Institute of Catholic Culture

“Do not be afraid. Behold, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”- Luke 2:10-11

Control of the Mediterranean Sea was not the motive of the young Roman Republic when she first joined the battle with the idol-worshiping empire of Carthage in 265 B.C. More than a century later, however, Carthage was dust and Rome was becoming the undisputed power of the known world. Why did the citizen soldiers of an agrarian republic take down a mighty commercial empire? Who were Regulus and Scipio Africanus, and what was the Corvus? More importantly, what role do the Punic Wars play in Salvation History?

Our anti-Christian culture rears its ugly head this time each year with its war against Christmas. The reduction of Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus, bearer of electronic gadgets, is but one example of modernity’s efforts to drain Christmas of its spiritual realities. Catholics witnessing the death of the Christian West should worry less about what the enemies of Christianity are doing and more about what we are failing to do. Learn from Christopher Check as he maps out a coherent plan for an authentic restoration of Catholic culture.

The Psalms have always held a central place in Christian worship. But we are in danger of forgetting what they are—and they are, at their core, sacred and inspired poetry. By reading them as poetry, we can come to see them as the Fathers saw: as medicine for life, a mirror of souls, and the prayer of the totus Christus. By reading them as Sacred Scripture, we can restore them to their rightful place at the core of Catholic worship, and learn to pray the Psalms with the Body of Christ.

Actions yield habits. Habits yield actions. We are always forming habits, and acting from them. The realm of human agency is awesomely designed: stunningly beautiful when well ordered, and shockingly ugly in its demise. These lectures will examine basic truths of the drama of the moral life—where do vices and virtues come from? How can we be intentional about forming the good, and rooting out the bad?

“Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”- Genesis 19:24Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? What sin led to this cataclysmic event? Many disagree; was it the sin of homosexuality, lack of hospitality, or the sin of idolatry? Learn about this ancient story, what the Bible says about it, and why it is still relevant today.

Actions yield habits. Habits yield actions. We are always forming habits, and acting from them. The realm of human agency is awesomely designed: stunningly beautiful when well ordered, and shockingly ugly in its demise. These lectures will examine basic truths of the drama of the moral life—where do vices and virtues come from? How can we be intentional about forming the good, and rooting out the bad?

The Institute of Catholic Culture is an adult educational organization, faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, and dedicated to the Church’s call for a new evangelization.

How do angels affect our lives and how do demons influence our decisions? Explore the angelic world and consider the perennial questions about good, evil, and the existence of the immaterial creation.

The Institute of Catholic Culture is an adult educational organization, faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, and dedicated to the Church’s call for a new evangelization.