William C. Spohn Religion and Public Life Grant
William C. Spohn
“The basic command that Jesus gives at the end of the Good Samaritan story invites [us] to think analogically: ‘Go and do likewise’ (Luke 10:37). The mandate is not ‘Go and do exactly the same.’ ... And it is decidedly not ‘Go and do whatever you want.’ ... Jesus did not come teaching timeless moral truths or a uniform way of life to be replicated in every generation. Rather his words, encounters, and life story set patterns that can be flexibly but faithfully extended to new circumstances.”
—William C. Spohn
How can we meet the challenge to “go and do likewise,” within our 21st-century context? How are we called to “spot the rhyme,” and respond to God’s invitation to become co-labors in the healing and transformation of our world today?
The William C. Spohn Religion and Public Life Grant is awarded annually to one undergraduate or graduate student at Santa Clara University interested in exploring a vocational project in religion and public life. The grant was established by friends and family of William C. Spohn, former director of the Bannan Institute, whose work, leadership, and scholarship were animated by a deep commitment to “go and do likewise.”
This year’s Spohn Grant was awarded to Christopher Wemp ’12, current SCU graduate student in educational administration. Wemp is a liturgical composer, pianist, and music director, and has done extensive research on liturgical music in El Salvador, Peru, and Colombia. In addition to his graduate studies at SCU, Wemp currently serves as the program manager and an instructor for SCU’s Innovations in Catholic Education program, which supports Catholic School teachers, principals, and clergy in the Diocese of San Jose.
Endnotes
- William C. Spohn, Go and Do Likewise: Jesus and Ethics (New York: Continuum, 1999) 4, 49.
