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.
Promoting Catholic truth in the contemporary university is the primary focus of our work. We do this through our campus chapters program, academic conferences, and intellectual retreats. The TI also sponsors various academic projects (research, publications, colloquia, and more) and provides scholarships to lay students studying theology at the Dominican House of Studies. In 2022, we launched a study abroad program for students from around the world at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
In addition to our work on campus, we promote the Catholic intellectual tradition online. Our digital learning platform, Aquinas 101, introduces viewers to the philosophical and theological world of St. Thomas Aquinas and proposes ways that his thought can help us engage with contemporary concerns (e.g., the relationship between faith and modern science). We also regularly post recordings of lectures we organize on the Thomistic Institute Podcast.
The Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 2009.
PROMOTING CATHOLIC TRUTH ON CAMPUS
Students have founded Thomistic Institute campus chapters at more than 80 universities. These academic clubs organize lectures with top-notch scholars on Catholic philosophy and theology in addition to reading groups, debates, and conferences. The chapters program aims to expose students to the riches of the Catholic intellectual tradition and help them explore it further.
“To love your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind — this is the goal of the intellectual life, and of the Christian life. It is a true way of sanctification, and a path towards beatitude.”
— Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P., Director of the Thomistic Institute || Quote from Discerning a Vocation to Be a Catholic Intellectual
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM
Each spring semester, Ancient and Medieval Rome: Crossroads of Intellectual Traditions brings university students from around the world to the heart of the Eternal City. They live just minutes from the Colosseum and study at the world-renowned Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
AQUINAS 101
IT MATTERS WHAT YOU THINK!
Aquinas 101 is a project of the Thomistic Institute that seeks to promote Catholic truth through short, engaging video lessons. Enroll in Aquinas 101: Science & Faith to receive the latest lesson in your inbox each Tuesday. You can browse earlier videos at your own pace or enroll in one of the other seven Aquinas 101 email courses on St. Thomas Aquinas and his masterwork, the Summa Theologiae.
