Monday / 12 - 12:30 / Room 324Christian Legal Society and Soma are leading a weekly Bible study every Monday during the reflection period from 12 to 12:30 in room 324. We will have our final study of the semester study continues this coming Monday, December 6th. Come and join us for a casual time of fellowship and discussion of the Word. Coffee and cookies will be provided.
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Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
STMS: Cor Jesu
with Bishop Lee Piche Friday December 3!
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
St. Paul Seminary (University of St. Thomas Undergrad)
Facebook event page
A great way to enter into this Advent season as we prepare to welcome our Savior and King!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
STMS: Oseids on Living Vocation: Family and Professional
Our vocation to live with and like Christ comes in many forms. The forms are different for everyone and a vocation takes more than one form for a single person.
As future lawyers, it seems clear that we each have a professional vocation. Many of us wonder how a private vocation, specifically a family vocation, can fit in. Can the professional and private vocations be balanced in our lives?
Professor Julie Oseid and her husband, Dr. Jeff Oseid, spoke at yesterday’s STMS meeting and shared their story. Their story provided a resounding “yes” to the question posed above.
Both of the Oseids’ are professionals. Twenty-seven years ago, they were married. Within days, Prof. Oseid started law school and Dr. Oseid started medical school. They needed to learn balance from the beginning.
The Oseids’ offered at least three pieces of advice that will be especially helpful to those of us hoping to be successful and effective lawyers, as well as worthy spouses and parents.
First, always put family first. A conscious decision must be made, Dr. Oseid stressed, to do this. It won’t necessarily be automatic, apparent or feel natural when professional demands arise. Effort must be made.
Second, recognize that your private vocation may cause you to say no to opportunities. Sacrifices must be made to live our priorities. At the same time, however, Prof. Oseid told us that “no” should not automatically meet new opportunities. Give real consideration to what arises. If a yes seems appropriate, you may be surprised at how well God provides for you and allows things to work.
Third, do not put your spouse, career, or any aspect of reality into a box. Never assume that you completely “know” your spouse or what will happen in a given circumstance. Doing this closes us off to what is really in front of us and limits our receptiveness to what is given. Prof. Oseid quoted G.K. Chesterton: “The greatest of all illusions is the illusion of familiarity.” (She read this from The Shattered Lantern)
Dina Nguyen, a 1L, attended. Dina said that the Oseids’ were an answer to prayer as she has been struggling with the question of vocation. Although she has only been in law school for only one semester, she has already faced challenges to her hope to have a family and a successful career; some say it will be impossible. The Oseids were “confirmation that it is possible to do everything.” Doing everything, of course, takes prayer, openness and sacrifice.
Throughout, the Oseids emphasized gratitude. In recollecting what they have been given and are being given, they are thankful. This position helps them to confront new circumstances and maintain hope when things are difficult or uncertain.
As future lawyers, it seems clear that we each have a professional vocation. Many of us wonder how a private vocation, specifically a family vocation, can fit in. Can the professional and private vocations be balanced in our lives?
Professor Julie Oseid and her husband, Dr. Jeff Oseid, spoke at yesterday’s STMS meeting and shared their story. Their story provided a resounding “yes” to the question posed above.
Both of the Oseids’ are professionals. Twenty-seven years ago, they were married. Within days, Prof. Oseid started law school and Dr. Oseid started medical school. They needed to learn balance from the beginning.
The Oseids’ offered at least three pieces of advice that will be especially helpful to those of us hoping to be successful and effective lawyers, as well as worthy spouses and parents.
First, always put family first. A conscious decision must be made, Dr. Oseid stressed, to do this. It won’t necessarily be automatic, apparent or feel natural when professional demands arise. Effort must be made.
Second, recognize that your private vocation may cause you to say no to opportunities. Sacrifices must be made to live our priorities. At the same time, however, Prof. Oseid told us that “no” should not automatically meet new opportunities. Give real consideration to what arises. If a yes seems appropriate, you may be surprised at how well God provides for you and allows things to work.
Third, do not put your spouse, career, or any aspect of reality into a box. Never assume that you completely “know” your spouse or what will happen in a given circumstance. Doing this closes us off to what is really in front of us and limits our receptiveness to what is given. Prof. Oseid quoted G.K. Chesterton: “The greatest of all illusions is the illusion of familiarity.” (She read this from The Shattered Lantern)
Dina Nguyen, a 1L, attended. Dina said that the Oseids’ were an answer to prayer as she has been struggling with the question of vocation. Although she has only been in law school for only one semester, she has already faced challenges to her hope to have a family and a successful career; some say it will be impossible. The Oseids were “confirmation that it is possible to do everything.” Doing everything, of course, takes prayer, openness and sacrifice.
