Center for Spirituality Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Vatican II’s Nostra Aetate

cover art for the declarationSeptember 24, 2015—The Center for Spirituality (CFS) at Saint Mary’s College is proud to host an intellectual and personal examination of Vatican II’s Nostra Aetate, the 1965 declaration for the Catholic Church to reach out to other religions in a spirit of friendship and dialogue. University of Notre Dame theology professor Bradley Malkovsky, PhD, and his wife Mariam Malkovsky will offer the talk, “Interfaith Encounters after Nostra Aetate: A True Love Story,” on Thursday, October 15 at 7:30 p.m., in Vander Vennet Theatre in the Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Bradley Malkovsky is associate professor of comparative theology, systematic theology, and world religions in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. Mariam Malkovsky owns Bombay International in South Bend, a boutique featuring one of a kind décor, clothing and jewelry from her native India. Profits from the store have helped several women in India establish their own businesses.

In the talk the Malkovskys will share their unusual story of how a Catholic religious scholar and a young Muslim woman fell in love and married in India. The talk will include reflections on what it was like for Mariam to grow up a Muslim (a religious minority) in India and what she retained of Islam as she converted to Catholicism. Brad will recount his journey to India to study Hinduism, only to be surprised by the riches offered by Islam. Together they will address such questions as: What does Islam have to offer Christians living in the West today? What does the Christian West offer Islam?

“Dr. Malkovsky’s area of interest is the doctrinal and spiritual relation of Christianity to other religions, making him the ideal speaker to describe interfaith encounters after Nostra Aetate. He states in his biography that his specialization is in the Hindu-Christian encounter. The relationship between he and his wife Mariam, who grew up as a Muslim in India but has since converted to Catholicism, humanizes what it means for the Church to respect and relate to other faiths. We look forward to them sharing their story,” said Michelle Egan, associate director of the Center fro Spirituality.

Professor Malkovsky is the editor of New Perspectives on Advaita Vedanta (Brill, 2000); and the author of The Role of Divine Grace in the Soteriology of Samkaracarya (Brill, 2001). His book, God's Other Children: Personal Encounters with Love, Holiness and Faith in Sacred India (2013), which describes his interaction with Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, won the Huston Smith Prize . He is presently working on a new book on religious interaction, called Under the Banyan Tree: An Inter-religious Approach to Christian Doctrine and Spirituality.

About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews

Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579

Press release written by McKenzie Johnson ’17, media relations intern. 

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