Jesuits in Science

Facultés Universitaires Notre Dame de la Paix (FUNDP)
Namur (Belgium)
7-11 September 2005
Call for Participation

Introduction

Meeting on 6-8 February 2004 in Namur on behalf of the European Jesuits in Science (EJS) in order to prepare the next Conference, we agreed that the group’s previous meetings have been of great help, strengthening Jesuit scientists’ commitment to their mission, and opening a space for dialogue and sharing. In Malaga (2001), a need for clarification of the group’s future gave rise to the Mission Statement. The Conference in Rome (2003), reuniting 28 Jesuits, was a step in the direction indicated by this document, concluding that “it is our task to mediate between science and technology, and to inculturate the Gospel in the present society which is so strongly influenced by the ideas of science and the realities of technology.” We believe now that the next meeting of EJS in Namur (2005) could and should become an opportunity to make the next logical step: to start working on a common project. We hope that the group will aim to find a practical way of implementing the desire “to continue to promote and expand the collaboration among Jesuit scientists in Europe”. This can be achieved through “supporting long-term apostolic planning of the Society in Europe in which the presence of young Jesuits with a serious scientific formation will be taken into account”, which implies a need “to promote a continuous evaluation of the formation to the priesthood in such a way that it, too, promotes an awareness of the developments of natural sciences” (Conclusions of the 8th Conference of EJS, Rome, 2003). In his response to the meeting in Rome, Father General encourages EJS to pursue “the initiative to develop the work of collaboration and dialogue with the European groups of Jesuit theologians and philosophers, in order to share and reflect on questions that require an attentive multidisciplinary consideration” (Letter to Fr. Javier Leach of 15 October 2003). Such endeavours merit a serious commitment and we propose that the IX Conference launch a concrete common work. This is what we try to express by the title we propose for the Conference.

Javier Leach (ARA; EJS co-ordinator), Pierre Devos (BME), Paul Gabor (BOH), Andrea Vicini (ITA)

Conference’s title
“Intersections between science, philosophy, and theology. Present and future tasks for Jesuits in science. Towards a common European project.”

Goals

• To interact and dialogue as Jesuit scientists, philosophers
  and theologians.
• To listen to the challenges from Jesuit philosophers and
  theologians.
• To reflect about our present and future tasks in Europe.
• To support scholastics with a scientific background during
  their formation.
• To draft a common European project as European Jesuits in
  science.

Participants

We invite to participate

• Jesuit scientists;
• Jesuit philosophers and theologians who are interested in
  interacting with Jesuit scientists;
• Jesuits in formation who have a scientific background.

Dates

Arrival on Wednesday 7 September 2005 (in the afternoon).
Departure on Sunday 11 September 2005 (after lunch).

Venue

Facultés Universitaires Notre Dame de la Paix (FUNDP)
61, rue de Bruxelles
5000 Namur
Belgium
Tel. +32.81.724111
Fax. +32.81.720391
e-mail accueil (at) fundp.ac.be

Programme draft

Most of the Conference time will be devoted to plenary paper presentations and discussions. We plan to organise papers according to disciplines. Time will also be assigned to short communications, to Jesuits in formation (papers and communications) and to bioethics. A full afternoon excursion will take place during the Conference (we thought of two possibilities: a visit of the Rochefort Abbey and brewery, or an excursion in a boat on the Meuse River; those who would prefer may like to visit Brussels - please let us know your preferences). For those who are interested, it will also be possible to visit our host Jesuit University - FUNDP - and Namur. Finally, we plan to invite three guest speakers: (1) a well renowned Belgian scientist; (2) Mark Rotsaert, President of the Conference of European Provincials; (3) a FUNDP Faculty member working in bioethics, addressing a major contemporary bioethical issue in Belgium (e.g. euthanasia).

Submissions

We invite you to participate at the Conference. We encourage you to present a paper (20 min) or to give a short communication (5 min). In order to organise the Conference, please submit an abstract of your proposal (100-150 words) to Javier Leach leach@sip.ucm.es before 1 May 2005. Please let us know if you would like to give a short communication, and send its title to Javier Leach.