Throughout, the Oseids emphasized gratitude. In recollecting what they have been given and are being given, they are thankful. This position helps them to confront new circumstances and maintain hope when things are difficult or uncertain.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
STMS: Prof. Oseid to Speak on Monday
Join STMS for a special meeting. We will have a short period for announcements and business. After this, UST Law's own Prof. Julie Oseid will speak to us about how her faith has informed her in and been a part of her career and life. It will be very informal with plenty of room for conversation and questions. Pizza will be provided (are you surprised?). 12:30, Monday the 22nd in room 448.
Peace.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Advent Retreat in Daily Living: Preparing for the Birth of Jesus
This Retreat in Daily Living is designed to prepare ourselves to welcome the Christ child into our hearts and home. We will pray with some of the great prophets, considering the long Advent that preceded the birth of Christ. We will also reflect on the role and preparation of Mary and Joseph in the coming of Christ.
In a Retreat in Daily Living, participants commit themselves to a half-hour of prayer each day and go about their daily lives as usual. Prayer material relating to the theme of the retreat is provided for each day. In addition to a daily period of personal prayer, the participants in the retreat will meet for an hour each week. During this time they will share their experience of prayer in small groups and Professor Stabile will offer input on prayer and some of the dynamics of this type of retreat experience. She will also provide prayer material for each day of the following week. Each session runs from 12:30-1:30 and a light lunch will be served. This retreat is designed for those beginning to pray in a personal way as well as for those who have been praying for years.
Dates: Monday 11/22, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13
Location: Room 242
Because lunch will be served, please RSVPto Bethany Fletcher at moel1755@stthomas.edu if you can join us. (If plan to attend only some sessions, let her know which ones.)
In a Retreat in Daily Living, participants commit themselves to a half-hour of prayer each day and go about their daily lives as usual. Prayer material relating to the theme of the retreat is provided for each day. In addition to a daily period of personal prayer, the participants in the retreat will meet for an hour each week. During this time they will share their experience of prayer in small groups and Professor Stabile will offer input on prayer and some of the dynamics of this type of retreat experience. She will also provide prayer material for each day of the following week. Each session runs from 12:30-1:30 and a light lunch will be served. This retreat is designed for those beginning to pray in a personal way as well as for those who have been praying for years.
Dates: Monday 11/22, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13
Location: Room 242
Because lunch will be served, please RSVPto Bethany Fletcher at moel1755@stthomas.edu if you can join us. (If plan to attend only some sessions, let her know which ones.)
CLS/Soma Bible Study Debrief - The Prodigal Son
We law students are typically thought of as having all of our ducks in a row. While I, for one, am usually thankful if I can at least get half of my ducks in the same room, it’s still easy to think I have everything figured out.
This reality was why John Nielsen led us to reflect on the story of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32) from the perspective of the son who stayed, the son who had all of his ducks in a row. It is pretty easy for us to imagine the position of the protagonist, the Prodigal Son, because we have all gone astray and been welcomed home by the Father’s mercy. John’s suggestion was a challenge. Of all the reflections and thoughts offered, two themes emerged:
First, relating to particular circumstances, it was clear that some of us have been challenged by the amounts of praise and attention going to those who “come home.” It was easy to acknowledge how pride stripes us of charity or instills us with jealousy. It can be difficult to sit back and not wish we were in the center of the Prodigal Son’s drama, that we were the one receiving praise or experiencing grandiose conversion. This jealousy and lack of charity must be surrendered and given to God; prayer is necessary. One participant observed that, in those times, we should be thankful we were able to remain with God and avoid the suffering that the other may have endured. We all have our own circumstances and ways that God calls us to holiness. The circumstances of our stories may be different, but our end is the same.
Second, this parable provides us with an opportunity for conversion if we find ourselves in the position of the son who stayed. It is easy to assume we know all there is to know about God, especially when we have had a real experience of His love and providence. When a circumstance poses a challenge to the idea we have formed, is everything we experienced before delegitimized, or are we actually given the chance to know more about God than we initially thought? A circumstance that does not jive with Who I think God is or should be (and, trust me, I have my ideas) should not contradict the reality I have experienced. Rather, it should provoke me to engage God more fully and reexamine my preconceptions. What a waste to walk away from what the second son previously experienced because he didn’t understand this aspect of his father’s mercy.
