G.K Chesterton Conference at Campion
An array of speakers, both Australian and international, assembled at Campion College from June 30 to July 2, 2008 to examine the enduring value of G.K. Chesterton’s thought, particularly in the context of Australian history.
Opening the conference, the College President, Fr John Fleming, expressed his delight that a meeting so fully in accordance with the intellectual aspirations of Campion College should be taking place on the campus in 2008.
He described Chesterton as “one of the great literary intellectuals of the 20th century”, who embodied the qualities of intellectual penetration and prudence which a Catholic liberal arts college like Campion strives to nurture.
The conference theme was “Redeeming the Culture: the Reforming Vision of G.K. Chesterton”.
The first day was devoted to exploring his religious thought, with a special focus on his work of Christian apologetics, Orthodoxy – 2008 marking the centenary year of its original publication.
The second day studied the impact of Chesterton’s philosophy, especially his social philosophy of Distributism, on Australian political and social history.
On the final day, a Chesterton play, The Surprise, which was only published and staged after his death in 1936, was screened in Campion’s Perez de la Sala Lecture Theatre.
The speakers at the conference were:
- Sheridan Gilley, Australian scholar, Emeritus Reader in Theology at Durham University: Chesterton’s Orthodoxy: Yesterday and Today
- Mark O’Connor, Australian poet and editor: Chesterton’s Conversion to Catholicism
- Thomas Storck, American librarian and author: Reading Chesterton’s Orthodoxy: Personal Statement or Cultural Blueprint?
- Karl Schmude, President of Australian Chesterton Society: Chesterton and Australia: a clash of continents
- Race Matthews, Adjunct Professor at Deakin University: Distributism: A Political Philosophy for Our Troubled Times
- Colin Jory, teacher and historian: Chesterton and the Campion Society: Influences and Perspectives
- Richard Doig, teacher and historian: Chesterton and the Critique of Capitalism: Australian and American Responses
The conference was jointly organised by the Australian Chesterton Society and the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture at Seton Hall University (New Jersey).
Recordings of all the conference papers were made, both in audio and video form, and CDs and DVDs can be obtained from Servant Media in Sydney by using the order form on the Campion College website.
Click here to download an Order Form for DVDs and CDs of the Conference Papers
Click here to download a sample paper: Karl Schmude on “Chesterton and Australia”
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| L-R: Dr Sheridan Gilley, Fr John Fleming |
Speakers at the Chesterton Conference who spoke as part of a discussion panel |
L-R: John McCarthy QC, Dr Richard Doig and Dr Colin Jory |
Messages of WYD from Campion College
“Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and the pain of false promises” -
Benedict XVI, Papal arrival speech.
Campion College, as the only Catholic Liberal Arts College in Australia, participated fully in the events of World Youth Day and indeed shaped many of the words and images for people across Australia and the world.
The Pope has now left our shores, at the ends of the earth as it were, but he left behind a generation filled with a passion for Christ. Everywhere Benedict went, crowds of young happy pilgrims hung on his every word. A media hostile to his visit before his arrival were turned around in one week, from hostility and accusation to almost a fawning regard for what had been achieved.
To find out about the role Campion played in the WYD08 events click here.
Contemporary Human Bioethics
Commecing in Semester 2, Campion College will be making its program in Bioethics available as a professional development program for any person working in the area of Human Services. Teachers, nurses, lawyers and medical professionals will find the program particularly relevant to their line of work. Anyone who needs to deal with the ethical issues associated with human life would be rewarded by completing this program.
For a full brochure and application form, download the brochure available here
World Youth Day activities at Campion College
Campion has taken an intellectual approach to the activities being organised for the celebration of World Youth Day in Sydney , 15th to 20th July 2008.
Over the last year, Campion has offered pilgrims from around the world an opportunity to study its third year subject, History 302: Australian Politics, Culture and Religion in the lead in to, during and after World Youth Day. The subject provides important background information of the faith in Australia and its very strong connection to the development of politics and culture in Australia. It is a full degree subject and students participating will be able to use their subject as part of their degree program in their home country.
Students will also be able to have a number of tourism opportunities including meeting the local Kangaroos and Koalas, the opportunity to bush walk through the Blue Mountains and to cruise along Sydney Harbour. A walking visit of Catholic Sydney is also included in this program.
Campion is partnering with the Australian Catholic Students Association (ACSA) for its WYD festival in the week of WYD at the University of Sydney. The Young Adults Festival which will involve the meet and greet of International university and college students, a soccer tournament, debating and important guest speakers will commence on Monday the 14th with adoration and outdoor Mass for pilgrims. A Bavarian party finishes the week in celebration of the birth place of His Holiness.
Campion will have a booth the Vocations Expo during WYD at the exhibition centre at Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Pilgrims who are discerning a vocation or who wish to find a Catholic higher education provider will have the opportunity of browsing through an exhibition area full of great religious vocational opportunities.
Over 105 pilgrims will be staying at Campion’s premises including the rock band Scythian.
There will be visits to Campion by a number of international schools including St Peter’s Auckland, St Thomas College, Houston, Texas, St Thomas, St Paul, Minnesota and Regis University, Denver, Colorado.
Tangara School for Girls Triumphs in Campion Knowledge Challenge
Tangara School for Girls held off a determined challenge from St. Columbas College Springwood to claim victory in the final of the Campion Knowledge Challenge 2008.
The final, which was held on May 22nd after the completion of two heats earlier in the month, consisted of 30 fast buzzer questions. The heats required students to also answer a written section.
Sixteen teams entered the competition this year, with some very close scores determining the outcome. Our Lady of Lebanon School, Cerdon College, Xavier College and Loyola College showed their outstanding collective knowledge of the Liberal Arts by answering some tough questions but were unfortunately eliminated in the heats.
The Tangara team made up of Year 12 students, Genevieve Wilks, Sabrina Garcia, Brigid Meney and Monica Johnso triumphed over the St Columbas of Madeleine and Olivia King and Evan Brettenor. Both teams were entered in the competition for the first time.
Caroline Chisholm College, in their second year of the competition, held out Patrician Brothers Blacktown for third place.
Paul Abela, Development Manager and Quiz writer said the purpose of the challenge was to showcase Campion’s great strength; its development of the thinking mind. “Campion is for students who want to change the world,” he said. “The Liberal Arts are an exploration of the human condition and experience has shown it to be a great career move.”
“We were very impressed indeed with the type of answers each team gave on issues of ethical and moral importance” said Quiz master and history lecturer, Luciano Boscheiro. “The students here tonight show a great breadth of intelligence and are the future leaders of our communities. Catholic schools in the Parramatta diocese produce tremendous students and many students would benefit from a Campion education,”
The challenge will be held again in 2009 with invitations going to all diocesan schools in January.
New Campion Forum now open!
A new forum for students, staff, potential students and anyone interested in Campion, has been opened by Campion College. The forum is a discussion area for students to ask questions and to receive answers about life at the College. For those applying from overseas, the section on Sydney should provide interesting reading as our students answer your questions on living in Australia's greatest city. We also encourgage discussion on the Liberal Arts and on the state of Catholic Higher Education in Australia. To access the forum go to http://forums.campion.edu.au/
