UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Garaventa Center

Laudato Sí and a Global Family, March 30

All are invited to join the Garaventa Center online on Tuesday, March 30 at 5 p.m. as they host Christie Klimas, DePaul University environmental scientist, for a live Zoom webinar that is free and open to the public. Klimas will focus on the Amazon rainforest to illustrate how our individual and collective actions impact our global economy and ecology. Through her research, Klimas works toward ecologically sustainable resource management that recognizes the role of citizen stakeholders. Access the webinar on March 30 at this link.

For more info: up.edu/garaventa/events or garaventa@up.edu.

A Catholic Look at the Crises of Neoliberal Economics, March 23

If you find something horrifying about politicians suggesting that people just get out and shop and dine during the pandemic—even if it means their grandparents might die from COVID-19 and that is just the regrettable cost of reviving the economy—you have just faced a crisis of neoliberal economics. Want to know more? Join the webinar “A Catholic Look at the Crises of Neoliberal Economics” hosted by the Garaventa Center at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23. Theologian Matt Eggemeier of the College of the Holy Cross will use the lens of Catholic Social Teaching to unpack social problems such as racism and ecological disaster ushered in by neoliberal economics. His talk is free and open to all, and will be available at this Zoom link: https://uportland.zoom.us/j/97310481492. 

For more info, please go to up.edu/garaventa/events or contact garaventa@up.edu.

Moment of (Sobering) Beauty: Ezekiel’s Valley of the Dry Bones

This week’s glimpse into The Saint John’s Bible is artist Donald Jackson’s re-imagining of the Valley of Dry Bones in the prophet Ezekiel’s vision. Notice the allusions to extermination of the planet (abandoned cars, oil spills) and its people (genocides in the Shoah and Rwanda). Musician Tyler Lawrence ’24, provides the haunting soundtrack.

Moment of (Disturbing) Beauty with The Saint John’s Bible: Suffering Servant

This week’s illumination is the haunting Suffering Servant from Isaiah. The image is inspired by the “Door of No Return” at Elmina Castle on the coast of Ghana, from which enslaved people were packed onto ships bound for America in the horrific Middle Passage of the transatlantic slave trade. The contemplative music in this 2-minute video is provided by Tyler Lawrence ’24.

New Date: Why Theology Needs Schitt’s Creek, March 2

Take two for this event which has moved to March 2. Like a dash of humor with your theology? Join Karen Eifler, co-director of the Garaventa Center, for “Why Theology Needs Schitt’s Creek,” the next installment in the popular Beckman Humor Project “Why Theology Needs…” series. Eifler will highlight thematic elements of Schitt’s Creek – the series that swept the comedy category in the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards – and propose what we can learn from this Canadian sitcom to deepen our understanding of Catholic faith. Free live Zoom webinar, Tuesday, March 2 at 5 p.m. at this link. Hosted by the Garaventa Center.

For more info: up.edu/beckmanhumor/events or garaventa@up.edu.

A Better Kind of Politics: Towards Social and Political Charity, Feb. 2

Going online has made it possible for the Garaventa Center to partner with several similar centers across the US to share programming on the theme “A Better Kind of Politics: Towards Social and Political Charity.” The Cushwa Center at Notre Dame is kicking off this endeavor just days after the inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden. All programs are free and open to all; most will require registration, including this one: A Catholic In the White House: The Biden Presidency in Historical Context will take place Tuesday, February 2 at 1 p.m.

For more details, please contact the Garaventa Center at garaventa@up.edu.