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
December 8, 2025

Alumni Corner with David Albertson

We sat down for an interview with David Albertson, Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the University of Southern California and director of The Nova Forum. He holds an MDiv and PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School.
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.
News
December 5, 2025

Summer Seminar Spotlight: The Vocation of a Catholic Scholar

This summer the Lumen Christi Institute continued its annual summer seminar program with seven intensive seminars. Among these was a brand-new seminar: “The Vocation of the Catholic Scholar” for newly-minted PhDs.
News
December 5, 2025

From the Director | Beacon Newsletter, Fall 2025

St. Augustine of Hippo has been our cornerstone in this academic year. After his election, Pope Leo XIV described himself as “a son of St. Augustine.” In honor of our holy father, we hosted several events devoted to St. Augustine.
News
December 1, 2025

Applications Open for the 2026 Summer Seminars

In their eighteenth year, the Lumen Christi Institute Summer Seminars in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition introduce participants to central themes, figures, and texts from the Catholic tradition. Please see the Event Calendar for details and application requirements.
News
November 27, 2025

Happy Thanksgiving

Today, my family and I give thanks, and we also look ahead to the season of Advent. In that spirit, I would like to share with you a passage from a sermon of St. John Henry Newman.
News
November 4, 2025

Seeking Graduate Reading Groups for the Winter & Spring Quarters

The Lumen Christi Institute follows St. Paul’s injunction to attend to whatever is true, noble, right, admirable, and lovely (Phil 4:8). LCI supports this endeavor by sponsoring a number of graduate student reading groups.
News
November 4, 2025

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.
News
October 20, 2025

For it is in giving that we receive

Today, we want to share with you a new way you might consider giving to Lumen Christi that both benefits the students and helps to support your financial stability: a Charitable Gift Annuity.
News
October 8, 2025

Fall Student Reading Groups

Join us for this quarter's student-led reading groups at the Lumen Christi Institute. These groups are usually held over a shared meal, and all participants are provided a copy of the text.
News
September 30, 2025

A Message from LCI’s Executive Director

Happy feast of St. Jerome! This week, students, faculty, and staff at the University of Chicago begin a new academic year. As a prayer for them, I invite you to read a passage from a homily of St. Jerome.