baskinta and its highland Shakhroub for Nazareth to continue his education, and the estrangement he felt that was alleviated by a touch of God. Some of the other conflicts in Naimy’s life were the love affairs that yielded to the understanding that true love should be beyond …

Foundations For Muslim-Christian Dialogue And Peacemaking: Ideas About God, Faith, And Prayer, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

In this essay, I discuss God, faith, and sacred texts (including the Bible, Quran, and Hadith), and some ways that they constitute foundations for peacemaking between Christians and Muslims. The essay presents my personal, ethnic, and religious background in order to contextualize the ideas which the essay analyzes, and then describes three Christian theological approaches to non-Christian religions. Those approaches are particularist (or exclusivist), inclusivist, and pluralist. The essay discusses the historical background and significance of Vatican II, which took place between 1962 and 1965, and Nostra Aetate, published in 1965. The essay then analyzes three theological principles which undergird …

Introduction To Essays From The Conference On Religion, Politics, And Peacemaking, Jon Armajani, Ron Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

The following essays by Jon Armajani, Suha Naimy, Wilbert van Saane, Paul Haidostian, and Mary Dana Hinton were presented at the conference “Religion, Politics, and Peacemaking” that took place on the campus of Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota in October 2018. The conference’s co-sponsors were the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at Saint John’s University, the Department of Peace Studies of the College of Saint Benedict / Saint John’s University, and Haigazian University, with funding provided by the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota.

The essays approach religion, politics, and peacemaking from several disciplinary perspectives including …

Converting Consumerism: A Liturgical-Ethical Application Of Critical Realism, Benjamin Durheim

Theology Faculty Publications

Critical realism as a lens of thought is not new to theological inquiry, but recently a growing number of theologians have been using its conceptual frameworks to guide their thought on how social structures function theologically, and how ethics might function in light of its insights. This article pulls these developments into the nexus of liturgy and ethics, applying critical realist categories to contemporary understandings of how liturgical celebration (and the structures thereof) form, inform, and/or malform Christian ethical imaginations and practices. The article begins with a brief survey of the main tenets of critical realism and their histories in …

The Magnificat: A Reflection, Kaitlyn Kruger

Obsculta

A personal reflection on Mary’s Magnificat, the author connects her experiences working in a missionary community in Haiti with the words “my spirit rejoices.”

Obsculta Mission And Vision, Obsculta Editors

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

1,000 Years Later: What Can We Learn From Saint Peter Damian’S Liber Gomorrhianus?, Robert Craven

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Embracing And Engaging Holistically: A Pastoral Response To Youth (Or Anyone) Struggling With Anxiety And Depression, Meghan Stretar

Obsculta

Following Richard Osmer’s framework for practical theological interpretation, this paper’s overall task seeks to examine the question of how to engage and encourage youth who are struggling with anxiety and depression to seek counsel. Separated into four sections, the descriptive task invites the reader into the author’s personal experience before drawing attention to the larger societal issue at hand. The interpretive task invites psychologist Erik Erikson’s identity development into the conversation, inviting more questions and possible solutions. The third section, a theological interpretation and analysis examines the Rule of St. Benedict and the pastoral implications of the incarnation. Finally, the …

Saint Patrick: A Hagiographical Study, Molly Kluever

Obsculta

Reflecting on her semester abroad in Galway, Ireland, the author was inspired to write about the conflicting images of St. Patrick’s personal writings and various accounts of his life written by hagiographers in the centuries following his death. This essay is an attempt to articulate the intersection of fact and fiction, and how they play a role in shaping the Irish saint.

Monks And The Church’S Obligation For The Poor, Toan Phan

Obsculta

Examining aspects of contemplative life as a Cistercian monk, this paper looks at the intersection of the Rule of St. Benedict and raises the question of its compatibility and implications with Catholic Social Teachings focused on the Church’s teachings on maintaining a ‘preferential option for the poor.’

Wielding The Power Of Prayer: The Use Of Prayer In Conflict, Tim Martin

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

A Homily On The Parable Of The Persistent Widow, Patrick Martin

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Who Shall Be Welcome In God’S Tent: Disrupting The Liturgical Legacies Of White Supremacy To Promote The Flourishing Of The Body Of Christ, Andrew Remick

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Solidarity And Suffering: Liberation Christology From Black And Womanist Perspectives, Kelsi Watters

Obsculta

As an individual without sight, the author is committed to radical acceptance of and liberation for marginalized groups, as well as a commitment to deep solidarity with womanist theology. This piece focuses on a God whom we know, and love is actively, sacramentally, eternally present in Jesus Christ, whose self-emptying reflects radical solidarity with the oppressed. The author seeks to bring to light a Christological perspective that identifies with the marginalized Jesus – namely, black and womanist liberation theology. Black theology centralizes Jesus as Liberator of the oppressed. It is only in solidarity with the oppressed that we will ourselves …

What Can Buddhist Artistic Traditions Learn From Christian Iconography, Jotipālo Bhikkhu

Obsculta

The three images included come from the author’s year-long residency at the Collegeville Institute.

Macrina The Younger: A Silent Prophet, Alexander Blechle

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Ideas To Disrupt: A Theology Of Ministry, Cindy Gonzalez

Obsculta

A theology for ministry grounded on the call towards Woman Wisdom found in the Old Testament. Wisdom, in accordance to the book of Proverbs, leads the faithful closer to God. This theology of ministry makes a case for how only Wisdom may lead the faithful towards recognition of the need for radical inclusion in a world where social injustice continues to prevail.

'Holy Seeing' From The Art Of The Saint John's Bible, Barbara Sutton

School of Theology and Seminary Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Non-Dualistic Reading Of Body And Soul In The Gospel Of Matthew: Focusing On Matthew 10:39 In The Context Of Discipleship, Alexander Blechle

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

The aim of this paper is to suggest a non-dualistic reading of σωμα and ψυχή in the Gospel of Matthew, which will reveal a better understanding of ψυχή in Matthew 10:39, especially in the context of discipleship. Three perspectives of body and soul will be considered: The Platonic, Middle-Platonic, and Matthean.

The Legacy Of Natural Species And Substantial Form For Thomistic Evolution, James R. Hofmann

Forum Lectures

Exploration of theistic evolution within a Thomistic framework has taken on the label of Thomistic evolution. Although the conceptual boundaries of this approach are not precise, a historical trajectory of its scholastic methodology can be traced back to the views of Aquinas himself. An enduring central concept in this tradition has been the idea of substantial form. For Aquinas, distinct substantial forms were associated with the kinds of animals and plants that have no prior ancestry and are ascribed to God's production during the Genesis days of adornment. Later in the tradition, the early twentieth century Jesuit Erich Wasmann referred …