My Interview with St. Ignatius Loyola

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

Thursday (July 31) is the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola this year.  As a Jesuit in formation, I have always looked to Ignatius for inspiration. The fifteenth century noble turned religious pilgrim set down a spiritual tradition that continues to change the lives of people in the present day. But what would Ignatius say if he could see what has been built upon his foundations? It was my privilege to sit down with St. Ignatius and pose this question.

Data Dreams - A Catholic Perspective on Artificial Intelligence

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

“Data, if you ever do realize your dream of becoming human, I don't think you'll be a bad one.”

− Star Trek: The Next Generation

It is wrong to assume that a religious understanding of the sacredness of life is automatically opposed to the concept of artificial intelligence. We believe that human souls are sacred … but does this imply that an intelligent machine, being non-human, must be a soulless impossibility? What is sacred about intelligence? What can be sacred about machines? To begin to answer these questions I offer a few philosophical and theological tools. At the moment, human-like artificial intelligence is but a dream: an unknown possibility. But exploring our dreams can help us learn more about ourselves.

Conquering the World and Other Career Skills, Using Games for Education

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

How do we use the medium of video games for the good of education? Misused, games have the potential to enervate and isolate. If used properly, games can impart skills for critical thinking, communication, and creativity. We must learn to look for ways to identify and promote the best aspects of games in order to make use of the medium in education.

Like most media, the first forays into video game use for education had flaws. Many will remember "typing tutour" without fondness. Early educational games rammed historical or scientific facts into a shallow, cartoonish narrative. Real-world facts can play a part in a fun game: I know a lot of world capitals thanks to "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego". But games can be used for much more.

Don't Be Afraid to Try: Ogres and Poetry

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

We've all had that moment of fear when asked to do something creative.  Fear tells us that if we risk expressing something we are not quite sure of, others will tear it down simply because they don't understand.  This pattern leads us to avoid trying new things.  It is a pattern that students at Regina's Mother Theresa Middle School are trying to break.

When I first started helping out with an after-school program of creative writing and poetry, some students were quite eager to try expressing themselves.  But there were always a few who froze.  They wrote nothing at all, or non-committal phrases about safe topics: movies they'd seen, videogames, etc.

Children and Choices: A Free "No" is Better than a Forced "Yes"

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

One problem we encounter in college is that students who are no longer made to go to church stop going. I think the problem is not that we've failed to enforce the value of church: the problem is that we've failed to give our children the power of choice. One of the best things to teach about church is that it is an option we are all free to accept or reject. "No" is a real option. And it is better that children encounter it sooner rather than later.

Consider the case of Mary and Martin, ordinary kids. Mary's family goes to church. Martin's does not. Would you let your children play with another kid their age who said that church was silly and that their family doesn't do that sort of thing? Too many parents think of such scenarios as a choice between forbidding the interaction on the one hand and merely ignoring it on the other. There is a third way.

The Lego Movie, Thomas Aquinas, and the Redemption of Matter

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

Image: Wikipedia.com

Don't dismiss The Lego Movie as another vapid commercial display for children: it tackles some themes that run to the heart of how we interact with our world and teaches a wonderful message. Of course I'm not just saying this because I loved Lego as a kid and still love it today. I'm also saying it as a scholar of Thomas Aquinas.

The movie hinges (pun intended) on two central themes: creativity and order. If you haven't seen the movie, fear not. I will speak about it in a general way so as not to give away too much of the plot.

When Nerds Rock Out: The Unusual Marriage of Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

(Photo: Wikipedia)

There's no question that I have always been a nerd. I'm not defensive about the definition of nerds and their sub-classes. I don't fight over which of Star Wars or Star Trek was better. But I like to think of myself as a gentle, introverted, imaginative person with glasses and no desire or likelihood of ever being 'cool'.

