Loyola University Chicago
The Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage
Nexus: Conversations on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition
Nexus is a digital-age journal that amplifies and publishes scholarly dialogue taking place in the Hank Center.
Conversations on the Catholic Imagination
A public voices archive featuring writers, poets, playwrights, and more. Recorded at the 2019 Catholic Imagination Conference.
Highlights of the Third Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference
Poets, novelists, filmmakers, and more gathered at Loyola in September 2019 to reflect on the future of the Catholic literary tradition. Join us in a look back.
Recommended Reading
Each month CCIH will recommend new and notable books that integrate, interrogate, and celebrate the Catholic intellectual and artistic tradition.
Faculty Seminar
The Hank Center has been tasked by the university to offer an innovative seminar for faculty and administrators on the mission of the university and its commitment to social justice.
LUCatholic Post: Succession
Catholic Studies Minor Maxwell Dziabis shares a new short story on the LUCatholic blog. “Succession" is about practicing Catholicism in a post-COVID-19 and climate disaster world.
CCIH Conferences
- Third Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference
- George Saunders and the Fiction of Radical Humanism
- The Challenge of God: Continental Philosophy and Catholic Intellectual Heritage
- Andalusia in Andalucía: An International Conference on Flannery O'Connor
- The Poetry and Poetic Life of Denise Levertov
- Chicago Catholic Immigrants Conference
News
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Mark McIntosh, 1960-2021
With hope in the resurrection, we share the news that our colleague and dear friend, Mark McIntosh, passed away on October 13th, four years after being diagnosed with ALS. Mark was into his afternoon routine of quiet reading and died in peace, surrounded by the many conversation partners that adorned his library in his home. Mark, an American Episcopal Priest, was a gifted teacher and pastor, beloved by the students he taught and all to whom he ministered. He was also a consummate scholar, a theologian of wide interests--from literature to mysticism-- and wrote with humble authority (and a quick, generous wit). Mark received the Hank Center's Living Tradition Award in 2018 and never a more apt award was bestowed on anyone. Please read Dr. Cyril O'Regan's tribute to Mark linked in the title. Mark will be sorely missed, but one consolation remains. The Episcopal Church does not have a saint's feast day on 10/13. We submit that they do now. Rest in peace, Reverend Doctor Mark McIntosh. -
15 Years at the Hank Center!
This year we recognize 15 amazing years and the generous support the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage has received. Throughout the year we will have several events and initiatives to mark this important milestone, so make sure to check back periodically for those. -
Conversations on the Catholic Imagination
November 18, 2021, 6:00-7:30 PM CDT
Book Discussion with Cardinal Seán O'Malley
The Relevance of the Stars: Christ, Culture, Destiny
Zoom Forum
Cardinal Seán O’Malley and Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete were friends for decades, starting before the latter entered the seminary. Though their particular paths in the Church diverged – O’Malley became the Archbishop of Boston and Albacete went on to lead the Communion and Liberation movement in the U.S. -- they shared a passion not only for the rich tradition of Catholic culture and thought but also for addressing the urgent question of how to live a Christian life in a postmodern era. The publication of a posthumous collection of some of Albacete’s most brilliant talks and essays -- “The Relevance of the Stars: Christ, Culture, Destiny” -- provides a perfect opportunity to reflect on the Mystical Monsignor’s legacy as a theologian, pastor, and public intellectual.This event is free and open to the public. Registration required. -
Restorative Justice: Unguarded Viewing and Discussion
Postponed - New Date Coming Soon
Damen Cinema, LSC
Join us for a viewing of Unguarded, a documentary film that tells the story of successful restorative justice work in Brazil and America. Free and open to the public. -
PAST EVENTS
See previous events hosted by CCIH below! -
Video Coming Soon| Conversations on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition: Catholic Higher Education in the 21st Century
October 14, 2021, 3:30-5:00 PM CDT
Nexus Journal Launch
Zoom Forum
St. John Paul II proposed in in the landmark Ex Corde Ecclesiae “that a Catholic university unites “the search for the truth with the certainty of already knowing the fount of truth.” Thirty years later, what are the implications and challenges of this “constitution for Catholic higher education” for teachers, researchers, thinkers, and students in Catholic universities? Three Loyola professors and a doctoral student discuss education as the pursuit of truth, the philosophical and pedagogical balance between reason and faith, and challenges encountered in the multicultural landscape of the 21st Century. This event marks the launch of the Hank Center's journal, Nexus: Conversations on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Presented in partnership with Mission Integration. This event is free and open to the public. Registration Required -
VIDEO AVAILABLE | Catholicism in Dialogue: Conversations on Racial Justice
September 22, 2021, 4:00-5:30 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
An ecumenical and interfaith conversation exploring racial justice in Judaism, Islam, Catholicism, and Baha’i. This event is free and open to the public. Registration required. -
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VIDEO AVAILABLE | Conversations on the Catholic Imagination: Why Dante Matters Today
September 9, 2021, 4:00-5:30 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
Marking the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death—and his enduring influence on the Catholic imagination in theology, art, politics, and culture. This event is free and open to the public. Registration required. -
'No Kind of Place': Location, Migration, and Imagination
August 2nd & 3rd
Zoom Event
The Hank Center is please once again to cosponsor the International Flannery O'Connor Conference, hosted virtually this year by Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, Canada on August 2-3, 2021 and honoring the 57th anniversary of Flannery's death. The conference will be held via Zoom and will feature 24 presentations, music, film and poetry celebrating O'Connor's life and work, including audio drama of the short story "Revelation"--adapted and set by Karin Coonrod--on the evening of Monday, August 2nd. Registration is FREE.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration required.
