Furman Alumni discuss matters of life and death March 19

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The Furman University Department of Religion will present three mini-lectures about life, death, and medical choice Wednesday, March 19 at 4 p.m. in Johns Hall 101 on the Furman campus.

“A Matter of Life and Death: Three Challenging Issues,” is free and open to the public, and is held in honor of retiring Furman Professor of Religion, David Rutledge, Ph.D. In this Cultural Life Program event, three Furman alumni will present the lectures:

The Grace of Doing One Thing: Why We Don’t Have to Save the World and Look Good Doing It

Brett McCarty (2008), a doctoral student studying Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School, will discuss societal trends like gene therapy and efforts to radically extend life that treat our finite bodies as problems to be overcome. Countering this, he will propose some religious resources for valuing the finitude of creaturely existence.

Aging in the 21st Century: A Challenge for Religious Ethics

A member of the class of 2001, Sarah Moses, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Mississippi. She will present ethical challenges posed by our aging population. Drawing from her research and resources from the ethical traditions of various world religions, Dr. Moses will offer alternative ways to think about issues as they relate to the growing number of elderly in our society.

We’re In This Together: Reflections of a Hospice Chaplain

Ken Lake, Jr. (1994), Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator with United Hospice (an agency of PruittHealth in Chester, S.C.) will present a pastoral perspective on the contemporary challenges of health care reform and mental health. He addresses how we can navigate the political discourse that divides and polarizes our nation.

For more information about the lectures, contact Dr. Helen Lee Turner in the Department of Religion 864-294-3295, or helenlee.turner@furman.edu.