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October 16-17, 2009
The Sacred Feminine: Prehistory to Postmodernity National Symposium
August 2008
Spirituality and Health Film Series
The MU Center on Religion & the Professions is hosting the 2008-09 film series on "Spirituality & Health.” Admission is free.
The listing of films can be found at http://corp.missouri.edu.
Religion and medicine seek to answer some of the biggest questions, about life, death and the future. MU’s Center on Religion & the Professions (CORP) is addressing the intersection of spirituality and health with a film series that starts Sept. 4, 2008. Films will be shown at 7 p.m. in Jesse Wrench Auditorium, and continue on occasional Thursdays through April 2, 2009. Discussions about the films are moderated by campus and community experts in religion and health. Admission is free.
“Almost 90 percent of individuals report believing in a higher power and most turn to spiritual beliefs, religious practices and congregational support when ill,” said Dr. George “Brick” Johnstone, who heads CORP’s spirituality and health research team. However, until recently, many healthcare professionals did not feel comfortable discussing religious matters with their patients, he said. “With the increasing national interest in religion and health, we have an excellent opportunity to present some great films showing different perspectives on the impact of spiritual beliefs and religious practices on health,” Johnstone said.
Films represent a variety of genres and religious traditions. Topics range from cultural challenges in health care to miraculous healing, health benefits of spiritual practice and how faith informs healthcare professionals’ practice. Watching films creates a shared experience in a safe space for exploration and discussion of such issues, CORP Director Dr. Debra Mason added. “Ideally, the audience will learn something new about a faith tradition, especially as it pertains to health, medicine and healing,” she said. “The Center’s primary mission is to help professionals and the public understand the diverse faiths practiced by the U.S. population.”
For more information, contact Amy White, 573-882-2770
May 2008
Fontbonne University has named Dr. Jill Raitt as holder of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Endowed Chair in Catholic Thought. She will begin serving in that role in August.
Raitt, professor emerita of religious studies, has more than 40 years experience teaching religion and theology at the university level. As the endowed chair, she will have an interdisciplinary role in enriching the intellectual climate of the university as well as strengthening its Catholic identity.
"I am delighted to join the faculty of Fontbonne University," Raitt said. "I appreciate the collegiality of the staff and faculty and their dedication to a mission of providing a solid education rooted in the Catholic tradition. I look forward to working with them and with the students to enhance that mission."
Raitt becomes the second professor to hold the endowed chair title at the university. The position is currently held by Dr. Donald Burgo, who has been a professor of religion and philosophy at Fontbonne for 36 years. He is retiring in May.
"Dr. Burgo has served admirably as the inaugural holder of the endowed chair, and we thank him for establishing an excellent foundation for the position," said Dr. Nancy Blattner, Fontbonne vice president and dean of academic affairs. "I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Raitt into this esteemed position. Her experience and academic record are a perfect fit for furthering the exploration of Catholic thought at Fontbonne."
Raitt earned her bachelor's degree in philosophy from the San Francisco College for Women. She has attended the Institutum Historicum in Rome, and she earned a master's degree in English from the San Francisco College for Women and a master's in Theology from Marquette University. She also earned a master's and doctorate in Historical Theology from the University of Chicago.
The endowed chair, the first in the school's history, was established in 2005, after the university received a $1 million matching gift from its sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province.
Founded in 1923, Fontbonne University is a Catholic coeducational institution of higher education offering liberal arts, professional and adult programs. (Source: Fontbonne University news release )
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