New DSPT Merchandise!

Dear Students:

Just in time for Christmas giving, we've gotten in the brand new zip-up VERITAS hoodies! The merchandise is now being displayed downstairs across from Eleanor's desk, so take some time to check out the new zip-up sweatshirts when you have a chance!

The new zip-up sweatshirts can be purchased for $35 from Eleanor (please make checks out to ASDSPT).

Zip-up hoodies not your style? Don't worry! We still have gray and black DSPT sweatshirts for $25 as well as the "Can You Handle the TRUTH?" T-shirts in gray and black for $12 and the old VERITAS T-shirts for $6. (The new style of VERITAS T-shirts will be available at the beginning of next semester.)

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Upcoming Events: Week of December 4

Dear Students,

Sorry for the lateness of this email, but I wanted to write to tell you about the events that are coming up this week.

First off all, are you feeling stressed as the semester winds down? Then I recommend attending the Advent Reflection at DSPT. It begins tonight at 7:30pm with snacks and entertainment and follows tomorrow morning 9-12 with a mini-retreat led by Sr. Marianne Farina and an opportunity for the sacrament of confession. Please note however that it is not necessary to come to the session tonight in order to come to the session on Wednesday--so please join us for whatever part of the Advent Reflection that you can!

Finally, I would like to invite everyone to DSPT for our holiday party on Friday. The night will begin at 6pm with Mass, which will be followed by dinner. I look forward to seeing everyone on Friday!

I encourage you to take a look at the ASDSPT blog when you have time. I've posted on there a bunch of conferences as well as a summer internship in worker justice that you might be interested in.

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Seminary Summer/Islamic Internship for Worker Justice

Sr. Marianne forwarded me the following information. If you're wondering what you might do this summer, this might be something to consider.

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Seminary Summer/Islamic Internship for Worker Justice is a joint project of Interfaith Worker Justice, the AFL-CIO, and Change to Win unions. This unique program will give 35 to 50 Muslim and rabbinical students, seminarians, and other future religious leaders the opportunity to:
• Witness workers' struggles for a voice in the workplace;
• Discover how unions can be a vehicle for achieving social justice;
• Work with religious, community and union activists to build support for workers who are organizing unions;
• Find ways to include worker justice in future ministry.

This 10-week internship program will begin on June 10 with a one-week orientation at a central location. Interns will then travel to worksites around the country to spend eight weeks supporting a specific worker campaign. Requests for placement in local worksites will be considered, but cannot be guaranteed. Participants will reconvene Aug. 15-17 for reflection and to plan next steps.

Each intern will receive:
• A weekly stipend;
• Possible academic credit;
• Help with housing costs if needed;
• On-the-job transportation costs;
• A mentor for theological reflection throughout the summer (if desired).

Qualified applicants must be enrolled (or accepted) in a graduate program preparing them to be religious leaders. Muslim students enrolled in any graduate program are also eligible. Applicants should be committed to social justice, willing to work relatively independently, able to communicate with a broad range of people, and flexible. This is not an internship for someone who likes everything to be perfectly clear.

Seminary Summer began in 2000 as a track of the AFL-CIO's Union Summer program, which has involved nearly 2,500 young people since 1996. Interfaith Worker Justice is the leading national religious organization addressing worker justice issues and rebuilding alliances with the union labor movement. Deadline: March 1 for early acceptance. Applications will there after be considered on a rolling basis.

For more information, contact Sara Wohlleb at Interfaith Worker Justice, 1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave., 4th Fl., Chicago, IL 60660; (773) 728-8400 x 43; seminarysummer@iwj.org; www.iwj.org.

CAL Islam Awareness Week

I received the information about these speakers from Ahmad, my contact with the Muslim Students Association. Unfortunately the ones I would really want to go to are Monday and Tuesday nights and Monday night I'll be at the Dumb Ox (7:30pm... all the cool people will be there) and Tuesday night I have class. But I'm passing on the dates in case anyone is interested.

