COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
well as studies of the broader relationship between the Office of the Archdiocese and other labor unions. With the narrative and a firm analysis of it in place, I will examine the dominant understandings of the Church operant for the actors in this story, particularly the Church as People of God.This project makes two important contributions: an articulation of distress in the life of the Church and a broadening of the field of Catholic ecclesiology. First, in taking seriously the kind of conflict that so often characterizes the Catholic Church in the U.S. today, it will offer a basic framework for a Catholic understanding of points of contention. In the second case, the project will move beyond a theoretical theological engagement with history by using a specific historical moment to illuminate and critique models of the Church, and it will provide, specifically, a place for “conflict” in articulations of what it means to be “church.”
Restorative Justice in the Dayton Community
STUDENTS Robert T Ress, Ryan Timothy Stanton ADVISORS Jana M Bennett LOCATION, TIME LTC Team Space, 3:00PM-3:20PM College of Arts and Sciences: Religious Studies, Oral Presentation- Course Project, 14 SP REL 399 P1 Our project explores the theories of Restorative Justice here at UD and among other academic institutions. We will be comparing observations of the Restorative Justice program at Ruskin Elementary school and how those theories can fit into our community at UD.
To Incline Our Hearts Freely: A Theology of Women and Learning
STUDENTS Sarah T Powers Mostrom ADVISORS Jana M Bennett LOCATION, TIME LTC Team Space, 3:30PM-3:50PM College of Arts and Sciences: Religious Studies, Oral Presentation- Graduate Research Many people struggle to balance their intellectual growth with the seemingly less intellectual tasks that make demands on their time. The life/learning balance of women, who often find their own personal development crowded out by responsibilities at work and in the home, deserves particular attention. While it is usually addressed as a mostly logistical issue, the life/learning balance of women warrants theological treatment. The thought of Renaissance humanist Laura Cereta sheds light on how the particular issues facing women who desire to continue learning are theological in nature. Cereta’s personal letters address her own journey toward a course of self-study; rather than allowing her duties to become a stumbling block to her education, Cereta learns over time to integrate her diverse responsibilities with learning. Through her examination of women and learning, situated in her own experience, Cereta reveals how the life/learning balance is best addressed theologically because at its very heart is the human person desiring wisdom and seeking God. This presentation will provide an overview of Cereta’s thought concerning women learning in the midst of their busy lives, with a focus on how her theological insights are applicable to the lives of 21st century women.
A One-Man Bride and Groom in St. Augustine on Embodied Gender in the Church
STUDENTS Robert N Parks ADVISORS Jana M Bennett LOCATION, TIME LTC Team Space, 4:00PM-4:20PM College of Arts and Sciences: Religious Studies, Oral Presentation- Graduate Research Questions surrounding gender impact contemporary perceptions of the Church. I focus on the writings of fifth century bishop, Augustine, a foundational Christian writer commonly blamed, in part, for gender conflict in the Church. Augustine instead makes surprising, positive contributions to the much-needed discussion concerning gender and sexuality in the Church. In this presentation, I discuss ways Augustine understands the—traditionally male—bishop and his role in the Church. In Augustine’s thought, the bishop operates dynamically at once in two gender roles (as conventionally understood): “masculine” giving and “feminine” reception. It seems he thinks simply that bishops receive sacramental life from Christ to give it to the Church’s people. But for him, Christ is the union of man and woman. Though a man, Jesus is scripturally understood as Groom to and Head of the Church, his Bride and Body. Augustine views this relationship in two distinct, inseparable ways: 1) Jesus, the incarnate divine Person, unites himself with, not a human (male) person, but a complete human nature, and so his salvation extends to men and women. Divinity as Groom is united to humanity as bride in Jesus. 2) Since Jesus is Head and Groom of the Church which is his body and bride, Jesus and Church are together one Christ. Here again Christ is the union of man and woman, of masculine and feminine. The bishop’s 63