Writer and speaker Christopher de Vinck will offer public lecture at Salve Regina
On Monday, Feb. 13, a public lecture will be held by nationally recognized writer and speaker Dr. Christopher de Vinck for the spring 2023’s Atwood Lecture in the Humanities. Entitled “Things that Matter Most: Home, Friendship, and Love,” this event is free and open to the public, and there is no need to register in advance. The engagement will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Young Library of the Young Building on the Salve Regina’s campus on 508 Bellevue Ave.
Dr. Christopher de Vinck’s patient attention to everyday life offers an uncommon glimpse into the dynamism and drama of faith, disability, parenthood and the craft of writing. De Vinck has won two Christopher Awards, which celebrates authors whose work looks at the “highest values of the human spirit.” His essays have been selected three times for best column by the National Catholic Press Association.
Dr. de Vinck’s book “The Power of the Powerless: A Brother’s Legacy of Love” was selected by Christianity Today as one of the ten best biographies or autobiographies of the 20th century. “Power of the Powerless” tells the story of de Vinck’s brother Oliver, who had a severe intellectual disability, and the impact of Oliver’s life upon those who surrounded him.
“My mother introduced me to The Power of the Powerless when I was in my teens,” said Dr. Miguel Romero, associate professor in the Department of Religious and Theological Studies. “The story of Oliver mirrored the story of our family life and impact of my own brother, Vicente, who has a profound intellectual disability. I returned to the book consistently over the years and used it as a trustworthy touchstone when I began teaching an undergraduate theology course focused on disability in 2012.”
Dr. Romero noted that “Power of the Powerless” has received serious scholarly attention from philosophers and theologians navigating the topic of disability.
“It offers an intimate glimpse into a world that is rarely seen today, a world where shared life with someone who has a profound disability can be received as gift,” he said.
Dr. de Vinck will also be talking about themes from another book of his with the same title as the lecture, “Things that Matter Most: Home, Friendship, and Love.”
Marjorie Atwood and the Donaldson Charitable Trust established the Atwood Lecture Series in 1981 as a tribute to her Salve Regina mentor and friend, Dr. Lubomir Gleiman in the philosophy department. Specifically, Atwood’s intent was to bring inspirational speakers to campus who could speak about the intersection of faith and reason, but do so with the flair of narrative and in a way that exemplifies the beauty of the written word.
