The Veritas Series for Faith and Culture endeavors to foster learning and dialogue by gathering our community together, as we seek to live lives of faith and justice.
The word veritas comes from the Latin word meaning truth. It is taken directly from the College motto: “Christus est Via, Veritas et Vita” (Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life). The pursuit of truth is at the centre of our mission.
In his Apostolic Constitution of 1990, Saint John Paul wrote, “A Catholic University, as any university, is immersed in human society... Imbued among its research activities, therefore, will be a study of serious contemporary problems in areas such as the dignity of human life, the promotion of justice for all, the quality of personal and family life, the protection of nature, the search for peace and political stability, a more just sharing in the world’s resources, and a new economic and political order that will better serve the human community at a national and international level. (32)”
The theme of this year’s series, RENEWAL, is drawn from the prophecy of Isaiah. In Isaiah 40:31, the prophet declares, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”\
In the midst of the many challenges facing our nation and our communities of faith, we will be presented with opportunities to consider and evaluate where we find our hope and our direction for the future.
Although the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has produced its report,much remains to be done to ensure that all Canadians understand and implement its recommendations. What is the
current state of affairs and what can we anticipate moving forward? Co-sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph
How can the Catholic Church truly treat LGBT people with the respect, compassion and sensitivity called for in the Catechism, and the love called for by Jesus? Martin engages us in a live interactive video conference. Co-sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada
In the face of growing awareness of clerical sexual abuse and other systematic forms of malfeasance in the Catholic Church, many Catholics have swung from uncritical belief in the holiness of the Church to disappointed awareness of its deep sinfulness. Flanagan argues both sin and sanctity condition the nature of the Church until its fulfillment in the Reign of God. In our time and contexts, we need a more robust language of ecclesial sin in order to address our Church's failings, and yet at the same time a sound ecclesiology will take account of a church that is sinful and holy.
In the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and amidst polarizations, both within Christian traditions and between us, how is Jesus' prayer in John 17, "that they may be one..." being lived today? The current climate of polarization drives wedges within and between Christian communities. Are there signs of hope? From experience of parish and diocesan leadership and ecumenical dialogue. Archbishop Nicholls will explore the signs of hope for unity. Co-sponsored by the Ecumenical Commission of the Diocese of London.
Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche International, began his legacy by choosing to share community with two individuals. At the time of his death, L'Arche has grown to support 154 residential communities in 38 countries on five continents. Vanier's legacy continues to emerge through the work of scholars and the community he inspired. Cushing will invite us to appreciate that legacy and consider the ongoing work of the Jean Vanier Research Centre at King's.
We find ourselves in an increasingly secular and siloed culture at a time when we most need to foster understanding, dialogue and mutual purpose. This lecture and panel discussion will explore the use, misuse, and future of religious thought in North America through the lens of the three Abrahamic religions. Panelists include local leaders: Rabbi Catharine Clark, Imam Abd Alfatah Twakkal, and Father Jim Mockler. Co-sponsored by the Centre for Jewish, Catholic, Muslim Learning
Amid the ruins of an abandoned cathedral where homeless families were living, Shane and his community caught a fresh vision of what it means to be the Church. With ancient stories of the early Christians and contemporary stories of ordinary radicals, Shane will invite us to re-imagine what it means to be the Body of Christ alive in the world. Let's move beyond complaining about the Church we see, and let's start becoming the Church we dream of. Co-sponsored by the London District Catholic School Board
SHANE CLAIBORNE
Shane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, Shane founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. Shane is a champion for grace which has led him to jail for advocating for the homeless, and to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to stand against war. Now grace fuels his passion to end the death penalty and help stop gun violence. Shane’s books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, Executing Grace, and The Irresistible Revolution.
DR. PAMELA CUSHING
Professor Pamela Cushing, PhD Anthropology, Founder and Coordinator for the Disability Studies degree at King's University, has collaborated with the L'Arche communities and Jean Vanier, PhD, for two decades. She and a team worked with Jean over the last two years of his life to build a vision to support initiatives where scholars, students and leaders from other sectors can identify
and analyze the roots and reach of his ideas into multiple areas - from disability to jails, from encounter to organizational culture. In 2019, she founded the Jean Vanier Research Centre at King’s.
DR. BRIAN FLANAGAN
Dr. Brian P. Flanagan is Associate Professor of Theology at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. He is the author most recently of Stumbling in Holiness: Sin and Sanctity in the Church (Liturgical Press, 2018). In addition to his teaching, he pursues research in ecclesiology, ecumenism, liturgy, and inter-religious dialogue, and is also the author of Communion, Diversity, and Salvation: The Contribution of Jean-Marie Tillard to Systematic Ecclesiology (T&T Clark, 2011).
RABBI LAURA DUHAN KAPLAN
Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan-Kaplan is Director of Inter-Religious Studies and Professor of Jewish Studies at the Vancouver School of Theology. She is also Professor Emerita of Philosophy and Women’s Studies at UNC Charlotte, Rabbi Emerita of Or Shalom Synagogue, and a former Carnegie Foundation U.S. Professor of the Year. Laura’s books include Family Pictures: A Philosopher Explores the Familiar (1998), and The Infinity Inside: Jewish Spiritual Practice Through A Multifaith Lens (2019).
ARCHBISHOP LINDA NICHOLLS
Archbishop Linda Nicholls was elected as the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada in July 2019. Prior to that she served as bishop of the Diocese of Huron (2016-2019) after eight years as Area Bishop of Trent Durham in the Diocese of Toronto where she also served as a priest for twenty years in parish ministry. She has served on the Anglican Roman Catholic Dialogue in Canada as a member (1989-1997) and Co-Chair (2011-2019) and is a member of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III). Her D.Min. thesis (2002), ‘That They May Be One’, explored sustaining unity at the Eucharistic table in the midst of division, particularly on moral issues..
SENATOR MURRAY SINCLAIR
As Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Senator Sinclair participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the issuance of the TRC’s report in 2015. He has been invited to speak throughout Canada, the United States and internationally. Senator Sinclair served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Manitoba. He was very active within his profession and his community and has won numerous awards, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Equality Award (2001) and its Distinguished Service Award (2016). He was appointed to the Senate on April 2, 2016.
