As urban protests continue over the gulf between rich and poor,
an acclaimed theologian will discuss ethical solutions to rising
economic injustice this Saturday during a major St. John’s
University conference on combating poverty.
Daniel
Finn, Ph.D., a leading author and scholar on the
relationship between economics and Catholic Social Thought, will
deliver the keynote presentation at the Vincentian Chair of Social
Justice Seventh Biennial Poverty Conference.
The conference, entitled “
Poverty Eradication and Intergenerational Justice: Stewardship,
Solidarity and Subsidiarity,” will take place from 12:30 to 6
p.m. in Room 416 at the D’Angelo Center, on St. John’s University’s
Queens, NY, campus.
Dr. Finn will present “The Values, Virtues and Principles
for a Just and Sustainable Future for All.” He will focus
on economic issues and the role of Catholic Social Thought as a
moral framework for combating rising inequities.
Professor of Theology and William and Virginia Clemens Chair in
Economics and the Liberal Arts at Saint John’s University in
Collegeville, MN, his books include The Moral Dynamics of
Economic Life, True Wealth of Nations: Catholic Social
Thought and Economic Life and The Moral Ecology of
Markets: Assessing Claims about Markets and Justice.
Following Dr. Finn’s presentation, a panel will explore ways that
civil society, government and the markets can collaborate for the
common good. Leading the panel will be former New York State
Assembly member Michael Benjamin; Scott
Budde, Managing Director of TIAA/CREF; and Joan
Rosenhauer, Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations
for Catholic Relief Services.
The second half of the conference will consist of roundtable
discussions and a concluding session exploring possible individual
and corporate efforts to combat economic and social inequality. St.
John’s faculty will join outside experts in these sessions.
The Vincentian Chair for Social Justice Conference is presented by
the Vincentian
Center for Church and Society. Based at St. John’s University,
the Center links the University, the Church, service organizations
and the community at large in following the example of St. Vincent
de Paul, the Patron Saint of Christian Charity and founder of the
Congregation of the Mission, which established St. John’s in
1870.
For more information or to register for the conference, contact the
Vincentian Center for Church and Society: (718)
990-1612; vccs@stjohns.edu.