Catherine Flynn

B.A. (English Literature) University of West Florida, USA

M.A. (Humanities) University of West Florida, USA
Postgraduate Room, Arts Millennium Building,
E-mail  C.flynn10nuigalway.ie

Biography:  

Catherine, aka Erin, was born in Cornwall, England. She was raised in England, Ireland, Italy and the US. She received both her BA in English Literature and her MA in Interdisciplinary Humanities from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida.

Current Research: 

Ritual and Authenticity: A Philosophical Exploration of the Possibility of Genuine Religious Practice.

In today’s western world where the Roman Catholic Church is facing ever decreasing numbers in both the congregation and the clergy, it hardly seems contemporary to address the issue of ritual as an important aspect to society. However, this is exactly what Catherine proposes to do. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, Catherine aims through philosophical rigour to tackle the problems vexing the phenomenon of ritual. Through the use of the Roman Catholic mass as exemplar, Catherine will demonstrate that authentic religious ritual provides an important avenue for improving the interrelations of human beings with one another. The human being has a two-fold nature of an individual self and a social self, and ritual provides the space to keep these two natures in balance even in today’s modern world. In her thesis Catherine tackles the many issues concerning ritual; specifically, the concepts of belief, authority, power, the experience of the Sacred, the witness, and communitas.  

Papers:

May 2005 – “Questioning Authority.”  Interdisciplinary Reading Group, Centre for Irish Studies, NUI Galway.

 “Questioning Authority: A Possible Answer to the Decline of Ritual", Seventh Annual One-Day Postgraduate Conference: " God, Philosophy and the Ethical Life." University of Southampton.

November 2005 – “Lifting the Veil: Pinning Down a Definition of Ritual.” Philosophy Postgraduate Seminar.

September 2006 – “Beyond the Veil of Illusion: A Look at Ritual in Today's World,” “ Emerging Geographies of Belief Conference.” University of Exeter.

March 2007 – “Man was not made for the Sabbath: A discussion on Belief.” Philosophy Postgraduate Seminar, NUI Galway.

October 2007 - “Gianni Vattimo’s Belief” Philosophy Postgraduate Forum.

April 2008 - “Definitions of Ritual” Philosophy Society, NUI Galway.

Teaching Experience :

2002-2008 – Catherine tutored 1 ^st year Philosophy in Introduction to the History of Philosophy, Contemporary Philosophy, and Practical Ethics. 

2003-2006 – Tutored 3 ^rd Year Philosophy of Religion.

Second Semester 2007 – Catherine developed and taught 2 ^nd year seminar in Topics in Practical Philosophy: Gender and Moral Philosophy.

2003 – 2006 – One-on-one tutor in Philosophy for 1 ^st, 2 ^nd, and 3 ^rd year students in connection with NUI Galway’s Disabilities Office.

Filled in for 3 Lectures in 3 ^rd Year Philosophy of Religion in April 2006 and one lecture in 1 ^st Year Philosophy on Violence in October 2006.

Professional Membership:        

Irish Philosophical Society

Areas of Interest:         

Founded the Philosophy Postgraduate Forum in 2006.

Philosophy Postgraduate Class Representative - 2006-2007.

Assisted in the organization of the COBRA Conference on “Issues In Research Ethics” in October 2008.

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