News Release
October 2005
Bethlehem, Pa. October 13, 2005—Moravian College will hold a Monday
roundtable lecture featuring a talk by Dr. James Skalnik, assistant dean for academic
advising at Moravian College, titled, "Comenius: A Man for Our Time?," on
November 14 at 7:00 p.m. in Prosser Auditorium.
Skalnik explains that “Moravian College proudly claims John Amos
Comenius as its own. His name graces the college’s signature classroom building
as well as the college newspaper, and many of our finest students are Comenius Scholars.
His portrait appears on the college seal, and a statue of the man himself, presented
to us by Charles University in Prague, stands by Main Street as the public face of the
college. To all appearances, we embrace the legacy of Comenius. But do we? And should
we? In exploring the tumultuous life and often esoteric ideas of Comenius, we will attempt
to discover what lessons they may hold for Moravian College today, and to decide whether
Comenius really is a man for our time.”
Skalnik attended Yale University and graduated with honors with a major
in history. He earned his doctorate in Renaissance and Reformation history from the University
of Virginia, and taught for eight years at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis,
Maryland, before moving to the Lehigh Valley. In 2001, he joined Moravian College as
assistant dean for academic advising. While working as a teacher and administrator, Skalnik
has continued to pursue his interest in the history of education in early modern Europe.
His book Ramus and Reform: University and Church at the End of the Renaissance was
published in 2002.
A cafeteria-style dinner ($8.75) is available for all attendees to dine
in the United Brethren Church Room, prior to the lecture at 7 p.m. in Prosser Auditorium,
Haupert Union Building. The lecture is free and open to the public. For information,
call 610-625-7880. The Monday Roundtable program is sponsored by the Office of Alumni
Relations and the Office of Public Relations at Moravian College.
