We search for truth, guided by Christian wisdom.
The Catholic Church has “the longest intellectual tradition of any institution in the contemporary world.”
We make the Catholic Intellectual Tradition a vital part of the secular university and our wider society.
Celebrated University of Chicago President Robert Maynard Hutchins once remarked that the Catholic Church has “the longest intellectual tradition of any institution in the contemporary world.” The mission of the Lumen Christi Institute is to make the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university and the broader culture. The Lumen Christi Institute’s programs enrich academic communities at the University of Chicago and beyond with the insights of Catholic thought, in order to engage our secular culture in dialogue and ultimately to renew our civilization by forming leaders for a global society in need of Christian wisdom.
A timeline of the Lumen Christi Institute
Looking at our growth
Since its founding year of 1997, the Lumen Christi Institute has grown significantly. Over more than 25 years, the Institute has significantly expanded its programs, the number of students it serves, and the faculty speakers it engages. The national and international impact of the Lumen Christi Institute continues to grow.
What We Do
Sponsor and host panels, lectures, symposia and conferences
Prepare future professors through summer seminars in the Catholic intellectual tradition
Build Catholic culture by providing lectures in Chicago for lay people
Lead the In Lumine Network of Catholic institutes
Amplify voices of Catholic scholars
Empower the next generation of leaders through conversations, friendships and mentoring
Principles that Inspire and Guide our Programs
What do we mean by “Catholic intellectual tradition”?
Catholic
Ask questions relevant to Catholics and all thoughtful people.
“All knowledge forms one whole, because its subject-matter is one; for the universe in its length and breadth is so intimately knit together, that we cannot separate off portion from portion, and operation from operation, except by a mental abstraction.” (J. H. Newman, Idea of a University)
Prioritize formation for the laity, in line with the Church’s magisterium.
“Through a serious and daily commitment to formation never tire of increasingly refining the aspects of your specific vocation as lay faithful called to be courageous and credible witnesses in all social milieus so that the Gospel may be a light that brings hope to the problematic, difficult and dark situations which people today often encounter in their journey through life.” (Benedict XVI, August 10, 2012)
Transcend ideological divisions and engage the universal Church.
“Everyone can share in some way in the life of the Church; everyone can be part of the community … the Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems.” (Francis, Evangelii Gaudium)
Intellectual
Affirm the intellectual life as good in itself, confronting the professionalization of education.
“All men by nature desire to know.” (Aristotle, Metaphysics)
Reclaim learning as leisure, challenging our culture’s emphasis on work.
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” (Pascal, Pensees)
Exemplify how the life of the mind thrives in a religious context.
“In lumine tuo videbimus lumen [In your light, we see the light].” (Psalm 36:9)
Tradition
Embolden all people to think of themselves as stewards of the Church’s intellectual tradition, responsible for sharing it, and – in doing so – strengthening the social fabric.
“Tradition, from the latin Tradere: to give up, hand over, deliver, transmit, surrender, consign.”
Share the written sources –past and present– of the Catholic Church as wisdom for today.
“Every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” (Matthew 13:52)
Nurture friendships, to support the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness.
“I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)
Our team combines a strong faith with professional training to share the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.
Alietia Caughron
Anna Bonta Moreland
Charles W. Mulaney, Jr.
Fr. Peter Funk, OSB
James N. Perry, Jr.
John T. Cusack
Julie Jansen Kraemer
Mark E. Schneider
Noel J. Francisco
Noel Moore
Richard W. Garnett
Scott Turicchi
The Hon. J. Peter Ricketts
Bernard McGinn
Carol Zaleski
Mary Ann Glendon
Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron
Rev. Brian Daley, SJ
Rev. David Tracy
Sr. Agnes Cunningham, SSCM
Vincent Carraud
Gavin House
The Lumen Christi Institute is honored to call home the James J. Gavin, Jr. House. Built in a 1920’s French Renaissance style and acquired in 2011, Gavin House is located across from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and adjacent to the Frederick C. Robie House, an architectural masterpiece designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Gavin House hosts the Institute’s offices and serves as a venue for small lectures, seminars, dinners, and receptions. Most importantly, the building acts as an anchor for the Institute and a symbol of its commitment to bringing Catholic thought to students and faculty at one of the world’s leading universities. We are grateful to our donors and benefactors—especially the Gavin family—for providing us with such a wonderful home.
A word of thanks.
Our sincere gratitude to the John Templeton Foundation whose generous support made the In Lumine Network’s initial events and this website possible through grant #62372 from the John Templeton Foundation, “In Lumine: Promoting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide.”