Human Person, Community, and Communion | Dr. R.J. Snell

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-eventsAbout 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.

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. 

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).

Sr. Elinor Gardner begins by examining Clarence Darrow's essay "The Myth of the Soul," which argues that belief in the soul is neither necessary nor desirable. She then delves into what Plato and Aristotle have to say about the soul, contrasting their different understandings on the nature of the soul and its fate after death. Sr. Gardner concludes by discussing the Christian understanding of the soul, evidenced by the testimony of the apostles regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ.This lecture was given on September 21st, 2024, at University of South Florida.For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-eventsAbout the Speaker: Sister Elinor Gardner, O.P., is Affiliate Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Dallas. Prior to arriving at UD, she taught at Aquinas College (Nashville, TN) and at The Catholic University of America, and spent one year assisting in formation at her Congregation’s Novitiate. She has a PhD from Boston College with a doctorate titled “St Thomas Aquinas on the Death Penalty.” Besides the ethical and political philosophy of Aquinas, her other research interests include the Christian anthropology of Robert Spaemann and Edith Stein.

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.

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).

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.

Professor Candace Vogler examines Thomas Aquinas' approach to virtue, highlighting how it differs from Aristotle's while still building upon his work. She explains the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, courage, and temperance) and their role in correcting human flaws. The lecture also delves into the distinction between acquired virtues, which are cultivated through human effort, and infused virtues, which are divinely bestowed.This lecture was given on November 6th, 2023, at The University of Texas at Austin.For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.About the Speaker:Candace Vogler is the David B. and Clare E. Stern Professor of Philosophy at the University of Chicago. Her primary area of research is moral philosophy, with special emphasis on virtue and practical reason.  She draws extensively from work by G. E. M. ('Elizabeth') Anscombe, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Immanuel Kant, and sometimes she teaches work by John Stuart Mill.  She also works on psychoanalysis (primarily Freudian work and the work of Jacques Lacan), and at the intersections of philosophy and literature and philosophy and film.  Vogler is interested in questions about the highest good, about sin, and about moral self-improvement. 

Professor Thomas Hibbs and Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau discuss the importance of friendship and social life from a Thomistic perspective, highlighting the decline in friendships in modern society and the philosophical insights of Aristotle and Aquinas on the nature of human relationships.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: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.A native of Louisiana, Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P., entered the Dominican Province of St. Joseph in 2005. After several years of pastoral work in New York City, Fr. Guilbeau began doctoral studies in moral theology at the University of Fribourg, where he completed a dissertation on St. Thomas Aquinas’s doctrine of the common good. Currently, Fr. Guilbeau serves as the University Chaplain and Vice President for Ministry and Mission at The Catholic University of America.

Professor Michael Foley discusses how to "drink like a saint" by outlining five principles: moderation, gratitude, memory, merriment, and ritual.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: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.