The Thomistic Institute

Jan 2, 2025 • 41 min

Why do human beings desire knowledge? Why should YOU care about philosophy? Join Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. of Aquinas 101, Godsplaining, and Pints with Aquinas for an off-campus conversation with Prof. Therese Cory about the role of wonder in philosophy, the right temperament with which to approach philosophy, how philosophy educators can awaken the desire to understand in their students, how to create space for healthy discourse, and what the future of philosophical conversations could look like. You can watch this interview on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfCuyMjWa2Q . About the speaker: Therese Scarpelli Cory is the John and Jean Oesterle Associate Professor of Thomistic Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Her work focuses on medieval theories of mind, cognition, and personhood, with special focus on the thought of Thomas Aquinas and his thirteenth-century interlocutors. She serves on the executive committee of the "Aquinas and the Arabs Project" and is also a member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, appointed by Pope Francis in 2019. This project/publication was made possible through the support of Grant 63391 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation. Keywords: Aristotle, Curiositas, Desire To Know, Intellect, Philosophy, Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Therese Cory, Wonder

Jan 1, 2025 • 55 min

This lecture was Fr. Philip Neri Reese explores truth and goodness in fantasy literature through a Thomistic lens, paying special attention to the difference between classical fantasy and the "grimdark" subgenre (epitomized by Game of Thrones). This lecture was given on November 2nd, 2024, at Thomistic Institute in Limerick. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. Philip-Neri Reese, O.P. is a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph and a professor of philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (the Angelicum), where he also serves as the assistant director of the Angelicum Thomistic Institute. Though his scholarly research mainly focuses on metaphysics (especially the scholastic metaphysics of St. Thomas and his later interpreters), he has also published on ethics, economics, Christology, and philosophical anthropology. Keywords: Fantasy Literature, Game of Thrones , George R. R. Martin, Glenn Cook, Goodness, Grimdark, J.R.R. Tolkien, Literature Subgenres, Thomistic Philosophy, Truth

Dec 31, 2024 • 41 min

This lecture was given on October 22nd, 2024, at University of North Texas. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Thomas Hibbs is currently J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Professor of Philosophy at Baylor where he is also Dean Emeritus, having served for 16 years as the inaugural Dean of the Honors College.  At Baylor he was also the inaugural director of Baylor in Washington, D.C. where he currently runs a summer program on Religion and Social Life.   He has served as department chair at Boston College and as president of the University of Dallas. Hibbs has published more than thirty scholarly articles, the most recent of which is “Aquinas and Black Natural Law.” He has published eight books, the most recent of which is Theology of Creation: Ecology, Art, and Laudato Si’ (University of Notre Dame Press, 2023).  He has also published two books on film and philosophy and one book on art. He has published more than 100 reviews and discussion articles on film, theater, art, and higher education in a variety of venues including First Things, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Wall Street Journal, and National Review.   He writes regularly for The Dallas Morning News.   Hibbs’ lectures have been protested by nihilists at Boston University and by communists in Palermo, Sicily.

Dec 27, 2024 • 46 min

This lecture was given on February 24th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Michael Gorman is professor of philosophy at The Catholic University of America. He has doctorates in philosophy and theology. He has authored over thirty academic papers and a book entitled Aquinas on the Metaphysics of the Hypostatic Union (Cambridge University Press, 2017). His main interests are metaphysics, human nature, and ethics.

Dec 26, 2024 • 31 min

This lecture was given on April 20th, 2024, St. Albert's Priory. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. Raphael Mary Salzillo, O.P. is a Dominican friar of the Western Province. Originally from Oregon, he converted to the Catholic faith in high school. He went on to study applied physics for seven years before joining the Dominican Order. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2009, and was then sent by the Order to study philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. In 2019 he moved to Houston and now teaches philosophy at the University of St. Thomas.

