The Thomistic Institute
The Thomistic Institute exists to promote Catholic truth in our contemporary world by strengthening the intellectual formation of Christians at universities, in the Church, and in the wider public square. The thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Universal Doctor of the Church, is our touchstone. The Thomistic Institute Podcast features the lectures and talks from our conferences, campus chapters events, intellectual retreats, livestream events, and much more. Founded in 2009, the Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.
Episodes
Dr. Jerome Foss uses Flannery O’Connor’s stories to warn against the pitfalls of governing by abstract tenderness, advocating for a vision rooted in faith, realism, and the transformative power of suffering.
This lecture was given on February 12th, 2025, at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.
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Prof. Giuseppe Pezzini explores the biographical and spiritual connections between Newman and Tolkien, revealing how their shared organic vision of historical development and renewal challenges modern tensions between nostalgia, progress, and Christian identity.
This lecture was given on March 27th, 2025, at University of Edinburgh.
Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to film the nex...
Fr. Innocent Smith’s lecture illuminates how Gregorian Chant, rooted in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, enriches Catholic liturgy by shaping Christian spirituality and expressing the deep joy of the Gospel through sung prayer.
This lecture was given on April 10th, 2025, at Clemson University.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.
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Fr. Irenaeus Dunlevy's lecture contrasts the incarnational vision of Fra Angelico with Le Corbusier’s machine aesthetic, revealing how Christian art and architecture communicate spiritual beauty, theological wisdom, and the presence of Christ through the transformation of physical space.
This lecture was given on March 14th, 2025, at Rhode Island School of Design.
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Fr. Cajetan Cuddy explores the relationship between grace and nature, demonstrating how grace perfects, transforms, and preserves the continuity of human nature without destroying its fundamental reality.
This lecture was given on July 20th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.
Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to film the next season of Aquinas 101! Visit aquinas101.thomistic...
Fr. Thomas Davenport examines the philosophical and scientific boundaries between the inanimate and the living, highlighting how Thomistic principles, spontaneous generation, and structured homogeneity offer new ways to understand life’s emergence and complexity.
This lecture was given on July 19th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events...
Prof. Santiago Schnell’s lecture examines the challenges of measurement, scientific constants, and replicability in the life sciences, highlighting how philosophical and mathematical models are crucial for advancing biological research.
This lecture was given on July 19th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.
Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to film the next season of Aquinas 101!...
Prof. Keith Kozminski explores the plasma membrane’s evolving scientific understanding, highlighting its role as both boundary and bridge in cellular life through detailed analysis of structure, function, and paradigm shifts in biology.
This lecture was given on July 19th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.
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Prof. Brian Carl's lecture provides an accessible introduction to Aristotelian and Thomistic philosophy of nature, focusing on substance, accident, causes, hylomorphism, and the metaphysical principles underlying change and the nature of light.
This lecture was given on July 18th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.
Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to film the next season of Aqui...
Prof. John Cuddeback presents Thomistic wisdom for the pilgrimage to God emphasizing the importance of cleaving to the final end—God—as the ultimate rule and measure of all actions, fostering order and peace in the spiritual journey.
This lecture was given on June 28th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.
Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to film the next season of Aquinas 101!&nb...
Prof. Paige Hochschild explores Thomistic wisdom for the pilgrimage to God, focusing on the virtues required for spiritual journey, the meanings of patience, hope, and memory, and the role of Dante’s Divine Comedy in illuminating the challenges and fulfillment of the pilgrim’s quest.
This lecture was given on June 28th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitut...
Prof. Raymond Hain examines whether beauty must be natural, exploring Thomistic metaphysics, twentieth-century debates between Maritain and Gilson, and contemporary examples from architecture and literature to probe the relationship between nature, artifice, and the beautiful.
This lecture was given on May 31st, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.
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Prof. Joshua Hochschild examines whether societies are natural by tracing the Aristotelian and Thomistic understanding of social forms, arguing that certain social bodies like families and states have intrinsic natures and purposes that fulfill the social aspect of human flourishing.
This lecture was given on May 31st, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.o...
Fr. John Sica explores whether virtues are natural by examining Aristotle and Aquinas, ultimately concluding that the virtues are not innate qualities, but are rather habituated character states that perfect human nature.
This lecture was given on May 31st, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.
Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to film the next season of Aquinas 101! https://aqui...
Prof. Catherine Peters addresses the philosophical question of deriving moral 'ought' from descriptive 'is', arguing from a Thomistic natural law perspective that the essence of human nature grounds objective moral norms, bridging fact and value through teleology and reason.
This lecture was given on May 30th, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.
Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to ...
Prof. Christopher Frey examines the distinctions and interactions between natural and artificial entities, showing how art can complete, imitate, or even subvert nature within Aristotelian and Thomistic frameworks.
This lecture was given on May 30th, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.
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Prof. John Brungardt explores the concept of laws of nature as partial transcriptions of the natures of physical substances, emphasizing the interplay between philosophical tradition, scientific discovery, and metaphysical causality.
This lecture was given on May 30th, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.
Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to film the next season of Aquinas 101! ...
Fr. Raymund Snyder explores Thomas Aquinas’s metaphysics of nature, form, and the scale of being, emphasizing the integration of Aristotelian and Neoplatonic traditions and the unique Christian vision of creation, essence, and intellect.
This lecture was given on May 29th, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.
About the Speakers:
...
Fr. Raymund Snyder explores the foundations of nature, natural philosophy, and metaphysics through a Thomistic lens, with special attention to Aristotelian principles, correlative pairs, and the interplay of form, substance, act, and potency in philosophical and theological discussion.
This lecture was given on May 29th, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute...
Prof. Meraiah Martinez explores the beauty and usefulness of mathematics, emphasizing the delight mathematicians find in elegant proofs, structured abstractions, and the interplay between pure and applied mathematics across various fields.
This lecture was given on July 18th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.
About the Speakers:...
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