Christian Family Life and the Challenges of Faithfulness
March 12, 2016
Loyola Marymount University
In October 2014, the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church convened in Vatican City to discuss the family in the context of evangelization. The Synod gathered to learn about the challenges faced by Christian families today, and to develop proposals for living the Gospel of the family.
Christian leaders and people are intimately familiar with the challenges of the contemporary family. Postmodernity has introduced diversity in family paradigms. The age of marriage and bearing and raising children has increased, as has the divorce rate. Cohabitation is no longer taboo in contemporary culture, and families face a formidable array of issues from sexual activity to the strain of the economy.
The Huffington Ecumenical institute invited everyone to join us for a day devoted to reflection on the meaning of the family from three distinct Christian perspectives. We were pleased to welcome Julie Rubio, Carrie Frost, and Sarah Wilson who talked about the family from Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Lutheran perspectives. In the afternoon, members of the LMU community reflected upon the challenges of family life from an experiential perspective. The day included prayer, fellowship, and food.
Featured Speakers:
- Dr. Carrie Frederick Frost, Saint Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary
- Dr. Julie Hanlon Rubio, St. Louis University
- Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, Institute for Ecumenical Research
Session 1: Christian Perspectives on Contemporary Family Life
Speakers: Julie Hanlon Rubio, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, Carrie Frederick Frost
Respondents: Fr. Allan Deck, SJ and Fr. Michael Courey
Session 2: The Challenge of Faithfulness: An LMU Perspective
Panelists: Jonathan Rothchild, Margaret Gower, Christian Rodriguez, Stephanie Monson
Respondents: Fr. Russ McDougall and Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco (OCA)