Vincentian Chair of Social Justice Lecture Scheduled for February 9

The St. John’s University community is invited to attend the Vincentian Chair of Social Justice (VCSJ) lecture, “Business, Economic Life, and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition,” given by Rev. Albino Barrera, O.P., STL, Ph.D., on Monday, February 9, from 1:50 to 3:15 p.m. in the D’Angelo Center Ballroom.

Fr. Barrera, the fourth speaker in the VCSJ lecture series, is a member of the St. Joseph Province (New York) of the Order of Preachers. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1993 and earned his Ph.D. in economics from Yale University with a specialization in development economics. He earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

Fr. Barrera teaches and writes on the theology of economic life and on the economics of the Catholic Church’s care for the marginalized. He has explored how economics and moral theology can mutually reinforce each other in facilitating human flourishing. His most recent book is Compassion-Justice Conflicts and Christian Ethics (Cambridge, November 2023). He is also the lead editor of The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics (Oxford, February 2024).

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, provided the theme, “Catholic Intellectual Tradition and the University.”

Across all fields of culture and education, the CIT has contributed to the values and voices of believing participants. From liberal arts to modern science, it 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.

For those unable to join us in person, the talk will be recorded. Visit stjohns.edu/VCSJ to register and for more information.