Vulnerability is a part of the human condition that we often avoid. But for the rest of this week, artists, scholars, and religious leaders will draw this into the light as the topic of this year’s Bellarmine Forum.
“Vulnerability: Windows to the Human Condition” will feature panel discussions, art exhibits, film, and lectures by LMU faculty, visitors from other universities, community activists, Catholic leaders, and artists.
For the ninth annual forum, organizing professors William Fulco, S.J., and Roberto Dell’Oro sought to explore the idea of vulnerability from many different perspectives. “The conceptual exploration of vulnerability is virtually endless and will open up interesting opportunities for interaction among disciplines and departments,” the professors said.
The weeklong event began on Sunday with Mass at Sacred Heart Chapel. Panel discussions and art exhibits will focus on several specific themes throughout the week:
Monday, “Minding the Human Condition: A Journey Through Disciplines,” includes discussion of vulnerability through the lenses of theology, philosophy, and literature. Greg Boyle, S.J., executive director of Homeboy Industries, will be among the speakers.
Tuesday, “Undergoing Suffering: Children, Families, and Communities,” will consider the issue of abuse and mistreatment of children. Cyn Yamashiro, director of the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy at Loyola Law School, will deliver the keynote address.
Wednesday, “Channeling the Voices of the Lost: The Case of Africa,” will include a screening of a documentary film about the Rwandan genocide, a talk by Nobel Prize-winning author and President’s Marymount Institute Professor in Residence Wole Soyinka, and a lecture by Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts.
Thursday, “The Forgotten: Crime, Punishment, and Impunity,” will close will a performance of “On The Front Line,” a play featuring the stories of a group of war veterans ranging from World War II to Iraq.
Friday, “On the Nature of Addiction,” will include discussions about drug and alcohol addiction, including a talk by psychology Professor Joseph LaBrie, S.J., who is also director of the LMU HeadsUp program, which helps students who are struggling with potential alcohol problems.
Saturday features performances and exhibits from student artists that were produced in response to the subject of vulnerability and the human condition.