Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Summer Conferences

Explore the profound journey of Dr. Harrison Schmitt, the last man to walk on the moon and a pioneering geologist.  Hear firsthand accounts of lunar exploration, the iconic "Blue Marble" image, and the scientific endeavors of Apollo 17.  Dr. Schmitt also discusses the future of space exploration, including lunar resource utilization and the intriguing convergence of science and faith.

Dr. Stephen Barr, president of the Society of Catholic Scientists, argues that the supposed war between science and religion is a myth resting on confused philosophy, bad history, and a misreading of scientific discovery. Philosophically, he traces the modern idea of "laws of nature" back to the biblical conception of God as rational lawgiver, and uses the primary/secondary causality distinction—illustrated by asking what caused Polonius's death in Hamlet (Hamlet's dagger and Shakespeare's pen are both 100% the cause, at different levels)—to show that natural explanations and divine causation aren't competitors. Historically, he dismantles the 19th-century "conflict thesis" popularized by Draper and White, noting that virtually every founder of modern science (Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, Boyle, Newton) was a devout believer, and that Catholic priests founded entire fields of science outright: Mendel (genetics), Lemaître (Big Bang cosmology), Steno (geology), Secchi (astrophysics), and Mersenne (acoustics). Turning to the actual content of 20th-century discoveries, Barr walks through five "plot twists" that moved science closer to, not further from, the religious picture of the world: the universe turns out to have had a beginning (the Big Bang); quantum mechanics undercut the deterministic physics that seemed to rule out free will; the universe's finely-tuned laws appear "tailor-made" for life (per Hawking and Witten, both non-believers); the universe's vast size and age are a precondition for, not evidence against, our existence; and quantum measurement suggests consciousness isn't fully reducible to matter. He closes by quoting physicist Ed Witten's remark that the mathematical structure of physics makes it seem "as though the world had been created by a mathematician."

Framed by Pope Leo XIV's Magnifica Humanitas ("ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human"), Dr. Eric Jenislawski argues that large language model AIs, however uncanny they feel in conversation, are not intelligent in the way human beings are. Human consciousness is free, self-reflective, capable of judgment about truth and value, and oriented toward ultimate questions that lead the soul toward God; AI, by contrast, is a deterministic system of matrix multiplication trained on human-authored text, and its impressive output reflects the borrowed genius of its programmers and the millions of writers in its training data—not genuine understanding. He warns against the "fallacy of functionalism," the mistake of assuming that because a machine produces a result once achieved only by human intelligence, it must be doing so through a humanlike process (his coin-counting-machine analogy). Turning to prospects and perils, Jenislawski affirms AI's real practical value—for business efficiency, accessibility, and specialized tasks like medical imaging or text-to-speech—while walking through concerns Magnifica Humanitas raises: the "technocratic paradigm" that lets efficiency and profit override human judgment; AI's tendency toward confident inaccuracy ("hallucination"); hidden ideological bias baked into corporate "alignment" policies; the need to keep specific humans accountable for AI-assisted decisions; AI-amplified disinformation; the de-skilling risk of over-reliance (the rationale behind his college's restrictive AI-in-coursework policy); AI-driven surveillance; and the encyclical's near-categorical prohibition on entrusting lethal or irreversible decisions to autonomous weapons systems.

Dr. John Cuddeback argues that science, big business, and the pursuit of power form a "toxic trio" that currently determines what technologies get developed and how they're used—none of which is capable of answering the truly decisive question of whether a technology actually serves human flourishing. Drawing on the Aristotelian-Thomistic distinction between speculative and practical reasoning, and further between "making" (governed by art, which can be misused) and "doing" (governed by prudence, which cannot), Cuddeback locates the real fix not at the political or industrial level but in the household: "domestic prudence," the virtue of ordering everything in a home's life to the true good of its members, is squarely within a family's power even when the wider culture isn't. He argues many technologies—the smartphone chief among his examples—never should have been developed, or at least demand far more scrutiny than the "innovation is good by default" instinct of a technocratic culture allows, since the inner logic of technology tends toward control and power and will overrun prudence unless deliberately reined in. His practical counsel: cultivate intentionality about what a good home life looks like, default to skepticism toward new technologies rather than presumption in their favor, and build a concrete vision of good work and true leisure in the home, using technology only in service of that vision rather than letting it set the terms. He closes by reading Pope Benedict XVI's reminiscence of his own simple, technology-free childhood as a picture of the ordinary, unmediated goods worth protecting.

