In the past month or so I advertized a lecture series at Columbia University entitled "What's faith got to do with it?" given by Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete.
The point of the lectures was to think about the relationship between faith and life in four important human experiences: politics, science, economics and affectivity. Often I hear, or it is intimated, that we live in a world where the vast majority of the citizens either don't care about faith or are searching for "something" (or both). There is a sense of craziness going on in today's world that can't be ignored by believers. Why? How is that people get out of bed in the morning intimidated by feelings (thoughts?) of inadequacy, narcissism and nihilism in piecemeal or all at once. Curious! I am usually looking for the bathroom, the toothpaste and a cup of coffee.
Nevertheless, I think there is a need to explore the issues and interpersonal relations that man and woman face regularly: other people, science, money and sex/sexuality/intimacy viz. the Catholic faith. It is distinctly "Catholic" to engage these matters; to ignore them is to betray unbelief in the Incarnation and it is irrational. There is a relationship between these 4 areas and faith and a public forum shows how they intersect "live". Albacete is taking life seriously by engaging these facts of life because he knows that faith is a form of knowledge (read the book Is It Possible To Live This Way? Vol. I Faith by Luigi Giussani) and therefore it broadens reason. As it's been said, "faith should give us a better vantage point to understand the realities of life."
The transcripts of the 4 lectures are available for download:
Faith and Politics: Do they mix?
Faith and Science: Are they in conflict?
Faith and Money: Do they add up?
Faith and Romance: Are they a good match?
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