SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The "global village" is being threatened by politics and modern tribalism, according to Leroy S. Rouner of Boston University, who will present the annual Phi Beta Kappa Lecture at Wittenberg University.
Rouner, a professor of philosophy, religion and philosophical theology, will speak at 8 p.m. Monday, April 12 in Weaver Chapel. The topic of his lecture will be "Ethnic Conflict and World Community: Is There a Global Ethic?"
Rouner believes that the "global village" is threatened by a resurgence of tribalism which is rooted in the natural phenomena of land, language, race, caste or class and religion.
He will explore whether weak universal notions such as "one world" or the "human family" are effective enough to counter the fear of the stranger and the radical yearning of like for like which empowers the natural urges of tribalism.
Rouner has been a member of Boston University's faculty since 1970 and is the author of more than 60 papers on the philosophy of religion, education and culture and of three books.
A past president of the American Academy of Religion, New England region, he is a 1953 graduate of Harvard University and received his master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in 1958 and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1961.
The Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Program makes available each year 12 or more distinguished scholars who visit approximately 100 college and universities. they spend two days on campus, meeting informally with students and faculty members, taking part in classroom discussions and giving public lectures.
Wittenberg in one of only 255 of America's best college and universities which have a campus chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
