UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Theology Department

Theology Thursday Lecture: Rachel Wheeler, Feb. 15

Rachel Wheeler, theology, will present “Greening the Desert: Reading the Desert Fathers and Mothers in a Time of Ecological Crisis” on Thursday, February 15, at 7:15 p.m., in Franz Hall room 120. Her talk is free and open to all. Wheeler will be sharing stories and teachings from the late antique Christians known as desert mothers and desert fathers. Their stories and teachings reveal profound experience of God, commitment to specific and experimental forms of Christian discipleship and spiritual companionship, and a response to the natural world characterized by curiosity and love. By interpreting their stories and teachings in light of contemporary ecological crisis, Wheeler will demonstrate how “greening the desert” results in a reevaluation of, and deepened appreciation for, the virtuous qualities these individuals’ lives disclose—qualities such as attentiveness, restraint, perseverance, and hopefulness.

For more information contact the theology department at theology@up.edu.

“The Ritual of Archaeology,” Jan. 30

Dundon-Berchtold fellows David Turnbloom, theology, and student Jonathan Wiley will present “Formed in the Dirt: The Ritual of Archaeology” on Tuesday, January 30, at 7:15 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons Terrace Room. Turnbloom and Wiley will discuss whether scientific research is a ritual, what effects research and ritual have on those who practice them, and their roles in the mission of the University of Portland. The talk is sponsored by the Dundon-Berchtold Institute and the UP Pollentia undergraduate research expedition.

For more information contact Turnbloom at turnbloo@up.edu.

Theology Thursday Lecture, Sept. 28: “Climate Change and the Prophetic Vision”

The next Theology Thursday lecture will be held on Thursday, September 28, 7:15 to 8:30 p.m., in Franz Hall room 120. Carol J. Dempsey, OP, theology, will present “Climate Change and the Prophetic Vision.”

Climate change is the most significant challenge facing the world today. It raises questions about the way people live and the way they ought to live. Dempsey will examine these questions from biblical, theological, and philosophical perspectives.

For more information contact the theology department at x7274 or mackinno@up.edu.

update

Simon Aihiokhai, theology, was cited in a panel discussion on “Institutional Witness: The University and the Work of Evangelization,” organized by the Committee on Doctrine of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for the Bishops Meeting with the Learned Societies, Friday, March 24, 2017, at the USCCB office in Washington, D.C.

Theology Thursday Lecture by Simon Aihiokhai, April 6

The next Theology Thursday lecture will feature Simon Aihiokhai, theology, as he presents “New Perspectives for Interfaith Dialogue in the 21st Century” on Thursday, April 6, at 7:15 p.m., in Franz Hall 120. The event is free and open to all.

Arguing for the place of religious truths in the era of globalization, this talk explores how African indigenous religions appropriate a pragmatic approach discerning the relevance of religious truths that inspire the flourishing of communal life.

Aihiokhai is a Nigerian-American theologian, currently a visiting assistant professor of systematic theology at the University of Portland. His research and publication engage religion and identity in Islam, Christianity, and African religions. His articles have appeared in Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Black Catholic Theological Symposium Journal, International Journal of African Catholicism, and in several edited books. Aihiokhai continues to be an active interlocutor in the ongoing Christian-Muslim dialogue in Nigeria and the Roman Catholic/African religions dialogue. He worked as a missionary among many cultures in Nigeria for ten years and continues to reflect on the rich experience he gained from his encounters with people of the Muslim and African religious faiths.

For ADA accommodations or event information contact Deborah MacKinnon, theology, at mackinno@up.edu or x7274.

 

“The Sacredness of the Ordinary,” with Fr. Tom Hosinski, C.S.C., April 20

U of P

All are welcome to join the Garaventa Center in honoring distinguished theologian Fr. Tom Hosinski, C.S.C., as he offers his final lecture before retiring at the end of the spring 2016 semester. His lecture, “The Sacredness of the Ordinary,” is set for Wednesday, April 20, at 7:15 p.m., in Franz Hall Room 120.

The sacred and the ordinary are frequently distinguished and seemingly separated from each other. But reflection on divine omnipresence and on traditional ways of understanding the doctrine of creation and creaturely existence suggests a different view. In this talk, Fr. Hosinski will suggest that the sacred and the ordinary actually coincide and incorporate each other.

Fr. Hosinski has been teaching at the University since 1978. His publications include a book on the philosophy and philosophical theology of Alfred North Whitehead (Stubborn Fact and Creative Advance, 1993), a book on the contemporary understanding of God (tentatively entitled God-Talk in the 21st Century, 2017), and numerous scholarly articles.

For ADA accommodations or more information contact the Garaventa Center at 7702 or garaventa@up.edu, or visit sites.up.edu/garaventa.

Theology Thursday Lecture, March 31

mcmanus copyThe next Theology Thursday lecture will be presented by senior theology major Jessica Brown and Sr. Kathleen McManus, OP, theology, on Thursday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m., in the Terrace Room. The lecture is free and open to all.

Brown and McManus will present “The Global Suffering of Women: An Ethical Imperative for the Church.” While the Catholic Church exercises incomparable influence for good throughout the world, they posit, the Church’s inherent patriarchal structure functions to reinforce oppressive social and cultural attitudes, thus contributing to the suffering of women.

The lecture came about with support of the Dundon-Berchtold Institute, which provided the research grant that has allowed Brown and McManus to collaborate on their project during this past academic year.

For ADA accommodations or event information contact Deborah MacKinnon, theology, at 7274 or mackinno@up.edu.

Family Open Forum Series Continues with Christina Astorga on Bioethics, March 11

x-default

The theology department and the M.A. in pastoral ministry programs continue their partnership with the intercultural community of St. Pius X Parish with their Family Open Forum Series, according to Kathleen McManus, OP, theology. The next forum is a simultaneously translated English and Spanish conversation about bioethics with theology department chair Christina Astorga on Friday, March 11, at 7 p.m., at St. Pius X Community Center (1280 NW Saltzman Rd, Portland). The forums are free and open to all. Previous sessions have engaged theology professor Rene Sanchez and St. Pius pastoral staff on the question of intercultural ministry, and McManus and St. Pius pastor Rev. Sean Weeks on incarnation and Christology.

For more information contact the theology department at 7274 or mackinno@up.edu.

Rene Sanchez Lecture on Social Justice, March 1

Staff and faculty portraits

University of Portland theology professor Rene Sanchez will speak on social justice in the Catholic Church on Tuesday, March 1, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church (25 N. Rosa Parks Way, Portland), at 7 p.m. (English) and Saturday, March 5 at 9 a.m. (Spanish). The event is free and open to all.

Sanchez will focus on the seven key principles of Catholic Social Teaching: Life and Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; and Care for God’s Creation.

For more information contact the theology department at x7274 or theo@up.edu.

Theology Thursday Lecture, Feb. 25

turnbloom copyThe theology department will introduce its newest faculty member, Dave Turnbloom, as he presents the first two Theology Thursday lectures of the spring 2016 semester. Turnbloom will speak on “The Sacraments: God’s Life in our Lives,” on Thursday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m., in Franz Hall Room 120. His lecture is free and open to all. Turnbloom will explore questions about the Sacraments, including:

  • Can bread teach us about God?
  • What does perfumed oil have to do with Jesus?
  • Why do Christians insist on dunking babies in water?

All are invited to come hear about the rituals of Christianity and how the faithful underestimate their power.

For ADA accommodations or event information contact the theology department at 7274 or mackinno@up.edu.