Learn more and register here Signs of the Times: Interdisciplinary Responses to Religious Nationalism March 20-22, 2025   This 2025 CST conference will remember the 60th anniversary of two significant Vatican II texts, Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) and Dignitatis humanae (Declaration on Religious Freedom). Released on the final day of Vatican II, these texts together invited serious consideration of the role of the church and other religious communities in relation to the state. This year’s CST conference takes up Vatican II’s invitation to discern “the signs of the times” and to attend to the roles of church and state within civil society with a view toward the common good. These central CST themes warrant further exploration as Christian and other forms of religious nationalism represent a significant sign of the current time in particular national and international contexts. This interdisciplinary conference invites historical, constructive, and comparative approaches as we consider the ecumenical, interfaith, and transdisciplinary challenges of religious nationalism. For example, what is the history of Christian nationalism in the United States and how is it related to similar movements in other parts of the world? What are the scriptural and theological resources available to analyze these expressions of Christian and national identity? To what degree and under what forms are the academy and the Christian churches complicit with the history and recent expressions of white Christian nationalism? What are the possible connections between the reemergence of various forms of religious nationalism with economic changes, poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation? How has the rise of these political ideologies been facilitated by changes in laws and institutional structures? What are the implications of Christian and other forms of religious nationalism for the relationship of religious bodies and the state in civil society? What are the pedagogical challenges across the disciplines in addressing the significance of Christian and religious nationalism? Normatively, what options for constructive engagement and responses emerge from our shared consideration of these questions?

Learn more and register here 2025 Catholic Social Tradition Conference Signs of the Times: Interdisciplinary Responses to Religious Nationalism March 20-22, 2025 This 2025 CST conference will remember the 60th anniversary of two significant Vatican II texts, Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) and Dignitatis humanae (Declaration on Religious Freedom). Released on the final day of Vatican II, these texts together invited serious consideration of the role of the church and other religious communities in relation to the state. This year’s CST conference takes up Vatican II’s invitation to discern “the signs of the times” and to attend to the roles of church and state within civil society with a view toward the common good. These central CST themes warrant further exploration as Christian and other forms of religious nationalism represent a significant sign of the current time in particular national and international contexts. This interdisciplinary conference invites historical, constructive, and comparative approaches as we consider the ecumenical, interfaith, and transdisciplinary challenges of religious nationalism. For example, what is the history of Christian nationalism in the United States and how is it related to similar movements in other parts of the world? What are the scriptural and theological resources available to analyze these expressions of Christian and national identity? To what degree and under what forms are the academy and the Christian churches complicit with the history and recent expressions of white Christian nationalism? What are the possible connections between the reemergence of various forms of religious nationalism with economic changes, poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation? How has the rise of these political ideologies been facilitated by changes in laws and institutional structures? What are the implications of Christian and other forms of religious nationalism for the relationship of religious bodies and the state in civil society? What are the pedagogical challenges across the disciplines in addressing the significance of Christian and religious nationalism? Normatively, what options for constructive engagement and responses emerge from our shared consideration of these questions?

Learn more and register here 2025 Catholic Social Tradition Conference Signs of the Times: Interdisciplinary Responses to Religious Nationalism March 20-22, 2025 This 2025 CST conference will remember the 60th anniversary of two significant Vatican II texts, Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) and Dignitatis humanae (Declaration on Religious Freedom). Released on the final day of Vatican II, these texts together invited serious consideration of the role of the church and other religious communities in relation to the state. This year’s CST conference takes up Vatican II’s invitation to discern “the signs of the times” and to attend to the roles of church and state within civil society with a view toward the common good. These central CST themes warrant further exploration as Christian and other forms of religious nationalism represent a significant sign of the current time in particular national and international contexts. This interdisciplinary conference invites historical, constructive, and comparative approaches as we consider the ecumenical, interfaith, and transdisciplinary challenges of religious nationalism. For example, what is the history of Christian nationalism in the United States and how is it related to similar movements in other parts of the world? What are the scriptural and theological resources available to analyze these expressions of Christian and national identity? To what degree and under what forms are the academy and the Christian churches complicit with the history and recent expressions of white Christian nationalism? What are the possible connections between the reemergence of various forms of religious nationalism with economic changes, poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation? How has the rise of these political ideologies been facilitated by changes in laws and institutional structures? What are the implications of Christian and other forms of religious nationalism for the relationship of religious bodies and the state in civil society? What are the pedagogical challenges across the disciplines in addressing the significance of Christian and religious nationalism? Normatively, what options for constructive engagement and responses emerge from our shared consideration of these questions?

