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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260802
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DTSTAMP:20260309T194112Z
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LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T194112Z
UID:10001769-1785628800-1785974399@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Economics and Catholic Social Thought: A Primer
DESCRIPTION:Apply here\nNow in its ninth year\, this seminar is designed as an introduction and immersion into Catholic social thought for graduate students and (junior) faculty in economics\, finance\, or related fields. Participants will cover foundational principles in Catholic social thought\, starting with the human person\, dignity\, freedom\, subsidiarity\, solidarity\, and the common good\, and moving toward applications of these principles to conceptual understandings and ethical considerations involving economic topics such as utility theory\, firm and business ethics\, wages\, markets\, globalization\, poverty\, and development. Participants will delve into social encyclicals\, secondary sources\, and relevant economics texts. \nThis seminar is sponsored by the Lumen Christi Institute; the Catholic Research Economists Discussion Organization; the De Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture; the Kellogg Institute for International Studies; and the the Institute for the Scholarship in the Liberal Arts\, College of Arts and Letters\, University of Notre Dame. \nFormat: There will be two sessions each day\, featuring a different instructor. Each instructor will open with a lecture\, and then we will turn to a seminar-style discussion of the texts and issues at hand. In the final sessions\, we will discuss how the material can be applied to each student’s particular area of interest. \nLocation:  The seminar will take place at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. \nParticipants will arrive on August 2 and will depart on August 5. \nThere are no registration or tuition costs to the seminar. \n\nAll participants will be provided with accommodations and meals.\nPartial travel reimbursement funds are available as awarded to offset travel costs.\n\nApplication Information: This seminar will be open to PhD students and faculty in economics\, finance and related fields.\nApplicants will be required to submit a completed online application form\, including:\nAn updated CV.\nA brief statement interest no longer than 750 words.\nAll application materials can be submitted via the online application. \nFifteen students will be admitted to this seminar. \nApplications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the seminar is filled. For fullest consideration\, apply by April 6\, 2026 \nPlease direct any further questions to seminars@lumenchristi.org \n 
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/economics-and-catholic-social-thought-a-primer-2/
LOCATION:University of Notre Dame\, Notre Dame\, IN 46556\, Notre Dame\, IN
CATEGORIES:Summer Seminars
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260802
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260809
DTSTAMP:20260112T224006Z
CREATED:20251127T184437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T224006Z
UID:10001805-1785628800-1786233599@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Catholic Social Thought: A Critical Investigation
DESCRIPTION:Apply here\n“The Lumen Christi Institute will host its second week-long seminar for recent PhDs interested in the Catholic intellectual tradition. In this seminar\, participants will read\, analyze\, and discern continuities and discontinuities in Catholic social thought from the late 19th century to the present. Lectures\, seminar reports\, and discussion will focus on original sources (encyclicals and other magisterial documents)\, beginning with Rerum novarum (1892) and concluding with Caritas in veritate (2009) and Evangelii Gaudium (2013). This intensive course is multi-disciplinary\, since this tradition of social thought overlaps several disciplines in the contemporary university including political science\, political philosophy\, law\, economics\, theology\, and history. The seminar is an opportunity to meet 12 to 15 promising scholars working in different academic fields\, all with interests tied to Catholicism. \nThis seminar is our 2026 annual postdoctoral/early career scholar seminar.\nThere are no seminar fees and reading materials are provided. LCI will cover accommodations and most meals. Additionally\, participants travel expenses will be reimbursed  up to $500. \nApplicants must have received the Ph.D. no earlier than January 2022. Ph.D. candidates will be considered and must complete the Ph.D. by seminar (July 1\, 2026). \nThe seminar will begin with Vespers\, followed by a welcome dinner on Sunday\, August 2 and conclude the evening of Friday\, August 8.” \nThis project is made possible through the support of In Lumine Tuo: Expanding and Sustaining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Nationwide (grant #63614) from the John Templeton Foundation and the generous support of our donors.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/catholic-social-thought-a-critical-investigation/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Summer Seminars
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260804
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260809
DTSTAMP:20260303T203900Z
CREATED:20260203T175021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T203900Z
UID:10001912-1785801600-1786233599@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:"From Ancient Wisdom to Person-Centered Care": Historical\, Philosophical\, and Theological Foundations of Healthcare
DESCRIPTION:Apply here\nAnselm House & Lumen Christi Institute present: \n“From Ancient Wisdom to Person-Centered Care”: Historical\, Philosophical\, and Theological Foundations of Healthcare”\nAugust 4-August 8\, 2026 \nAt a time when many learners in the health sciences feel stretched thin\, morally conflicted\, or uncertain about who they are becoming\, we have created a space for the hungry and the weary to slow down\, ask deeper questions about the professions they are entering\, and deepen their moral and spiritual perspectives as they seek purpose in the healing arts. \nFrom Ancient Wisdom to Person-Centered Care is a 4.5-day immersive experience for graduate-level health sciences learners—especially medical and nursing students—who want time and space to reflect on the deeper meaning of medicine\, faith\, and vocation amid the realities of modern healthcare. \nDuring the first 2.5 days\, participants will gather around shared meals\, interactive lectures\, seminar-style discussions\, and unhurried conversations with faculty to explore foundational texts from the Judeo-Christian tradition and its philosophical partners. Readings range from ancient Greek and Hebrew sources through figures such as Galen\, Hildegard of Bingen\, and Maimonides. Together\, we will wrestle with enduring questions that continue to shape clinical practice today: What does it mean to care for the whole person? What is the clinician–patient relationship really for? How do calling\, character\, and conscience matter in healthcare? These questions will be explored in conversation with ancient wisdom and carried forward into contemporary contexts. \nAs the seminar unfolds\, learners will also be introduced to modern philosophical and theological accounts of personhood\, attending carefully to how the promise and pressure of contemporary medicine—especially where efficiency\, technology\, and institutional demands collide with deeply held values—can be navigated with integrity and hope. \nThe experience culminates in a day-and-a-half symposium with the noted physician and philosopher Daniel P. Sulmasy. His work on spirituality in healthcare will enliven participants’ imaginations as they engage him in an intimate setting with one of the leading voices at the intersection of medicine\, ethics\, and faith. \nHosted at the University of Minnesota\, the program also includes time to explore local art and culture\, participate in worship at congregations or parishes of one’s choosing\, and build community with peers who seek to become clinicians formed not only by competence\, but by wisdom. \nIf you are a graduate-level health sciences student who has ever wondered: \n\nWhat is medicine and healthcare ultimately for?\nHow can I live my faith and values with integrity in healthcare?\nHow do I navigate moral conflict\, burnout\, or disillusionment as a clinician in training?\nWho am I becoming through this work—and who do I hope to be?\n\n—this experience may be for you. \nThe seminar will be led by Professors Jon C. Tilburt\, M.D. (Mayo Clinic)\, Evan Beacom (University of Minnesota Twin Cities) & Daniel Sulmasy (Georgetown University) \nLOCATION AND FORMAT\nThis is a fully in-person experience; no virtual option is available. Attendance for the full program is required. Learners interested in attending only the final 1.5-day symposium may find more information at www.Anselmhouse.org. \nThe seminar will be held at Anselm House at the University of Minnesota between Tuesday August 4th and Saturday August 8th. \nQUALIFICATIONS AND APPLICATION\nThe seminar is an opportunity to meet 15 promising scholars training in the medical fields at the graduate or resident level. There are no seminar fees and reading materials are provided. Accommodations and most meals will be provided. Additionally\, participants will be reimbursed travel expenses up to $350. \nApplication Information: \n\nApplicants will be required to submit a completed online application\, including:\n\nAn updated CV/resume.\nA brief statement of research interest related to seminar theme no longer than 750 words.\nAn academic letter of recommendation that speaks to the applicants academic qualifications and ability to participate in a collaborative learning seminar format.\n\n\nAll application materials can be submitted via the online application. Fifteen participants will be admitted to this seminar.\nApplications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the seminar is filled. For fullest consideration\, apply by April 6\, 2026.\n\nThis seminar is made possible by Anselm House and the support of the Lumen Christi Institutes grant\, In Lumine Tuo: Expanding and Sustaining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Nationwide (grant #63614) from the John Templeton Foundation\, and the generous support of donors. \nLearners interested in attending only the final 1.5-day symposium may find more information at www.Anselmhouse.org. \nContact us with any questions at seminars@lumenchristi.org.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/from-ancient-wisdom-to-person-centered-care-historical-philosophical-and-theological-foundations-of-healthcare/
LOCATION:Anselm House (University of Minnesota)\, 720 Washington Avenue SE\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55414\, United States
CATEGORIES:Summer Seminars
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260805
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260810
DTSTAMP:20260630T195645Z
CREATED:20260417T180123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260630T195645Z
UID:10002156-1785888000-1786319999@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Newman Forum Summer Institute | There and Back Again: The Adventures of Heroes\, Saints\, and Pilgrims
DESCRIPTION:Newman Forum for High School Students\n2026 Summer Institute\n“There and Back Again: The Adventures of Heroes\, Saints\, and Pilgrims”\nAugust 5-9\nUniversity of St. Mary of the Lake\nAPPLY HERE\nSAMPLE SCHEDULE\nRegistration Deadline: July 3rd\, 2026 | $450\nEarly Bird Registration Discount: May 31st\, 2026 | $250 \n  \nCourse Description\nSt. Augustine once wrote that we should “so seek as if we should find\, and so find as if we were going to go on seeking.” Join us on the beautiful grounds of Mundelein Seminary for a week of exploring the Western and Catholic intellectual tradition as we examine together the rich theme of the journey. Our texts will be drawn from the Bible\, Greek Mythology\, and Christian literature\, theology\, and spirituality from the Medieval Era to the modern day. In our expedition together—alongside the likes of such adventurers as Odysseus\, Augustine\, Dante\, Bonaventure\, Teresa of Avila\, and Don Quixote—we will consider what it means to set out as sojourners and pilgrims longing for a true homeland in which we’ve never lived\, to act heroically in the face of a broken world\, and finally to return home to God\, accepting the call to be saints. As Pope Francis has said\, all Christians are “people on a journey”: how can these biblical\, literary\, and theological narratives of journeying and pilgrimage help us to understand better our own holy journeys toward the fullness of time\, when God shall be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28)? \nHigh school students (including rising freshmen and recently graduated seniors) are welcome to apply for this 5-day seminar.  Mornings will consist in academic seminars and small group\, and afternoons will focus on these themes through team-building activities. \nApplications are open until June 29th. Within two weeks of submitting their application\, students will be informed of their admission decision.  At that time students or their parents can request scholarship consideration.  By July 15\, students will be sent a handbook\, welcome packet\, syllabus & readings\, and waiver forms.  Students will be able to request a roommate at that time. The Newman Forum will try (but cannot promise) to accommodate all roommate requests.  Students will be housed in two-bed units in the USML Conference Center. Males and females will be housed in different wings of the Conference Center.\n\nTime is allocated in the Summer Institute schedule for private reading. Students do not need to prepare in advance.  Students will be taught to use the Shorter Christian Prayer breviary to pray morning and night prayer.  Mass is held daily and Confession will also be offered.\nFor more information\, please email NewmanForum@LumenChristi.org \n 
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/newman-forum-2026-summer-institute-there-and-back-again-the-adventures-of-heroes-saints-and-pilgrims/
LOCATION:University of St. Mary of the Lake\, 1000 E Maple Avenue\, Mundelein\, IL\, 60060\, United States
CATEGORIES:Newman Forum,Conference
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260923T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260923T203000
DTSTAMP:20261104T151747Z
CREATED:20260821T180052Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261104T151747Z
UID:10002161-1790188200-1790195400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:How to Pray as a Catholic | West Suburban Catholic Culture Series
DESCRIPTION:How to Live\, Move\, and Be as a Catholic\n2026-2027 Series\n  \nREGISTER BELOW\n6:30 p.m. Doors Open  |  7:00 p.m. Dinner  |  7:30 p.m. Lecture and Q&A  |  8:30 p.m. End \nBusiness casual attire encouraged. For more information\, please contact Margaux Taffet at mtaffet@lumenchristi.org. \nIn the ancient world\, religious adherents were set apart by special dress\, diet\, and customs. Yet in the 2nd century Letter to Diognetus\, the anonymous writer observes that Christians didn’t distinguish themselves from other people by a special abode\, a special language\, special attire\, or a special diet.    \nChristians are truly a people “set apart” and sanctified\, but what distinguishes the Christian people if not the traditional markers of culture? Catholics cook with a wide variety of spices and ingredients; attend all kinds of schools; are drawn to different kinds of art and music; and wear all kinds of clothes. Catholic life and worship looks very different in France from what it looks like in Rwanda\, which in turn differs from Catholicism in Japan\, the United States\, or Poland.   \nTo be Catholic — which means “concerning the whole” — means that everything about our lives relates back to our Faith. Yet it also means that there is a dynamic interaction between our Faith and the circumstances of our lives. To “cook as a Catholic” means something important\, something deeply connected to our innermost being\, but it is not a rigid set of procedures or list of prohibited foods. \nFor the 2026-2027 West Suburban Catholic Culture Series\, we would like to invite you to join us in considering how to view the “ordinary” elements of our lives through the wisdom and tradition of the Catholic Church — but without reducing the wisdom and tradition of the church to a single method or fashion. Lectures this year will consider how to live in that tension with imagination\, discernment\, and with that “peace which surpasseth all understanding.”  \n  \nSeptember 23:\nHow to Pray as a Catholic\nHave you wondered about how to pray — whether to recite a traditional prayer or just say what is on your mind? whether to sit\, kneel or stand? whether to pray silently or aloud? The wide range of self-help books related to prayer suggests that many people today are looking for guidance. This is not new. Even before the printing press developed in the fifteenth century\, Catholic writers published books to assist both lay people and clergy with their prayer lives. This talk will provide an overview of Catholic prayer traditions in the Middle Ages and the Reformation era. It will focus on the work of one Dominican friar from Spain — Louis of Granada (1504-1588) — who made it his life’s work to help his fellow Catholics to pray. Though they lived centuries before us\, the spiritual writers of the Middle Ages and Reformation still can teach us how to pray as Catholics.   \n  \nFall Calendar\nSeptember 23: How to Pray as a Catholic | Daniel Wasserman-Soler\, Lumen Christi Institute \n October 28: How to Grieve as a Catholic | Cassandra Sever\, Lumen Christi Institute \nNovember 18: How to Read Literature (and Life) as a Catholic | Joshua Hren\, University of St. Thomas\, Houston; Wiseblood Books \n  \nSpring Calendar\nMarch 10\, April 14\, May 12 \n  \nRegistration Form
