The Thomistic Institute

Professor Rik Van Nieuwenhove explores Thomas Aquinas's concept of contemplation, emphasizing its intellective nature, self-transcendent character, and relationship to charity, while discussing its significance in modern life.

This lecture was given on November 28th, 2024, at University of St. Andrews.

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About the Speaker:

Rik Van Nieuwenhove lectures in Medieval Thought at Durham University, UK. He has published scholarly articles on medieval theology and spirituality, theology of the Trinity, and soteriology. His books include: Introduction to Medieval Theology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012); Jan van Ruusbroec. Mystical Theologian of the Trinity (IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2003); Introduction to the Trinity (with D. Marmion) (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011); and he is editor of The Theology of Thomas Aquinas (with J. Wawrykow) (IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2005); and Late Medieval Mysticism of the Low Countries (with R. Faesen & H. Rolfson) (NJ: Paulist Press, 2008). Presently he is researching the topic of contemplation in Thomas Aquinas.

Keywords: Charity, Christian Love, Contemplation, Divine Names, Gratuitousness, Intellective Understanding, Modern Philosophy, Reason, Self-Transcendence, Thomas Aquinas

Fr. Ambrose Little explores the concept of praying always and becoming aware of God's constant presence in our lives, discussing biblical exhortations, patristic interpretations, and four ways God is present to us: by his presence, power, essence, and divine indwelling.

This lecture was given on September 13th, 2024, at Duke University.

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About the Speaker:

Fr. Ambrose Little is the assistant director of the Thomistic Institute He is originally from Connecticut and entered the Dominican Order in 2007 and was ordained a priest in 2013. Before entering the Dominican Order, he graduated from The Catholic University of America with a BA in philosophy. After ordination, he completed a Licentiate in Philosophy at The Catholic University of America and then taught for two years at Providence College. After completing his Ph.D. in philosophy in the summer of 2021, he started teaching at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception. He specializes in the philosophies of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, with an emphasis on their study of nature and the soul. He also studies topics at the intersection between philosophy and science.

Keywords: Anselm Moynihan, St. Augustine, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, Catholic Spirituality, Divine Presence, Dominican Order, Practice of the Presence of God, Prayer, The Presence of God

Prof. Francis Beckwith explores the arguments for moral relativism, particularly the argument from disagreement and the argument from tolerance, and offers critiques, emphasizing that disagreement does not necessarily entail relativism and highlighting the common moral ground underlying many disagreements.

This lecture was given on October 9th, 2023, at University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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About the Speaker:

Francis J. Beckwith is Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies at Baylor University, where he also serves as Associate Director

of the Graduate Program in Philosophy. Among his over one dozen books are Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice (Cambridge University Press, 2007), Politics For Christians: Statecraft As Soulcraft (IVP, 2010), and Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith (Cambridge University Press, 2015), winner of the American Academy of Religion's prestigious 2016 Book Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in Constructive-Reflective Studies. He is a graduate of the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis (MJS) as well as Fordham University (PhD, MA, philosophy).

Keywords: Argument From Disagreement, Argument From Tolerance, Catholic, Ethics, Marriage, Moral Objectivism, Moral Relativism, Natural Law, Plagiarism, Politics

Prof. Michael Sirilla explains how faithful Catholics should approach problematic magisterial teaching with a disposition of respect while recognizing that, in rare instances, fraternal correction motivated by love is necessary when Church authorities promulgate errors that contradict established doctrine.

This lecture was given on October 17th, 2024, at University of Florida.

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About the Speaker:

Michael Sirilla is a Professor of Dogmatic and Systematic Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 2001. His research has focused on ecclesiology and Aquinas’s theology of the episcopacy.  Archbishop Augustine Di Noia, OP wrote the foreword for his book, The Ideal Bishop: Aquinas’s Commentaries on the Pastoral Epistles (CUA Press, 2017).  His other research interests include natural theology, fundamental theology, and the theology of the Church’s magisterium.  He and his wife, Laura, are blessed with nine children and two grandchildren.

Keywords: Catholic Doctrine, Church Authority, Ecclesiology, Fraternal Correction, Galatians, Heresy, Matthew, Papal Authority, St. Paul, St. Peter

Prof. Francis Beckwith discusses moral relativism, presenting arguments for and against it, while emphasizing the importance of objective morality in the context of the Catholic intellectual tradition.

This lecture was given on January 26th, 2024, at University of Miami.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events

About the Speaker:

Francis J. Beckwith is is a philosopher who teaches, publishes, and speaks on a variety of topics and issues in ethics, law, politics, and religion. He is currently Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies, Affiliate Professor of Political Science, Associate Director of Graduate Studies in Philosophy, and Resident Scholar in the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, where he has served on the faculty since 2003. He earned an Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy from Fordham University, and a Master of Juridical Studies (M.J.S.) degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where he won the CALI Award for Excellence in Reproductive Control Seminar. Among his over twenty books are Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice (2007) and Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith (2015), both published by Cambridge University Press, and Never Doubt Thomas: The Catholic Aquinas as Evangelical and Protestant (2019), published by Baylor University Press. Taking Rites Seriously was a winner of the American Academy of Religion’s 2016 Book Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion. He has served as President of both the American Catholic Philosophical Association (2017-18) and the Evangelical Theological Society (2006-07), from which he resigned in the middle of his term in May 2007 to return to the Catholic Church of his youth. He and his wife, Frankie, make their home in Woodway, Texas.

