The Benedict XVI Center opens with a focus on interdisciplinarity

(Vatican Radio) The Benedict XVI Center for Religion and Society was inaugurated on Thursday at St Mary’s University in Twickenham,  London.

Vatican Radio’s Christopher Altieri, Professor of Philosophy and an external affiliate of the Center, explained to Linda Bordoni that the Centre aims to establish itself as an “international hub” for research to foster links between theology and the social sciences:

Listen to the interview:

Christopher Altieri explains the Center was officially approved in 2015 as part of efforts to mark the 5th anniversary of the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom.

He explains that its purpose is to foster dialogue among scholars who come from different disciplines.

“Inter-disciplinarity is one of those academic ‘buzz words’ that get tossed around a lot but don’t always receive careful consideration about what it means and the Center is trying to get it right” he says.

Altieri says members and participants are committed to getting interdisciplinary research right especially in regards to social sciences and their consideration of the role of religion in society and in public life.

“So it involves experts and practitioners in law, in sociology, in economics, in philosophy and theology” he says.

The Center brings them together so that they can talk with each other: “not just about what they are doing in their respective areas of interest and expertise, but really because the members of the Center believe that in order to be good scientists they need to be in conversation with each other and that the disciplines that they practice can be mutually enriching and so the Center is dedicated to that enterprise.”