Friday, February 24, 2012

Carter Snead to deliver Clarke Lecture

Next Friday, March 2 at 4 p.m. in McKenna Hall Auditorium, Prof. O. Carter Snead of the Notre Dame Law School, and incoming Director of the Center, will deliver the Philip & Doris Clarke Family Lecture as part of our Annual Medical Ethics Conference. His lecture is entitled "The Cost of Conscience." Please join us! Reception to follow.

Friday, February 17, 2012

St. Joseph County RTL hosts Dr. Alveda King


Next Tuesday, February 21, Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will speak on the campus of IUSB. This event was planned in response to the November lecture by Betty Cockrum, president of Indiana Planned Parenthood. It is sponsored by the IUSB Right to Life Club and St. Joseph County Right to Life. The event is free and open to the public. 

Dr. King will speak at 7 p.m. in The Grille, which is the university’s student cafeteria located in the Administration Building. This is the large building that faces Mishawaka Avenue at the northwest corner of the campus. The cafeteria is at the south end of the building. Parking will be free in any campus parking lot. The nearest parking is in those lots that are off South Esther St.

We encourage all of our members to attend this important event—and please bring anyone you think might be interested in hearing Dr. King. We also encourage you to help spread the word through your churches and neighborhoods.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

TODAY: Truman and the Bomb public discussion

Today at 7:30 p.m. in the Hesburgh Center Auditorium we will host a public discussion between Fr. Bill Miscamble, CSC (history), Prof. Michael Baxter (theology), and Prof. David Solomon (philosophy) moderated by Prof. Dan Philpott (political science) on "The Most Controversial Decision: Harry Truman and the Bomb." A reception will follow in the atrium, with Fr. Miscamble available to sign his recent book on the topic. Join us for a stimulating discussion!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Fall Conference papers posted

Papers presented at this year's fall conference, "Radical Emancipation: Confronting the Challenge of Secularism" have now been posted to our website. About half of the videos have been uploaded, and the rest are on their way.

Friday, February 10, 2012

TODAY: Edith Stein Project

Today and tomorrow, catch the Edith Stein Project, "Encountering Vulnerability," in McKenna Hall, beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday and ending at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Lots of great talks are scheduled.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Integritas Seminar VI

Last night the Integritas program had its sixth seminar of the year, on restorative justice. Since we had discussed conflict on an international level the previous week, this week we re-examined our attitudes to violence and conflict on a local level. The readings on the criminal justice system and alternative restorative justice strategies addressed questions such as: What is the situation of prisoners in America? How does our commitment to Christ's mercy affect our approach to incarceration as a punishment? What should the Christian response to local violence be? What do the works of mercy demand of us in relation to offenders? How can we work for justice without sacrificing mercy?

Prof. Susan Sharpe from the Law School began the seminar by narrating a true story of an armed robbery, asking the students to note how their level of compassion for one of the perpetrators of the crime increased or decreased as they learned more details of the story. Afterwards, students discussed their reactions, which varied significantly. The discussion then moved to what the appropriate punishment for the crime would be, and how such a decision should be arbitrated. We had read that restorative justice begins with the questions of 'Who has been harmed by this crime?' and 'What needs arise from that harm?' whereas our adversarial criminal justice system begins from 'What law was broken?' and 'What is the penalty for such a breach?'. We found in the discussion that as much as we tried to think through the scenario within the framework of restorative justice, the debate would continually fall into the adversarial framework we have all been raised with. It is a challenge to think outside of the box.

We discussed restorative justice strategies such as bringing the victims and offenders together with a mediator to discern what reparation for the harm done would be appropriate, rather than cases going to trial before a traditional arbiter such as a judge. We also discussed alternatives to incarceration. The students were shocked to learn more about the state of the American prison system, particularly with its racial disparities. For example, as of the year 2000, 10% of all black American males were currently incarcerated. Everyone agreed that the prison system is deeply flawed, but incarceration is obviously still necessary for many crimes, and it is a challenge to try to make incarceration part of a restorative justice framework, with progress towards healing emphasized.

Students also identified limitations in the restorative justice model, such as cases in which one or both parties have no interest in participating in mediation sessions, or when the egregiousness of the crime threatens to turn the victim into an offender in seeking reparations, since there is a natural inclination to view justice as 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' One student also pointed out that in all of the restorative justice readings, while the focus was intended to be on the needs of the victim, the focus too often shifted to be solely on the needs of the offender. Both needs are important, but there would be no justice in restorative justice if it became preoccupied exclusively with how to act with mercy towards offenders, and not how to restore the victim to wholeness. We debated what limit cases for a restorative system there might be, and how a hybrid system might function, incorporating both elements of restorative justice and our traditional criminal justice system. It was a complex discussion, and one that caused everyone to re-examine their assumptions about both victims and offenders.

