Shenandoah Anabaptist Science Society

SASS Receives Funding for National Conference on Attachment Theory

Dr. Christian Early, EMU Professor of Philosophy and Theology, and Dr. Roman Miller, EMU Professor Biology co-wrote and submitted a grant proposal to Metanexus Global Network Initiative seeking funding to hold a national conference on attachment theory in Spring 2011. Drs. Early and Miller were notified this summer their proposal, “A Transdisciplinary Exploration of Attachment through Anabaptist Eyes” was awarded funding for three years to sponsor events leading up and including the conference, as well as post-conference events.

In the proposal the theme attachment will examine “What holds the fabric of life together? In published literature attachment is sometimes described as forming connections, reciprocal relationships, bonding, or adherence…This proposal seeks to argue that ‘attachment’ is a recurring multi-disciplinary theme and that a transdisciplinary conversation will contribute greatly to our understanding of what it means to be human together on this earth.”

2010-2011 School Year, Fall

• Tuesday Luncheon, West Dining Room, October 26, 12:00 pm
  Attachment Styles and Parenting by Luanne Bender Long & Christine Spilman

2010-2011 School Year, Spring

• Tuesday Luncheon, West Dining Room, Feb 15, 12:00 pm, TBA

• Conversations on Attachment: Integrating the Science of Love and Spirituality conference on the campus of EMU March 31 – April 2, 2011

Who are we?

The Shenandoah Anabaptist Science Society (SASS) is located on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Harrisonburg Virginia . SASS is composed of individuals, academic departments, trans-disciplinary organizations of the university, and community persons. The primary goals of the group include:

• Identify and discuss issues at the intersection of science and religion.
• Bring Anabaptist theological perspectives into science and faith discussions.
• Facilitate broad interdisciplinary dialogue, education, and action among academic departments of the university, other educational institutions, and community persons working in science and religion.
• Develop a networking membership representing academic faculty & staff, graduate & undergraduate college students, upper level high school students, and community persons.

SASS is organized and directed by a Steering Committee that includes representation from eleven different campus departments or programs and local persons. The Steering Committee meets periodically to plan and administer programs, give overall direction to SASS, manage the budget, and solicit ideas from the broader membership.

Learn more about membership in SASS >>

Our focus

The focus of SASS is to create a space for dialogue and promote education on issues at the intersection of science and religion. We intend to bring together persons who are trained in various areas of science and religion to lead in discussing the implications of things such as artificial intelligence, bioethics, nanotechnology, human consciousness, spirit and body, origins, etc.

The educational task of Eastern Mennonite University is rooted in Christian faith and its scriptures as they have been interpreted and lived out in a unique 476-year Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. This tradition embraces God’s gift of reconciliation through the cross and the power of the resurrection to create new life in conformity to the teaching and spirit of Jesus.

The challenge and intent of SASS is to build on that legacy and promote dialogue and action on scientific issues with faculty and students represented in university academic departments, upper level high school students and faculty, and with professionals in the local community.

Programming to carry out SASS goals includes regular monthly meetings of the membership, creation and maintenance of an interactive web site, speaker forums involving the campus and community, small group book studies, and luncheon dialogues with short paper presentations.

For more information on SASS, please email .