New director hopes to continue forbearer's traditions, innovate at Center
By Melissa Nip
The Rev. Jim Lies, C.S.C., is a psychology professor, pastoral resident and the new director of the Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture. The Garaventa Center, founded in November 2004 strives to examine the intersection of the Catholic tradition and American culture, in addition to spreading the word of God to our society through conferences, lectures, and courses. Fr. Jim was happy to share in an e-mail interview what he wants to do as the new director, what his goals are for the future, and what this position means to him.
Why are you involved in the Garaventa Center? What does it mean to you personally?
I was named the executive director of the Garaventa Center by The Rev. Bill Beauchamp, C.S.C., president of the University of Portland, and began officially on June 1, 2009.
Apart, however, from the mechanics of my moving into this position, I gladly agreed to do it because it has everything to do with my choice to be a Catholic priest and a teacher and scholar.
This position brings together everything to which I've devoted my life - the opportunity to intellectually engage with others on the most important questions of faith and contemporary culture.
I am honored to have been given the opportunity to succeed philosophy professor Peg Hogan, the founding executive director of the Garaventa Center.
Along with Jamie Powell, Dr. Hogan created and animated a Center which has greatly impacted our campus life and community.
I am delighted to join with Jamie in building on the good work that has been done and in shaping the future direction of the Garaventa Center.
On the UP Web site it says the mission of the Garaventa Center is "dedicated to the examination of the intersection of the Catholic Intellectual Life and American culture." What elements in the American culture clash with Catholic development?
Of particular concern are those elements of culture that are at odds with a Catholic moral vision. The charge of the Garaventa Center is to engage culture in a consideration of the most important issues of our time - poverty, war, human dignity and life - in the light of faith, drawing from the rich intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church.
Does the mission of the Garaventa Center change as American culture changes?
The mission of the Center remains the same - to foster an ongoing intellectual exchange between Catholicism and the culture in a search for meaning and understanding that is rationally, morally and spiritually grounded - even as the issues and venues that the Center addresses change with our ever changing culture.
What changes do you want to make to the Garaventa Center as the new director? Is the Center moving in a new direction or is it maintaining its tradition?
I marvel at what the Center has been able to accomplish in its four years.
When one considers the size of the Center staff and the relatively limited resources it has had a remarkable impact on our campus and beyond.
It is my every hope that we can continue to serve the campus and wider community in much the same way we have in the past. I'm particularly interested in enhancing our engagement with students in a variety of ways - with curricular and co-curricular opportunities.
We will pursue a continued strengthening of the Program in Catholic Studies, an existing academic minor, and provide other opportunities for students, faculty and staff to learn more about the relevance of the lens of faith as a potential corrective to the excesses and secularity of our age.
We hope to work with Campus Ministry in developing a program in the model of "Theology on Tap" where students can gather in a comfortable setting to discuss issues of faith. Just as the Garaventa Center has and will continue to engage interested faculty in developing the best of our programming, we intend to do the same with students in order to address matters of most interest and relevance to them.
We are currently considering the establishment of a Garaventa Center student advisory council for that very purpose.
What aspects would you like to retain at the Garaventa Center as the new director?
There is a good deal more that will stay the same than will change during my leadership of the Garaventa Center.
We will continue to support a variety of interdisciplinary programs, many of them initiated by UP faculty members and departments.
Most of our programming has grown organically, and will continue to, from the academic and personal interests of our faculty. The Red Mass events, which highlight the work of the legal community, will continue as well.
The Rev. Charlie Gordon, C.S.C., has been a very popular lecturer. We will continue to host his spring lecture as long as he's willing to do it.
Fr. Charlie also hosts, with education professor Karen Eifler, our popular film series, "Bringing the Eyes of Faith to Film." Finally, the Center has also, historically, hosted conferences on an array of topics through the Center, as we will this spring, and we intend to continue to do so every other year or so.
Our conference this spring, entitled "History (1933-1948): What We Choose to Remember," will bring people together to examine, from an array of political, philosophical and faith perspectives, the historical period from the rise of the totalitarian regimes in Europe to the establishment of the state of Israel.
What programs/courses/activities does the Center offer to educate UP students on Catholic values?
Everything that the Garaventa Center offers is devoted to educating the entire UP community and beyond in one way or another.
There are some that are likely to have more appeal than others but everything we do is done with students in mind.
A student needs only peruse our web site for the events that might be of particular interest - any one of which could lead someone to a deeper understanding of him or herself, and of the Church and the world.
Jamie Powell and I would also welcome anyone to stop by the Garaventa Center (214 Buckley Center) any time.
We look forward to any ideas that anyone in our community might have to offer in examining the rich intersection of faith and culture.
