The 500th anniversary of the Reformation will be commemorated with a concert and panel discussion on Nov. 4 at St. Ignatius Church.
Made possible by a major grant from the Institute for the Liberal Arts, the event will focus on Martin Luther, who is synonymous with the Protestant Reformation.
The panel will feature Christine Helmer, who is the Corcoran Visiting Professor in Christian-Jewish Relations at Boston College for 2017-18 and an expert on Martin Luther; Music Professor and Chair Michael Noone; and Providence College Professor of Historical Theology Ian Levy. Associate Professor of Theology Boyd Taylor Coolman will chair the discussion.
In addition, the Seraphim Singers, a Greater Boston chamber ensemble renowned for its renditions of sacred choral music, will perform Maurice Durufle’s “Requiem.”
“Throughout this year – 2017 – many churches around the world have commemorated Luther’s achievements,” said Helmer, a professor of religious studies at Northwestern University. “The word ‘commemoration’ is important here. Commemoration is not exactly like ‘celebration.’ Luther is remembered for his unapologetic focus on God’s redeeming activity in Christ, such that God justifies humans by sheer and wonderful grace.
“Luther is also remembered for articulating ideas that have become the bedrock of modern self-understanding: ideas, such as freedom, human autonomy, and the calling of all Christians to a life lived before God and in service of neighbor,” added Helmer, who said the commemoration this year will “hopefully” challenge all Christians to work for peace.
The commemoration event will also serve as an out-of-classroom learning experience for many Boston College students, said co-organizer Professor of Philosophy Eileen Sweeney.
“At Boston College, the Reformation and its aftermath plays an important role in many core courses. Luther is an important figure in Perspectives on Western Culture.
“The Reformation is also significant in the history of Western music. It gave us Bach and Palestrina. This concert is an opportunity to hear and feel these important changes, to experience both the conflict and the beauty of what they produced.”
Echoing Sweeney’s comments is Jennifer Lester, music director for the Seraphim Singers.
“Often in the midst of struggle, great art is created and this is true of the sacred music produced during the first 250 years of the Reformation. This concert will feature a sort of sonic tour from just before the Reformation, through the work of Luther himself,” said Lester. “We offer this performance of the work in honor of all those who have died as a result of religious conflict.”
This event is an example of the kinds of activities and projects the Institute for the Liberal Arts sponsors and makes available to Boston College and the wider community, said Sweeney.
“The ILA grant allowed us to hire the orchestra and organist Peter Krasinski, to put together the scholars for the panel discussion, and to have a place like St. Ignatius for the performance.
“And because of the grant, admission to the concert is free to the Boston College community and beyond.”
For more information, contact Sweeney at eileen.sweeney@bc.edu. Those who wish to reserve free tickets can do so here.
–Siobhan Sullivan / University Communications