Cromwell Crawford Kicks Off Arts/Lecture Series

Written by Kate Harner

Willimantic, Conn. - S. Cromwell Crawford, author and professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, opens Eastern Connecticut State University's Ninth Annual Arts and Lecture Series on Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. in the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Room located in the J. Eugene Smith Library.

Crawford's lecture will focus on religion's controversial influence in the bioethics debate. Although many believe medicine and scientific study should not involve a religious perspective, Crawford will challenge this way of thinking by utilizing his knowledge of comparative religions. He will discuss morality and religious philosophy and how each pertains to current bioethical issues, such as cloning, the human genome project and genetic engineering.

Crawford has studied religion since 1952. He received his doctorate of theology from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA, in 1966. He is the author of books such as "Dilemmas of Life and Death: Hindu Ethics in a North American Context," "The Evolution of Hindu Ethical Ideals" and "Hindu Bioethics for the 21^st Century." He is also an ordained minister of the Methodist Church and a Jain activist for peace and non-killing.

Tickets for Crawford's lecture are $10 for the general public. To purchase tickets, call (860) 465-0036 or email tickets@easternct.edu. For more information about other upcoming Arts and Lecture Series events, visit http://www.easternct.edu/artsandlecture/.