Rivendell Faculty Forum
The Rivendell Faculty Forum is a regular lunchtime gathering of Yale faculty and staff designed to promote creative dialogue across the academic disciplines, and to explore how the tasks and various projects of the modern scholar intersect with issues relevant to contemporary society. The Forum focuses on the exploration of topics at the intersection of scholarship, culture, worldview, values, and faith with implications for research, teaching and public life. At each event a guest presenter facilitates a conversation derived from his or her own research or experience. The guest presenter is encouraged to raise issues and questions rather than to offer a formal paper. Our ambition has been to feature presenters from a wide range of academic disciplines and professions. Though most presenters are members of the Yale faculty, the Rivendell Institute occasionally invites faculty and other notable guests from outside Yale to present on relevant topics. Our past presentations and discussions have included:
May 1, 2014
Topic: “AI, Human Dignity and Mentoring the Next Generation of Scholars”
Presented by Professor David Gelernter, Professor of Computer Science, Yale University
March 27, 2014
Topic: “What is Critical Realism and Why Should You Care?”
Presented by Professor Phil Gorski, Professor of Sociology, Yale University
November 8, 2013
Topic: “Rethinking Religious Reasons in Public Justification”
Presented by Professor Andrew March, Associate Professor of Political Science, Yale University
April 25, 2013
Topic: "Al Qaeda and the Future of America's 'War on Terror'"
Presented by Professor Mary Habeck, Associate Professor of Strategic Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
March 7, 2013
Topic: Author’s Roundtable on the book Postmodern Belief: American Literature And Religion Since 1960
Presented by Professor Amy Hungerford, Professor of English, Yale University
February 1, 2013
Topic: “The Psychology of Morality”
Presented by: Professor Paul Bloom, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology, Yale University Chair, Cognitive Science Program
April 26, 2012
Topic: “Is Religious Poetry Possible Today?”
Presented by Christian Wiman, Editor Poetry Magazine
February 2, 2012
Topic: “Neuroethics”
Presented by Professor Marvin Chun, Professor of Psychology, Cognitive Science, and NeurobiologyJohn B. Madden Master of Berkeley College
April 20, 2011
Topic: “Political Theory or Political Theology?”
Presented by Professor Paul W. Kahn, Robert W. Winter Professor of Law and Humanities, Yale Law School, and Director of the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights
January 27, 2011
Topic: “The Courage to Act: The Challenge of Living Ethically in Today’s Business Climate”
Presented by Sherron Watkins, former VP of Corporate Development and whistleblower in the Enron Scandal in 2001.
December 9, 2010
Topic: “Teaching the Second World War: Thoughts on the Humanistic Education of Undergraduates”
Presented by Professor Alexander Nemerov (Vincent J. Scully Professor of the History of Art and Chair of the Yale Department of Art History)
November 18, 2010
Topic: “Does Democracy Require Civility? A Conversation on the Nature of Civility and Democtratic Discourse”
Presented by Professor Stephen M. Carter (William Nelson Cromwell Prof. of Law, Yale Law School)
October 18, 2010
Topic: “Exploring Ancient Heresies”
Presented by Professor Harry W. Attridge (Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean of Yale Divinity School and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament)
March 29, 2010
Topic: “PSR and Its Application to Questions of the Existence of God, Monism, Necessitarianism, and Hume’s ‘Hideous Hypothesis””
Presented by Professor Michael Della Rocca (Andrew Downey Orrick Professor of Philosophy and Chair of Yale Department of Philosophy)
January 21, 2010
Topic: “Science and Religion: Should Conflict Arise?”
Presented by Professor Alvin Plantinga (John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy, Unviersity of Notre Dame)
December 10, 2009
Topic: “Competing Idealogies in Putin’s Russia”
Presented by Maxim Trudolyubov (Chief Editor Vedomosti Newspaper, Russia, Yale World Fellow)
November 19, 2009
Topic: “Moral and Spiritual Ideologies in Modern Russia”
Presented by Dr. Frederick Schneider (Research Fellow, Rivendell Institute)
October 22, 2009
Tour of Contemporary Art Exhibit “Continuous Present”, Yale Art Gallery
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Gross (Curator of Modern Art Collection, Yale Art Gallery)
October 5, 2009
Topic:”God in the Cosmos”
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, Chief of the Laboratory for Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics at NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center
February 12, 2009
Topic: “Poverty and Politics in Washington”
Presented by Congressman/Ambassador Tony P. Hall
December 11, 2008
Topic: “Public Morality and the Subprime Mortgage Crisis”
Presented by Professor Shyam Sunder (Yale School of Management)
November 20, 2008
Topic: “Class, Nation & Covenant: Barak Obama and the Return of Civil Religion”
Presented by Professor Philip Gorski
October 22, 2008
Topic: “Nations, Statecraft, and the Shaping of Moral Vision”
Presented by Professor Charles Hill ((Senior Lecturer, International Affairs Council, Distinguished Fellow of International Security Studies
March 27, 2008
Topic: “Aristotle on Political Identities and Spiritual Commitments”
Presented by Professor Norma Thompson (Senior Lecturer in Humanities, Co-Director of the Whitney Humanities Center)
February 27, 2008
Topic: “Politics and the Right to Spiritual Nurture”
Presented by Professor Stephen M. Carter (William Nelson Cromwell Prof. of Law, Yale Law School)
December 12, 2007
Topic: “Justice, Entitlements and Religion”
Presented by Professor Anthony Kronman (Sterling Professsor of Law, Yale Law School)
November 14, 2007
Topic: “Academic Excellence and the Moral Formation of the Modern Scholar
Presented by Professor Harry Lewis (Former Dean, Harvard College)
October 11, 2007
Topic: “Right Individual Conduct, Wrong Aggregate Consequences”
Presented by Professor Shyam Sunder (Yale School of Management, Dept. of Economics)