At various points in the seminary calendar, the Center sponsors symposia in which we consider issues related to the theological and intellectual life of the TEDS community. These discussions, which take shape from a presentation, lecture, or question-and-answer session, allow the Center to supplement its regular programmatic calendar with opportunities to sponsor conversation based in the thought-life trends of the seminary. These resources, while occasional in nature, contribute to the Center’s mission by stimulating thought and conversation and by bringing together, students, staff and faculty for mutual exchange of wisdom.
Upcoming Events | Past Events
7:00 pm | ATO Chapel
Christian social thought, and specifically the doctrine of subsidiarity, was able to solve problems of material poverty, making the Christian West the first civilization in history to bring economic freedom and prosperity to the common person. This religious tradition, Rev. Robert A. Sirico will argue, remains essential for addressing the modern issues of poverty and human dignity, and offers a preferable alternative to, on the one hand, contemporary emphases on the “common good” and “social justice” (usually defined with collectivist and socialist ideas) and, on the other, the radical individualism of Ayn Rand. A Christian notion of freedom, which understands the human person as both social and individual, is a safer protector and promoter of authentic ‘fraternity’ and sociality than these alternatives, and offers important guideposts for how society and the Christian community is best structured to take account of this reality.
Rev. Robert A. Sirico received his Master of Divinity degree from the Catholic University of America, following undergraduate study at the University of Southern California and the University of London. During his studies and early ministry, he experienced a growing concern over the lack of training religious studies students receive in fundamental economic principles, leaving them poorly equipped to understand and address today’s social problems. As a result of these concerns, Fr. Sirico co-founded the Acton Institute with Kris Alan Mauren in 1990. As president of the Acton Institute, Fr. Sirico lectures at colleges, universities, and business organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad. His writings on religious, political, economic, and social matters are published in a variety of journals, including: the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the London Financial Times, among others. In April of 1999, Fr. Sirico was awarded an honorary doctorate in Christian Ethics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and in May of 2001, Universidad Francisco Marroquin awarded him an honorary doctorate in Social Sciences. He is a member of the prestigious Mont Pèlerin Society, the American Academy of Religion, and the Philadelphia Society, and is on the Board of Advisors of the Civic Institute in Prague.