Panelists: Dr. David Deavel, Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, George Harne, Matthew Tsakanikas, Greg Townsend, Douglas Dailey

This panel opens with mathematics as the "language" behind reality, tracing the idea from Pythagoras and Plato's Republic through Galileo's mathematization of science, and connecting it to number language applied to God (the Trinity as three-in-one) and the sense of beauty and contemplation that mathematical description of creation can evoke. The conversation pushes back gently on a numbers-obsessed modernity, noting that quantification captures the "how" but not the whole truth, and touches on final causality — arguing that natural law itself functions as a kind of final cause even when scientists don't use that language. The discussion then pivots to how to counsel students anxious about science-and-faith tensions: distinguishing primary causality (God) from secondary causality (natural processes, per the Baltimore Catechism's "Who made you?"), reading Genesis according to its proper ancient genre rather than modern historical-literal expectations (citing the 1948 Pontifical Biblical Commission), naming "scientism" as itself an act of faith, and using wonder and beauty — in music, love, or mathematics — to widen students' sense of what reality includes. It closes with a reflection on how AI is now forcing mathematicians to reconsider the nature and purpose of mathematical thought itself.

In this opening keynote, Dr. David Deavel makes the case for St. John Henry Newman as a "Doctor of Education" whose vision of the university — as a unified pursuit of truth, not a fragmented "multiversity" — is more praised than practiced in Catholic higher ed today. Turning to Newman's Dublin lecture Christianity and Physical Science, Deavel unpacks Newman's argument that theology and the natural sciences occupy distinct but non-contradictory domains ("truth cannot contradict truth"), walks through historical flashpoints like Galileo and the reception of Aristotle to show the Church has generally avoided adjudicating scientific questions, and highlights Newman's own track record building science programs at the Catholic University of Dublin. He closes with Newman's vision of scientists and theologians working in "quiet and neighborly" freedom, confident that their fields will ultimately harmonize into one synthesis of wisdom.

Msgr. Charles Pope discovered his vocation to the priesthood through his work as a church musician, serving as an organist, cantor, and choir director. He entered Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in 1985, earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Moral Theology, and was ordained on June 24, 1989, by James Cardinal Hickey. Named a Monsignor in 2005, he currently serves as Pastor of Holy Comforter–St. Cyprian Parish, where he returned in 2007. Msgr. Pope conducts Bible studies, including one at the White House, and holds roles such as Spiritual Director for the Washington Comitium of the Legion of Mary, Archdiocesan Coordinator for the Latin Mass, and Dean of the Northeast Deanery. He has written extensively, taught catechetical courses, preached retreats for priests, and enjoys his multifaceted work as a diocesan and media priest.

McInerny is an associate professor and chair of the philosophy department at Christendom College. As a philosopher, author, and playwright, he explores the intersection of faith, culture, and the human experience. He earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from The Catholic University of America and has taught at institutions including the University of Notre Dame and Baylor University. As a writer, McInerny has published works ranging from children’s literature to philosophical essays, often focusing on themes of virtue and the moral imagination. Most recently published is the acclaimed Beauty and Imitation: A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts as well as the novel The Good Death of Kate Montclair. Through his diverse endeavors, McInerny seeks to illuminate the profound connections between storytelling, humor, and the pursuit of truth.

Harne is the fourth president of Christendom College. A widely respected and accomplished scholar of music history and the liberal arts, Harne earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University and received master’s degrees from Princeton, St. John’s College, and the University of Washington. La Rocca, Composer-in-Residence at the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Liturgy, is renowned for his Mass of the Americas, hailed as “a cornerstone of modern liturgical composition.” Poterack is an Assistant Professor of Liturgical Music at Christendom College, where he also directs the college choir and Schola Gregoriana, and coordinates the Beato Fra Angelico Fine Arts Program. Sweeney is an Associate Professor of Theology at Christendom College, specializing in sacramental theology, theological anthropology, and the New Evangelization. 

Msgr. Charles Pope discovered his vocation to the priesthood through his work as a church musician, serving as an organist, cantor, and choir director. He entered Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in 1985, earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Moral Theology, and was ordained on June 24, 1989, by James Cardinal Hickey. Named a Monsignor in 2005, he currently serves as Pastor of Holy Comforter–St. Cyprian Parish, where he returned in 2007. Msgr. Pope conducts Bible studies, including one at the White House, and holds roles such as Spiritual Director for the Washington Comitium of the Legion of Mary, Archdiocesan Coordinator for the Latin Mass, and Dean of the Northeast Deanery. He has written extensively, taught catechetical courses, preached retreats for priests, and enjoys his multifaceted work as a diocesan and media priest.