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/wsccs-sep-2026/
LOCATION:Ruth Lake Country Club\, 6200 South Madison Street\, Hinsdale\, IL
CATEGORIES:West Suburban Series,Cultural Forum
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260930T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260930T200000
DTSTAMP:20260917T212630Z
CREATED:20260916T153031Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T212630Z
UID:10002170-1790791200-1790798400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Welcome Back Social
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nIce Cream | Pizza | S’mores \nAll University of Chicago students are welcome. Graduate students are invited to bring spouses and children. For more information\, please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nWelcome back! As school starts up again\, the Lumen Christi Institute and Calvert House would like to invite all students to a welcome back social. Meet other Catholics and friends of Lumen Christi to kick off the year! Pizza and an ice cream bar will be available.  \n 
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/welcome-back-social-9-30-2026/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Social
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261006T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261006T193000
DTSTAMP:20261006T204414Z
CREATED:20260918T164404Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T204414Z
UID:10002173-1791309600-1791315000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:American Idol(s): The False Gods That Threaten Our Freedom
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner Provided \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThales\, ancient Greek philosopher of nature\, remarked that all things are “full of gods.” He spoke truer than he realized. Human beings are inclined to transform their pursuits into “ultimate concerns” that become their “be all and end all”\, their ultimate meaning. 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 course will consider “false gods” that menace our freedom and happiness. And it will make a rational case for acknowledging the Divine “I AM” revealed in the Bible\, Incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.   \nCopies of The Uses of Idolatry by William Cavanaugh can be picked up from Gavin House in the week leading up to the first session of the class and afterwards. \nThis class Google Folder will contain other online class materials. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 6\, Week 1 –  Everybody Worships: A phenomenology of the human spirit.\nOct. 13\, Week 2 –  St. Augustine’s “Two Cities’: Idolatry as Self-Worship” (Further Optional Reading: excerpt from St. Augustine’s City of God)\nOct. 20\, Week 3 – The Splendid Idolatry of Nationalism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nOct. 27\, Week 4 – The Unsplendid Idolatries of Consumerism and Careerism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nNov. 3\, Week 5 – AI: an Idol? (Further reading: excerpt from Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas)\nNov. 10\, Week 6 –  I AM (Further reading: excerpt from Abraham Heschel’s The Sabbath)\n\n\n\n \n\n \nAbout Non-Credit Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a Tuesday evening non-credit course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). Survey-style lectures are held over a shared meal\, with no advanced preparation required.  These courses offer accessible introductions to key aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition. All UChicago students\, staff\, and faculty members are welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/american-idols-the-false-gods-that-threaten-our-freedom-2026-10-6/2026-10-06/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Non-Credit Courses
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261007T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261007T191500
DTSTAMP:20261105T221739Z
CREATED:20260921T210402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261105T221739Z
UID:10002180-1791394200-1791400500@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Can We Simulate the Dead? A Symposium on Technology\, Grief\, and the Afterlife
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nConversation | Q&A | Wine & Cheese Reception \nThis event is primarily intended for current University of Chicago students\, faculty\, and staff. It is open to the general public. For any questions\, please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nA new economy of “grief-tech” has arisen to confront the old problem of death.  Changing social norms and advances in artificial intelligence have made it possible to ask\, “Can we disrupt death?” Are grief-bots and simulated grandpas the solution to the anxieties of the human condition? \nThroughout history\, communities of great cultural and religious variety have provided rituals and traditions to deal with death and guide people through the critical process of grieving\, memorializing the departed\, and aiding the dead in the afterlife. In our time\, such inherited practices and beliefs have declined\, along with the communities that sustained them. \nThis symposium will explore technology and our changed circumstances\, and will ask what disrupting conceptions of death through technology might mean for vital aspects of human self-understanding\, mourning\, care relationships\, and the social order in which we are born\, live\, and pass away. \nThis symposium celebrates the publication of a special issue of Social Research\, Disrupting Death. Copies will be available for sale at the event for $15 each. \nSchedule\n\n5:30 – 5:40 p.m.   Symposium opens with framing remarks by Cassandra Sever\n5:40 – 5:45 p.m.   Dr. Sever asks an opening question\n5:45 – 6:30 p.m.   Conversation and Discussion\n6:30 – 7:15 p.m.   Audience Q&A\n7:15 – 7:45 p.m.   End / Wine & Cheese Reception for Audience\n\nThis event is co-sponsored by the University of Chicago Divinity School \n \nThis project is made possible through the support of In Lumine Tuo: Expanding and Sustaining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Nationwide (grant #63614) from the John Templeton Foundation and the generous support of our donors.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/can-we-simulate-the-dead-a-symposium-on-technology-grief-and-the-afterlife/
LOCATION:Swift Hall 3rd Floor Lecture Hall\, 1025 E 58th Street\, Chicago\, IL
CATEGORIES:Lectures & Symposia
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261008T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261008T143000
DTSTAMP:20260929T185418Z
CREATED:20260918T164054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T185418Z
UID:10002171-1791464400-1791469800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Suffering and Everyday Life
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nLunch Provided | Coffee & Pastries Afterwards \nThis event is designated for current graduate & advanced undergraduate students and faculty from the University of Chicago & regional colleges and universities. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nSuffering emerged in modernity as one of the great challenges to faith. Whereas creation opens our eyes to the existence of God\, to his wisdom\, power and greatness\, “evil and suffering seem to obscure this image\, sometimes in a radical way.” These words are from Pope John Paul II’s apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris\, a concise meditation on the Christian answer to the problem of suffering. Granted\, suffering\, from the Latin\, suffero\, “to undergo\,” is a formidable word that we tend to associate with intense pain or great tragedy. But it also includes everyday experiences of disappointment\, loss\, failure\, rejection\, humiliation\, and even despair. We want to explore these trials too: for to answer the question of their why?\, we must also turn to the One who suffered. \nSchedule\n\n1:00 p.m.   Lunch\n1:15 p.m.   Session Begins\n2:30 p.m.   End – Coffee & Pastries\n\nSyllabus\nPope John Paul II’s apostolic letter\, Salvifici Doloris (22 pages) \nJoseph E. Davis\, Introduction\, Chemically Imbalanced (17 pages) \n  \nThis project is made possible through the support of In Lumine Tuo: Expanding and Sustaining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Nationwide (grant #63614) from the John Templeton Foundation and the generous support of our donors. \n  \n\n\n \n\n \nAbout Master Classes\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a master class at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). A master class is a seminar in miniature\, in which top scholars introduce students to a major figure or concept in the Catholic intellectual tradition. The session contain a mixture of lecture\, seminar discussion\, and close reading. All participants are provided a copy of the text under consideration. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/suffering-and-everyday-life-2026-10-8/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Master Classes
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261009T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261009T110000
DTSTAMP:20261013T143900Z
CREATED:20260924T155819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261013T143900Z
UID:10002196-1791540000-1791543600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:The Psalms in Latin
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nRefreshments Provided | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThis fall\, join the Lumen Christi Institute in reading the Psalms in their historic Latin translations. The Latin Psalter was the foundation of western Catholic prayer and spirituality from Late Antiquity\, through the Middle Ages and well into the Early Modern period. Artistic and literary works from across this time span are replete with allusions to the Psalms and anyone interested in post-Classical Latin literature would benefit from greater familiarity with them. The Psalms also tend to display relatively simple grammar and provide approachable native content for beginning students of Latin. \nAnyone interested in reading the Psalms is invited to join us—it is not necessary to be Catholic to participate\, and all levels of Latin are welcome. No preparation is expected. We will translate one Psalm per session\, so if you are unable to make all of the sessions you can still fully participate. \nClass materials can be found here. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 9\, Week 1 – Psalm 1 “Beatus vir”\nOct. 16\, Week 2 – Psalm 28 “Dominus illuminatio mea”\nOct. 23\, Week 3 – Psalm 94 “Venite\, exsultemus Domino”\nOct. 30\, Week 4 – Psalm 129 “De profundis”\nNov. 6\, Week 5 – Psalm 50 “Miserere”\nNov. 13\, Week 6 – Psalm 90 “Qui habitat”\n\n\n \n\n \n\nAbout Language Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts at least one classical language reading group at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal. Any student interested in working on his or her classical languages is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/the-psalms-in-latin-2026-10-9/2026-10-09/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RGVulgate_Web-Image-v.1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261009T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261009T190000
DTSTAMP:20260921T202539Z
CREATED:20260921T202539Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T202539Z
UID:10002179-1791565200-1791572400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Fall Kurosawa Film Club - Rashōmon
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nMovie | Dinner | Discussion \nThis event is intended for University of Chicago undergraduate students\, and is student-only. If you have any questions\, please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nA samurai is dead. A woman is violated. A bandit is captured. But at the trial\, their contradictory testimonies make the real events hard to discern. Rashōmon (1950) questions reality\, memory\, and truth\, with unsettling consequences for those involved. A landmark film\, it is credited with starting the international New Wave movement. \nThis is the first in a series of screenings and discussions hosted by the Lumen Christi Institute focusing on the philosophical works of eminent Japanese director Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998).  \nSchedule\n\n5:00 p.m.   Arrival\, Popcorn Served\, Preview\n5:10 p.m.   Start Rashomon Movie\nDinner & Discussion After Movie\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Nicklin Fellows\nThe Lumen Christi Institute’s Nicklin Fellows are the recipients of a competitive\, application-based fellowship for undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. Nicklin Fellows are granted exclusive access to resources to pursue their intellectual interests with the aid of the Lumen Christi Institute. Learn more here.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/kurosawa-film-club-2026-10-9/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Nicklin Fellowship
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Rashomon-WebImage.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261012T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261012T203000
DTSTAMP:20260925T162212Z
CREATED:20260925T161531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T162212Z
UID:10002203-1791831600-1791837000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Lord of the Rings
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley with questions at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThe world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places\,” JRR Tolkien wrote in his magnum opus\, The Lord of the Rings. Over the next three quarters\, we will trace the journey of his heroes through many of those perilous and dark places. What does it mean to die for what you believe in\, or to exercise free will in the face of an omnipotent God\, and how does one endure a quest through the darkness in order to eventually reach the light?  \nThis weekly reading group will meet over dinner. In the fall\, we will read The Fellowship of the Ring. At each session we will read a manageable number of pages. All students (graduate and undergraduate) are welcome to register. Copies of the text will be provided. It is not necessary to register for all three quarters. Come as you are able.  \nCalendar & Syllabus\nAutumn Quarter – The Fellowship of the Ring \n\nOct. 12\, Week 1: Book 1 – Prologue\, Chapters 1 and 2 (pgs. 1-64)\nOct. 19\, Week 2: Book 1 – Chapters 3-7 (pgs. 65-133)\nOct. 26\, Week 3: Book 1 – Chapters 8-11 (pgs. 134-196)\nNov. 2\, Week 4: Book 1 – Chapter 12\, Book 2 – Chapters 1-2 (pgs. 197-271)\nNov. 9\, Week 5: Book 2 – Chapters 3-5 (pgs. 272-332)\nNov. 16\, Week 6: Book 2 – Chapters 6-10 (pgs. 333-412)\n\nWinter Quarter – The Two Towers \n\nWeek 1: Book 3 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 413-460)\nWeek 2: Book 3 – Chapters 4-5 (pgs. 461-505)\nWeek 3: Book 3 – Chapters 6-8 (pgs. 506-559)\nWeek 4: Book 3 – Chapters 9-end to Book 4 – Chapter 1 (pgs. 560-619)\nWeek 5: Book 4 – Chapters 2-5 (pgs. 620-682)\nWeek 6: Book 4 – Chapters 6-end (pgs. 683-746)\n\nSpring Quarter – The Return of the King \n\nWeek 1: Book 5 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 747-805)\nWeek 2: Book 5 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 806-849)\nWeek 3: Book 5 – Chapters 7-10 (pgs. 850-896)\nWeek 4: Book 6 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 897-947)\nWeek 5: Book 6 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 948-988)\nWeek 6: Book 6 – Chapters 7-end (pgs. 989-1032)\n\n\n \n\nAbout Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/lord-of-the-rings-2026-10-12/2026-10-12/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RGLOTR_Web-Image-v.1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261013T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261013T193000
