The Ethics/Religion and Society (E/RS) Program realizes Xavier University's Catholic and Jesuit mission by providing opportunities for the ethical and/or religious analysis of socially significant issues. E/RS promotes critical attention to the philosophical and theological implications of social problems, encourages attention to questions of peace and justice, and promotes compassionate solidarity and service.
Upcoming Events
The Ethics/Religion and Society Program sponsors visiting speakers and community roundtables. The theme of our current Distinguished Speakers Series is
Imagining the Human Future: Contemporary Challenges and Ethical Resources.
- Special Event: The Meaning of Sabbath - A Conversation with Film maker Martin Doblmeier
Please join us for an annotated screening and panel discussion of Martin Doblmeier's new film, Sabbath
Presented as a collection of short stories, the documentary film Sabbath explores the history of one of the world's most important spiritual practices and its timeless relevance for our contemporary world.
Featuring Director Martin Doblmeier in conversation with Professor Waleed El-Ansary, Rabbi Jennifer Lewis, and Dr. John Sniegocki
Wednesday, March 13th @ 7PM - Kennedy Auditorium (CLC 412)
Biographical Note:
Martin Doblmeier holds degrees in Religious Studies, Broadcast Journalism and honorary degrees in Fine Arts and Humane Letters. Since 1984 he has produced and directed more than 30 films focused on religion, faith and spirituality. Martin combines a lifelong interest in religion with a passion for storytelling. Over the years he has traveled on location to more than forty countries to profile numerous religious leaders, spiritual communities, heads of state and Nobel Laureates. His films explore how belief can lead individuals to extraordinary acts, how spirituality creates and sustains communities and how faith is lived in extraordinary ways.
Co-sponsored by the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Theology, and the Ethics/Religion and Society Program.
Ethics/Religion and Society and the Core Curriculum
Xavier University's core curriculum includes the Ethics/Religion and Society Focus. The goal of this sequence of courses is to foster students' understanding of socially significant issues from the perspectives of the humanities, especially literature, philosophy, and theology, as well as the social and natural sciences. The Focus is comprised of four courses:
- Ethics as an Introduction to Philosophy
- Theological Foundations
- Literature and the Moral Imagination
- An elective course concerned with the ethical and/or religious dimensions of socially significant issues.
The Besl Family Chair in Ethics/Religion and Society is held by a visiting professor who focuses on socially significant issues.
The E/RS Focus has received recognition from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the McGregor Fund, and the John Templeton Foundation.