The Thomistic Institute

Oct 16, 2024 • 46 min

This lecture was given on Jun 13th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., is a priest of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. He serves as the general editor of the Thomist Tradition Series , and he is co-author of Thomas and the Thomists: The Achievement of St. Thomas Aquinas and His Interpreters . He has written for numerous publications on the philosophy and theology of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Thomist Tradition.

Oct 15, 2024 • 43 min

This lecture was given on Jun 12th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., (Ph.D. Notre Dame) is professor of patristics and ancient languages at the Pontifical Faculty of the Dominican House of Studies where he serves as the director of the doctoral program. He authored Christ in the Life and Teaching of Gregory of Nazianzus (Oxford University Press, 2013) and The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh (Catholic University of America, 2023). He co-authored A Living Sacrifice: Guidance for Men Discerning Religious Life (Vianney Vocations, 2019). Editor-in-chief of the academic journal The Thomist , Hofer is editor or co-editor of several volumes including The Oxford Handbook of Deification, The Cambridge Companion to Augustine's Sermons , and Thomas Aquinas and the Greek Fathers . He enjoys speaking with students about their theological and spiritual questions.

Oct 14, 2024 • 44 min

This lecture was given on Jun 11th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., is a priest of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. He serves as the general editor of the Thomist Tradition Series , and he is co-author of Thomas and the Thomists: The Achievement of St. Thomas Aquinas and His Interpreters . He has written for numerous publications on the philosophy and theology of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Thomist Tradition.

Oct 11, 2024 • 46 min

This lecture was given on July 20th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: A native of the buckeye state, Matt received his B.S. in biochemistry from the Ohio State University where he spent three years working with Richard Swenson and a summer with Maria Vanoni at the University of Milan. During his graduate studies at MIT, Matt worked with Bob Sauer and Tania Baker on AAA+ proteases in bacteria. As a postdoc at the University of Chicago with Bob Keenan, he used structural biology to study quality control of membrane proteins. Outside of lab, Matt enjoys spending time in the great outdoors with his wife, three children, and two dogs. He can often be found backpacking, running, or working in his garden.

Oct 10, 2024 • 45 min

Join Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. of Aquinas 101, Godsplaining, and Pints with Aquinas for an off-campus conversation with Dr. R.J. Snell about the importance of play and leisure, work and contemplation, and the communal nature of leisure. You can watch this interview on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f32wLgFkvcw . 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. Prior to his appointment at the Witherspoon Institute, he was Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Philosophy Program at Eastern University and the Templeton Honors College, where he founded and directed the Agora Institute for Civic Virtue and the Common Good. He has been 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. 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.

Oct 9, 2024 • 45 min

Professor Richard F. Hassing discusses the history and philosophy of light, contrasting Aristotle's and Descartes' views on light and perception, and exploring the development of light theories from Huygens to Einstein, including the rise and fall of the ether concept. This episode includes a special hand-out which can be found here . The lecture was given on July 18th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Prof. Dick Hassing is a Research Associate Professor in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. His work has focused on the History of physics and philosophy of nature, Early modern philosophy, and Political philosophy.  He is the author of Cartesian Psychophysics and the Whole Nature of Man: On Descartes's Passions of the Soul and Modern Turns in Mathematics and Physics . Richard F. Hassing is a Research Associate Professor at the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America.

Oct 8, 2024 • 50 min

Professor Keith Kozminski explains the cellular mechanisms of light interaction, detailing the process of photosynthesis in plant chloroplasts and the conversion of light energy into chemical energy. He then transitions to discussing photoreception in the human eye, describing the structure of the retina and the function of rod and cone cells. The lecture emphasizes the importance of light in biological processes and the complex molecular interactions involved in light sensing and energy conversion. This lecture was given on July 20th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Keith Kozminski is an Associate Professor of Biology and Cell Biology at the University of Virginia, where he studies polarized cell growth, in particular the role of lipid transfer proteins in intracellular membrane trafficking and secretion.  In addition, he conducts research in the field of synthetic biology, as applied to health and environmental sustainability.  He leads the Mid-Atlantic Synthetic Biology Network comprised of academic, private sector, and government researchers from Georgia to Delaware, in addition to being the senior Features editor of Molecular Biology of the Cell, the research journal of the American Society of Cell Biology. He also co-founded the biotech company Ourobio in 2020. Dr. Kozminski holds a PhD in Biology (cell biology) from Yale University and completed his post-doctoral training in molecular genetics at UC-Berkeley.  He has undergraduate degrees in Biology and History from SUNY-Buffalo.