This reality was why John Nielsen led us to reflect on the story of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32) from the perspective of the son who stayed, the son who had all of his ducks in a row. It is pretty easy for us to imagine the position of the protagonist, the Prodigal Son, because we have all gone astray and been welcomed home by the Father’s mercy. John’s suggestion was a challenge. Of all the reflections and thoughts offered, two themes emerged:
First, relating to particular circumstances, it was clear that some of us have been challenged by the amounts of praise and attention going to those who “come home.” It was easy to acknowledge how pride stripes us of charity or instills us with jealousy. It can be difficult to sit back and not wish we were in the center of the Prodigal Son’s drama, that we were the one receiving praise or experiencing grandiose conversion. This jealousy and lack of charity must be surrendered and given to God; prayer is necessary. One participant observed that, in those times, we should be thankful we were able to remain with God and avoid the suffering that the other may have endured. We all have our own circumstances and ways that God calls us to holiness. The circumstances of our stories may be different, but our end is the same.
Second, this parable provides us with an opportunity for conversion if we find ourselves in the position of the son who stayed. It is easy to assume we know all there is to know about God, especially when we have had a real experience of His love and providence. When a circumstance poses a challenge to the idea we have formed, is everything we experienced before delegitimized, or are we actually given the chance to know more about God than we initially thought? A circumstance that does not jive with Who I think God is or should be (and, trust me, I have my ideas) should not contradict the reality I have experienced. Rather, it should provoke me to engage God more fully and reexamine my preconceptions. What a waste to walk away from what the second son previously experienced because he didn’t understand this aspect of his father’s mercy.
Operation Christmas Child Processing Center Volunteering Opportunity, Tabling
Event: Thursday, December 2 / 1 - 5 p.m.
We need 20 people to volunteer at the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center on the above-reference date. We will be helping to organize the shoe boxes that have been collected and preparing them to be sent around the world. We also need help tabling (around the hours of 12:30-2:30) for volunteers in the next few weeks. Please email Shawna Klatt (klat3132@stthomas.edu) if you are interested in volunteering or helping table. Click here for more information on Operation Christmas Child.
If you are unable to volunteer, you can also donate a shoebox gift during National Collection Week, November 15-22. Find more about how to donate through St. Thomas Law here.
CLS: Blackstone Fellowship Info Session
Tuesday, November 16th / 12:30-1:30 p.m. / Room 235 / Lunch will be providedOn Tuesday, November 16th, we'll be hosting a panel of Blackstone Fellows to discuss the Alliance Defense Fund's Blackstone Legal Fellowship. It's a paid 9-week Christian legal fellowship occurring over the summer. One hundred thirty law students from across the country (and even the world) are selected to participate. The program involves thorough training by renowned experts on issues concerning traditional marriage, the pro-life movement, and religious liberty. The training is followed by six weeks of practical legal experience (including international opportunities) and one week of networking with attorneys and judges from across the country.
Come hear more about what the program offers, how/when to apply, and specifics about what UST Blackstone Fellows have to say about their experience. The panelists completed their six weeks of practical experience in locations such as Arizona, Washington D.C., Minnesota, and Rome, so each has a unique perspective to offer.
Please RSVP to Krista Griffith (kjgriffith@stthomas.edu) by Friday, November 12.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
CLS: Christian Legal Society of Minnesota Social
Thursday, November 11 / 5:30 - 8 p.m. / Key's Cafe in the Foshay Building, Downtown Minneapolis
CLS of Minnesota will sponsor a social gathering for law students and lawyers on Thursday, November 11. We're going to be at the Key's Cafe in the Foshay Building in Minneapolis. The event will start at 5:30 and end around 8:00 p.m. CLS of Minnesota will provide appetizers and refreshments. We will be seated in the back of the restaurant on the right side as you enter from the street.
We will have all the lawyers in the room introduce themselves and share a little about what they do, and then we can open it up to questions for all of them. We'll set aside the rest of the time for socializing so students and lawyers can get to know each other individually.
Please RSVP to Anthony Bushnell at awb@bushnelllawfirm.com to help us ensure we have enough seating for everyone. It is not necessary to RSVP, though, so please come either way. We look forward to seeing you!
CLS and Soma: Bible Study
Mondays / 12 - 12:30 / Room 324
Christian Legal Society and Soma are leading a weekly Bible study every Monday during the reflection period from 12 to 12:30 in room 324. The study will start next week on Monday, November 8th. Come and join us for a casual time of fellowship and discussion of the Word. Coffee and cookies will be provided.
