Margaret F. Grace Lecture Speakers Discuss Just War, Nonviolence
4/7/2017
Riverdale, N.Y. – The Margaret F. Grace Lecture’s series subtitle—“Where Do I Find Hope?”—seemed especially timely this year to Nicole Quaranto ’18. “It certainly aligns with the sentiments of many,” she said. “Where do we find hope when all we seem to hear about is violence and disparity?”
Ms. Quaranto said this year’s Grace Lecture, held April 4, delivered answers. Titled “To Kill or Not to Kill: Just War or Nonviolence?” A Conversation with Maryann Cusimano Love, James Turner Johnson, and Rev. John Dear,” the event examined the historical and modern-day context of just war, social justice, and the future of peacebuilding.
This year, the Mount welcomed Maryann Cusimano Love, Ph.D., James Turner Johnson, Ph.D., and Rev. John Dear for the panel presentation. Dr. Love is a tenured associate professor of international relations at the Catholic University of America and an expert on international security and peacebuilding. Dr. Johnson is a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Religion at Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, whose publications include Ethics and the Use of Force: Just War in Historical Perspective. Rev. Dear is an internationally recognized voice for peace and nonviolence.
Dr. Love argued that the world was actually more peaceful now than centuries ago, advocating that just war be a “minority position.” Dr. Johnson provided a comprehensive history of just war from a theological and historical perspective. Rev. Dear gave a passionate plea against war in any form.
“I think each speaker brought new and relevant experience to the table, whether it was through statistical analysis, theological insight, or mediated action,” Ms. Quaranto said.
“This year’s Grace Lecture was very engaging, and its topic is especially timely in the aftermath of this week’s developments in the Syrian Civil War,” said Micheal Stephens-Emerson ‘18. He said that Dr. Love’s presentation on the role of NGOs and Christian charities as peacebuilders was inspiring, but added that most of the audience seemed skeptical of her assertion that global peace was more widespread than it appeared. For Mr. Stephens-Emerson, Rev. Dear’s presentation was the highlight of the night. “His liveliness, good humor, and devotion to the examples of Christ, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. radiated from him as he spoke.”
The Margaret F. Grace Lecture was established in 2001 by the late Margaret F. Grace, a Catholic lay leader and philanthropist. She founded the Cardinal Suenens Center at John Carroll University to carry out the vision and priorities of the Second Vatican Council. The Grace family chose the Mount to be the lecture series’ home beginning in 2016. Dedicated to highlighting ecumenism and social justice, the Margaret F. Grace Lecture series explores topics that are inherent to the spirit and tradition of Vincent de Paul and Elizabeth Ann Seton.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.