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Personalism in the Professions
Our culture is hungry for credible Christian witness, for transformation through beauty, and for ethical education that will lead to true happiness. That’s why we’re bringing you this series: to show how personalism is not just a set of ideas but a commitment to values that transforms the way we live.
Join us as we examine the complex intersection of values and vocation in conversation with leading professionals in fields such as education, ministry, healthcare, business, and more.
This event will be hosted by Amanda Achtman, Special Programs Advisor for the Hildebrand Project.
Session I – Educator: Reverence for Truth
Wednesday, September 27th 7:00 p.m. ET with Dr. John F. Crosby (Franciscan University of Steubenville) and Dr. Maria Fedoryka (Ave Maria University)
Dietrich von Hildebrand spoke about reverence as “the mother of all moral life” because “the capacity to grasp values, to affirm them, and to respond to them, is the foundation for realizing the moral values of man.” How can Hildebrand’s account of making the right response to values inform the way we teach and learn?
Accompanying text: “Reverence” chapter from Dietrich von Hildebrand’s book The Art of Living.
Session II – Minister: Shepherding and Accompaniment in Grief
Wednesday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m. ET with Fr. Adam Hertzfeld and Fr. Andrew Fryml
“Death offers a striking contrast to all that is ungenuine and unnecessary. It has a solitary and authentic grandeur.” Dietrich von Hildebrand penned these reflections at eighty-six years of age, aware that he was nearing the end of his life. In the face of suffering and death, what basis do we have for hope? How does hope differ from optimism? What can we do for those who are grieving?
Accompanying text: “Christian Hope”, “Christ Transforms Death”, and “Attaining the Christian View of Death” short chapters from Dietrich von Hildebrand’s book Jaws of Death: Gate of Heaven.
Session III – Entrepreneur: Building Businesses for Persons
Wednesday, November 8th at 7:00 p.m. ET with Myles Harrington, Dr. Andrew Abela, and John Henry Crosby
What happens when a business owner is motivated not just by profitability but also by a commitment to Personalism and Catholic Social Teaching? Our panel will explore topics like the importance of respect for employee autonomy, the centrality of community for employee job satisfaction (even in a fully remote company), and the benefits of emphasizing human virtue—especially humility—over technical credentials in hiring. The panel will also explore the general appeal of Personalism to a diverse workforce and the extraordinary correlation between financial success and adherence to the foundational principle underlying Catholic Social Teaching: that we are all made the image and likeness of our Creator.
Accompanying text: Paragraph 35, taken from Pope St. John Paul II’s Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus.
Session IV – Physician: Treating the Patient as Person
Wednesday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m. ET, with Roy Heyne, MD and Kristin Collier, MD
Do doctors have a responsibility to promote the objective good of their patients? We’ve heard the buzzword “patient-centered care”; but what happens when the patient’s good is in conflict with what the patient wants? Join us to go deeper into what it actually means to treat patients as persons.
Accompanying text: Chapter 9 on “Relativism” from Dietrich von Hildebrand’s Ethics.