Christian Legal Society and Soma are leading a weekly Bible study every Monday during the reflection period from 12 to 12:30 in room 324. The study will start next week on Monday, November 8th. Come and join us for a casual time of fellowship and discussion of the Word. Coffee and cookies will be provided.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
STMS: What is All Souls' Day?
All Souls’ Day is a day for Christians to commemorate the faithful departed. Some Christian traditions, Catholicism particularly, believe that additional “purification” is necessary after death before we can attain the beatific vision in Heaven. This state is referred to as Purgatory. On All Souls’ Day, and through the whole month of November, Catholics pay special attention to the dead and pray for the souls of our loved ones who have gone before us. Through our prayers, our participation in the work of Christ, the dead can be helped to attain the beatific vision.
In the hall on the second floor of the Law School, right outside of the meditation room, there sits a book. Until All Souls’ Day (November 2nd), you are invited to write the names of deceased friends and family members. The people listed in the book will be prayed for, specifically, at the All Souls’ Day Mass next week.
Also, on All Souls’ Day, you can hear Professor Cribari reflect on these themes using music from Mozart’s Requiem Mass. More information is on that event HERE.
I will speak for myself when I say that keeping death in front of me reminds me acutely of my need for Christ’s redemption and provokes me to live more fully with a greater awareness of God who is our source of joy and peace. Gratitude is inevitable when I consider how much my need is provided for. Who can be unhappy and grateful at the same time? I sure can't.
More information on All Souls’ Day is HERE.
Living with Purpose: Reconnecting with Our Life Values
How good a job are you doing staying anchored in your personal values? Are the values your own, or do they reflect the unconscious influence of friends and mentors? Do the decisions you make in and about your work, family and social life accord with your core life values?
Join us for a Mid-Day Reflection on November 9 from 12:30-1:30, in Room 324 to relfect on these questions. This program is designed to offer participants an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between their life values and their actual life – to identify life values, to identify influences that affect those values and to notice the gaps between their values and their behaviors. Through individual reflection and through conversation, the goal is to aid students who are discerning what will be their place in the world, how they will find meaning at work and at home and to aid others who are reflecting on choices they have made.
Since lunch is provided, please RSVP to Bethany Fletcher at moel1755@stthomas.edu.
Join us for a Mid-Day Reflection on November 9 from 12:30-1:30, in Room 324 to relfect on these questions. This program is designed to offer participants an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between their life values and their actual life – to identify life values, to identify influences that affect those values and to notice the gaps between their values and their behaviors. Through individual reflection and through conversation, the goal is to aid students who are discerning what will be their place in the world, how they will find meaning at work and at home and to aid others who are reflecting on choices they have made.
Since lunch is provided, please RSVP to Bethany Fletcher at moel1755@stthomas.edu.
CLS: Operation Christmas Child
The Public Service Board is supporting a project called Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is part of a larger organization called Samaritan's Purse, which ships our boxes to impoverished children around the world who otherwise would not receive a Christmas gift. The following website explains more about the organization: CLICK HERE Please find additional information below about what to do, as well as what you can and cannot pack in the box.
I encourage you to purchase the small, inexpensive plastic containers at Target or Walmart (provided that they are about the same size as a shoe box) and pack your gifts inside of them. The children and their families can then re-use the containers. Feel free to pack as many boxes/containers as you would like, and include a personal note (and even a picture) inside in order to personalize the gift.
How to Pack a Shoe Box
1. SHOE BOX
Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required.
2. BOY OR GIRL?
Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Print out the appropriate boy/girl label shown above. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box. You can download labels HERE.
3. FILL WITH GIFTS
Use the gift ideas provided on the bottom of this page.
4. INCLUDE YOUR DONATION (OPTIONAL)
If possible please donate $7 to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our EZGIVE option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. Although this is highly recommended, it is not mandatory.
5. BRING YOUR BOX TO THE LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION SUITE BY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15.
Gift Ideas
TOYS
Small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®, etc.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.
HYGIENE ITEMS
Toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.
OTHER
Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)
A PERSONAL NOTE
In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.)
DO NOT INCLUDE:
Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers; aerosol cans.
Contact Krista Griffith (KJGriffith@stthomas.edu) with any questions.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
STMS: Mozart's Requiem! Professor Cribari Reflects...
