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Boisi Center Report from the Director Vol the boisi center report from the director vol. 18 no. 2 • may 2018 Friends: about the research behind her book Bible Two very exciting events closed our Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby, semester: on April 26, the Boisi Center It’s been a busy and which narrated the creation of the new hosted a panel discussion on “Pope Fran- exciting spring here “Museum of the Bible” in Washington, cis and the American Church,” with pan- at the Boisi Center. D.C. Dr. Ron Lacro, from Boston Chil- elists Massimo Faggioli from Villanova We’ve been ener- dren’s Hospital, gave a riveting presenta- University, Rev. Bryan Hehir of Harvard getically engaged tion on the ideas of compassionate care University, and Lisa Cahill and Nancy sponsoring pro- for children to a packed house. Robert Pineda-Madrid from Boston College. This grams and speakers Orsi from Northwestern University, one event helped us to mark the fifth anniver- in the midst of of the most respected scholarly voices in sary of Francis’ election to the papacy, and the “winter that the study of American religion, talked generated some exciting conversation. wouldn’t go away” about his new project studying memory Finally, on May 30, the Boisi Center will (and spring is still just out of reach). But and violence among Catholic clerical host the inter-religious “Faith and Science the energy generated by both our speak- abuse survivors. The redoubtable E.J. Coalition on Climate Change” at Boston ers and our audiences have kept the chill Dionne of The Washington Post and the College. Catholic and Anglican bishops, out of the air. Brookings Institution delivered a rivet- ministers from a spectrum of Protestant Our two faculty seminars – one focused ing address entitled “Truth and Lies in a denominations, rabbis from various on “What Does Citizenship Mean Today?” Polarized Time”-- this year’s “Prophetic Jewish groups, Muslim scholars, and sci- and the other focused on prophetic Voices Lecture.” Our visiting scholar for entists from the Woods Hole Institute on theologian and writer Thomas Merton the 2017-18 academic year, Professor Cape Cod will gather to discuss how peo- – brought together faculty from various Mara Willard from the University of ple of faith from various traditions might departments (political science, African Oklahoma, convened a lunch seminar on be energized and activated to see the issue American and African diaspora studies, the project she has pursued this year – on of climate change as a religious and moral history, creative writing, philosophy and “Catholic Afterlives,” examining how, issue, as well as a scientific one. I am theology) and from various schools within and in what ways, Catholics who have left genuinely delighted that the Boisi Center Boston College (the Law School, the Mor- the Church or who have redefined their is able to host this important summit. I rissey College of Arts and Sciences). The membership in unconventional ways would also like to thank the ILA for their lively conversations they generated over – continue to identify as “Catholic” in generous support. lunch (the “Citizenship” seminar) and their values and lifestyles. The “question Finally, it is with a note of sadness that I dinner (the “Merton” seminar) allowed and answer” sessions after all of these announce the departure of our energetic faculty to exchange ideas with colleagues engaging talks dramatically witnessed to and creative associate director, Erik Ow- they seldom have an opportunity to listen how these distinguished speakers elicited ens, to take over as director of interna- to (and in our best moments, debate insightful and sometimes passionate tional studies program here at Boston with), breaking through the kinds of responses from the audiences gathered to College. I am happy to report that our silos academia is famous for sponsoring hear them. very talented and hard-working graduate these days. Both faculty seminars have Recently the Boisi Center co-hosted a assistant, Jack Nuelle, will be filling in thus proven exciting and engaging on a reception, along with the theology depart- next year as interim program director as number of levels, and the Boisi Center ment and the Law School, to introduce we undertake a search for Erik’s replace- will continue to sponsor inter-disciplinary the incoming editor of Commonweal mag- ment. Erik offers his own set of reflec- faculty seminars next year. azine, Dominic Preziosi, to young faculty tions on his years here at the Boisi Center Our lecture series brought in a range and current doctoral students in BC’s in this newsletter, but all of us here wish of interesting and provocative scholars: theology department. The reception was, him Godspeed and continued success in Candida Moss, from the University of I think, a most welcome event, as the new his new endeavors. Birmingham in the UK, inaugurated