Lumen Christi Institute

Free and open to the public.

Every Sunday, Christian worshipers profess the Nicene Creed.  

The Creed formulates and supports our belief in one God, but there appears to be scant empirical evidence for many of its claims that we acknowledge to be true.  We don’t profess the Creed because we’ve been persuaded by overwhelming evidence. Is it reasonable, then, to believe that the Creed's claims are true? Or does our profession of faith shove our reason into exile?  So says Sam Harris, a recent "popular atheist,” who argues that faith is by nature unreasonable. 

But William James, the 19th-century American psychologist, tells another tale. He argues that it can be reasonable to believe some things based on less than compelling evidence. If we don't, we risk losing out on vitally important truths that could give us the whole purpose of life. And this risk is far greater than the risk of believing something on scant evidence.

Here is a vision in which faith and reason, to work well, must work together to give life its full meaning.

ABOUT THE MAGIS SERIES

The Magis Series on Faith and Reason is a partnership between the Lumen Christi Institute and St. Ignatius College Prep to bring accessible yet sophisticated lectures on the Church's intellectual tradition to the broad lay public. The event is open to everyone from high school students to retirees. No affiliation with St. Ignatius is needed. Anyone who desires a lively entree into the mind of the Church is welcome and encouraged to attend. 

SCHEDULE

5:30 PM | Cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres

6:15 PM | Lecture

7:00 PM | Event concludes