Spring Break
Philosopher covers religion in universities
Speaker, a president of two universities, presented a history of higher education
Merissa Counts
Barometer Freelance Writer
Members of the OSU community gathered Monday night at LaSells Stewart Center for a presentation about the history of higher education.
George Dennis O'Brien, philosopher and former president of both Bucknell University and the University of Rochester spoke about "The University Before and After." The event was sponsored by the Newman Foundation.
Every year the Newman Foundation brings to campus Catholic intellectuals to speak to the university faculty and students on behalf of the church.
O'Brien opened his speech by presenting three fundamental truths in life -- those truths being science, art and religion.
"Science offers a spirit of objectivity," O'Brien said. The philosopher offered a different perspective, however, of how art is a more personal approach to truth.
"Art encompasses signature truths. When Mozart died, no one was going to go continue his work for him," O'Brien said.
The former president submits that religion fills the void between these fundamental truths and serves an even more personal approach to life's truths.
"The belief in Christianity carries with it the belief that there is one who can signature life itself," O'Brien said.
O'Brien believes that by knowing what came before the university system there can be a better understanding of where religion fits into the system.
"Before universities there were monastic schools," O'Brien said, "Benedictine monks spent time learning the work of God, which entailed reading scripture."
O'Brien concluded his presentation by comparing the faith of the Benedictine monks to the once popular music group Nirvana.
Neither the monks nor rock music are easily understood, their words become a mystery, O'Brien said.
The Newman Foundation of OSU is an educational and religious nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of the Catholic faith according to the dictates of the church, and to provide facilities for such purposes.
For more information, the Newman Foundation can be reached at 541-752-6818.
Merissa Counts is a freelance writer for The Daily Barometer. She can be reached at baro.campus@studentmedia.orst.edu or at 737-2232.
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