Lumen Christi Institute
Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university and the broader culture
Featured Events & News
Non-Credit Course – American Idol(s): The False Gods That Threaten Our Freedom | Tuesdays, Oct. 6–Nov. 10, 2026
Amid the Siren songs that seek to enslave us, how can we attain authentic freedom and ultimate fulfillment? What really can fill the “hole in the soul”? This dinnertime non-credit course, led by Fr. Pete Bernardi, SJ, Lumen Christi's Scholar-in-Residence, will consider the “false gods” that menace our freedom and happiness.
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Job Opening: Student Workers
The Lumen Christi Institute seeks part-time student workers to help make the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university and the broader culture.
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How to Grieve as a Catholic | West Suburban Catholic Culture Series | Oct. 28, 2026
Grief takes many forms. Contemporary therapeutic approaches often emphasize that there is no right way to grieve: each person's loss is unique. But does the Catholic tradition have more to say? Drawing on interviews with grief counselors and chaplains alongside St. Augustine and the Catholic intellectual tradition, this talk will explore what grief reveals about love and its right ordering.
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Fundamental Questions Seminar – A Visit To Nowhere: Reading Thomas More’s Utopia | Thursdays, Oct. 15, Oct. 29, & Nov. 12
In 1516, Thomas More published Utopia. More takes his reader on a tour of an idealistic island society: six-hour work days, religious toleration, no private property, and no lawyers. But is it really possible for such a society to exist? And was Utopia actually a good place? Undergraduate students are invited to come and join us for dinner and discussion.
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Fall 2026 Reading Groups
Each quarter, Lumen Christi hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join, and no religious affiliation is necessary. This quarter's groups will read Lords of Serendipity, the Psalms in Latin, Dante's Purgatorio, and Lord of the Rings.
Learn More & RegisterLumen 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 and the broader culture