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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.

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Today · 31 min
Jesus and Socrates - Dr. Peter Kreeft
Dr. Peter Kreeft explores the profound parallels and radical distinctions between Socrates and Jesus, examining how these two figures fundamentally shaped the course of human history and the Catholic intellectual tradition.This lecture was given on...
Friday · 40 min
Joining Jesus on the Cross - Prof. Bruce Marshall
Emphasizing that suffering is not inherently good, Prof. Bruce Marshall explains how uniting our personal griefs to Christ's redemptive sacrifice during the Eucharist transforms pain into a path of divine intimacy and resurrection hope.This lecture...
Thursday · 35 min
The Cross and the Revelation of God's Glory - Fr. Isaac Augustine Morales, O.P.
Fr. Isaac Augustine Morales, O.P. examines the Johannine theology of glory, arguing that the cross, as the definitive revelation of God's presence, calls believers to participate in its mystery through humble service and love.This lecture was given...
Wednesday · 41 min
The Cross and the Revelation of God's Son - Fr. Isaac Augustine Morales, O.P.
Highlighting structural parallels in the Gospel of Mark, Fr. Isaac Augustine Morales, O.P., demonstrates how Jesus redefines messianic identity and the title "Son of God" through self-giving love and solidarity with the suffering rather than worldl...
Tuesday · 37 min
Naked Without Shame: Identity, Desire, Freedom, and the Meaning of the Body - Dr. Robert McNamara
Dr. Robert McNamara explains how the physical body is a revelatory book of our identity, arguing that we find true freedom and fulfillment by understanding our existence as a gift meant for communion.This lecture was given on September 29th, 2026, ...
November 2 · 40 min
Contemplation and Action - Fr. Cassian Derbes, O.P.
Fr. Cassian Derbes, OP, examines the Thomistic distinction between the active and contemplative lives, arguing that they are not merely states of life but distinct activities that find their highest expression in the beatific vision.This lecture wa...
October 30 · 28 min
A Pre-Christian Overview of Honor - Prof. Michael Foley
Prof. Michael Foley examines the pre-Christian roots of honor in Western civilization, contrasting the competitive, individualistic nature of classical honor with the moral critiques found in both Greco-Roman philosophy and the Hebrew Bible.This le...
October 29 · 42 min
Abiding in the Son: The Eucharist in the Gospel of John - Prof. Daniel Garland
Prof. Daniel Garland explores how the Gospel of John presents the Eucharist as the theological center of the narrative, arguing that the Incarnation and the seven signs are ordered toward our participation in the divine life through the body and bl...
October 28 · 38 min
The Catena Aurea as a Turning Point in Thomas Aquinas' Thought - Prof. Jane Sloan Peters
Prof. Jane Sloan Peters explores how Saint Thomas Aquinas’s Catena Aurea serves as a transformative synthesis of patristic thought, demonstrating how his masterful arrangement of the Church Fathers shaped his own theological development and remains...
October 27 · 34 min
Beauty and the Catholic Imagination - Mr. Dana Gioia
Poet and cultural critic Dana Gioia explores the vital role of beauty in the Catholic imagination, arguing that beauty is an objective, transformative experience that connects us to truth and the secrets of existence.This lecture was given on Octob...
October 26 · 1 hr 1 min
What is Truth? - Dr. Scott Roniger
Dr. Scott Roniger explores the nature of truth by synthesizing Aristotelian-Thomistic metaphysics with phenomenology to demonstrate how the human intellect achieves a profound union with reality, allowing us to grasp the essence of being.This lectu...
October 23 · 49 min
How to Be a Good Friend: Combatting Envy and Fostering Love - Prof. Scott Cleveland
Prof. Scott Cleveland explores the Aristotelian and Thomistic vision of friendship, arguing that true flourishing requires overcoming the vices of envy and apathy through the practice of charity and virtuous love.This lecture was given on February ...
October 22 · 42 min
Why Do We Need Justification?: On Original Sin - Prof. Erik Dempsey
Prof. Erik Dempsey explores Original Sin as a fundamental, lived reality inherently inclining the human person toward wrongdoing, but recognizing our brokenness is essential for understanding our constant need for divine grace and justification.Thi...
October 21 · 44 min
Identifying the Question? - Prof. Adam Eitel
Prof. Adam Eitel argues that modern identity theories ultimately fail because they lack a stable metaphysical grounding, and he proposes an alternative view rooted in Saint Thomas Aquinas’s exposition of Psalm 8.This lecture was given on February 2...
October 20 · 53 min
The Natural Principles of Identity in Christ - Fr. Irenaeus Dunlevy, O.P.
Fr. Irenaeus Dunlevy examines the contemporary crisis of identity by contrasting modern fluid subjectivism with the Thomistic realist perspective of the human person, arguing our true identity is rooted in our nature as beings created by God and or...
October 19 · 37 min
Identity in Christ - Prof. Adam Eitel
Prof. Adam Eitel contrasts the modern, self-constituted notions of identity with the Thomistic understanding of man as a creature capable of seeing God., whereby our human identity is fundamentally reordered from the Adamic image to the image of Ch...
October 16 · 39 min
Christ's Undergoing of Suffering for Our Sake - Prof. Paul Gondreau
Prof. Paul Gondreau explores the theological necessity of Christ's full humanity, arguing that by assuming a human nature complete with emotions and the capacity for suffering, Jesus provides the ultimate model for human perfection and moral integr...
October 15 · 49 min
Faith and Medicine: if God Is Present at the Bedside, Why is There a Conspiracy of Silence? - Prof. Tim Flanigan
Prof. Tim Flanigan, in the face of a "conspiracy of silence" in clinical settings that discourages the expression of faith, urges medical professionals to embrace the discomfort of witnessing to their beliefs to better support their patients. This ...
October 14 · 1 hr 10 min
The Use of Tools in a Technocratic Age: the Death of Wisdom? - Sr. Anna Wray, O.P.
Sr. Anna Wray, O.P. explores whether our reliance on efficiency-driven technology is hastening the death of wisdom by taking the place of human deliberation and agency.This lecture was given on February 20th, 2025, at Carnegie Mellon/University of ...
October 13 · 39 min
The Priesthood of Christ and Our Baptismal Priesthood - Prof. Bruce Marshall
Prof. Bruce Marshall explains that through the indelible mark of baptismal character, the faithful are uniquely deputized to participate in Christ's once-for-all sacrifice through the celebration of the Eucharist.This lecture was given on March 28t...

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