First hour: Understanding the history and cultural significance of Notre Dame
Second hour: Previewing the "Beating Guns" tour
As the world watches France attempt to rebuild Notre Dame, experts tell us that there are historical parallels. Katherine Clark Walter, from the College at Brockport, says, “The major Gothic cathedrals of Europe were often born of renovations necessitated by devastating fires just such as this one and their renovation often foregrounded the relics these churches held as key to their spirituality and identity, so there is a fascinating meeting of past and present as the whole world now watches to see what survived from Notre Dame.” We’ll talk about the meaning of those relics, the process of rebuilding, and more. Our guests:
- Katherine Clark Walter, associate professor in the Department of History at The College at Brockport
- Jean Pedersen, associate professor in the Department of Humanities at the Eastman School
- Sarah Thompson, associate professor of art history at RIT
Then in our second hour, invoking the idea of beating swords into plowshares, two men have written a book calling for us to beat guns into garden tools. The book, simply called "Beating Guns," is a layered approach to understanding gun violence. From the history of American gun enthusiasm, to the intertwining of gun culture with Christianity, the authors explore how we arrived as the most armed country. In Rochester, they’ll host an event in which citizens can turn in guns that will be melted down and turned into tools. First, they join us on Connections:
- Shane Claiborne, founder of The Simple Way and president of Red Letter Christians
- Michael Martin, founder and executive director of RAWtools Inc.
