February 15, 2008

Massingale Keynote for Vanderhaar Symposium
on April 10 at CBU

Memphis -- The Third Annual Vanderhaar Symposium will focus on the relevance of Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy in the twenty-first century. Rev. Bryan Massingale, S.T.D. will speak at the Dr. Gerard A. Vanderhaar Symposium, Thursday, April 10, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in the University Theater on the Christian Brothers University (CBU) campus. A Catholic moral theologian who focuses on liberation theologies, Massingale's topic is: "Dr. Martin Luther King's Vision and Practice: His Legacy, Present Struggles and Future Hopes."

"It is all too easy to keep Dr. King safely memorialized and merely recall his accomplishments," Massingale recently explained. "I want to retrieve the faith that inspired his passion for justice and nonviolence, and then show how that passion can shed new light on the contemporary justice challenges we face. I want to end on a note of hope, as that is something sorely needed to sustain our struggle for justice in the face of formidable obstacles." In his talk, Massingale will go beyond King's focus on peacemaking and include remarks on his advocacy concerning racism and poverty, issues that also undermine social peace.

An Associate Professor at Marquette University, Massingale is a prolific writer who has authored over thirty articles, book chapters, and book reviews.  These have been published in journals such as Theological Studies, New Theology Review, Philosophy and Theology, Origins, U.S. Catholic, and Catholic Peace Voice. Recent work applies Catholic social thought to the issues of affirmative action, racial reconciliation, terrorism and the challenge of peacemaking.  He has also authored an award-winning column for the Catholic Press examining contemporary social issues from a faith perspective. 

Also that evening, a Mid-South university student will be recognized with the Dr. Gerard A. Vanderhaar Student Peace Award. Annually, this award is given to a student who best exemplifies the spirit and practice of nonviolence consistent with Dr. Vanderhaar's life and work. The recipient will make a presentation of his/her work prior to the lecture.

The Vanderhaar Symposium was founded in honor of Dr. Gerard A. Vanderhaar, a professor of religion for 28 years at CBU, who spent his lifetime promoting peace and active nonviolence. Each year, the Symposium invites a noted scholar and/or activist to the CBU campus to address a social and moral issue related to peace and justice and/or Catholic social teaching.

The Symposium is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a reception. Parking is available in the CBU Central Avenue lot at no cost. For more information, contact (901) 321-3270, or visit www.gvanderhaar.org. ###