Summer Consortium

Dr. Daniel McInerny delivered a talk titled “Karol Wojtyla: The Actor” at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. McInerny's talk featured scenes from his upcoming play, "The Actor," with Christendom students and alumni bringing Pope St. John Paul II's time as an actor to life for the delight of the college's benefactors.Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

George Weigel, who is the author of Pope St. John Paul II's biography and a Distinguished Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, gave a talk titled “The Achievement of John Paul II: A Retrospective" at Christendom's 2024 Summer Consortium.Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Renowned theologian Robert Cardinal Sarah delivered the keynote address for Christendom's 2024 Summer Consortium. In his address, Cardinal Sarah reflected on Pope St. John Paul II's impact and legacy, particularly emphasizing his unwavering commitment to the Catholic faith and the Church's teachings.Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Renowned theologian Robert Cardinal Sarah celebrated Mass for attendees of Christendom's 2024 Summer Consortium in the college's Christ the King Chapel, speaking glowingly of Christendom during his homily. Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

College President Dr. Timothy O'Donnell and incoming president Dr. George Harne gave a seminar discussion titled “Nove Millenio Ineunte: Charting the Path in the New Millenium" at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Christendom professor Dr. Owen Vyner delivered a talk titled “John Paul II on the Family: The Ark of the Domestic Church in the Flood of Modernity” at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Christendom professor Dr. Joseph Arias delivered a talk titled “Pope Saint John Paul II and the Legacy of the Gospel of Life” at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Christendom welcomed President's Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."Dr. Andrew Whitmore gave a talk titled "St. Thomas and the Perennial Importance of Virtue" during the Consortium. He is an assistant professor of theology at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. In his doctoral studies at The Catholic University of America, he specialized in St. Thomas Aquinas' virtue theory. He has taught moral theology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as in formation programs for the permanent diaconate and in public talks to the laity.

Christendom welcomed President's Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."Professor Michael Brown delivered a talk titled "St. Thomas on Why Freedom and Truth Go Together." He specializes in the study of medieval and modern philosophy. Brown received his B.A. in English language and literature from Christendom College and his M.A. in philosophy from The Catholic University of America. The coordinator for Christendom's popular mission trips, he joined Christendom's philosophy faculty in 1993.

Christendom welcomed President's Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."College President Dr. Timothy O'Donnell gave a keynote address for the Consortium titled "Reflections on The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis." He received his early education at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated with B.A. degrees in philosophy and history and an M.A. in Church history. He received a doctorate in ascetical and mystical theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome (Angelicum). Dr. O'Donnell is the president of Christendom College.

Christendom welcomed President's Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."Sr. Catherine Joseph Droste, O.P. delivered the keynote address for the Consortium. Sheis a Dominican Sister of the Congregation of St. Cecilia, Nashville, Tennessee. She received her Bachelor of Arts in history from Christendom College and continued her education to become a professor of theology. She teaches at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome and also serves as vice-dean of the theology faculty.   In the areas of research and teaching her interests include ecclesiology with a particular emphasis on the role of religions and women in the Church, and the life of virtue. Recently she has also been involved in interreligious dialogue, discussing the Blessed Virgin Mary with Muslims in Turkey.

Renowned author and speaker Joseph Pearce discusses the relevance of great literature in our lives today. Humanity is revealed through great literature, and is a vein to explore the ever-present problem of suffering. 

Christendom College welcomed benefactors and distinguished guests for its annual Summer Consortium event, focused the theme “The Kingship of Christ and Defending Religious Liberty.” Featuring talks from Dr. Ryan Anderson, Fr. Francis “Rocky” Hoffman, and others, the event provided a rich intellectual and spiritual journey for participants as they discussed the deep questions that challenge the Catholic Faith in our present age.Fr. Rocky illuminated the importance of St. Joseph, particularly during this special “Year of St. Joseph” being celebrated in the Catholic Church in 2021. His example as a husband, father, and as protector of the Catholic Church is one to emulate during these confusing times, said Fr. Rocky, pointing to St. Joseph as a guide in the days ahead.

On Saturday, participants were treated to a full day of talks, beginning with a lecture from College President Dr. Timothy O'Donnell titled “On Quas Primas — The Universal Kingship of Christ.” Turning to both theology and the history of the Catholic Church, O'Donnell spoke eloquently on the importance of recognizing Christ as King and the need for society to do so again.“Let's pledge our loyalty to Christ our King,” said O'Donnell. “Let us think concretely how we, in our lives, can help build this civilization of love. If we can enthrone the Sacred Heart, acknowledging the Kingship of Christ, in our homes, in our families, in our businesses, in our parishes, in our schools, in our colleges, let's do that, that one day our nation and our world will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Our King. May His Kingdom come.”

