April 1st, 2008 Newsletter  Download Newsletter Download Attached FlyerLinda Hogan at Trinity College Dublin and Sue Perry at Orbis Press Announce that the selected applied ethics papers from Padova will be published the last week of May Applied Ethics in a World Church: The Padua Conference Linda
Hogan, editor, The Papers address the following
issues: Early reviews: “Applied Ethics and the World
Church is a unique collection of essays dealing with the burning issues
of today--social justice, the environment, gender and sexuality, HIV/AIDS,
and bioethics. Many people talk about globalization and its effects
on life and ethics, but in this book Catholic ethicists from five different
continents address the major issues facing the church and society in
the twenty-first century. There is no other book in print that even
tries to do what this book accomplishes for Catholic ethics.”–Charles
E. Curran, Southern Methodist University “This is a remarkable
collection of international and cross-cultural essays on urgent ethical
issues of today. It shows how important it is to hear voices from
around the world and, in this case, the voices of Catholic ethicists.
This book goes a long way in providing insight and wisdom not only for
moral theologians but for all the people of the church and the world.”--Margaret
A. Farley, Yale Divinity School After May 18 you can order on-line http://www.maryknollmall.org ______________________________ New Editions of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church James
F. Keenan, Editor On the Spanish edition, Andrés C. Telesca, Director General, Editorial San Benito, Argentina reports that it is due out in MAY e-mail: editorial@editorialsanbenito On the Italian edition, Luigi Lorenzetti of Edizioni Dehoniane in Bologna will have it out in SEPTEMBER Watch their site http://www.dehoniane.it From the Philippines, Agnes
Brazal reports that the Ateneo de Manila will publish a Filipino edition
of the collection From India, Clement Campos
reports on talks with Asian Trading Corporation that they are interested
in printing an Indian edition. ______________________________ Improving Communications Maria Morrow invites us to
her blog regarding the intersection of being a mother and being a theologian ______________________________ News Kenya From Planning Committee Member Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator <wadoghe@yahoo.co.uk> Hekima Lenten Peace Campaign – 4 Easter Greetings! Unlike the New Year celebrations which were put on hold, we celebrated Easter in Kenya with a joyful sense of gratitude for the return of peace to our country. Yet the situation remains disturbing, because the politicians have devoted all their time and energy to dividing the spoils of power. The implementation of the power-sharing deal seems to have hit a snag: the two parties can’t agree on who gets what ministerial portfolio and how many ministers should make up the cabinet. There’s a palpable sense of frustration and disillusionment among the people, because the need of ordinary Kenyans for justice, resettlement, healing, reconciliation, and humanitarian assistance has been pushed aside in favour of the politicians’ schemes to reward themselves with plum positions in government. One wonders: what did 1,500 Kenyans die for? What did 350,000 Kenyans get in return for being IDPs? Two weeks ago, we got a call from the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Kenneth Marende, requesting us to deliver postcards of the prayer for peace to the parliament. The call was in response to our prior request to distribute them to the Members of Parliament, in anticipation of parliamentary sessions to ratify the peace accord. We delivered 250 postcards and they were distributed to the MPs by the Personal Assistant to the Speaker. President Mwai Kibaki, Prime Minster Designate Raila Odinga, and all the key players in the post-election debacle are elected MPs. So, we believe that the message of peace – the focus of our Lenten Campaign – has reached the corridors of power. The message has also been preached and heard in often unexpected places. We have seen the peace prayer displayed in a barber’s shop, commuters pray the peace prayer in matatus (mass transit buses), various Christian groups use it for their gathering in churches, small Christian communities, and university campuses. At Kenyatta University, one of the main public tertiary institutions, the Maryknoll chaplain used the prayer after every Mass and invited students/parishioners to take the postcards home at the end of Lent. The peace prayer has also being translated into two Kenyan languages, Akamba and Pokot, for use in some areas where Swahili is not spoken. We found out that one cashier at Uchumi Supermarkets was reluctant to distribute the postcards, because, as she admitted, the prayer did not address the issue of justice. One of the Organizing Committee members was approached by an Imam who wanted 1,000 postcards for his and two neighbouring mosques. Said the Imam: “I don’t know if you Catholics are praying it, but we’ll receive it from you and we’ll pray it!” Chaplains have used the postcards in retreat houses, convents, and students’ dorms. We continue to receive more requests for postcards from various peace groups and initiatives who find it a simple and effective means of spreading the message of peace. This is one campaign that won’t be ending soon. At the end of Lent, we decided to continue printing postcards – as long as we have the resources to do so. At present one of us is conducting workshops for peace activists, who have collected postcards for distribution in Nakuru, Eldoret, Naivasha, Mombasa, Kuresoi (Molo), Kericho, Kiambu – areas affected by the post-election violence. We continue to pray for and thank you all for supporting this Peace Campaign. Your effort was not in vain. At the resurrection, Jesus offered his followers the gift of peace. To all who have supported Hekima Lenten Campaign 2008 in so many different ways we say: PEACE BE WITH YOU! And PEACE BE UPON KENYA!
