Spring 2008 Tuohy Lecture Series

Lectures to be given by Professor Anne Clifford, C.S.J.
2007-2008 Tuohy Chair Holder

"Made in God's Image: A Theology of Creatureliness for our Time"

Each succeeding generation is invited to discover for itself, with the benefit of the religious teachings of the past, what the understanding of being human is for its own time.  This is especially important for American Christians today because our era is marked by many challenges to traditional theology of the human person. This series of lectures will address many of those challenges.

March 11, 2008
"Does Biological Evolution Put Humans as 'Imago Dei" at Risk?"

Controversy has swirled around Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection since On the Origin of Species was first published one hundred and forty-nine years ago. Many Christians in America, especially “Young Earth Creation Scientists” and “Intelligent Design” theorists, have treated Darwinian evolution as a dangerous idea because it brings into question the veracity of the Bible and belief in a Creator God. Both groups are concerned not only with these questions but also with the challenge that Darwinian evolution poses to the Christian belief that humans uniquely image God and are more than “mere animals.” The question begging for a response is: “Are their concerns justified.”

March 18, 2008
"Why Do Gender and Embodiment Matter to Religious Faith?"

Genesis 1:27 speaks of males and female being created in God’s image. Yet, beginning with the early period of Christianity, Imago Dei was associated with rationality. Women were by nature more body-oriented and more irrational than men and, therefore, could not image God as fully as men. Approximately thirty years ago, in the wake of the rising interest in theology by women, traditional interpretations of Imago Dei became widely criticized not only for what they proposed regarding men and women but also for what they implied about God. These developments provide the backdrop for theological reflections on gender and embodiment as treated by contemporary theology. 

March 25, 2008
"How Is Jesus Christ a Model of a 'Godly-Humanity' Today?"

The New Testament letter to the Colossians begins with a hymn that proclaims that Jesus Christ is the perfect image of the invisible God and the first born of all creation. This passage provides the basis for an understanding of the human person, not only as created in the image of God but also as called to embody Imago Christi, to be, so to speak, a living Icon of Christ in our time. Imago Christi is a symbol rooted in the rich Wisdom tradition of the biblical First Testament. It provides a lens for interpreting the life and mission of Jesus, and what we, two thousand years after Jesus’ earthly existence, can learn from him and his relationships with and his responses to the people he encountered.

April 1, 2008
" What Is The Role of Spiritual Discernment in our Life of Grace?"

Great masters of spiritual theology point out that desire for God is a gift of grace that lies at the heart of what it means to be human. Receptivity to God’s invitation for relationship – to receive freely the love of God poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit  (Romans 5:5) – requires us to give focus to our desires and to discern between them so that we can discover which are truly of God. For guidance in spiritual discernment, insights from Ignatius of Loyola and Catherine of Siena will be explored. Ignatius and Catherine have been chosen because each, in different yet complementary ways, provides us with guidance about how we can listen deeply to the Spirit of God in our daily lives.  

April 8, 2008
"Globalization Is an Economic Reality, but Is It Also a Religious Issue?"

Globalization is primarily an economic reality. Scholars trace its origins to different points in history – some as early as the sixteenth century and the age of European discovery and colonization. For the purposes of this lecture, “globalization” refers to the new world order emerging since the collapse of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the end of the bipolar world of democracy versus communism and of capitalism versus socialism.  Positive and negative aspects of globalization will be addressed in relationship to basic principles of Catholic teachings on the human person, such as the fundamental dignity of each person and of the right of humans to freely author their own lives.

April 15, 2008
"All Creation Is Groaning: Is a New Theological Understanding of Ourselves as Earth Creatures Needed?"

This question must be addressed because humans can ill-afford to ignore examining themselves and the condition of the Earth, given the reality of global climate change and its effects on Earth’s species. A positive response to the question of a new understanding of ourselves is posed in the form of a “theology of creaturely kinship” that is rooted in biblical creation texts, mindful of ecological science, and responsive to an environment undergoing changes that promise to continue the pattern of accelerated species extinction.

All lectures will be at 7:30pm in the Dolan Science Center, Donahue Auditorium, at John Carroll University.

Lectures are FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Dr. David R. Mason, Director
216-397-4708

"Religious Pluralism Today: Being Christian with Islam"
Dr. Paul L. Heck, Georgetown University, 2006-2007 Tuohy Chair Holder

Scripture: Does
the Qur'an Belong in the Bible?
3-13-07

Skepticism: How Many "Good Books" Can We Have?
3-20-07

Spirituality: Do
We Pray to the Same
God? 
3-27-07

Jihad: Is it Christian Too?
4-03-07

Power: Is Islam More or Less Democratic Than Christianity?
4-10-07

Justice: God's Rights and Human Rights
4-17-07