The Seminary Explores

Father Recla, then a pastor in New York, took on the role of chaplain in one of the morgues where remains were sent during recovery operations after 9/11, often accompanying body bags to their final destination--sometimes with police or fire escorts. Little was said during these sad journeys, but Recla sensed there was both laughing and crying in the silence.

Ed W. Clark, Superintendent, Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site talks with Dr. Christianson about the business of running a national park.  As the National Park Service celebrates its centenary with the theme “Find Your Park” to encourage us to visit these treasurers of our heritage whether near or far, it prepares to face new challenges. They include maintaining the Gettysburg Battlefield’s 1863 appearance, a maintenance backlog, new land acquisitions, and raising questions of interpretation beyond the battle itself, such as slavery the impact on civilians.  

Photographer Robert Beech discusses the process, challengesand rewards of wet plate photography. During his tenure as Artist in Residence at the Gettysburg NationalMilitary Park, Robert recreated some of the most famous photographs of thebattle using the same technology used by the photographers of the time.

Read Robert Beech's Blog

Dr. Kenneth Mott, Professor of Political Science at Gettysburg College explains that beginning with the nomination of Senator Barry Goldwater in 1964 and the passage of the Civil Rights Act shortly thereafter, the two parties have moved away from the “middle” and toward the “more purified” or ideological.  The reasons are complex but are mainly due to regionalism and segregation, as well as social media and an emphasis on individualism.

Think you know everything there is to know about the founding of this country?  Think again!  This year, to celebrate July 4th, listen to this fascinating conversation with Gettysburg College history professor Tim Shannon as he talks about the role of Native Americans during the Revolutionary War, and their varied relationships with the British, the French and the Colonists.  Don’t miss the discussion of Jefferson and his views of Native Americans.

Dr. Kenneth Mott, Professor of Political Science, Gettysburg College; author of “The Supreme Court and the Living Constitution” takes us on a tour of the U.S. Constitution.  In addition to a structure and a process for an American government, the Constitution assumes a distinction between permanent principles and occasional demands, between the “permanent” will of the people and the “whim” of frequent change. Thus what is left unsaid is the key to the endurance of the Constitution. The role of the Supreme Court becomes critical in keeping this dialogue alive and well.

Sculptor Marlene Alt and Katy Giebenhain from Seminary Ridge Review talk about Alt’s sited sculpture outside the National Park Service Museum and Visitor Center in Gettysburg. “Traces: A Gathering Up” features wax imprints of horse hooves. How do we pay tribute? What is the difference between land and home? How can we imagine the scope of the Battle of Gettysburg? Aside from human casualties there were over 1,000 horses and mules killed here. Alt describes her installation project and her approach to other historical themes in her artwork. She is the May-June 2016 Artist-in-Residence at the Gettysburg National Military Park.

Astrophysicist Dr. Craig Foltz makes physics come alive in this engaging discussion of the origins of time, how telescopes work, and what it all means for our knowledge of the world and ourselves.