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WHAT IS ISLAM? WHO ARE MUSLIMS?
Come find the answers to your questions during Islam Awareness Week!

The following are the different events we will be holding throughout the week:

- What makes a successful Jihad?--Monday (11/13) - 7 pm, 110 Barrows
-Muslim Women: Unveiling the Truth--Tuesday (11/14) - 7 pm, 2060 VLSB
- Spoken Word: The Voice of Silence with Amir Sulaiman--Wednesday (11/15) - 8 pm, Naia Lounge in Lower Sproul
- The Truth about Palestine--Thursday (11/16) - 7 pm, 2040 VLSB
- The Jumuah Friday Prayer - The Quran: Applications in Daily Life--Friday (11/17) - 1:15 pm, East Pauley Ballroom

Some DSPT business and upcoming events

Dear Students,

I have been discussing with Pete Macleod about putting student accomplishments up on the DSPT website. Do you have anything that you have done as a DSPT student that we could put up to show how great DSPT students are? Conference presentations? Article publications? Poetry or other writing that was published? Competitive internships in DC?

If you have anything like this, please email me back at asdspt@dspt.edu and we'll put it up on the website so everyone can see how great YOU are. :)

Additionally, I'd like to remind you about some GREAT upcoming DSPT events. Details about all of these can be found on the ASDSPT calendar.
** This Wednesday (Nov. 8) is Dr. Berkman's inaugural lecture at 7:30pm in Classroom 1.
** Starting this Thursday (Nov. 9) will be the Theology of the Body Discussion Group at 7:30pm in Classroom 2.
** Don't forget that next Monday (Nov. 13) at 7:30pm will be the second meeting of the Dumb Ox: a Theology Forum! Br. Augustine will be speaking on the topic of original sin. Also, the discussion from the first meeting of the Dumb Ox continues on the ASDSPT blog, in case you couldn't make it.
** Then Monday, Nov. 27 will be an Owl of Minerva. The speaker will be Alice Sowaal, a professor of philosophy at SFSU.

Don't forget that the deadline in order to lock in the preorder price for the VERITAS zip-up hoodies is Wednesday, Nov. 8 at NOON! We will be placing the order at that point, so if you know you want one and want to get the discounted price, email us back at asdspt@dspt.edu ASAP!

I hope the semester is going well for everyone!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Recap: When does an embryo have a soul? - by Elissa McCormack

Saint Thomas Aquinas believed in what today is called “delayed hominization,” i.e., that the embryo has first a vegetative soul, then a sensitive soul, and it is only later that the embryo actually has a human soul. There are also two definitions of Thomas’s soul that we have to keep in mind: first, the soul is the substantial form of the body (so a human soul is what makes a human to be a human), and second, a soul could not be united to a body unless the potency of the body were disposed by its present form to be actualized by the human soul (there has to be a sufficient amount of organization to support the soul). However, Thomas’s theory is based on outdated biology, so we need to look at what his theory would look like when it is informed by a modern understanding of biology.

During the process of fertilization, the embryo receives its genetic structure, unique from that of the mother or the father, and then cell division begins. However, according to Thomas’s idea of the soul, we cannot say that the embryo has a human soul at this point because there are no structures in place to support the higher functions of the human soul, i.e., the intellect and the will. In fact, the brain is the last organ to develop and continues to develop until two years after the birth of the child.

Another problem with saying that the embryo has a soul at this point is the issue of twinning. Although with the genetic code the embryo is set to develop into a human being, at this early point in the pregnancy any cell that divides from the other cells has all the genetic material to develop into an entirely new human! Since an individual human soul cannot divide, the idea of an individual human being splitting into two human beings is kind of hard to take. Additionally, one-third to one-half of all fertilized eggs do not survive to implant. If the embryo is given a soul by God at the “moment” of conception, what happens to all these souls?

