The University of Portland's Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Tradition and American Culture, the McNerney-Hanson Chair in Ethics, and the University of Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture, invited all to participate in a conference directed to examining the intersection of the Catholic intellectual life and American culture. The theme of the conference was: "Teaching, Faith, and Service: The Foundation of Freedom."
The theme is rooted in the identity of the sponsoring institutions as Catholic, Holy Cross, and American institutions of higher learning which are uniquely situated, and hence especially obligated, to contribute to the intellectual, moral, and religious development of our communities to serve the common good.
As Catholic this commitment is informed by the values that stem from the recognition that all life is a gift from a loving Creator, that all human beings have intrinsic dignity, and that the goods of the earth and the goods of human ingenuity have been given by God for the sake of all God's creatures.
As Holy Cross this commitment is to excellence in teaching in an environment that fosters the development of the whole person--the heart and the mind--to contribute to a just and lasting social order.
As American this commitment is mindful that the spirit of freedom and the spirit of religion together marked the founding of this Nation and that freedom and religion can together guide the continued flourishing of the Nation and its people. The conference will focus the meaning of these truths on contemporary problems.
Among the topics explored included:
The conference was held on the beautiful campus of the University of Portland from June 2-4, 2005. The University, from its setting on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River in Portland, provides a spectacular view of the city's downtown and of Mount Hood.
For further information on the conference please go to the website for the Garaventa Center at the University of Portland: http://www.up.edu/up_sub.asp?ctnt=1390&mnu=220&chl=75&lvl=1, or contact the Executive Director of the Garaventa Center, Dr. Margaret Hogan, at the following address:
Margaret M. Hogan, Ph.D.
McNerney-Hanson Professor of Ethics
Executive Director
Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture
University of Portland
5000 North Willamette Blvd.
Portland, OR 97203-5798
(503) 943-7771