Sullivan is an Associate Professor of English Language and Literature at Christendom College. She holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College, an M.A. in English from the University of Dallas, and a Ph.D. in English from The Catholic University of America. Dr. Sullivan specializes in 19th-century British literature, particularly the works of Jane Austen and epistolary literature. At Christendom, she teaches courses including English Romantic and Victorian literature and 19th-century Children’s Literature. Her scholarly contributions feature presentations such as “Saving the Distracted Student: Pedagogical Methods to Encourage a Love of Beauty in Literature” at the ALSCW Conference. Dr. Sullivan is an active member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers.

Wilson is the Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and founding director of the MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Saint Thomas. The author of fourteen books, including Saint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds (2024), his works have earned accolades such as the Hiett Prize, Parnassus Prize, and Catholic Media Award for poetry. Wilson also serves as poet-in-residence of the Benedict XVI Institute, scholar-in-residence at Aquinas College, and poetry editor of Modern Age. Educated at Michigan, Massachusetts, and Notre Dame, he is a leading voice in Catholic literature and education.

Ahlquist is President of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, creator and host of the EWTN series “G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense,” and Publisher of Gilbert Magazine. He is the author of six books, and has edited fourteen. He is a Senior Fellow of the Chesterton Library at London, and has been called “probably the greatest living authority on the life and work of G.K. Chesterton.” Dale has given more than 900 lectures at universities, conferences, and other institutions, including Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Notre Dame, Oxford, the Vatican Forum in Rome, and the House of Lords in London. He is also the co-founder of Chesterton Academy, a top-rated Catholic classical high school in Hopkins, Minnesota, which is the flagship of the growing Chesterton Schools Network, which includes nearly 60 high schools in the U.S., Canada, Italy, Iraq, and Sierra Leone.

Dr. Daniel McInerny delivered a talk titled “Karol Wojtyla: The Actor” at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. McInerny’s talk featured scenes from his upcoming play, "The Actor," with Christendom students and alumni bringing Pope St. John Paul II’s time as an actor to life for the delight of the college’s benefactors.

Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

George Weigel, who is the author of Pope St. John Paul II’s biography and a Distinguished Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, gave a talk titled “The Achievement of John Paul II: A Retrospective" at Christendom's 2024 Summer Consortium.

Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Renowned theologian Robert Cardinal Sarah delivered the keynote address for Christendom's 2024 Summer Consortium. In his address, Cardinal Sarah reflected on Pope St. John Paul II’s impact and legacy, particularly emphasizing his unwavering commitment to the Catholic faith and the Church’s teachings.

Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Renowned theologian Robert Cardinal Sarah celebrated Mass for attendees of Christendom's 2024 Summer Consortium in the college's Christ the King Chapel, speaking glowingly of Christendom during his homily. 

Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell and incoming president Dr. George Harne gave a seminar discussion titled “Nove Millenio Ineunte: Charting the Path in the New Millenium" at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. 

Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Christendom professor Dr. Owen Vyner delivered a talk titled “John Paul II on the Family: The Ark of the Domestic Church in the Flood of Modernity” at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. 

Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Christendom professor Dr. Joseph Arias delivered a talk titled “Pope Saint John Paul II and the Legacy of the Gospel of Life” at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. 

Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Christendom welcomed President’s Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."

Sr. Catherine Joseph Droste, O.P. delivered the keynote address for the Consortium. Sheis a Dominican Sister of the Congregation of St. Cecilia, Nashville, Tennessee. She received her Bachelor of Arts in history from Christendom College and continued her education to become a professor of theology. She teaches at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome and also serves as vice-dean of the theology faculty.   In the areas of research and teaching her interests include ecclesiology with a particular emphasis on the role of religions and women in the Church, and the life of virtue. Recently she has also been involved in interreligious dialogue, discussing the Blessed Virgin Mary with Muslims in Turkey.

Christendom welcomed President’s Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."

College President Dr. Timothy O'Donnell gave a keynote address for the Consortium titled "Reflections on The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis." He received his early education at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated with B.A. degrees in philosophy and history and an M.A. in Church history. He received a doctorate in ascetical and mystical theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome (Angelicum). Dr. O’Donnell is the president of Christendom College.