Romero Days 2025: The Future of Romero Studies We stand at an exciting time in the study and reception of the witness of Óscar Romero. In the 1980s, 1990s, and the first decade of the 2000s, biographies, personal reflections, theological essays, devotionals, and collections of primary texts made Romero’s witness more accessible around the world. In the 2010s, we saw in increasing number of books that take Romero ever-more seriously as both bishop and a deep theological thinker: as someone, who in both life and word, offered a corpus worthy of critical engagement and creative reception, as someone who continues—if we would listen—to speak into the challenges we face today. All of this has set a foundation for the generative and open-ended time in which we find ourselves. Romero Days 2025 will gather leading scholars from around the world to discuss the most urgent needs and the field of Romero Studies going forward. What parts of his legacy remained underexplored by scholars? How can his vision of peace, justice, and Christian life speak into the problems we face today? What does it look like to move forward as a genuine community of scholars and practitioners? Presented by the Kellogg Institute with cosponsorship by the Cushwa Center and Department of Theology.   More information here

On the vigil of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, the Notre Dame community will gather to pray in preparation for the feast, to spend time in devotion to Mary throughout the Basilica, and ultimately make individual offerings of prayer to the Blessed Mother after a candlelight procession to the Grotto. Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

Romero Days 2025: The Future of Romero Studies We stand at an exciting time in the study and reception of the witness of Óscar Romero. In the 1980s, 1990s, and the first decade of the 2000s, biographies, personal reflections, theological essays, devotionals, and collections of primary texts made Romero’s witness more accessible around the world. In the 2010s, we saw in increasing number of books that take Romero ever-more seriously as both bishop and a deep theological thinker: as someone, who in both life and word, offered a corpus worthy of critical engagement and creative reception, as someone who continues—if we would listen—to speak into the challenges we face today. All of this has set a foundation for the generative and open-ended time in which we find ourselves. Romero Days 2025 will gather leading scholars from around the world to discuss the most urgent needs and the field of Romero Studies going forward. What parts of his legacy remained underexplored by scholars? How can his vision of peace, justice, and Christian life speak into the problems we face today? What does it look like to move forward as a genuine community of scholars and practitioners? Presented by the Kellogg Institute with cosponsorship by the Cushwa Center and Department of Theology.   More information here

Join in for an artist talk with acclaimed Chicago-based photographer Diana Solís. Since the 1970s, Solis has been documenting Mexican American families in Pilsen, as well as queer kinship and the fight for LGBTQ rights in Chicago.Reception to follow. A selection of Diana Solís's photographs will be on display.Sponsored by the Institute for Latino Studies, Department of American Studies, Department of Anthropology, and the Department of Art, Art History, and Design. Originally published at artdept.nd.edu.

In presenting this vision, our approach will be twofold: to reflect upon the past and to revitalize the present, to celebrate the feminine genealogy of the faith and to amplify the prophetic mission of women in our current moment. By illuminating the riches of the faith and reading the signs of the times, we hope to equip faithful Catholics and formators with a robust foundation for understanding and articulating the Church’s vision for women in our time. Register Here Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

The Department of Art, Art History, and Design invites you to the upcoming Max and Emma Lecture Series, featuring Jeffrey F. Hamburger, professor of art history at Harvard University.  Despite the vast body of scholarship devoted to the mysterious sixth-century theologian Pseudo-Dionysius, the diagrams that accompany his work remain largely overlooked. Rooted in the Greek philosophical tradition of diairesis (division), these diagrams supply a cornerstone of the diagrammatic tradition in the Western Middle Ages and a new way of thinking about the visualization of thought itself. This event is free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you there! Sponsored by the Department of Art, Art History, and Design, and the Medieval Institute. Originally published at artdept.nd.edu.

