A Call to Solidarity
The William H. Shannon Chair in Catholic Studies presents:
Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway
Deeper Than the Skin: A Musical Presentation on Race
WEDNESDAY, September 18, 2019
7:00PM to 9:00PM
Beston Hall, Glazer Music Performance Center
Born three days apart, with ancestry coming through the same portal of history, Richmond, VA, Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway are on a pilgrimage together, one that began three decades ago. The racial divisions that are the reality of America positioned them in two different worlds, but the amazing bonds of music, respect, admiration, and shared vision have brought them together as friends and colleagues. The musical and spiritual blooming of this history has become Deeper than the Skin, the telling of their stories through words and music. It is a quintessentially American story: The gift they have to give is how to face struggle with hope, and even joy.
Harris is a powerful interpreter of the history of music and song on the Underground Railroad and in the modern Civil Rights Movement. A teaching artist at the Kennedy Center, a Woodrow Wilson Scholars Fellow, and director of music education for the Living Legacy Project, Harris was awarded the 2018 Magic Penny Award by the Children's Music Network.
Greenway is regarded as one of folk music's most unique and superlative emissaries. "In the Name of Love," a lead into the U2 classic, "Pride," ranked #5 on the 2013 Folk DJ list. Musically, his inspiration draws from gospel, rock, blues, Jazz, and world music — with its center and roots in the social awareness of Woody Guthrie.
Fr. James Martin, S.J.
Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church Can Show Welcome & Respect to the LGBTQ+ Community
Thursday, November 7, 2019
7:00PM - 8:30PM
Proclaimed a “Roman Catholic rock star” by Frank Bruni of The New York Times, James Martin, S.J. can be found on location with film director Martin Scorsese, serving as Stephen Colbert’s official chaplain, offering commentary on religion and spirituality for major media outlets, and tackling weighty matters as a member of the Vatican’s Secretariat for Communication. Editor-at-large of America magazine, he is also the author of many books, including New York Times bestsellers, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A Pilgrimage, as well as frequent contributor to the likes of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Fr. Martin is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Loyola University Chicago, and the Weston Jesuit School of Theology.
Martin’s latest book, Building a Bridge, is testimony to his pastoral commitment. He calls upon LGBTQ+ Catholics and church leaders to enter into dialogue for the sake of building a “relationship of respect, compassion, and sensitivity.” Despite strong pushback from some quarters of the Church, Martin shared with Bruni: “I’m at total peace. I really am. An ocean of hate online is really wiped out by just a few tears from an LGBT person.”
Teresa Delgado, Ph.D.
Puerto Rico & Charlottesville: White Supremacy & the Task of Decolonial Theology
Thursday, March 26, 2020
7:00PM - 8:30PM
"Send Them Back"? Puerto Rico, Charlottesville, & the Task of Decolonial Theology
Friday, March 27, 2020
1:30PMto 3:00PM
Golisano Academic Center, Linehan Chapel
Teresa Delgado, Ph.D., is director of the peace and justice studies program and professor and chairperson of the religious studies department at Iona College. Deeply influenced by the trailblazing womanist theologian, Delores S. Williams, Delgado's scholarship is driven by an ethical vision that prioritizes justice for racially, ethnically, and sexually marginalized persons. This vision shapes her work whether mentoring doctoral students of color in theology and religion or lecturing across the U.S. That her commitment to social justice activism is propelled by an urgency to seek social transformation now – and not tomorrow — is made clear in her book, A Puerto Rican Decolonial Theology: Prophesy Freedom (2017) and her 2019 essay, "For the Beauty of the World: The Moral Imaginary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s World House."
Julie Hanlon Rubio, Ph.D.
The Search for Common Ground: Community & Belonging in a Polarized World
Thursday, April 16, 2020
7:00PM - 8:30PM
Julie Hanlon Rubio joined the faculty at Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University after 19 years at St. Louis University as a professor of theological studies with a secondary appointment in women's and gender studies. Writing about Catholic social thought as it relates to sex, gender, marriage, and family, Rubio brings rich theological insight to her love of Catholic tradition as she wrestles with moral issues that directly impact the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities. Whether arguing with Dorothy Day or probing Pope Francis' writings on "peace, the poor, and the environment," she listens attentively, searching for the wisdom that will enable her to live her Christian vocation with greater authenticity.
Rubio is the author of four books, including Hope for Common Ground: Mediating the Personal and the Political in a Divided Church (2016), winner of the College Theology Society's annual book award. She serves on multiple boards including Horizons - the Journal of Catholic Social Thought and the Catholic Theological Society of America. Currently, she is editing, with Jason King, a collection on love, sex, and marriage, and writing a book of her own called Catholic and Feminist: Is It Still Possible?
“A single individual is enough for hope to exist, and that individual can be you. And then there will be another 'you,' and another 'you,' and it turns into an 'us'... When there is an 'us,' there begins a revolution..." ~ Pope Francis
Pope Francis is compelled by a revolutionary vision of human solidarity that pulsates with purpose: neighbor standing with neighbor, creating a world that radiates God's love for humanity and our earth. This vision has shaped the mission of Nazareth College since its founding in 1924 by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The dynamism of the Sisters' charism — uniting neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God — takes ever new forms, challenging students, faculty, and staff to stand in solidarity with individuals and communities experiencing discrimination, marginalization, and violence.
Today this charism is expressed succinctly in Nazareth's "Community and Belonging" mission statement: "...to confront inherent privilege, power, and marginalization to achieve equity and social justice." Thus, students work at our southern border with families without access to basic necessities or adequate legal representation; stand with persons and communities terrorized by violence due to heterosexism and transphobia; challenge structural racism and religious intolerance that deny citizens their rights due to skin color and/or religious faith.
We are privileged to bring to our campus distinguished presenters who, like Pope Francis, carry the belief that we, as a community, possess the creativity, compassion, and courage to build a future full of hope. With gratitude for their coming to our campus, let us welcome: Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway; James Martin, S.J.; Teresa Delgado; and Julie Hanlon Rubio.
Dr. Susan E. Nowak, SSJ
William H. Shannon Chair in Catholic Studies
Email: snowak8@naz.edu
Website: https://www2.naz.edu/shannon-lecture
Location: Nazareth College, East Avenue, Rochester, NY, United States
Phone: 585-389-2728