Oct 7, 2024 • 46 min

Professor John Boyer explores how St. Thomas Aquinas differentiated himself from Aristotle through arguing that light is not a body or spiritual entity, but an active quality of transparent mediums, enabling vision and color perception. This lecture was given on July 18th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: John Boyer's training is in the History of Philosophy, specifically medieval Aristotelian scholasticism. His philosophical interests include issues in philosophy of science and philosophy of nature (e.g. causality, explanation, time, quantum physics), with an emphasis on their treatment in the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition. His current research focuses on Aristotle's philosophy of science (especially his theory of causal explanation) and how it was built upon by scholastic thinkers such as Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas. John is a Ph.D. Candidate in Philosophy at the Center for Thomistic Studies, University of St. Thomas (Houston). Prior to coming to Loyola, he taught philosophy at the University of St. Thomas (Houston). He earned an MA in philosophy at the Center for Thomistic Studies and a BA in liberal arts from Thomas Aquinas College (California).

Oct 4, 2024 • 53 min

Sister Catherine Joseph Droste explores St. Catherine of Siena's teaching on the "cell of self-knowledge," emphasizing its importance for spiritual growth and virtue. She explains that this cell is an interior, spiritual space where one gains knowledge of both self and God, highlighting the necessity of entering this cell regularly through prayer and reflection. She also touches on the challenges of self-knowledge and the importance of perseverance. This lecture was given on July 11th, 2024, at Stonyhurst College. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Sister Catherine Joseph Droste, O.P. is a Professor Straordinaria of theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), where she has also served as Vice Dean, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, and Director of Collaboration. Her areas of research include virtues and the moral life, the ecclesiology of religious life, and the theology of St. Catherine of Siena. She is a native of Iowa and a member of the Congregation of Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, Nashville, Tennessee. Her studies include an MA (history – Middle Tennessee State University), M.Ed (Administration – Marymount University), STB, STL, STD (Angelicum).

Oct 3, 2024 • 36 min

Fr. Dominic Verner discusses the significance of glorifying God through prayer, particularly the "Glory Be" and Eucharistic adoration. He emphasizes that God desires glory not for His own sake, but for our benefit and joy in knowing Him. The talk concludes by highlighting the importance of recognizing Christ's presence in others and acting in His name, thereby participating in God's mission and glorifying Him through our actions. This lecture was given on March 9th, 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: After earning a B.S. in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an M.A. in philosophical studies from Mount St. Mary's University, Fr. Dominic Verner, O.P. entered the Order of Preachers and was ordained to the priesthood in 2016. He has an S.T.L. from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception and a Ph.D. in moral theology/Christian ethics from the University of Notre Dame, where he wrote his dissertation "Saving Honor: A Thomistic Ethics of Honor." He joined the Theology Faculty at Providence College as an Assistant Professor in the Fall of 2022. His research and teaching interests especially concern Thomistic moral theory and the role that honor, friendship, and glory play in practical reason and the quest for beatitude. Fr. Verner is Assistant Professor of Theology at Providence College in Providence, RI.

Oct 2, 2024 • 47 min

Fr. Jordan Schmidt discusses the biblical analysis of angels and demons, exploring their roles in God's providential plan and their portrayal in both the Old and New Testaments. This lecture was given on January 22nd, 2024, at Regent University. 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. 

Oct 1, 2024 • 34 min

Fr. Stephen Ryan discusses the biblical foundations and spiritual significance of Lectio Divina, a practice of prayerful reading and meditation on Scripture. He outlines the components of Lectio Divina, including reading (lectio), meditation (meditatio), prayer (oratio) and contemplation (contemplatio), highlighting their interconnectedness and spiritual benefits. He also provides practical guidance for incorporating Lectio Divina into daily spiritual life, emphasizing its role in fostering a personal encounter with Christ. This lecture was given on March 14th, 2024, at University of Virginia. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Fr. Stephen Ryan was born and raised in Boston and entered the Order of Preachers in 1987. He was ordained a priest in 1993 and, on completion of doctoral studies in Scripture, was assigned to the Dominican House of Studies in 2000. He teaches Scripture and the biblical languages.

