Science, Creation, & the Catholic Imagination

Science, Creation, & the Catholic Imagination

Listen to the lectures as podcast episodes. You can subscribe to the Lumen Christi Institute Podcast via our Soundcloud page, iTunes channel, Stitcher, TuneIn, ListenNotes, Podbean, Pocket Casts, and Google Play Music. To view photos of the conference, visit Lumen Christi’s Facebook page. Have you ever wondered if science and religion can co-exist? Or whether it is rational (or irrational) to believe in God? How can the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis be reconciled with the Big Bang? Or with evolution? What does The Lord of the Rings have to do with Jesus? And what exactly is hillbilly thomism? The intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church has been asking (and answering!) questions…

The Making of a Modern Saint: John Henry Newman on Faith and Education in a Secular Age

The Making of a Modern Saint:  John Henry Newman on Faith and Education in a Secular Age

Cosponsored by Mundelein Seminary, the Archdiocese of Chicago Vocation Office, and the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. This program is made possible in part by a gift from the Paluch Family Foundation and a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Follow us on Instagram for updates about the event. Have you ever wondered why you go to school? Or what the point of it all is? What goes into making a big decision? And how do you fit together everything you know–or even the past with the future? John Henry Newman will be canonized…

Creation: Artistic & Divine

Creation: Artistic & Divine

This event was open to high school students, parents, and teachers. Co-sponsored by Mundelein Seminary, the Archdiocese of Chicago Vocation Office, Relevant Radio, and the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. This program was made possible in part by a gift from the Paluch Family Foundation and a grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute. Follow us on Instagram for updates about the event. Physics tells us how the universe is ordered, but can it tell us why? How are the laws of physics like a baseball rulebook? And why should we expect the universe…

WEBINAR: How NOT to Get Away with Murder

WEBINAR: How NOT to Get Away with Murder

Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum. Open to current high school students. This event was made possible by a grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute. We’ve run this event in-person, but now we’re bringing it to you online! When you register, you will be sent a Zoom link to follow at the appointed time. You have three sections to choose from: 11:00am-12:00pm 1:00pm-2:00pm 3:00pm-4:00pm Are you already tired of being quarantined in your house? Feel a little bit like you might kill your siblings? The book of Genesis is one of the most interesting and difficult books of the Bible….

WEBINAR: Answering Your Atheist Philosophy Professor

WEBINAR: Answering Your Atheist Philosophy Professor

Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum. Open to current high school students. This event was made possible by a grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute. You have two sections to choose from: 1:00pm-2:00pm (The previously listed 11:00-12:00 session has been combined with this later session.) 3:30pm-4:30pm Could God make something that He couldn’t move? If God is perfect, why are humanity and the world so imperfect? In March of 2019, a San Diego State University professor of philosophy submitted an Opinion piece to the New York Times in which he claimed that God is an incoherent concept. The above are just some of the questions you…

WEBINAR: Another Unexpected Journey with JRR Tolkien

WEBINAR: Another Unexpected Journey with JRR Tolkien

Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum. Open to current high school students. This event was made possible by a grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute. You have two sections to choose from: 1:00pm-2:00pm 3:30pm-4:30pm Hobbits and elves, humans and dwarves, trees with personality and the most famous ring of all time…. through his stories, JRR Tolkien has taken generation after generation on countless fantastical journeys to far-off places, full of magic and mystery. What’s more, Tolkien has imbued his stories with the beauty of the Christian faith, through careful allegory and metaphor. In this hour-long session together, we’ll read and discuss one of Tolkien’s lesser-known stories,…

WEBINAR: Is Hell Real? Is it Crowded? Accounts of the Afterlife in the Christian Tradition

WEBINAR: Is Hell Real? Is it Crowded? Accounts of the Afterlife in the Christian Tradition

Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum. Open to current high school students. This event was made possible by a grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute. You have two sections to choose from: 1:00pm-2:00pm 3:30pm-4:30pm Is Hitler in Hell? Is Judas? Is everyone saved? Why would a merciful God allow humans to suffer eternal damnation? In this Thursday session, we’re going to lean on the wisdom of one of our favorites: Bishop Robert Barron. Relying on his piece, “Is Hell Crowded or Empty?” we’ll come together for an hour to discuss the three accounts of Hell that he traces through history, as…

WEBINAR: Becoming Human: Evolution, Science, and the Soul

WEBINAR: Becoming Human: Evolution, Science, and the Soul

Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum, in cooperation with the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, and the Archdiocese of Chicago Vocations Office. Open to current high school students. High school teachers and youth ministers are welcome to attend, and are encouraged to bring groups. Group leaders are now able to register themselves and their students together! This is especially encouraged for groups coming from outside of Chicagoland, to ensure groups remain together during the breakout sessions (see below).  What can the science of evolution know? How is it related to religion, especially Catholic doctrine? Are they complementary or mutually…

WEBINAR: How NOT to Get Away with Murder (Again!)

WEBINAR: How NOT to Get Away with Murder (Again!)

Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum. Open to current high school students. We’ve run this event in-person, but now we’re bringing it to you online! When you register, you will be sent a Zoom link to follow. The event will run from 3:00pm-4:00pm Are you already tired of being quarantined in your house? Feel a little bit like you might kill your siblings? The book of Genesis is one of the most interesting and difficult books of the Bible. And there is so much more to it than meets the eye. For example: How was a snake able to trick Eve? Why do…

Human Rights and Human Wrongs: The Catholic History of Human Rights

Human Rights and Human Wrongs: The Catholic History of Human Rights

Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute’s Newman Forum. Open to current high school students. This event was made possible by a grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute, and is cosponsored by the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, and the Archdiocese of Chicago Vocation Office.  You can email Austin Walker or Madison Chastain with any questions or concerns! Online Schedule 9:30 Opening Prayer & Welcome 9:45 1st Lecture 10:20 1st Q&A 10:45 Break 11:00 2nd Lecture 11:35 2nd Q&A 11:45pm Online Breakout Discussion Groups 12:30pm Conclusion What makes something right?  What makes something wrong? What is a “right,” and why ought it be respected? What happens if two…