The One Hundred Fifty-First Meeting
THE AMERICAN THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Midwest Division
The One Hundred Fifty-First Meeting
Friday, April 25, 2003
Catholic Theological Union
5401 South Cornell Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615
Science and Religion
THEOLOGICAL TABLE TALK
Main Building, Room 214, 1:00 -3:00 P. M.
Teaching About Religion in an Age of Science: Is Science the ‘Elephant in the Living Room’?
Moderator: Joe Pickle, Colorado College
Panelists
John Albright, Purdue University
Patrick Flynn, Illinois Benedictine University
Antje Jackelén, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
James Nelson, North Park University
Registration and Afternoon Refreshments: Main Building, Founders Room, 3:00 – 3:15 P.M.
AFTERNOON PROGRAM
Main Building, Room 214, 3:15 – 5:15 P.M.
Emergent Monism and the Classical Doctrine of the Soul
Rev. Joseph Bracken, S. J., Emeritus Professor of Theology
Xavier University
Reception, Dinner and Business Meeting: Main Building, Founders Room, 5:15 – 7:00 P.M.
THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
Main Building, Room 214, 7:00 – 9:00 P.M.
The Communion of Complex Characters: Cognitive Self-Organization and Spiritual Growth
Carol Rausch Albright
Independent Scholar
Chicago, Illinois
ATS Officers (Midwest Division)
Donald Alexander, Member-at-Large
Edgar A. Towne, Vice President
Paul P. Parker, Secretary/Treasurer
The Program: The Executive Committee is please to bring the Society’s attention to the ubiquitous contemporary experiences of science and religion. If religion is an ever present force with which one must deal, undergirding every culture and affecting every individual, science is as well. In the contemporary moment, we are all affected by both science and religion. The 151st meeting of the American Theological Society will open at 1:00 P.M. with Theological Table Talk organized as a panel-led member-wide discussion on the invisible presence of science in every religious studies classroom. In the mid-afternoon session the Society is pleased to have the Reverend Joseph Bracken, S. J., Emeritus Professor of Theology at Xavier University, Director of the Brueggeman Center for the study of interreligious dialogue and religious tolerance. Joseph is a broadly published author and a long-time friend of the Society. We are honored that he will bring a paper on the classical doctrine of the soul as it relates to an emerging monism. The President’s Address is an annual highpoint for the Society which this year will be offered by Carol Rausch Albright. Carol is an independent scholar who has forged her own way through the academy and in the church. She has authored a number of books and numerous articles, as well as lectured widely across the academy. Her recent work on mind/brain issues finds expression in the areas of spirituality, religious experience, the neurobiology of faith, the brain as both physical and relational, and God’s way of being God with human beings. She now brings to the Society a highly anticipated paper on human cognitive self-organization and spiritual growth.
If you are unable to attend the full meeting, you should feel free to participate in whichever portion of the program fits your schedule. The Executive Committee designs each program for both collegial renewal and vigorous intellectual conversation. Why not break free of your routine and engage your colleagues over good food and drink for mind, body, and soul? For further information, contact any of the Society’s officers or Paul Parker at the addresses below.
Registration and Dinner Reservations: For this spring’s meeting, dinner will be served through CTU’s cafeteria line and members will pay directly for their own meals. Because ATS meetings are partially supported by the host institutions, there is no registration fee and only nominal dining expenses.
The Executive Committee’s task of planning the Society’s semiannual meetings is greatly eased if members pre-register for the meeting and make reservations for dinner. To pre-register and to reserve your place at the table, please call, write or email Paul Parker and declare your intentions: office phone (630) 617-3559; paulp@elmhurst.edu; or Department of Theology and Religion–Box 26, Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126.
Dues: Annual membership dues (to cover the costs of printing, postage, and other incidentals) are $15 for members and $10 for associate members to be paid to the Secretary/Treasurer, Paul Parker, each year at the fall meeting. If you did not submit your dues last fall, you may attend to it at the spring meeting or at any time through the mail. Attention to this is appreciated. Also, the Society’s membership roster remains strong only as we advocate the Society to our eligible colleagues, invite them to join us, and sponsor them for membership.
Directions and Parking: The campus of Catholic Theological Union is conveniently located in Hyde Park at 5401 S. Cornell Avenue, Chicago, with free parking directly across the street from the Main Building (but be sure that you are in the proper parking lot).