In presenting this vision, our approach will be twofold: to reflect upon the past and to revitalize the present, to celebrate the feminine genealogy of the faith and to amplify the prophetic mission of women in our current moment. By illuminating the riches of the faith and reading the signs of the times, we hope to equip faithful Catholics and formators with a robust foundation for understanding and articulating the Church’s vision for women in our time. Register Here Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

In presenting this vision, our approach will be twofold: to reflect upon the past and to revitalize the present, to celebrate the feminine genealogy of the faith and to amplify the prophetic mission of women in our current moment. By illuminating the riches of the faith and reading the signs of the times, we hope to equip faithful Catholics and formators with a robust foundation for understanding and articulating the Church’s vision for women in our time. Register Here Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

Each year, the University's Byzantine Studies Program offers a workshop with the year's Byzantine Studies Postdoctoral Fellow. This year's workshop is with our 2024–25 fellow, Tyler Wolford, and speakers Darlene Brooks Hedstrom (Brandeis), Marica Cassis (Calgary), and Myrto Veikou (Patras/Uppsala).How to AttendIn person (with lunch provided): please reserve your spot by March 25, 2025.Via Zoom if you cannot attend in person; register for ZoomSchedule 10:00–11:00 AMSpeaker 1: Tyler Wolford, Byzantine Postdoctoral Fellow, Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame, "Byzantine Landscapes of Power and Resilience"Speaker 2: Marica Cassis, Associate Professor of History and Classics & Religion, University of Calgary, "Using Medieval Anatolian Microhistories to Understand Resilience and Change" About the Talk: As increasing attention is paid to the environmental history of the medieval world, archaeologists must contend with how to understand their sites within new methodologies and theoretical approaches, including resilience theory. In doing, so, we must resist the urge to oversimplify the results to create another overarching narrative, one which would simply replace the older one based on written texts. This is a problem that can result in locations like Anatolia, which has limited excavations for the medieval period. Rather, careful examination of individual sites as microhistories illustrates the diversity of responses to environmental change that characterized the medieval period in Anatolia. By situating individual sites in regional contexts, we open new questions about populations, material culture, and trade which, in turn, provide a much more complex and comprehensive view of the past. About the Speaker: Marica Cassis is an associate professor of history at the University of Calgary. She specializes in the history and archaeology of the Medieval Near East, and directs the medieval excavations at the site of Çadır Höyük in Türkiye.11:00–11:15 AM Coffee11:15 AM–12:15 PMSpeaker 3: Darlene L. Brooks Hedstrom, the Myra and Robert Kraft and Jacob Hiatt Associate Professor of Christian Studies, Brandeis University, "Aesthetics and Movement in Monastic Landscapes" About the Talk: Oscar Aldred (2021) challenges archaeologists to ask "how" people moved through landscapes by posing new questions to move us beyond the more traditional question of "why" people moved in antiquity. The archaeology of movement shifts us away from a fixation with the archaeology of a place to the archaeology of a space. Philosopher Yuriko Saito, author of Everyday Aesthetics (2007) and Aesthetics of the Familiar (2017) offers language for describing the archaeology of everyday spaces frequently devalued for their ordinariness. In this paper, I draw inspiration from Saito’s everyday aesthetics of defamiliarization and Aldred’s archaeology of movement to examine how archaeologists of monasticism may expand our writing techniques for landscape archaeology. By integrating philosophy and archaeological theory, I demonstrate the importance of studying past movements in landscape and the role of archaeologists in considering past design aesthetics as a departure from more utilitarian and functionalist readings of built environments. About the Speaker: Darlene L. Brooks Hedstrom is the Myra and Robert Kraft and Jacob Hiatt Chair in Christian Studies with a joint appointment in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies. Brooks Hedstrom is an archaeologist and historian of ancient and early Byzantine Christianity of the eastern Mediterranean world (c. 300- 1000 CE) with a specialization in the archaeology and history of monasticism. She is Senior Archaeological Consultant for the Yale Monastic Archaeology Project-North, in Wadi Natrun, Egypt, and co- director of the Monastic Archaeology Field School in Scotland. Her work combines texts, material culture, and theory to examine the history of monastic makers of late antique objects and spaces.Speaker 4: Myrto Veikou, Assistant Professor of Byzantine Archaeology, University of Patras/Uppsala University, "Mountain People in Byzantium (9th–15th centuries): Spaces, Life-styles, Cultures, and Identities" About the Talk: The paper examines the formation of mountainous life-styles and cultures in Byzantium from the 9th century onwards, drawing from investigations in the Greek mainland. It contextualizes social/spatial/cultural practices and collective identities of the Byzantine montagnards with land-use patterns and spatial formations of the Greek highlands. About the Speaker: Myrto Veikou is Assistant Professor of Byzantine Archaeology in the Department of History and Archaeology, University of Patras. She is also a Researcher for the Department of Linguistics and Philology, Uppsala University, in the research programme "Retracing Connections—Byzantine Storyworlds in Greek, Arabic, Georgian, and Old Slavonic (c.950–c.1100)." Within the Association Internationale des Études Byzantines (AIEB), she is active as Vice-Representative for Sweden, as Vice-Chair of the AIEB Commission for the Historical Topography and Spatial Analysis of Byantium, and as founding member of the Commission for Byzantine Archaeology.12:15–1:00 PM Lunch1:00–2:00 PM Speaker Roundtable and Q&AAbout the Workshop Following substantial investment in the area of Byzantine Studies at the University of Notre Dame, including the acquisition of the Milton V. Anastos Library of Byzantine Civilization and generous support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame has established an annual nine-month Postdoctoral Fellowship in Byzantine Studies. This fellowship is designed for junior scholars with a completed doctorate whose research deals with some aspect of the Byzantine world. The intent of this Fellowship is to enable its holder to do innovative research drawing on the rich resources held in the Milton V. Anastos Collection, the Medieval Institute, and the Hesburgh Library more broadly. This may include the completion of book manuscripts and articles, work on text editions, or the development of new trajectories of research in one of the aforementioned fields. Towards the conclusion of the fellowship period the fellow’s work will be at the center of a workshop organized within the framework of the Byzantine Studies Seminar. Senior scholars, chosen in cooperation with the Medieval Institute, will be invited for this event treating the fellow’s subject matter. The senior scholars will discuss draft versions of the fellow’s book manuscript or articles or discuss the further development of ongoing research projects. Originally published at medieval.nd.edu.