Hekima Lenten Peace Campaign 2008 Organizing Committee India From Soosai Arokiasamy on the
Annual Meeting of Moral Theologians of India In December, 2007, the annual
meeting of the Association of Moral Theologians of India took place
in Bangalore. The theme was: Moral theological Issues of the Youth in
Contemporary India. An introductory paper focused on Person-centered
Pedagogy in relation to Ethical issues and Moral problems of the Youth.
Four youth in a panel presentation facilitated the discussion with inputs
supported by empirical study on moral questions facing the contemporary
youth in the context of globalization and the impact of IT industries.
A communication expert helped the discussion with an input on the impact
of media on the youth and the moral dilemmas it raises for the youth.
The group had a fruitful exchange on the models of response to the ethical
questions and moral problems with emphasis on pastoral approaches. For the annual meeting of the
Association of Moral Theologians of India to be held in December, 2008,
the theme is: Ethical Issues and Moral Questions in Relation to Politics
(Political Ethics) in the Context of India and Asia. A report will be
sent to the News Letter after the meeting in Jan. 2009. In December 2006, the annual
meeting of the Association of Moral Theologians of India had the theme:
Violence, Terrorism and Non-Violence. Ethical Challenges and Responses.
The papers presented are being edited into a book. ______________________________ Conferences Italy P. Giovanni Russo of the Scuola Superiore di Bioetica e Sessuologia in Messina (bioeticalab@itst.it) reports that he will be hosting a conference on "Humanae vitae, A Theological and Pastoral Evaluation, 40 Years Later," on April 4-5. For more information: preside@itst.it United States Dana
Dillon reports that New Wine, New Wineskins will hold their annual conference
for pre-tenure Catholic moral theologians July 31-August 3, 2008 on
the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
This year's conference features a conversation with senior scholar Fr.
Robert Barron regarding his recent book The Priority of Christ.
In addition, there will be 10 paper presentations by participants. This
conference also features meals and prayer together and a real atmosphere
of collegiality and friendly argument. To learn more about this organization
or to receive detailed registration information, please send an email
to new.wineskins@gmail.com. Tobias Winright reports on a conference for professors and their students 4th
Annual Student Conference on Sex, Marriage, & Family on November
14-16, 2008, at Saint Louis University: Mark it on your calendar
now and bring it your students’ (primarily undergraduates) attention
in advance, so that they can plan to attend and/or submit a paper proposal
for possible presentation. This is a conference planned and conducted
by students from Saint Louis University and other colleges and universities.
