In the wake of an election, we regularly discuss whether the victorious candidate and party won a “mandate” and what that mandate entails. This lecture considers the relationship between the Constitution and the way we talk about electoral mandates. Dr. German is an assistant professor in the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Previously, he was an assistant professor in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) at Arizona State University.

Christendom’s Department of History welcomed professor and author Nadya Williams on September 10, 2025. Williams presented a talk based on her recently published book Mothers, Children, and the Body Politic. Williams, who holds her Ph.D. in Classics from Princeton University, is a mother, writer, and editor based in Ashland, Ohio, where she is interim director of the MFA in Creative Writing at Ashland University and books editor at Mere Orthodoxy, where she also hosts the Christians Reading Classics podcast.

Christendom College welcomed acclaimed poet James Matthew Wilson on September 24, 2025. Wilson, professor of creative writing at the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, delivered an address titled “The Part the Muses Give Us: Poetry as First Art.” The lecture was part of the Collegiate Lecture Series.

Dr. Miriam Byers delivered this lecture at the annual Senior-Faculty Dinner on September 22, 2025, at Christendom College. Byers is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Christendom College, where she has taught since 2001, initially as an adjunct before transitioning to full-time in 2015, with the establishment of Christendom’s Mathematics major. During her eight-year tenure as chair of the Mathematics and Natural Science Department, she oversaw the development and approval of the Natural Science major. Dr. Byers holds a B.S. from Purdue University and M.S. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Northwestern University.

Sr. Deirdre Byrne, POSC, hosted a viewing and spoke with theology professor Dr. R.J. Matava about the documentary she helped to produce called "No Mercy: The Catholic Culture of Death" which covers the abuse of vulnerable patients and palliative care. Sr. Dede is a practicing physician, retired US Army Colonel, and courageous pro-life witness on the front lines of the defense of human life.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Rice reveals compelling evidence that the great Bard, William Shakespeare, was Catholic.

In this second part, Christendom College theology professor Eric Jenislawski deepens the conversation by examining the historical development of natural language AI and its often-overlooked ethical and cultural implications. Beginning with early precursors like Eliza and Dissociated Press, Jenislawski traces the evolution of AI language tools up to today’s neural networks, explaining key concepts like embeddings, dataset bias, and the structure of modern models in a clear and accessible way.

In part one of this thought-provoking lecture, Christendom College theology professor Eric Jenislawski offers an explanation of ChatGPT and its natural language predecessors for a non-technical audience. He explores the nature, development, and implications of artificial intelligence, especially large language models like ChatGPT. With clarity and philosophical depth, Jenislawski guides listeners through key concepts—from how AI models are trained to what it means for machines to simulate human reasoning. Along the way, he considers the challenges of alignment, the moral concerns surrounding AI-generated content, and the phenomenon of “AI confabulation.” 

Christendom College hosted a thought-provoking discussion on the nature and significance of art, featuring philosophy professor Dr. Daniel McInerny alongside College President George A. Harne, Ph.D. The event, part of the college’s major speaker series, explored the question: “What is Art, and Why Does It Matter?”

Dr. McInerny is a passionate speaker and writer on art and beauty, as evidenced in his recent book, "Beauty and Imitation: A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts." When he is not teaching and mentoring his students, McInerny has been writing fiction, nonfiction, drama, and screenplays for years, including his adult fiction novel "The Good Death of Kate Montclair," and his Kingdom of Patria series for middle-grade readers (now available on Amazon).

McInerny's links:
https://danielmcinerny.substack.com
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Beauty-Philosophical-Reflection/dp/1685789854
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Death-Kate-Montclair/dp/1946531464/

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