The 2025 Kavanagh Lecture, part of the Liturgy Symposium series, will be delivered by Teresa Berger, Professor Emerita of Liturgical Studies and the Thomas E. Golden Jr. Professor Emerita of Catholic Theology at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School. The lecture will take place October 7, 2025, from 2:45–3:45 PM Eastern in Miller Hall, New Haven, CT, and will also be livestreamed.
Berger will explore the ancient liturgical motif that “all creation sings,” tracing its biblical and hymnological roots from Job 38:7 to contemporary creation-themed hymns. The presentation will consider how this motif—often dismissed as metaphor—has endured through centuries, resisted overly anthropocentric liturgical trends, and now resonates with modern scientific discoveries, from whale songs to NASA’s “sonification” of the universe. The lecture will also address how this theme speaks into the current ecological crisis.
Livestream: Watch here