Nolde Lecture Series to initiate dialogue on war
CMU's military science department wil kick off its 1999-2000 Col. William B. Nolde Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Bovee University Center Auditorium with speaker Gregory M.A. Gronbacher.
Gronbacher, director of the Center for Economic Personalism at the Action Institute in Grand Rapids, will speak on the topic, "The Just War Tradition: Will It Survive the 21st Century?"
Lt. Col. Charles Minyard, chair of the military science department, expects Gronbacher to speak about the justifications for war in the past and attempt to apply them to current reasoning for war.
"Having seen some of the speaker's writings, I think he will present what the guidelines for war are. Then he will hopefully take some examples and say, 'OK, given what I've just told you, does this meet the criteria?'" Minyard said.
Minyard said he hopes for strong attendance by students, as well as faculty and staff.
A question-and-answer period is planned, and a strong attendance will stimulate good conversation about the topic, Minyard said.
"We're hoping that we get a lot of faculty and staff out because this is very relevant to the university," Minyard said.
Overall, Minyard said he hopes that participants will be able to form their own opinions about war after Gronbacher's lecture.
"I think my expectation would be that they come and listen and go away having decided in their own minds as to what their decision is about war," Minyard said.
"(The lecture) is not intended to make a military mindset," Minyard said.
