University Park

University to host religion and spirituality symposium

University Park, Pa. -- The Penn State Catholic Campus Ministry will host "Religion and Spirituality: Bridge-Building in the Postmodern World" on Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on Penn State's University Park campus. This will be the first conference to be held at the Center and it is the inaugural event for Penn State's Catholic community.

According to Rev. Stephen Honeygosky, director of the Catholic Campus Ministry, no other campus ministry at Penn State (among the 49 religious organizations) has previously engaged in anything of this scope or caliber. "It will be one of the principal events to mark the formal inauguration of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center," said Honeygosky.

He said the purpose of the symposium is to repair "perceived" dichotomies in a world in which religion too often presumes spirituality, and spirituality just as often dismisses religion -- each taking to the high ground instead of the plain.
"Many, not just Catholics, have been looking for an alternative -- spirituality," he added. "As the tension between 'religion' and 'spirituality' mounts, the gap increasingly widens."

The schedule of events includes:

Friday, October 24
Keynote speaker Richard Rohr at 7 p.m. Rohr is a Franciscan of the New Mexico Province. The topic of his presentation is "Religion and Spirituality: Ideas and Images."

Session I: Borders, Fault Lines, and Crossings: Our Israel and Judah at 8 p.m.
Presenters and their topics are: Stephen R. Honeygosky: "Beyond Peter's Boat: Water-Walking and the Question of Return, " Demetrius R. Dumm: "Religion, Spirituality and Biblical Revelation" and Camille De Blasi: "Mediated Structure vs. Unmediated Relationship: An Unnecessary Battle of the Sexes."

Saturday, October 25
Principal talk by Thomas Keating at 9 a.m. Keating is a member of the Cistercian Order. The topic of his presentation is "The Marriage of Religion and Spirituality."

Session II: Sharing Common Ground: Promised Land at 10 a.m.
Presenters and their topics are: Anthony G. Bosco: "Religion, Spirit, Magisterium," Roberta Campbell: "Border Crossing: Walking a Labyrinth of Spirituality and Religion," and Richard Rohr: "Deconstruction: Problem and Promise."

Session III: Frontier Building: A New Jerusalem at 1:40 p.m.
Presenters and their topics are: Vernon A. Holtz: "I Am Spiritual But Not Religious: An Urgent Need For Integration," Barbara Fiand: "A Quest for the Holy in Our Time: Wilderness Replete with Light," and Arthur Schwartz: "Growing Spiritually During the College Years."

The symposium is funded in part by a grant from The John Templeton Foundation. The Catholic Campus Ministry is the first Penn State organization to receive a grant from the Foundation. Registration for the conference begins at 2 p.m. on Oct. 24. The two-day symposium includes a campus tour, Friday and Saturday liturgies, various meals and entry to all eleven talks. Cost to attend is $40 for students with a valid ID and $100 for non-students.

For more information, including a schedule of events, visit http://www.psu.edu/catholic/symposium.html

Last Updated March 20, 2009

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