Teresia Hinga has been a major player, and Arabic, Islamic & Mid-dle Eastern Studies, which will be directed by our own Professor David Pinault.

• The continuing involvement of the

department in the Graduate Pro-gram in Pastoral Ministries, and commitment to strengthening our ties to the program, ably led by Prof. Tom Powers, S.J..

• The announcement that the Jesuit

School of Theology at Berkeley and Santa Clara are entering into a range of discussions that are in-tended to eventuate in the formal affiliation of JSTB with Santa Clara. Obviously, this involves our department and the Graduate Pro-gram in Pastoral Ministries in cen-tral ways.

• And our sponsorship of the na-

tional meeting of the Catholic Bib-lical Association this August, un-der the able leadership of Professor Catherine Murphy.

There have been other milestones as well to note, above all the retirement of Professor Catherine Bell from the department. Professor Bell, one of the most distinguished religious scholars in the United States, and renowned for her contributions to ritual studies, will be spending time writing on one of her other major research interests, the nature of be-lief. The department hosted a recep-tion for her on May 10 that was

Season of Change

As the curtain goes down on this academic year we find ourselves exhausted, but not without a great sense of completion as well over what this amazing academic year has brought to us: • The appointment of Dr. Gary

Macy, from University of San Diego, as the John Nobili, S.J. Professor of Theology, the first of our two new endowed professor-ships that will add strength to the theological life of the department.

• The inauguration by Fr. Michael

Buckley, S.J. of the Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. Chair in Theol-ogy with his delivery of the an-nual Santa Clara Lecture on “Newman and the Interpersonal” in higher education.

• The promotion of Dr. Frederick

Parrella to Full Professor. • The granting of tenure to Professor

Ana Maria Pineda, RSM. • The approval of an innovative new

Core Curriculum that will be im-plemented in full in Fall 2009. This will also entail reforms of our own department curriculum, including the major, under the leadership of Professor Catherine Murphy.

• -The growth in exciting new stu-

dent research initiatives. One of them, the Religious Studies Stu-dent Gender Initiative, was spear-headed by RS majors and minors and resulted in their attendance at a major conference at Syracuse Uni-versity on feminism, gender and the “return of religion.” These same students held a campus-wide symposium on the topics covered at the conference, and later held forth at an Ethics at Noon event. (Please see related story, p. 2). The initiative received financial support from the Provost’s Office (FSRAP Program), the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office, Dean of Students, Campus Ministry, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Women’s and Gender Studies, and the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education.

• The announcement of two new

interdisciplinary minors that in-volve our department directly: African Studies, in which Professor

Letter from the Department

Santa Clara University

Newsletter of the Department of Religious Studies Spring 2007

Perspectives

Inside this issue:

Letter from the Department 1

Department News 2

2007 Annual Religious Studies Reception

5

RS Reception Talk 6

Local Religion Project: Catholic Worlds

7

attended by a throng of appre-ciative fellow faculty from throughout the University. At that reception the Dean an-nounced that the President had conferred on her the title of Professor Emeritus, and the department announced the establishment of the Catherine Bell Research Fellowship. The Bell Fellowship will be awarded at the end of junior year to a student who proposes a joint student-faculty research project in re-ligion. Both students and fac-ulty will be awarded a mone-tary stipend to advance the project. The first award will be made in May 2008, after a competition is announced. Also, Professor Philip Boo Riley has passed on the reins of leadership of the Local Re-ligion Project, which he has ably led for the past three years. During that time it has become a model of what de-partments can accomplish in the realm of hands-on learn-ing, and the linking of local and global religions and cul-tures. Professor Riley will be staying on the team as Senior Research Fellow, and a new lead-ership team will build on the foundations he has established.

