You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Professor Santurri to offer 'moral evaluation of terrorism' during April 4 Mellby Lecture

By Nancy J. Ashmore
March 15, 2002

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - St. Olaf College religion and philosophy faculty member Edmund Santurri will examine "Philosophical Ambiguities in Ostensibly Unambiguous Times: The Moral Evaluation of Terrorism" in a lecture at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 4 in Room 525 of Rolvaag Library. His presentation, the second Mellby Lecture of the year, "identifies grounds in the 'just-war' moral tradition for the standard condemnation of terrorism." The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a public reception.

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, Santurri says, few Americans would be likely to dispute the claim that terrorism (which he defines as "the use of violence against noncombatant populations for political purposes") is always an unambiguous moral wrong. Yet some current philosophical thinkers do challenge that claim and argue that terrorism might be justified morally under certain conditions. In his lecture, Santurri will examine philosophical arguments designed to qualify or undermine the popular view that terrorism is always wrong.

Santurri, a professor of religion and philosophy and director of the Great Conversation program, has taught at St. Olaf since 1980 and chaired the Religion Department in 1988-91. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature and a master's in religious studies from the University of Virginia as well as masters' degrees and a doctorate in religious studies from Yale University.

He is the author of Perplexity in the Moral Life: Philosophical and Theological Considerations and has co-edited The Love Commandments: Essays in Christian Ethics and Moral Philosophy. He has also published a number of essays in intellectual history, theological ethics, moral philosophy and applied ethics, including "Rawlsian Liberalism, Moral Truth and Augustinian Politics," which served as the centerpiece of a special symposium issue of The Journal for Peace and Justice Studies and has been utilized in the ongoing seminar which trains St. Olaf faculty to teach courses satisfying the college's "Ethical Issues and Normative Perspectives" general education requirement.

A substantial portion of Santurri's teaching in religion and philosophy has focused on theological ethics and moral philosophy. Over the years he has taught courses in Christian ethics, philosophical-ethical theory, political ethics, medical ethics, comparative religious ethics and theological anthropology. In 1992 he began teaching in the Great Conversation program, a five-course introduction to the major epochs of the Western tradition, and has directed the program since 1996. In January 2001 he led the first Great Conversation course abroad: "Theology and Visual Art: The Great Conversation in Italy."

The annual Mellby Memorial Lectures are named after Dr. Carl A. Mellby and were established to let St. Olaf faculty members share their research with others. Mellby, known as the "father of the social sciences" at St. Olaf, started the college's first courses in economics, sociology, political science and history of art. He also taught Greek, German, French religion and philosophy, and is credited with creating the college's honor system.

St. Olaf College, a national leader among liberal arts institutions, fosters the development of mind, body and spirit. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college provides personalized instruction and diverse learning environments, with more than two-thirds of its students participating in international studies. For more information, see www.stolaf.edu.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.