The interesting thing about implantation (ten to fourteen days after conception) is that this is the point when the possibility of twinning is removed and then the nervous system and the heart first begin to develop. I think that if we are using Saint Thomas’s idea of the soul, this is the point when God would infuse the embryo with a human soul. There is also no longer any chance of this “human” splitting into more than one human through twinning. Additionally, since the cells that make up the nervous system and the heart are beginning to differentiate themselves, this is also the first moment in the pregnancy that you can argue that the embryo has even the beginnings of the structures necessary to support the rational functions of the human soul.

What does this mean for the teaching of the Catholic Church? Not much actually. Since implantation is really the first moment that a woman can know that she is pregnant, the teaching on abortion would not change. Additionally the teaching on the morning-after pill would not change because, properly speaking, that pill is classified as emergency contraception and so would be covered under the Church’s teaching on contraception. The only teaching that might have to change (and I welcome comments on this issue because I am not as informed about it) is that on stem-cell research. The question as I see it is: what is the moral status of the artificially fertilized eggs that are never intended for implantation? If the human soul is connected to implantation, these eggs would not have moral human personhood.

However, since science cannot teach us morality, in this issue we need to turn to the certainty we get from faith and the teachings of the Church. Both John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s Declaration on Procured Abortion teach that since we do not know when the embryo receives a human soul, it is better to respect the life of the embryo than it is to risk the sin of murder.

Daughters of Mary movie night update!

Please join the Daughters of Mary

MOVIE NIGHT

for a very serious film retrospective of

Sophia Coppola

and a career that spans years

7pm-ish a brief introduction by fil curator, Colleen Power*

7:15ish The Virgin Suicides (1999) - "Depressing, beautiful & thoughtful"**
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Kathleen Turner and the perennially cool James Woods

8:30ish make your own pizza (and then eat it)***

9:30ish Lost in Translation (2003) - "Breathtaking"****
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray and Japan

* Not actually a film curator
** Some dude on IMDB
*** Pizza making paraphernalia (and sangria and other beverages) will be provided
**** Some other dude on IMDB

Daughters of Mary Upcoming Events

Baking Party: Thursday, October 5
Come have some fun with the Daughters of Mary! We will be staked out in the new, spacious, wonderful kitchen at the DSPT from 4-7, baking up a storm (and some brownies) for Friday’s bake sale to raise money to purchase a statue of the Blessed Mother for our new chapel. We will have basic ingredients and a selection of recipes to work on, but it would be great if people brought their own favorite recipes as well. (You’ll probably need to bring any special ingredients you need.) So come and do your own thing with some company, help out with baking projects already underway or just hang out and lick the bowls afterwards and help DJ the baking party. Come for all of that time or drop in on your way to/from class.

Bake Sale: Friday, October 6
The Daughters of Mary will kick off their fundraising efforts to purchase a statue of the Blessed Mother for our new chapel this Friday. Baked goods to be sold or help manning the sale would be appreciated. Or, better yet, come hungry to class on Friday and buy lots of baked goods. And then buy some more to give as gifts. And then buy some more because you really want that statue. And thanks to everyone for past support: Our bake sale last May was a huge success—we made more than enough money to fund this year’s May crowning.

Films with Style: Sofia Coppola
This semester we’re planning on indulging our girly, but aesthetically sophisticated, tastes by watching “Films with Style.” We’re starting on Friday, October 13th at 7pm with Sofia Coppola’s first two films, The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation. Not only does the girl have a great eye, but she’s a master of the story of young women finding themselves and their way in the world. Then, we’ll try and organize a time the next weekend to see the release of her new film, Marie Antoinette. Keep your eyes out for November when we hit the Wes Anderson libraries. Boys are welcome, but there will be giggling.

UCB Muslim Student Association Fast-a-Thon!

You may have noticed in your mailbox today there was a form for the UCB Muslim Student Association's Fast-a-Thon. This event will take place on Tuesday, October 10 and I would like to try to get as many DSPT students (and faculty if they're interested) as possible to participate because I think it would be a good way for us to reach out to UCB.