And, in the fall we will be welcoming Prof. Aquiline Tarimo, S.J., from the Jesuit theology center in Nairobi. He will be teaching for us through the year and contrib-uting to our efforts to build an inculturated theological program as well as the new African Studies minor. Dr. Rachel Bundang, our Ban-nan Fellow, will be returning for a second year and offer-ing courses in her areas of specialization, including Asian Pacific theology and ethics. Returning from sabbaticals and leaves will be Professors Mick McCarthy, S.J., Tom Beaudoin, Cynthia Baker, and Michael Castori, S.J., and Tennant Wright, S.J., will soon be leaving for his annual summer and fall ser-vice in Belize. And I hope I’m not missing someone in this large department! Finally, we congratulate our outstanding graduates, and we will be so sorry to see them go. This has been a truly outstanding group of RS majors and minors, and you have all lent so much life and substance to the department. Please see the list of this

year’s major award winners (p. 5). Graduates, you have changed us as a department for the better, and we will never be quite the same! Thank you for being with us, and Godspeed.

2007. However, the initiative involved much more than just a trip to Syracuse. Several of the students involved have provided us with an account of their experience, as fol-lows: In Our Own Words: The Religious Studies Student Gender Initiative: Angela Bustos, Jessica Coblentz, Theo Dykzuel,

The Religious Studies Student Gender Initiative One of the most exciting ini-tiatives in the department this quarter was planned and con-ducted by Religious Studies majors and minors. It cen-tered upon the “Feminism, Sexuality, and the Return of Religion” conference, held at Syracuse University in Syra-cuse, NY, from 26-28 April,

Stephanie Edwards, Chris-tina Leone, Kim McGiven, Maggi Van Dorn, James Servino, and Tessa Weston Pre-Conference: Stephanie Edwards It all started with the now famous note on Professor Crowley's white board, ex-pressing student interest in the Syracuse University con-ference whose bright posters

Department News

Page 2

Perspectives

Profs. Catherine Bell, Ana Maria Pineda, R.S.M., David Gray, and

Teresia Hinga

“We congratulate our outstanding graduates, and we will be sorry to

see them go.”

Dear Religious Studies Alumni: Our department is growing, and our ambitions are grow-ing as well. Your gifts to the department to support our several faculty-student re-search initiatives, especially our newly established Catherine Bell Fellowship, will be instrumental to en-riching the learning experi-ence of our students. If you would like to make a contri-bution to their success, please make a check in any amount payable to “SCU Department of Religious Studies” marked “Research Fund.” All gifts will be tax deductible and gratefully received. Thank you!

-Paul Crowley, S.J.

hung on the walls of the of-fice: “Feminism, Sexuality, and the Return of Religion.” Although the conference was months away, enthusiasm among the nine students in-volved in the project soon spurred near-weekly planning and fundraising meetings throughout the winter quar-ter. Mostly logistical themes, centered on questions of where we could find the funding, were tackled before we could explore the intellec-tual aspect of our endeavor. In the three weeks leading up to the conference, we met each Wednesday to discuss a selected reading by a confer-ence presenter. As a group we covered an article by Helene Cixous, another by Catherine Keller and finally a selection from Saba Mah-mood. Professors Kitty Murphy and Rachel Bundang facilitated the con-versations and answered whatever questions we of-fered. While no conclusions about French Feminism can be found in an hour over a box of Girl Scouts' Thin Mints, an introduction to at least some of the subject mat-ter was indispensable. Travel Adventures: Kim McGiven We spent six months plan-ning for the conference at Syracuse. What we didn’t and couldn’t have planned for were the horrendous days of travel that it would take to get there. One of the longest days of our lives began before the sun came up on April 25th. Excitement and chatter raced amongst our group as we journeyed over to the airport and enjoyed Christina’s deli-

cious homemade poppy-seed muffins in the terminal. Things started well as we routinely boarded the plane, made ourselves comfortable, and a few of us even dozed off. This sleep and comfort were disappointingly inter-rupted when we learned that a malfunction on our plane was going to lead to an hour-long delay in our time of de-parture. Luckily we were taking such delight in each other’s company that the de-lay was only a minor incon-venience, especially given the breakfast burritos, Cin-nabons, and pinball game conveniently located in our terminal. After re-boarding the plane we enjoyed a second round of the lively seatbelt and safety demonstration and taxied around the runway before the plane parked for two hours. We finally soared into the sky four hours behind sched-ule, and we indulged in Sudoku, storytelling, sleep-ing, and homework before safely landing in Chicago. The Windy City brought us a whole new series of setbacks. Our team of ten had missed our connecting flight, so we marched through the terminal and approached the gate with travel agents. This was a place filled with hissing com-plaints and yelling demands. It was overflowing with busi-ness people who had missed important meetings, vacation-ers looking at spending the night in Chicago instead of Hawaii, and grandparents who would be missing out on their grandchildren’s birthday parties. It was interesting and borderline frightening to ob-serve the dark side of human-

