Institute Day: Archdiocese of Miami Catechetical Conference 2021
Science and Faith at the Crossroads: Catholic Academic Integration
Archdiocese of Miami Catechetical Conference 2021
Saturday, November 6, 2021, Southwest Ranches, FL
The McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and Archdiocese of Miami invite teachers to a 1-day workshop where participants will gain valuable insights for teaching at the interface of science and religion. 6 professional development hours are offered. Saturday, November 6, 2021: Archbishop McCarthy High School, Southwest Ranches, FL.
INTRODUCTION
Title: "Forming Disciples in the Classroom"
Speaker: Professor Jared Staudt, Ph.D.
Jesus has asked the Church to form disciples and to teach them. Catholic education, in religious education and the Catholic school, responds to this call by helping students to encounter Jesus, to grow in the Christian life, and to enter into mission. Becoming a disciple offers students a true path to happiness in knowing Jesus and living in communion with him.
Topics Covered
BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SESSION 1
Title: "Faith and Science: Friends or Foes"
Speaker: Professor Christopher T. Baglow, Ph.D.
In this presentation, Baglow will share his journey of discovering the Catholic approach to faith and science through the teaching of St. John Paul II. Specific areas to be addressed will include areas most often involved in misconceptions of conflict between faith and science, including creation and evolution, Sacred Scripture and modern science.
Title: "Creation & Evolution, Chance & Purpose: A Catholic Perspective"
Speaker: Professor Daniel Kuebler, Ph.D.
Dr. Kuebler's presentation argues for the compatibility of the scientific theory of evolution and the theological doctrine of creation. It focuses particularly on the interplay between order and chance that is observed in evolutionary science and emphasizes the distinction and compatibility between theological and biological explanations of what it means to be human.
Title: "Fearful Symmetries"
Speaker: Professor Stephen Barr, Ph.D.
One of the main arguments for the existence of a Creator used by Christian thinkers since the time of the early Church is based on the order, harmony, beauty and lawfulness of the cosmos. How does this argument look today in the light of modern science? In this talk it will be shown that the discoveries of modern science, and in particular the physical sciences, have greatly strengthened this argument by showing how profound and rich the mathematical order of nature is.
Title: "The Good, the True, the Beautiful: Faith, Science, and Art in The Saint John's Bible"
Speaker: Carolyn Pirtle
How can art help to heal? In its stunning illuminations that incorporate scientific and theological imagery side-by-side, The Saint John's Bible bridges the perceived rift between faith and reason, inviting 21st-century viewers to a greater understanding of the deep harmonization between science and religion.
Title: "The Four Hearts of a Sportsman: John Paul II and Sport"
Speaker: Dr. André Polaniecki, Ph.D.
John Paul II was an accomplished sportsman, faithful follower of Christ, and patriotic son to his native Poland. The personal witness of Karol Wojtyła as philosophy student, priest, professor, writer, and bishop eventually led to his election as Pope John Paul II. Among his many accomplishments were over 100 discourses on sport throughout his pontificate, from brief comments to visiting sporting delegations to a beautiful homily during the mass for the Jubilee of Sport in 2000. According to John Paul II, sport was an arena where virtue formation and education could take place. This presentation explores the “four hearts” of John Paul II, the sportsman: a young heart, a coaching heart, a heart for others and a heart for Christ. His life and writings help to articulate sport as metaphorical, formational, evangelical or missionary, and redemptive.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SESSION 2
Title: "The Atoms Declare the Glory of God"
Speaker: Heather Foucault-Camm
‘I know you are a chemist and I saw you serve at mass – how can you be both a believer and a scientist?’ Questions like these are all too familiar in the 21st century classroom. Yet, it is through questions such as these that we begin to sense a deep and profound responsibility as heralds of the catholic intellectual tradition and witnesses to the beauty of creation. How we can bear this witness in a classroom context, without compromising curricula and timeliness, will be a component of this presentation. Through a consideration of common chemical concepts, the audience will leave with the key to the mystery of the Catholic scientist – that creation is ordered, that creation is understandable and that creation is wonderful.
Title: "Science and the Bible: The Catholic Approach"
Speaker: Professor Christopher T. Baglow, Ph.D.
Much of the confusion about science and religion stems from the assumption that the Bible has already answered major scientific questions about the universe to which actual science offers rival answers.To address this misconception, Chris will explain the Catholic approach to biblical truth and its relation to scientific discovery.
Title: "The Good, the True, the Beautiful"
Speaker: Carolyn Pirtle
How can art help to heal? In its stunning illuminations that incorporate scientific and theological imagery side-by-side, The Saint John's Bible bridges the perceived rift between faith and reason, inviting 21st-century viewers to a greater understanding of the deep harmonization between science and religion.
Title: "The Church, Modern Science and the Galileo Affair"
Speaker: Professor Cory Hayes, Ph.D.