DTSTAMP:20261006T204414Z
CREATED:20260918T164404Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T204414Z
UID:10002174-1791914400-1791919800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:American Idol(s): The False Gods That Threaten Our Freedom
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner Provided \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThales\, ancient Greek philosopher of nature\, remarked that all things are “full of gods.” He spoke truer than he realized. Human beings are inclined to transform their pursuits into “ultimate concerns” that become their “be all and end all”\, their ultimate meaning. 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 course will consider “false gods” that menace our freedom and happiness. And it will make a rational case for acknowledging the Divine “I AM” revealed in the Bible\, Incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.   \nCopies of The Uses of Idolatry by William Cavanaugh can be picked up from Gavin House in the week leading up to the first session of the class and afterwards. \nThis class Google Folder will contain other online class materials. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 6\, Week 1 –  Everybody Worships: A phenomenology of the human spirit.\nOct. 13\, Week 2 –  St. Augustine’s “Two Cities’: Idolatry as Self-Worship” (Further Optional Reading: excerpt from St. Augustine’s City of God)\nOct. 20\, Week 3 – The Splendid Idolatry of Nationalism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nOct. 27\, Week 4 – The Unsplendid Idolatries of Consumerism and Careerism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nNov. 3\, Week 5 – AI: an Idol? (Further reading: excerpt from Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas)\nNov. 10\, Week 6 –  I AM (Further reading: excerpt from Abraham Heschel’s The Sabbath)\n\n\n\n \n\n \nAbout Non-Credit Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a Tuesday evening non-credit course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). Survey-style lectures are held over a shared meal\, with no advanced preparation required.  These courses offer accessible introductions to key aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition. All UChicago students\, staff\, and faculty members are welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/american-idols-the-false-gods-that-threaten-our-freedom-2026-10-6/2026-10-13/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Non-Credit Courses
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NCCIdols_WebImage.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T183000
DTSTAMP:20260921T214015Z
CREATED:20260921T214015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T214015Z
UID:10002185-1791997200-1792002600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Purgatorio
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nDante’s Purgatorio occupies a unique\, if oft overlooked place in his Divine Comedy. As Dante ascends Mount Purgatory with Virgil as his guide\, he encounters penitent souls encompassing the full breadth and depth of the human experience\, all striving towards the purgation of sin and earthly desires. A middle ground between the eternal damnation of the Inferno and the eternal salvation of the Paradiso\, the Purgatorio paints a vivid portrait of medieval Italian politics\, Christian spirituality and mysticism\, divine love\, the limits of human reason in the face of the divine\, and the notion that no one\, should they seek it\, is barred from forgiveness\, redemption\, and mercy. \nWhile the Purgatorio is quite historically\, culturally\, and theologically dense\, this reading group is not dedicated to meditation on the Christian teachings therein. Instead\, the focus is on the consideration of the text as a poem\, and on poetry as a medium more broadly. What conclusions can be drawn from Dante’s visions\, dreams\, and representations of man at the extremes of the Christian theological and moral spectra\, and what does the poetic form in particular lend to these ends? More importantly\, how can poetry convey fundamental truths\, realizations\, and serve to inspire deep contemplation and reflection where prose fails?  \nGiven our short time together\, it will not be possible to read the Purgatorio in its entirety. Reading the poem in full\, however\, is optional\, and encouraged for those who would like to dive deeper into Dante’s work. Meetings will be 90 minutes\, and food and refreshments will be served. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Cantos 1\, 3\, 4\, 6 (Optional: Cantos 2\, 5)\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Cantos 7\, 9\, 10\, 12 (Optional: Cantos 8\, 11)\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Cantos 13\, 15\, 17\, 18 (Optional: Cantos 14\, 16)\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Cantos 19\, 21\, 22\, 24 (Optional: Cantos 20\, 23)\nNov. 11\, Week 5 – Cantos: 27\, 28\, 29 (Optional: Canto 25\, 26)\nNov. 18\, Week 6 – Cantos 30\, 31\, 32\, 33\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Undergraduate Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any undergraduate interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/purgatorio-2026-10-14/2026-10-14/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Purgatorio_WebImage.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T210000
DTSTAMP:20261006T222239Z
CREATED:20260921T212132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T222239Z
UID:10002181-1792006200-1792011600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Do We Still Remember What a University Is For? Reading Boyagoda’s Lords of Serendipity
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate students. Other students interested in attending should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nRandy Boyagoda’s much-anticipated new novel\, Lords of Serendipity\, arrives at a moment when universities are facing profound questions about their purpose\, value\, and future. By bringing together American and international students\, professors\, teaching assistants\, administrators\, and parents\, Boyagoda allows us to see the university from many sides at once. Moving across countries and social worlds\, the novel presents the university not simply as a place of learning\, but as an entire system—a business\, a status symbol\, a path to migration and social mobility\, and\, for families around the world\, an object of extraordinary hope. \nOver four weekly sessions\, we will use the novel as a shared lens for thinking about contemporary higher education and sharing our own experiences. What happens when we ask the university to fulfill so many different hopes at once? What happens when education becomes entangled with prestige\, debt\, ambition\, politics\, and institutional survival? And amid all these competing demands\, what makes genuine learning possible—and what might a university ultimately be for? \nBooks can be picked up any time during business hours at Gavin House. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Part One\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Part Two\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Part Three\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Part Four\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Graduate Student Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any graduate student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/what-is-a-university-for-reading-lords-of-serendipity/2026-10-14/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RGSerendipity_WebImage-v.1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261015T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261015T193000
DTSTAMP:20261029T200630Z
CREATED:20260929T215417Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261029T200630Z
UID:10002210-1792087200-1792092600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:A Visit To Nowhere: Reading Thomas More’s Utopia
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nIn 1516\, Thomas More published Utopia\, inspiring generations of writers and an entirely new genre of literature. 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? Should we try to build utopian societies today? Come and join us for dinner and discussion.\n\nCopies of Utopia will be provided to all participants\, they may be picked up at Gavin House in the week prior to the event during business hours. Bi-weekly meetings are held on Thursday evenings over dinner. Weekly reading assignments are kept at approximately 30 pages.\n\nSchedule\n\n6:00 p.m.   Dinner\n6:15 p.m.    Discussion\n7:30 p.m.   End\n\nCalendar\n\nOct. 15\, Week 1 – Book I\nOct. 29\, Week 2 – Book II (pt. 1) \nNov. 12\, Week 3 – Book II (pt. 2) \n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Fundamental Questions Seminars\nThis event is part of Lumen Christi’s Fundamental Questions program\, a quarterly seminar designed for undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. By fostering intellectually rigorous conversation around culturally resonant texts\, we aim to allow students to experience the force of the deep existential concerns which animate our lives: “Where do my values come from? What is the good life? How can I become happy?” Our aim is not to answer such fundamental questions\, but rather to equip students with the intellectual skills needed to recognize and articulate them for themselves. This group welcomes students from all religious and philosophical backgrounds because existential questions of being are of concern to all. \nIn addition\, undergraduate students who participate in this seminar are eligible to become “Nicklin Fellows.” These fellows will have exclusive access to research and development grant funds to pursue their intellectual interests. Learn more here.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/a-visit-to-nowhere-reading-thomas-mores-utopia/2026-10-15/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Fundamental Questions Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/FQSUtopia_-WebImage-v.1-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261016T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261016T110000
DTSTAMP:20261013T143900Z
CREATED:20260924T155819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261013T143900Z
UID:10002197-1792144800-1792148400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:The Psalms in Latin
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nRefreshments Provided | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThis fall\, join the Lumen Christi Institute in reading the Psalms in their historic Latin translations. The Latin Psalter was the foundation of western Catholic prayer and spirituality from Late Antiquity\, through the Middle Ages and well into the Early Modern period. Artistic and literary works from across this time span are replete with allusions to the Psalms and anyone interested in post-Classical Latin literature would benefit from greater familiarity with them. The Psalms also tend to display relatively simple grammar and provide approachable native content for beginning students of Latin. \nAnyone interested in reading the Psalms is invited to join us—it is not necessary to be Catholic to participate\, and all levels of Latin are welcome. No preparation is expected. We will translate one Psalm per session\, so if you are unable to make all of the sessions you can still fully participate. \nClass materials can be found here. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 9\, Week 1 – Psalm 1 “Beatus vir”\nOct. 16\, Week 2 – Psalm 28 “Dominus illuminatio mea”\nOct. 23\, Week 3 – Psalm 94 “Venite\, exsultemus Domino”\nOct. 30\, Week 4 – Psalm 129 “De profundis”\nNov. 6\, Week 5 – Psalm 50 “Miserere”\nNov. 13\, Week 6 – Psalm 90 “Qui habitat”\n\n\n \n\n \n\nAbout Language Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts at least one classical language reading group at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal. Any student interested in working on his or her classical languages is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/the-psalms-in-latin-2026-10-9/2026-10-16/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RGVulgate_Web-Image-v.1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261016T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261016T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T193257Z
CREATED:20260921T215036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T193257Z
UID:10002191-1792152000-1792155600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:A Poetry Salon
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nLunch | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. Note: The group will not meet on the Friday of November 6th. \nIn the 18th-century\, a distinct culture of the salon and the coffee house developed  in Europe. Here\, in a genteel and generous atmosphere\, lively humanistic conversation was encouraged.  Literary works were discussed freely and hospitably over shared refreshments.  \nAs an institute committed (in part) to making old things new again\, the Lumen Christi Institute will host a poetry salon on Fridays. Over lunch\, participants will read and discuss a great poem together. Neither advance preparation nor expertise in poetry is required.  The only prerequisites are a desire for good company\, good food\, and good poesy.  \nParticipants are encouraged not to prepare beforehand.  Our goal is to read closely and naively\, together. The salon will be hosted by Associate Director and Scholar-in-Residence\, Austin Walker.  \nLunch will begin at 12pm. At around 12:10pm\, we will read the poem aloud. Discussion will follow and we will conclude at 1pm. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct 16\, Week 1 – William Shakespeare\, Sonnet 73 (“That time of year thou mayst in me behold…”)\nOct 23\, Week 2 –  John Donne\, Holy Sonnet XIV (“Batter my heart\, three-person’d God\, for you…”)\nOct 30\, Week 3 – Yvor Winters\, “Time and the Garden” (“The spring has darkened with activity”)\nNov 6 – No Session\nNov 13\, Week 4 – Gerard Manley Hopkins\, The Windhover (“I caught this morning’s minion\, king-…”)\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n \nAbout Reading Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a student-centered reading course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading course is usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/a-poetry-salon-2026-10-16/2026-10-16/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Courses
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RCPoetry_WebImage-v.2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261019T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261019T203000
DTSTAMP:20260925T162212Z
CREATED:20260925T161531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T162212Z
UID:10002204-1792436400-1792441800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Lord of the Rings
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley with questions at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThe world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places\,” JRR Tolkien wrote in his magnum opus\, The Lord of the Rings. Over the next three quarters\, we will trace the journey of his heroes through many of those perilous and dark places. What does it mean to die for what you believe in\, or to exercise free will in the face of an omnipotent God\, and how does one endure a quest through the darkness in order to eventually reach the light?  \nThis weekly reading group will meet over dinner. In the fall\, we will read The Fellowship of the Ring. At each session we will read a manageable number of pages. All students (graduate and undergraduate) are welcome to register. Copies of the text will be provided. It is not necessary to register for all three quarters. Come as you are able.  \nCalendar & Syllabus\nAutumn Quarter – The Fellowship of the Ring \n\nOct. 12\, Week 1: Book 1 – Prologue\, Chapters 1 and 2 (pgs. 1-64)\nOct. 19\, Week 2: Book 1 – Chapters 3-7 (pgs. 65-133)\nOct. 26\, Week 3: Book 1 – Chapters 8-11 (pgs. 134-196)\nNov. 2\, Week 4: Book 1 – Chapter 12\, Book 2 – Chapters 1-2 (pgs. 197-271)\nNov. 9\, Week 5: Book 2 – Chapters 3-5 (pgs. 272-332)\nNov. 16\, Week 6: Book 2 – Chapters 6-10 (pgs. 333-412)\n\nWinter Quarter – The Two Towers \n\nWeek 1: Book 3 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 413-460)\nWeek 2: Book 3 – Chapters 4-5 (pgs. 461-505)\nWeek 3: Book 3 – Chapters 6-8 (pgs. 506-559)\nWeek 4: Book 3 – Chapters 9-end to Book 4 – Chapter 1 (pgs. 560-619)\nWeek 5: Book 4 – Chapters 2-5 (pgs. 620-682)\nWeek 6: Book 4 – Chapters 6-end (pgs. 683-746)\n\nSpring Quarter – The Return of the King \n\nWeek 1: Book 5 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 747-805)\nWeek 2: Book 5 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 806-849)\nWeek 3: Book 5 – Chapters 7-10 (pgs. 850-896)\nWeek 4: Book 6 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 897-947)\nWeek 5: Book 6 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 948-988)\nWeek 6: Book 6 – Chapters 7-end (pgs. 989-1032)\n\n\n \n\nAbout Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/lord-of-the-rings-2026-10-12/2026-10-19/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RGLOTR_Web-Image-v.1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T193000