our editor offered a brief talk on “5 Things to I was delighted to meet many of you at annual Wolfe Lecture (named, of course, Do to Make It Twice as Likely to Get an our events this past year, and I look for- for the Center’s founding and much-re- Article Accepted at Commonweal” to the ward to seeing you again in the fall. spected director, Alan Wolfe) by talking young scholars present. ~ Mark Massa, S.J. the boisi center for religion and american public life at boston college bible nation: hobby lobby, scripture, and the making of america In her Inaugural Wolfe Lecture, Candida Moss connected the Green family and their Museum of the Bible to wider questions about religious freedom, education, and the role the Bible plays in the American project. Moss discussed the Museum of the Reformation and disregards the signif- Bible and argued that the Green family’s icance of the Bible since that point. She actions sometimes seem inconsistent also pointed out that the Museum of with their public persona as messengers the Bible disregards the application and of Christianity. She also critiqued the significance of the Bible in other world Museum’s methods of acquiring artifacts religions, including Judaism, Islam, as and its approach to academic scholarship well as other denominations of Christi- surrounding the Bible. Moss discussed anity, such as Catholicism and Mormon- the importance of maintaining a consis- ism. Moss noted that when the Museum tent methodology in examining the Bible discusses the use of the Bible in history, and its application in society. Recounting it does not address seriously enough her visit to the Museum of the Bible, some problematic ways that the Bible has Moss highlighted the Green family’s been applied. For example, the Museum specific motivations for building this mu- includes but skates over the Bible’s role in seum. For example, she described the ex- justifying slavery. Candida Moss gives the Inaugural Wolfe Lecture. hibit that presents the Bible’s significance In her critique of the Green family and in history but noted that the timeline in the discussion of her book, Moss uncov- The Boisi Center welcomed Professor the museum ends with the Protestant ers the influence a family such as the Candida Moss, Cadbury Professor of Green family can have in the United Theology at the University of Birming- States. This influence spans numerous ham in the United Kingdom to Boston spheres of life, including education, poli- College. On February 7, 2018, Moss gave tics, and even the way we understand oth- the Inaugural Wolfe Lecture on Religion er cultures and religions based on how and American Politics, named for Profes- they are presented in museums such as sor Alan Wolfe, founding director of the the Museum of the Bible. Moss’s lecture Boisi Center. Moss discussed her recent highlights the need for critical scholar- publication, Bible Nation: The United ship in an age where biases can influence States of Hobby Lobby, and offered a brief the development of our own worldviews history of the Green family, a prominent and prevent us from engaging in critical Protestant Evangelical family that owns discussion and thought about the role of the chain of Hobby Lobby craft stores religion in American and global society. and funded the recently-opened Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The More information and pictures can be found Green family entered the public eye as a on the event page. result of their central role in the Supreme Court Case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. www.bc.edu/boisi-moss Mark Massa, S.J. (R) introduces Moss’s new book. Moss and audience during her lecture. 2 the boisi center report catholic afterlives Boisi visiting scholar Mara Willard discussed the “sticky” nature of Catholic formation and recontextualizing a Catholic afterlife as a positive term and valid site for interrogating what it means to be Catholic. Mara Willard, assistant professor of reli- These include pilgrimage, the arts, com- gious studies at the University of Oklaho- munity service, and academic scholar- ma, delivered a luncheon colloquium at ship––all practices and identities of those the Boisi Center on the topic of “Catholic who had been formed as Catholics. Afterlives.” Willard is currently a visiting During the question-and-answer session, scholar at the Boisi Center, where she participants raised some issues for has been advancing her research on the Willard to consider in her book project. so-called “Crisis in the Church” of 2002. Some referred to the “stickiness” of the The latter is a book project that considers Catholic faith. Others highlighted that how initiatives for ecclesial reform in departure from the Catholic faith does not response to the clergy sex abuse scandal necessarily indicate hostility, but could were conditioned by the practices and Mara Willard addresses her audience.
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