The Fourth International Conference on Philosophical Theology, sponsored by the Highlands Institute for American Religious and Philosophic Thought and held every five years, met at the Manreza Jesuit Retreat Center in Dobogoko, Hungary, north of Budapest August 4-9. The theme of the conference was "Pragmatism, Religion, Democracy." Among the international cast of participants/ attendees, including spouses and children, were 39 people from the United States, 15 from Hungary, one from Serbia, one from Poland, one from the Czech Republic, one from Russia, one from Sweden, one from Finland and Ervin László, of Hungarian origin now living in Italy.

Curry College was well represented at the conference. Professor Les Muray was one of the co-chairs and co-organizers of the conference (with Jon Taylor of the University of Great Falls, Montana). As is the tradition at HIARPT conferences, the proceedings begin with an intellectual autobiography by one its members. Being a native of Hungary, Muray was asked to give his, Walking the Bridge East to West - and Back. He also gave a paper entitled Dignity, Democracy, and Biocracy later in the conference.

Laura Hubbard (PAL) gave a paper entitled Adults with Coexisting LD/HD and Psychiatric Disorders in Higher Education and Transformational Learning/Teaching. Her paper was an eye opener for all but most especially for the Hungarian participants, several of whom want to collaborate in translating it into Hungarian. It also became a model that was later imitated by others in how to do a presentation without reading or lecturing.

Professor Joe Schneider gave a paper entitled The Clash of Expediency vs. Right Reason in Melville's Billy Budd, extremely well received by American as well as European participants alike.

Schneider was paired with Charley Hardwick of American University in a concurrent session and between the two of them provided the most flamboyant session of the conference.Both Schneider and Hubbard presided over a concurrent session and guided the respective discussions.

Other participants from the Boston area were Robert and Beth Neville. Bob was the Dean at Boston University School of Theology 1987-2003 and is currently the Dean of Marsh Chapel at B.U. Bob gave a paper entitled Naturalism and Supernaturalism in American Theology.

Ervin László, founder of the Club of Budapest and one of the originators of systems theory, gave the opening plenary address, "The Creative Advance to Global Society: Notes toward a Process Metaphysics of Social Evolution," a modified version of Whiteheadian process thought, influenced by systems theory.

The conference was also very fortunate to have István Bibó, Jr. give a very moving biographical presentation about his father's activities during the Revolution of 1956 (in Hungarian, translated by Les Muray).

A number of participants came early and/or left late to see Budapest and other sites in Hungary. During the conference itself, there were excursions to the artistic town of Szent Endre, to Budapest, and to the historic cities of Esztergom and Visegrád.

Conference papers will published in a book with the title Pragmatism, Democracy, Religion (New York: Peter Lang) and in a special double issue of the American Journal of Theology and Philosophy, both edited by Les Muray and Jon Taylor.

Co-Sponsors Educational Forums in Town of Milton

Curry College recently co-sponsored a series of educational forums about civil liberties along with Milton for Peace, the League of Women Voters of Milton, The Milton Times, the First Parish Church of Milton, and Unitarian Universalist Church.

Professor of Psychology Barbara Fournier was a driving force in organizing these well-attended discussions. Forum topics included the economic effects of war, American values, and American policy, and participants talked about the complex issues Americans face post 9/11. Speakers included representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union, an Anti-Terrorism unit within the Massachusetts US Attorney's Office, and Curry's own Professor of Sociology Dr. Magueye Seck.

Politics and History Students Debate as Part of The People Speak

The Politics and History Department at Curry College hosted a debate on the future of American foreign policy in December 2003. Eight student debaters addressed questions on topics including the legitimate use of military force and the role of international institutions, then took questions from the audience.

The debate was moderated by Dr. John E. Hill, Chair of the Politics and History Department. The debate was part of The People Speak: America Debates its Role in the World, a nationwide event of a thousand debates that take place in hundreds of locations around the country.

The People Speak: America Debates its Role in the World is jointly funded by the Open Society Institute, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the United Nations Foundation, as part of their ongoing missions to support grassroots community involvement in foreign policy.