2009 Inaugural Lindau Symposium
The Reverend Richard John Neuhaus was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Lindau Symposium at Gustavus Adolphus College at 7:30 p.m. May 8, in Alumni Hall, located in the O.J. Johnson Student Union. 
The event is a gift to the College from Phil (’58) and Nancy Lindau and is intended to honor the memory of Phil, who passed away in April 2008, while providing a forum in which diverse intellectual voices and mainstream beliefs and values can be brought together in a liberal arts environment.
As a reflection of Phil Lindau’s passion for the faith-life intersection and the church-relatedness of the College, Neuhaus address was titled, “Religion in American Public Life.”
Neuhaus is a prominent conservative intellectual who was a Lutheran minister for 30 years before converting to Catholicism in 1990. A talented writer, Neuhaus has published several books including The Naked Public Square: Religion and Democracy in America and Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy, and the Splendor of Truth. He is also a confidant of President George W. Bush, whom he advises on a range of religious and ethical matters including abortion, stem-cell research, cloning, and the defense of marriage amendment.
“Richard John Neuhaus is one of America’s true public intellectuals. His writings have attained broad influence, both in academic circles and within government and the political arena,” Gustavus Professor of Political Science and Coordinator of the Lindau Symposium Chris Gilbert said. “We are very pleased to have Father Neuhaus as the inaugural speaker for the Lindau Symposium. Few people are better positioned to discuss religion’s influence on public life in the United States today.”
