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IN FOCUS: A Gift: Woodstock's Visiting International Fellows
Eight years ago, it had become clear that Woodstock's mission of theological reflection upon the human concerns of our day would be altogether impossible without a global perspective. And just then, a generous couple stepped forward, helping to bring this perspective to Woodstock's doorstep - in the form of scholars from abroad.
The International Visiting Fellows program began during the 1997-98 academic year with three fellows from three continents, coming from Tanzania, Colombia, and Ireland. They studied indigenous African values and virtues, neo-liberal economic policies in Latin America, and the development of doctrine in the thought of John Courtney Murray, respectively. Since then, Woodstock has welcomed 32 visiting fellows from 17 countries outside the United States, including several from India. The donors, who prefer to remain anonymous, are providing $225,000 each year for more than 20 years. Their stipulated purpose: "to support the work of the Center in providing a Visiting Fellows Program for Jesuit and lay persons working overseas and to support Jesuits in their international work." These fellows must not only come from abroad but they must intend to continue working overseas after their fellowship at Woodstock, which runs six to nine months during the academic year.
"When you look at the areas of study that are engaging Woodstock, from globalization to business ethics to the future of Catholic leadership, you could see what a blessing it is to have these scholars with us all the time," said Gasper F. Lo Biondo, S.J., Woodstock's director. "I'd say it's a necessity, because our reflections depend on their perspectives rooted in different cultural settings. And they of course get to do full-time research in a supportive atmosphere. They take part in our programs and discussions, and benefit from Woodstock's method of theological reflection and social analysis."
This year, five international fellows are spending all or part of the academic year at Woodstock. They are:
Sister Margaret Scott, who has served as president of the Conference of Men and Women Religious in England and Wales. Her project is entitled "Globalization and the Poor in a Eucharistic Context." She is focusing on two themes from a Eucharistic perspective. The first theme is Eucharist as a global reality - "an inclusive project and prophetic word about the whole of humanity," said Sister Scott. The second theme is Eucharist as a "challenge to our commitment to social justice, with implications for global markets and the social responsibility policies of multinationals." Sister Scott also served as Provincial Superior for the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and was formerly vice president of the Union of Conferences of Major Religious Superiors in Europe.
Christina A. Astorga, a professor in the theology department of Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. Her research project is "Vision, Norm, and Choice: A Contemporary Theo-Ethical Paradigm." Astorga said her aim is to put together a book about fundamental moral theology, which "brings in one coherent whole the foundational elements of Christian morality.
Anthony Savari Raj, philosophy lecturer at the University of Madras in India. His chosen topic is "Ecosophy or Ecojustice: Discerning Dimensions of Justice in the Intercultural Vision of Raimon Panikkar." His aim is to "discern the soterio-centric and justice dimensions" of the writings by Panikkar, a renowned philosopher-theologian.
Francisco F. Claver, S.J., who has retired as bishop of Bontoc-Lagawe, Philippines. As both a church leader and a scholar with degrees in anthropology, Bishop Claver has paid particular attention to the encounter between the gospel and the values of indigenous people in Asia, an area of study that he will develop while at Woodstock. He took part in Woodstock's recent international consultation on the global economy and cultures, and his comments were quoted in the October 2004 edition of the Woodstock Report.
Donna Orsuto, a professor at the Gregorian University's Institute of Spirituality in Rome, where she teaches courses on lay spirituality and women mystics. She is also the founder of The Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas, which provides an academic and community setting for lay theology students in Rome. Her dissertation was on the Trinity in the works of St. Catherine of Siena. She will pursue these studies at Woodstock from December until March 2005, after which she hopes to spend the second part of her sabbatical in Jerusalem. Her work at Woodstock will focus on preparing a public lecture to be delivered in Jerusalem.
More information on the International Visiting Fellows program and how to apply for a fellowship are available at Woodstock's Web site - woodstock.georgetown.edu