The MacTaggart Catholic Intellectual Tradition Lecture Series

The MacTaggart Catholic Intellectual Tradition Lecture Series

St. Mary’s University welcomes you to a free, annual lectures series featuring men and women who have shaped the Catholic Intellectual Tradition – a tradition at the heart of the educational enterprises at St. Mary’s.

Glenn MacTaggart (J.D. ’79, M.A. ’89), longtime attorney and counsel with Prichard Hawkins Young LLP, and his wife, Karla MacTaggart, gave a major gift to St. Mary’s to create the MacTaggart Catholic Intellectual Tradition Lecture Series Endowment. The gift allows for the recruitment of speakers from various faith traditions to speak to the University and San Antonio communities about such topics as Catholicism in a changing world, religion in a pluralistic society, and faith in areas such as art and science.

The lecture series is a cornerstone of the Center for Catholic Studies which is a result of the University’s Defining Moment Comprehensive  Campaign.

Upcoming MacTaggart Speakers

• From Ofrendas to Béisbol: lo popular as Catholic Intellectual Traditioning

  Virtual Lecture featuring Carmen Nanko-Fernández, D.Min.

  Wednesday, March 8, 2023
  7 p.m.
  Virtual Event (this event requires an RSVP to view)

  Among the contributions of Latin@ theologies is an intentional “option for culture.” Exercising such an option means taking seriously “lo popular.” In other words, these are the practices that emerge in ordinary spaces, los gritos en lo cotidiano, expressions that navigate las luchas y tradition la fe. Attending to lo popular as necessary yet neglected dimensions in Catholic intellectual traditioning, evokes creative, aesthetic, affective, sensuous and kinetic means of responding to the divine presence in concrete circumstances and daily rhythms de nuestras vidas. These insights find an important place in the theology, teaching, ministry and actions of Pope Francis as well.

  RSVP HERE

  About the Speaker

  

  Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández, Ph.D., is a Professor of Hispanic Theology and Ministry and director of the Hispanic Theology and Ministry Program at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. A Latin@ theologian, her publications include the books Theologizing en Espanglish (Orbis), and Campus Ministry: Identity, Mission, and Praxis (NCEA) as well as numerous chapters, scholarly and pastoral articles on Latin@ theologies, theological education, lo popular, sport and theology—with particular focus on béisbol/baseball and Pope Francis on sports.

  She created and is an author for the “Theology en la Plaza”column in the National Catholic Reporter and her writing has appeared in Commonweal, Aztlán: Journal of Chicano Studies, and The Journal of Hispanic/Latino Theology. Carmen is founding co-editor of the multivolume series Disruptive Cartographers: Doing Theology Latinamente (Fordham University Press) which released its third book in Fall 2022. She is currently completing her book ¿El Santo? Baseball and the Canonization of Roberto Clemente (Mercer University Press). A past president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS), she received their Virgilio Elizondo Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theology.