Lumen Christi Institute
Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university
Featured Events & News
Reading Course - What is a “Uni-versity”? Revisiting Newman’s "Idea of a University" | Wednesdays, Apr. 1-29, 2026
Fr. Peter Bernardi, SJ, LCI's Scholar-in-Residence, leads this quarter's reading course about the crisis of the university. Battles over core curricula, distribution of limited resources, and arguments over research and teaching priorities are all indications of the crisis. So what is a “uni-versity”? What is its purpose?
Learn More & Register
Developing a Catholic Social Vision for the Modern World: A Century of Church Teaching | West Suburban Catholic Culture Series | Apr. 8, 2026
Our April speaker, David Cloutier, will trace the development of Catholic social teaching (CST) from Rerum Novarum through Quadragesimo Anno to Centesimus Annus and beyond. Through many papacies and much change in the world, CST develops a unique and distinctive social vision that speaks to both the hopes and the perils of the contemporary world.
Learn More & Register
Non-Credit Course - History of Monasticism | Tuesdays, Mar. 31 - May 12, 2026
Monasticism is the form of religious life common to the Latin, Greek, Syriac, and Coptic churches. This course, led by Fr. Peter Funk, OSB, will examine its development from the age of the martyrs to the present and its perennial role within the Body of Christ. All UChicago students, staff, and faculty members are welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
Learn More & Register
This Lent, nourish the hearts and minds of students seeking Christ!
The Lumen Christ Institute’s student-led reading groups offer students a space for authentic questions, and friends with whom to ask them. Through weekly meetings, these young people are drawn toward the light of Christ through great literature. Our students build relationships that meet them as whole and unique persons, within the Body of Christ. Support our students by giving by 11:59pm, April 4.
Learn More & Give
The Turn to Tradition in American Law and Culture | Apr. 22, 2026
Many are familiar with an "Originalist" interpretation of American law, one which is seen to shield us from the capricious wills of those in power. But can Originalism inadvertently give us a hollow understanding of law? In this panel, Marc DeGirolami gives us a different way of interpreting the law: Traditionalism. Richard W. Garnett and Jennifer Newsome Martin will provide responses in this panel discussion.
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.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join our email list to hear the latest on our events, lecture videos and news.
Support our mission
Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university