Sep 30, 2024 • 40 min

Professors Josh Hochschild and Jane Sloan Peters participate in a two-person panel. First Professor Hochschild examines Aristotle’s concept of piety and its apparent absence in his writing, suggesting that Aristotle may talk about piety indirectly and in a more embodied way through discussion of contemplation of God. Then Professor Peters moves the discussion from the philosophical to the theological, specifically Aquinas’ moral theology. She discusses the often-overlooked importance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit along with the cardinal and theological virtues. Finally, the discussion explains how the gifts of the Holy Spirit complement the virtues and are necessary for salvation. This lecture was given on June 29th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speakers: Joshua Hochschild is Professor of Philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University, where he also served six years as the inaugural Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. His primary research is in medieval logic, metaphysics, and ethics, with broad interest in liberal education and the continuing relevance of the Catholic intellectual tradition. He is the author of The Semantics of Analogy: Rereading Cajetan’s De Nominum Analogia (2010), translator of Claude Panaccio’s Mental Language: From Plato to William of Ockham (2017), and co-author of A Mind at Peace: Reclaiming an Ordered Soul in the Age of Distraction (2017). His writing has appeared in First Things, Commonweal, Modern Age and the Wall Street Journal. For 2020-21 he served as President of the American Catholic Philosophical Association. Jane Sloan Peters is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, NY. Her dissertation explored Thomas Aquinas's reception of Greek patristic and Byzantine biblical interpretation for his four-volume commentary on the Gospels, the Catena Aurea. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two sons.

Sep 27, 2024 • 50 min

Father Thomas Davenport explores how electromagnetic radiation fits into a Thomistic view of nature, discussing the unique properties of light, Aquinas' misconceptions, and the complexities of light-matter interactions from both classical and quantum perspectives. This lecture was given on July 19th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . This 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. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Fr. Thomas Davenport, O.P., is professor of philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where he teaches philosophy of nature and epistemology. He has written and spoken on the relationship of faith and science in a variety of venues, including being a main contributor to the Thomistic Evolution project. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2017 and is working on his second PhD in philosophy. 

Sep 26, 2024 • 40 min

Professor David Elliot examines the concept of admiratio (wonder or awe) as a species of fear in Thomas Aquinas' philosophy, explaining its taxonomy and relation to other passions. He explores how wonder contributes to moral formation, education, and appreciation of art and culture. The talk concludes by connecting wonder to the gift of fear of the Lord, emphasizing its role in fostering humility and avoiding presumption in the spiritual life. This lecture was given on September 7th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speakers: David Elliot is the Grace P. Hobelman Chair in Catholic Moral Theology, with a specialization in fundamental Catholic moral theology, virtue ethics, and the moral theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. He received his Ph.D. in moral theology at the University of Notre Dame in 2014, and was awarded a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship as Research Associate in Theological Ethics at the University of Cambridge, coming to CUA in 2017. He is the author of one monograph and eighteen journal articles and book chapters invited or already in print.

Sep 24, 2024 • 43 min

Fr. Jordan Schmidt examines how light is used in Scripture to represent God's revelation, starting with the Old Testament's portrayal of God's creative power and wisdom. He then traces the development of this imagery in the New Testament, where light becomes associated with Jesus Christ as the fullness of God's revelation. Finally, he discusses how this light imagery relates to the ultimate union with God in the New Jerusalem, where the saved will dwell in God's unapproachable light. This lecture was given on July 21st, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . This 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. 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. 

Sep 23, 2024 • 49 min

Professor Catherine Peters discusses the sun's role as a universal cause in Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy, emphasizing its importance in understanding causality, universal causes, and creation. She examines the four causes in Aristotelian tradition and how the sun exemplifies universal causality. The lecture also delves into Thomas Aquinas's understanding of the sun's attributes and its relationship to God as the ultimate universal cause of existence. This lecture was given on July 20th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . This 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. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Catherine Peters is a tenured associate professor at Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, California). She specializes in medieval philosophy, with a particular focus on the thought of Thomas Aquinas and Avicenna. She earned her doctorate from the Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas (Houston, Texas) under the supervision of Jon McGinnis in 2019. Peters' research centers on the intersections of natural philosophy, metaphysics, and natural theology. An overarching theme in her work is the consideration of how medieval thought might inform and advance our attempts to answer fundamental questions such as “who am I?”, “what do we know?”, “what should we do?” and “is there a God?” She is passionate about translating medieval philosophy into modern terms and applying its insight to perennial problems and concerns. To this end, she is now engaged in developing a "Thomistic" account of disability.