As a follow-up to the seminar, we look forward to playing some pick-up basketball with the residents of Dismas House, a residential prisoner re-entry program in South Bend, on campus in a couple of weeks.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Edith Stein Project Registration

Make sure to register for this year's Edith Stein Project conference, coming up Feb. 10-11. This year's theme is "Encountering Vulnerability: Courage, Hope and Trust in the 21st Century." Registration is available through the Notre Dame Conference Center. The full schedule is below.

Friday, February 10

12:45 p.m. Welcoming Remarks
Auditorium


1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Keynote Address
Auditorium Human Strength and Weakness: Edith Stein's Life at the Hand of the Lord
Sarah Borden Sharkey, Wheaton College


2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Invited Speakers
Auditorium The Biology of Theology of the Body
Vicki Thorn, Founder, Project Rachel
Room 101-104 Love Conquers Fear -- Or Does It Really? Fear, Vulnerability and the Christian Life
Fr. Wilson Miscamble, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame

3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.   Invited Speakers
Auditorium An Exchange of Gifts: Embracing Vulnerability & Celebrating Adoption
Elizabeth R. Kirk, Visiting Scholar, Center for Ethics and Culture, University of Notre Dame
Room 101-104 Marriage and the Book of Ruth
Gary Anderson, University of Notre Dame
Room 112-114 Sheltering and Vulnerable--the Carmel of Edith Stein's Experience
Sr. Ann Astell, University of Notre Dame


5:15 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart


6:15 p.m. Pizza Dinner
Atrium


7:00 p.m. Film Screening: The Human Experience by Grassroots Films
Auditorium


8:30 – 9:45 p.m. Dessert Reception
Atrium




Saturday, February 11
*Please note that Holy Mass will be offered in the Alumni Hall Chapel at 8am Saturday morning.


9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Submitted Papers
Auditorium Session 1: Edith Stein Instructs: Vulnerability, Care, and Trust in Successful, God-Centered Marriages
Pamela Fitzpatrick, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
The Core of Personhood: Vulnerability, Responsibility, Individuality
Philip Harold, Robert Morris University

Room 101-104 Session 2: The Blessed Wound: A Consideration of the Posture of Vulnerability Before Beauty
   Daniel Clarke, John Lane, and Garret Ahlers, University of St. Thomas

Room 112-114 Session 3: To Hold, Care, Challenge and Affirm: Entering into Vulnerability and Imaging God’s Love for Victims of Violence
 Lorraine Cuddeback, University of Notre Dame
 “Virtues of Acknowledged Dependence” and the Gift of Friendship with the Disabled
  Esther Terry, University of Notre Dame

Room 202 Session 4: Vulnerability and Mary’s Fiat in Edith Stein
Jacob Torbeck, Aquinas Institute of Theology
Self-Forgetfulness: The Little Way to Love and the Path to Vulnerability
Benjamin Rusch, University of Notre Dame

Room 200 Session 5: A Pilgrimage to Lourdes: Embarking with Hope, Praying with Courage, Leaving with Trust
Mary Regina Slonkosky, Holy Cross College
The Role of Vulnerability in the Life of Brother André
Andrew Polaniecki, Holy Cross College


10:15-11:15 Invited Speakers
Auditorium Give Us This Day, Our Daily Bread: Real Healing and Hope in the Struggle with Eating Disorders
Caroline Murphy Lashutka, Alumnus, University of Notre Dame
Room 101-104 “I Will Boast in My Weakness”: St. Paul and the Discovery of Christian Glory
Fr. Anthony Giambrone, O.P., University of Notre Dame
Room 112-114 Hyper-Vulnerability and Hypo-Vulnerability: Disordered Female Orientations, Empathetic Friendship, and Jane Austen’s Heroines
Kelly Henson, St. Thomas More Academy


11:30 -12:30 Invited Speakers
Auditorium Women, Sexual Asymmetry and Catholic Teaching: How the Church Beats Secular Feminists at their Own Game
Erika Bachiochi, Author, Women, Sex, and the Church
Room 101-104 Masculinity and Vulnerability
David O’Connor, University of Notre Dame

12:30-2:00 Lunch Break (a meal will be provided in a nearby residence hall, TBA)

1:15-1:45 Dialogue composed by Edith Stein
Auditorium Performed by students of Sr. Ann Astell


2:00-3:00 Invited Speakers
Auditorium The New Sexual Revolution
Kathryn Lopez, National Review Online
Room 101-104 Girard, GaGa, and Ghandhi: Redefining Sexual Violence and Transforming Vulnerability
Amelia Ruggaber, Alumnus, University of Notre Dame


