Nicholas Wolterstorff Lecture in Toronto - April 27

In conjunction with the Social Justice and Human Rights Conference to be presented by the ICS Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics and Emmanuel College in late April, Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff will give a public lecture titled “Must Love and Justice Forever Be at Odds?” Dr. Wolterstorff is the Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology Emeritus from Yale University and he will be one of the keynote speakers at the conference.

For nearly two millennia, discussions in the West about love and justice have emphasized the tension or incompatibility between them. In his lecture, Dr. Wolterstorff will point to the paradoxes this view yields. Then he will present a different understanding of love and justice: Love incorporates justice; they are not in tension, even though love often goes beyond what justice requires.

This event will be held at 8:00 pm on Friday, April 27 at Northrop Frye Hall (University of Toronto) and is open to the general public. A reception with refreshments will follow the lecture, with an opportunity to meet the guest speaker. Admission to this event is only $10 (in advance). Advance tickets can be ordered through the registration section of the conference website http://conference.icscanada.edu/registration or call Kathy at ICS, 416-979-2331 ext 221. The Northrop Frye building is located close to the TTC Museum station and U. of T. pay parking lots are available in the vicinity.

Everyone is invited to attend this engaging lecture!

Interfaculty Colloquium March 21

The final session of the Toronto Interfaculty Colloquium for the current academic year will be hosted by the Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 21. At this session, Prof. John Berkman will present a paper titled “The Ethical Architecture of Adolf Loos: a Historical-Cultural Analysis.” Dr. Berkman is Associate Professor of Moral Theology at Regis College and Director of the Lupina Centre for Spirituality, Healthcare and Ethics. Following Prof. Berkman’s presentation, ICS Associate Professor of Philosophy of the Arts and Culture Dr. Rebekah Smick will provide a commentary and Dr. Lambert Zuidervaart will moderate a group discussion of the colloquium participants. The Interfaculty Colloquium takes place at the Toronto School of Theology.

Ron Kuipers Interviews Richard Kearney

ICS Senior Member Ron Kuipers has conducted a three-part interview with Irish philosopher Richard Kearney. The first part of this interview, titled “Evil, Ethics and the Imagination” is published in The Other Journal, an online journal. To read this interview visit http://tinyurl.com/77zfhuk.

Bob Sweetman Chairing Panel at University of Toronto

Senior Member Bob Sweetman will be chairing a panel on “Images and Signs” at the upcoming thirty-third Medieval Colloquium, “Imitation, Emulation and Forgery: Pretending and Becoming in the Medieval World” to be held on March 2 and 3. This colloquium is presented by The Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto.

Joe Kirby Presenting Papers

Junior Member Joe Kirby presented a paper titled “ Irony and Compassion: Comparing Existentialism and Tendai Buddhism” at the Religion and Spirituality in Society Conference held in Vancouver on February 20-22.

He will be presenting a paper titled “Traditional Japanese Approaches to the End of Time” at the Seventeenth Annual Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference, to be held at Concordia University in Montreal on March 1.

He will also be presenting a paper titled “Meditations on Life, Death and Technology in the Style of a Japanese Poet” at the fifth annual Stony Brook Philosophy and Art Conference “Still Life?” to be held in New York on March 30 and 31.

Join the Conversation at Ground Motive !

Join the conversation! If you haven’t already been to the Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethic’s recently launched blog, Ground Motive, at http://www.groundmotive.net/ you should give it a try. There are new posts up weekly, and lively discussion in the comments. Ground Motive is “dialogue at the intersection of philosophy, religion and social ethics” and it raises topics that touch us all. This is where the rubber hits the road, where the impact of our everyday living and everyday choices can be reflected on. Whether you are just interested in reading about important issues surrounding social justice and human rights (the current focus of the blog, in honour of the upcoming April conference on that topic) or whether you want to add your voice to the discussion, Ground Motive is a place for you. We hope to hear you there soon!