Carla Zilaff, MA Theology, 2009
Campus Minister at St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
While living in Eugene, OR for five years I had the pleasure of meeting many Dominican priests and brothers who had received their education from the DSPT. They were a constant example to the community at the Newman Center in Eugene of the quality education that one receives at the DSPT.
When looking at various masters programs in theology, I chose the DSPT because of the solid theological and philosophical foundations that the school provides. In addition, I appreciated the small school atmosphere with the support of a larger institution (the GTU) next to a major university (UC Berkeley). Overall, it is a well-rounded education which equips students for various career and education goals after leaving the DSPT.
I am now the Campus Minister at the (Dominican run) Newman Center in Salt Lake City which ministers to the University of Utah, Westminster College, and Salt Lake Community College. Being a Catholic in Utah is a constant challenge for our students who often come to the Newman Center searching for answers. All aspects of my education at the DSPT are tested and utilized in my work at the Newman Center and I am constantly thankful for the education I received.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Faculty News: Sr. Marianne Farina, CSC
Sr. Marianne and 3 of her students from the Christian-Muslim Dialogue course have been invited to attend the Parliament of World Religions on December 3-9, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia.
This delegation will be part of the consultation on "Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World." The goal of this consultation is to address ways that seminaries foster significant teaching/learning opportunities for the development of a new generation of leaders equipped to serve in the challenging milieu of today’s multi-cultural, multi-religious world. The planning team of the World Parliament of Religions chose 15 seminary institutions to participate because of the institution’s significant and creative studies in dialogue and comparative religions.
It is hoped that throughout this consultation, these schools will make their experience available to other theological communities. The attendees will write a final document to be shared with national theological associations and institutions in the United States. For more information go to
http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/index.cfm
This delegation will be part of the consultation on "Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World." The goal of this consultation is to address ways that seminaries foster significant teaching/learning opportunities for the development of a new generation of leaders equipped to serve in the challenging milieu of today’s multi-cultural, multi-religious world. The planning team of the World Parliament of Religions chose 15 seminary institutions to participate because of the institution’s significant and creative studies in dialogue and comparative religions.
It is hoped that throughout this consultation, these schools will make their experience available to other theological communities. The attendees will write a final document to be shared with national theological associations and institutions in the United States. For more information go to
http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/index.cfm
Faculty News: Fr. Richard Schenk, O.P.
Fr. Richard Schenk recently took part in the colloquium, Revelation and Salvific History - J. Ratzingers Studies on Bonaventure in the Context of Systematics and the History of Theology. Held in Bagnoregio, the birthplace of St. Bonaventure, this conference was organized by the Institute Pope Benedikt XVI of Regensburg, which is responsible for the edition of the complete writings of the current pope. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the content, context and significance of young J. Ratzinger’s second major work, his 1955 habilitation on St. Bonaventure. The faculty of the time at the University of Munich had accepted only the final third of the work dealing with Bonaventure’s view of history. The first sections on Bonaventure’s sense of revelation continued to be of interest and would have an important impact on the dogmatic constitution on revelation at the Second Vatican Council, which began in 1962; three years after the short version of the text had appeared in print. Prof. Ratzinger was present at the Council first as an advisor to Cologne’s Archbishop, Cardinal Joseph Frings, and then as an official expert or “peritus”. Frings made sure that the young theologian’s voice was heard, notably in a famous lecture on revelation the day before the Council opened. It helped move the Council to rework thoroughly its statements on revelation. Fr. Richard Schenk spoke on the ecumenical theological program connected with the interpretation of Bonaventura developed by the young Ratzinger and his theological mentor, Gottlieb Söhngen. The colloquium ended in Castelgandolfo with the presentation to Pope Benedict XVI of this second volume of his collected works, including the first publication of the entire draft of the monograph on St. Bonaventure.
Faculty News: Fr. Joseph Boenzi, SDB
Fr. Joseph spent the first week of September offering two three-day workshops to the Salesian Family in Thailand, at Hua Hin, 200 km south of Bangkok. He was invited to Thailand by a committee of Alumni from DSPT and the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome.
Joseph delivered four presentations each day centered on evangelization and education of the young in the style of St John Bosco and according to the spirit of St Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal. Over 160 women and men participated. The majority of the participants were Thai, but there were also delegations from the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam and Cambodia.
2009 marks the 150th year since St John Bosco launched the Salesian Society. The reflections built on this event, asking the Salesian Family in Thailand and Southeast Asia how they might re-launch Don Bosco's mission for the young of the next 150 years.
Joseph delivered four presentations each day centered on evangelization and education of the young in the style of St John Bosco and according to the spirit of St Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal. Over 160 women and men participated. The majority of the participants were Thai, but there were also delegations from the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam and Cambodia.
2009 marks the 150th year since St John Bosco launched the Salesian Society. The reflections built on this event, asking the Salesian Family in Thailand and Southeast Asia how they might re-launch Don Bosco's mission for the young of the next 150 years.