The so-called “Galileo Affair” (1516-1533) is often cited as evidence of the Roman Catholic Church’s antagonism towards science. In this talk Dr. Hayes explores the history, characters, and issues surrounding the trial and condemnation of Galileo Galilei in order to show that the affair was far more complex than modern pundits make it out to be.
Title: "The Four Hearts of the Sportsman"
Speaker: Professor André Polaniecki, Ph.D.
John Paul II was an accomplished sportsman, faithful follower of Christ, and patriotic son to his native Poland. The personal witness of Karol Wojtyła as philosophy student, priest, professor, writer, and bishop eventually led to his election as Pope John Paul II. Among his many accomplishments were over 100 discourses on sport throughout his pontificate, from brief comments to visiting sporting delegations to a beautiful homily during the mass for the Jubilee of Sport in 2000. According to John Paul II, sport was an arena where virtue formation and education could take place. This presentation explores the “four hearts” of John Paul II, the sportsman: a young heart, a coaching heart, a heart for others and a heart for Christ. His life and writings help to articulate sport as metaphorical, formational, evangelical or missionary, and redemptive.
BREAKOUT SESSION - SESSION 3
Title: "Go to the Frontiers: Truth Revealed in the Classroom"
Speaker: Heather Foucault-Camm
The Catholic School is a beacon of hope for young people, especially the disaffiliated, where they learn an authentic interpretation of what it means to be fully human as they are prepared to be servant leaders of the Church and for the world. This makes the educational practice at a Catholic School unique; knowledge is presented as a synthesis, is set in faith, and the telos is not the mastery of data but the pursuit of Truth. In this presentation, Heather Foucault-Camm will expand this vision of Catholic education and consider how it is strengthened through meaningful cross-curricular conversation, highlighting possibilities between theology and science departments. At the heart of our discussion will be this – that it is the hallmark of the Catholic educational project that all subjects collaborate, each with their own specific content, to illuminate for all what is true, what is good, and what is beautiful.
Title: "How Can We Keep from Singing?"
Speaker: by Carolyn Pirtle
What is it about music? Why is it so important in human life? Why does it play such a vital role in worship? This session will unpack several fundamental characteristics of music, exploring how it helps us to remember, to express emotion, and most importantly, to pray.
Title: "Christian Doctrine of Creation"
Speaker: Professor Christopher Baglow, Ph.D.
“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth…” All Catholics profess these words every Sunday but often are not aware of the way that the Church has taught us to understand them. In light of evolutionary theory and the advances of biology, do we still believe in divine creation? In this talk, Chris will demonstrate that, contrary to New Atheist propaganda, the Church’s teaching remains as relevant today as always.
Title: "Evolution and the Human Soul"
Speaker: Professor Cory Hayes, Ph.D.
In this presentation, Dr. Hayes puts into dialogue the best data available from evolutionary biology and paleoanthropology with Catholic teaching on human origins and the soul. Dr. Hayes engages questions regarding the potential implications that evolution has for our understanding of Adam and Eve, original sin, and ensoulment in terms of Catholic dogmatic theology and scholastic philosophy.
PLENARY
Title: “Catholic Worldview and the 4 Pillars of the Catechism”
Speaker: Professor Jared Staudt, Ph.D.
In forming disciples, we do not only teach the Catholic faith but also how to view all things in light of faith. A Catholic worldview helps students to see how the world itself is intelligible and beautiful, and how life should be approached as a vocation to serve. A Catholic worldview is especially important now in approaching technology and media and for understanding what it means to offer Christian witness in the modern world.
Details
Registration
Through the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation, Archdiocese of Miami, and the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, this Institute Day is free for attendees who register by Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
For questions or concerns, please email hfoucaul@nd.edu.
Schedule
Saturday, November 6
| 10:00-11:00 a.m. | Introduction: "Forming Disciples in the Classroom" – Professor Jared Staudt, Ph.D. |
| 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | Breakout Session 1 |
| 12:15-1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:00-2:00 p.m. | Breakout Session 2 |
| 2:15-3:15 p.m. | Breakout Session 3 |
| 3:30-4:30 p.m. | Plenary Keynote: “Catholic Worldview and the 4 Pillars of Catechism” – Professor Jared Staudt, Ph.D. |
| 4:35 p.m. | Close |
Location - Directions
Archbishop McCarthy High School, 5451 S Flamingo Rd, Southwest Ranches, FL 33330
Speakers
Chris Baglow, P.h.D., is Professor of the Practice in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame and the Director of the Science and Religion Initiative of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, where he creates and directs programming that assists Catholic leaders in bringing the Catholic faith and modern science into dialogue for the sake of the New Evangelization. He has led programs of academic integration at two Catholic high schools, including the STREAM™ Program at St. Mary's Dominican H.S. in New Orleans, LA. In 2011-2014 Baglow directed the Templeton-funded Steno Learning Program in Faith and Science for Catholic Secondary Educators (SLP), a week-long seminar experience for Catholic science and religion teachers. Baglow is the author of Faith, Science and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge, 2nd ed. (Midwest Theological Forum, 2019). Professor Baglow is a member of the executive board of the Society of Catholic Scientists and serves as chair of its Theological Advisory Board.