Few people are more nerdy than a favourite author of mine, Neil Gaiman. He penned American Gods and The Graveyard Book and is famous for juxtaposing tales of fairies and enchantment with the realism of city life in the age of apps and apartments. He has immense nerd credibility for writing things like graphic novels and episodes of Dr. Who: but more importantly, he comes off as a genuinely humble and kind person, delighted just to be sharing fun stories for a living. Imagine my surprise when a friend of mine mentioned that he married a punk rocker.

Myth Busters and the Scientific Story

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

the2bitgamers.com

I'm an arts nerd, mostly. I enjoy Lord of the Rings and the genre of fantasy. But I also enjoy science fiction stories like those found in Star Trek. Both kinds of stories are similar in that they use the journey motif. People travel to strange lands and are confronted with things they could not imagine. In both kinds of stories people's basic moral instincts are tested against difficult circumstances.
The key difference between fantasy and science fiction is that in fantasy, the usual goal is to get home, while in science fiction, the goal is to leave home.

I had the pleasure of going to see the live show presented by the MythBusters, a group of special effects engineers who put urban legends and anecdotes to the test. On their TV show they have tested every kind of question, from “does playing classical music for plants actually help them grow?” to “what's the best thing to do if you are in a car that's falling from the sky?”

Winning the Lottery

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

When they hear I have a vow of poverty, people often ask, “what if you won the lottery?” Children especially find this to be an important question. Sure, it's okay to have a vow of poverty … but if you won the lottery, would they take your money away? That doesn't seem fair.

Well, there are two answers to this question: a technical answer and a heartfelt answer.

Firstly, the technical answer. A member of a religious order with a vow of poverty won't be gambling. And if I bought a lottery ticket it would be with the community's money anyway. So really, if the ticket were a winner, the money would belong to the community. Ditto for gifts: whatever is given to me is not for my use alone but a donation to the whole religious order of which I am a member.

Let's Talk about Pope Francis

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

Click here to watch this directly on Youtube.

Thomas Aquinas: The Bruce Lee of Medieval Philosophy

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

Thomas Aquinas is, without a doubt, the Bruce Lee of medieval philosophy.

That's what I told my students as I began teaching my first class. I have officially begun my regency, the stage of Jesuit formation where those who have taken vows spend time teaching and performing apostolic work. I'm thrilled to be working at Campion College in Regina. It's not easy to interest people in the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. But my opening device intrigued my students. Aquinas and Bruce Lee are philosophers with similar approaches to life.

Bruce Lee, founder of his own martial arts school and famed actor/director, began his studies in the west with an undergraduate degree in Philosophy at the University of San Francisco, a Jesuit institution. Aquinas and Bruce were similar in their level of personal giftedness. Both are geniuses who revolutionized their respective fields.

What I See

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

http://www.thegrapplingblueprint.com/

"So, just how much can you see?"

Having a visual handicap has lead me to many interesting insights about life, not the least of which is the discovery that there is a curious gap in our language. Our language is oddly limited in its ability to convey one's direct experience to others. How can I tell you what I am seeing?

The lack of words is a limitation but it is also an opportunity for me to learn to communicate my experience in new ways.

Five Simple Tips for a Silent Retreat

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

http://info.sdiworld.org

This is the sort of advice someone might give you – so pay attention.

A prayerful retreat in silence is a powerful experience. A whole day spent away from communication creates a peaceful quiet in which the retreatant can express her or his most subtle and unformed feelings to God and also be open to receiving God's loving replies. Remaining silent, whether for a day, a weekend, or even longer can be difficult for some. So try to follow these five helpful tips so that you can take maximum advantage of your time of retreat.

Memories of Halloween Past

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

There's a famous novel that begins with the protagonist smelling tea and biscuits. The scent brings back a whole series of memories for the protagonist and sets the entire novel as a flashback. Recently, I tasted a particular candy and it brought a whole series of memories flooding back to me of my childhood in Yellowknife, NWT. Enjoy a little trip to my past, which if nothing else will help you beat the summer heat.