DTSTAMP:20261006T204414Z
CREATED:20260918T164404Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T204414Z
UID:10002175-1792519200-1792524600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:American Idol(s): The False Gods That Threaten Our Freedom
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner Provided \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThales\, ancient Greek philosopher of nature\, remarked that all things are “full of gods.” He spoke truer than he realized. Human beings are inclined to transform their pursuits into “ultimate concerns” that become their “be all and end all”\, their ultimate meaning. 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 course will consider “false gods” that menace our freedom and happiness. And it will make a rational case for acknowledging the Divine “I AM” revealed in the Bible\, Incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.   \nCopies of The Uses of Idolatry by William Cavanaugh can be picked up from Gavin House in the week leading up to the first session of the class and afterwards. \nThis class Google Folder will contain other online class materials. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 6\, Week 1 –  Everybody Worships: A phenomenology of the human spirit.\nOct. 13\, Week 2 –  St. Augustine’s “Two Cities’: Idolatry as Self-Worship” (Further Optional Reading: excerpt from St. Augustine’s City of God)\nOct. 20\, Week 3 – The Splendid Idolatry of Nationalism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nOct. 27\, Week 4 – The Unsplendid Idolatries of Consumerism and Careerism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nNov. 3\, Week 5 – AI: an Idol? (Further reading: excerpt from Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas)\nNov. 10\, Week 6 –  I AM (Further reading: excerpt from Abraham Heschel’s The Sabbath)\n\n\n\n \n\n \nAbout Non-Credit Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a Tuesday evening non-credit course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). Survey-style lectures are held over a shared meal\, with no advanced preparation required.  These courses offer accessible introductions to key aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition. All UChicago students\, staff\, and faculty members are welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/american-idols-the-false-gods-that-threaten-our-freedom-2026-10-6/2026-10-20/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Non-Credit Courses
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NCCIdols_WebImage.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T183000
DTSTAMP:20260921T214015Z
CREATED:20260921T214015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T214015Z
UID:10002186-1792602000-1792607400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Purgatorio
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nDante’s Purgatorio occupies a unique\, if oft overlooked place in his Divine Comedy. As Dante ascends Mount Purgatory with Virgil as his guide\, he encounters penitent souls encompassing the full breadth and depth of the human experience\, all striving towards the purgation of sin and earthly desires. A middle ground between the eternal damnation of the Inferno and the eternal salvation of the Paradiso\, the Purgatorio paints a vivid portrait of medieval Italian politics\, Christian spirituality and mysticism\, divine love\, the limits of human reason in the face of the divine\, and the notion that no one\, should they seek it\, is barred from forgiveness\, redemption\, and mercy. \nWhile the Purgatorio is quite historically\, culturally\, and theologically dense\, this reading group is not dedicated to meditation on the Christian teachings therein. Instead\, the focus is on the consideration of the text as a poem\, and on poetry as a medium more broadly. What conclusions can be drawn from Dante’s visions\, dreams\, and representations of man at the extremes of the Christian theological and moral spectra\, and what does the poetic form in particular lend to these ends? More importantly\, how can poetry convey fundamental truths\, realizations\, and serve to inspire deep contemplation and reflection where prose fails?  \nGiven our short time together\, it will not be possible to read the Purgatorio in its entirety. Reading the poem in full\, however\, is optional\, and encouraged for those who would like to dive deeper into Dante’s work. Meetings will be 90 minutes\, and food and refreshments will be served. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Cantos 1\, 3\, 4\, 6 (Optional: Cantos 2\, 5)\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Cantos 7\, 9\, 10\, 12 (Optional: Cantos 8\, 11)\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Cantos 13\, 15\, 17\, 18 (Optional: Cantos 14\, 16)\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Cantos 19\, 21\, 22\, 24 (Optional: Cantos 20\, 23)\nNov. 11\, Week 5 – Cantos: 27\, 28\, 29 (Optional: Canto 25\, 26)\nNov. 18\, Week 6 – Cantos 30\, 31\, 32\, 33\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Undergraduate Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any undergraduate interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/purgatorio-2026-10-14/2026-10-21/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Purgatorio_WebImage.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261021T210000
DTSTAMP:20261006T222239Z
CREATED:20260921T212132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T222239Z
UID:10002182-1792611000-1792616400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Do We Still Remember What a University Is For? Reading Boyagoda’s Lords of Serendipity
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate students. Other students interested in attending should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nRandy Boyagoda’s much-anticipated new novel\, Lords of Serendipity\, arrives at a moment when universities are facing profound questions about their purpose\, value\, and future. By bringing together American and international students\, professors\, teaching assistants\, administrators\, and parents\, Boyagoda allows us to see the university from many sides at once. Moving across countries and social worlds\, the novel presents the university not simply as a place of learning\, but as an entire system—a business\, a status symbol\, a path to migration and social mobility\, and\, for families around the world\, an object of extraordinary hope. \nOver four weekly sessions\, we will use the novel as a shared lens for thinking about contemporary higher education and sharing our own experiences. What happens when we ask the university to fulfill so many different hopes at once? What happens when education becomes entangled with prestige\, debt\, ambition\, politics\, and institutional survival? And amid all these competing demands\, what makes genuine learning possible—and what might a university ultimately be for? \nBooks can be picked up any time during business hours at Gavin House. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Part One\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Part Two\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Part Three\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Part Four\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Graduate Student Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any graduate student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/what-is-a-university-for-reading-lords-of-serendipity/2026-10-21/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RGSerendipity_WebImage-v.1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T203000
DTSTAMP:20260826T180853Z
CREATED:20260826T180853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T180853Z
UID:10002162-1792688400-1792701000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Saint Louis Catholic Criminal Justice Reform Network Dialogue
DESCRIPTION:This event is by invitation only. For more information\, please contact Geoffrey Zokal at gzokal@lumenchristi.org. \nThe Catholic Criminal Justice Reform Network (CCJRN)\, an initiative of the Lumen Christi Institute\, will host an invite-only evening dialogue with dinner at the Saint Louis University School of Law to bring together those responsible for our criminal justice system and those most directly impacted by it: survivors of crime and returning citizens. The program will open with an optional Mass. \nThe event will feature a panel of key players from the criminal justice system and be followed by round table conversations. The roundtable conversations enable encounters among those who play key roles in our criminal justice system (including prosecutors\, defense attorneys\, judges\, corrections officials\, and law enforcement) with those persons impacted by the criminal justice system (including the formerly incarcerated\, victims of crime\, and their families). 
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/saintlouisdialogue/
LOCATION:IL
CATEGORIES:Conference
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/justice.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T110000
DTSTAMP:20261013T143900Z
CREATED:20260924T155819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261013T143900Z
UID:10002198-1792749600-1792753200@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:The Psalms in Latin
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nRefreshments Provided | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThis fall\, join the Lumen Christi Institute in reading the Psalms in their historic Latin translations. The Latin Psalter was the foundation of western Catholic prayer and spirituality from Late Antiquity\, through the Middle Ages and well into the Early Modern period. Artistic and literary works from across this time span are replete with allusions to the Psalms and anyone interested in post-Classical Latin literature would benefit from greater familiarity with them. The Psalms also tend to display relatively simple grammar and provide approachable native content for beginning students of Latin. \nAnyone interested in reading the Psalms is invited to join us—it is not necessary to be Catholic to participate\, and all levels of Latin are welcome. No preparation is expected. We will translate one Psalm per session\, so if you are unable to make all of the sessions you can still fully participate. \nClass materials can be found here. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 9\, Week 1 – Psalm 1 “Beatus vir”\nOct. 16\, Week 2 – Psalm 28 “Dominus illuminatio mea”\nOct. 23\, Week 3 – Psalm 94 “Venite\, exsultemus Domino”\nOct. 30\, Week 4 – Psalm 129 “De profundis”\nNov. 6\, Week 5 – Psalm 50 “Miserere”\nNov. 13\, Week 6 – Psalm 90 “Qui habitat”\n\n\n \n\n \n\nAbout Language Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts at least one classical language reading group at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal. Any student interested in working on his or her classical languages is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/the-psalms-in-latin-2026-10-9/2026-10-23/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RGVulgate_Web-Image-v.1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T193257Z
CREATED:20260921T215036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T193257Z
UID:10002192-1792756800-1792760400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:A Poetry Salon
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nLunch | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. Note: The group will not meet on the Friday of November 6th. \nIn the 18th-century\, a distinct culture of the salon and the coffee house developed  in Europe. Here\, in a genteel and generous atmosphere\, lively humanistic conversation was encouraged.  Literary works were discussed freely and hospitably over shared refreshments.  \nAs an institute committed (in part) to making old things new again\, the Lumen Christi Institute will host a poetry salon on Fridays. Over lunch\, participants will read and discuss a great poem together. Neither advance preparation nor expertise in poetry is required.  The only prerequisites are a desire for good company\, good food\, and good poesy.  \nParticipants are encouraged not to prepare beforehand.  Our goal is to read closely and naively\, together. The salon will be hosted by Associate Director and Scholar-in-Residence\, Austin Walker.  \nLunch will begin at 12pm. At around 12:10pm\, we will read the poem aloud. Discussion will follow and we will conclude at 1pm. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct 16\, Week 1 – William Shakespeare\, Sonnet 73 (“That time of year thou mayst in me behold…”)\nOct 23\, Week 2 –  John Donne\, Holy Sonnet XIV (“Batter my heart\, three-person’d God\, for you…”)\nOct 30\, Week 3 – Yvor Winters\, “Time and the Garden” (“The spring has darkened with activity”)\nNov 6 – No Session\nNov 13\, Week 4 – Gerard Manley Hopkins\, The Windhover (“I caught this morning’s minion\, king-…”)\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n \nAbout Reading Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a student-centered reading course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading course is usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/a-poetry-salon-2026-10-16/2026-10-23/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Courses
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RCPoetry_WebImage-v.2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261026T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261026T203000
DTSTAMP:20260925T162212Z
CREATED:20260925T161531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T162212Z
UID:10002205-1793041200-1793046600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Lord of the Rings
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley with questions at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThe world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places\,” JRR Tolkien wrote in his magnum opus\, The Lord of the Rings. Over the next three quarters\, we will trace the journey of his heroes through many of those perilous and dark places. What does it mean to die for what you believe in\, or to exercise free will in the face of an omnipotent God\, and how does one endure a quest through the darkness in order to eventually reach the light?  \nThis weekly reading group will meet over dinner. In the fall\, we will read The Fellowship of the Ring. At each session we will read a manageable number of pages. All students (graduate and undergraduate) are welcome to register. Copies of the text will be provided. It is not necessary to register for all three quarters. Come as you are able.  \nCalendar & Syllabus\nAutumn Quarter – The Fellowship of the Ring \n\nOct. 12\, Week 1: Book 1 – Prologue\, Chapters 1 and 2 (pgs. 1-64)\nOct. 19\, Week 2: Book 1 – Chapters 3-7 (pgs. 65-133)\nOct. 26\, Week 3: Book 1 – Chapters 8-11 (pgs. 134-196)\nNov. 2\, Week 4: Book 1 – Chapter 12\, Book 2 – Chapters 1-2 (pgs. 197-271)\nNov. 9\, Week 5: Book 2 – Chapters 3-5 (pgs. 272-332)\nNov. 16\, Week 6: Book 2 – Chapters 6-10 (pgs. 333-412)\n\nWinter Quarter – The Two Towers \n\nWeek 1: Book 3 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 413-460)\nWeek 2: Book 3 – Chapters 4-5 (pgs. 461-505)\nWeek 3: Book 3 – Chapters 6-8 (pgs. 506-559)\nWeek 4: Book 3 – Chapters 9-end to Book 4 – Chapter 1 (pgs. 560-619)\nWeek 5: Book 4 – Chapters 2-5 (pgs. 620-682)\nWeek 6: Book 4 – Chapters 6-end (pgs. 683-746)\n\nSpring Quarter – The Return of the King \n\nWeek 1: Book 5 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 747-805)\nWeek 2: Book 5 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 806-849)\nWeek 3: Book 5 – Chapters 7-10 (pgs. 850-896)\nWeek 4: Book 6 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 897-947)\nWeek 5: Book 6 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 948-988)\nWeek 6: Book 6 – Chapters 7-end (pgs. 989-1032)\n\n\n \n\nAbout Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/lord-of-the-rings-2026-10-12/2026-10-26/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RGLOTR_Web-Image-v.1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261027T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261027T193000
DTSTAMP:20261026T201651Z
CREATED:20260924T154852Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261026T201651Z
UID:10002165-1793120400-1793129400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Canonizing Canines?: A Dog "Saint" and Medieval Christians
