Universalism in Catholic Social Thought: \u27Accompaniment\u27 as Trinitarian Praxis

Cosmopolitanism is an ancient concept whose meaning and significance have shifted over the last two millennia. Most recently, cosmopolitanism has been resurrected to mean “world citizenship” – a renunciation of one’s national identity for the sake of the universal human family. While such an endeavor seems as though it should correspond to Catholic social thought, its iterations in academia and elsewhere have resulted in a preoccupation with personal identity and political doctrine rather than love. Cosmopolitanism is complex and harbors many weaknesses in both theory and practice. Considered in relation to universalism in Catholic social thought, one weakness is thrown into specific relief: cosmopolitanism as a personal identity or political doctrine lacks a unified philosophy of the human person. This essay recasts the desire to form solidarity across national boundaries as universalism within Trinitarian anthropology and discusses accompaniment as exemplary of the love this thought system requires

The Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Surface Hydrothermal Alteration at Nesjavellir, SW Iceland

Abundant sulfates have been detected by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in the Columbia Hills of Mars, consistent with extensive alteration of basalt by hydrothermal processes. This study uses Iceland’s Nesjavellir geothermal system as an analogue for Columbia Hills hydrothermal alteration. This terrestrial site is home to a variety of acidic and near-neutral waters that are actively altering the Mars-like basalt of host volcano Mt. Hengill. Hydrothermal features heated by H2S gas and phase-segregated steam created oxidizing acid-sulfate conditions at the surface with pH values varying between 3.0 and 2.0 and near-boiling temperatures. Mobilization of cations (FeO, MgO, CaO, Na2O, and K2O) at these sites is due to the extensive leaching. The resulting alteration products include amorphous silica, anatase, native sulfur, iron sulfides, Ca-, Fe-, Mg-, and Al-sulfates, kaolinite, and montmorillonite, and likely nanophase Fe-oxides. Fe-sulfates were the most common sulfates due to the Fe-rich substrate, and several likely formed from the oxidation of the iron sulfide phases. Due to the ubiquitous presence of iron sulfides and native sulfur in the hydrothermal sites of the Nesjavellir field, it is inferred that reducing conditions are dominant at depth, and conditions become oxidizing either at or near the surface due to interaction with atmospheric oxygen. Two hydrothermal streams at Nesjavellir exhibited a white, pure sulfur coating and an iron-rich red biofilm, respectively. The sulfur coating is attributed to the oxidation of H2S under near neutral conditions, while the red biofilm forms under acidic, oxidizing conditions. A nearby travertine spring precipitates travertine deposits that preserve microscopic evidence for microbial activity. The diverse variety of environments present in the Nesjavellir geothermal field have formed distinct deposits that resemble several Martian sites in the Columbia Hills, especially the Paso Robles and Arad localities

Universalism in Catholic Social Thought: 'Accompaniment' as Trinitarian Praxis

Cosmopolitanism is an ancient concept whose meaning and significance have shifted over the last two millennia. Most recently, cosmopolitanism has been resurrected to mean “world citizenship” – a renunciation of one’s national identity for the sake of the universal human family. While such an endeavor seems as though it should correspond to Catholic social thought, its iterations in academia and elsewhere have resulted in a preoccupation with personal identity and political doctrine rather than love. Cosmopolitanism is complex and harbors many weaknesses in both theory and practice. Considered in relation to universalism in Catholic social thought, one weakness is thrown into specific relief: cosmopolitanism as a personal identity or political doctrine lacks a unified philosophy of the human person. This essay recasts the desire to form solidarity across national boundaries as universalism within Trinitarian anthropology and discusses accompaniment as exemplary of the love this thought system requires

Teaching a Catholic Philosophy of Interpersonal Communication: The Case for “Soul Friendship”

While social justice education has a rich and ancient history within the Catholic Church, academic disciplines have only recently begun to make the idea of social justice relevant within courses for undergraduates. In the communication discipline, debate about social justice has been lively and varied over the last two decades, and has provided rich entry points for philosophical interpretation. This paper considers interpersonal communication from the vantage point of social justice in the Catholic intellectual tradition. While the importance of friendship for society is nothing new (Aristotle addressed this issue in the Nicomachean Ethics), contemporary cultural hindrances to a just or spiritual friendship are many in the United States. The essay discusses philosophies surrounding social justice, communication, and friendship–ultimately asking what a university course centered on “soul friendship” might look like

Teaching a Catholic Philosophy of Interpersonal Communication: The Case for “Soul Friendship”

While social justice education has a rich and ancient history within the Catholic Church, academic disciplines have only recently begun to make the idea of social justice relevant within courses for undergraduates. In the communication discipline, debate about social justice has been lively and varied over the last two decades, and has provided rich entry points for philosophical interpretation. This paper considers interpersonal communication from the vantage point of social justice in the Catholic intellectual tradition. While the importance of friendship for society is nothing new (Aristotle addressed this issue in the Nicomachean Ethics), contemporary cultural hindrances to a just or spiritual friendship are many in the United States. The essay discusses philosophies surrounding social justice, communication, and friendship–ultimately asking what a university course centered on “soul friendship” might look like

Clinical Pastoral Education Down Under: Supervision within Clinical Pastoral Education Programs in Victoria, Australia

Authors describe their experiences of conducting clinical pastoral education in Victoria, Australia, the strengths and challenges

Local guidelines for admission to UK midwifery units compared with national guidance: A national survey using the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS)

Objectives. To describe the extent to which local guidelines for admission to UK midwifery units align with national guidance; to describe variation in individual admission criteria; and to describe the extent to which alongside midwifery units (AMUs) are the default option for eligible women. Design. National cross-sectional survey. Setting. All 122 UK maternity services with midwifery units, between October 2018 and February 2019. Outcome measures. Alignment of local admission guidelines with national guidance (NICE CG190); frequency and nature of variation in individual admission criteria; percentage of services with AMU as default birth setting for eligible women. Results. Admission guidelines were received from 87 maternity services (71%), representing 153 units, and we analysed 85 individual guideline documents. Overall, 92% of local admission guidelines varied from national guidance; 76% contained both some admission criteria that were ‘more inclusive’ and some that were ‘more restrictive’ than national guidance. The most common ‘more inclusive’ admission criteria, occurring in 40–80% of guidelines, were: explicit admission of women with parity ≥4; aged 35-40yrs; with a BMI 30-35kg/m2; selective admission of women with a BMI 35-40kg/m2; Group B Streptococcus carriers; and those undergoing induction of labour. The most common ‘more restrictive’ admission criteria, occurring in around 30% of guidelines, excluded women who: declined blood products; had experienced female genital cutting; were aged <16yrs; or had not attended for regular antenatal care. Over half of services (59%) reported the AMU as the default option for healthy women with straightforward pregnancies. Conclusions. The variation in local midwifery unit admission criteria found in this study represents a potentially confusing and inequitable basis for women making choices about planned place of birth. A review of national guidance may be indicated and where a lack of relevant evidence underlies variation in admission criteria, further research by planned place of birth is required