Lumen Christi Institute
Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university
Featured Events & News
Masterclass - Wonder at the Silence of God: Sin and the Mystery of the Divine Presence in Shūsaku Endō's Masterpiece | Mar. 19, 2026
Shūsaku Endō’s novel Silence generated immediate acclaim and intense debate after its publication in the late 1960's. This discussion was reinvigorated a decade ago after the release of Martin Scorsese's film adaptation, and it was dominated by two opposing answers to the question: Was Fr. Rodrigues’s climactic action justified? Did he sin or simply do what Christian charity demanded? In this master class, Scott Roniger argues that neither side has it quite right.
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On New and Old Things: Rerum Novarum and the Foundations of Catholic Social Thought | West Suburban Catholic Culture Series | Mar. 18, 2026
Rerum Novarum served as the foundation for a series of monumental encyclicals on Catholic social thought. Although written in 1891, its counsels are prophetic and as pertinent to contemporary man as they were at their writing. Join Scott Roniger as he presents on the philosophical underpinnings and historical import of this document.
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Applications Open for The Nicklin Fellows Program
The Nicklin Fellows are the recipients of a competitive, application based fellowship for undergraduate students. Nicklin Fellows are granted exclusive access to research and development grant funds to pursue their intellectual interests. Applications are due Sunday, March 22.
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Summer Seminar - "From Ancient Wisdom to Person-Centered Care": Historical, Philosophical, and Theological Foundations of Healthcare | Aug. 4-8, 2026
This 4.5-day immersive experience for graduate-level health sciences learners will take place at the Anselm House at the University of Minnesota this August. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the seminar is filled. For fullest consideration, apply by April 6, 2026.
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Watch "The Birth of Ossian" with Martin Shaw
In the second part of his Feb. 4 event, "Mythopoetics and Faerie Stories: Theory and Practice of Mythmaking," Dr. Martin Shaw located us in the deeper dimensions of how a modern person approaches an ancient story through the telling of an Irish fairy tale. Because any good story requires the proper setting, "The Birth of Ossian" was told in the Gavin House backyard, with fire pits ablaze.
WATCH HERELumen 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