In the Community -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lecture Series, 2008: The Francis and Ann Curran Center for American Catholic Studies at Fordham University is sponsoring The Bicentennial Lecture Series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of New York. For more information click here.
Fordham Institute on Religion, Law & Lawyer’s Work Programs continue in 2008, highlights include: January 29, 2008, 6:00-7:45 p.m., Catholic Perspectives on Abortion Law & Policy (Peter Steinfels and Amy Uelmen); February 11, 2008, 6:00-7:45 p.m., Catholic Social Thought and the Large Multinational Corporation (Gerald J. Russello); April 21, 2008, 6:00-7:45 p.m., Solidarity and Participation: True Justice for the Poor (Vincent Rougeau). All programs are held at Fordham Law School, 140 West 62nd Street, NY (Room 430 B/C) Free and open to the public. CLE credits available. Website: http://law.fordham.edu/lawreligion Contact: lawreligion@law.fordham.edu.
Exhibition: Realms of Faith: Medieval Art from the Walters Art Museum The Museum of Biblical Art. Much of the artistic legacy of the Middle Ages in Europe (ca. 500 to 1500 A.D.) was connected to religious practices and traditions. Yet art museums often present works of medieval art from an aesthetic point of view, neglecting to address the question of their original function in religious rituals. MOBIA's exhibition will present a selection of medieval works from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, one of the largest and finest collections in the United States, interpreting these in the context of their use in Christian liturgical practices and personal devotion. Exhibition runs from March 5 - July 13, 2008. MOBIA is located at 1865 Broadway, at 61 Street in New York City. More info: 212-408-1500
Conference: Leadership in the U.S. Catholic Church The Francis and Ann Curren Center for American Catholic Studies sponsored a one-day conference on the Rose Hill Campus of Fordham University that explored the emergence of new patterns of leadership on every level of Catholic Life. Participants included Peter Steinfels (Fordham), R. Scott Appleby (Notre Dame), Sr. Mary Johnson (Emmanuel College), Mary Pat Fox (Voice of the Faithful), Msgr. Edward J. Burns (USCCB) and many others. Saturday, June 9 2007. To watch a video from the conference click here
In the Media -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wrap-Up Analysis of Pope's Visit
Benedict XVI's recent six-day visit to the U.S. was his first since being elected pope three years earlier. Religion & Ethics Newsweekly's Kim Lawton concludes her coverage of this historic trip with a look at its impact inside and outside the Roman Catholic Church. Peter Steinfels joins in a studio discussion analyzing Benedict's role as pastor, statesman and preacher of the faith. For more information, click here.
Peter Steinfels appears on the Daily Show
Can you shed light on the papal visit on one of the nation's most popular, and irreverent, comedy shows? On April 19, Peter Steinfels tried on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Click here to watch.
Fordham covers the Papal Visit
To view more media coverage on the Pope's visit to the United States featuring commentary by members of the Fordham community, click here.
"Da Vinci" Forum featured on PBS
Religion and Ethics Newsweekly’s Kim Lawton delves into the controversy over "The Da Vinci Code" book and film. The segment features Harry Attridge, Dean of Yale Divinity School, who participated in the recent conference "Waiting for Da Vinci", sponsored by the Fordham Center and Religion and Culture. For more information, click here.
In Print --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modernity Does Not Mean Religion Inevitably Retreats, Say Panelists >>>
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Modern life does not inevitably entail the retreat of religion from the public forum, concluded participants in a Dec. 5 Fordham University panel discussion on the myths and realities of secularization. Beth Griffin reports for CNS.
Catholic News Service, December 2007
Has Science AffectedBelief in a Personal God? >>>
NEW YORK - At this "atheist moment," when books that ridicule the notion of a personal God are making best-seller lists, believers must acknowledge that the challenges posed to faith by modern science are very real, a panel of experts said this week at Fordham University. Gary Stern reports.
The Journal News, November 2007
U.S. Has Moral Obligation to Iraqi People >>>
NEW YORK – The United States has a moral obligation to the people of Iraq that must be met regardless of when U.S. troops ultimately withdraw from that country. That was the conclusion of the panelists at “Exit or No Exit? Morality and Withdrawal from Iraq,” a New York forum held Sept. 18 and attended by 450 people on the Lincoln Center campus of Jesuit-run Fordham University. CNS reporter Beth Griffin was there, and filed this report.
Catholic News Service, September 2007
The Face of God:What Benedict's Jesus Offers >>>
You can read Pope Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth (Doubleday) to learn about Jesus of Nazareth. Or you can read it to learn about Benedict XVI. Of course, it is not impossible to do both. In some respects, it is impossible not to do both. Peter Steinfels reviews the Pope's new book.
Commonweal, August 17, 2007
Beliefs: Bergman, Antonioni and the Religiously Inclined >>>
In this week’s obituaries for Ingmar Bergman, perhaps no character in the great filmmaker’s work was mentioned more frequently than God. There is an interesting contrast here with Michelangelo Antonioni...Of all the other great Italian directors, probably none were so unremittingly secular as Antonioni. Peter Steinfels weighs in on the passing of two cinema legends.
The New York Times August 4, 2007
Artist, Nun and Chapel >>>
An overflow crowd gathered last month to see a film (“A Model for Matisse”) and hear a reading (from Blue Arabesque). The event was sponsored by the Fordham Center for Religion and Culture. The filmmaker Barbara Freed met the writer Patricia Hampl there for the first time, but they already had much in common. America magazine was there and filed this report.
America Magazine, June 18, 2007
In Person ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles, CA On January 30, 2008, Loyola Marymount University held its annual mission day to discuss one phrase in the university's mission statement, "service of faith." Margaret Steinfels, co-director of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture opened the day's discussion, followed by a series of panel discussions with different members of the university community. A final session concluded the day with with reflections on the day's events and a Q & A session. The event was convened by Robert Caro, S.J., head of the Office of Mission and Ministry. To read Steinfels' opening remarks click here.
San Francisco, CA On October 27 and 28, 2006, the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the University of San Francisco sponsored a conference Point 7 Now: Keeping American’s Promise to Make Poverty History. Some 1200 participants heard a challenge to American Catholics to mobilize against global poverty as part of the UN Millennium Development Plan. The challenge came from representatives from Africa, Asia, and Latin America; responders to their words and analysis included Jeffrey Sachs, Bryan Hehir, John Donahue, S.J. and Cardinal Renato Martino. Margaret O’Brien Steinfels, along with David O'Brien,served on a panel: “A Response that Penetrates and Unites the Catholic Community in the United States.” Her remarks are posted here.