Nighttime. -34 degrees Celsius. I am twelve years old. In this neighbourhood, time can go by for hours without a car passing to break the stillness. The quiet tastes of pines and ice. You can hear the gentle, constant roll of air that is not a breeze but the entire sky moving slowly past you. Behind me is the five hundred meters of empty snow where houses will probably be put in the future. There are only drifts. You can't walk through them without falling in to snow above your knees. You must follow the compressed tracks of the snowmobiles that cut through the field. There the snow is dense enough to support your weight.

Talking 'Bout My Generation

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

http://www.mediaispower.com

I've been hearing a lot of talk about “millenials” lately. There are many criticisms of the generation, but very few genuine attempts to outline the resources and insights that have emerged from the millenial perspective. It is the Ignatian model always to view others with an eye towards what good is already present in them and nurturing that good before worrying too much about criticizing error.

Time magazine has defined the millenial generation as those born from about 1980-2000. Basically, it contains those who grew up in the context of the internet. I was born in 1984 and was at the cusp of the phenomenon. I am quite able to critique some of the excesses of the past few decades. But since few people are looking for the positives, I will put my focus there. I will examine two popular criticisms of the millenials and reply by examining the potential for good in each situation. The two criticisms are: screen-time and selfishness.

Hopkins Continued: What is Beauty?

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

content.eyeslipsface.com

What is it that makes something beautiful? I'll be using some images I've created along with the insights of Gerard Manley Hopkins to explore this idea.

People have differed greatly on this topic. From antiquity, some have argued that beauty is based on symmetry, number, and proportion. Others argue that beauty comes from a creative spark, the inspiration of genius. In our contemporary context, many dismiss beauty as relative, purely a matter of cultural norms. The rule is de gustibus non disputandem: there's no accounting for taste.

Below

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

Eric wrote this short story last Holy Saturday. We feature it this year.

Art by Eric Hanna, S.J.

The wind was an everlasting sigh; always changing, never ceasing. The cavern walls sloped up above him on each side, pitted and cut with tombs. Above the walls was heavy earth, hung down with dry, swaying roots. The floor sloped down for a long, long way.

The light came from back up the incline.  It did not come from a hole in the sky … but rather it stretched wanly down the endless miles of rock, a memory of a reflection of a beam.

Penance and Perspective

By Eric Hanna, SJ

When we first look at penance, oftentimes we can be deceived into thinking about all the hard work it will involve. Penance can seem like a burden: the burden of self-evaluation and the labour of changing one's self.

In Praise of Calvin and Hobbes

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

http://media.avclub.com

Chances are you've heard of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. If you haven't, I highly recommend you start reading it and don't stop. To my mind, it equals any work of literature in terms of its depth of character and its exploration of the human experience. Also, it's a pleasure to read: it is very funny and beautifully drawn. It's one of those marvellous experiences that are all-too-easy to miss. So let me tell you about it.

Calvin is an ordinary boy of grade-school age whose best friend is his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes alive as the product of Calvin's imagination. Hobbes and Calvin are playmates and philosophical sparring partners. Hobbes' main trait is how he demonstrates the value of friendship. He is someone with whom Calvin can share the moment, explore possibilities, and from whom he can learn a new perspective. What's great is that neither Calvin nor Hobbes can escape a child's lack of experience. They look at the world through fresh eyes.

The Tweets of the Saints

By Eric Hanna, S.J.

stpeterslist.com

If some of our favourite saints had used Twitter, this is what their tweets might have looked like.

One month ago

@Augustine I was a Manichean *before* it got all mainstream and popular. Bleh, maybe I'll try something new.

@Hildegard grrr... headaches again. And not just administrative ones.

@Nicholas I'm a bishop! I do not go #ho-ho-ho. At least not that often.

@Aquinas Major Drama! Mom doesnt want me 2B friar, has locked me up in tower. Could this month get any worse?