ity that ferociously roars when flights are cancelled, delayed, and rescheduled. We dove into this overwhelming mess before finally booking half of the group on a flight to Syracuse that evening. The other half was booked for the following day, but they would stick around for standby. After we enjoyed our second round of airport food we wandered through the overly crowded terminal and off to our gate. Awaiting us was additional hissing and yelling among passengers, but we managed to distract ourselves with a game of charades. Onlookers were even enter-tained by this, as we filled the room with excitement, shrieking, and laughter. We were lucky that this game was a long one, especially given the three-hour delay in our flight. We made a home out of several different air-port corners as we were moved from gate to gate with each additional time delay. At 9:45 p.m. we finally boarded, but an unlucky few were left behind to fend for themselves in the where-abouts of Chicago until their flight the following day. It was 10:30 p.m. by the time they left the airport—too late to track down Fr. McCarthy for a drink—so with only the clothes on their backs, they headed for the Super 8 where they settled for a little Stephen Colbert before bed. Later that night the rest of us landed and journeyed off to the EconoLodge in Syracuse. We rolled up to one of the worst parts of town in the middle of the night to find that there were a number of

Page 3

Spring 2007

Waiting at the airport.

“In the three weeks leading up to the

conference, we met each Wednesday to discuss a selected

reading by a conference presenter.”

problems with our reserva-tions. A few of us deliriously played guessing games and Pictionary in the lobby at 2 a.m., while the others respon-sibly handled the situation. The Syracuse Conference: Maggi Van Dorn After the Super Eighters ar-rived in Syracuse the next day, we had the better part of the afternoon to rest up and take a stroll around Syracuse- a town of stunning architec-ture and chatty cab drivers. The conference began with a bang… a very French bang at that! Helene Cixous- a femi-nist poet, writer and philoso-pher graced us with a moving account of her intimate rela-tionship with world-renowned theorist/linguist Jacques Derrida. She wove together years of philosophi-cal dialogue that encom-passed but far surpassed feminist interests. The following two days were filled with academically in-tense papers presented by eminent scholars of philoso-phy, theory, anthropology and theology. These headlin-ers included Catherine Keller, Saba Mahmood, Judith Butler, Mark Jordan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Sarah Coak-ley, and Gianni Vattimo. Each offered a thought-provoking response to the conference’s prompt: “Feminism, Sexuality, and the Return of Religion,” yet their papers were constructed out of their own respective disciplines. So for example, Keller was speaking as a Christian feminist theologian, while Mahmood was examin-ing the political and social consequences of particular feminist theories through an

anthropological lens. Need-less to say, this diversity of thought, language and ap-proach kept us on our prover-bial toes. We spent a lot of time trying to piece things together back at the Econolodge, but also had so much fun together! Our intellectual tensions were quickly released with a good and relaxing company of friends with whom we laughed abundantly. It was especially helpful the second day, when all of the speakers were gathered for a roundta-ble panel discussion. Some of the major themes and in-sights were teased out of this conversation, while at the same time, many complica-tions arose. We soon learned that not all of the scholars were in agreement over the topics, much less the starting points for discussion. How-ever, we all agreed that this made for a very rich, interest-ing experience. It was fascinating to see how many different kinds of peo-ple were drawn to the confer-ence. Not only did it attract a broad band of speakers, but students of one kind or an-other as well. Among those asking questions were profes-sors, ministers, graduate school students, and a light sprinkling of undergraduates, such as ourselves. Even those categories yielded more diversity in disciplines rang-ing from philosophy to social science to religion.