Dec 25, 2024 • 1h

This lecture was given on March 21st, 2024, at University of Virginia. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Kevin Hart is the Edwin B. Kyle Professor of Christian Theology at the University of Virginia. He has given the Gifford Lectures at Glasgow University (2019-23), the Gilson Lectures at the Institut Catholique de Paris (2019), and the Thomas Aquinas Lecture at the University of Dallas (2019). Among his many books are Kingdoms of God (Indiana UP, 2014) and Poetry and Revelation (Bloomsbury, 2017), Lands of Likeness: For a Poetics of Contemplation (Chicago UP, 2023) and Contemplation: The Movements of the Soul (Columbia UP, 2024). He is the editor of The Bible and Western Christian Literature, vol. 5 (T. and T. Clark, 2024).

Dec 23, 2024 • 46 min

This lecture was given on April 4th, 2024, at United States Military Academy. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. Dominic Legge is the Director of the Thomistic Institute and Associate Professor in Systematic Theology at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. He is an Ordinary Member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, and holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, a Ph.L. from the School of Philosophy of the Catholic University of America, and a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. He entered the Order of Preachers in 2001, after having practiced constitutional law for several years as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. He has also taught at The Catholic University of America Law School and at Providence College. He is the author of The Trinitarian Christology of St. Thomas Aquinas (Oxford University Press, 2017).

Dec 20, 2024 • 55 min

This lecture was given on September 23rd, 2024, at University of Edinburgh. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. Dominic Legge is the Director of the Thomistic Institute and Associate Professor in Systematic Theology at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. He is an Ordinary Member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, and holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, a Ph.L. from the School of Philosophy of the Catholic University of America, and a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. He entered the Order of Preachers in 2001, after having practiced constitutional law for several years as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. He has also taught at The Catholic University of America Law School and at Providence College. He is the author of The Trinitarian Christology of St. Thomas Aquinas (Oxford University Press, 2017).

Dec 19, 2024 • 57 min

This lecture was given on April 26th, 2024, at University of California, Berkeley. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Tomás Bogardus earned his BS in biology at UC San Diego, his MA in philosophy at Biola University, and his PhD in philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He works mainly in metaphysics and epistemology, and is most interested in the mind-body problem, the rationality of religious belief, and the nature of gender.

Dec 18, 2024 • 57 min

This lecture was given on October 11th, 2024, at Thomistic Institute in New York City. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. Gabriel Torretta was born and raised in Spokane, Washington, the youngest of four children. He was raised Presbyterian and converted to Catholicism in high school. He attended Arizona State University, where he earned a B.A. in Japanese, after which he entered a PhD program at Columbia University in pre-modern Japanese literature. He joined the Dominicans after three years there, having earned an M.A. and an M.Phil. “I entered the Order of Preachers because of Dominicans I met at Columbia University, who showed me the face of Christ as I had never known Him; ever since then I have believed that God is calling me to do the same for others.”

Dec 17, 2024 • 1h 1m

This lecture was given on October 15th, 2024, at Mississippi State University. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. John Mark Solitario is from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in West Springfield, MA and the eldest of four children. After attending Catholic schools through high school, he earned his bachelor of arts from Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Desiring to contribute to Catholic education, he was admitted to the PACT (Providence Alliance of Catholic Teachers) Program at Providence College where he completed a Masters of Education and taught high school in Lowell, MA for two years. He credits his growth in the Catholic Faith and inspiration to live it fully to outstanding teachers and role models, among them not a few Dominicans—priests, sisters, and lay. “From the time I met the Order, I aspired to the Dominican ideal of contemplation followed by a generous sharing of the fruits of that encounter with God. I have found this ideal realized and sustained within the fraternal life of the Province of St. Joseph.”

Dec 16, 2024 • 45 min

This lecture was given on October 9th, 2024, at Universidad Panamericana Campus Mixcoac. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Robert C. (“Rob”) Koons is a professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, M. A. Oxford, Ph.D. UCLA. He is the author or co-author of five books, including The Atlas of Reality with Timothy H. Pickavance (Wiley-Blackwell, 2017) and Is Thomas’s Aristotelian Philosophy of Nature Obsolete? (St. Augustine Press, 2022). He is the co-editor of four anthologies, including The Waning of Materialism (OUP, 2010) and Classical Theism (Routledge 2023).  He has been working recently on an Aristotelian interpretation of quantum theory, on defending and articulating hylomorphism in contemporary terms, and on interpreting and defending Thomas's Five Ways.