On All Souls Day (November 2) at 12:00-12:45 p.m. in MSL 242, UST Law Professor Stephen Cribari will be speaking and reflecting on Mozart's famous and timeless Requiem Mass. Mozart was composing the Requiem at the time of his death.
Professor Cribari will reflect on various parts of the piece, and play relevant portions for us to hear.
After hearing Professor Cribari's reflections, all are invited to hear a live performance of Mozart's Requiem that same night at 7:30 PM at St. Agnes Catholic Church in St. Paul. The Requiem will be performed during the celebration of a Solemn High Mass for the dead in honor of All Souls Day. One needn't be Catholic to encounter the beauty of this event! It is best to arrive 20-30 minutes early to get a seat, it fills up every year.
A carpool will leave for St. Agnes Church from UST-Law at 6:30 PM. Post here or email Joey (orri6475@stthomas.edu) if you would like to ride. Also email Joey with any questions that you have.
If you can only come to either Professor Cribari's talk or the Mass, that is fine!
CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Dr. Reid's Reflections on Christianity and Ideology
Last week, St. Thomas More Society and Christian Legal Society hosted a discussion entitled "Does Christ Make Me Islamophobic? Christianity and Ideology." Dr. Charles Reid, a legal historian and professor at UST Law, began the discussion with a reflection from history as portrayed by the film, Agora... with minor corrections. For the discussion, ideology was defined as it is on the first page of Luigi Giussani's The Religious Sense, "in fact, ours... is an age of ideologies, in which, instead of learning from reality in all its aspects and building on it, man seeks to manipulate reality according to coherent schemes fabricated by the intellect..."
Here are Dr. Reid's remarks:
I have been asked to reflect on religion and ideology today. As my students know, I am by training and inclination a legal historian. And both callings -- that of lawyer and that of historian -- demand attention to facts, to stories, to narratives, to the complex weave of the personal, the idiosyncratic, and the principled, the ideal, the abstract. History -- like the practice of law -- is always a blend of "one-time-oneliness" and foundational principles and axioms.
Perhaps the best place to start my reflection is with the word "ideology." It has, it seems, two primary meanings in common speech today. The first is a fairly innocuous, fairly benign understanding -- the motivations, the mainsprings, the ideas and ideals that give rise to political action. But there is also a second, less benign, more ominous definition -- the manipulation of reality to fit personal ends, a quest for power, a misguided effort to blend together belief and the desire to have control over others, whether on a small-scale, or in society, writ large.
It is the second meaning that lies behind my reflection this afternoon. I have little desire to dwell upon the definitional or the abstract. I'd like to get down to cases and see what we can learn about Christianity and ideology through a case study. The case study I shall consider is the situation that prevailed in Alexandria, around the year 400 AD. The story I am about to tell concerns the violent confrontation that occurred in that city between Christians and pagans. It is a story that was recently captured in an artistically well-done movie, Agora, a film that kept remarkably close to the facts.
There are four main characters, all accurately portrayed. There is Hypatia, who is the daughter of Theon, the Director of the great Library at Alexandria. The Library is itself a center -- perhaps the most important center -- of pagan worship and learning in the Eastern Mediterranean, probably in the entire Roman Empire. It was a repository of all the works of classical civilization -- those that survive from the ancient world, as well as the many more that have been lost.
The pagans feared the Christians, for many reasons. There was the reason of belief, of course. Pagans had persecuted Christians very harshly for centuries. Hundreds of thousands of Christians had been executed in many, extremely gruesome ways. All sorts of inventive new methods had been discovered for burning people alive. The pagans clearly feared the old maxim, "turnabout is fair play."
But the pagans feared the Christians for another reason also -- economic class. The pagans were wealthy, they were privileged. The Christians were poor, destitute. Many were recent arrivals in Alexandria, brought in from the countryside by the promise of generous acts of charity done in their behalf.
And now for the characters in this drama. Let us discuss Hypatia first. She filled a nearly unique role in the ancient world. She was a female philosopher who taught regular classes at the Library at Alexandria; she was well-known, well-regarded, for her work on mathematics, astronomy, and geography. She was the inventor of the hydrometer, used for measuring the density of liquids. And she considered herself first and foremost a philosopher. She saw her calling as the pursuit of truth. She refused allegiance either to paganism or to Christianity, preferring above all else the life of the mind.
Her opposite number might be seen as Cyril of Alexandria. Cyril had relatives who were well-connected within the Church. But he hailed from a small Egyptian town and brought with him provincial behaviors and expectations. He took on the trappings of an austere, almost commanding desert monk.