Stephen M. Barr, P.h.D., is President of the Society of Catholic Scientists and Professor Emeritus of theoretical particle physics at the University of Delaware. His research has centered mainly on “grand unified theories” and the cosmology of the early universe. In 2011, he was elected to be a Fellow of the American Physical Society “for his original contributions to grand unification, CP violation, and baryogenesis”. He writes and lectures extensively on the relation of science and religion. He is the author of Modern Physics and Ancient Faith (Univ. of Notre Dame Press, 2003) and The Believing Scientist: essays on science and religion (Eerdmans, 2016). Professor Barr was elected in 2010 to the Academy of Catholic Theology and was awarded the Benemerenti Medal by Pope Benedict XVI. He is the founder and president of the Board of Directors of the Society of Catholic Scientists.
Heather Foucault-Camm is the Program Director for the Science and Religion Initiative at the McGrath Institute for Church Life, where she develops the pedagogical components of SRI programming, delivers presentations on content, and coordinates program events. A veteran science teacher and curriculum expert, she has a BSc and MSc in the field of Chemistry (specializing in Physical Chemistry), a PGCE, has completed the program for the National Certificate in Health Care Ethics from the NCBC, and is working towards an MA in Theology (Moral Theology) at the University of Notre Dame. Heather has created and implemented a high school course with a two-part focus on the Church’s historic relationship with science and bioethics as a practical contemporary example of this relationship. Heather wants to motivate teachers and students to consider how an authentic vision of the relationship between science and religion complements scientific progress aimed at truly improving the human condition.
Cory Hayes, P.h.D., is a professor of Philosophy and Theology at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, LA. He holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. His research and teaching interests include: Byzantine and Eastern Christian theology, Philosophy of Nature, and the relation between Catholic theology, philosophy, and empirical science. He and his wife Jennifer reside in Covington and they have 8 children
Dr. Dan Kuebler, P.h.D., is a Professor of Biology and Chair of the Biology Department at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio where he teaches courses on evolution, cell physiology, and neurobiology, as well as maintaining an undergraduate research laboratory that investigates seizure disorders. He is the co-author of The Evolution Controversy: A Survey of Competing Theories (Baker Academic, 2007), a resource for cutting through the competing agendas to gain an unbiased understanding of the scientific issues involved in the debate surrounding evolution.
Cory Hayes, P.h.D., is a professor of Philosophy and Theology at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, LA. He holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. His research and teaching interests include: Byzantine and Eastern Christian theology, Philosophy of Nature, and the relation between Catholic theology, philosophy, and empirical science. He and his wife Jennifer reside in Covington and they have 8 children.
Carolyn Pirtle is the Program Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. In this role, she oversees the planning and facilitation of the Center’s conferences, on-campus programs, and digital resources. Carolyn holds degrees in piano performance (B.M., Kansas State University, 2003), music theory-composition (M.M., Kansas State University, 2005), vocal/choral sacred music (M.S.M., Notre Dame, 2008), and theology (M.A., Notre Dame, 2016). She has published articles in Logos: A Journal for Catholic Thought and Culture, AIM: Liturgy Resources Magazine, and GIA Quarterly, and is author of Praying the Rosary Together: A Guide for Households and Classrooms (World Library Publications, 2019), and Ten Ways to Pray: A Catholic Guide for Drawing Closer to God (Ave Maria Press, 2021).
André Polaniecki, P.h.D., is an adjunct instructor and academic advisor at Holy Cross College. For the past several years, she has taught “Theology and Sports” in the Saints & Scholars Summer Theology Institute at Holy Cross. André also oversees compliance responsibilities for Holy Cross’s varsity sports as the faculty athletics representative. The Louisiana native was a student-athlete at Notre Dame and a high school religion teacher while living in New Orleans. She has a Master of Religious Education and recently defended her Leadership dissertation “The Sportsman’s Pope: John Paul II’s Writings on Sport.” André and her husband Andrew (who is the Dean of Students at Holy Cross College) reside in South Bend with their five children (Gabriel, David, Leo, Agnes and Matthew).
Jared Staudt, P.h.D., R. Jared Staudt PhD, serves as Associate Superintendent for Mission and Formation for the Archdiocese of Denver and Visiting Associate Professor for the Augustine Institute. He is author of Restoring Humanity: Essays on the Evangelization of Culture (Divine Providence Press) and The Beer Option (Angelico Press) and the editor of Renewing Catholic Schools: How to Regain a Catholic Vision in a Secular Age (Catholic Education Press). He and his wife Anne have six children and he is a Benedictine oblate