So if you're interested, fill out the pledge form and put it in my mailbox by 3:30pm on Monday, October 9. Then, on Tuesday, October 10 you will abstain from all food and drink during the daylight hours (5:45am-6:40pm) and, because for Muslims fasting is not just about abstaining from food, to try to practice self restraint and refrain from negative thoughts and speech. Then we can meet as a group outside 2510 Le Conte Ave. around 6:10pm and head over to dinner with the MSA. If you're not going to meet with the group, you should be at the Heller Lounge on the 2nd floor of the MLK Student Union Building by 6:30pm.

If you have any questions, send an email to asdspt@dspt.edu. I hope that you will all be able to participate!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President.

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Hi Elissa

Thank you so much for your interest. The MSA holds a Fast-a-Thon every year and basically fellow students, faculty and community members fast along with Muslim students. For everyone that fasts, businesses and corporate sponsors donate a certain amount to a charity of choice (usually a local charity like the Children's Hospital). This year, for each person that fasts, local businesses in Berkeley will donate money to Doctors Without Borders.

It is for the dual purpose of raising awareness about Ramadan and to raise money for charity. We have a big community dinner event at sunset when we break our fast and approximately 250-300 people attend each year. The dinner this year will be on Tuesday October 10th at 6:30 pm in Heller Lounge in the Martin Luther King Student Union. I really hope you will be able to make it and bring your fellow students to attend.

Fyi, we get all the fasting people to sign these pledge forms so we know how many people fasted. The forms should be distributed before the day of the event. If possible, it would be best if we could have then signed and collected before the event so we know how many people to expect and what sort of food amount to plan for... especially because people will be fasting and hungry. If you could please keep a count of how many pledge forms are signed that would be awesome... just so we know how much food to cater for. If we could know a total number by Monday by 3:30pm that would be best.

Please don't hesitate to email me if you have any more questions.

Thank you once again.

- Ahmad

T-shirts, meetings, and Adoration... oh my!

Dear Students,

Just some quick reminders...

First of all, don't forget to vote for your favorite T-shirt design this week. The designs will be posted in the student lounge and you can find ballots in there or in your mailbox. Voting will end on Friday, September 29, so be sure to cast your vote by then!

Are you considering applying to a PhD program after you finish your program at DSPT? Then come to the first meeting of the "academic group" to discuss your ideas and plans as well as things you think the school can do to help support students in this endeavor. We will meet in DSPT Classroom 2 at 7pm on Monday, October 2 and pizza will be served. If you have any questions, you can contact me at asdspt@dspt.edu.

Finally, the following message is from Ed Hopfner who has been nice enough to put together the Adoration schedule for the school:
Thank you to all who responded to the request for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. We have put together a preliminary schedule. The days and times that seemed to work best were Thursdays and Fridays, from roughly 10-2:30. We still need at least one person from 12-1 on Thursday, and 11-12:30 on Friday. Ideally we will have two people (at least) for each 'slot.' We hope to start when the 'gaps' are filled--alternatively, we could have shorter periods of time if we can't fill them (maybe 1 hour on one of the days, etc). Ideally, we would like to start in October. Attached to this email is a schedule that has been formed from the email responses we received (before Adoration begins, we will confirm these dates and times with everyone). If you are able and interested, please look at the schedule and sign up for an open time slot by emailing asdspt@dspt.edu, especially if it would 'fill' a 'gap.' No one will be scheduled for more than an hour. Thank you !

I hope that the semester has been going well for everyone so far!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Compassionate Listening

Sr. Marianne sent the following information to me about a workshop that she is setting up at DSPT to introduce students from the GTU (and anyone else who is interested) to Compassionate Listening.

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Come meet the trainers and board members of The Compassionate Listening Project. The event is open to GTU and General Public.

COMMUNITY FORUM: WHAT IS COMPASSIONATE LISTENING?

Monday, October 9, 2006 at 6:30pm

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology

2301 Vine Street

Berkeley, CA 94708-1816

“Do not be too quick to assume your enemy is a savage just because he is your enemy. Perhaps he is your enemy because he thinks you are a savage. Or perhaps he is afraid of you because he feels that you are afraid of him. And perhaps if he believed you are capable of loving him he would no longer be your enemy.”

