Eleventh International Thomistic Congress

The 11th International Thomistic Congress is happening soon, this 19-24 September 2022, in Rome. For those who cannot travel, the plenary sessions will be livestreamed. For more information, see here; to register, click here.

CALL FOR PAPERS – Thomas Aquinas: Medieval Thinker in the 21st Century Global Village

From the Thomistic Institute in Rome and Ibadan, Nigeria, comes a call for papers:

“St. Thomas Aquinas has held a central place in Catholic thinking for generations. But what is his role in the diverse and globalised reality of today’s world and the contemporary Church? The Dominican University, Ibadan, and the Angelicum Thomistic Institute are pleased to invite you to the international colloquium for the 700th anniversary of the canonisation of St. Thomas Aquinas titled “Thomas Aquinas: Medieval Thinker in the 21st Century Global Village”. The colloquium will take place in Ibadan, Nigeria, on 25-26 January 2023.”

The deadline for paper proposals is October 31, 2022. See here for more details.

Call for Papers: The Concept of "Ius" in Thomas Aquinas - Rome

April 21–22, 2023, a conference will be held in Rome on The Concept of “Ius" in Thomas Aquinas, co-sponsored by the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and the Angelicum Thomistic Institute. Speakers include Fr. Michael Sherwin, OP; Fr. Dominic Legge, OP; and Russell Hittinger. The call-for-papers deadline is December 15, 2022. More information can be found here: https://angelicum.it/thomistic-institute/event/call-for-papers-the-concept-of-ius/

On Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange

Now that the interest in father Garrigou-Lagrange is rapidly growing, not at least due to the many English translations by Matthew Minerd, scholarly articles are appearing as well.

The latest issue of Archivum Fratrum Predicatorum (2021) contains three highly interesting articles.

Sylvio Hermann De Franceschi continues his research on the formation of a distinctively Dominican and Thomistic idea of mysticism which father Garrigou-Lagrange developed in the late 1910’s and early 1920’s and which culminated in his Perfection chrétienne et contemplation. His most recent article (“La contemplation selon la moderne École dominicaine de spiritualité. La querelle mystique au temps de la suprematie des theses Garrigou-Lagrangiennes (1923-1928)”, 349-376) discusses the aftermath of the publication of the book and its reception by the Jesuit order.

The two other articles draw heavily on the archives of the Dominican Order but also on the archives of the pontificate of Pius XII, which were opened to the public in 2020. Father Augustin Laffay (“Le père Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange et Maria Sieler (1939-1945): La rencontre romaine d’un théologien et d’une mystique”, 377-400) explores a hitherto unknown conversation between father Garrigou-Lagrange and the Austrian mystic Maria Sieler, whose “understanding of divine things … is similar to the language of Garrigou-Lagrange’s spiritual theology”.

Philippe Chenaux (“Maritain devant le Saint-Office: le rôle du père Garrigou-Lagrange, OP”, 401-420) explores Garrigou-Lagrange’s role as censor of Maritain’s political writings by way of analysis of two vota which Garrigou-Lagrange composed in the late 1950’s as a consultor of the Holy Office. These vota were to serve as a preparation for a list of erroneous propositions to be published but without mentioning Maritain’s name. The article contains a letter written in November 1957 by Garrigou-Lagrange at the behest of Pius XIII to Maritain but never send to him. Although Garrigou-Lagrange recognizes Maritain’s best intentions, he also remarks that Maritain has insufficiently taken into account the principles of catholic doctrine and also the fact that many of Maritain’s disciples have defended more extreme positions on the basis of his writings. In the letter Garrigou-Lagrange asks Maritain to write an article in a major journal (“dans une grande Revue”) in which Maritain clarifies his position in light of the encyclicals of Leo XIII. Garrigou-Lagrange adds that “this would be the best way to prevent Integral Humanism from being withdrawn from publication.”

Call For Papers- Society for Thomistic Natural Philosophy

Society for Thomistic Natural Philosophy

Annual Conference Meeting for the Year 2022

Held in Conjunction with the Annual Meeting

 of the

American Catholic Philosophical Association

New Orleans, LA

November 17-20, 2022

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Program Committee for the Society for Thomistic Natural Philosophy is accepting proposals for scholarly presentations at our Annual Conference held in conjunction with the American Catholic Philosophical Association. Proposed presentations may be on any topic in the philosophy of nature or the history or philosophy of science considered from a generally Aristotelian and or a Thomistic perspective. Proposals should include a title and a one-page abstract of the presentation, along with the name, academic affiliation, and email address of the proposed presenter. Proposals must be submitted by April 15, 2022, to be considered. Decisions will be made before June 1, 2022. 

Submit proposals to Dr. Daniel C. Wagner, President of the Society for Thomistic Natural Philosophy, at dcw002@aquinas.edu

S.M.A.R.T. Call for Papers

The Society for Medieval and Renaissance Thomism (S.M.A.R.T.) is planning a session for the 2022 meeting of the American Catholic Philosophical Association in New Orleans, LA, 17-20 November 2022. It is accepting papers on all aspects of Thomism from 1274 to the publication of the Carmelite Cursus Theologiae (1631-1701).

Please send papers and direct enquiries to Domenic D’Ettore at ddettore@marian.edu. Papers and abstracts received by 15 May 2022 will receive full consideration. Selection preference will be given to complete papers. The submission of an abstract alone should be accompanied by a Curriculum Vitae. A final version of an accepted paper is required by 15 September 2022 in order to facilitate a response paper which will be given during the conference session.

