Global Perspective

New Lo Schiavo Chair Meets Students at the Intersection of Politics and Faith

by Monica Villavicencio, Office of Marketing Communications

Frank Turner, S.J., a leading international advocate on issues of poverty, social deprivation, climate change, and foreign policy, has been named USF’s new Anna and Joseph Lo Schiavo Chair in Catholic Social Thought Anna and Joseph Lo Schiavo Chair in Catholic Social Thought. At USF, Fr. Turner will explore the politics of social justice and its integration with Christian faith through philosophy and theology, including teaching the course Catholic Social Teaching in Dialogue.

Leading international advocate

Fr. Turner comes to USF after nine years at the Jesuit European Social Centre (JESC) in Brussels. There, he led advocacy efforts on poverty alleviation, social inclusion, and more. He also drew attention to the impact of European mining on the resource-rich but war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“This position is a real gift to me,” said Fr. Turner. “I’ve been working at the frontier of politics, and I’m excited to return to academic life.”

The Lo Schiavo Chair advances Jesuit identity and ideals at USF through a professorship held by a Jesuit or by symposia or conferences that explore current social and political issues from a Catholic moral perspective. It is a joint appointment by the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought.

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