This persona served Cyril well. Monks from the Egyptian desert had descended upon Alexandria in great numbers at this time. And Cyril was physically powerful, a forceful personality, an articulate spokesman for an ascetical form of Christianity. He could be a force for good. He organized charitable works in Alexandria. But he was single-minded in the way he pressed home his advantages.
And Cyril had a great political advantage. Even after becoming Bishop Cyril, he still had command of a small legion of monks. These were not monks on the Western style -- men who had taken vows to a particular community and were bound by rules governing the minute conduct of their lives. These were rather, monks on the eastern style. Men of zealous habits and extreme behaviors. They could be molded into a kind of informal army, and Cyril did precisely that. They became enforcers of virtue -- filling the same role in Alexandrian life now filled in a very different society by the Iranian guardians of morality.
Two former students of Hypatia also play roles in this drama -- Orestes, the Roman prefect of the City of Alexandria -- in essence, the City's chief political agent; and Synesius, Bishop of Cyrene.
Orestes had been a pagan, but personally harbored little in the way of religious commitment, either to paganism or to Christianity. He really wanted to acquire and exercise political power. By birth he had been a pagan. But he was really quite happy to switch to the other side, now that the Roman Emperor had become Christian and Christianity was rapidly gaining preferred status within the Empire. He was a political man, not a religious man, and sought a faith congenial with his ambition.
Synesius, on the other hand, was a man devoted to philosophy, to learning, and towards faith, at least as he understood it. His faith was always of the cerebral kind. As a condition of becoming Bishop he let it be known that he did not hold to the literal word of the Bible. He preferred metaphorical and figurative interpretations instead. And he also made clear that he would not abandon his wife. These preconditions met, he assumed the role of Bishop of Cyrene.
The stage is now set. Cyril wished to become a factor not only in the spiritual life of Alexandria but in its secular governance. And to do that, he needed to take on Orestes. He found his opportunity in Orestes' relationship with Hypatia. They were close friends. Not lovers, no evidence of that, but two like-minded individuals who enjoyed the speculative life. And in the course of their conversations, Hypatia might weigh in on affairs of state, always respectfully, always deferentially, never in obtrusive ways.
Cyril, however, looked for the chance to provoke a confrontation. And he found one -- Christian monks and members of the Jewish community began to quarrel. Some Christian monks stoned members of a Synagogue. The Jewish community retaliated by leading several monks into a trap where they were massacred in turn. Alexandria looked ready to explode.
Cyril sought to pin the blame for this civil discord on Orestes. He led protests against his rule. Synesius was finally called in -- he was asked by all concerned to mediate the dispute. He worked out a public reconciliation -- Orestes and Cyril would meet in church, publicly, where they would swear peace and concord.
The deal, however, did not work out as planned. Cyril surprised both Orestes and Synesius when, during the ceremonial reconciliation, he picked up the Bible, and read the passage from Paul's First Letter to Timothy -- a woman shall not have authority over a man. Having read it, he demanded that Orestes kiss the Book and kneel before him. Everyone assembled knew that Cyril was now using his friendship with Hypatia to attack Orestes' government. The stakes had grown very large.
Orestes refused to do as Cyril had commanded. To kiss the Book and publicly kneel before Cyril would have been to acknowledge his control over the City. And he could not do that. So Cyril retaliated by stirring up hatred against Hypatia.
The movie to this point had kept faith with the essential facts. The film and history parted company, however, in the way Hypatia was killed. The movie portrayed her death as coming at the hands of a devoted follower, a merciful end to her imperilled existence. Reality, however, was less kind. She was killed by a mob of Christian monks who, according to the sources, either stoned her or skinned her alive.
This sequence of events, in my mind, teaches us about the great danger of mixing ideology with faith. To Orestes, all religions were matters of convenience. He was happy to be a pagan. He was happy to be a Christian. Both faiths were means to an end -- political power. He had an intelligent, inquisitive mind. He kept a keen interest in philosophy. But he made sure to separate his intellectual interests from his role as governor, or even from his role as religious believer. These were roles he played, in different aspects of his being. He failed to grasp the interconnectedness.
Cyril, of course, was ideological in a far blunter, more direct way. He wished to use Christianity as a means not only of defeating his opponents, but of destroying them. He had a singular vision. Nothing about him was insincere. But he was willing to deploy any means necessary for achieving the blessed goal of Christian domination over the life of the City.
