Graduate seminar in Catholic Political Theory at the Lumen Christi Institute

This looks very interesting:

This summer, The Lumen Christi Institute at the University of Chicago is sponsoring an intensive week long interdisciplinary graduate seminar that focuses on the fundamental philosophical concepts that undergird Catholic political and social theory.  The seminar, entitled "Catholic Social Thought: A Critical Investigation" is devoted to an interdisciplinary analysis of Roman Catholic social teaching over the course of the past century,  from the ground breaking publication of Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum up to the recent publication of Benedict XVI's  Caritas in Veritate.  

The Catholic social tradition is drawn from both reason and faith.  Accordingly, it has has evolved along two fronts.  First in the effort to gain clarity and wisdom by philosophical reflection upon the fundamental principles of social life themselves, and second by way of application of these principles to the contingent historical tides of social institutions.    This seminar seeks to explore this thought as it is found in magisterial documents, and to discern the evolution of teaching on such issues as:  the relationship between the virtues of charity and justice; the different modes of justice; the plurality of social forms and their ontological grounding;  the origin and limits of human authority; the relationship between the Church, the modern state, and civil society; and the role of natural law in public discourse and political debate. 

Fifteen students will be selected to participate in a five-day seminar with two-hour sessions twice daily. We encourage graduate students from a variety of disciplines to apply, including: philosophy, theology, history, political science, law, economics, and sociology.  Books, lodging, and airfare or regional travel will be included, and there is no cost or stipend for attendees. The seminar will take place at Portsmouth Abbey School in Portsmouth, RI from Monday, August 8th, 2011 to Sunday, August 14th, 2011. 

Application Process: 

Any graduate student in the fields listed above may apply for consideration.  Applicants must submit one confidential letter of recommendation, a short writing sample (25 pages or less), and a statement of interest in the seminar.  Completed applications must be received by April 15, 2011.  Students will be notified of their application status by early May.  

Seminar Leader: 

Russell Hittinger is Professor of Philosophy, Research Professor of Law, and Warren Professor of Catholic Studies at University of Tulsa. He is author of The First Grace: Rediscovering Natural Law In A Post-Christian Age and A Critique of the New Natural Law Theory. He is a member of both the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.  

About Lumen Christi: 

Founded by Catholic scholars at the University of Chicago in 1997, the Lumen Christi Institute aims at enriching the intellectual community of the University of Chicago by cultivating the Catholic intellectual tradition through on-campus lectures, non-credit courses and seminars, and conferences. Both Catholics and non-Catholics regularly participate and are encouraged to attend. Past lecturers and participants have included Charles Taylor, Alasdair MacIntyre, David Tracy, Jean-Luc Marion, Louis Dupré, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Mark Murphy, and many others. More information can be found at www.lumenchristi.org. Past summer seminars have been led by Corey Barnes (Oberlin College) on “Thomas Aquinas’s Christology” and Paul Griffiths 

(Duke University) on “The Later Augustine: De Trinitate and De Civitate Dei.” 

Online information:

For more information, please visit the Lumen Christi website, where you can also download your applicaiton.

Lumen Christi:  http://www.lumenchristi.org/

Summer Seminars (including application forms):  http://www.lumenchristi.org/?p=471