Boethius vs. CHE at the University of Tulsa

Image by Grok

Dueling worldviews are holding conferences this week at the University of Tulsa.

TU's Honors College and Department of Philosophy & Religion is sponsoring an evening-plus-a-day conference commemorating the 1500th anniversary (sesquimillennial?) of the death of early medieval Christian philosopher and polymath Boethius. Registration is $15 or $25 for two and includes meals and receptions. (TU students and staff can attend for free. At this writing, the registration link is broken, and I have emailed the conference contact to see if it is still possible to register and attend.)

Please join The University of Tulsa's Honors College and the Kendall College of Arts and Sciences Department of Philosophy and Religion as we commemorate the 1500th anniversary of the death of Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius Feb. 6-7, 2025. We will be joined by internationally recognized scholars to honor the life and work of one of the fundamental thinkers of western Civilization. Across the centuries, his works have illuminated the path of reason and revelation for thoughtful readers. His exploration of the themes of fortune and providence continue to resonate to the present day. Though known primarily for his Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius wrote widely, including works in the fields of theology, logic, mathematics, and musical theory.

He was key for the transition from the ancient Roman and pagan eras into the Christian Middle Ages. Besides his intellectual works, he was a prominent figure in the history and politics of the post-imperial west. Imprisoned and executed by the Arian Ostrogothic king Theodoric, Boethius has become an example of resignation and resistance in the face of injustice, and an example of the resilience of humanity under persecution. His cultus as a saint was confirmed by the Catholic Church in 1883.

This conference will have two keynotes by some of the worldwide experts on Boethius, John Marenbon of Cambridge University and Peter Kreeft of Boston College. They will be joined by numerous other scholars to illumine the world bequeathed by this pivotal figure, who will explore the many dimensions of Boethius' work and influence, honoring a man whose vision has shaped the intellectual landscape of the West.

Here is the list of sessions:

• Why read Boethius now?
• Boethius and the Concept of the Person
• Virtue and Knowledge: Boethius and the Quadrivium in Medieval and Renaissance Europe
• A Soft Sword, Two Clocks, and an Abandoned House in Milan: Boethius in the Context of Ostrogothic Italy
• Teaching Boethius in a Classical Curriculum
• The Feminine Genius of Lady Philosophy
• The Consolation of Music: An Exploration of the Use of Music in Boethius' Healing
• The Icon of Boethius and Lady Philosophy
• The Contemporary Relevance of The Consolation of Philosophy: Twenty Healing Lessons

Fans of John Kennedy Toole's hilarious novel A Confederacy of Dunces will recall that Ignatius Reilly's misreading of Boethius's most famous work, The Consolation of Philosophy, was often on his thoughts as he suffered the indignities of the fickle finger of Fortuna.

The Boethius conference begins Thursday evening, February 6, 2025, at TUPAC with a social hour followed by a keynote address by John Marenbon of Cambridge University, "Why read Boethius now?" On Friday, February 7, 2025, there will be eight sessions at Helmerich Hall, including a panel discussion on "Teaching Boethius in a Classical Curriculum." The conference will be capped off in the Great Hall of the Allen Chapman Student Union with a banquet and a talk by Boston College Professor Peter Kreeft, "The Contemporary Relevance of The Consolation of Philosophy: Twenty Healing Lessons."

You may know Prof. Kreeft from his popular works of philosophy published by Intervarsity Press, such as Between Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley, Socrates Meets Jesus: History's Greatest Questioner Confronts the Claims of Christ, or The Unaborted Socrates: A Dramatic Debate on the Issues Surrounding Abortion. Between Heaven and Hell imagines a conversation between three very different thinkers who all died on November 22, 1963: Lewis representing orthodox Christian thought, Huxley representing eastern mysticism, and JFK representing modern western secularism.

(I met Prof. Kreeft about 40 years ago when he came to MIT to speak to a roundtable of students from various Christian organizations on campus. It was a fairly small group, and we were around a large table in a Course III (Materials Science) classroom in Building 8. It was there that I learned that the double-E in his Dutch surname is pronounced like an English long A.)

Meanwhile, at 101 E. Archer in downtown Tulsa (the old AHHA building, acquired by TU), the University of Tulsa's Center for Heterodox Economics (CHE) will hold its inaugural conference. (Someone at TU thought it would be cute to create an acronym honoring a murderous Communist.)

The Center for Heterodox Economics invites you to our first conference addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time. From the global political issues to the challenges of inequality, poverty, gender equality, climate change, and anti-capitalism movements, our discussions promise to be both engaging and impactful.

This event is open to everyone, and we encourage you to join us in exploring these critical topics. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a vibrant community dedicated to understanding capitalism.

The description on the Center for Heterodox Economics homepage is a little different:

The Center for Heterodox Economics (CHE) is excited to announce its inaugural conference, set to take place in February 6th to 8th. This groundbreaking event will bring together leading scholars, organizers, students, and local citizens to explore alternative perspectives in economic theory and practice.

Understanding the history and mechanisms of capitalism is crucial for addressing social and economic issues. By examining timely topics through a heterodox perspective, we can explore how our economic system functions and how people drive societal transformation.

Join us for this landmark event as we pave the way for a more inclusive and dynamic understanding of economics.

The conference sessions:

• How does Your Work Embody Heterodoxy?
• The Political Economy of Karl Marx
• Inflation, Austerity, and Class Conflict
• The Political Economy of Occupied Palestine
• Community Organizing and Class Consciousness
• The Political Economy of Piero Sraffa
• Probabilistic Political Economy
• The Exploding Crises of Care and Climate under Capitalism

The conference will also be presented on CHE's YouTube channel.

Rabbi Dovid Feldman will lead the session on "Occupied Palestine." Feldman heads Neturei Karta, an anti-Zionist, ultra-Orthodox Jewish organization that rejects the legitimacy of the State of Israel because only Messiah can restore Israel.

I note that this Communist-inclined conference is being held on the same block as a museum devoted to a famous Communist agitator and Stalin fan, and I can't help but wonder if the jolly banker who financed the latter is also involved with the former. If any of my readers have information on the funding source for this new TU initiative, I'd be very interested.

Interesting too that the CHE conference got two mentions in the Tulsa Whirled, but no mention was made of the Boethius conference. That may be indicative of the Whirled's Leftist leanings but may also reflect a powerful and persuasive local force behind CHE.

As pleased as I am that classical philosophy has regained a foothold at the University of Tulsa so quickly after the "True Commitment" demolition of the humanities at TU, it is disturbing to see TU at the same time opening a new avenue for the propagation of destructive illusions about human nature. Donors and alumni may wish to communicate their concerns to President Brad Carson and his administration.