Dead Sea Scrolls provide theme for Saint Martin’s Spiritual Life Institute
Program will celebrate 60th anniversary of scrolls’ discovery
May 29, 2008
Lacey, Washington — Saint Martin’s University
invites the public to dialogue, engage and reflect on the legacy of the
Dead Sea Scrolls during its 26th annual Spiritual Life Institute, slated
for June 16–20 on Saint Martin’s main campus, 5300 Pacific Ave. SE,
Lacey, Washington, 98503. The institute is a weeklong program, presented
every summer by local and visiting scholars, that addresses some topic
of significance to modern spiritual life. This year’s institute, “The
Dead Sea Scrolls at Sixty: Past, Present and Future Prospects,” marks
the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the ancient manuscripts.
Institute participants have the option of
registering for Continuing Education Credit (CEC 080) for $200 or
non-credit attendance for $40 per day. The public is also invited to
attend a free lecture on “The Authority of Scripture: The Bible and the
Dead Sea Scrolls” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 20, in the Norman
Worthington Conference Center. The event will include a panel discussion
and a question-and-answer session featuring several eminent scrolls
scholars.
“The Spiritual Life Institute is an opportunity to
expose Saint Martin’s students and members of the community to
high-caliber scholars who may not be available locally,” said Ian
Werrett, Ph.D., director of the Spiritual Life Institute and assistant
professor of religious studies at Saint Martin’s University.
Among the faculty for this year’s Spiritual Life
Institute are: Robert Kugler, Ph.D., the Paul S. Wright Professor of
Christian Studies at Lewis and Clark College; Cecilia Wassen, Ph.D.,
whose book “Women in the Damascus Document” provides a fresh look at the
roles of and attitudes toward women in the Dead Sea Scrolls; and Hanne
von Weissenberg, Ph.D., a senior lecturer at the University of Helsinki
who is currently researching the process of canon formation in light of
the scrolls.
The theme of the 2008 institute is significant to
Werrett, a Dead Sea Scrolls scholar who first developed an interest in
the subject as a Saint Martin’s student. Werrett, who graduated from
Saint Martin’s in 1996, returned to his alma mater two years ago as a
faculty member. He recently published a book on ritual purity in the
Dead Sea Scrolls.
“The Dead Sea Scrolls have changed our understanding
of the Judeo-Christian tradition, our understanding of the Bible and its
transmission,” Werrett explained. “The institute will help students and
community members gain a far more nuanced understanding of the scrolls.”
“I believe in this program, and I’m thankful that
Saint Martin’s has supported it for the past 26 years,” he continued.
“It’s not just about exploring interesting ideas; it’s also about
sharing our Benedictine hospitality with the community.”
For more details about Saint Martin’s Spiritual Life
Institute program, including schedule and registration information,
visit
www.stmartin.edu/spiritual_life/.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent
four-year, Catholic, coeducational university located on a 320-acre
wooded campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic
Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 18 Benedictine
colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only
one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares
students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate
programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering.
Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 students from many ethnic and religious
backgrounds to its main campus, and 650 more to its five extension
campuses located at Fort Lewis Army Post, McChord Air Force Base,
Olympic College, Centralia College and Tacoma Community College.
For additional information:
Ian Werrett, Ph.D.
Director, Spiritual Life Institute
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4290
iwerrett@stmartin.edu
Jennifer G. Fellinger
Director of Communications
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4332
jfellinger@stmartin.edu