Fr. Shanley to Serve as Inaugural Speaker for 2025–26 Vincentian Chair of Social Justice Lecture Series

Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President, St. John’s University, will discuss “God, Philosophy, and Catholic Universities”as the first speaker in the 2025–26 Vincentian Chair of Social Justice (VCSJ) Lecture Series. 

All are invited to attend the lecture on Wednesday, September 10, from 1:50 to 3:15 p.m. in St. Thomas More Church. For those unable to join in person, the talk will be recorded and live-streamed.

Fr. Shanley is a Dominican priest and scholar deeply committed to Catholic higher education. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Toronto and advanced theological degrees from The Catholic University of America and the Dominican House of Studies. A noted scholar of Thomas Aquinas and medieval philosophy, Fr. Shanley has published extensively in the areas of philosophy, religion, metaphysics, and ethics.

Each year, the VCSJ selects a justice theme with the help of the wider St. John’s community. National and international scholars then contribute to the theme’s exploration.

This year, the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT), with its 2,000-year history in the origin and expression of human and Christian development, will provide the theme. Across all fields of culture and education, it has contributed to the values and voices of believing participants. From liberal arts to modern science, the CIT engages in the affirmation of human dignity and the search for truth. Faith and reason are companions on the path of human knowledge that invite people of all traditions to the search for the truth that touches us all. 

Visit www.stjohns.edu/VCSJ to register and for more information.