News & Media

From 2012 to 2020, Fr. Paul Mankowski, SJ delivered hundreds of lectures and master classes at the Lumen Christi Institute. Seeking to share the depth of his scholarship, this podcast offers many of his lectures (edited for coherence and quality) to the public in digital format for the first time. The first season will feature a course that Fr. Mankowski gave on Joseph Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth and dozens of lectures centered around the books of the Bible (including Genesis, many of the prophets, the Gospel of Matthew, and St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans). Episodes will be released on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from September through December. To conclude the season, we’ll offer one or two interviews with people who knew Fr. Mankowski well and can offer an entry point to his person and scholarship.

News
February 24, 2026

Applications Open for The Nicklin Fellows Program

The Nicklin Fellows are the recipients of a competitive, application based fellowship for undergraduate students. Nicklin Fellows are granted exclusive access to research and development grant funds to pursue their intellectual interests. Applications are due March 22.
News
February 18, 2026

“Dust called to glory”

At the Ash Wednesday liturgy, the priest says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These special words remind me of a fundamental tension in humankind, described by Bishop Erik Varden.
Media
February 5, 2026

Mythmaking and the True Myth – A Conversation with Martin Shaw

How do stories assist us in the making of a real human being? In troubled times how could we forge a deeper life? Join the Lumen Christi Institute as it welcomes Dr. Martin Shaw for an event celebrating the release
Media
February 4, 2026

Mythopoetics and Faerie Stories: Theory and Practice of Mythmaking

In this event for UChicago students, acclaimed mythographer and storyteller Dr. Martin Shaw will explore both the theory and practice of mythmaking. First, Shaw will guide us through the “ancient technologies” of myth, and its relationship to initiation rites and
News
January 19, 2026

“The church was a thermostat”

Today, our country remembers Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 19, 1963, King wrote his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," addressed to fellow clergymen who criticized his activities as "unwise and untimely."
Early Christians on Mary, Mother of God
News
January 1, 2026

Living Our Mother’s Mystery in Christ

On New Year's Day, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. In the reflection below, Pope St. John Paul II explains a deepening in his devotion to our Blessed Mother.
News
December 25, 2025

He Gave All Things to Us

Today, I write to you with a reflection about gifts. The passage comes from the Book of Prayer and Meditation (1554), written by the Dominican friar Louis of Granada.
News
December 19, 2025

How the Lumen Christi Institute Changed My Life

Charlie Robinson, one of our Development Associates, shares her story about her entry into the Church and the impact that LCI has made on her life.
News
December 18, 2025

An Interview with Eric DeVilliers, LCI Postdoctoral Fellow

We sat down for an interview with Eric DeVilliers, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lumen Christi Institute, who engages in the comparative study of early Christianity and Islam.
News
December 8, 2025

Alumni Corner with David Albertson

Each quarter, LCI reaches out to one of our alumni and catches up with them about where their career has taken them since their involvement in LCI programming as a student. This fall, LCI staff spoke with David Albertson.
News
December 8, 2025

Against the Machine: An Evening with Paul Kingsnorth 

On September 25th, the Lumen Christi Institute was pleased to host renowned poet, novelist, and environmentalist Paul Kingsnorth to discuss his new book, "Against the Machine," in a Q&A with poet and professor James Matthew Wilson.
News
December 5, 2025

The Enduring Legacy of St. Augustine: The Fall Non-Credit Course & Postdoctoral Fellow Cassandra Sever  

The Lumen Christi Institute dedicated the fall non-credit course to an intensive study of the thought of St. Augustine, which featured a session taught by Cassandra Sever, one of our first two postdoctoral fellows.