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\n5:00 p.m. Doors Open | 5:15 p.m.  Mass  |  5:45 p.m. Reception  |  6:30 p.m. Lecture  |   \n7:30 p.m. End \nFor information\, please contact Margaux Taffet at mtaffet@lumenchristi.org. \nWe offer our condolences to the family and friends of Fr. Stephen Molvarec\, SJ\, who died on Saturday. Eternal rest grant unto him\, O Lord\, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. \nWe are grateful to Fr. Michael Maher\, SJ\, who has stepped in to offer the lecture. \nThis talk explores the veneration by Medieval Christians of “Saint” Guinefort\, a greyhound said to have lived a heroic life in 13th-century France. While the Church does not formally name dogs as saints – then or now – this case raises some interesting questions about sanctity and also the relationship of Christians with animals\, particularly dogs\, as well as lived experiences of the natural world by our Christian forebearers. \nThis event is co-sponsored by Loyola Academy. \nRegistration Form
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/bollandist-lecture-oct-2026/
LOCATION:Loyola Academy Chapel\, 1100 Laramie Avenue\, Wilmette\, 60091\, United States
CATEGORIES:Lectures & Symposia
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/CanonizingCanines_IMAGEEDIT-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261027T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261027T193000
DTSTAMP:20261006T204414Z
CREATED:20260918T164404Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T204414Z
UID:10002176-1793124000-1793129400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:American Idol(s): The False Gods That Threaten Our Freedom
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner Provided \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThales\, ancient Greek philosopher of nature\, remarked that all things are “full of gods.” He spoke truer than he realized. Human beings are inclined to transform their pursuits into “ultimate concerns” that become their “be all and end all”\, their ultimate meaning. 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 course will consider “false gods” that menace our freedom and happiness. And it will make a rational case for acknowledging the Divine “I AM” revealed in the Bible\, Incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.   \nCopies of The Uses of Idolatry by William Cavanaugh can be picked up from Gavin House in the week leading up to the first session of the class and afterwards. \nThis class Google Folder will contain other online class materials. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 6\, Week 1 –  Everybody Worships: A phenomenology of the human spirit.\nOct. 13\, Week 2 –  St. Augustine’s “Two Cities’: Idolatry as Self-Worship” (Further Optional Reading: excerpt from St. Augustine’s City of God)\nOct. 20\, Week 3 – The Splendid Idolatry of Nationalism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nOct. 27\, Week 4 – The Unsplendid Idolatries of Consumerism and Careerism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nNov. 3\, Week 5 – AI: an Idol? (Further reading: excerpt from Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas)\nNov. 10\, Week 6 –  I AM (Further reading: excerpt from Abraham Heschel’s The Sabbath)\n\n\n\n \n\n \nAbout Non-Credit Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a Tuesday evening non-credit course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). Survey-style lectures are held over a shared meal\, with no advanced preparation required.  These courses offer accessible introductions to key aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition. All UChicago students\, staff\, and faculty members are welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/american-idols-the-false-gods-that-threaten-our-freedom-2026-10-6/2026-10-27/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Non-Credit Courses
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NCCIdols_WebImage.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T183000
DTSTAMP:20260921T214015Z
CREATED:20260921T214015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T214015Z
UID:10002187-1793206800-1793212200@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Purgatorio
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nDante’s Purgatorio occupies a unique\, if oft overlooked place in his Divine Comedy. As Dante ascends Mount Purgatory with Virgil as his guide\, he encounters penitent souls encompassing the full breadth and depth of the human experience\, all striving towards the purgation of sin and earthly desires. A middle ground between the eternal damnation of the Inferno and the eternal salvation of the Paradiso\, the Purgatorio paints a vivid portrait of medieval Italian politics\, Christian spirituality and mysticism\, divine love\, the limits of human reason in the face of the divine\, and the notion that no one\, should they seek it\, is barred from forgiveness\, redemption\, and mercy. \nWhile the Purgatorio is quite historically\, culturally\, and theologically dense\, this reading group is not dedicated to meditation on the Christian teachings therein. Instead\, the focus is on the consideration of the text as a poem\, and on poetry as a medium more broadly. What conclusions can be drawn from Dante’s visions\, dreams\, and representations of man at the extremes of the Christian theological and moral spectra\, and what does the poetic form in particular lend to these ends? More importantly\, how can poetry convey fundamental truths\, realizations\, and serve to inspire deep contemplation and reflection where prose fails?  \nGiven our short time together\, it will not be possible to read the Purgatorio in its entirety. Reading the poem in full\, however\, is optional\, and encouraged for those who would like to dive deeper into Dante’s work. Meetings will be 90 minutes\, and food and refreshments will be served. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Cantos 1\, 3\, 4\, 6 (Optional: Cantos 2\, 5)\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Cantos 7\, 9\, 10\, 12 (Optional: Cantos 8\, 11)\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Cantos 13\, 15\, 17\, 18 (Optional: Cantos 14\, 16)\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Cantos 19\, 21\, 22\, 24 (Optional: Cantos 20\, 23)\nNov. 11\, Week 5 – Cantos: 27\, 28\, 29 (Optional: Canto 25\, 26)\nNov. 18\, Week 6 – Cantos 30\, 31\, 32\, 33\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Undergraduate Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any undergraduate interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/purgatorio-2026-10-14/2026-10-28/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lumenchristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Purgatorio_WebImage.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T203000
DTSTAMP:20260930T200449Z
CREATED:20260914T152717Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T200449Z
UID:10002164-1793212200-1793219400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:How to Grieve as a Catholic | West Suburban Catholic Culture Series
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\n6:30 p.m. Doors Open  |  7:00 p.m. Dinner  |  7:30 p.m. Lecture and Q&A  |  8:30 p.m. End \nBusiness casual attire encouraged. For more information\, please contact Margaux Taffet at mtaffet@lumenchristi.org. \nGrief takes many forms. We grieve the death of those we love\, but also broken relationships\, lost abilities\, unrealized hopes\, and ways of life that cannot be ours. Contemporary therapeutic approaches often emphasize that there is no right way to grieve: each person’s loss is unique\, and each must find a way through it. But does the Catholic tradition have more to say about how we should live with loss? \nDrawing 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. What does it mean to acknowledge the goodness of what has been lost without believing it was ever simply ours to possess? How can we honor our profound capacity to love without allowing longing to become despair? And how might grief itself become a work of love\, reorienting us toward the good of other persons and ultimately toward God? \n  \nSeries Description\nHow to Live\, Move\, and Be as a Catholic\nIn the ancient world\, religious adherents were set apart by special dress\, diet\, and customs. Yet in the 2nd century Letter to Diognetus\, the anonymous writer observes that Christians didn’t distinguish themselves from other people by a special abode\, a special language\, special attire\, or a special diet.    \nChristians are truly a people “set apart” and sanctified\, but what distinguishes the Christian people if not the traditional markers of culture? Catholics cook with a wide variety of spices and ingredients; attend all kinds of schools; are drawn to different kinds of art and music; and wear all kinds of clothes. Catholic life and worship looks very different in France from what it looks like in Rwanda\, which in turn differs from Catholicism in Japan\, the United States\, or Poland.   \nTo be Catholic — which means “concerning the whole” — means that everything about our lives relates back to our Faith. Yet it also means that there is a dynamic interaction between our Faith and the circumstances of our lives. To “cook as a Catholic” means something important\, something deeply connected to our innermost being\, but it is not a rigid set of procedures or list of prohibited foods. \nFor the 2026-2027 West Suburban Catholic Culture Series\, we would like to invite you to join us in considering how to view the “ordinary” elements of our lives through the wisdom and tradition of the Catholic Church — but without reducing the wisdom and tradition of the church to a single method or fashion. Lectures this year will consider how to live in that tension with imagination\, discernment\, and with that “peace which surpasseth all understanding.”  \n  \nFall Calendar\nSeptember 23: How to Pray as a Catholic | Daniel Wasserman-Soler\, Lumen Christi Institute \n October 28: How to Grieve as a Catholic | Cassandra Sever\, Lumen Christi Institute \nNovember 18: How to Read Literature (and Life) as a Catholic | Joshua Hren\, University of St. Thomas\, Houston; Wiseblood Books \n  \nSpring Calendar\nMarch 10: How to Do Politics as a Catholic | Anna Vincenzi\, Hillsdale College \nApril 14: How to Drink Wine as a Catholic | Jay Martin\, University of Notre Dame \nMay 12: How to Garden as a Catholic | Jennifer Newsome Martin\, University of Notre Dame \n  \nRegistration Form
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/wsccs-oct-2026/
LOCATION:Ruth Lake Country Club\, 6200 South Madison Street\, Hinsdale\, IL
CATEGORIES:West Suburban Series,Cultural Forum
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T210000
DTSTAMP:20261006T222239Z
CREATED:20260921T212132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T222239Z
UID:10002183-1793215800-1793221200@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Do We Still Remember What a University Is For? Reading Boyagoda’s Lords of Serendipity
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate students. Other students interested in attending should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nRandy Boyagoda’s much-anticipated new novel\, Lords of Serendipity\, arrives at a moment when universities are facing profound questions about their purpose\, value\, and future. By bringing together American and international students\, professors\, teaching assistants\, administrators\, and parents\, Boyagoda allows us to see the university from many sides at once. Moving across countries and social worlds\, the novel presents the university not simply as a place of learning\, but as an entire system—a business\, a status symbol\, a path to migration and social mobility\, and\, for families around the world\, an object of extraordinary hope. \nOver four weekly sessions\, we will use the novel as a shared lens for thinking about contemporary higher education and sharing our own experiences. What happens when we ask the university to fulfill so many different hopes at once? What happens when education becomes entangled with prestige\, debt\, ambition\, politics\, and institutional survival? And amid all these competing demands\, what makes genuine learning possible—and what might a university ultimately be for? \nBooks can be picked up any time during business hours at Gavin House. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Part One\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Part Two\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Part Three\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Part Four\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Graduate Student Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any graduate student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/what-is-a-university-for-reading-lords-of-serendipity/2026-10-28/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261029T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261029T193000
DTSTAMP:20261029T200630Z
CREATED:20260929T215417Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261029T200630Z
UID:10002211-1793296800-1793302200@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:A Visit To Nowhere: Reading Thomas More’s Utopia
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nIn 1516\, Thomas More published Utopia\, inspiring generations of writers and an entirely new genre of literature. 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? Should we try to build utopian societies today? Come and join us for dinner and discussion.\n\nCopies of Utopia will be provided to all participants\, they may be picked up at Gavin House in the week prior to the event during business hours. Bi-weekly meetings are held on Thursday evenings over dinner. Weekly reading assignments are kept at approximately 30 pages.\n\nSchedule\n\n6:00 p.m.   Dinner\n6:15 p.m.    Discussion\n7:30 p.m.   End\n\nCalendar\n\nOct. 15\, Week 1 – Book I\nOct. 29\, Week 2 – Book II (pt. 1) \nNov. 12\, Week 3 – Book II (pt. 2) \n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Fundamental Questions Seminars\nThis event is part of Lumen Christi’s Fundamental Questions program\, a quarterly seminar designed for undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. By fostering intellectually rigorous conversation around culturally resonant texts\, we aim to allow students to experience the force of the deep existential concerns which animate our lives: “Where do my values come from? What is the good life? How can I become happy?” Our aim is not to answer such fundamental questions\, but rather to equip students with the intellectual skills needed to recognize and articulate them for themselves. This group welcomes students from all religious and philosophical backgrounds because existential questions of being are of concern to all. \nIn addition\, undergraduate students who participate in this seminar are eligible to become “Nicklin Fellows.” These fellows will have exclusive access to research and development grant funds to pursue their intellectual interests. Learn more here.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/a-visit-to-nowhere-reading-thomas-mores-utopia/2026-10-29/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Fundamental Questions Seminar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261030T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261030T110000
DTSTAMP:20261013T143900Z
CREATED:20260924T155819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261013T143900Z
UID:10002199-1793354400-1793358000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:The Psalms in Latin
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nRefreshments Provided | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThis fall\, join the Lumen Christi Institute in reading the Psalms in their historic Latin translations. The Latin Psalter was the foundation of western Catholic prayer and spirituality from Late Antiquity\, through the Middle Ages and well into the Early Modern period. Artistic and literary works from across this time span are replete with allusions to the Psalms and anyone interested in post-Classical Latin literature would benefit from greater familiarity with them. The Psalms also tend to display relatively simple grammar and provide approachable native content for beginning students of Latin. \nAnyone interested in reading the Psalms is invited to join us—it is not necessary to be Catholic to participate\, and all levels of Latin are welcome. No preparation is expected. We will translate one Psalm per session\, so if you are unable to make all of the sessions you can still fully participate. \nClass materials can be found here. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 9\, Week 1 – Psalm 1 “Beatus vir”\nOct. 16\, Week 2 – Psalm 28 “Dominus illuminatio mea”\nOct. 23\, Week 3 – Psalm 94 “Venite\, exsultemus Domino”\nOct. 30\, Week 4 – Psalm 129 “De profundis”\nNov. 6\, Week 5 – Psalm 50 “Miserere”\nNov. 13\, Week 6 – Psalm 90 “Qui habitat”\n\n\n \n\n \n\nAbout Language Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts at least one classical language reading group at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal. Any student interested in working on his or her classical languages is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/the-psalms-in-latin-2026-10-9/2026-10-30/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261030T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261030T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T193257Z