Sep 20, 2024 • 41 min

Fr. Andrew Hofer explores St. Augustine’s City of God where he presents a comprehensive view of human history and destiny, contrasting the earthly city driven by self-love with the heavenly city founded on love of God. He argues that true peace and happiness can only be achieved through faith, humility, and divine grace, rather than human efforts to create happiness. Augustine also discusses just wars, the universal desire for peace, and the various levels of peace, ultimately pointing to the perfect peace found in the heavenly city. This lecture was given on June 13th, 2024, at The Catholic University of America . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., (Ph.D. Notre Dame) is professor of patristics and ancient languages at the Pontifical Faculty of the Dominican House of Studies where he serves as the director of the doctoral program. He authored Christ in the Life and Teaching of Gregory of Nazianzus (Oxford University Press, 2013) and The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh (Catholic University of America, 2023). He co-authored A Living Sacrifice: Guidance for Men Discerning Religious Life (Vianney Vocations, 2019). Editor-in-chief of the academic journal The Thomist , Hofer is editor or co-editor of several volumes including The Oxford Handbook of Deification, The Cambridge Companion to Augustine's Sermons , and Thomas Aquinas and the Greek Fathers . He enjoys speaking with students about their theological and spiritual questions.

Sep 19, 2024 • 35 min

Dr. Gregory Reichberg examines the viewpoint of Jacques Maritain, a Catholic philosopher, on the concept of just war and Christian engagement in the temporal world. Maritain proposed a hierarchy of means for Christians to effect change, ranging from spiritual practices to carnal warfare, emphasizing the importance of coordinating these approaches. Maritain argued against the notion of holy war, particularly in the context of the Spanish Civil War, asserting that war belongs to the profane domain and cannot be considered a supernatural act in the modern era. This lecture was given on June 11th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies . For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: ​Gregory M. Reichberg is Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). He is a philosopher specializing in military ethics and is currently engaged in a multi-year project on the use of artificial intelligence in armed conflict. He also writes on linkages between religion, peace, and conflict. For the last eight years he has led the Research School on Peace and Conflict, an academic consortium for doctoral students. From 2009-12 he was director of the PRIO Cyprus Centre in Nicosia, where he coordinated research and dialogue activities on the search for a political settlement to the island's division. Over the last fifteen years he has been engaged in religious dialogue on social/political issues in Iraq and other settings. Reichberg is a consultor to the Dicastery for Integral Human Development (appointed by Pope Francis in 2020).

Sep 18, 2024 • 51 min

Professor George Corbett presents a comprehensive overview of Thomas Aquinas's approach to ethics and the good life, emphasizing its centrality, goal-oriented nature, and focus on human nature and happiness. He explains how Aquinas's approach combines virtue ethics with an understanding of law and grace, emphasizing the pursuit of happiness through friendship with God. Corbett also highlights Aquinas's realistic view of sin and evil, his common-sense approach to emotions, and the empowering nature of his ethical framework for personal transformation. This lecture was given on July 10th, 2024, at Stonyhurst College. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: George Corbett is Professor of Theology, School of Divinity, University of St Andrews. Prior to joining the School of Divinity in 2015, he held positions as Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy, Trinity College, and Affiliated Lecturer, University of Cambridge, where he taught English literature, Italian literature, and theology. He received his BA (double first), MPhil (distinction), and PhD (AHRC-funded) from the University of Cambridge. He also studied in Pisa (as an Erasmus-Socrates exchange scholar at La Scuola Normale Superiore), Rome (Institutum Pontificium Alterioris Latinitatis), and Montella (Vivarium Novum). Prof. Corbett directs CEPHAS (a Thomistic Centre for Philosophy and Scholastic Theology), TheoArtistry (a project linking up theologians and artists), and co-directs the collaborative MLitt in Sacred Music.