Synesius, for his part, was not ideological, but neither was he effectual. He failed to understand that he had set the stage -- in a very real sense -- for a theatrical display of power by Cyril. Quite inadvertently, he allowed himself to be manipulated by a shrewder, more driven, and ideological opponent.
Hypatia, finally, is the model I would recommend. She was all about the seeking of truth, not power. And truth begets confidence. The religious believer should feel assurance that, in the end, the truth prevails. Ideology, on the other hand, bespeaks mistrust in one's own beliefs. The ideologue feels the need to use faith, to use the truth, as means of justifying the personal acquisition of domination, of control, over others. We must, I submit, be those who trust in truth. Confidence should govern our affairs.
Dr. Reid's remarks were originally posted at Mirror of Justice. Thank you, Prof. Vischer.
Here are Dr. Reid's remarks:
I have been asked to reflect on religion and ideology today. As my students know, I am by training and inclination a legal historian. And both callings -- that of lawyer and that of historian -- demand attention to facts, to stories, to narratives, to the complex weave of the personal, the idiosyncratic, and the principled, the ideal, the abstract. History -- like the practice of law -- is always a blend of "one-time-oneliness" and foundational principles and axioms.
Perhaps the best place to start my reflection is with the word "ideology." It has, it seems, two primary meanings in common speech today. The first is a fairly innocuous, fairly benign understanding -- the motivations, the mainsprings, the ideas and ideals that give rise to political action. But there is also a second, less benign, more ominous definition -- the manipulation of reality to fit personal ends, a quest for power, a misguided effort to blend together belief and the desire to have control over others, whether on a small-scale, or in society, writ large.
It is the second meaning that lies behind my reflection this afternoon. I have little desire to dwell upon the definitional or the abstract. I'd like to get down to cases and see what we can learn about Christianity and ideology through a case study. The case study I shall consider is the situation that prevailed in Alexandria, around the year 400 AD. The story I am about to tell concerns the violent confrontation that occurred in that city between Christians and pagans. It is a story that was recently captured in an artistically well-done movie, Agora, a film that kept remarkably close to the facts.
There are four main characters, all accurately portrayed. There is Hypatia, who is the daughter of Theon, the Director of the great Library at Alexandria. The Library is itself a center -- perhaps the most important center -- of pagan worship and learning in the Eastern Mediterranean, probably in the entire Roman Empire. It was a repository of all the works of classical civilization -- those that survive from the ancient world, as well as the many more that have been lost.
The pagans feared the Christians, for many reasons. There was the reason of belief, of course. Pagans had persecuted Christians very harshly for centuries. Hundreds of thousands of Christians had been executed in many, extremely gruesome ways. All sorts of inventive new methods had been discovered for burning people alive. The pagans clearly feared the old maxim, "turnabout is fair play."
But the pagans feared the Christians for another reason also -- economic class. The pagans were wealthy, they were privileged. The Christians were poor, destitute. Many were recent arrivals in Alexandria, brought in from the countryside by the promise of generous acts of charity done in their behalf.
And now for the characters in this drama. Let us discuss Hypatia first. She filled a nearly unique role in the ancient world. She was a female philosopher who taught regular classes at the Library at Alexandria; she was well-known, well-regarded, for her work on mathematics, astronomy, and geography. She was the inventor of the hydrometer, used for measuring the density of liquids. And she considered herself first and foremost a philosopher. She saw her calling as the pursuit of truth. She refused allegiance either to paganism or to Christianity, preferring above all else the life of the mind.
Her opposite number might be seen as Cyril of Alexandria. Cyril had relatives who were well-connected within the Church. But he hailed from a small Egyptian town and brought with him provincial behaviors and expectations. He took on the trappings of an austere, almost commanding desert monk.
This persona served Cyril well. Monks from the Egyptian desert had descended upon Alexandria in great numbers at this time. And Cyril was physically powerful, a forceful personality, an articulate spokesman for an ascetical form of Christianity. He could be a force for good. He organized charitable works in Alexandria. But he was single-minded in the way he pressed home his advantages.
And Cyril had a great political advantage. Even after becoming Bishop Cyril, he still had command of a small legion of monks. These were not monks on the Western style -- men who had taken vows to a particular community and were bound by rules governing the minute conduct of their lives. These were rather, monks on the eastern style. Men of zealous habits and extreme behaviors. They could be molded into a kind of informal army, and Cyril did precisely that. They became enforcers of virtue -- filling the same role in Alexandrian life now filled in a very different society by the Iranian guardians of morality.
