We search for truth, guided by Christian wisdom.
The Catholic Church has “the longest intellectual tradition of any institution in the contemporary world.”
We make the Catholic Intellectual Tradition a vital part of the secular university and our wider society.
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.
A timeline of the Lumen Christi Institute
Looking at our growth
Since its founding year of 1997, the Lumen Christi Institute has grown significantly. Over more than 25 years, the Institute has significantly expanded its programs, the number of students it serves, and the faculty speakers it engages. The national and international impact of the Lumen Christi Institute continues to grow.
What We Do
Sponsor and host panels, lectures, symposia and conferences
Prepare future professors through summer seminars in the Catholic intellectual tradition
Build Catholic culture by providing lectures in Chicago for lay people
Lead the In Lumine Network of Catholic institutes
Amplify voices of Catholic scholars
Empower the next generation of leaders through conversations, friendships and mentoring
Our team combines a strong faith with professional training to share the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.
Alietia Caughron
Anna Bonta Moreland
Charles W. Mulaney, Jr.
Fr. Peter Funk, OSB
James N. Perry, Jr.
John T. Cusack
Julie Jansen Kraemer
Mark E. Schneider
Noel J. Francisco
Noel Moore
Richard W. Garnett
Scott Turicchi
The Hon. J. Peter Ricketts
Bernard McGinn
Carol Zaleski
Mary Ann Glendon
Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron
Rev. Brian Daley, SJ
Rev. David Tracy
Sr. Agnes Cunningham, SSCM
Vincent Carraud
Gavin House
The Lumen Christi Institute is honored to call home the James J. Gavin, Jr. House. Built in a 1920’s French Renaissance style and acquired in 2011, Gavin House is located across from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and adjacent to the Frederick C. Robie House, an architectural masterpiece designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Gavin House hosts the Institute’s offices and serves as a venue for small lectures, seminars, dinners, and receptions. Most importantly, the building acts as an anchor for the Institute and a symbol of its commitment to bringing Catholic thought to students and faculty at one of the world’s leading universities. We are grateful to our donors and benefactors—especially the Gavin family—for providing us with such a wonderful home.
A word of thanks.
Our sincere gratitude to the John Templeton Foundation whose generous support made the In Lumine Network’s initial events and this website possible through grant #62372 from the John Templeton Foundation, “In Lumine: Promoting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide.”