The Aquinas Center is one of four independent Catholic intellectual centers at a non-Catholic University. We seek to fulfill our unique mission by bringing the Catholic scholarly presence to Emory and to the broader Atlanta Archdiocese and community. We are very conscious in this effort of our Dominican heritage, commitment to academic excellence, and to nurturing the living faith of the Catholic Church. The list below includes aspects of our regular programs. We remain flexible to adding programs that are in line with our mission as they present themselves.
Atlanta Catholic Business Conference
The Atlanta Catholic Business Conference provides business and professionals the opportunity to listen to thoughtful speakers and participate in discussions on how to integrate as Catholics their faith and work lives.
Aquinas Lecture in Philosophy
The Aquinas Center sponsors a fall lecture related to or inspired by the Dominican philosopher and theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Catholic Social Justice Speakers
Recent speakers and events include Archbishop Wilton Gregory, “The Death Penalty”, Father John Dear on “Peace and Justice”, and two Catholic attorneys, “ Responses to Those in Our Midst: A Debate on Illegal Immigration”.
Catholic Studies Minor
The Catholic Studies Minor at Emory is for students who want to learn about the rich intellectual and cultural traditions of the Roman Catholic Church and study their impact on western thought.
www.catholicstudies.emory.edu
Dominican Scholar Program
The Center regularly sponsors a visiting faculty with a Dominican affiliation or scholastic interest to teach classes and present lectures at Emory and other programs in the community. These speakers include:
- Mary Catherine Hilkert, O.P. (University of Notre Dame)
- Claude J. Geffre, O.P. (L'Institut Catholique de Paris)
- Brian Davies, O.P. (Fordham University)
- Timothy McDermott, O.P. (University of Cape Town)
- Benedict Viviano, O.P. (Univeristy of Freibourg)
- Philip A. Kennedy, O.P. (University of Oxford)
- Richard J. Woods, O.P. (Blackfriars Hall, Oxford)
- Paul J. Philibert, O,P. (Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis)
- Mark E. Wedig, O.P. (Barry University)
- Brian J. Shanley, O.P. (Catholic University of America)
- Richard Schenk, O.P. (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)
- Mary Margaret Pazdan, O.P. (Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis)
- Barbara Reid, O.P. (Catholic Theological Union, Chicago)
- Barbara Green,O.P. (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)
- John Allard, O.P. (Providence College)
Emory Lifelong Learning Classes
The Aquinas Center helps to sponsor instructors in the Emory Lifelong Learning program. Courses include subjects like Thomas Merton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Thomas Aquinas, and books of the Bible. See the flyer for the latest offering, “Driving Miss Flannery”, on the Georgia Catholic writer, Flannery O’Connor. (ADD Flyer here)
Major Catholic Speaker Series
The center is starting in 2010 a major Catholic speaker series with Cardinal Walter Kaspar, the President of the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity. The goal of this series is to invite a Catholic speaker of stature who is able to address a topic of pressing concern to the faith.
Parish Speakers Program
The Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University provides speakers to parish adult education programs from Emory University or the Dominican order on issues such as the Bible, end of life issues, Gothic cathedrals, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Therese of Lisieux, a Catholic leadership model, and a day of spiritual recollection. See speaker list and make a reservation.
Student Scholarships
The Aquinas Scholar program provides scholarships to Catholic gradate students at Emory University whose scholarship and contributions to the intellectual life of the faith are significant.