Christendom welcomed President’s Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."

Professor Michael Brown delivered a talk titled "St. Thomas on Why Freedom and Truth Go Together." He specializes in the study of medieval and modern philosophy. Brown received his B.A. in English language and literature from Christendom College and his M.A. in philosophy from The Catholic University of America. The coordinator for Christendom’s popular mission trips, he joined Christendom’s philosophy faculty in 1993.

Christendom welcomed President’s Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."

Dr. Andrew Whitmore gave a talk titled "St. Thomas and the Perennial Importance of Virtue" during the Consortium. He is an assistant professor of theology at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. In his doctoral studies at The Catholic University of America, he specialized in St. Thomas Aquinas’ virtue theory. He has taught moral theology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as in formation programs for the permanent diaconate and in public talks to the laity.

Defending religious liberty, the second focus of this year’s Consortium, took primacy on Saturday evening. A delicious dinner, provided by award-winning college Executive Chef Don Higby, preceded the keynote address from Dr. Ryan Anderson, acclaimed author, speaker, and the President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Anderson, who has previously spoken at the college on multiple occasions and taught as an adjunct professor as well, delivered an address titled: “Religious Liberty Is Important, But It’s Not Enough.”  He discusses the current state of society and what the role of the state in protecting human dignity. 

“There are three truths from the very beginning of the Bible — that we’re made in the image and likeness of God, that were created male and female, and that male and female are created for each other,” said Anderson. “Whether it’s the abortion debate, the transgender debate, or the gay marriage debate, those are the truths that are most threatened today. But Christendom students are living these truths out. They are forming families, having babies, and coming back as faculty members. They are doing work that is bearing witness to the truth in their personal life, professional life, and in their intellectual and spiritual life.”

On Saturday, participants were treated to a full day of talks, beginning with a lecture from College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell titled “On Quas Primas — The Universal Kingship of Christ.” Turning to both theology and the history of the Catholic Church, O’Donnell spoke eloquently on the importance of recognizing Christ as King and the need for society to do so again.

“Let’s pledge our loyalty to Christ our King,” said O’Donnell. “Let us think concretely how we, in our lives, can help build this civilization of love. If we can enthrone the Sacred Heart, acknowledging the Kingship of Christ, in our homes, in our families, in our businesses, in our parishes, in our schools, in our colleges, let’s do that, that one day our nation and our world will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Our King. May His Kingdom come.”

Christendom College welcomed benefactors and distinguished guests for its annual Summer Consortium event, focused the theme “The Kingship of Christ and Defending Religious Liberty.” Featuring talks from Dr. Ryan Anderson, Fr. Francis “Rocky” Hoffman, and others, the event provided a rich intellectual and spiritual journey for participants as they discussed the deep questions that challenge the Catholic Faith in our present age.

Fr. Rocky illuminated the importance of St. Joseph, particularly during this special “Year of St. Joseph” being celebrated in the Catholic Church in 2021. His example as a husband, father, and as protector of the Catholic Church is one to emulate during these confusing times, said Fr. Rocky, pointing to St. Joseph as a guide in the days ahead.

Following Mass in Christ the King Chapel, celebrated by former college chaplain Fr. John Riley, participants heard from Christendom’s Theology Department Chairman Dr. Owen Vyner. During his talk, titled “Sacramental Penance and the Triumph Over Sin: Participation in Christ’s Kingship,” Vyner provided a powerful look into the theology behind the nature of sin and how each person can more fully follow Christ through the Sacrament of Confession.

“Contrition, confession, and satisfaction undoes sin at its root, but more deeply, aided by grace, we are sharing in God’s own freedom,” said Vyner. “To do battle and to seek to overcome sin is to have the freedom of a king. More specifically, it is to share in Christ’s Kingship and his victory over sin on the cross. Thus to engage in this battle, through the sacrament and the virtue of penance, is to have royal freedom — the freedom of the sons and daughters of God.”

Renowned author and speaker Joseph Pearce discusses the relevance of great literature in our lives today. Humanity is revealed through great literature, and is a vein to explore the ever-present problem of suffering. 

Mary Beth Bonacci, an internationally recognized speaker, gave a talk on the importance of true love and the differences between how men and women express love.

“The abuse of the word ‘love’ has grown so much worse. We conflate attraction and desire with love, and now, we conflate agreement with love, and conversely, disagreement with hate. We urgently need to figure out what real love it, what it means, how we live it in our lives.”

