STEUBENVILLE, OH—Contraception, business ethics, the role of government in contemporary culture, and even problem gambling will be addressed at the 19th annual Society of Catholic Social Scientists (SCSS) National Conference, held at Franciscan University of Steubenville, October 28-29, 2011.
The conference will feature over 60 presentations by Catholic scholars and practitioners in the social sciences. Presentations will cover a wide range of topics, including, "Contemporary American Civilization, Catholicism, and the Tea Party Movement," "Preventing Society's Destruction of Family and Children," "Public Policy Mandates for Insurance Coverage of Contraceptives and Catholic Institutions: A Clash of Church and State," and "Recent Critiques of Religion Based on Neuroscience."
Patrick J. Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, will give the keynote address, "Not Religious Enough: Federal Threats to Catholic Colleges and Other Apostolates," at a banquet on Friday evening, October 28.
The SCSS, founded in 1992, is comprised of hundreds of Catholic scholars, teachers, and practitioners in the social sciences. It seeks to challenge the contemporary secularized approach to the social sciences, in which the role of faith and Catholic social teaching is hardly considered, by combining objective scholarly analysis with fidelity to the magisterium. According to Dr. Stephen Krason, professor of political science and legal studies at Franciscan University of Steubenville and the president and co-founder of the SCSS, one of the objectives of the conference is "trying to see how Catholic social teaching can apply to social questions that come up in various academic disciplines and also in the culture at large."
Special for Franciscan students, faculty, staff, and spousesRegistration fees are waived for Franciscan University students, faculty, staff, and spouses. The only charge would be for the Friday night banquet and Saturday luncheon should they wish to participate in these meals. |
The registration fee for the conference is $40 for SCSS members, $50 for non-members, and $20 for full-time students. There are additional charges for the Friday evening banquet and the Saturday luncheon. There is a special reduced rate for combined conference registration and first-year membership for non-members who are eligible for SCSS membership and would like to join.
A full conference schedule and registration information, along with requirements for SCSS membership, can be found at the SCSS Web site, www.catholicsocialscientists.org. For more registration information, contact Beth Matanzo at bmatanzo@franciscan.edu or 740-284-5836.