3:15-4:15 Invited Speakers
Auditorium Using the Relationship Attachment Model to Build Secure Relationships
John Van Epp, Author, How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk
Room 101-104 Consumed by Mercy: Mary Magdalene and the Christian Witness
Fr. Nathan Cromly, CSJ, Congregation of St. John


4:30-5:30 Invited Speakers
Auditorium How to Have “Safe” Sex
Anamaria Scaperlanda-Ruiz, Co-founder, Edith Stein Project
Room 101-104 Women and Public Policy
Emily Matich, Director of Operations, World Youth Alliance North America
Room 112-114 Beauty and Vulnerability
Ashley Crouch, Director of Outreach and Programs, Love and Fidelity Network


6:00 Closing Banquet
Lower Level

Monday, January 30, 2012

Integritas Seminar V

Last week, the Integritas program held its first seminar of the new semester. Prof. Dan Philpott of Notre Dame's Political Science and Peace Studies departments facilitated the discussion of "War, Peace, and Conscience." Students read about Just War Theory and pacifism, and we discussed why these are the two alternatives that a Christian can embrace, in thinking about international conflict. One student said he was especially struck by how the desire for peace was at the heart of both Just War Theory and pacifism, so that both approaches are intended to be truly peace-oriented.

Prof. Philpott explained that for Christians, the whole discussion comes down to the question: Can using lethal force against another human being be compatible with the love of Christ? If the answer is no, that you have committed yourself to pacifism, and if the answer is yes, then some version of Just War Theory is an option. We looked back at the development of the Church's thinking on this issue, from the time of Christ to the present day, noting that pacifism was a much stronger movement within the early Church, before Christianity was endorsed by Emperor Constantine, than it has been at any time since while Christianity has become a mainstream religion and Christians hold secular authority.

A heated debate developed over whether President Truman was right to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. The students struggled to come to terms with the Christian moral principle that intrinsic evils, such as the killing of innocent civilians, must always be avoided, and you can never do evil that good may come of it. It is a hard Christian truth that it is always better to suffer wrong than to do wrong, and to witness to that in a time of war requires a strong faith in the resurrection and hope for the coming of God's kingdom. We look forward to continuing the discussion on Feb. 16, when Fr. Bill Miscamble, Prof. David Solomon, and Prof. Mike Baxter will have a public discussion at 7:30 p.m. in the Hesburgh Center Auditorium on Truman's most controversial decision.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Integritas welcome back Mass and dinner

Last night we welcomed the students in the Integritas program back with Mass said by Fr. Bill Miscamble, CSC, followed by dinner in the Geddes Hall coffeehouse. It was great to catch up after a long break that took some students as far away as Australia, and we're excited to be plunging into the second semester of the program. This semester we look forward to five more seminars, several experiential activities, and a retreat to the Trappist monastery of Gethsemani, KY.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Edith Stein Project Registration

Registration is now available here for the annual Edith Stein Project, a conference sponsored by idND and cosponsored by the Center for Ethics and Culture. This year's conference is entitled "Encountering Vulnerability: Courage, Hope, and Trust in the 21st Century" and will take place February 10-11 in McKenna Hall at Notre Dame. The conference schedule is now available, below. This is one of the most anticipated events of the spring semester at Notre Dame, so mark your calendar!

Conference Schedule

FRIDAY, FEB 10 PRESENTATIONS

12:15-12:45
Registration

12:45-1:00
Introduction and welcome to the conference

1:00-2:00
Dr. Sarah Borden, Edith Stein and Vulnerability

2:15-3:15
Fr. Wilson Miscamble, C.S.C.: Love and Fear
Vicki Thorn, Hormones and Bonding

3:30-4:30
Dr. Gary Anderson, marriage and Book of Ruth
Elizabeth Kirk, adoption and vulnerability

5:15 Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart

6:30 Pizza dinner
7:00 Movie and Discussion with Professor David Solomon

SATURDAY, FEB. 11 PRESENTATIONS:

9:00-10:00
Submitted Papers

10:15-11:15
Caroline Latushka, Eating Disorders
Fr. Anthony Giambrone, O.P., Vulnerability in Scripture....

11:30 -12:30
Erika Bachiochi, Women, Sex and the Church
Dr. David O’Connor: Masculinity and Vulnerability

12:30-2:00
Lunch

2:00-3:00
Kathryn Lopez, Media and Vulnerability
Amelia Ruggaber, Sexual Violence and Other Violence Against Women

3:15-4:15
Dr. John Van Epp, How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk
Fr. Nathan Cromly, CSJ, Vulnerability and Mary Magdalene

4:30-5:30
Anamaria Scaperlanda-Ruiz, Chastity and Vulnerability
Emily Matich, Women and Public Policy
Ashley Crouch, Beauty and Vulnerability

6:00
Closing Banquet