Time: 3:30pm
Date: Thursday, October 27
Location: Boardroom, St. Joseph's College
Presenter: Dr. Christopher Hrynkow
From the earliest days of his papacy Francis gave hints that his time as Bishop of Rome would include efforts to transform this world in the service of a climate of solidarity. This commitment has been expressed through his social teaching office, diplomacy, and other symbolically charged actions. All the while, Francis has maintained a particular concern for the marginalized and excluded, inclusive of an Earth community made poorer by human abuse. This presentation will map some of the transformational political content of a selection of these efforts with the aid of a green theo-ecoethical lens. A particular focus will be on the political intention behind the crafting and content of the landmark social encyclical on caring for our common home, Laudato Si'. This approach will bring into view key socio-political aspects of what was arguably the most anticipated Catholic Social Teaching document of all time, unfolding an integral vision of transformed human-Earth-divine relationships that Francis upholds as essential to healing an Earth community in peril.
Christopher Hrynkow earned a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, St. Paul's College, University of Manitoba and a ThD in Christian Ethics, specializing in Ecological Ethics, awarded jointly by the University of Toronto, the University of St. Michael's College, and the Toronto School of Theology. He currently is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Culture at St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan where he teaches courses in Religious Studies, Catholic Studies, and Critical Perspectives on Social Justice and the Common Good. Hrynkow has published 28 peer reviewed pieces of academic work, most recently in New Blackfriars, the Heythrop Journal, the Journal of Church and State, and in an edited collection, Advancing Nonviolence and Social Transformation: New Perspectives on Nonviolence Theories.
Everyone is welcome; an RSVP is requested but not required to Sara at: sara.mckeon@ualberta.ca
Light refreshments will be available.
Stay tuned for our upcoming academic lecture series presentations!