Symposium 2018 to focus on the significance, value of human life

Scott Rae
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Symposium 2018, an event exploring faith, reason and life at Purdue University, will welcome Scott Rae, a professor of Christian ethics and a fellow of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity as part of this year’s event, Feb. 2 (Friday)-Feb. 4 (Sunday).

The title of the symposium, which is free and open to the public, is "Do You Matter?" The event includes a keynote address by Rae titled "Do You Matter? Says Who?"  

"The symposium is an annual event at Purdue, drawing thousands from the campus, community and surrounding region, with a focus this year on the meaning and significance of human life and, in particular, which world view best accounts for and grounds the value of human life," said event organizer Corey Miller, president of Ratio Christi and adjunct professor of philosophy and comparative religions at Indiana University-Kokomo.

"Led by multiple campus ministries and churches, its purpose is to explore and debate some of the most probing questions about faith, reason, and life via panel discussions, lectures and debates."

The annual symposium will begin with Rae's keynote at 7 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 2) in Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse, including several Purdue professors' statements about their perspectives on human dignity. A Q&A will follow.

Day two features a dozen other talks including two plenary sessions by Rae titled "Does Sex Matter? Ethics, Reproductive Technology, and the Ethics of Procreation" and "Does Your Work Matter? Calling and Vocation" at 11:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively.

Other breakout sessions are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., all in Lilly Hall, on the topics of gender, meaning of life in social media, science and the human person, the significance of the frozen unborn, and diversity and the image of God.

Go to www.symposiachristi.net for a complete schedule of the event, speaker bios and session locations on campus.

Rae's background includes economics, biblical studies, philosophy and ethics. In addition to being a professor and author, he's an academic dean, hospital ethicist and past president of the Evangelical Theological Society. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a doctoral degree in social ethics.  

Major event sponsors include Covenant Church, Ratio Christi, and River City Church. Gold sponsors are Campus House, Evangelical Covenant Church, Calvary Baptist Church, Upper Room, The Navigators (NAVS), Faith West, Dayton United Methodist Church, Purdue College Ministry, International Campus Ministry, Reasonable Faith, InterVarsity, Worldwide Discipleship Association, Connection Point Church, Northview Church, Calvary Chapel and Cru.

Silver sponsors are Riverside Covenant Church, Chi Alpha, Resurrection Presbyterian Church, Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church and NeoVision. Bronze sponsors include Great Harvest Bread, Harvest Chapel, Lafayette Limo and Chick-fil-A. 

Writers: Alondra Magallanes, magalla3@purdue.edu

Phillip Fiorini, 765-496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu  

Sources: Corey Miller, 765-414-0993, coreymiller@ratiochristi.org

Jon Cantey, joncantey@ratiochristi.org