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Aquinas Lecture

The Aquinas LectureAquinas Medallion

Since 1982, the Philosophy Department has hosted an annual Aquinas Lecture. In the spirit of St. Thomas Aquinas himself, the goal of the lecture series is to develop contemporary Catholic thought in close dialogue with the tradition—above all, of course, with Aquinas’s own work. The speakers invited have covered a broad spectrum of Thomism, some attempting to defend traditional teachings against contemporary challenges, others endeavoring to develop Thomism in more of a give and take with current ideas. One important feature of the Aquinas Lecture has to do with the events surrounding it: the Aquinas Lecturer is usually invited to stay in Irving for a few days, teach a seminar on a text of his or her choice, share meals with faculty, and speak informally with students. This creates the opportunity for the community to engage in a genuine exchange, rather than just listening to an individual lecture. The Aquinas Lecture and most of the events associated with it are open to the general public.

The list of Aquinas Lecturers who have addressed the university community over the past thirty years (and been awarded our beautiful Aquinas Medal) is long and impressive:

2023 David Walsh

2022 D. C. Schindler

2021 Robert C. Koons

2020 Kevin Hart

2019 John P. O'Callaghan

2018 Linda Zagzebski

2017 Holger Zaborowski

2016 Eileen Sweeney

2015 Wayne J. Hankey

2014 Rev. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J.

2013 John F. Boyle

2012 Eleonore Stump

2011 Robert P. George

2010 William Desmond

2009 Thomas Hibbs

2008 Alain de Libera

2007 Timothy B. Noone

2006 John Milbank

2005 Jan Aertsen

2004 Merold Westphal

2003 Sr. Prudence Allen, R.S.M.

2002 Jorge J. E. Gracia

2001 John Haldane

2000 Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C.

1999 Kenneth Schmitz, John Caputo, Ralph McInerny

1998 Jean-Luc Marion

1997 Thomas Langan

1996 Jude Dougherty

1995 Rev. Norris Clarke, S.J.

1994 Alfred J. Freddoso

1993 Louis Dupré

1992 Msgr. John F. Wippel

1991 Alasdair MacIntyre

1990 Ralph McInerny

1989 Rev. Benedict Ashley, O.P.

1988 Kenneth Schmitz

1987 Msgr. Robert Sokolowski

1986 Edmund Pellegrino

1985 Rev. Joseph Owens, C.SS.R.

1984 John Caputo

1983 Rev. William Wallace, O.P.

Since 2013, our Aquinas Lecture is published in handsome booklets by St. Augustine’s Press. To order copies, please click on the names of the Aquinas Lecturers in the list above.

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