So said Rev Dr James McEvoy of Australian Catholic University, speaking to Margaret Coffey on Radio National.
James McEvoy is the guest speaker at this year’s Cathedral Lecture on Wednesday 21 June at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 841 Hunter Street, Newcastle West. The annual Cathedral Lecture offers the opportunity for engagement between the Church and Society on contemporary Catholic themes through the opportunity to listen to lecturers of significant standing in Australia and internationally. This year’s title is “Christian Faith in a Secular Age”. There will be no bland repetition!
The Cathedral Lecture Series was launched in 2016, the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s first resident bishop, James Murray, and the inaugural lecturer was Rev Dr Richard Lennan.
James McEvoy lectures in systematic theology and is a priest of the Archdiocese of Adelaide. For almost two decades prior to 2014 he taught at Catholic Theological College and Flinders University’s Department of Theology. His doctoral thesis engaged in the fields of theological and philosophical anthropology, studying the works of Karl Rahner and Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor.
His current research studies the place of religion in the contemporary West and the church’s understanding of its role and social relationships in that context. He has published numerous journal articles as well as a book, Leaving Christendom for Good: Church-World Dialogue in a Secular Age (2014).
The lecture will begin at 6pm (gathering from 5.30pm) and will be followed by a brief question and answer session. Light refreshments will be served afterwards in the adjoining facilities. RSVPs for catering purposes to Sacred Heart Cathedral Lecture 2017 would be appreciated.
Sacred Heart Cathedral stands at the centre of the life of the diocese, and aims to be a place within the local civic community where Church and Society meet and interact.