Anthony LoPresti, Ph.D.
Anthony LoPresti, Ph.D.
Associate Professor | Religious and Theological Studies
Dr. Anthony LoPresti studies moral decision making and how the surrounding culture often plays a hidden role in how we apprehend and respond to people and problems. His courses in ethics are interdisciplinary in nature and focus on both interpersonal relationships and the larger societal issue of systemic racism. He is likewise attentive to the scholarship of teaching and learning, developing curricula and teaching techniques which help students grow in self-awareness, ethical competency, and responsible citizenship.
Dr. LoPresti received his B.S. in mathematics from Georgetown University in 1984, and went on to earn his M.A. in theology (1997) and Ph.D. in theological ethics (1999) from Boston College and Weston Jesuit School of Theology.
Featured Spring 2022
Power & Mercy Amid Hookup Culture
Anthony LoPresti
Abstract: “Power” can be defined as “the ability to act or perform effectively” and when undergraduate students matriculate at a university, one of their primary challenges is to figure out how they can actualize their power to enhance their lives and live harmoniously with others. Yet even before arriving on campus, these emerging adults live amid another powerful force—a hookup culture which prioritizes casual sex over authentic intimacy. This paper explores the concept of power and how it operates in diffuse ways; describes the primary powers that shape the behavior of undergraduate students; and concludes by describing an effective and merciful way to address the relationship challenges which emerging adults encounter. It maintains that a Mercy education will cultivate critical awareness, enhance students’ freedom, and point to the virtues of empathy, vulnerability and love which are foundational to intimate relationships.
Citation
LoPresti, Anthony. “Power & Mercy Amid Hookup Culture.” Conference for Mercy Higher Education. Published August 24, 2021.
Access
Open Access: https://mercyhighered.org/dc-roundtable/