Dec 12, 2024 • 46 min

This lecture was given on November 2nd, 2024, at St. Albert's Priority. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Dr. Heereman was born and raised in Germany. Originally trained to become a lawyer and after completing her bar exam, she experienced a deep encounter with the Lord which led her to consecrate her life to the study and teaching of the Word of God. She subsequently attended the ICPE school of Evangelization in India, Banglore, and studied theology in Frankfurt and Rome. She received an STB from the Pontifical Gregorian University, an SSL from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and the SSD from the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem and the Université de Fribourg. She has taught as a visiting professor at the Collège des Bernhardins in Paris, the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, the DSPT in Berkley, and is currently Associate Professor for Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. Her scholarly interests include a reintegration of Exegesis with Systematic and Spiritual Theology. She is the author of Behold King Solomon on the Day of His Wedding (Leuven: Peeters, 2021), and Athirst for the Spirit (Steubenville: Emmaus Press, 2023).

Dec 11, 2024 • 40 min

Fr. Jordan Schmidt discusses the importance of embodying wisdom according to Proverbs and Sirach, emphasizing that wisdom is not an individual pursuit but a communal endeavor that involves sharing and disseminating wisdom within the community. This lecture was given on November 2nd, 2024, at St. Albert's Priority. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Fr. Jordan Schmidt graduated with a BA in English and Philosophy from St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN in 2002. He entered the Order of Preachers in 2005 and after completing his theological studies (STL and Mdiv), he was ordained a priest in 2012. Fr. Jordan initially served as associate pastor of St Mary’s parish in New Haven, CT, and subsequently returned to the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC to pursue doctoral studies at CUA, ultimately earning his PhD in biblical studies in 2018. He is currently an assistant professor of Sacred Scripture at the PFIC where he teaches various Old Testament courses, including survey courses on the Pentateuch, Prophets, and Wisdom literature as well as seminar courses on biblical inspiration, eschatology and apocalyptic literature, theological history, and creation theology.

Dec 10, 2024 • 47 min

Father Jordan Schmidt discusses the concept of wisdom in Catholic theology, focusing on its definition, its relationship to knowledge, and how it can be acquired and exercised through the study of scripture, particularly wisdom literature in the Bible. This lecture was given on November 1st, 2024, at St. Albert's Priority. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. Jordan Schmidt graduated with a BA in English and Philosophy from St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN in 2002.  He entered the Order of Preachers in 2005 and after completing his theological studies (STL and Mdiv), he was ordained a priest in 2012. Fr. Jordan initially served as associate pastor of St Mary’s parish in New Haven, CT,  and subsequently returned to the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC to pursue doctoral studies at CUA, ultimately earning his PhD in biblical studies in 2018.  He is currently an assistant professor of Sacred Scripture at the PFIC where he teaches various Old Testament courses, including survey courses on the Pentateuch, Prophets, and Wisdom literature as well as seminar courses on biblical inspiration, eschatology and apocalyptic literature, theological history, and creation theology. 

Dec 9, 2024 • 49 min

Professor Nina Sophie Heereman explores the tradition of using wisdom texts, such as Proverbs 8 and Sirach 24, in Marian devotion, tracing this practice back to the patristic age. She argues that these texts, which describe wisdom as a pre-existent figure closely associated with God, are applied to Mary because she is seen as embodying the virtues and attributes of divine wisdom. This lecture was given on November 2nd, 2024, at St. Albert's Priority. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Dr. Heereman was born and raised in Germany. Originally trained to become a lawyer and after completing her bar exam, she experienced a deep encounter with the Lord which led her to consecrate her life to the study and teaching of the Word of God. She subsequently attended the ICPE school of Evangelization in India, Banglore, and studied theology in Frankfurt and Rome.  She received an STB from the Pontifical Gregorian University, an SSL from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and the SSD from the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem and the Université de Fribourg. She has taught as a visiting professor at the Collège des Bernhardins in Paris, the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, the DSPT in Berkley, and is currently Associate Professor for Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. Her scholarly interests include a reintegration of Exegesis with Systematic and Spiritual Theology. She is the author of Behold King Solomon on the Day of His Wedding (Leuven: Peeters, 2021), and Athirst for the Spirit (Steubenville: Emmaus Press, 2023).