Two former students of Hypatia also play roles in this drama -- Orestes, the Roman prefect of the City of Alexandria -- in essence, the City's chief political agent; and Synesius, Bishop of Cyrene.
Orestes had been a pagan, but personally harbored little in the way of religious commitment, either to paganism or to Christianity. He really wanted to acquire and exercise political power. By birth he had been a pagan. But he was really quite happy to switch to the other side, now that the Roman Emperor had become Christian and Christianity was rapidly gaining preferred status within the Empire. He was a political man, not a religious man, and sought a faith congenial with his ambition.
Synesius, on the other hand, was a man devoted to philosophy, to learning, and towards faith, at least as he understood it. His faith was always of the cerebral kind. As a condition of becoming Bishop he let it be known that he did not hold to the literal word of the Bible. He preferred metaphorical and figurative interpretations instead. And he also made clear that he would not abandon his wife. These preconditions met, he assumed the role of Bishop of Cyrene.
The stage is now set. Cyril wished to become a factor not only in the spiritual life of Alexandria but in its secular governance. And to do that, he needed to take on Orestes. He found his opportunity in Orestes' relationship with Hypatia. They were close friends. Not lovers, no evidence of that, but two like-minded individuals who enjoyed the speculative life. And in the course of their conversations, Hypatia might weigh in on affairs of state, always respectfully, always deferentially, never in obtrusive ways.
Cyril, however, looked for the chance to provoke a confrontation. And he found one -- Christian monks and members of the Jewish community began to quarrel. Some Christian monks stoned members of a Synagogue. The Jewish community retaliated by leading several monks into a trap where they were massacred in turn. Alexandria looked ready to explode.
Cyril sought to pin the blame for this civil discord on Orestes. He led protests against his rule. Synesius was finally called in -- he was asked by all concerned to mediate the dispute. He worked out a public reconciliation -- Orestes and Cyril would meet in church, publicly, where they would swear peace and concord.
The deal, however, did not work out as planned. Cyril surprised both Orestes and Synesius when, during the ceremonial reconciliation, he picked up the Bible, and read the passage from Paul's First Letter to Timothy -- a woman shall not have authority over a man. Having read it, he demanded that Orestes kiss the Book and kneel before him. Everyone assembled knew that Cyril was now using his friendship with Hypatia to attack Orestes' government. The stakes had grown very large.
Orestes refused to do as Cyril had commanded. To kiss the Book and publicly kneel before Cyril would have been to acknowledge his control over the City. And he could not do that. So Cyril retaliated by stirring up hatred against Hypatia.
The movie to this point had kept faith with the essential facts. The film and history parted company, however, in the way Hypatia was killed. The movie portrayed her death as coming at the hands of a devoted follower, a merciful end to her imperilled existence. Reality, however, was less kind. She was killed by a mob of Christian monks who, according to the sources, either stoned her or skinned her alive.
This sequence of events, in my mind, teaches us about the great danger of mixing ideology with faith. To Orestes, all religions were matters of convenience. He was happy to be a pagan. He was happy to be a Christian. Both faiths were means to an end -- political power. He had an intelligent, inquisitive mind. He kept a keen interest in philosophy. But he made sure to separate his intellectual interests from his role as governor, or even from his role as religious believer. These were roles he played, in different aspects of his being. He failed to grasp the interconnectedness.
Cyril, of course, was ideological in a far blunter, more direct way. He wished to use Christianity as a means not only of defeating his opponents, but of destroying them. He had a singular vision. Nothing about him was insincere. But he was willing to deploy any means necessary for achieving the blessed goal of Christian domination over the life of the City.
Synesius, for his part, was not ideological, but neither was he effectual. He failed to understand that he had set the stage -- in a very real sense -- for a theatrical display of power by Cyril. Quite inadvertently, he allowed himself to be manipulated by a shrewder, more driven, and ideological opponent.
Hypatia, finally, is the model I would recommend. She was all about the seeking of truth, not power. And truth begets confidence. The religious believer should feel assurance that, in the end, the truth prevails. Ideology, on the other hand, bespeaks mistrust in one's own beliefs. The ideologue feels the need to use faith, to use the truth, as means of justifying the personal acquisition of domination, of control, over others. We must, I submit, be those who trust in truth. Confidence should govern our affairs.
Dr. Reid's remarks were originally posted at Mirror of Justice. Thank you, Prof. Vischer.
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