TH 527 - Special Topics: The Gift of Creation - Theological Reflections on Ecology, Metaphysics and Poetry

The students’ participation will take the form of listening to and engaging with the twelve speakers who will present over the course of the three days, then giving their own 20-minute presentation on a topic relating to the theme of the conference, approved by the instructor, to be shared with other participante in a pre-recorded video.

On the sixth anniversary of the promulgation of Laudato Si’, this Symposium proposes a profound re-examination of the Christian doctrine of the Gift character of being and creation. The gift character of being invites us to recover and deepen our study of the unity of the sciences, philosophy and the arts within the fundamental dimension of the human person as created for the Gift (to be received and given). The hope of this International Symposium is to provide a privileged forum to deepen the theological nexus of this unity and its implications to be illuminated by the light of the gift of Christ.

Prerequisites & Notes
In addition to registering for the course with Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, students must also register here for the symposium directly with IFES for an addtional fee of 100 euros. 

Assignment Overview

1. Full attendance and participation in all Summer Symposium sessions
2. Completion of Discussion Posts, commenting on at least two of your classmates’ posts
3. A 3,000–3,500 word paper on a topic relating to the theme of the Symposium and approved by the Instructor
4. A video of yourself presenting your paper, which may be read or presented discursively (A PowerPoint presentation or other visual aid is recommended, but not required.)
    

1. Engage in broad-ranging discussion on the theology of creation
2. Comprehend the underlying unity of creation manifested in the hidden unity of metaphysics, ecology, and poetry
3. Identify modern tendencies towards mechanism and reductionism and how they impact philosophical and theological thought
4. Survey the diverse theological and philosophical problems brought to light by our current ecological crisis
5. Discern the complex ethical dilemmas at the core of current ecological conflicts