A symphonic concert featuring the Songs of Harriet Tubman and Louise Farrenc's Third Symphony, presented in Women's History Month. Faculty conductor Cynthia Katsarelis (in the Program in Sacred Music at Notre Dame) leads a collaboration with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and our invited guest, South African soprano Goitsemang Lehobye, in presenting the Songs of Harriet Tubman by American composer, Nkeiru Okoye, and the Third Symphony by the 19th-Century French composer, Louise Farrenc.Harriet Tubman is the quintessential liberation figure in American history. Her courage and activism has inspired many, including the civic leaders in South Bend who brought a beautiful statue of Harriet Tubman to Howard Park. Louise Farrenc was a virtuoso pianist and composer and the first women to serve full-time on the faculty of the Paris Conservatoire. Famously, she fought for, and attained, equal pay with her male colleagues.The pre-concert conversation at 6:30 p.m. will focus on the meaning of Tubman for South Bend, a "station" on the Underground Railroad. Participants will include Alfred Guillaume, retired from IUSB, a civic leader who helped bring the inspiring Harriet Tubman statue to Howard Park.Nkeiru Okoye is one of the most exciting composers in America. Her works include operas, oratorios, music for orchestras, choruses, and chamber music ensembles, as well as song cycles. Her recent oratorio, When the Caged Bird Sings, premiered in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2024 to great acclaim.Soprano Goitsemang Lehobye, a native of Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa, is an emerging star who in the last year has performed with the Finnish National Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra, and made her Carnegie Hall debut. Tickets are available at: performingarts.nd.edu Co-sponsorsed by the Program in Sacred Music at Notre Dame, Gender Studies, and the Department of MusicThis concert is made possible in part by support from the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, College of Arts and Letters, University of Notre Dame.

