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

Catholic scholars from around the United States will convene at Franciscan University of Steubenville on October 24-25 for the 33rd annual National Conference of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists. The event will include 33 sessions covering topics such as Catholic social teaching, law, political science, history, theology, philosophy, and issues related to economics and education.

Sessions will also provide international perspectives by discussing Catholic history in Britain, international politics, and various socio-cultural issues from abroad. Presenters are drawn from colleges and universities across the country.

During a banquet on October 24, Dr. John Crosby, a retired philosophy professor from Franciscan University known for his work on figures like John Henry Newman and Karol Wojtyła, will be honored with the Pope Pius XI Award. Crosby has contributed significantly to philosophical anthropology and the philosophy of the human person through his books "The Selfhood of the Human Person" and "Personalist Papers."

The Society of Catholic Social Scientists was established in 1992 by Dr. Stephen Krason and Dr. Joseph Varacalli at Franciscan University. The society brings together Catholic social scientists to examine social realities using empirical data alongside Church teachings and natural law. Members are required to sign a “Profession of Faith” supporting Catholic orthodoxy.

Dr. Stephen Krason said, “The Society of Catholic Social Scientists is the only interdisciplinary Catholic social science organization in the U.S. committed to stressing sound scholarship and supporting Catholics in the academy and in professional fields that is committed to the orthodox teaching of the Church. Our annual conference provides many talks reflecting top-notch scholarship on thought-provoking topics. It is important to have an organization which stands in opposition to the secularist, relativist orientation that is so typical of the social sciences in the contemporary world. We give serious Catholic scholars and professionals in those fields the opportunity for camaraderie with like-minded colleagues.”

Registration fees for all sessions are $55 for non-members, $40 for members, and $25 for students.