Craig on God and Morality

In this paper we critically evaluate an argument put forward by William Lane Craig for the existence of God based on the assumption that if there were no God, there could be no objective morality. Contrary to Craig, we show that there are some necessary moral truths and objective moral reasoning that holds up whether there is a God or not. We go on to argue that religious faith, when taken alone and without reason or evidence, actually risks undermining morality and is an unreliable source of moral truths. We recommend a viewpoint on morality that is based on reason and public consensus, that is compatible with science, and that cuts across the range of religious and non-religious positions

“Everything May Yet Turn Out All Right”: An Architect’s Adventures in 1939-40 Europe

When Washington University sent young architect Victor Gilbertson to Europe to study church architecture in 1939, officials knew a war was brewing. What they didn’t realize was that Gilbertson would end up in the middle of the start of a global conflict. His correspondence to and from St. Louis suggests the perils of a young architect

Social Justice Through Collaboration

Presented at Midwest Archives Conference, spring 2017 Annual Meeting. This talk briefly outlines two collaborative projects (Documenting Ferguson, and Mapping LGBTQ St. Louis) going on at Washington University Libraries. These projects aim to both preserve and provide access to primary source (archival materials) of under-represented people in our (collective) historic record. These collaborative projects include archive staff working actively with members of the community, leveraging technology, and being open to new ways of approaching traditional archive tasks such as outreach, collection acquisition, and reference.https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/lib_present/1028/thumbnail.jp

The Life of Archer Alexander: A Story of Freedom

Follow the story of Archer Alexander and his road to freedom that started with exposing a neighbor for supporting the Confederacy, a risk that resulted in the ultimate freedom for himself and his family. It is a moving story of dedication and hope that took place in the region

“St. Louis Through the Camera”

In 1892, St. Louis Autumnal Festivities Association published a booklet to promote the assets and amenities of St. Louis. Its photographs showed the city not as a grimy industrial metropolis, but in the most flattering light. They may say “the camera never lies,” but does it

Thinking outside the (archival) Box: Innovative uses of Jules Henry’s Field Notes

This poster presents a case study of how archived documents provide multi-faceted, dynamic opportunity for teaching and learning in both academia and indigenous communities. Anthropologist Jules Henry compiled extensive language and cultural field notes in the 1930s while living among the Xokleng Laklãnõ (Brazil) and Pilaga (Argentina) communities. Until recently, these documents and photographs archived at Washington University in St. Louis were seldom used. However, by starting a collaborative digital project with Unicamp State University (São Paulo, Brazil) a number of innovative uses have emerged. Examples include: The Unicamp Linguistics Department is working with the Xokleng Laklãnõ to turn the digitized documents into teaching materials for community schools. A Washington University Anthropology faculty member in-turn used this real-life example of language documentation in a course on indigenous communities and human rights. Undergraduate anthropology students are helping digitize additional documents, and in the process are gaining hands on experience with 21st century skills, such as metadata. By expanding the classic archival view of how collections should be used, a wealth of possibilities emerge from what, at first glance, are only archival boxes of paper.https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/lib_present/1027/thumbnail.jp

Shall we be one strong united people...

This selection of diary entries, letters, and sermons by Unitarian minister William Greenleaf offers insights into the thinking of pro-Union leaders in St. Louis who were also antislavery

Opportunity and Freedom: Latino Immigration to the United States

This brief will include a summary timeline of Latino immigration into the United States. It will also examine the future of immigration reform and Obama’s deportations

A Study on Perceptions to Provide Literacy Instruction to Students with Multiple Disabilities

Despite the push for increased opportunities for all children, literacy research for students with visual impairment and multiple disabilities is lacking. The aim of this study was to increase perceptions and confidence of staff in providing literacy instruction to this population of students. The study design incorporated quantitative measures, although opportunities existed for qualitative measures as well. The participants included twelve staff from a specialized school in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Over the course of two months, staff participated in three, 45-minute professional development sessions. The three sessions included a review of current research on literacy, literacy for students who are nonverbal, and braille literacy. All participants completed a pre-survey and post-survey to determine any change in either perception or confidence in providing literacy instruction. The analysis showed a significantly higher agreement at post-survey compared to pre-survey for both perception and confidence, which were both statistically significant. At post-survey, all of the respondents felt that literacy instruction is appropriate for every student. Despite the small sample, the findings are encouraging for both practitioners and administrators