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VIDEO AVAILABLE | A Better Way to Work: Pope Francis, the Care Economy, and the Future of Work
June 22, 2021, 11:30 AM CDT
Zoom Forum
In the aftermath of the global pandemic, the economic value of care reemerges as what it has always been: a matter of human dignity and justice. Re-prioritizing care requires new mindsets--from building a world that is socially and environmentally just, to reevaluating the meaning of decent work in contemporary life, to developing feasible economic and public policies that place care of people and care of environment at the center of life. Please join us as we dialogue about these crucial questions. This event is free and open to the public. Registration required. -
VIDEO AVAILABLE | Spirit and the Machine: Catholic Responses to an Increasingly Artificial World
May 12, 2021, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
An interdisciplinary conversation with Fr. Phillip Larrey (Pontifical Lateran University), Ann Skeet (Santa Clara University), and John W. Farrell (journalist) on Artificial intelligence (AI), one of the most important technologies in the world today-- but also one rife with serious spiritual, social and ethical questions.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration required.
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VIDEO AVAILABLE | The 2021 Cardinal Bernardin Common Cause Lecture: Cardinal Joseph Tobin
May 4, 2021, 4:00 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, offers this year’s Bernardin Lecture, which seeks to engage LUC’s community in dialogue about issues facing the Church today. Co-sponsored by Loyola’s Jesuit Community. This event was free & open to the public. Registration required. -
Flannery: The Storied Life of the Writer from Georgia
An award winning film by Elizabeth Coffman and Mark Bosco, SJ. Production of this film was supported by the Hank Center and it premiered at the 2019 Catholic Imagination Conference. It premiered on PBS American Masters on March 23 (check local listings).
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Announcing the Hank Fellowships in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition for Graduate Students
The Hank Center administers yearly fellowships for graduate students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement and offer promise as scholars, teachers, and authors who will contribute to the dynamic life of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Applications due March 29, 2021. -
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Signs of the Times: Context, Contingency, Crisis
April 23, 2021, 9:00 AM
Zoom Forum
This day-long symposium offers reflections on major events and current affairs impacting Catholics, the Church, and the study of theology and ethics today. Featuring current LUC doctoral students and recent graduates. This event is free and open to the public. Registration required.
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Loyola’s CATH 296 Students Sponsor Virtual Gala for RISE: Refugees In Schools Everywhere
Thursday, April 22, 2021
4:00 - 5:15 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
All Are Welcome
This event included:
Remarks by Ann Strandoo of RISE
Interviews with student refugees, both here and abroad
Remarks from Fr. James Martin, SJ
A performance by the International Orchestra of Refugees (founded and directed by Loyola graduate Sebastian Agignoae)
An Examen prayer led by Jesuit Scholastics
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Video Available | The 2021 Saint John Henry Newman Lecture: Dr. Jennifer Frey
March 25, 2021, 4:00 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
Catholic convert, Jennifer Frey, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina, offers this year’s Newman Lecture. Dr. Frey’s research examines the intersection of action, ethics, and meta-ethics. This event was free & open to the public. -
Videos Available | Catholic Higher Education in Light of Catholic Social Thought
View videos of the events in our series based on the forthcoming book Catholic Higher Education in Light of Catholic Social Thought: Critical-Constructive Essays -
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Gema Kloppe-Santamaría Named a 2020 Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Distinguished Scholar
Congratulations to Gema Kloppe-Santamaría, Assistant Professor of History and a past recipient of a Hank Center research grant, on being named a 2020 Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Distinguished Scholar for her research project In the Name of Christ: Religious Violence and Its Legitimacy in Mexico (1920-2020). She will be speaking on her research on Wednesday, March 17, at 5:15 PM EDT/ 4:15 CDT.