CREATED:20260921T215036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T193257Z
UID:10002193-1793361600-1793365200@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:A Poetry Salon
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nLunch | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. Note: The group will not meet on the Friday of November 6th. \nIn the 18th-century\, a distinct culture of the salon and the coffee house developed  in Europe. Here\, in a genteel and generous atmosphere\, lively humanistic conversation was encouraged.  Literary works were discussed freely and hospitably over shared refreshments.  \nAs an institute committed (in part) to making old things new again\, the Lumen Christi Institute will host a poetry salon on Fridays. Over lunch\, participants will read and discuss a great poem together. Neither advance preparation nor expertise in poetry is required.  The only prerequisites are a desire for good company\, good food\, and good poesy.  \nParticipants are encouraged not to prepare beforehand.  Our goal is to read closely and naively\, together. The salon will be hosted by Associate Director and Scholar-in-Residence\, Austin Walker.  \nLunch will begin at 12pm. At around 12:10pm\, we will read the poem aloud. Discussion will follow and we will conclude at 1pm. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct 16\, Week 1 – William Shakespeare\, Sonnet 73 (“That time of year thou mayst in me behold…”)\nOct 23\, Week 2 –  John Donne\, Holy Sonnet XIV (“Batter my heart\, three-person’d God\, for you…”)\nOct 30\, Week 3 – Yvor Winters\, “Time and the Garden” (“The spring has darkened with activity”)\nNov 6 – No Session\nNov 13\, Week 4 – Gerard Manley Hopkins\, The Windhover (“I caught this morning’s minion\, king-…”)\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n \nAbout Reading Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a student-centered reading course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading course is usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/a-poetry-salon-2026-10-16/2026-10-30/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Courses
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261102T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261102T203000
DTSTAMP:20260925T162212Z
CREATED:20260925T161531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T162212Z
UID:10002206-1793646000-1793651400@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Lord of the Rings
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley with questions at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThe world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places\,” JRR Tolkien wrote in his magnum opus\, The Lord of the Rings. Over the next three quarters\, we will trace the journey of his heroes through many of those perilous and dark places. What does it mean to die for what you believe in\, or to exercise free will in the face of an omnipotent God\, and how does one endure a quest through the darkness in order to eventually reach the light?  \nThis weekly reading group will meet over dinner. In the fall\, we will read The Fellowship of the Ring. At each session we will read a manageable number of pages. All students (graduate and undergraduate) are welcome to register. Copies of the text will be provided. It is not necessary to register for all three quarters. Come as you are able.  \nCalendar & Syllabus\nAutumn Quarter – The Fellowship of the Ring \n\nOct. 12\, Week 1: Book 1 – Prologue\, Chapters 1 and 2 (pgs. 1-64)\nOct. 19\, Week 2: Book 1 – Chapters 3-7 (pgs. 65-133)\nOct. 26\, Week 3: Book 1 – Chapters 8-11 (pgs. 134-196)\nNov. 2\, Week 4: Book 1 – Chapter 12\, Book 2 – Chapters 1-2 (pgs. 197-271)\nNov. 9\, Week 5: Book 2 – Chapters 3-5 (pgs. 272-332)\nNov. 16\, Week 6: Book 2 – Chapters 6-10 (pgs. 333-412)\n\nWinter Quarter – The Two Towers \n\nWeek 1: Book 3 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 413-460)\nWeek 2: Book 3 – Chapters 4-5 (pgs. 461-505)\nWeek 3: Book 3 – Chapters 6-8 (pgs. 506-559)\nWeek 4: Book 3 – Chapters 9-end to Book 4 – Chapter 1 (pgs. 560-619)\nWeek 5: Book 4 – Chapters 2-5 (pgs. 620-682)\nWeek 6: Book 4 – Chapters 6-end (pgs. 683-746)\n\nSpring Quarter – The Return of the King \n\nWeek 1: Book 5 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 747-805)\nWeek 2: Book 5 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 806-849)\nWeek 3: Book 5 – Chapters 7-10 (pgs. 850-896)\nWeek 4: Book 6 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 897-947)\nWeek 5: Book 6 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 948-988)\nWeek 6: Book 6 – Chapters 7-end (pgs. 989-1032)\n\n\n \n\nAbout Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/lord-of-the-rings-2026-10-12/2026-11-02/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261103T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261103T193000
DTSTAMP:20261029T200736Z
CREATED:20261029T200735Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261029T200736Z
UID:10002177-1793728800-1793734200@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:American Idol(s): The False Gods That Threaten Our Freedom
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner Provided \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThales\, ancient Greek philosopher of nature\, remarked that all things are “full of gods.” He spoke truer than he realized. Human beings are inclined to transform their pursuits into “ultimate concerns” that become their “be all and end all”\, their ultimate meaning. 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 course will consider “false gods” that menace our freedom and happiness. And it will make a rational case for acknowledging the Divine “I AM” revealed in the Bible\, Incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.   \nCopies of The Uses of Idolatry by William Cavanaugh can be picked up from Gavin House in the week leading up to the first session of the class and afterwards. \nThis class Google Folder will contain other online class materials. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 6\, Week 1 –  Everybody Worships: A phenomenology of the human spirit.\nOct. 13\, Week 2 –  St. Augustine’s “Two Cities’: Idolatry as Self-Worship” (Further Optional Reading: excerpt from St. Augustine’s City of God)\nOct. 20\, Week 3 – The Splendid Idolatry of Nationalism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nOct. 27\, Week 4 – The Unsplendid Idolatries of Consumerism and Careerism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nNov. 3\, Week 5 – AI: an Idol? (Further reading: excerpt from Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas)\nNov. 10\, Week 6 –  I AM (Further reading: excerpt from Abraham Heschel’s The Sabbath)\n\n\n\n \n\n \nAbout Non-Credit Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a Tuesday evening non-credit course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). Survey-style lectures are held over a shared meal\, with no advanced preparation required.  These courses offer accessible introductions to key aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition. All UChicago students\, staff\, and faculty members are welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/american-idols-the-false-gods-that-threaten-our-freedom-2026-10-6-2/2026-11-03/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Non-Credit Courses
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261104T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261104T183000
DTSTAMP:20260921T214015Z
CREATED:20260921T214015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T214015Z
UID:10002188-1793811600-1793817000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Purgatorio
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nDante’s Purgatorio occupies a unique\, if oft overlooked place in his Divine Comedy. As Dante ascends Mount Purgatory with Virgil as his guide\, he encounters penitent souls encompassing the full breadth and depth of the human experience\, all striving towards the purgation of sin and earthly desires. A middle ground between the eternal damnation of the Inferno and the eternal salvation of the Paradiso\, the Purgatorio paints a vivid portrait of medieval Italian politics\, Christian spirituality and mysticism\, divine love\, the limits of human reason in the face of the divine\, and the notion that no one\, should they seek it\, is barred from forgiveness\, redemption\, and mercy. \nWhile the Purgatorio is quite historically\, culturally\, and theologically dense\, this reading group is not dedicated to meditation on the Christian teachings therein. Instead\, the focus is on the consideration of the text as a poem\, and on poetry as a medium more broadly. What conclusions can be drawn from Dante’s visions\, dreams\, and representations of man at the extremes of the Christian theological and moral spectra\, and what does the poetic form in particular lend to these ends? More importantly\, how can poetry convey fundamental truths\, realizations\, and serve to inspire deep contemplation and reflection where prose fails?  \nGiven our short time together\, it will not be possible to read the Purgatorio in its entirety. Reading the poem in full\, however\, is optional\, and encouraged for those who would like to dive deeper into Dante’s work. Meetings will be 90 minutes\, and food and refreshments will be served. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Cantos 1\, 3\, 4\, 6 (Optional: Cantos 2\, 5)\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Cantos 7\, 9\, 10\, 12 (Optional: Cantos 8\, 11)\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Cantos 13\, 15\, 17\, 18 (Optional: Cantos 14\, 16)\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Cantos 19\, 21\, 22\, 24 (Optional: Cantos 20\, 23)\nNov. 11\, Week 5 – Cantos: 27\, 28\, 29 (Optional: Canto 25\, 26)\nNov. 18\, Week 6 – Cantos 30\, 31\, 32\, 33\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Undergraduate Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any undergraduate interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/purgatorio-2026-10-14/2026-11-04/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261104T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261104T210000
DTSTAMP:20261006T222239Z
CREATED:20260921T212132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T222239Z
UID:10002184-1793820600-1793826000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Do We Still Remember What a University Is For? Reading Boyagoda’s Lords of Serendipity
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate students. Other students interested in attending should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nRandy Boyagoda’s much-anticipated new novel\, Lords of Serendipity\, arrives at a moment when universities are facing profound questions about their purpose\, value\, and future. By bringing together American and international students\, professors\, teaching assistants\, administrators\, and parents\, Boyagoda allows us to see the university from many sides at once. Moving across countries and social worlds\, the novel presents the university not simply as a place of learning\, but as an entire system—a business\, a status symbol\, a path to migration and social mobility\, and\, for families around the world\, an object of extraordinary hope. \nOver four weekly sessions\, we will use the novel as a shared lens for thinking about contemporary higher education and sharing our own experiences. What happens when we ask the university to fulfill so many different hopes at once? What happens when education becomes entangled with prestige\, debt\, ambition\, politics\, and institutional survival? And amid all these competing demands\, what makes genuine learning possible—and what might a university ultimately be for? \nBooks can be picked up any time during business hours at Gavin House. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Part One\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Part Two\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Part Three\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Part Four\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Graduate Student Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any graduate student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/what-is-a-university-for-reading-lords-of-serendipity/2026-11-04/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261105T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261105T193000
DTSTAMP:20261103T195321Z
CREATED:20260921T153829Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261103T195321Z
UID:10002167-1793898000-1793907000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Affirming the Human Person in the Age of AI: A Novel Approach
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\n5:00 p.m. Cocktail hour  |  6:00 p.m. Presentation  |  7:00 p.m. Q&A  |  7:30 p.m. Book Signing \n$120 Individual Ticket includes one copy of Lords of Serendipity\n$1000 Host Committee includes six Individual Tickets\, six books\, & $280 tax-deductible donation \nFor more information\, please contact Margaux Taffet at mtaffet@lumenchristi.org. \nPlease note: there are limited spots available for this event.  To ensure your spot\, please register in advance. \n  \nWhat happens to our sense of the human person\, to our sense of ourselves and others\, if we give up the demanding goods of reading books for the efficient\, instant rewards of Artificial Intelligence? This is a question as much for people who read books as it is for people who write books\, and especially for people committed to reading and writing for the reasons St. Augustine proposed as the purpose of literature itself: to increase charity\, to make us love others more than ourselves.  \nNovelist and professor of English Randy Boyagoda is distinctly positioned to answer these questions. The author of a new novel\, Lords of Serendipity\, Boyagoda will be in conversation with Catholic literature scholar and writer Michael P. Murphy\, Director of the Hank Center for Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago. The two of them will discuss Randy’s new book\, a biting satire of the academic-industrial complex. Drawing on Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas and their shared investment in the Catholic imagination\, they will also talk about how to affirm and defend a supple and durable sense of humanness in an age of artificial spaces and intelligences. Spoiler alert: This involves reading good books\, preferably novels… \nThe evening’s conversation will be held at the University Club of Chicago. An open bar cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres reception will precede the program at 5pm. The conversation will begin at 6pm and will be followed by a book signing at 7:30pm. Registration includes a copy of Lords of Serendipity. \nThis event is co-sponsored by Loyola University of Chicago’s Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage. \n \nThis project is made possible through the support of In Lumine Tuo: Expanding and Sustaining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Nationwide (grant #63614) from the John Templeton Foundation and the generous support of our donors. \n  \nRegistration Form\nFor information about joining the Host Committee\, please click here.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/downtown-lecture-nov-2026/
LOCATION:University Club of Chicago\, 76 E Monroe St\nChicago\, IL 60603\, Downtown\, IL
CATEGORIES:Downtown Lectures
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T110000
DTSTAMP:20261013T143900Z
CREATED:20260924T155819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261013T143900Z
UID:10002200-1793959200-1793962800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:The Psalms in Latin
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nRefreshments Provided | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThis fall\, join the Lumen Christi Institute in reading the Psalms in their historic Latin translations. The Latin Psalter was the foundation of western Catholic prayer and spirituality from Late Antiquity\, through the Middle Ages and well into the Early Modern period. Artistic and literary works from across this time span are replete with allusions to the Psalms and anyone interested in post-Classical Latin literature would benefit from greater familiarity with them. The Psalms also tend to display relatively simple grammar and provide approachable native content for beginning students of Latin. \nAnyone interested in reading the Psalms is invited to join us—it is not necessary to be Catholic to participate\, and all levels of Latin are welcome. No preparation is expected. We will translate one Psalm per session\, so if you are unable to make all of the sessions you can still fully participate. \nClass materials can be found here. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 9\, Week 1 – Psalm 1 “Beatus vir”\nOct. 16\, Week 2 – Psalm 28 “Dominus illuminatio mea”\nOct. 23\, Week 3 – Psalm 94 “Venite\, exsultemus Domino”\nOct. 30\, Week 4 – Psalm 129 “De profundis”\nNov. 6\, Week 5 – Psalm 50 “Miserere”\nNov. 13\, Week 6 – Psalm 90 “Qui habitat”\n\n\n \n\n \n\nAbout Language Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts at least one classical language reading group at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal. Any student interested in working on his or her classical languages is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/the-psalms-in-latin-2026-10-9/2026-11-06/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T173000
