The Saint Paul Seminary Institute for Catholic Theological Formation co-sponsored an academic conference in conjunction with The Sacra Doctrina Project on the doctrine of creation: “All Things That Were Made: On Creation, Creatures and Their Creator” on Thursday and Friday.
Hosted at the seminary, the conference sought to explore issues raised in natural theology, metaphysics, angelology, anthropology, and ecology by the doctrine of creation.
The Sacra Doctrina Project is a theological society “committed to the revitalization of theology in higher education,” said Dr. Brandon Wanless, assistant professor of dogmatic theology at the seminary and a member of the all-volunteer Sacra Doctrina Project. “I think when we lose sight of creation, we lose sight of who we are as creatures of God and we also lose sight of God. We don’t appreciate what creation is, and we don’t always appreciate who the creator is.”
About 150 scholars from various Catholic disciplines attended, most of them offering academic paper presentations on the doctrine of God’s creation. The event also served as a chance for theologians from around the United States to worship and network together, Wanless said.
The lineup included presentations from seminary Master of Arts in Theology students Christian Beamer, Jacob Hornecker, Sr. Dominica Hooper, OP, Emily Dalsky and Taylor Croissant and Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership student Madeline Larson.
Dr. Bill Stevenson, associate dean at The Saint Paul Seminary, moderated Larson, Beamer and Hornecker’s breakout session. Seminary lay alumna Catherine DiFuccia took part in a breakout session on the study of Mary, Mother of Jesus led by Fr. Evan Koop, seminary formator and assistant professor of dogmatic theology. Koop also presented material from his doctoral dissertation on the creation of woman and the human family as an image of the Trinity. TITLE Dr. John Froula moderated a discussion of ecclesiology as it pertains to creation. And Institute for Catholic Theological Formation Director Fr. Kevin Zilverberg spoke on Church Father St. Irenaeus’ use of Pauline letters to articulate themes of ongoing creation.
Seminary academic dean Dr. Christopher Thompson provided the event’s keynote address — centered on the “call to ecological conversion” — on Thursday evening in the University of St. Thomas’ new Schoenecker Center next door to the seminary.