Register here Deondra Rose is associate professor of public policy, political science, and history at Duke University. We will discuss Rose’s recent book The Power of Black Excellence: HBCUs and the Fight for American Democracy, and lessons we can learn from HBCUs about cultivating character for the common good. There will be time for audience questions. Virtues & Vocations is a national forum for scholars and practitioners across disciplines to consider how best to cultivate character in pre-professional and professional education. Virtues & Vocations hosts faculty workshops, an annual conference, and monthly webinars, and engages issues of character, professional identity, and moral purpose through our publications. virtuesvocations.org

Sponsored by the History of Philosophy Forum In this first roundtable in the series "Dialogues between Eastern Philosophy and Western Traditions," participants will discuss the topic of "The Good Life with Responsibility and Freedom." Speakers:Michael Puett, the Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology, Harvard UniversityMeghan Sullivan, the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy; director of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, University of Notre DameThe speakers in the first roundtable, Michael Puett and Meghan Sullivan, are leading scholars of Eastern and Western ethical traditions, respectively. Both professors have crafted phenomenally successful undergraduate courses. Prof. Puett's "Classical Chinese Ethical and Political Theory" is Harvard's third most popular undergraduate course, inviting students to reevaluate contemporary assumptions about ethics in light of classical Chinese thought. Prof. Sullivan's "God and the Good Life" at Notre Dame introduces philosophy to students as a "way of life," drawing upon such figures as Plato, Aristotle , and Descartes to present different ways of engaging with questions of ultimate meaning. Organizer: Liang Cai, associate professor of history, University of Notre Dame Series Description: This series of roundtables is designed to foster meaningful exchanges between Eastern and Western philosophers on the themes of responsibility, rights, and virtue. These dialogues aim to inspire thoughtful solutions to contemporary social and international challenges. In the early 20th century, Chinese intellectuals and politicians, confronted with Western imperialism and colonialism, critiqued their own traditions, particularly Confucianism, for a perceived lack of emphasis on freedom and rights. They argued that the focus on responsibility and virtue stifled humanity, individual freedom, and creativity, leading to slower economic and technological development. In 1992, the American political scientist Francis Fukuyama argued that the rise of Western liberal democracy signified the "end of history" and the final form of human government. However, in the 21st century, we have seen that societies prioritizing freedom and individual rights can become polarized and divided, both internally and internationally. Echoing the 2024–25 Notre Dame Forum Theme, "What Do We Owe Each Other," this roundtable series aims to create a platform for Eastern and Western philosophers to discuss different philosophical traditions’ perspectives on responsibility, rights, and virtue. Through these dialogues, we hope to bridge social divides and foster healing amidst suffering, division, and injustice.Cosponsored by the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Originally published at historyofphilosophy.nd.edu.

Scholars have been thinking about the Roman empire for a long time, offering a variety of theories and explanations for Roman imperialism. Too often, however, they have taken the writings of the ancient historians simply at face value. The object of this conference is to examine the attitudes toward Roman imperialism on the part of Greek historians writing under the Roman empire, and to compare these views and their evolution over time with those found in Latin historical writing. The conference offers an innovative approach by integrating historiography with the study of Roman imperialism. Organizers: Christopher Baron (University of Notre Dame)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen) List of speakers: Sulochana Asirvatham (Montclair State University)Christopher Burden-Strevens (University of Kent)Jessica Clark (Florida State University)Cynthia Damon (University of Pennsylvania)Jon Davies (University of Copenhagen)Jennifer Gerrish (College of Charleston)Caitlin Gillespie (Brandeis University)Kyle Khellaf (UC Riverside)Mads Ortving Lindholmer (Danish Institute in Rome)Regina Loehr (Washington University in St. Louis)Jesper Majbom Madsen (University of Southern Denmark)Kit Morrell (University of Queensland)Josiah Osgood (Georgetown University)Antonio Pistellato (Università Ca’Foscari Venezia)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen)Andrew Scott (Villanova University)Kathryn Welch (University of Sydney)Liv Mariah Yarrow (Brooklyn College) Sponsors: Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Notre Dame Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) Department of Classics, Notre Dame Department of History, Notre Dame Originally published at classics.nd.edu.

