The annual Visiting Scholar in Catholic Thought Lecture, sponsored by the Center for Benedictine Values, is a signature tradition of Benedictine University. Every year we bring a prominent thought-leader in Catholic intellectual life into our inclusive academic community. And every year we are enriched by new insights and inspired by examples of intellectual and spiritual courage and creativity.

For students, the Visiting Scholar program is a great way to break down myths about things Catholic and put names and faces on the teachers and writers doing the brain work of the church today—asking the hard questions and facing challenges unknown to previous generations.

For faculty and staff, it’s a perfect opportunity to enter into dialogue with truly dynamic thinkers and activists advancing, expanding, and reforming global Catholic thought.

For the broader community, it’s a wonderful way to engage new ideas and perspectives and get a better grasp of the vast phenomenon of Catholic intellectual life stretching around the world and drawing from the wisdom of many centuries and many cultures.

This year the Center for Benedictine Values is privileged to host Dr. Vincent Lloyd as our Visiting Scholar in Catholic Thought.

Dr. Lloyd is one of the great thought-leaders in America today!

Dr. Lloyd is Professor and Director of the Center for Political Theology at Villanova University. He is the author or editor of twelve books, including “Black Dignity: The Struggle Against Domination” (2022), “Black Natural Law” (2016), and “Anti-Blackness and Christian Ethics” (2017). Co-editor of the journal “Political Theology,” Dr. Lloyd is currently working on a book about abuse, from the personal to the religious to the political.

Please check out the very helpful Research Guide on Dr. Lloyd’s interdisciplinary work prepared by our excellent University Library staff.

Dr. Lloyd will speak on “Responding to Abuse: Lessons from the Enslaved”: Wednesday, October 12, 7:00 pm CT, in the Reception Hall on the 5th floor of the Kindlon Hall of Learning, on Benedictine’s Lisle campus.

The lecture is free and open to the public!

Distinguished Visiting Scholars in Catholic Thought from the recent past include:

• Dr. Charles Camosy from Fordham University, author of “Beyond the Abortion Wars” and “For Love of Animals,”
• Dr. Harold Kasimow from Grinnell College, Holocaust survivor and editor of “Pope Francis and Interreligious Dialogue,”
• Dr. Adam Clark from Xavier University, who spoke on “Redeeming the Soul of America: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Prophetic Imagination” and “I Can’t Breathe: Black Theology and the Remaking of Our World,”
• Dr. Natalia Imperatori Lee from Manhattan College, who spoke on “Oye: The Role of Latinx Communities in Our Storied Church” and “Listen: What #MeToo and #ChurchToo Can Teach the Catholic Church.”

The magic of Benedictine education doesn’t just happen in the day-to-day classroom. Nor do we count only officially enrolled students as our partners in learning. These special encounters with world-class Visiting Scholars, open to the entire community, can spark new thoughts, throw open new horizons, and even reveal undiscovered pathways to employment opportunities.

Join us October 12 at 7:00 pm CT, in person or via Zoom, for the 2022 Visiting Scholar in Catholic Thought!

Dr. Peter A. Huff
Director, Center for Benedictine Values