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, the Archbishop of San Fransisco, gave a talk in which he encouraged the laity to transform our culture by living out God’s plan for marriage.

“It is no surprise that, yes, we do have a lot to fix in our society.  A society of justice, peace, and prosperity for all–these are the fruits of a society with a strong culture of marriage and the family. So let us steel ourselves, with the help of God’s grace, to bear witness to the Truth, in love.”

Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, the author of Heart of the Redeemer and Swords Around the Cross: The Nine Years War, presented a talk on the essential role of the family as a Domestic Church. He explained how the fight for our culture is rooted in our understanding of the family.

“The key to the Church’s teaching on marriage and family and its role in society lies in the family’s identity as a Church in miniature: a place of prayer, a place of communion, a place where virtue is taught. If we as a Church–as laity, as married couples, as grandparents–don’t emphasize the centrality of the sacrament of marriage, who is going to do it?”

Dr. Scott Hahn, the bestselling author of numerous books, presented a talk on the uniquely-Christian understanding of God as Father, “from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph. 3:15). He explained the connection between Divine and human fatherhood, emphasizing that true fatherhood is “more theological than biological.”

“Why are we here? To raise Godly families. But we can’t do it apart from the Trinity. Our fatherhood is a participation in God’s, but His Fatherhood alone is perfect and eternal. And this is God’s truest identity.”

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, the Archbishop of San Francisco, gave a homily on the modern attack on marriage and the steps we can take to combat it, reflecting on readings from the Mass of the Holy Family.

“We profess to be Christians; our family life must look different from those who do not have faith.  And we do so precisely because we live according to this high call of virtue and mutual respect, of which Saint Paul speaks.”

Mary Stanford, a theology professor at Christendom College, reflects on four points which Adam, the first man, discovered in the Garden of Eden about the nature of the human person and God’s plan for marriage.

“Without a generous giver and trusting receiver, there can be no gift. Without gift, there can be no love. And without an environment of love, human persons start to lose their humanity. Our capacity to experience intimacy in our marriages involves restoring a gift-giving dynamic, which yields a peace and a happiness utterly beyond the devil’s imagination.”

Senator Rick Santorum gave the touching account of his daughter Bella, showing the impact that one child can have on a community and the blessings that come with being a parent.

“I hope, in communicating to you the story of my life, the journey of my marriage, and what I’ve done in raising these two children in particular, to show how they had profound effect on me and my family, and subsequently on many more as a result of that.”

Dr. O'Donnell discusses the importance of evangelization in the midst of adversity. He reflects on the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, and what it means to encounter Christ.

  Dr. O’Donnell is the president of Christendom College, where he also teaches courses in history and theology. He was the first layman to receive both his licentiate and doctoral degrees in Ascetical and Mystical Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. He has taught at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California and at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.

He is a Knight Grand Cross of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, and is a popular speaker worldwide, most recently being asked to speak at the Pontifical Council on the Family’s World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Additionally, he is the author of Heart of the Redeemer and Swords Around the Cross: The Nine Years War.

Dr. Scott Hahn, the author or editor of over forty books, including best-selling works The Lamb’s Supper, Reasons to Believe, and Answering the New Atheism, spoke on the need to renew a covenant with God through encountering Christ in the New Testament. Pointing out that a “massive amnesia has soaked into our age,” Hahn argued that all Christians must restore their “deep memory” again by truly doing all things in memory of Christ.

“The fact is, you can be a saint in the middle of the world, and through friendship you can share the joy of the Gospel — and that is what people are looking for, more than any argument, more than any proof-text. Joy is what people find irresistible.”

Patrick Madrid discusses how to explain and defend the choice to be Catholic, as well as how to answer difficult questions about the faith. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining perspective, pointing out that apologetics is the art of winning souls. 

Patrick Madrid is an American Catholic author, radio host, apologist, the host of several EWTN television and radio series, and was the publisher of Envoy Magazine. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Phoenix, as well as a B.Phil. degree in philosophy and an M.A. degree in theology from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Patrick serves as an adjunct professor of theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary and has also taught theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and is a research fellow at the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Studies.

Professor McGuire tackles the topic of John Henry Newman, a colossal figure of the 19th century world. The prolific writings of John Henry Newman offers timely insights that can be applied to the New Evangelization. 

