Registration is now open for the eighth annual Faith and Reason Summer Program set for June 10-15 and hosted at St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa.
Designed specifically for advanced high school and first-year college students who are curious about religion, the one-week seminar, which introduces students to the Catholic liberal arts tradition, is open to students 15 and older. The program will be directed by Dr. Michael P. Krom, professor and chair of the college’s philosophy department.
“Young people should not be afraid to examine their religious beliefs,” Krom said. “If I have questions, it doesn’t mean that I am not a believer. It means that I see the critical importance of seeking answers to these important questions. Faith seeks understanding.”
Krom became a member of the St. Vincent faculty in 2007 after earning his doctorate in philosophy from Emory University, Atlanta, and his master of arts degree from Boston College. He has published works in areas of Catholic social thought and published a book on religion and politics. He and his wife, Jessica, reside in Latrobe with their six children.
The summer program is “designed to prompt students to address the questions and concepts most fundamental to humanity in the context of Catholic thought,” he explained. “It offers participants an opportunity to examine these topics through seminal works that are an integral part of any Catholic, liberal arts program.”
The integration of faith and education is a key element of the seminar.
“Jesus Christ teaches that he is the truth who will set us free – and yet, often youth are afraid to engage with the questions and views that must be addressed in order to grow in their faith,” Krom noted. “The Faith and Reason Summer Program promises to help participants work through these types of challenges by means of philosophical and theological discussions.”
Encouraging a life devoted to wisdom, the program features a liberal arts approach to learning. All staff are Benedictine and lay professors on the faculty of St. Vincent College. Participants will have an opportunity to explore the relationship between faith and reason, examine the perennial questions of humanity, develop their communication skills, learn how to analyze difficult arguments, prepare for college studies and integrate their moral, intellectual and spiritual development.
“Our goal is to encourage ongoing spiritual growth as central to education,” Krom said. “I think we will have been successful if students leave with more questions that they want to read, think and talk about.”
Cost for the program is $495. Limited scholarship funding is available. Register online at www.stvincent.edu/faithandreason.
For more information, contact Krom at michael.krom@stvincent.edu or visit www.facebook.com/saintvincentcollege or www.stvincent.edu.