Attending an academic con-ference of this caliber was like stepping into a whole new world for all of us. It was initially challenging to orient ourselves within this highly complicated web of

thought, yet with time, pa-tience and quality group re-flections, much was gained from the experience. One key moment was when our own Tessa Weston got the chance to speak with Cath-erine Keller at great length about her work. Keller was brilliant behind the podium, and so humble and gracious on the other side of it, which gave us all the confidence we needed to continue exploring this world of higher learning. We came away realizing that so much is possible for us to grapple with now! We sim-ply must claim our agency as curious students and work to make these sorts of eye-opening opportunities possi-ble. We sincerely hope that our experience may encour-age more students to pursue their dreams and passions-wherever they might lead. The Symposium: Tessa Weston When we first decided to have a symposium, the en-deavor was ambiguous to say the least. We wanted to share our conference experience with the Santa Clara commu-nity, but we had to start plan-ning the symposium long before we knew what we would learn. We came up with a format that would in-corporate a synopsis of the conference papers, audience participation, and a panel discussion that would directly relate the issues presented at the conference to our own campus. Though the material at the conference was diffi-cult, after many conversa-tions, the conference papers came together into carefully considered “mini-papers” that we shared at the beginning of the symposium. We did our best to relate the complex

Page 4

Perspectives

In Syracuse

Syracuse University

“The following two days were filled with academically intense

papers.”

sexuality to life at SCU. Au-dience members offered ar-ticulate and thought-provoking questions that led us to think even more deeply about the issues at hand. We then ate a delicious Mediter-ranean meal and continued the discussion in small groups at the lunch tables. After lunch, panelists James Servino, Professor Rachel Bundang, Greg Schultz, and Professor Catherine Murphy graciously fielded questions like “What does SCU have to say about women’s ordination in the Catholic Church?” and “Why do you remain Catholic when you recognize its conflict with so many aspects of feminism and sexuality?” Response from attendees was positive and encouraging, and we were struck by the deep need to keep the dialogue going. Particularly at a

Catholic institution like Santa Clara, we must continually wrestle with the overlapping and complex themes of femi-nism, sexuality, and religion, and never stop asking our-selves what we can do at both the personal and institutional level to better empower the marginalized. Conclusions: Christina Leone This entire experience has been incredible—the initial planning, the reading groups, the conference and the sym-posium have surpassed all of our expectations. Not only was it an academically stimu-lating venture, but it was also spiritually and emotionally rewarding. In between our seven-hour lay-over in the Chicago airport and the daunting task of decoding the complex essays given by the speakers post-conference, the nine of us formed a unique

bond. After having such a positive experience, we all have discussed the future of the Religious Studies Student Gender Initiative. Our suc-cess with the Syracuse Con-ference has inspired the four remaining students to aim high for our next school year. We hope to explore other avenues available for faculty-student research; in fact, we are already dreaming about attending the AAR confer-ence next year in San Diego! The most important, and in-deed most satisfying, aspect of attending such academi-cally rigorous events is mak-ing the issues raised accessi-ble to the greater Santa Clara community. Hopefully, with continued generous funding and support from the univer-sity, the work of the Reli-gious Studies Student Gender Initiative has just begun!

Page 5

Spring 2007

Back at SCU.

Stephanie Edwards, Katy Lackey, Tessa Weston, and Christina Leone at

the RS Reception.

“The Department gathered on Tuesday, May 22, for its 14th annual RS Awards

Reception.”

2007 Annual Religious Studies Reception The Department gathered on Tuesday, May 22, for its 14th annual RS Awards reception. It was hosted by Professor Catherine Murphy, and featured a talk by Professor Frederick Parrella. The event this year was notable in that many of the students decided to come in costume, dressed as saints, Hindu dei-ties, and even Professor Crowley (who was imperson-ated by Angela Bustos). The department acknowledged the tremendous contribution made by Professor Catherine Bell to the department, and also the continuing contribu-tion made by our Visiting Professor, Ven. Anil Sakya, who returned for a third visit this quarter.

Professor Philip Boo Riley was also honored for his work in establishing the Lo-cal Religion Project in the department. The highpoint of the reception was the induc-tion of new students into Theta Alpha Kappa (the Reli-gious Studies Honors soci-ety), and the announcement of the following annual de-partment awards: Religious Studies Prize for Academically Outstanding Major: Kim McGiven Religious Studies Prize for Academically Outstanding Minor: Kyle Stephenson

Disciple of Many Masters: Sarah Attwood and Angela Bustos Joseph Grassi Social Jus-tice Award: Sarah Attwood Megan Raimondi (Honorable Mention) Ted Mackin Senior Thesis Award: Tessa Weston James Servino (Honorable Mention) Many Faces of the Divine: Tessa Weston and Lauren Clyne Local Religion Project Special Recognition: Kara Miyasato

Sarah Attwood and Megan Raimondi

It is a great pleasure for me to speak to our graduating sen-iors and to our majors and minors in Religious Studies this evening. Congratulations and best wishes to all of you receiving awards and to the inductees into Theta Alpha Kappa.

