Duke University

The Thomistic Institute chapter at Duke University presents a lecture by Prof. Paul Gondreau of Providence College titled “Why the Catholic Church? The Role of the Church.”

Perkins 217 | Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27708

Thursday, Oct. 10

7:00 PM

The event is free and open to the public.

We live in a culture that tends to look negatively at organized religion in general, and especially at the Catholic Church. Many think that it is sufficient to relate to God or to a divinity as one sees fit, and usually in rather private and personal terms, particularly when human corruption in a religious institution like the Catholic Church has been exposed for the whole world to see. This lecture will explore how "organized religion" remains yet in fundamental accord with our humanity and is expressive of a deep human need, and how the Catholic Church is God's answer to that need. Come see how the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas helps us to appreciate the beauty and splendor of the Catholic Church, without at the same time turning a blind eye to human shortcoming in the Church.

About the speaker:

Paul Gondreau earned his doctorate in sacred theology from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, writing under the renowned Thomist scholar Rev. JeanPierre Torrell, O.P. He is professor of theology at Providence College in Rhode Island, where he teaches/has taught courses on marriage, Christology, the theology of Thomas Aquinas, the Church, the Eucharist, the Sacraments, and the Catholic thought of J.R.R. Tolkien. He has a published manuscript on Christ's human passions in the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas and has published numerous essays in the area of Thomistic Christology, Thomistic anthropology, a Thomistic account of human sexuality, and a Thomistic theology of disability. He is associate editor of the theological journal Nova et Vetera, and has served as a consultant to the USCCB's committee on marriage and family.