Keywords: Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Ethics, Moral Objectivism, Moral Relativism, Natural Law, Philosophy, Pre-evangelization, Virtue

Prof. John O'Callaghan discusses Aquinas's perspective on divine justice in the act of creation, emphasizing that it is primarily an act of justice of God towards Himself, reflecting His will, wisdom, and goodness.

This lecture was given on October 18th, 2024, at Dominican House of Studies.

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About the Speaker:

Prof. John O'Callaghan is the Director Emeritus of the Jacques Maritain Center at the University of Notre Dame as well as a permanent member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. He served as the past President of the American Catholic Philosophical Association. His areas of scholarly interest include medieval philosophy, the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, and Thomistic metaphysics and ethics.

Keywords: Aristotle, Augustine, Creation, Distributive Justice, Divine Justice, Divine Will, Justice, Metaphor, Natural Law, Summa Contra Gentiles

Fr. Gregory Pine discusses justice as a virtue that enables us to render to others what is due to them, exploring its characteristics of otherness, equality, and precision, while also acknowledging its limits and the need to go beyond justice in our relationships.

This lecture was given on November 7th, 2024, at University of Tulsa.

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About the Speaker:

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. is an instructor of dogmatic and moral theology at the Dominican House of Studies and an Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He holds a doctorate from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He is the co-author of Credo: An RCIA Program and Marian Consecration with Aquinas as well as the author of Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly. His writing also appears in Aleteia,Magnificat, and Ascension’s Catholic Classics series. He is a regular contributor to the podcasts Pints with Aquinas, Catholic Classics, The Thomistic Institute, and Godsplaining.

Keywords: Aristotelianism, Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Ethics, Forgiveness, G. K. Chesterton, Justice, Mercy, Relationships, Summa Theologica, Virtue

Dr. John Haldane examines the themes of evil and vice as portrayed in film and entertainment, utilizing philosophical concepts and specific examples like The Exorcist and Apocalypse Now, to analyze the ethical dimensions of these representations.

This lecture was given on November 28th, 2024, at University of Edinburgh.

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About the Speaker:

John Haldane is the Newton Rayzor Sr Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University, Texas, and Professor of Moral Philosophy, and Senior Fellow of the Centre for Ethics and Public Affairs, at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He is also Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Chair of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, London. As well as his many philosophical writings, he has contributed to the Times and the Guardian, and broadcast often with the BBC UK and World, and ABC Australia. In 2016 he was named by Best Schools one of the ‘50 Most Influential Living Philosophers’.

Keywords: Apocalypse Now, Aristotelian Ethics, Courage, Evil, Exorcist, Film, Heart of Darkness, Hollywood, Justice, Prudence, Virtue And Vice

Fr. Gregory Pine explores the virtue of prudence as practical wisdom, emphasizing its role in navigating human limitations, ordering practical life, and integrating intellect and appetite to achieve human flourishing.

This lecture was given on March 12th, 2024, at Stanford University.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events

About the Speaker:

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. is an adjunct professor of dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies and an Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He is the author of a few books including Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly. His writing also appears in Ascension’s Catholic Classics, Magnificat, and Aleteia. He is a regular contributor to the podcasts Pints with Aquinas, Catholic Classics, The Thomistic Institute, and Godsplaining.

Keywords: Appetites, Charity, Christian Virtues, Fortitude, Human Flourishing, Moral Virtues, Practical Reason, Prudence, Temperance, Virtue Ethics

Professor Stephen Meredith explores the problem of evil, particularly in the context of disease, examining philosophical and theological perspectives, including those of Aquinas, Leibniz, and Voltaire, while also considering biological factors like genetics and evolution.

This lecture was given on November 7th, 2024, at Indiana University.

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About the Speaker:

Stephen Meredith is a professor at the University of Chicago’s Departments of Pathology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Neurology. He is also an associate faculty member in the University of Chicago Divinity School. He has published more than 100 journal articles, focusing on the biophysics of protein structure. Much of his work has been the application of solution and solid-state NMR to the study of amyloid proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. He has also published articles on literature and philosophy in diverse aspects of medical humanities and bioethics. His teaching includes courses to graduate students in biochemistry and biophysics, medical students, and undergraduates and graduate students in the humanities, including courses on James Joyce’s Ulysses, St. Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Dostoevsky (focusing on Brothers Karamazov), Thomas Mann and David Foster Wallace. He is currently working on a book examining disease and the theological problem of evil. Other current writing projects include a study of James Joyce and the problem of evil.

Keywords: Boethius, Disease, Evil, Leibniz, Original Sin, Problem of Evil, Sickle Cell Anemia, Theodicy, Thomas Aquinas, Voltaire