FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact: Rebecca Wilson, 330-524-2067,
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Students will study perspectives of theology, medicine, law, chaplaincy and hospice
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, August 16, 2010—This fall, Seabury Western Theological Seminary offers a three-weekend class on end-of-life ethics titled “Navigating the Valley of Shadows.” The course is open to both degree students and people interested in continuing education, and both CEUs and credit for master of divinity (M.Div.) and doctor of ministry (D.Min.) degrees are available.
“Everyone faces end-of-life ethical questions with their families, friends and for themselves, and everyone, no matter what their religious beliefs or practices, finds them difficult to answer,” said Ellen Wondra, Seabury’s academic dean. “This course, open to both degree and lifelong learning students, provides a way for people to study, reflect and work together on these issues that are so much a part of our common humanity.”
During the course, which will consider end-of-life issues from the perspective of theology, medicine, law, chaplaincy and hospice, students will study pain and suffering, decision-making, conflict, and grief, healing, and resilience. Participants will also explore liturgical resources and reflect on practical implications for pastoral care. The course will be taught by the Rev. Jacqueline R. Cameron, MD, who is a doctor and an Episcopal priest.
Course dates are September 24-25; October 29-30; December 10-11, 2010 (Friday 1 pm-Saturday 4 pm) at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Registration is available at www.seabury.edu, by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 847-328-9300, ext. 45. The deadline for academic registration is September 7 and the continuing education registration deadline is September 15.
On Friday, September 24 from 6 pm to 9 pm, the course is open to the public for two lectures: The Ethics of Paying Attention: Why Recognizing and Responding to Pain and Suffering is a Moral Duty by the Rev. Jacqueline Cameron, MD and Grief, Loss and Resilience: Narrative Theory in Pastoral Care by the Rev. Jay Risk, Executive Director, Bishop Anderson Institute at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago
Dr. Cameron is education associate at Bishop Anderson Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Religion, Health and Human Values at Rush University Medical Center. Guest lecturers will include the Rev. Jay Risk, executive director of Bishop Anderson Institute; the Rev. Clayton Thomason, JD, Bishop Anderson Professor of Religion and Ethics in Medicine at Rush University Medical Center; the Rev. Carol Reese, a chaplain at Stroger Hospital; and the Rev. Gina Volpe, regional manager of the Midwest Palliative and Hospice Care Center in Glenview, Illinois.
Seabury-Western is what's next in a seminary: Our theological education—from single classes to certificates and doctoral degrees—embodies generous Christianity and is open to the intellectually and spiritually curious. For church leaders, for seminarians and for seekers, Seabury’s innovative programs are rooted in the Episcopal tradition and presented with academic rigor. Find out what’s next at www.seabury.edu.
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