The Newman Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Robert Gagnon, Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to address the question of what – if anything – the Bible has to say about homosexuality. Have Christians and Jews through the centuries been “reading into” the Bible meanings that are not in fact there, or no longer obtain in modern culture? Does the Bible specifically expose anyone with same-sex or inclinations to automatic and ruthless condemnation? Dr. Gagnon intends to answer with Biblical and historical evidence these and other challenging questions in his can’t-miss presentation. As always, all students are welcome for pizza and fellowship, beginning after the 6:00pm Mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

All students are welcome to stop in for a thoughtful and tasty evening as we welcome Mr. Mark Shea to CMU. As a writer on Catholicism and culture, and an occasional freelance actor, he has more than a few interesting observations on the interplay between classical drama – or even theatre in general – and the Gospel. Theatre, broadly considered, has a sacred character, in virtue both of its origins as well as its purpose. Religion – Catholicism especially – likewise of its nature tends to the dramatic. They are related as well as distinct, from the perspective of their subject – the human “person” – which is to say, the human “mask”. Come for a fascinating and enlightening evening, and bring a friend! A light dinner will be served in conjunction with the event.

Mark Shea is an accomplished Catholic writer and sometime actor with a flair for witty turns; he blogs at “Catholic and Enjoying It!”  Contact frjoshua@pittsburghoratory.org for more details.

The Newman Center is quite pleased to welcome Dr. Denis McNamara, assistant director of the Liturgical Institute, University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein to offer a primer on church architecture, and especially Catholic church architecture.  Dr. McNamara holds a bachelor’s degree in the History of Art from Yale University and an M.Arch.H. and Ph.D.in Architectural History from the University of Virginia where he served as an instructor in the School of Architecture and Graduate Advisor Chair for the Office of the Dean of Students.  He is no stranger to Pittsburgh, since his work includes a study of several area churches.

If you’ve ever wondered why a church is built the way it is: with seats and stands the way they are, the use of certain shapes and designs, pews and choirs, windows and steeples, altar and… what is that big marble structure at the front of old churches?? The presentation comes complete with pictures, pizza and fellowship, as always: so bring a friend!

As the world marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 violence, and some recall Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg Address five years ago, Dr. Scott Hahn, Ph.D. is joining us Monday evening to discuss and work through some of the thorny questions involved in reading the biblical Old Testament: does the Bible condone or does God command violence in His Name? These questions have numerous implications for the Christian’s understanding of history, of the integrity of faith, of the inspiration and reliability of the Bible, and the ability of Christians and other believers to exist within a context of religious pluralism. The conversation begins, however, with understanding the sources of Christian faith, in particular the sacred Scriptures, and how to explain their contents without explaining them away. Both grad and undergraduate students are welcome to come, and to bring a friend or two for what promises to be an extraordinary and illuminating evening of discussion and dialogue.

About our presenter: Scott Hahn is a graduate of Grove City College, and received a Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Marquette University in 1995. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and best-selling books, including The Lamb’s Supper. He is presently professor of Theology & Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville, as well as the founder and director of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

Any guys interested in knowing more about what “the life” in preparation for the priesthood looks and feels like are welcome to stop into St. Paul’s college seminary in Crafton, Saturday morning, October 1, and if you like, stick around overnight till Sunday morning. No commitments required other than enjoying your time with a group of young men dedicated for the time they’re there to pursuing ‘the simple life’ of prayer, study, and service…among other things. Contact the vocations director, Fr. Joe Freedy <jfreedy {at} diopitt {dot} org> for more information, or to reserve your place.

PS:  Oh, and we’ll have volleyball as well, for the leaping- and spiking-inclined.

PPS: If there are flash floods or something, we’ll have a movie at the Newman Center.