Defending religious liberty, the second focus of this year's Consortium, took primacy on Saturday evening. A delicious dinner, provided by award-winning college Executive Chef Don Higby, preceded the keynote address from Dr. Ryan Anderson, acclaimed author, speaker, and the President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Anderson, who has previously spoken at the college on multiple occasions and taught as an adjunct professor as well, delivered an address titled: “Religious Liberty Is Important, But It's Not Enough.”  He discusses the current state of society and what the role of the state in protecting human dignity. “There are three truths from the very beginning of the Bible — that we're made in the image and likeness of God, that were created male and female, and that male and female are created for each other,” said Anderson. “Whether it's the abortion debate, the transgender debate, or the gay marriage debate, those are the truths that are most threatened today. But Christendom students are living these truths out. They are forming families, having babies, and coming back as faculty members. They are doing work that is bearing witness to the truth in their personal life, professional life, and in their intellectual and spiritual life.”

Following Mass in Christ the King Chapel, celebrated by former college chaplain Fr. John Riley, participants heard from Christendom's Theology Department Chairman Dr. Owen Vyner. During his talk, titled “Sacramental Penance and the Triumph Over Sin: Participation in Christ's Kingship,” Vyner provided a powerful look into the theology behind the nature of sin and how each person can more fully follow Christ through the Sacrament of Confession.“Contrition, confession, and satisfaction undoes sin at its root, but more deeply, aided by grace, we are sharing in God's own freedom,” said Vyner. “To do battle and to seek to overcome sin is to have the freedom of a king. More specifically, it is to share in Christ's Kingship and his victory over sin on the cross. Thus to engage in this battle, through the sacrament and the virtue of penance, is to have royal freedom — the freedom of the sons and daughters of God.”

Father Tom Shepanzyk delves into the demonic evil of Communism. He discusses the genocide, terror, and repression of Communist regimes in the twentieth century.

The speakers of the Summer Conference on Restoring the Divine Plan for Marriage and the Family hold a question-and-answer session.

Mary Beth Bonacci, an internationally recognized speaker, gave a talk on the importance of true love and the differences between how men and women express love.“The abuse of the word ‘love' has grown so much worse. We conflate attraction and desire with love, and now, we conflate agreement with love, and conversely, disagreement with hate. We urgently need to figure out what real love it, what it means, how we live it in our lives.”

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, the Archbishop of San Fransisco, gave a talk in which he encouraged the laity to transform our culture by living out God's plan for marriage.“It is no surprise that, yes, we do have a lot to fix in our society.  A society of justice, peace, and prosperity for all–these are the fruits of a society with a strong culture of marriage and the family. So let us steel ourselves, with the help of God's grace, to bear witness to the Truth, in love.”

Senator Rick Santorum gave the touching account of his daughter Bella, showing the impact that one child can have on a community and the blessings that come with being a parent.“I hope, in communicating to you the story of my life, the journey of my marriage, and what I've done in raising these two children in particular, to show how they had profound effect on me and my family, and subsequently on many more as a result of that.”

Mary Stanford, a theology professor at Christendom College, reflects on four points which Adam, the first man, discovered in the Garden of Eden about the nature of the human person and God's plan for marriage.“Without a generous giver and trusting receiver, there can be no gift. Without gift, there can be no love. And without an environment of love, human persons start to lose their humanity. Our capacity to experience intimacy in our marriages involves restoring a gift-giving dynamic, which yields a peace and a happiness utterly beyond the devil's imagination.”

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, the Archbishop of San Francisco, gave a homily on the modern attack on marriage and the steps we can take to combat it, reflecting on readings from the Mass of the Holy Family.“We profess to be Christians; our family life must look different from those who do not have faith.  And we do so precisely because we live according to this high call of virtue and mutual respect, of which Saint Paul speaks.”

Dr. Scott Hahn, the bestselling author of numerous books, presented a talk on the uniquely-Christian understanding of God as Father, “from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph. 3:15). He explained the connection between Divine and human fatherhood, emphasizing that true fatherhood is “more theological than biological.”“Why are we here? To raise Godly families. But we can't do it apart from the Trinity. Our fatherhood is a participation in God's, but His Fatherhood alone is perfect and eternal. And this is God's truest identity.”

Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, the author of Heart of the Redeemer and Swords Around the Cross: The Nine Years War, presented a talk on the essential role of the family as a Domestic Church. He explained how the fight for our culture is rooted in our understanding of the family.“The key to the Church's teaching on marriage and family and its role in society lies in the family's identity as a Church in miniature: a place of prayer, a place of communion, a place where virtue is taught. If we as a Church–as laity, as married couples, as grandparents–don't emphasize the centrality of the sacrament of marriage, who is going to do it?”

