This question grew out of three hunches: first, a healthy society is rooted in healthy values that are shared and appreciated in action by its citizenry; second, most of our values, and certainly our deepest values, are rooted in and communicated to most of us through our various religious faiths; third, most of our American children are formed and educated in our public schools.

Given that list of facts, the question practically leaps out at you: Why not turn to religion, and therefore, to God, in teaching values education and character formation programs in public schools.

It leaps out at you for yet another reason: it is at school that some of the most shocking murders and other instances of violence have occurred. And particularly disturbing is the suspicion that these are not merely random acts of individuals, but a sign of general deterioration in our culture. "Culture," according to Jesuit theologian Bernard Lonergan, "is a set of meanings and values that informs a way of life" (Method in Theology, page xi). "And religion," he says, "enters into a culture and . . . endows that world with its deepest meaning and its highest value" (ibid., 112). So once again, why not bring religion to the rescue-even in public schools' character formation and values education programs?

But, of course, we knew there were also severe problems with such a suggestion. And not only Constitutional ones. There is also the issue of personal freedom and individual rights not to have others visit their beliefs on you in such a public forum as school programs. It was to look into the many facets of these thorny questions, then, that we gathered an extraordinarily capable and varied panel of specialists. They were: John F. Devine, Steven P. Goldberg, and P. Michael Timpane, guided in their discussion by Woodstock Board member and Georgetown Law Center professor Elizabeth H. Patterson.

As a "society-culture-religion" issue, this discussion has ramifications far beyond public school education. We see this triad interacting in Woodstock's global economy project, in lobbying in a democratic society, in the role of forgiveness in conflict resolution, and several other Woodstock projects. This triad is absolutely fundamental. Think about it.

We look forward to our next Woodstock Forum, probably in February, when Father Ray Kemp will moderate a panel that will discuss some very timely issues in the penal system and prison reform. The date is soon to be announced.

Also in this Report, you will read about recent activities of our Woodstock fellows and be introduced to our inter-national visiting fellows for this year. Finally, on page eleven you will find a letter about our annual fund-raising appeal. We are extremely grateful for the support you have given us in the past and we know we can count on you this year.

Gratefully yours in the Lord,