Loyola University professor to lecture at U of U

Friday, Sep. 11, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — The Religious Studies Program at the University of Utah will be presenting  Dr. Daniel Castillo of Loyola University Maryland, who will speak on the environment, poverty, and the Book of Genesis.

“Prof. Castillo is an emerging scholar who specializes in theological issues surrounding the environment and poverty,” said Brandon Reed Peterson, an assistant professor at the University of Utah who is helping to organize the presentation. “By and large, our students here at the U are very interested in both environmental issues and religion.”

Peterson said that many of his students come from a range of religious backgrounds and that was one of the incentives to invite  Castillo. 

“They [the students] are anxious to learn more about approaching environmental issues from a religious perspective. Pope Francis’s recent encyclical has drawn even more attention to the intersection of theology and environmentalism, and so interest seems as high as ever,” said Peterson.

Castillo’s  topic will be “The Gardener and the Image of God: Ecological Degradation, Material Poverty and Christian Understanding of the Human Person;” he will speak Sept. 16. 

“We are delighted that a young, vibrant theologian like Professor Castillo will be able to share his expertise and speak about these issues. His area of research really connects with the concerns of this latest generation of students,” said Peterson.

 Castillo, who earned his doctoral degree from the University of Notre Dame, is an assistant professor in the Theology Department of the Loyola University in Maryland. His research interests include liberation theology, ecological theology, Latino theology, and intercultural witnessing.

“From what I understand, Prof. Castillo is going to be focusing on how Christians can best understand the human person in light of the creation stories in Genesis.  That said, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he brings Francis’s recent encyclical into the conversation,” said Peterson, who is a member of Saint Ambrose Parish.

In May, Pope Francis released “Laudato Si’,” an encyclical letter that focuses on the environment.

Castillo was among the Catholic theologians who served as panelists analyzing “Laudato Si’” for the blog Daily Theology, which streamed the event live.

“Pope Francis’s encyclical addresses growing concerns about environmental issues throughout the world, and those concerns seem as serious among the student body here at the U as anywhere.  We’re hoping that Prof. Castillo’s talk will help to advance the many conversations that Francis has recently sparked with ‘Laudato Si’,’” said Peterson.

The Religious Studies program has grown from 24 students majoring in the subject last year to 40 this year, Peterson said. “Of course, as part of a public university, the program doesn’t sponsor any particular religious outlook or profession – the course of study is open to all people, regardless of their religious or non-religious background.” 

The Religious Studies Program  sponsors a couple of talks each year; recent speakers have been Brian Burch, whose topic was “Heretics and Infidels, the Changing Landscape of Religious Diversity;” Clifford Orwin, a specialist in Classics and Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto; and historical Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan. 

On Nov. 5, there will be a lecture titled “Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here.”

Most of these events are free and open to the public.

WHAT: Lecture by Dr. Daniel Castillo, “The Gardener and the Image of God: Ecological Degradation, Material Poverty and Christian Understanding of the Human Person” 

WHERE: Room 2110 Languages & Communication Building, University of Utah 

WHEN: noon, Sept. 16