Contact
Kristin Peterson
kpeterson@dom.edu
(708) 524-6452
February 23, 2010
Dominican University presents lecture on the persistence of religion
Dominican University will present a lecture on “The Persistence of Religion: Is There Still a Place for God in Undergraduate Education?” by Father Richard Woods, 2010 Lund-Gill Chair at Dominican, on Thursday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. in Parmer Hall Room 108, 7900 W. Division Street, River Forest.
Social scientists and critics have proclaimed the decline and even the demise of religion for several decades, but in fact religion is flourishing throughout the world today—often in surprising and even disruptive ways. It is also clear that in the United States and Europe there is a decline in religious belief and practice proportionate to the number of years devoted to higher education. Historically, denominational colleges and universities have themselves tended to become secularized.
In this lecture, Fr. Woods will consider whether it is possible to bridge the gap between faith and educational excellence, what kind of future may be in store for Catholic colleges and universities, and if theology and religious studies will continue to have a place in the curriculum even at Catholic institutions of higher learning.
In addition to his role as the Lund-Gill Chair, Woods is also professor of theology at Dominican University and a member of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans). His most recent books include Eckhart’s Way (2009), Wellness: Life, Health, and Spirituality (2008) and Christian Spirituality: God’s Presence through the Ages (2006). Woods has also published fiction, including a series about the Knights Templar, Epiphanius Tighe and the Dragon of East South Water Street (2000) and A Diversity of Dragons (1997), which was written with Anne McCaffrey.
This free lecture is the second in a series of three lectures, featuring the Lund-Gill Chair. Woods will also give a lecture on Christians in Iraq. For more information, visit http://www.dom.edu/academics/rcas/lund-gill/ or contact David Perry, assistant professor of history, at (708) 524-6052 or dperry@dom.edu.