DTSTAMP:20261102T151159Z
CREATED:20260924T181231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261102T151159Z
UID:10002168-1793977200-1793986200@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Rehumanizing Education in an Age of AI
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\n3:00 p.m. Discussion  |  4:30 p.m. Wine & Cheese Reception  \nFor information\, contact Geoffrey Zokal at gzokal@lumenchristi.org. \nGenerative AI is capable of producing polished\, textual descriptions of information at astonishing speed. However\, as Pope Leo XIV has observed in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas concerning the use of AI\, “Without careful attention\, an educational system lacking in a love for truth may emerge\, in which an incessant flow of information replaces the essential exercise of research\, reflection and discernment.”  \nGiven this concern\, how might the contemporary academy best ensure the continued development of an authentically human education rooted in reflection\, intellectual virtue and truth while also best utilizing the processing capabilities of new AI tools?  \nThis public symposium will feature an engaging discussion with University of Chicago Professor of History Emily Lynn Osborn\, University of St. Mary of the Lake Professor of Moral Theology Melanie Barrett\, and University of Chicago Law School Professor William Hubbard. University of Southern California Professor of Religion and Philosophy David Albertson will serve as moderator.  \nThis project is made possible through the support of In Lumine Tuo: Expanding and Sustaining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Nationwide (grant #63614) from the John Templeton Foundation and the generous support of our donors. \n  \nThis event is cosponsored by the International House Global Voices Program. \nPersons with disabilities who may need assistance should contact International House in advance of the program at (773) 753-2274 or email i-house-programs@uchicago.edu \n \nRegistration Form
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/iln-symposium-nov-2026/
LOCATION:International House at the University of Chicago\, 1414 E 59th St.\nChicago\, IL 60637\, Hyde Park\, IL
CATEGORIES:Lectures & Symposia
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261109T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261109T203000
DTSTAMP:20260925T162212Z
CREATED:20260925T161531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T162212Z
UID:10002207-1794250800-1794256200@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Lord of the Rings
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley with questions at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThe world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places\,” JRR Tolkien wrote in his magnum opus\, The Lord of the Rings. Over the next three quarters\, we will trace the journey of his heroes through many of those perilous and dark places. What does it mean to die for what you believe in\, or to exercise free will in the face of an omnipotent God\, and how does one endure a quest through the darkness in order to eventually reach the light?  \nThis weekly reading group will meet over dinner. In the fall\, we will read The Fellowship of the Ring. At each session we will read a manageable number of pages. All students (graduate and undergraduate) are welcome to register. Copies of the text will be provided. It is not necessary to register for all three quarters. Come as you are able.  \nCalendar & Syllabus\nAutumn Quarter – The Fellowship of the Ring \n\nOct. 12\, Week 1: Book 1 – Prologue\, Chapters 1 and 2 (pgs. 1-64)\nOct. 19\, Week 2: Book 1 – Chapters 3-7 (pgs. 65-133)\nOct. 26\, Week 3: Book 1 – Chapters 8-11 (pgs. 134-196)\nNov. 2\, Week 4: Book 1 – Chapter 12\, Book 2 – Chapters 1-2 (pgs. 197-271)\nNov. 9\, Week 5: Book 2 – Chapters 3-5 (pgs. 272-332)\nNov. 16\, Week 6: Book 2 – Chapters 6-10 (pgs. 333-412)\n\nWinter Quarter – The Two Towers \n\nWeek 1: Book 3 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 413-460)\nWeek 2: Book 3 – Chapters 4-5 (pgs. 461-505)\nWeek 3: Book 3 – Chapters 6-8 (pgs. 506-559)\nWeek 4: Book 3 – Chapters 9-end to Book 4 – Chapter 1 (pgs. 560-619)\nWeek 5: Book 4 – Chapters 2-5 (pgs. 620-682)\nWeek 6: Book 4 – Chapters 6-end (pgs. 683-746)\n\nSpring Quarter – The Return of the King \n\nWeek 1: Book 5 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 747-805)\nWeek 2: Book 5 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 806-849)\nWeek 3: Book 5 – Chapters 7-10 (pgs. 850-896)\nWeek 4: Book 6 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 897-947)\nWeek 5: Book 6 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 948-988)\nWeek 6: Book 6 – Chapters 7-end (pgs. 989-1032)\n\n\n \n\nAbout Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/lord-of-the-rings-2026-10-12/2026-11-09/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261110T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261110T193000
DTSTAMP:20261029T200736Z
CREATED:20261029T200735Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261029T200736Z
UID:10002178-1794333600-1794339000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:American Idol(s): The False Gods That Threaten Our Freedom
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner Provided \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThales\, ancient Greek philosopher of nature\, remarked that all things are “full of gods.” He spoke truer than he realized. Human beings are inclined to transform their pursuits into “ultimate concerns” that become their “be all and end all”\, their ultimate meaning. 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 course will consider “false gods” that menace our freedom and happiness. And it will make a rational case for acknowledging the Divine “I AM” revealed in the Bible\, Incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.   \nCopies of The Uses of Idolatry by William Cavanaugh can be picked up from Gavin House in the week leading up to the first session of the class and afterwards. \nThis class Google Folder will contain other online class materials. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 6\, Week 1 –  Everybody Worships: A phenomenology of the human spirit.\nOct. 13\, Week 2 –  St. Augustine’s “Two Cities’: Idolatry as Self-Worship” (Further Optional Reading: excerpt from St. Augustine’s City of God)\nOct. 20\, Week 3 – The Splendid Idolatry of Nationalism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nOct. 27\, Week 4 – The Unsplendid Idolatries of Consumerism and Careerism  (Further reading: excerpt from William Cavanaugh’s The Uses of Idolatry)\nNov. 3\, Week 5 – AI: an Idol? (Further reading: excerpt from Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas)\nNov. 10\, Week 6 –  I AM (Further reading: excerpt from Abraham Heschel’s The Sabbath)\n\n\n\n \n\n \nAbout Non-Credit Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a Tuesday evening non-credit course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). Survey-style lectures are held over a shared meal\, with no advanced preparation required.  These courses offer accessible introductions to key aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition. All UChicago students\, staff\, and faculty members are welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/american-idols-the-false-gods-that-threaten-our-freedom-2026-10-6-2/2026-11-10/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Non-Credit Courses
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261111T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261111T183000
DTSTAMP:20260921T214015Z
CREATED:20260921T214015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T214015Z
UID:10002189-1794416400-1794421800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Purgatorio
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nDante’s Purgatorio occupies a unique\, if oft overlooked place in his Divine Comedy. As Dante ascends Mount Purgatory with Virgil as his guide\, he encounters penitent souls encompassing the full breadth and depth of the human experience\, all striving towards the purgation of sin and earthly desires. A middle ground between the eternal damnation of the Inferno and the eternal salvation of the Paradiso\, the Purgatorio paints a vivid portrait of medieval Italian politics\, Christian spirituality and mysticism\, divine love\, the limits of human reason in the face of the divine\, and the notion that no one\, should they seek it\, is barred from forgiveness\, redemption\, and mercy. \nWhile the Purgatorio is quite historically\, culturally\, and theologically dense\, this reading group is not dedicated to meditation on the Christian teachings therein. Instead\, the focus is on the consideration of the text as a poem\, and on poetry as a medium more broadly. What conclusions can be drawn from Dante’s visions\, dreams\, and representations of man at the extremes of the Christian theological and moral spectra\, and what does the poetic form in particular lend to these ends? More importantly\, how can poetry convey fundamental truths\, realizations\, and serve to inspire deep contemplation and reflection where prose fails?  \nGiven our short time together\, it will not be possible to read the Purgatorio in its entirety. Reading the poem in full\, however\, is optional\, and encouraged for those who would like to dive deeper into Dante’s work. Meetings will be 90 minutes\, and food and refreshments will be served. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Cantos 1\, 3\, 4\, 6 (Optional: Cantos 2\, 5)\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Cantos 7\, 9\, 10\, 12 (Optional: Cantos 8\, 11)\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Cantos 13\, 15\, 17\, 18 (Optional: Cantos 14\, 16)\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Cantos 19\, 21\, 22\, 24 (Optional: Cantos 20\, 23)\nNov. 11\, Week 5 – Cantos: 27\, 28\, 29 (Optional: Canto 25\, 26)\nNov. 18\, Week 6 – Cantos 30\, 31\, 32\, 33\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Undergraduate Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any undergraduate interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/purgatorio-2026-10-14/2026-11-11/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261112T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261112T193000
DTSTAMP:20261029T200630Z
CREATED:20260929T215417Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261029T200630Z
UID:10002212-1794506400-1794511800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:A Visit To Nowhere: Reading Thomas More’s Utopia
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nIn 1516\, Thomas More published Utopia\, inspiring generations of writers and an entirely new genre of literature. 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? Should we try to build utopian societies today? Come and join us for dinner and discussion.\n\nCopies of Utopia will be provided to all participants\, they may be picked up at Gavin House in the week prior to the event during business hours. Bi-weekly meetings are held on Thursday evenings over dinner. Weekly reading assignments are kept at approximately 30 pages.\n\nSchedule\n\n6:00 p.m.   Dinner\n6:15 p.m.    Discussion\n7:30 p.m.   End\n\nCalendar\n\nOct. 15\, Week 1 – Book I\nOct. 29\, Week 2 – Book II (pt. 1) \nNov. 12\, Week 3 – Book II (pt. 2) \n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Fundamental Questions Seminars\nThis event is part of Lumen Christi’s Fundamental Questions program\, a quarterly seminar designed for undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. By fostering intellectually rigorous conversation around culturally resonant texts\, we aim to allow students to experience the force of the deep existential concerns which animate our lives: “Where do my values come from? What is the good life? How can I become happy?” Our aim is not to answer such fundamental questions\, but rather to equip students with the intellectual skills needed to recognize and articulate them for themselves. This group welcomes students from all religious and philosophical backgrounds because existential questions of being are of concern to all. \nIn addition\, undergraduate students who participate in this seminar are eligible to become “Nicklin Fellows.” These fellows will have exclusive access to research and development grant funds to pursue their intellectual interests. Learn more here.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/a-visit-to-nowhere-reading-thomas-mores-utopia/2026-11-12/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Fundamental Questions Seminar
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261113T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261113T110000
DTSTAMP:20261013T143900Z
CREATED:20260924T155819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261013T143900Z
UID:10002201-1794564000-1794567600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:The Psalms in Latin
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nRefreshments Provided | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThis fall\, join the Lumen Christi Institute in reading the Psalms in their historic Latin translations. The Latin Psalter was the foundation of western Catholic prayer and spirituality from Late Antiquity\, through the Middle Ages and well into the Early Modern period. Artistic and literary works from across this time span are replete with allusions to the Psalms and anyone interested in post-Classical Latin literature would benefit from greater familiarity with them. The Psalms also tend to display relatively simple grammar and provide approachable native content for beginning students of Latin. \nAnyone interested in reading the Psalms is invited to join us—it is not necessary to be Catholic to participate\, and all levels of Latin are welcome. No preparation is expected. We will translate one Psalm per session\, so if you are unable to make all of the sessions you can still fully participate. \nClass materials can be found here. \nCalendar\n\nOct. 9\, Week 1 – Psalm 1 “Beatus vir”\nOct. 16\, Week 2 – Psalm 28 “Dominus illuminatio mea”\nOct. 23\, Week 3 – Psalm 94 “Venite\, exsultemus Domino”\nOct. 30\, Week 4 – Psalm 129 “De profundis”\nNov. 6\, Week 5 – Psalm 50 “Miserere”\nNov. 13\, Week 6 – Psalm 90 “Qui habitat”\n\n\n \n\n \n\nAbout Language Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts at least one classical language reading group at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal. Any student interested in working on his or her classical languages is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/the-psalms-in-latin-2026-10-9/2026-11-13/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261113T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261113T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T193257Z
CREATED:20260921T215036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T193257Z
UID:10002194-1794571200-1794574800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:A Poetry Salon
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nLunch | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. Note: The group will not meet on the Friday of November 6th. \nIn the 18th-century\, a distinct culture of the salon and the coffee house developed  in Europe. Here\, in a genteel and generous atmosphere\, lively humanistic conversation was encouraged.  Literary works were discussed freely and hospitably over shared refreshments.  \nAs an institute committed (in part) to making old things new again\, the Lumen Christi Institute will host a poetry salon on Fridays. Over lunch\, participants will read and discuss a great poem together. Neither advance preparation nor expertise in poetry is required.  The only prerequisites are a desire for good company\, good food\, and good poesy.  \nParticipants are encouraged not to prepare beforehand.  Our goal is to read closely and naively\, together. The salon will be hosted by Associate Director and Scholar-in-Residence\, Austin Walker.  \nLunch will begin at 12pm. At around 12:10pm\, we will read the poem aloud. Discussion will follow and we will conclude at 1pm. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct 16\, Week 1 – William Shakespeare\, Sonnet 73 (“That time of year thou mayst in me behold…”)\nOct 23\, Week 2 –  John Donne\, Holy Sonnet XIV (“Batter my heart\, three-person’d God\, for you…”)\nOct 30\, Week 3 – Yvor Winters\, “Time and the Garden” (“The spring has darkened with activity”)\nNov 6 – No Session\nNov 13\, Week 4 – Gerard Manley Hopkins\, The Windhover (“I caught this morning’s minion\, king-…”)\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n \nAbout Reading Courses\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a student-centered reading course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading course is usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/a-poetry-salon-2026-10-16/2026-11-13/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Courses
