The Seminary Explores

Clay Pasqual, a college senior, spent the summer as intern for the Fund for American Studies in the Institute for Business and Governmental Affairs. The focus of his work dealt with healthcare issues in the United States. The internship included:

• Attending congressional hearings
• Working on Press Releases and Community Materials
• Attending and participating in a seminar
• Expanding healthcare to include issues beyond medicinal and hospitalization, i.e. socio-economic

Dr. Dwight Michael, physician in family practice with Gettysburg Family Practice and member of Physicians for a National Health Program and Health Care for All Pennsylvania, believes that healthcare is a human right, recognized as such by every modern industrialized nation except the United States. Opponents have not considered the savings that a single-payer system would bring to the economy; on the contrary, he asserts, the cost of not adopting universal health care will be counted in the trillions by 2020.

Please note this discussion was recorded on July 7, 2017, references to specific bills in Congress should understood in this context.

Photographer Bill Bretzger talks about his projected portraits, great Civil War photographers, what a spotlight can do for the mood of a landscape and how he’s mixing film and digital work during his time as an artist-in-residence on the Gettysburg National Military Park.

Dr. Jill Titus, Associate Director, Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College and the author of Brown’s Battleground suggests that we often misunderstand historical monuments, thinking they are “history” when they are really interpretations of history. As such, they become opportunities for conversation, study, communication and reflection. When deciding the fate of such monuments, context is critical. The New Orleans monument was clearly offensive, but many others should be retained as markers of our self-understanding as Americans.

The producers would like to note that this episode was recorded on July 7^th 2017, a month before the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia surrounding the Robert E. Lee statue and related protests and counter protests. 

United Lutheran Seminary expresses deepest sympathy for the those killed and injured in Charlottesville.  Please take a moment to read the written response to the events in Charlottesville. 

We also encourage our listeners to revisit the episode titled “Not waiting for the Hero” to hear an example of a unique form of non-violent counter protest that was carried out 10 years ago under similar circumstances. 

Lou Charest, Manager for University Engagement for Catholic Relief Services, describes the current global refugee crisis and explains why Catholic social teaching, as well as Pope Francis, calls us to welcome migrants and refugees. He offers suggestions for how local communities can provide support, from encouraging legislation to linking with refugee families.

Gettysburg National Military Park Artist-in-Residence Brian Emery joins Katy Giebenhain from Seminary Ridge Review in a conversation about his “experimental documentary” adventures on and around the Gettysburg National Military Park. The FIT photography professor shares from his experiences as an introvert in public spaces capturing voices (including the voices of birds) images and stories from past and current history.

Dr. Maria Erling, Professor of American Church History, ULS, and author, “The Augustana Story” sets the Lutheran World Federation Assembly, held in Windhoek, Namibia in the context of justice and reconciliation in Namibia and the abused women in the Congo.

Dr. Nelson Strobert, Professor Emeritus of Christian Education, Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary, and author, Daniel Alexander Payne, distinguishes between a tourist and a traveler, and cites three travelers of color who journeyed to Paris to round out their education, and discovered “liberty, equality, and fraternity” as they had not in America.

Award-winning songwriter, performer, author and peace activist David LaMotte has travelled extensively. In Gettysburg for the first time, he talks with Katy Giebenhain from Seminary Ridge Review about change narratives, reconciliation and a wonderfully unexpected story of nonviolent response.

Writer, scholar and social justice advocate Nancy Cook describes her research and her residency experience at the Gettysburg National Military Park in this episode of The Seminary Explores. Cook holds an M.F.A. from American University and a J.D. from Georgetown University. She has done projects in very interesting settings, including a former state mental hospital in Minnesota.