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The Center for Catholic Studies

Rising to the Challenge of Figuring Out the World – and Ourselves  

Headshot of Michael Stebbins x320On Thursday, April 8th the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute presents "Rising to the Challenge of Figuring Out the World – and Ourselves" delivered by the Toth-Lonergan Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Dr. J. Michael Stebbins. This event serves as the Toth-Lonergan Endowed Professorship Spring 2021 Lecture. In a world that is increasingly complex and quite often perplexing, what personal resources can we call on in order to make sense of what’s going on? Dr. Stebbins will outline what Bernard Lonergan calls "the self-correcting process" of human knowing, which is a natural – but often underutilized – activity of our minds. Professor Stebbins will discuss ways of identifying this process in ourselves, engaging in it more effectively, and avoiding the pitfalls that can derail it. Becoming more aware of how we operate as knowers not only improves our ability to figure out the world we live in, but also gives us a more solid foundation for understanding one another. 

J. Michael Stebbins, Ph.D., has been reappointed as the Toth/Lonergan Endowed Visiting Professor for the 2020-2021 academic year, following his initial year of 2019-2020. He holds a B.A. in philosophy from Gonzaga University, a B.S. in nursing from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston College. He is the author of The Divine Initiative: Grace, World-Order, and Human Freedom in the Early Writings of Bernard Lonergan (University of Toronto Press).

The talk will begin at 6pm and will offer limited in-person seating for those who inquire about attendance. The talk will also be accessible virtually for those unable to attend in-person. A link will be sent to registrants the day of. This event requires registration to attend, to register please visit here.

About the Center for Catholic Studies

Founded at Seton Hall University in 1997, the Center for Catholic Studies is dedicated to fostering an ongoing dialogue between the Catholic intellectual tradition and all areas of study and contemporary culture. In the spirit of the Catholic Church’s legacy of bringing forth things "new and old," the Center’s scholarly research, publications, and programming serve to generate new initiatives and facilitate conversation and collaboration among faculty, administrators, students, and the general public.

The primary function of the Center for Catholic Studies (CCS) is to foster the Catholic mission of Seton Hall in creative ways. It endeavors to be an incubator for innovative initiatives in promoting Catholic identity across the university. It fulfills this role for diverse demographics within the university in five principal areas: Faculty Development, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Intellectual Life, Student Engagement, and Ongoing Innovation.

The Center developed the undergraduate program in Catholic Studies Program which offers a major, minor and certificate and continues to support the Program’s students with scholarship aid as well as ongoing co-curricular activities. Focusing on the central role of the faculty, the Center also sponsors regular Faculty Development programs, including lectures, seminars and retreats. In addition, the Center administers two national faculty programs: Collegium: A Colloquy on Faith and Intellectual Life, and The Lilly Fellows Program.

The Center maintains a global focus in international scholarship and is the home of the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture, as well as the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute. The Institutes offer opportunities for study and research, as well as ongoing programs related to faith and culture. In addition, the Micah Institute for Business and Economics concentrates on communicating Catholic Social Teaching and ethics to business education at Seton Hall and the wider business community. The Center also publishes the prestigious Chesterton Review and The Lonergan Review. For more information, visit here.

Categories: Education, Faith and Service