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261114T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261114T190000
DTSTAMP:20261109T161839Z
CREATED:20261109T161839Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261109T161839Z
UID:10002217-1794666600-1794682800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:You Can See Everything Showing
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nFilm | Dinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students.  William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nIn 2023\, weeks before beginning her prison sentence for fraud\, the enigmatic Theranos founder\, Elizabeth Holmes\, invited filmmakers Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim to document her life. The resulting film\, You Can See Everything\, is an intriguing (thrilling?) exploration of truth\, deception\, self-deception\, the blurry lines between them in our public personae\, and even film making itself. Join us for an afternoon screening at the Harper Theater\, followed by dinner at the Ricketts House and discussion on what the film can teach us about authenticity in our relationships as Catholics.  \nSchedule\n\n2:30 – 5:30 p.m.   Film\n6:00 – 7:00 p.m.   Dinner & Discussion
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/you-can-see-everything-showing-2026-11-14/
LOCATION:Harper Theater\, 5238 S Harper Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60615\, United States
CATEGORIES:Ricketts Resident Project
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261114T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261114T193000
DTSTAMP:20261109T153334Z
CREATED:20261015T153101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261109T153334Z
UID:10002202-1794675600-1794684600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Monastery Visit - The Lay Catholic as Prophet\, Priest\, and King
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nPrayer | Discussion | Dinner \nThis event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThe responsibility for teaching\, sanctifying\, and governing within the Church is most fully given to the bishops. However\, the Fathers of Vatican II clearly taught that all Catholics share in these offices as members of the Body of Christ. In what manner\, then\, is a lay Catholic called to teach\, to sanctify\, and to govern? In the early Church\, monasticism grew up as a lay movement\, separate from the hierarchy. Each event in this series will focus on how traditional monastic insights on conversion\, prayer\, and study can inform the life of the Catholic lay person in today’s world. We will explore these topics in the context of prayer and shared reflection led by Father Peter Funk\, OSB\, at the Monastery of the Holy Cross. \nSchedule\n\n5:00 p.m.   Arrival\n5:15 p.m.   Vespers\n6:00 p.m.   Dinner (with reading)\n6:20 p.m.   Silent Prayer\n6:40 p.m.   Discussion\n7:05 p.m.   End Discussion\n7:15 p.m.   Compline\n7:30 p.m.   End\n\nThis event is co-sponsored by Calvert House \n \nAbout Monastery Visits\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute collaborates with Calvert House to sponsor a visit to the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Bridgeport. The monastery visit provides an opportunity for current students to see contemporary monastic life in action and to experience Benedictine contemplative practices themselves. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/monastery-visit-the-lay-catholic-as-prophet-priest-and-king-2026-9-25/
LOCATION:The Monastery of the Holy Cross\, 3111 South Aberdeen St.\nChicago\, IL 60608\, Chicago\, IL
CATEGORIES:Monastery Visit
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261116T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261116T203000
DTSTAMP:20260925T162212Z
CREATED:20260925T161531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T162212Z
UID:10002208-1794855600-1794861000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Lord of the Rings
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley with questions at whurley@lumenchristi.org. \nThe world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places\,” JRR Tolkien wrote in his magnum opus\, The Lord of the Rings. Over the next three quarters\, we will trace the journey of his heroes through many of those perilous and dark places. What does it mean to die for what you believe in\, or to exercise free will in the face of an omnipotent God\, and how does one endure a quest through the darkness in order to eventually reach the light?  \nThis weekly reading group will meet over dinner. In the fall\, we will read The Fellowship of the Ring. At each session we will read a manageable number of pages. All students (graduate and undergraduate) are welcome to register. Copies of the text will be provided. It is not necessary to register for all three quarters. Come as you are able.  \nCalendar & Syllabus\nAutumn Quarter – The Fellowship of the Ring \n\nOct. 12\, Week 1: Book 1 – Prologue\, Chapters 1 and 2 (pgs. 1-64)\nOct. 19\, Week 2: Book 1 – Chapters 3-7 (pgs. 65-133)\nOct. 26\, Week 3: Book 1 – Chapters 8-11 (pgs. 134-196)\nNov. 2\, Week 4: Book 1 – Chapter 12\, Book 2 – Chapters 1-2 (pgs. 197-271)\nNov. 9\, Week 5: Book 2 – Chapters 3-5 (pgs. 272-332)\nNov. 16\, Week 6: Book 2 – Chapters 6-10 (pgs. 333-412)\n\nWinter Quarter – The Two Towers \n\nWeek 1: Book 3 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 413-460)\nWeek 2: Book 3 – Chapters 4-5 (pgs. 461-505)\nWeek 3: Book 3 – Chapters 6-8 (pgs. 506-559)\nWeek 4: Book 3 – Chapters 9-end to Book 4 – Chapter 1 (pgs. 560-619)\nWeek 5: Book 4 – Chapters 2-5 (pgs. 620-682)\nWeek 6: Book 4 – Chapters 6-end (pgs. 683-746)\n\nSpring Quarter – The Return of the King \n\nWeek 1: Book 5 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 747-805)\nWeek 2: Book 5 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 806-849)\nWeek 3: Book 5 – Chapters 7-10 (pgs. 850-896)\nWeek 4: Book 6 – Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 897-947)\nWeek 5: Book 6 – Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 948-988)\nWeek 6: Book 6 – Chapters 7-end (pgs. 989-1032)\n\n\n \n\nAbout Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any student interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/lord-of-the-rings-2026-10-12/2026-11-16/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261118T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261118T183000
DTSTAMP:20260921T214015Z
CREATED:20260921T214015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T214015Z
UID:10002190-1795021200-1795026600@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Purgatorio
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nDinner | Discussion \nThis event is designated for University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions. \nDante’s Purgatorio occupies a unique\, if oft overlooked place in his Divine Comedy. As Dante ascends Mount Purgatory with Virgil as his guide\, he encounters penitent souls encompassing the full breadth and depth of the human experience\, all striving towards the purgation of sin and earthly desires. A middle ground between the eternal damnation of the Inferno and the eternal salvation of the Paradiso\, the Purgatorio paints a vivid portrait of medieval Italian politics\, Christian spirituality and mysticism\, divine love\, the limits of human reason in the face of the divine\, and the notion that no one\, should they seek it\, is barred from forgiveness\, redemption\, and mercy. \nWhile the Purgatorio is quite historically\, culturally\, and theologically dense\, this reading group is not dedicated to meditation on the Christian teachings therein. Instead\, the focus is on the consideration of the text as a poem\, and on poetry as a medium more broadly. What conclusions can be drawn from Dante’s visions\, dreams\, and representations of man at the extremes of the Christian theological and moral spectra\, and what does the poetic form in particular lend to these ends? More importantly\, how can poetry convey fundamental truths\, realizations\, and serve to inspire deep contemplation and reflection where prose fails?  \nGiven our short time together\, it will not be possible to read the Purgatorio in its entirety. Reading the poem in full\, however\, is optional\, and encouraged for those who would like to dive deeper into Dante’s work. Meetings will be 90 minutes\, and food and refreshments will be served. \nCalendar & Syllabus\n\nOct. 14\, Week 1 – Cantos 1\, 3\, 4\, 6 (Optional: Cantos 2\, 5)\nOct. 21\, Week 2 – Cantos 7\, 9\, 10\, 12 (Optional: Cantos 8\, 11)\nOct. 28\, Week 3 – Cantos 13\, 15\, 17\, 18 (Optional: Cantos 14\, 16)\nNov. 4\, Week 4 – Cantos 19\, 21\, 22\, 24 (Optional: Cantos 20\, 23)\nNov. 11\, Week 5 – Cantos: 27\, 28\, 29 (Optional: Canto 25\, 26)\nNov. 18\, Week 6 – Cantos 30\, 31\, 32\, 33\n\n\n\n \n\nAbout Undergraduate Reading Groups\nEach quarter\, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any undergraduate interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/purgatorio-2026-10-14/2026-11-18/
LOCATION:Gavin House\, 1220 E 58th St.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60637
CATEGORIES:Reading Groups
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261118T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261118T203000
DTSTAMP:20261006T183114Z
CREATED:20261006T183105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T183114Z
UID:10002166-1795026600-1795033800@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:How to Read Literature (and Life) as a Catholic | West Suburban Catholic Culture Series
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\n6:30 p.m. Doors Open  |  7:00 p.m. Dinner  |  7:30 p.m. Lecture and Q&A  |  8:30 p.m. End \nBusiness casual attire encouraged. For more information\, please contact Margaux Taffet at mtaffet@lumenchristi.org. \nIs beauty in the eye of the beholder? Is literature merely a matter of taste? How can we inhabit the moral imagination in a way that avoids heavy-handed moralism? How can we grow in prudential judgment and spiritual discernment and avoid the shortcuts of sentimentality? And can looking at the world through the “million windows” of the “house of fiction” really elevate or transfigure the real lives we lead? In his lecture\, Joshua Hren will answer these questions by distilling insights from his new book More than a Matter of Taste: The Moral Imagination and the Spirit of Literature (Word on Fire\, May of 2026).   \nThis event is co-sponsored by Luminor. \n  \nSeries Description\nHow to Live\, Move\, and Be as a Catholic\nIn the ancient world\, religious adherents were set apart by special dress\, diet\, and customs. Yet in the 2nd century Letter to Diognetus\, the anonymous writer observes that Christians didn’t distinguish themselves from other people by a special abode\, a special language\, special attire\, or a special diet.    \nChristians are truly a people “set apart” and sanctified\, but what distinguishes the Christian people if not the traditional makers of culture? Catholics cook with a wide variety of spices and ingredients; attend all kinds of schools; are drawn to different kinds of art and music; and wear all kinds of clothes. Catholic life and worship looks very different in France from what it looks like in Rwanda\, which in turn differs from Catholicism in Japan\, the United States\, or Poland.   \nTo be Catholic — which means “concerning the whole” — means that everything about our lives relates back to our Faith. Yet it also means that there is a dynamic interaction between our Faith and the circumstances of our lives. To “cook as a Catholic” means something important\, something deeply connected to our innermost being\, but it is not a rigid set of procedures or list of prohibited foods. \nFor the 2026-2027 West Suburban Catholic Culture Series\, we would like to invite you to join us in considering how to view the “ordinary” elements of our lives through the wisdom and tradition of the Catholic Church — but without reducing the wisdom and tradition of the church to a single method or fashion. Lectures this year will consider how to live in that tension with imagination\, discernment\, and with that “peace which surpasseth all understanding.”  \n  \nFall Calendar\nSeptember 23: How to Pray as a Catholic | Daniel Wasserman-Soler\, Lumen Christi Institute \n October 28: How to Grieve as a Catholic | Cassandra Sever\, Lumen Christi Institute \nNovember 18: How to Read Literature (and Life) as a Catholic | Joshua Hren\, University of St. Thomas\, Houston; Wiseblood Books \n  \nSpring Calendar\nMarch 10: How to Do Politics as a Catholic | Anna Vincenzi\, Hillsdale College \nApril 14: How to Drink Wine as a Catholic | Jay Martin\, University of Notre Dame \nMay 12: How to Garden as a Catholic | Jennifer Newsome Martin\, University of Notre Dame \n  \nRegistration Form
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/wsccs-nov-2026/
LOCATION:Ruth Lake Country Club\, 6200 South Madison Street\, Hinsdale\, IL
CATEGORIES:West Suburban Series,Cultural Forum
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20270213T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20270213T143000
DTSTAMP:20261029T210242Z
CREATED:20261029T205636Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261029T210242Z
UID:10002216-1802511000-1802529000@lumenchristi.org
SUMMARY:Winter Newman Forum Conference for High School Students: A How-To Guide for Life
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER BELOW\nPresented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum. Open to current high school students. For more information\, please contact Margaux Taffet at newmanforum@lumenchristi.org. \n  \nIs there a “Catholic” way to read literature? To watch baseball? To pray? To use AI?  As you prepare for college and life as an adult\, join us at Mundelein for a day full of short “how-to” guides to doing the big and the small\, the serious and the silly\, as a Catholic. \n  \nFor the 2026 Newman Forum Winter Conference\, high school students will gather at University of St. Mary of the Lake to discover the fascinating realities of everyday and misunderstood scientific\, historical\, literary\, and religious.  Participants will pick three 20-minute “lightning round” presentations\, eat lunch\, meet with presenters\, and end the day with a half-hour of guided Adoration. \n  \nSchedule/Program\n\n9:00 am: Registration (Dining Hall\, Building B)\n9:30 am: Opening Prayer & Welcome (Chapel of the Immaculate Conception\, Building A)\n9:45 am: Break\n10:00 am: Lighting-Round #1 (Classroom Building\, Building N)\n10:30 am: Break \n10:45 am: Lighting-Round #2 (Classroom Building\, Building N)\n11:15 am: Break\n11:30 am: Lighting-Round #3 (Classroom Building\, Building N)\n12:00 pm: Lunch (Dining Hall\, Building B)\n1:00 pm: Office Hours (Dining Hall\, Building B)\n1:45 pm: Break (Go to the Chapel)\n2:00 pm: Adoration & Closing Remarks (Chapel of the Immaculate Conception\, Building A)\n2:30 pm: End\n\n  \nCost\nEarly Bird Individual Ticket (purchased by Jan. 15): $15 \nStandard Individual Ticket (purchased between Jan. 16–Feb. 5): $30 \nGroup Ticket (10+ tickets): $10/person \n  \nIf you are purchasing 9 tickets or fewer\, please select the “Individual Ticket” option. For groups of 10 or more\, please select the “Group Ticket” option. \nIn either case\, please indicate the number of participants you are registering and record the name of each registrant. For example\, if you are registering a group of 30\, be sure to select 30 tickets under the “Group Ticket” option. \nPlease note: Everyone must be pre-registered for this event by name. If a participant arrives who has not been registered by name\, they will not be able to attend the conference. \nIf you are a teacher bringing a group\, you are eligible to apply for our Teachers Fellowship Program.  Email Margaux Taffet (mtaffet@lumenchristi.org) to learn more. \nThis event is cosponsored by University of Saint Mary of the Lake.
URL:https://lumenchristi.org/event/winter-newman-forum-conference-for-high-school-students-a-how-to-guide-for-life/
LOCATION:Mundelein Seminary\, 700 Principal Ave\, Mundelein\, IL\, 60060
CATEGORIES:Newman Forum
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