Institute for Communication and Religion Reports Productive Spring 2023   

Bhagavad Gita expert Mataji's lecture discussing the Upanishads.

As the Spring semester draws to a close, it is important to take time to reflect on all that has been accomplished this semester and plan for the Summer and Fall. To wrap up Spring 2023, Jon Radwan, Ph.D., director of Seton Hall’s Institute for Communication and Religion (ICR), shared a recap of recent scholarly work.  

On April 5, the ICR welcomed Indian Bhagavad Gita expert Pravrajika Divyanandaprana, or Mataji, who visited the University as part of her east coast lecture tour. Mataji shared insight on the Upanishads, a portion of the Vedas of Hindu tradition. Mataji established the Bhagavad Gita as the essence of the Upanishads and summarized "the Gita also harmonizes the four yogas — Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga and Raja Yoga. It is a deep penetration into the existential core of the human personality structure, helping us understand the unfoldment of the highest consciousness, and making way for a most comprehensive and inclusive philosophy of human life." This lecture tour included Seton Hall alongside MIT and Princeton University.  

Farnsworth Hendrickson, Jr., (left) hones his videography skills by filming Mataji's lecture.

Mataji’s lecture also provided an opportunity for Farnsworth Hendrickson, Jr., visual and sound media student and resident assistant for Boland Hall North, to hone his videography skills. Hendrickson was selected to film the lecture, which was simulcast on Seton Hall’s YouTube channel and via international broadcast partner Shemaroo in India. Through this experience, Hendrickson learned about the process of international livestreaming and also benefitted from the content. "What I discovered during the Bhagavad Gita event was how wide the Gita is in its integration of the four yogas," shared Hendrickson. "I had no knowledge about any of these yogas and how they relate to human existence in such a profound way." 

On March 29, the ICR partnered with the Center for Sports Media to create a panel on "Inclusivity in Sports: Building Bridges, Not Barriers." The panel, guided by Jane McManus and composed of Creighton University’s professor of Education and Theology Max Engle, Seton Hall’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry Father Colin Kay and Adjunct Professor of Catholic Studies  Stephen Kass. This event stemmed from the experiences of McManus at the Vatican’s Sport for All summit in September 2022. The main idea of the resulting lecture series is how to incorporate the values of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI) in sports, and how Catholic values and ideas intersect with this goal. "Building Bridges, Not Barriers" explored this intersection between spirituality and sports with a clear focus on ethics and character development. As Kass summarized, "The same cardinal virtues which guide Catholicism — prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice — also guide athletes. You can’t become a spiritual leader or an outstanding athlete without discipline and focus in these areas."  

On February 7 the ICR co-produced a major interdisciplinary workshop on contemplative peacemaking with "Inciting Peace from the Inside Out." This workshop was a collaborative effort with four other campus units: The Center for Faculty Development, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, MLK Leadership Program, and the University CORE Curriculum. "Inciting Peace" featured a plenary address from Rev. Forrest Pritchett, Ph.D., and a keynote address about the "Spiritual Practices of Peace and Resistance in Ukraine" from Nicholas Sooy, director or the Orthodox Peace Fellowship and editor of their publication In Communion. It also featured a rotation of presentations on well-known thought leaders and peacekeepers like Howard Thurman, Mother Theresa, and Thich Nhat Hahn. The plenaries and two of these presentations can be viewed on Seton Hall’s YouTube channel or listened to through the ICR’s PodBean.  

This podcasting effort joins two other recent audio productions from the ICR. In December, Gloria Thurmond, D. Min. explored the connection between music and the experience of the sacred within the context of diverse global religious traditions in "Music: Global Doorway to the Sacred." This podcast episode discussed Latin Plainchant, which Thurmond explained as "a power to move the heart and illume the mind" emerging in the fifth century. Additionally, a new series called "CORECast" continued its efforts in a second episode addressing Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and a third episode exploring the text of Perpetua. CORECast features professors and students discussing religious and philosophical texts from Seton Hall University’s core classes with the goal of introducing these books to a general audience of non-expert beginners. Episode 3 features Nancy Enright, Ph.D., professor of English and director of the University Core discussing the "Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas" with graduate student Frank Hunter, who is preparing a new translation of this fascinating martyr narrative from ancient Carthage. The series is hosted by Bernie Wagenblast, a Seton Hall Communication alum. In Fall 2023, Ruth Tsuria, Ph.D. will serve as Season 2 Executive Producer for CORECast. Faculty interested in volunteering as a guest expert should contact her directly.

In other transitions, Radwan’s sabbatical research prospectus was approved for 2023-2024. He expressed great excitement about handing the ICR reins over to Gloria Thurmond, D.Min. who will serve as interim director for 2023-2024. "Professor Thurmond has been a key member of the ICR steering committee since our launch in 2017," Radwan said. "Her retirement briefly felt like a loss, but the Dean’s decision to ask her to rejoin us as next year’s Interim Director is perfect.  Please stay tuned for lots of great ICR work from Professor Thurmond and the entire ICR next year!"  

About the Institute for Communication and Religion 

Launched in Fall 2017, the Institute for Communication and Religion within the College of Communication and the Arts provides a nexus for ongoing scholarly exploration of communication topics critically important to religion and society. Guided by the spirit of ecumenical and interreligious cooperation, the Institute seeks to engage in public dialogue and debate, promote academic inquiry and support the religious dimension of creativity — all while upholding the values of servant leadership, curricular innovation and intellectual excellence. For more information about the Institute for Communication and Religion, click here.