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The Origins of Mass Incarceration: The Courts and the 1960s Criminal Procedure Revolution?
April 8, 2021, 7:00 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
A conversation with Judge Stephanos Bibas and Emeritus Professor William Pizzi, moderated by Cook County Judge Tom Donnelly. This event is part of the Catholic Criminal Justice Reform Network, a new initiative of the Lumen Christi Institute co-sponsored by the Hank Center and many other partners. -
Video Available | Publication Lecture with Deborah E. Kanter: Chicago Católico: Making Catholic Parishes Mexican
February 23, 2021, 4:00 PM CST
Zoom Forum
Featuring Deborah E. Kanter speaking on themes from her 2020 publication Chicago Católico: Making Catholic Parishes Mexican. This event is cosponsored by the History Department. Free and open to the public. Registration required.
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Spring 2021 Series | Catholic Higher Education in Light of Catholic Social Thought
Spring Semester 2021
Zoom Forum
Read more about upcoming and past events in our multi-part series on the forthcoming publication Catholic Higher Education in Light of Catholic Social Thought: Critical-Constructive Essays, edited by Bernard Prusak and Jennifer Reed-Bouley. This series is cosponsored by The Ann Ida Gannon Center for Women and Leadership. These events are free and open to the public. Registration required.
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Venerating the Saints: An Ancient Tradition Actual Today
On November 1, 2020, the Lumen Christi Institute hosted John W. O'Malley, S.J. for this talk in honor of All Saints' Day. Co-sponsored by the Hank Center and many others.WATCH VIDEO -
Steven P. Millies | "The Gift of Our People": A Fresh Look at Our Faithful Citizenship in a Foreboding Moment
October 29, 2020, 4:00 PM
The Hank Center is honored to welcome the fall 2020 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. Fellow in Catholic Studies, Steven P. Millies to offer this year’s lecture. Dr. Millies is associate professor of public theology and director of The Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union. Free and open to the public. Registration required.
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Catholic Vote 2020: How Will Faith be a Factor?
October 28, 2020, 7:00 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
Featuring Cathleen Kaveny, Matthew Sitman, and Kenneth Woodward. Free and open to the public. Registration required. -
Reconciliation, Reparations, and Racial Justice in Healthcare: What do Catholic Institutions Owe? | October 28
October 28, 2020, 7:00 - 8:00 PM CDT
What would it look like for Catholic universities, medical schools, hospital systems, and other employers to implement true racial justice? What form might reparations take? Join White Coats for Black Lives at Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine for this series of important conversations. This series is supported by the Hank Center and other valued cosponsors. -
Fratelli Tutti: A Conversation Addressing Pope Francis’s New Encyclical on Human Solidarity and its Socio-Political Implications for the United States
October 16, 2020, 12:00 - 1:30 PM
During this time when our nation experiences an unprecedented health and socio-political crisis, a nationally recognized panel of voices will explore the teaching of this encyclical on human solidarity and draw some concrete implications for this pivotal moment in our nation’s history. With M. Shawn Copeland, John Gehring, Carmen Nanko-Fernández, and Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv. This event is free and open to the public. Registration required. -
The Storm Cloud of the 21st Century: Capitalism, the Technocratic Paradigm, and the Sacramental Imagination
October 15, 2020
Featuring Eugene McCarraher of Villanova University. Free and open to the public. Registration Required. -
Faith in Focus Film Series: The Two Popes
October 8, 2020, 7:00 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
The Two Popes is a moving portrayal of the real-life friendship between Pope Benedict XVI and the future Pope Francis. Watch the film in advance and join in the post-film discussion with Michael P. Murphy, Director of the Hank Center. This event is free and open to the public. Registration required. -
NEW VIDEO | Faith and Secularization: A Dialogue
October 1, 2020, 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Featuring Jerome Baggett, Paul Lakeland, and Kaya Oakes. Free and open to the public. Registration Required. -
NEW VIDEO | A Prophet is Not Known in Her Town: Conversations on Visionary Women
September 24 & 25, 2020
Sr. Carol Zinn, SSJ, Ph.D., offers the keynote address for this special two-day symposium. Free and open to the public. Registration required. -
NEW VIDEO | Election 2020: "There is no Catholic Vote--and, it's Important"
September 17, 2020, 4:00 PM
Zoom Forum
Fall 2020 Series on Catholic Thought, Citizenship, and the Common Good
Video now available! Featuring E.J. Dionne, Emma Green, Steven Millies, and Michael Bayer. This event was free and open to the public. Registration required. -
