Ave Maria University |
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Christian Philosophy and Metaphysics
Ave Maria University recently completed a lecture series entitled "Christian Philosophy and Metaphysics." The series aimed to explore some of the distinctive contributions that Christian philosophers have made to the study of metaphysics in the wake of Pope  John Paul II's 1998 encyclical Fides et Ratio. Dr. Barry David, head of the AMU Philosophy department, said that "The series will cover a wide variety of themes, and our speakers have all written and talked extensively on these subjects both before and after the release of Fides et Ratio." He also noted that the Philosophy department is "especially interested in considering how Christian philosophers have attempted to recapture the sapiential dimension of metaphysics by engaging philosophically divine revelation, answer the challenges to classical metaphysics posed by several notable modern philosophers, and engage profitably various schools of modern philosophy." |
AMU's Philosophy department hosted a number of distinguished professors from across the United States and from Scotland, including Jorge J.E. Gracia, John J. Haldane, Robert E. Wood and Oliva Blanchette. These speakers are renowned for both their writing and their speaking, and Ave Maria was privileged to have them present their thoughts in lectures which were open to the public.
Jorge J.E. Gracia, Ph.D., kicked off the series with his talk entitled "A Christian Metaphysics? Aquinas' point of view." Gracia, who is Samuel P. Capen Chair and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at State University of New York at Buffalo, delineated the basic differences between philosophy and theology, and made the argument that while there is no "Christian" philosophy, there are philosophers who are Christians whose philosophizing has recourse to divine revelation and the work of other Christian thinkers.
John J. Haldane, Ph.D. was at Ave Maria University Feb. 22 to continue the series with a lecture entitled "The End of Metaphysics?" Haldane is professor of philosophy and director of the Center for Ethics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. The author of several books, including Atheism and Theism (with J.J.C. Smart) and An Intelligent Person's Guide to Religion, Haldane has published articles on a variety of subjects such as art, philosophy of education, political philosophy and theology.Robert E. Wood from the University of Dallas (March 16) and Oliva Blanchette from Boston College (March 30) also visited to lecture on the successful series.