In a particularly difficult pe-riod of my life about 20 years ago, when focusing on teach-ing was a struggle every day, I would always sit in my of-fice for a few minutes before class and ask myself: Fred (I would say), what one thing do you want to tell your stu-dents in this upcoming class. I have also suggested this question to other professors who have come to me for advice on teaching, especially when I sense they are so con-tent-driven in the course, with never enough time to cover all the material. So too with students in search of a thesis: what one thing are you telling the reader in your pa-per? Thus, I thought to my-self a few days ago: what singular message do I want to convey to you in this brief moment of congratulations and farewell. I decided in this simple bit of advice: listen. What a silly bit of advice, you may ask. I have been listening to professors spout-ing their knowledge and oc-casional wisdom for years; I listen to my parents’ advice all the time; I also listen to my boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend, who often has more to tell me than I really want to hear; and, of course, I listen to my ipod (ah, those Scissor Sisters still don’t feel like dancin’.) So who and what else am I to listen to?

My answer is that I want you to listen to three “things.” First, I want you to listen to yourself. Not your ego-driven self that wants to control your life, and the lives of others; not that small self that too often fancies itself the center of the universe. No, I want you to listen to your great self, that Christ Self, that Buddha Self, that Brahmin Atman, that divine self; the self that knows its limita-tions, that is not proud, that self that yearns to share with others the fullness of life and the talents it have received. This is the Self you have sought to know in your reli-gious studies classes, that has brought you joy, love, com-passion, and friendship when you recognize it in others. You will hear it in those few quiet moments when the clamor and the din of the ego-self subside. Listen to its calling in the longings of your heart; listen to what is asks of you in the lifetime ahead of you. Be faithful to it. Second, I want you to listen to your culture and your world. Put down your ipod when there is a chance to speak with another human being. Be attentive to what is going on around you. When the world is so complicated, don’t be tempted to tune out. Be aware of what the media is telling you; of what politi-cians and world leaders are saying; of what artists from architects to rappers, from playwrights to would-be new Picassos, are telling you. Learn from them and be criti-cal of them. They are shaping the world in which your des-

tiny will be played out. Finally, listen to the source of your great Self and all ground of all that constitutes the world that is not you—listen attentively to the Eternal One, the Nameless One, the One, in St. Paul’s words, who “dwells in accessible light.” Is does not matter if you call this ground of all that is real by the name of God, or Allah, or have no name at all. When the din of the ego self stops and the hubbub and clamor of the world cease for a few moments, you will hear the voice of the transcendent within, not beside the voice of your great Self, but hidden within the voice of your great Self. You will find this voice in the faces and in the hearts of others, those whom you love, those who reach out to you for help in all sorts of ways, and yes, even in the face of your enemies. Listen carefully to those in need, seek them out, and serve them. Know all the facts, but first trust your intuitions. To paraphrase Chesterton, the vault above us is not silent because the universe is an idiot. Listen to the silence. You have studied these three voices in your time here in Religious Studies. You have studied, in T. S. Eliot’s words, is “the point intersec-tion of the timeless with time,” the presence of the eternal on the dusty roads of our temporal world. And you must continue to listen atten-tively to these voices for the rest of your lives. Beware of deception; be sure it is the deep calling unto the deep, not some nicely packaged but phony and shrill sound, like a

RS Reception Talk

Page 6

Perspectives

Professor Frederick Parrella

James Servino, Stephanie Edwards, and Professor Parrella

“When the world is so complicated, don't be tempted to tune out.”

siren call that will lead to de-struction. If you do listen—with care and humility—you will be given the gift of your-self to yourself; you will also confront the world with com-passion, as both its lover and its harshest critic, which is the judgment that only true love can make. And you will be drawing ever nearer (with

apologies to Eliot) to the end of all your explorations and arrive at where you started when you will know the place for the first time.