Healing the Wounds of Racism
August 26, 5:00 PM
Join the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago and co-sponsors for a discussion with members of Chicago's Back of the Yards community and the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation. Free and open to the public. Registration required. -
Race, Justice, and Catholicism
Monday, June 22, 5:00 PM CDT
Online
A conversation hosted by the Lumen Christi Institute and cosponsored by the Hank Center, featuring distinguished legal scholars Herschella Conyers, Vincent Rougeau, and Eduardo Peñalver.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration Required. -
VIDEO AVAILABLE | Everything is Connected: Reflections on "Home" on the 5th Anniversary of Laudato Si'
May 21, 4:00 PM CDT
Online
This event was free and open to the public. Registration required. -
Honoring the Class of 2020
Congratulations to the senior Catholic Studies Minors and the whole Class of 2020! -
Stephanie Brehm: Stephen Colbert and Being Catholic in the Public Square
March 11, 2020, 4:00 - 5:30 PM
IC 4th floor, LSC
Stephanie N. Brehm of Northwestern University discussed her new book, America’s Most Famous Catholic (According to Himself ): Stephen Colbert and American Religion in the Twenty-First Century. This event was free & open to the public. -
Research Fellowship Applications Now Available
Applications Due March 1, 2020.
Research fellowship of $2000 available to declared Catholic Studies minors. Completed applications must be submitted online through Loyola Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (LUROP). Awards will be announced on April 15. For more information about this research fellowship or the Catholic Studies Minor, email Dr. Michael P. Murphy at mmurphy23@luc.edu. -
Robert Alter: The Challenge of Translating the Bible
Februrary 26, 2020, 4:00 PM
IC 4th Floor
Professor Alter is author of more than 20 books of criticism, translation, and commentary, most recently The Art of Bible Translation (2019). His complete translation of the Hebrew Bible, a work 24 years in the making, was published by W.W. Norton in 2018 and has been acclaimed as stylistically faithful to the Hebrew while inventively artful in English. This event was free and open to the public.DETAILS -
Catholic Q&A with Brother Mark Mackey, S.J.
February 20, 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Damen Den, LSC
Catholic Q&A offers students an opportunity to dialogue with Jesuits in an intimate and personal setting. Br. Mackey led discussion on “Responsible Hope in the Midst of Environmental Crisis”. Students only. All students welcome. -
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Faith In Focus Film Series: J.E.S.U.S.A.
February 18, 2020, 7:00 PM
Damen Cinema, LSC
CCIH hosted a viewing of J.E.S.U.S.A. (2020), a compelling documentary that explores the relationship between Christianity, American nationalism, and violence. Post-film dialogue with Suzanne Ross of the Raven Foundation. This event was free & open to the public. -
Catholic Studies Minor Retreat: Finding Your Place - February 15 - 16
Join Catholic Studies minors for an overnight retreat at LUREC to explore our place in the church, culture, and Loyola community today. All students welcome! You don't have to be a Catholic Studies minor to attend. For more information, contact: mmurphy23@luc.edu -
NEW VIDEO: Catholic Minds, Catholic Matters featuring Austin Ivereigh
November 12, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Beane Hall, Lewis Towers, WTC
London-based journalist and Pope Francis biographer, Austen Ivereigh, discussed his newly released Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and His Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church a study of the Francis papacy. -
Publication Luncheon: "'Do This in Memory of Me': Examining Catholic Subjectivity and Teacher Education"
November 19, 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Cuneo 425, LSC
This publication luncheon will celebrate the work of CCIH Research Fellows, Seungho Moon, Ann Marie Ryan, and Terri Pigott. By Invitation Only. -
Ignatian Heritage Month: Lecture
November 7, 4:00 PM
McCormick Lounge, Coffey Hall, LSC
LUC alum David Gandolfo (Chair of Poverty Studies at Furman University) reflected on the “Social and Historical Implications of Ignacio Ellacuría’s Insights on Being Human.” This event was free & open to the public. -
Fall 2019 Faith in Focus Film: Shadowlands (1993)
November 5, 7:00 PM
Damen Cinema, LSC
This film, based in Oxford University, narrates the surprising, late-in-life love story of philosopher (and The Chronicles of Narnia author) C.S.Lewis and American poet Joy Davidman. Post-film dialogue with Oxford study abroad students. This event was free & open to the public. -
Lunch with the Saints
Friday, November 1st
11:30 AM-1:00 PM
Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA)
820 N Michigan Avenue (Water Tower Campus)
This event featured speakers Father Jerome Overbeck, Dr. Michael P. Murphy, and artist David Csiscko. Discussion, hosted lunch, and gallery walk through the Saint Exhibit followed.
