 Audio and Video are forthcoming
By Henry Richards
Dr. Ambrosio of Georgetown University is an award-winning teacher as well as a Dante scholar. He is co-director of Georgetown University’s “MyDante” Project, a web based platform for readers of Dante’s Divine Comedy (dante.georgetown.edu). Last year these pages featured two articles on his works and ideas. Dan Liechty described him as “one of the most prominent Christian philosophers today” in his review of Ambrosio’s "Philosophy, Religion, and the Meaning of Life," a 36-session lecture series from The Teaching Company (TTC). In a review from a learner’s point of view, I called his TTC course a pilgrimage that is both intimate and epic, kind of a Canterbury Tales of Western meaning-making. We are happy and proud to have Dr. Ambrosio back in these pages with our announcement that he has generously agreed to come to Seattle in the opening days of May to provide a quartet of events.
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Tuesday, May 1st, 7 p.m.
Room 120, Communications Bldg, University of Washington
“Death Terror and Heroism: A Genetic Interpretation of the Cultural Record”
Wednesday, May 2nd, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Room 022, Johnson Bldg, University of Washington
“Becker, Dante and St. Francis of Assisi: Love and Death,” a multimedia presentation
Thursday, May 3rd, 7 p.m.
Engineering 200 - Wyckoff Auditorium, Seattle University
“Hope in an Age of Terror: the Identity of the Secular Saint.”
Friday, May 4th, 2 p.m.
Room 516, Casey Bldg, Seattle University
Roundtable Discussion
Read more, including full schedule....
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By James Swift
Magic is one of those words where the precise definition may not be immediately accessible; however, you know it when you see it. That was my luck a week ago here in Bellingham when all of a sudden the front door opened and Neil Elgee was standing tall right next to Sheldon Solomon (of course, wearing his typical dark blue, pinstriped suit and Ralph Lauren tie). They arrived to entertain my four Dobermans and Sheldon got right to work being the natural dog lover that he clearly is.
There was actually a slightly more serious reason for their visit to Bellingham - as Sheldon was going to be interviewed for a new documentary with the working title “Afraid of the Dark – Humanity at the Crossroads.” This was also the title of the lecture that he was to present in Bellingham the next night sponsored by Western Washington University and of course, The Ernest Becker Foundation.
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By Dan Liechty
 Of Recent Interest… is the new book by philosopher Colin McGinn, The Meaning of Disgust (Oxford UP, 2011). Warning! This book is not for the squeamish or faint of heart! If you are not prepared to think philosophically (that is, with focused and lengthy attention) about all those things that make you gag, vomit, and screw your face up in revulsion, this is not the book for you. Even if you are ready for such a jaunt, I wouldn’t suggest you advocate this as a selection for your book reading group, or that you propose to read it aloud with your lover. You may want to take it in small doses. I will try to keep this review in the general “rated PG” range, though it will mean that some of McGinn’s most pungent writing (pun intended) cannot be quoted.
“Disgust belongs in the area of human experience most protected by taboo and hedged with euphemism.” From that opening sentence, it is already clear that McGinn’s work is going to lean into Becker’s ideas about death denial. McGinn does not disappoint on that score. Becker’s work is one of those most prominently drawn upon by McGinn in his illumination of disgust.
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By EBF Staff
 Speaking of exciting events, make sure to take the opportunity to own the full 2011 EBF Summer Institute on one convenient 3-disc set, now available from the Ernest Becker Foundation’s online store. Taking place in July 2011 at Swedish Hospital’s Cherry Hill Campus, “Finitude and the Faithful Care of the Dying” was a engaging look at patient-directed dying. We at the EBF had a wonderful time hosting our illustrious speakers, and we were even able to provide CE credits to a number of attending health care workers!
In addition to the Sherwin Nuland keynote and the Herbert Anderson and Philip Hansten talks available now on YouTube, the DVD set also features Ron Friesen, Merlyn Mowrey, Tom Preston, Sheldon Solomon on Flight From Death and an interview of Sherwin Nuland by EBF mainstay John Wynn. Visit our Store to own this engrossingly educational item!
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