Congratulations on all that you have accomplished! Listen and listen carefully for all that you can and must still achieve, both for your true Self and the world that awaits your gifts and your

compassion. This is your world and you must come to love it as God loves it, in spite of its many contradictions and crosses. Truly, in your end is your begin-ning. The faculty and staff of Religious Studies celebrate this end with you, and, more impor-tant, this new beginning, and all of us wish you well. Good luck.

-Fred Parrella

Local Religion Project: Catholic Worlds the Valley,” and was developed by Fr. Tennant Wright, S.J., and organized with the assis-tance of the Local Religion Project. This year’s series has spanned the entire quarter. Each week, for nine weeks, “Catholic Worlds of the Valley” has fea-tured a leader from one of the Valley’s many Catholic worlds--ethnic churches, Diocesan of-fices, schools, prison ministry, lay organizations, gay and les-bian communities, etc. Instead of lectures, each week Fr. Wright has engaged leaders from the different organizations in conversation about “the ex-periences, questions, passions” that shape their engagement with one of the worlds making up the Valley’s multifaceted Catholic faith community. This series was offered in conjunc-tion with Fr. Wright’s course “Catholic Worlds of the Val-ley,” and for the one hour pub-lic program his class was joined by other SCU students, faculty and staff, and interested folks from the community. This series has shown that the Silicon Valley is diverse not only with respect to the pres-ence of numerous different re-ligions. It has also demonstrated that traditions such as “Catholicism,” which are often

seen as monolithic entities, are themselves extremely diverse, consisting of numerous groups and initiatives with remarkably different objectives and under-standings of what it means to live a religious life. It has thus contributed to our understanding of the community in which we live, and tentative plans are un-derway for next year’s focus. The Local Religion Project also has a grant to support a research project on “comparative contem-plative practices in the valley.” Dr. Sarita Tamayo-Moraga developed a course on compara-tive mysticism in which students study with a local master for four class sessions—either Zen medi-tation, with Ven. Jian hu, abbot of Chung Tai Zen Center, or centering prayer, with Jane Fer-guson, director of pastoral care and community service at St. Mary’s Church in Los Gatos. Students kept a journal on their meditation practices, and at the same time monitored the war on terror. A panel presentation on the project was held at the end of the quarter.

-David Gray

Over the course of this aca-demic year, the Local Religion Project, under the leadership of Philip Boo Riley with the active participation of many of the department’s faculty mem-bers, has continued its core project of documenting Silicon Valley’s diverse religious landscape, and making this information available to pro-fessors and their students, in order to enrich the study of religious traditions at Santa Clara University. Many pro-fessors have used this informa-tion to develop their course offerings. They have done so by scheduling field trips, invit-ing guest speakers from local religious communities, and sending their student out in small groups to visit local reli-gious institutions. Some of these classes have, in turn, contributed to the project, by gathering information about the groups that they have vis-ited. During the Spring 2007, one of the more exciting initiatives has been the second series in the “Valley of the Gods” ini-tiative. The first, in 2005, dealt with encounters among relig-ions. This year’s series fo-cused on “Catholic Worlds of

Page 7

Spring 2007

“...Silicon Valley is diverse not only with respect to presence of

numerous different religions.”

Profs. Paul Crowley, S.J. and Boo Riley

Perspectives Newsletter of the Department of Religious Studies Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95053-0335

Santa Clara University

RS Minors Nicole Brand-Cousy* Heather Campion Kelly Dugan* Aris Gregorian Christine Johnson Anna Martin Christine Masterman Kara Miyasato* Heather Ordonez* Katayoon Parineh* Kyle Stephenson* Ian Tan*

Graduating Religious Studies Seniors 2007

http://www.scu.edu/cas/religiousstudies

RS Majors Sarah Atwood* Angela Bustos* Kelsey Caulum Lauren Clyne* Stephanie Edwards* Kate Lackey* Emory Lynch* Kimberly McGiven* Megan Raimondi* James Servino Tessa Weston*

* = Theta Alpha Kappa Honor Society

Department Assistance David Gray | Melody Park | Vicky Gonzalez | Paul Crowley, SJ (Chair)