Boston College’s Heyer: ‘A Christian Ethic of Immigration’ Feb. 26

 Gonzaga's Flannery Lecture

SPOKANE, Wash. – Kristin E. Heyer, Ph.D., professor of theological ethics at Boston College, will discuss “Cultivating Civic Kinship: A Christian Ethic of Immigration,” at Gonzaga University’s Flannery Lecture at 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 26 in the Hemmingson Center Ballroom (third floor; 702 E. Desmet Ave.). The event is free and open to all.

Immigration is often framed in terms of crisis management, rather than by addressing underlying economic, political and cultural contributing factors, Heyer notes. In the U.S. context in particular, she says, political rhetoric has often masked complicity, abetted human rights violations and betrayed the nation’s founding principles. 

“In the Flannery Lecture, I will explore contributions that Scripture and the Catholic social tradition offer in immigration dialogue in light of these realities,” Heyer said.  

Professor Heyer earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a Ph.D. in theological ethics from Boston College in 2003. She is co-chair of the planning committee for Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church and is an editor for Georgetown University Press’ Moral Traditions series. She taught at Santa Clara University from 2009-2015.

The endowed Flannery Chair of Roman Catholic Theology is made possible through a gift of the late Maud and Milo Flannery of Spokane to further the excellence of theological study and teaching at Gonzaga. Gonzaga invites an outstanding theologian twice a year to deliver the Flannery Lecture.

For more information, please contact Gonzaga’s religious studies department at (509) 313-6782.