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No-Place is Everywhere:
The Infinite Limits of Thomas More's Utopia
A Presentation
By
John D. Pilsner
ST. THOMAS MORE is a man of two legacies: first, as a Catholic statesman and martyr who resisted Henry VIII's encroachments on the Church, and second, as the author of Utopia, one of the most influential and controversial narrative fictions of all time. This second legacy has become, in our modern era, a literary-political touchstone as well as an indelible mark on our popular imagination. Studied more for its consequences than in its origins, Utopia reveals the mind of a uniquely creative thinker and writer at the moment of his own political ascendancy. Yet how do we reconcile the devout Catholic statesman with the ingenious literary artist? For the annual lecture on St. Thomas More, we will take up this question, discussing also the circumstances of Utopia's composition, its literary context, some of its many interpretive possibilities, and what relevance Utopia and utopianism have for us today.
JOHN PILSNER is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is a member of the Amici Thomae Mori, an international society dedicated to the life and times of St. Thomas More. During 1995 and 1996, he studied in Angers, France, at the research center Moreanum, under the direction of Fr. Germain Marc'hadour, renowned Morean scholar and founding editor of the journal Moreana. Between 1993 and 2006, Mr. Pilsner taught Comparative Literature and Philosophy at Queens College (NY). He is currently teaching at The Montfort Academy and completing his doctoral dissertation, which treats the subject of philosophical dialectic and paradox in More's Utopia and other works.
Mr. Pilsner received a B/A/ in Drama and English from Hofstra University, and an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto.
MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2009
at 7:00 p.m.
THE ROCHESTER ROOM
of
Church of St. Thomas More
65 East 89th Street - (Between Park & Madison Avenues)
Tel: (212) 876-7719
Visit with the Speaker and Share Light Refreshments Following the Discussion
Free Will Offering Accepted
Sponsored by: The Education Committee of the Parish Council
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Islam and the Catholic Church:
How Past History is Shaping Today's Events
A Presentation
By
Andrew Bieszad
For over 1000 years there have been efforts to forge dialogue between Moslems and Catholics, two of the world's three monotheistic religions that share the Abrahamic root. However, without a basic understanding of the foundation of the other's belief, it is almost impossible to dialogue. Are there ore beliefs that the two share? If so, what are they? If not, what can be done? Andrew Bieszad, an Islamic scholar, who has lectured extensively about Islam throughout the country, will provide and overview of Islam and its relevance to the 21st century Christianity.
Mr. Bieszad is a member of Pax Romana, an International Movement of Catholic Students and serves as their representative to the United Nations. He3 also serves as and Islam and Catholic-Moslem relations advisor to the National Catholic Students Coalition (the American branch of Pax Romana). His article, "The Secular Islam Summit Conference Report" appeared in TELOS (Summer 2007), while another article entitled "Church Honors Lebanese Civil War Martyrs" appeared in Cedar News (July 13, 2008). Additionally, Mr. Bieszad has begun production on the video series "The Church and Militant Islam: A 1000 Year Overview," based on a five-part lecture series.
Mr. Bieszad speaks Arabic-Classical, Standard, and Egyptian dialects – and is fluent in Russian and proficient in Mandarin Chinese. He is an M.A. candidate in Islamic Studies (Hartford Seminary, CT, May 2009); and has a B.A. degree with Honors in Religious Studies, with a concentration in Islam and Christianity and minors in journalism and Chinese (Central Connecticut State University, CT, May 2007).
SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2009
at 3:00 PM
THE ROCHESTER ROOM
of
Church of St. Thomas More
65 East 86th Street - (Between Park & Madison Avenues) Tel: (212) 876-7719
Visit with the Speaker and Share Light Refreshments Following the Discussion
Free Will Offering Accepted
Sponsored by: The Education Committee of the Parish Council
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