Father Dave Pivonka, TOR '89 President | Franciscan University website

Franciscan University of Steubenville recently hosted the Man and Woman in the Order of Creation Conference from October 24 to 26. The event, co-sponsored by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) in Washington, D.C., explored the identities of men and women through various disciplines including biology, neuroscience, metaphysics, theology, and psychology.

Dr. Deborah Savage, a theology professor at Franciscan University and conference organizer, stated in her welcoming address: “The Church puts the question very simply: Why did God make us male and female? And what are the implications of that decision?” She emphasized the need for a comprehensive understanding of man and woman grounded in science, philosophy, and theology.

Francis Maier, EPPC senior fellow in Catholic studies, opened the conference discussing human identity as God's creation with "a unique place and purpose in the world." He noted that "the complementarity of man and woman" is essential to human experience.

Dr. John Finley from Thomas Aquinas College continued this theme by describing humans as a microcosm of creation. “To speak of the human as microcosm means that, in our unity, we display both the spiritual and the material at once,” he said.

Dr. Aaron Kheriaty highlighted sex differences beyond reproductive organs during his talk on biology and psychiatry. He remarked that “the most sexually differentiated organ in the human body is the brain” and criticized contemporary gender theories for rigid stereotypes.

Theologians like Dr. Angela Franks discussed how secularization affects identity perception. She argued for viewing identity as a received task rather than a self-constructed project.

Psychologists examined relationships between men and women using Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body teachings. Dr. Greg Bottaro suggested that mutual growth occurs when individuals embrace their gender differences within marriage.

Mary Rice Hasson concluded with insights on collaboration between genders: “Our mission as men and women to affect the created order means we have to embrace that difference.”

Franciscan University President Father Dave Pivonka announced plans for an Institute for the Study of Man and Woman aimed at deepening understanding of masculinity and femininity based on Pope St. John Paul II's teachings.

The conference was supported by sponsors including Henkels Family, International Catholic Jurists Forum, and Mary Elizabeth Charitable Trust.