Professor Brendan McGuire, Ph.D., is a Catholic historian specializing in the classical and medieval periods.  He received his doctoral degree in medieval history from Saint Louis University, and in recent years has presented scholarly research on various historical topics at prestigious regional, national, and international conferences.  He has taught both history and classical languages at the undergraduate level, and is currently a professor of history at Christendom College, his alma mater.

Closing the conference, popular EWTN host, author, and conference emcee Marcus Grodi gave practical advice to attendees on how to look at the science of conversion itself, and how to form a strategy of dialogue to help bring fallen-away Catholics, and Protestants, to the beauty of the Catholic Church.

“In my own journey, as I was growing closer to the Catholic Church, I realized that there was more than just being in Jesus. Christ calls us to abide, and the necessity of abiding will continue for the rest of our lives — this isn’t a one-time thing . . . if we’re not abiding, then we don’t produce the fruit. Intimacy with Jesus is more than just receiving Him in your heart — the way you abide in Christ is by receiving Him in the Eucharist. . . . We have a real treasure to share.”

Dr. R.J. Matava, who was previously a Liddon Fellow at Oxford’s Keble College, presented a talk titled “Conversion and Apologetics: Personal Vocation as a Key to the New Evangelization.” Positing that holiness of life is essential for apologetics, Matava treated the nature of apologetics through a theological and historical lens, looking at what it needs to be effective within the New Evangelization.

“While the original evangelization generally brought the Gospel to the pagan world, the ‘new evangelization’ must bring the Gospel to a world described by some as ‘post Christian,’ and not least to people who are baptized but lack faith,” said Matava. “What then is the most urgent task of a new apologetics for the new evangelization? I would suggest that it is to cultivate in others, so far as we are able, the necessary dispositions to earnestly consider the reasons for the faith.”

Professor Brendan McGuire, Ph.D., is a Catholic historian, specializing in the classical and medieval periods.  He received his doctoral degree in medieval history from Saint Louis University, and in recent years has presented scholarly research on various historical topics at prestigious regional, national, and international conferences.  He has taught both history and classical languages at the undergraduate level, and he is currently a professor of history at Christendom College, his alma mater.

Dr. Christopher Shannon, author of the highly acclaimed Bowery to Broadway, examined the historical approach of Jean Daniélou and Henri de Lubac. Shannon said that by placing the saints alongside the great political leaders of history, the saints, as types of Christ, would bring an organizing structure.

“[According to Daniélou and de Lubac,] what we should be looking for in history is Jesus Christ, particularly as we see Him in the saints,” Shannon said. “The saints are our guides to history.”

Dr. Adam Schwartz, whose great academic work, The Third Spring, was recently republished, discussed the theologies of history in G. K. Chesterton and the poet David Jones.

“They believed that Christianity united philosophy and mythology for the first time,” Schwartz said. “Whereas in the ancient world, myth and religion were considered one thing and philosophy quite another . . . Christianity rhymed these two roads to the truth due to its historicity.”

Dr. Thomas Madden, whose expertise has been sought by The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NPR, and The History Channel, delivered a talk entitled “Rethinking Holy War: The Crusades and Catholic Devotion in the Middle Ages.” Madden exposed many contemporary misunderstandings of the Crusades as uneducated and lacking in any real evidence. Madden posited that in order to understand the Crusades, one has to have an understanding of “Medieval piety.”

Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, the author of Heart of the Redeemer and Swords Around the Cross: The Nine Years War, presented a talk entitled “Why History?: The Church’s View.” O’Donnell explained the importance that the Church has placed on the study of history and how in recent years the field has suffered from “a crisis of faith.” In the second part of his talk, O’Donnell described the thought of Dr. Warren Carroll and how his historical works responded to this “crisis.”

“It was his goal in his work to tell the full historical story of Christian civilization,” O’Donnell said of Carroll. “From its preparation, birth, growth, climax, division, and its retreat, but always as Carroll said, ‘ready for its coming resurrection.’ Talk about a man of hope.”

Author and historian Dr. Brad S. Gregory discussed history as the “handmaiden of theology.” Gregory argued that while avoiding a Catholic confessional history, one might still serve a Catholic vision of history and reach those in academia who may be antagonistic toward Catholicism.

“Because people are not likely to change their basic commitments unless there is something the matter with their own, we have to trouble the waters,” he said. “We have to argue on the basis of evidence, to use reason in service to the Faith, without—if we want to have a chance of reaching those who do not share our views—presupposing anything that is substantively part of the Faith.”