Lumen Christi Institute
Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university
Featured Events & News
Ever Ancient, Ever New: The Sources of Pope Leo XIV | West Suburban Catholic Culture Series
In the sixth season of the West Suburban Catholic Culture Series, our speakers will explore some of the most significant writings of St. Augustine and Pope Leo XIII in light of the influence they may have on the new Pope’s priorities. The first lecture in the 2025-2026 series, "'In the One, we are One': Christian Unity and the City of God," will take place on September 10.
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A Spiritual Manual for the Technological Age: A Discussion of Paul Kingsnorth’s Against the Machine
We all experience how the rapid advance of technology, especially AI, has affected the way we live, think, and experience the world. But has it also changed who we are? In his new book, Against the Machine: on the Unmaking of Humanity, Paul Kingsnorth explores the consequences of hyper-technologized society. We at the Lumen Christi Institute are excited to host Paul Kingsnorth at the University Club as he takes his book tour.
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The History and Future of Catholic Intellectual Institutes: An Interview with Peter Casarella
We sat down with for an interview with Peter Casarella, professor of theology at Duke Divinity School and longtime friend of the Lumen Christi Institute. Casarella has been involved with the Lumen Christi Institute (LCI) since its founding over twenty-five years ago. We asked him more about LCI’s history, as well as where thinks institutes for Catholic thought at non-Catholic universities need to go in the future.
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Can We Be Good on Our Own? A Symposium on Ancient and Modern Approaches to Virtue
Can we be good on our own, or do we need divine assistance? Four scholars explored this question in a symposium that was the highlight of LCI’s spring University Program Series.
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Lumen Christi Institute receives $2.1 million from John Templeton Foundation
This three-year grant will support the continuation and expansion of its previous “In Lumine” Grant, which created a national network of institutes of Catholic thought, all serving non Catholic colleges and universities.
Learn MoreLumen Christi has been one of the great spiritual achievements of the last 25 years. And to see Lumen Christi flourishing so well and expanding around the country is a sign of tremendous hope for the Church.
The longest intellectual tradition of any institution in the contemporary world.
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.
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Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university