Thomistic Institute in Washington, DC Offering Two Graduate Colloquia

This summer the Thomistic Institute in Washington, DC is offering two graduate colloquia, one in philosophy, and another in theology:

Gyula Klima is offering a graduate colloquium on “Eucharistic Metaphysics” July 17-23, 2022: https://thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events/graduate-colloquium-klima

Joseph Wawrykow is offering a similar colloquium on “Aquinas and Bonaventure on Christ and the Holy Spirit” July 24-30, 2022: https://thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events/graduate-colloquium-wawrykow

Additionally, we’re also offering a fellowship that is aimed at graduate students more broadly (including MA students and students in professional schools), which is called the “Civitas Dei Fellowship.” This year’s theme is ‘The City of God in Modernity: Culture and Ecclesiology.’ The fellowship will take place June 12-17, 2022. https://thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events/civitas-dei-summer-fellowship-22

Workshop for Emerging Scholars (May 30 - June 2)

The Aquinas Institute at Blackfriars Hall recently announced a network of emerging scholars in philosophy and theology, with an inaugural workshop running from the evening of Monday 30th May until Thursday 2nd June 2021, on the theme of Aquinas’s Christology. They welcome applications from graduate students and recent Ph.D. graduates for the event.

Full scholarships will cover all travel expenses (whether from within the UK or internationally), as well as meals and accommodation during participants’ residential stay in Oxford. The schedule will allow time for participants to make use of the outstanding research facilities at the University of Oxford and meet with other scholars within the University. The workshop promises to be intellectually stimulating and, we hope, help to build a convivial community of scholarly support and collegiality.

During the workshop, participants will engage in a peer-facilitated seminar discussion of texts drawn from the tertia pars of Aquinas’s Summa Theologiæ. Each emerging scholar will present a short paper on an assigned portion of text and lead the subsequent discussion of the issues that it raises.

In addition to the peer-facilitated portion of the workshop, afternoon sessions will be led by distinguished senior scholars:

• Prof. Michael Gorman (Catholic University of America)
• Prof. Joseph Wawrykow (Notre Dame)
• Prof. N. T. Wright (Oxford)

Applications are welcomed from graduate students in UK and international programs (as well as those who have recently completed doctoral study). Successful applicants will be working in theology, philosophy, or adjacent disciplines (such as the study of religion or biblical studies), but need not be specializing in the thought of Aquinas or focussing on Christology.

Application by CV and covering letter to aquinas@bfriars.ox.ac.uk by 1st February 2022.

Thomistic Summer Conference on Faith and Reason

Thomas Aquinas College is holding its first Thomistic Summer Conference at their California campus on June 16-19, 2022. The theme for this summer’s conference is “Faith & Reason.” Featured speakers include Michael Sherwin, OP (Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology), John O’Callaghan (University of Notre Dame), Steven Long (Ave Maria University), and Michael Augros (Thomas Aquinas College). Please see the conference flyer below. More information, including a call for papers, can be found at www.thomasaquinas.edu/tsc.

Call for Papers: Sacra Doctrina Project Conference

Announcing the 2022 Conference of The Sacra Doctrina Project (responsible for the maintenance of Thomistica.net): “Grace and Sanctification: Divine Causality, Human Action, and Supernatural Glory.” June 23-25, 2022 at Thomas Aquinas College - New England. Featuring Steven A. Long and Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P. as keynote speakers, as well as Daria Spezzano and Patrick M. Gardner as plenary sessions.

Call for paper proposals of approximately 300 words by January 1, 2022, or by December 15, 2021 for priority consideration. Submit through the conference webpage. More information below.

Call for Papers: CTSA Session: Thomas Aquinas Consultation (Deadline: Sept. 1)

There will be a session at the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) Convention in Atlanta, GA (June 9–12, 2022) pertaining to “Thinking Catholic Interreligiously.” The Call for Papers deadline is September 1st, 2021.

SESSION DESCRIPTION:

The Thomas Aquinas Consultation invites papers that explore relationships between the thought of Thomas Aquinas (and/or the Thomist tradition) and non-Christian religions. Topics may include theological considerations of the extensivity of salvation (e.g., extra Ecclesiam nulla salus), the virtue of religion, the relationship of non-Christian religions to the Church and to Christ, the place of the religions in the plan of divine providence, or explorations of the method and teaching of the Summa contra Gentiles. Papers may also attend to such questions as the influence of interreligious exchange on Thomas’s own thought or that of the later Thomist tradition, the end or finis of interreligious dialogue itself (e.g., in conversation with ST, II-II, q. 10), Thomistic perspectives on adherence to objective truth vs. openness to dialogue with others, Thomist approaches to religious conflict, or Thomistic thought in relation to modern secularity or religious indifferentism.

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN YOUR PROPOSAL: • Your paper proposal should be not more than 250 words. • You should also include a 100 word précis that will be posted on the CTSA website should your paper be accepted. • Please provide the name and institution of all participants (convener, moderator, presenters), and contact information, including e‐mail. • Indicate whether you will be requiring A/V equipment.

ELIGIBILITY FOR SUBMITTING PAPER PROPOSALS • CTSA guidelines require that those making proposals ordinarily be associate or full members in good standing with their dues paid up. Anyone with an associate or full membership application on file can also submit a proposal if they expect to be accepted for membership in the upcoming June convention. • No member may present a paper/respond to a paper/participate on a panel more than once at a given convention. An exception is made for members of under‐represented groups. Presentations made to the Women’s Consultation on Constructive Theology are included in this rubric. • Members cannot have a speaking role for more than two consecutive years In a three-year period. Deadline: September 1, 2021. Please submit proposals to: dlangevin@dhs.edu You will be notified by e‐mail whether your paper has been accepted by September 14, 2021.

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM: Dominic Langevin, O.P. (Convener) Daria Spezzano David Elliot