The Most Reverand Erik Varden, bishop of Trondheim, Norway, will present “Living with Wounds: The Passion in Theology and in Our Lives,” with an introduction by the Most Reverand Kevin Rhoades, bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

Scholars have been thinking about the Roman empire for a long time, offering a variety of theories and explanations for Roman imperialism. Too often, however, they have taken the writings of the ancient historians simply at face value. The object of this conference is to examine the attitudes toward Roman imperialism on the part of Greek historians writing under the Roman empire, and to compare these views and their evolution over time with those found in Latin historical writing. The conference offers an innovative approach by integrating historiography with the study of Roman imperialism. Organizers: Christopher Baron (University of Notre Dame)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen) List of speakers: Sulochana Asirvatham (Montclair State University)Christopher Burden-Strevens (University of Kent)Jessica Clark (Florida State University)Cynthia Damon (University of Pennsylvania)Jon Davies (University of Copenhagen)Jennifer Gerrish (College of Charleston)Caitlin Gillespie (Brandeis University)Kyle Khellaf (UC Riverside)Mads Ortving Lindholmer (Danish Institute in Rome)Regina Loehr (Washington University in St. Louis)Jesper Majbom Madsen (University of Southern Denmark)Kit Morrell (University of Queensland)Josiah Osgood (Georgetown University)Antonio Pistellato (Università Ca’Foscari Venezia)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen)Andrew Scott (Villanova University)Kathryn Welch (University of Sydney)Liv Mariah Yarrow (Brooklyn College) Sponsors: Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Notre Dame Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) Department of Classics, Notre Dame Department of History, Notre Dame Originally published at classics.nd.edu.

Scholars have been thinking about the Roman empire for a long time, offering a variety of theories and explanations for Roman imperialism. Too often, however, they have taken the writings of the ancient historians simply at face value. The object of this conference is to examine the attitudes toward Roman imperialism on the part of Greek historians writing under the Roman empire, and to compare these views and their evolution over time with those found in Latin historical writing. The conference offers an innovative approach by integrating historiography with the study of Roman imperialism. Organizers: Christopher Baron (University of Notre Dame)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen) List of speakers: Sulochana Asirvatham (Montclair State University)Christopher Burden-Strevens (University of Kent)Jessica Clark (Florida State University)Cynthia Damon (University of Pennsylvania)Jon Davies (University of Copenhagen)Jennifer Gerrish (College of Charleston)Caitlin Gillespie (Brandeis University)Kyle Khellaf (UC Riverside)Mads Ortving Lindholmer (Danish Institute in Rome)Regina Loehr (Washington University in St. Louis)Jesper Majbom Madsen (University of Southern Denmark)Kit Morrell (University of Queensland)Josiah Osgood (Georgetown University)Antonio Pistellato (Università Ca’Foscari Venezia)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen)Andrew Scott (Villanova University)Kathryn Welch (University of Sydney)Liv Mariah Yarrow (Brooklyn College) Sponsors: Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Notre Dame Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) Department of Classics, Notre Dame Department of History, Notre Dame Originally published at classics.nd.edu.

Register hereDayna L. Cunningham is the Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Dean of Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Jed Atkins is the director and dean of the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Cunningham and Atkins are authors from the spring 2025 issue of Virtues & Vocations: Higher Education for Human Flourishing. They will discuss the issue, including issues around civic discourse. There will be time for audience questions.Virtues & Vocations is a national forum for scholars and practitioners across disciplines to consider how best to cultivate character in pre-professional and professional education. Virtues & Vocations hosts faculty workshops, an annual conference, and monthly webinars, and engages issues of character, professional identity, and moral purpose through our publications.virtuesvocations.org