No fee to Loyola faculty, staff, and students. -
John Henry Newman's Path to Sainthood
October 30, 5:30 - 7:00 PM
Holy Name Cathedral Auditorium, 730 N Wabash Avenue, Chicago IL
What makes a modern saint? On October 13th, Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890), English theologian, philosopher and cardinal, was officially canonized a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. This event featured presentations on the life and sanctity of John Henry Newman by leading Newman scholar of our time Fr. Ian Ker (Oxford) and Melissa Villalobos, the woman whose miraculous cure led to Newman’s canonization. The event was moderated by Kenneth Woodward, former religion editor of Newsweek and author of Making Saints. LEARN MORE -
Confronting Poverty in the USA: Discussion, Dialogue, Action
October 30, 2:30 - 5:30 PM
McCormick Lounge, Coffey Hall, LSC
Keynote speaker Anna Galland (Executive Director of MoveOn.org) provided remarks, discussion, and a workshop about addressing and abating poverty. This event was free & open to the public. -
Integral Ecology: A Jesuit Scientist's Perspective
October 29, 4:00 - 5:30 PM
John Braverman, S.J.
McCormick Lounge, Coffey Hall, LSC
The Hank Center welcomed 2019 Teilhard Fellow in Catholic Studies, Dr. John Braverman, S.J. This major lecture focused on aspects of eco-theology and spiritualities of sustainability and action. This event was free & open to the public.
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Catholic Q&A: Faith & Science - The Lourdes Experience
October 9, 7:00 PM
IC 4th Floor, LSC
A Students Only discussion about one of LUC’s most important programs: the mystery of healing at Lourdes and the spiritual dimensions of working in public health. Dr. Ann Solari-Twadell, Niehoff School of Nursing, led the conversation. -
Francisco Suárez CCIH Conference: Predecessors & Successors
April 26-27, 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Beane Hall, Lewis Towers, WTC
This two-day international conference explores the ways in which Suárez both revives elements of scholasticism, and prefigures modern philosophers in his metaphysics. Co-sponsored by the Department of Philosophy & the Jesuits. This event is free & open to the public. -
The 2019 Living Tradition Award honoring the Rev. Dr. Mark McIntosh
Every year the Hank Center presents the Living Tradition Award to a Loyola University Chicago emeritus faculty member who has exemplified the integration of Catholic thought into their work, research, and teaching. The 2019 Living Tradition Award honored the Rev. Dr. Mark McIntosh, Professor of Christian Spirituality at Loyola University Chicago. -
Sixth Annual John Courtney Murray Forum: Head & Heart
April 11, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Damen Den, Damen Student Center, LSC
This 6th annual student-led forum explored the journeys of Catholic Studies students through the Minor, and their efforts to reconcile head and heart with regards to their faith. Featuring student talks, artwork, and discussion. -
Lured: The Curse of Swans
April 11-13th
8:00 p.m.
Mullady Theatre, Mertz Hall
This play portrays three Irish women coming to terms with the death of Paddy, their husband and father, familial estrangement, and struggles for senses of personal authenticity. Written by Terry Boyle (Department of English) and directed by Becca Holloway. -
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SPRING 2019: Quo Vadis? Scholars and Journalists Discuss the Future of Catholicism
Catholicism in America is at a crossroads. What are the hopes and challenges of American Catholics today? Thanks to those who joined our panelists for a conversation on accountability, leadership, participation, and other issues facing the Church in America.
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Pope Francis - A Man of His Word
Tuesday, March 19th, 7:00 p.m.
Damen Cinema, Damen Student Center
As part of a week dedicated to marking the 6th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, the Hank Center was excited to host a viewing of this documentary film, which focused on the life and goals of Pope Francis. Directed by Wim Wenders.
Free & open to the public. Pizza was served. -
Through the Lens of Data: The Enslaved Population Owned & Sold by the Maryland Province Jesuits
Friday, February 22, 2 PM
McCormick Lounge, Coffey Hall
The Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities and CCIH hosted special guest speaker Sharon Leon of Michigan State University, who talked about her work on the Jesuit Plantation Project. This event was also the first in a new Jesuit Studies Series being offered by the Hank Center.