—Thomas Merton, Seeds of Contemplation

What is the work of Compassionate Listening?

The Compassionate Listening Project (TCLP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching skills to heal polarization, cultivate healthy relationships, and build bridges between people, communities and nations in conflict.

The Compassionate Listening Project is dedicated to empowering individuals to heal polarization and build bridges between people, communities and nations in conflict. The work has grown out of 15 years of conflict resolution and reconciliation work on the ground in Israel and Palestine.

The Compassionate Listening Project has ushered hundreds of American citizens very deeply into both societies to listen to the suffering and grievances of people on all sides of the conflict and to help bring the humanity of each side to the other.

JOIN US TO LEARN MORE.

For more information contact:

Sr. Marianne Farina, CSC Ph.D.

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology

510- 883-2081 or email: mfarina@dspt.edu

BBQ at St. Albert's - THIS SUNDAY!

Dear Students,

Don't forget that this Sunday (September 17) we will celebrate the beginning of the school year with a community BBQ at St. Albert's Priory! Vespers will begin at 5:30pm in the chapel at St. Albert's and the BBQ will follow. So come down to share in food and fun at the Priory!

If you need directions to the priory, send an email to asdspt@dspt.edu.

See you on Sunday!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Workshop for Students Applying to Doctoral Programs

Fr. Michael Dodds forwarded the following email to me, in case anyone is interested:

Hello, I hope your semester has gotten off to a great start.

I’m writing to let you know about a workshop for students on “Writing the Academic Statement of Purpose” for the doctoral application process. We have an EXCELLENT faculty panel on board to engage in the discussion, and Dean Arthur Holder will guide and facilitate the event. This has proven to be helpful for students as they embark upon the somewhat challenging path of applying to doctoral programs. If you know of students who are on this path, or perhaps any you’d like to suggest taking a look, please let them know about the workshop, which will be held on Wednesday, October 11, from 12:30-2pm in the Dinner Board Room of the GTU Library. Students can contact me or the GTU Admissions office for more information or to reserve a place. gtuadm@gtu.edu, 510-649-2460.

Thank you,
Kathleen

Also, I've received the dates for Theology on Tap and will be posting them on the calendar momentarily.

Suggestions for the name of the Theological "Owl"

If you have any other ideas, feel free to send them to asdspt@dspt.edu or leave them in the comments section. Remember: we will vote on the name at the first session of the Theological "Owl."

- Theology "Uncorked"
- Balaam's Ass
- The Owl and the Donkey
- The Lion and the Lamb
- The Dominican Ox
- The Ox of Aquinas
- The Dumb Ox

Called & Gifted Workshop: Discerning Your Spiritual Gifts

I participated in the Called & Gifted Workshop last fall and I highly recommend it to everyone! It gives you a chance to learn about the different charisms of the Spirit and, by looking at your abilities and interests, begin to discern what gifts you have been given and how you can best bring those out in your life. For example, I scored relatively high on Administration, and now I am in the position of ASDSPT President!

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What gifts has God given you? How are you called to use them?

Come explore the many and diverse charisms, or spiritual gifts, that God has given you and your neighbors to accomplish a work of love in the world.

Based on a Catholic understanding of spiritual gifts, the Called and Gifted Workshop is open to women and men of any faith tradition. You will take the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, explore twenty-four of the most commonly encountered charisms, and learn a process of discerning charisms in yourself and others.

Friday, Sept.15th 7:00-9:30pm
Saturday, Sept.16th 9:00am-4:00pm
DSPT Classroom 01
2301 Vine Street, Berkeley,CA 94708

Registration before Sept. 13: $20 (DSPT Students) $30 (Non-DSPT Students)
after Sept. 13: $30 (DSPT Students) $40 (Non-DSPT Students)
For more information, please visit our website: www.dspt.edu
or contact Ed Hopfner: 510-849-2071 or ehopfner@dspt.edu

The Called and Gifted Workshop is co-sponsored by the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology and by the Catherine of Siena Institute.