Dec 5, 2024 • 41 min

What does it really mean to say the world is "created," according to St. Thomas Aquinas? Join Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. of Aquinas 101, Godsplaining, and Pints with Aquinas for an off-campus conversation with Dr. William Carroll about what "creation" really means, St. Thomas Aquinas on creation and time, cosmology, understanding science and creation, the harmony of science and faith, and more! You can watch this interview on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mZIcosauUU . About the speaker: Professor William E. Carroll has recently retired from research and teaching at the Aquinas Institute of Blackfriars in the University of Oxford. For the past two years he has been a Visiting Professor at the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (Wuhan, China), and at the Hongyi Honor College of Wuhan University. He is a European intellectual historian and historian of science whose research and teaching concern: 1) the reception of Aristotelian science in mediaeval Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and the development of the doctrine of creation, and 2) the encounter between Galileo and the Inquisition. He has also written extensively on the ways in which mediaeval discussions of the relationship among the natural sciences, philosophy, and theology can be useful in contemporary questions arising from developments in biology and cosmology. He is the author of four books: Aquinas on Creation ; La Creación y las Ciencias Naturales: Actualidad de Santo Tomás de Aquino ; Galileo: Science and Faith ; and Creation and Science (with translations in Slovak, Spanish, and Chinese). His published work has appeared in 12 languages. Over many years he has written more than 25 op-ed pieces for Public Discourse, the web site of the Witherspoon Institute at Princeton. This project/publication was made possible through the support of Grant 63391 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Dec 4, 2024 • 39 min

Fr. Gregory Pine discusses the pitfalls of undisciplined thinking, advocating for a return to structured thought guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition, particularly the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas. He highlights how Aquinas offers a coherent and organized approach to reality that integrates faith and reason, helping Catholics make sense of their experiences and choices. This lecture was given on October 3rd, 2024, at University of Michigan. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. (Dominican House of Studies) is from Pennsylvania and graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He previously served as the Assistant Director of Campus Outreach for the Thomistic Institute in Washington, DC, and associate pastor of St. Louis Bertrand Catholic Church in Louisville, KY where he also taught at Bellarmine University. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies and an Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He is a contributor on the Pints with Aquinas show and a co-host of the Catholic Classics podcast. Fr. Gregory is the author of Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly (Our Sunday Visitor, 2022) and co-author with Matt Fradd of Marian Consecration With Aquinas: A Nine Day Path for Growing Closer to the Mother of God (TAN Books, 2020).

Dec 3, 2024 • 46 min

Dr. R.J. Snell explores the contemporary Western world's struggle with disenchantment, loneliness, and lack of purpose, exemplified through Elena Ferrante's fiction. He contrasts this with the Christian concept of personhood, derived from Trinitarian theology, which emphasizes communion and the diffusion of goodness. Snell suggests practical ways to recover a sense of communion and meaning, particularly through observing the Sabbath and engaging in study and storytelling. This lecture was given on October 18th, 2024, at Thomistic Institute in New York City. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: R. J. Snell is Editor-in-Chief of Public Discourse and Director of Academic Programs at the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, NJ. He has been a visiting instructor at Princeton University, where he is also executive director of the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Life. He's written books and articles on Natural Law, Education, Bernard Lonergan, Boredom, Subjectivity, and Sexual Ethics for a variety of publications.

Nov 27, 2024 • 34 min

Professor Michael Foley examines the idea of honorable festivity, demonstrating how human culture elevates the basic act of eating into a dramatic, artistic experience. He then explores how Catholic tradition further transforms this cultural practice, particularly through the Eucharist and traditional feast days. Finally, he addresses modern complications to honorable festivity, including the decline of family dinners, socio-economic segregation, and the moralization of food choices, offering potential solutions to these challenges. This lecture was given on March 8th, 2024, at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Michael Foley is a Catholic theologian, a Professor of Patristics at Baylor University, and the author of over 400 articles and seventeen books, including the Politically Incorrect Guide to Christianity, Drinking with the Saints, and Dining with the Saints . He can speak on a wide variety of topics touching upon Catholicism, culture, and liturgy.