This year’s focus is on theology, ethics, and being single—but other
paper topics will be welcome. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jana Bennett
of the University of Dayton and author of the recently published
Water Is Thicker than Blood: An Augustinian Theology of Marriage and
Singlehood (Oxford University Press, 2008). Previous keynote speakers
have included Paulinus Odozor, David Cloutier, Jason King, Florence
Caffrey Bourg, and William Mattison III. A formal call for papers will
be issued in the near future, so watch the conference’s website at http://www.slu.edu/x14948.xml. Professors are welcome to accompany
their students and attend this conference. For further information,
contact Dr. Julie Hanlon Rubio (rubiojh@slu.edu) or Dr. Tobias Winright (twinrigh@slu.edu). ______________________________ Book News Canada John Perry, Catholics
and Slavery. A Compromising History https://store.novalis.ca England Gerard Mannion reports that Julie Clague, Bernard Hoose & Gerard Mannion have edited Moral Theology for the 21st Century: Essays in Celebration of Kevin T. Kelly With Continuum Press. If you order with the attached
form before April 30, prices are cut in half ! Contributors to the
book: Charles Curran (Southern Methodist University, USA);
James Keenan (Boston College, USA); Judith Merkle (Niagara
University, New York State); Suzanne Mulligan (Maynooth University,
Ireland); Ladislas Örsy (Georgetown University, USA); Todd
Salzmann and Michael Lawler (Creighton University, USA);
Joseph Selling (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium); Tina
Beattie (Roehampton University, President of the Catholic Theological
Association of Great Britain); Julie Clague (Glasgow University);
Catherine Cowley (Heythrop College, University of London); Celia
Deane Drummond (Chester University); John Elford (Liverpool
Hope University); Patrick Hannon, (Maynooth University, Ireland);
Nicholas Peter Harvey (Association of Teachers of Moral Theology
and Society of Christian Ethics); Rudolf Hein (University of
Münster, Germany); Linda Hogan (Irish School of Ecumenics, Dublin);
Bernard Hoose (Heythrop College, University of London); Jayne
Hoose (formerly of Canterbury Christ Church University and of CAFOD);
Gerard J. Hughes (Campion Hall, University of Oxford); Jan Jans
(University of Tilburg, Netherlands); Enda McDonagh (Maynooth University,
Ireland); Jack Mahoney (Formerly of University of Edinburgh,
London Business School, Heythrop College and of King’s College, London);
Gerard Mannion (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven); Barry McMillan
(St Patrick’s College, Carlow, Ireland). 'This splendid collection of
compelling essays by an international, interdisciplinary, and ecumenical
group of renowned and aspiring scholars honours Kevin Kelly by combining
judicious scholarship with pastoral insight. The perspectives on familiar
themes in moral theology are fresh, and the positions are often provocative.
Readers could not ask for a more learned survey of the state of moral
theology at the beginning of the twenty-first century'. Richard M. Gula,
S.S., Franciscan School of Theology/Graduate Theological union, California
USA Germany Werner Wolbert, Gewissen und Verantwortung. Gesammelte Studien, Freiburg i.Ue./Freiburg i.Br. 2008 (= Studien zur theologischen Ethik Bd. 118). This volume
presents some revised former articles of the author on subjects of general
moral theology (e.g. conscience, responsibility, sources of morality,
naturalism, normative ethics). Kenya and
South Africa Teresia M. Hinga reports that Tereisa M. Hinga, Anne Nkirote Kubai, Philomena Mwaura & Hazel Ayanga have authored: Women, Religion and HIV/AIDS in Africa: Responding to Ethical and Theological Challenges With Cluster Publications
Order on-line at: http://www.clusterpublications Email: clustersales@essa.ac.za United States Jana Marguerite Bennett has published her first book. Water Is Thicker than Blood: An Augustinian Theology of Marriage and Singlehood with Oxford University Press http://www.oup.com/us/catalog "Bennett
offers a renewed understanding of marriage and singleness, and she challenges
the contemporary focus, in theology, on the nuclear family. As surprising
as it seem, she retrieves this challenge through a study of Augustine.
She sets Augustine's oft-cited (and misunderstood) statements on marriage,
sex, and sin within a broad and incisive account of his theology and
his hope for holiness in the Christian life." --David Matzko
McCarthy, author of Sex and Love in the Home: A Theology of the
Household David Hollenbach has edited Refugee Rights: Ethics, Advocacy, and Africa Due out in May 2008, with Georgetown University Press http://press.georgetown.edu Order now, before publication in May, and enter this code M82 and you receive
a 30% discount!!! "Refugee Rights
addresses one of the most crucial issues concerning the plight of Africa
since the 1980s. We warmly welcome the effort to explore the refugee
issue from different perspectives: theological, ethical, legal, political,
economic, and cultural. Such a holistic approach makes this book a seminal
study in the attempt to understand our individual and collective responsibility
vis-à-vis the refugee problem; and there is no doubt that this book
will become a magnum opus for NGOs, activists, and many centers and
institutes of peace in Africa." —Dr. Paulin Manwelo,
SJ, Director of Hekima College Institute of Peace Studies & International
Relations, Nairobi, Kenya ______________________________ For May Newsletter Submissions
to James.Keenan.2@bc.edu By April 26th |