All-Student Body Meeting Results

Dear Students,

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the All-Student Body Meeting. Your input is much appreciated! For those who missed the meeting, we have some new activities this year that you may be interested in. We have sign up sheets for many of these in the student lounge, including a sign up sheet to volunteer to help with the Tuesday Masses, so go check the student lounge next time you’re at DSPT.

First, we are holding a design contest for new DSPT merchandise and the prize will be a free T-shirt with your design on it! So we are accepting black and white designs until THIS FRIDAY (September 15). Put your designs in Br. Emmanuel Taylor’s mailbox. Voting on these designs will take place from Monday, September 18 until Friday, September 22.

Some new proposals for this year include a monthly movie night, a Theology of the Body discussion group, and an academic group for students interested in PhD programs. If you are interested in any of these things, please email us back at asdspt@dspt.edu or just sign up in the student lounge.

We also have a volunteer to run Owl of Minerva this year, but are looking for some people who would be interested in helping out. We would like to start a similar group for theology and are still looking for someone who would be interested in organizing that. You would work with the person running the Owl of Minerva and would, of course, receive any support from the Student Council that you need. If you are interested in this position, please email asdspt@dspt.edu. We are also trying to think of a name for the theology group, if you have suggestions, email them to asdspt@dspt.edu. The suggestions will be posted on the blog and voting will take place at the first theology discussion!

Finally, with our school and new chapel, the DSPT is again able to have Adoration of the most holy Eucharist during the day. We would like to offer this to as many students, for as many hours as possible during the week. We are currently looking at any hours between 8am – 5pm. The only requirement would be a regular weekly time commitment by individual students, with a minimum commitment of 30 minutes. If you would be interested in committing to a specific time, please email asdspt@dspt.edu. Include days/times you would be available (or, if you prefer, days/times you would be unavailable). This is NOT a commitment at this point, until we and you agree to a specific time (or times) and date (or dates). If you would be interested in learning more about this devotion, please email asdspt@dspt.edu, either with specific questions or with a general statement of your interest. We hope to begin Adoration at our new chapel by the end of the month.

Finally, don’t forget to mark your calendars for the BBQ at St. Albert’s Priory on Sunday, September 17. Vespers will begin at 5:30pm and the BBQ will follow!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Welcome to New and Old Students!

Dear DSPT Students,

It is my pleasure as your Student Council President to welcome you all to a brand new school year in a brand new building! Since we have a new school building, this year marks a fresh start for all students--new and old! If you have not yet had the opportunity to see the new building, I strongly suggest that you come over and take a look. I've only been there a few times and I'm already feeling quite fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of this year's DSPT community! One of the first Council initiatives this year was to create a new way to work on building that community, the ASDSPT blog! We hope to use this blog space to keep you informed of upcoming events and announcements and to create a better way to communicate with all students! Above you will find a link to a Google calendar that will be updated with all the DSPT social and community events throughout the year. Many events have already been listed, so I encourage you to take a look!

Specifically, I would like to remind everyone about the "Campus of Dreams" events that have been planned for us on the first day of school (September 5). First, and perhaps most important, there will be tours of the building every hour. The tours will be a great way for us to get to know and feel more at home in our new building. We will be breaking with tradition and hosting the first 11:10am Tuesday Mass of the year in the brand new DSPT Chapel (followed by lunch, of course). At 3pm everyone is invited to come watch the movie Field of Dreams in the Lecture Hall. Remember, the theme of the day is: if you build it, they will come! Br. Emmanuel is arranging for an evening prayer service at 4:30pm in the DSPT Chapel and everyone is invited to participate in that as well. Finally, the Council would like to invite everyone to the All-Student Body Meeting at 5pm in the Lecture Hall. At the All- Student Body Meeting we will be discussing a whole bunch of new proposals that people have mentioned to me over the summer so we would really appreciate your input. Plus, after the meeting we will be having dinner with the entire DSPT community!

I look forward to seeing everyone at the All-Student Body Meeting on the first day of school!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President