Dr. Ken Goodpaster to speak at Faith and Work Breakfast Sept. 24
Dr. Ken Goodpaster, Koch Endowed Chair in Business Ethics, will give the first breakfast talk for 2008-09 in the Faith and Work Breakfast series, co-sponsored by St. Olaf Catholic Church and the John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought at the University of St. Thomas. His topic is "Contemporary Idols."
Dr. Ken Goodpaster
The breakfast will be held from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, in Fleming Hall of St. Olaf Catholic Church, 215 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis.
Goodpaster, an author and leading expert in business ethics, will propose the question: Can the achievement of personal and professional goals become so paramount to work that people lose track of people and things around them? He will offer an overview of how the challenges of work today may lead an individual to unknowingly stray from a path of virtue.
Now in its 14th year, the theme of the 2008 Faith and Work breakfasts is "Sin at Work." The Sept. 24 event begins a two-year series that will examine human nature at work through a contemporary lens of the Seven Deadly Sins. By raising awareness to the dark side of human nature, participants can heighten their consciousness to the choices they make in living lives of faith at work.
Most people don't see themselves in the extremes of pride, greed, lust or envy that fill today's media sources, but each day at work brings countless situations where employees make choices regarding their actions. Then again, sometimes people don't choose – they react. The series offers tools participants can use for choice and action.
Other speakers for 2008-2009 are:
- Thursday, Oct. 30 – Michael Novak, author, philosopher, theologian and director of social and political studies, American Enterprise Institute, speaking on "Better, Smarter, Faster."
- Thursday, Nov. 20 – Ellen Breyer, former CEO, Hazelden Foundation, speaking on "When Too Much is Not Enough?"
- Friday, Feb. 20 – Dr. Peter Kreeft, author, professor of philosophy, Boston College, King's College, speaking on "Sloth: The Deadly Sin of Too-Busy People."
- Thursday, April 2 – Andre Delbecq, McCarthy University Professor at the University of Santa Clara, and director of the Institute for Spirituality of Organizational Leadership, speaking on "If 'Pride Goeth Before the Fall,' Are We at the Tipping Point?"
The cost of each Faith and Work Breakfast is $20, which includes a continental breakfast. Pre-registration is encouraged.
To make a reservation or for more information, contact Carol Bishop, St. Olaf Catholic Church, (612) 332-7471, Ext. 255. Information also is available on the St. Olaf Web site.
