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
Feb 4, 2026 • 50min
Catholic Ethics in the Modern World – Prof. Marshall Bierson
Marshall Bierson, assistant professor of philosophy at the Catholic University of America known for work on Anscombe and Thomistic ethics, explores distinctions between the good and the right. He compares utilitarian, Kantian, and Thomistic values. He discusses pleasure, love, activity versus state-of-affairs, and why modern ethics became more abstract.
6 snips
Feb 3, 2026 • 50min
The Scopes Trial & the Myth of Warfare between Science & Religion – Prof. Kenneth Kemp
Prof. Kenneth Kemp, emeritus philosophy professor who studies history and philosophy of science and religion, reevaluates the Scopes trial as legend rather than a simple science vs religion clash. He traces the legal, political, and local motives behind the case. He examines key players, competing theological views, and how the trial shaped public education and the myth of warfare between science and faith.
Feb 2, 2026 • 48min
My Life Exploring the Solar System and Worlds Beyond – Prof. Jonathan I. Lunine
Prof. Jonathan I. Lunine, NASA JPL Chief Scientist and planetary scientist, shares his decades-long journey from planetarium wonder to major missions like Voyager, Cassini–Huygens, Juno, and Europa Clipper. He recounts early inspirations, career turns, Titan and Europa discoveries, and the push to explore icy ocean worlds and exoplanet characterization. Short, personal, and full of mission stories.
10 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 59min
Creation vs. Creationism – University of America Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P.
Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P., a theologian and former DOJ trial attorney with degrees from Yale and Fribourg, discusses Aquinas and evolution. He explores how Genesis speaks theologically, the distinction between God as first cause and secondary causes like evolution, and how theology, science, and philosophy use different methods. He also considers how first humans and souls fit into a Thomistic framework.
Jan 29, 2026 • 47min
Vocation of a Catholic Scientist – Prof. Karin Öberg
Prof. Karin Öberg, Harvard astronomer studying chemical processes in planet formation and habitability, and active voice in science-faith dialogue. She shares her conversion journey, how to integrate Catholic tradition with scientific work, Aquinas and Lemaître on creation, and practical habits for bringing faith into academic life.
Jan 28, 2026 • 49min
What Contemporary Culture Needs to Learn from Thomas Aquinas – Prof. Michael Dauphinais
Michael A. Dauphinais, Ph.D., a Thomistic theologian and co-director of the Aquinas Center, offers a short lecture on what contemporary culture can learn from Thomas Aquinas. He contrasts secular competition with a metaphysics of communion. Topics include participation, shared goods in family and society, divine non-competitiveness, baptism and suffering, and how communion reshapes human relations.
Jan 27, 2026 • 44min
Flirting with Happiness: Aquinas on the Good Life – Fr. Alan O'Sullivan, O.P.
Fr. Alan O'Sullivan, O.P., chaplain at Trinity College Dublin and Thomist theologian, unpacks Aquinas on the good life. He contrasts candidates for happiness like wealth, fame, power, and pleasure with true beatitude. He explains imperfect versus perfect happiness, the role of virtue and intellect, and why union with God is presented as the ultimate good.
Jan 26, 2026 • 60min
Does God Exist? How Do I Know? The Five Ways of Aquinas – Fr. Irenaeus Dunlevy, O.P.
Fr. Irenaeus Dunlevy, O.P., a Dominican priest and campus outreach coordinator with a background in architecture and campus ministry, walks through Aquinas' Five Ways. He outlines proofs from motion, causation, necessity, gradation, and teleology. Short, clear explanations highlight what those arguments aim to show and where reason stops and faith begins.
Jan 23, 2026 • 46min
John Paul II on the Value of Human Life and Euthanasia – Prof. Christopher Tollefsen
In this discussion, Christopher Tollefsen, a Professor of Philosophy known for his work in ethics and bioethics, dives into the intricate issues surrounding euthanasia and the value of human life. Tollefsen highlights John Paul II’s teachings on the sanctity of life, asserting that any direct voluntary killing of the innocent is gravely immoral. He also critiques the common assumptions equating treatment refusal with assisted death and discusses the ethical implications of public policy regarding abortion versus physician-assisted suicide.
8 snips
Jan 22, 2026 • 46min
St. Thomas Aquinas on the Beatitudes – Fr. Anton ten Klooster
Fr. Anton ten Klooster, an assistant professor of theology at Tilburg University and expert on Aquinas, delves into the Beatitudes' significance. He explores how Aquinas defined true happiness, linking contemplation to fulfillment. The discussion highlights the Beatitudes as both actions and divine promises, revealing their structure and purpose. Fr. Anton also emphasizes the role of saints as exemplars and the pastoral aim of encouraging imitation for spiritual growth. His insights bridge medieval thought and contemporary moral theology.
