By Bernard Reginster (NHC Fellow, 1999–00) Among all the great thinkers of the past two hundred years, Nietzsche continues to occupy a special place—not only for a broad range of academics but also for members of a wider public, who find some of their most pressing existential concerns addressed in his works. Central among these … Continued
By Esther Cohen (NHC Fellow, 2003–04) In the late medieval era, pain could be a symbol of holiness, disease, sin, or truth. It could be encouragement to lead a moral life, a punishment for wrong doing, or a method of healing. Exploring the varied depictions and descriptions of pain—from martyrdom narratives to practices of torture … Continued
Translated by Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson (NHC Fellow, 1994–95) Confined in their governmental ivory towers, their actions largely dictated by public opinion polls, politicians and state officials are all too often oblivious to the everyday lives of ordinary citizens. These persons, who often experience so much hardship in their lives, have few ways to make themselves … Continued
By Eleonore Stump (NHC Fellow, 1999–00) Only the most naive or tendentious among us would deny the extent and intensity of suffering in the world. Can one hold, consistently with the common view of suffering in the world, that there is an omniscient, omnipotent, perfectly good God? This book argues that one can. Wandering in … Continued
Oral history, a form of social inquiry that connects the humanities and the social sciences in the academy and creates new understandings in the public world, is a portal through which we can enter another’s life story, individually or communally. Never is this kind of embodied meaning-making through listening more important than in times of … Continued
All things change, say philosophers, but sometimes they change more dramatically than we’re ready for. Ancient Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Christian writers developed a number of practical strategies for coping with sudden illness, loss, and death. In this webinar, we will explore two: the consolation, which looks to the future, and the thanksgiving, which looks … Continued