Faculty News: Fr. Augustine Thompson, OP
At the recommendation of Mr. Manu Radhakrishnan in the history department of Princeton University, Wiph and Stock Publishers of Oregon has decided to republish Fr. Augustine Thompson's book Revival Preachers and Politics in Thirteenth-Century Italy, originally published by Oxford University Press and out of print since 2005. His book examines the nature of revivalistic preaching by early Dominicans and Franciscans and how it resulted in their appointment as city managers charged with reforming civic laws and constitutions to promote peacemaking and social justice.
Report of 2nd Annual Tee It Up for Truth Golf Tournament
Beautiful weather, a long-driving Dominican, and the steadfast support of our community made for a perfect day at Oakland Metropolitan Golf Course. Twenty-two foursomes hit the links after an energizing breakfast. All were determined to beat Br. Peter Hannah’s 349-yard long drive, a shot that landed only a few yards from the green but none came within 40 yards of Br. Peter’s shot.
At the end of the day, participants gathered for a delicious BBQ dinner followed by a successful auction and raffle draw. The evening wrapped up with an awards ceremony for first and second place teams, longest-putt, longest-drive and closest-to-the-hole winners. Congratulations to the winning team that came in with a 56 - Lance Russum, Philip Boehm, Ron Scalise and Bill Westernoff.
From all of us at DSPT, a special thank you to those who helped to make this year’s tournament a huge success. The money raised will go directly to providing scholarships for clerical and lay students, resources for student recruitment, curriculum development, advertising and much more. We look forward to next year’s golf event. If you have any recommendations for how to make the event bigger or better or are interested in volunteering to organize it, please contact us at advancement@dspt.edu.
At the end of the day, participants gathered for a delicious BBQ dinner followed by a successful auction and raffle draw. The evening wrapped up with an awards ceremony for first and second place teams, longest-putt, longest-drive and closest-to-the-hole winners. Congratulations to the winning team that came in with a 56 - Lance Russum, Philip Boehm, Ron Scalise and Bill Westernoff.
From all of us at DSPT, a special thank you to those who helped to make this year’s tournament a huge success. The money raised will go directly to providing scholarships for clerical and lay students, resources for student recruitment, curriculum development, advertising and much more. We look forward to next year’s golf event. If you have any recommendations for how to make the event bigger or better or are interested in volunteering to organize it, please contact us at advancement@dspt.edu.
In This Light Which Gives Light by Fr. Chris Renz, OP
Father Chris Renz recently published an inspiring and quite beautiful historical account of St. Albert’s College. His 225 page work In This Light Which Gives Light contains many rarely seen photographs of the friars and the school that help to tell a marvelous story of religious and academic devotion.
Originally founded in 1851 as the House of Studies for the Western Dominican Province, the College of St. Albert the Great was civilly incorporated in the State of California in 1932 with the hope that it would become "a lighthouse of religion and learning to the regions around," and in so doing open up a conversation between the Church and contemporary culture.
As its growth continued, the College became well situated both academically and geographically to respond to the ecumenical movement of the mid-twentieth century. Ideas which served as the seedbed for the Graduate Theological Union (1962) also provided the means for the College to be the first Catholic institution to join the GTU in 1964. Shortly thereafter, the College changed its name to the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, moving classrooms and administration to the GTU campus.
For more information about the book and how to order it, please go to http://www.dspt.edu/ and click on the About Us section or call 510-883-2030.
Originally founded in 1851 as the House of Studies for the Western Dominican Province, the College of St. Albert the Great was civilly incorporated in the State of California in 1932 with the hope that it would become "a lighthouse of religion and learning to the regions around," and in so doing open up a conversation between the Church and contemporary culture.
As its growth continued, the College became well situated both academically and geographically to respond to the ecumenical movement of the mid-twentieth century. Ideas which served as the seedbed for the Graduate Theological Union (1962) also provided the means for the College to be the first Catholic institution to join the GTU in 1964. Shortly thereafter, the College changed its name to the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, moving classrooms and administration to the GTU campus.
For more information about the book and how to order it, please go to http://www.dspt.edu/ and click on the About Us section or call 510-883-2030.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Jon Stewart Lecture
"Kierkegaard and Hegel on Faith and Knowledge"
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 7:00 pm
Where: DSPT Classroom 1
One of Kierkegaard's main objections to Hegel's philosophy is that it misunderstands the nature of religion by placing it on a par with various forms of scholarship and knowing. Through his pseudonymous authors, Kierkegaard stubbornly insists that faith is fundamentally different from knowledge. How would Hegel respond to Kierkegaard's objection? I wish to argue that Hegel would find Kierkegaard's conception of faith to be a pure formalism with no determinate content.For this reason, it cannot be properly designated as Christian faith since it has no content by which it can be distinguished from the faith of other religions.
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 7:00 pm
Where: DSPT Classroom 1
One of Kierkegaard's main objections to Hegel's philosophy is that it misunderstands the nature of religion by placing it on a par with various forms of scholarship and knowing. Through his pseudonymous authors, Kierkegaard stubbornly insists that faith is fundamentally different from knowledge. How would Hegel respond to Kierkegaard's objection? I wish to argue that Hegel would find Kierkegaard's conception of faith to be a pure formalism with no determinate content.For this reason, it cannot be properly designated as Christian faith since it has no content by which it can be distinguished from the faith of other religions.
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