The Thomistic Institute
The Thomistic Institute
The Thomistic Institute exists to promote Catholic truth in our contemporary world by strengthening the intellectual formation of Christians at universities, in the Church, and in the wider public square. The thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Universal Doctor of the Church, is our touchstone.
The Thomistic Institute Podcast features the lectures and talks from our conferences, campus chapters events, intellectual retreats, livestream events, and much more.
Founded in 2009, the Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.
The Thomistic Institute Podcast features the lectures and talks from our conferences, campus chapters events, intellectual retreats, livestream events, and much more.
Founded in 2009, the Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 13, 2026 • 46min
Foreigners’ Views on American Secularism: Alexis de Tocqueville, Max Weber, and G.K. Chesterton – Prof. James Nolan
Prof. James L. Nolan, Jr., a sociologist at Williams College who studies law, culture, and historical comparative sociology, discusses how Tocqueville, Weber, and G.K. Chesterton viewed American secularism. He contrasts Tocqueville and Chesterton’s belief that religion sustains democracy with Weber’s claim that Protestantism leads to disenchantment. The lecture traces historical encounters, secularization theories, and contemporary trends.
May 12, 2026 • 57min
The Catholic Imagination of Oscar Wilde – Prof. Guiseppe Pezzini
Prof. Giuseppe Pezzini, an Oxford Latinist who studies classical roots of modern literature, reads Wilde through a Catholic imagination. He traces Wilde’s aesthetic quest, tension between beauty and suffering, the trials and prison that reshape his art, and the late turn toward faith and reconciliation. Short, vivid takes on Dorian Gray, fairy tales, De Profundis, and the wounded artist.
17 snips
May 11, 2026 • 49min
Catholic Social Teaching: Highlights from the Popes – Prof. James Felak
James Felak, Professor of History at the University of Washington and specialist in Catholicism in East Central Europe, traces papal responses from Leo XIII to Francis. He highlights human dignity, just wages, solidarity with the poor, subsidiarity, and the balance of rights and duties. Short, wide-ranging reflections connect historical crises to core social principles.
May 8, 2026 • 1h 1min
Mary's Necessary Role in the Spiritual Life – Fr. John Mark Solitario, O.P.
Fr. John Mark Solitario, O.P., a Dominican friar and Thomistic lecturer on spiritual formation, explores Mary’s role in the spiritual life. He frames the spiritual life using four causes, explains grace, Christ’s and the Spirit’s roles, and then shows how Mary functions as spiritual mother, intercessor, and a sure path to Christ. Short, clear, and rooted in Aquinas and Scripture.
May 7, 2026 • 46min
How to Marry Your Best Friend: Thomas Aquinas on Friendship, Marriage, and Children – Dr. Nathaniel Peters
Dr. Nathaniel Peters, Director of the Morningside Institute and Thomistic scholar, explores Aquinas on friendship, marriage, and children. He outlines marriage’s threefold goods and why deep friendship grounds marital union. He links Aristotle and Aquinas on friendship, shows how marriage mirrors virtuous friendship, and discusses grace, parenthood as generation and priesthood, and practical preparation for married life.
May 6, 2026 • 52min
'I Cannot Tell a Lie': Thomas Aquinas on the Moral Permissibility of Lying – Prof. Christopher Tomaszewski
Christopher Tomaszewski, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Belmont Abbey College, explores Thomas Aquinas on lying. He defines lying as assertion contrary to belief and treats assertions as speech acts. He examines exceptions (plays, poker), scriptural and catechism views, natural law arguments that lying perverts the faculty of assertion, and thorny cases like Nazis at the door, white lies, and state deception.
May 5, 2026 • 45min
Newman on the Dangers of Liberal Education – Prof. Thomas Hibbs
Thomas Hibbs, Baylor philosopher and former dean with books on Aquinas, theology, and film. He traces Newman’s critique of instrumental and careerist education. He explores the integrative philosophical habit, dangers of intellectual pride, the tension between university breadth and collegiate formation, and how Newman’s conscience-based approach complements Aquinas’s natural theology.
6 snips
May 4, 2026 • 40min
To Live is to Change: Newman on Cognitive, Moral, and Spiritual Development – Prof. Thomas Hibbs
Thomas Hibbs, Baylor philosopher and dean emeritus who writes on theology, art, and education, discusses John Henry Newman and human development. He explores how stories and formative teachers shape moral and intellectual growth. He contrasts fragmented specialization with integrated learning and reflects on faith, science, and the slow work of personal formation.
May 1, 2026 • 49min
After Death Comes Life...to the Soul in the Grace of Jesus Christ – Fr. Gabriel O'Donnell, O.P.
Fr. Gabriel O’Donnell, O.P., Dominican priest, professor, and spiritual director with decades of teaching and canonical work. He explores virtue as the right ordering of intellect and will. He talks about infused virtues from baptism, the role of conscience, hope and fortitude as a spiritual adventure, purity of heart versus passions, and how belief in being loved by God grounds moral life.
Apr 30, 2026 • 41min
Order and Disorder among the Capital Vices – Dr. Carl Vennerstrom
Dr. Carl Vennerstrom, a scholar of eastern patristic theology and monastic tradition, outlines the structure and healing of the capital vices. He traces chains from gluttony to acedia, distinguishes vainglory and pride, and maps a path of virtues ending in humility. He highlights monastic methods, diagnosis of root causes, and the role of death contemplation and confession in cultivating humility and hope.