Closing the conference, popular EWTN host, author, and conference emcee Marcus Grodi gave practical advice to attendees on how to look at the science of conversion itself, and how to form a strategy of dialogue to help bring fallen-away Catholics, and Protestants, to the beauty of the Catholic Church.“In my own journey, as I was growing closer to the Catholic Church, I realized that there was more than just being in Jesus. Christ calls us to abide, and the necessity of abiding will continue for the rest of our lives — this isn't a one-time thing . . . if we're not abiding, then we don't produce the fruit. Intimacy with Jesus is more than just receiving Him in your heart — the way you abide in Christ is by receiving Him in the Eucharist. . . . We have a real treasure to share.”

Professor McGuire tackles the topic of John Henry Newman, a colossal figure of the 19th century world. The prolific writings of John Henry Newman offers timely insights that can be applied to the New Evangelization. Professor Brendan McGuire, Ph.D., is a Catholic historian specializing in the classical and medieval periods.  He received his doctoral degree in medieval history from Saint Louis University, and in recent years has presented scholarly research on various historical topics at prestigious regional, national, and international conferences.  He has taught both history and classical languages at the undergraduate level, and is currently a professor of history at Christendom College, his alma mater.

Dr. R.J. Matava, who was previously a Liddon Fellow at Oxford's Keble College, presented a talk titled “Conversion and Apologetics: Personal Vocation as a Key to the New Evangelization.” Positing that holiness of life is essential for apologetics, Matava treated the nature of apologetics through a theological and historical lens, looking at what it needs to be effective within the New Evangelization.“While the original evangelization generally brought the Gospel to the pagan world, the ‘new evangelization' must bring the Gospel to a world described by some as ‘post Christian,' and not least to people who are baptized but lack faith,” said Matava. “What then is the most urgent task of a new apologetics for the new evangelization? I would suggest that it is to cultivate in others, so far as we are able, the necessary dispositions to earnestly consider the reasons for the faith.”

Patrick Madrid discusses how to explain and defend the choice to be Catholic, as well as how to answer difficult questions about the faith. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining perspective, pointing out that apologetics is the art of winning souls. Patrick Madrid is an American Catholic author, radio host, apologist, the host of several EWTN television and radio series, and was the publisher of Envoy Magazine. He earned a Bachelor's degree in business from the University of Phoenix, as well as a B.Phil. degree in philosophy and an M.A. degree in theology from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Patrick serves as an adjunct professor of theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary and has also taught theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and is a research fellow at the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Studies.

Dr. Scott Hahn, the author or editor of over forty books, including best-selling works The Lamb's Supper, Reasons to Believe, and Answering the New Atheism, spoke on the need to renew a covenant with God through encountering Christ in the New Testament. Pointing out that a “massive amnesia has soaked into our age,” Hahn argued that all Christians must restore their “deep memory” again by truly doing all things in memory of Christ.“The fact is, you can be a saint in the middle of the world, and through friendship you can share the joy of the Gospel — and that is what people are looking for, more than any argument, more than any proof-text. Joy is what people find irresistible.”

Dr. O'Donnell discusses the importance of evangelization in the midst of adversity. He reflects on the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, and what it means to encounter Christ.  Dr. O'Donnell is the president of Christendom College, where he also teaches courses in history and theology. He was the first layman to receive both his licentiate and doctoral degrees in Ascetical and Mystical Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. He has taught at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, California and at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.He is a Knight Grand Cross of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, and is a popular speaker worldwide, most recently being asked to speak at the Pontifical Council on the Family's World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Additionally, he is the author of Heart of the Redeemer and Swords Around the Cross: The Nine Years War.

Dr. Thomas Madden, whose expertise has been sought by The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NPR, and The History Channel, delivered a talk entitled “Rethinking Holy War: The Crusades and Catholic Devotion in the Middle Ages.” Madden exposed many contemporary misunderstandings of the Crusades as uneducated and lacking in any real evidence. Madden posited that in order to understand the Crusades, one has to have an understanding of “Medieval piety.”

Author and historian Dr. Brad S. Gregory discussed history as the “handmaiden of theology.” Gregory argued that while avoiding a Catholic confessional history, one might still serve a Catholic vision of history and reach those in academia who may be antagonistic toward Catholicism.“Because people are not likely to change their basic commitments unless there is something the matter with their own, we have to trouble the waters,” he said. “We have to argue on the basis of evidence, to use reason in service to the Faith, without—if we want to have a chance of reaching those who do not share our views—presupposing anything that is substantively part of the Faith.”

Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, the author of Heart of the Redeemer and Swords Around the Cross: The Nine Years War, presented a talk entitled “Why History?: The Church's View.” O'Donnell explained the importance that the Church has placed on the study of history and how in recent years the field has suffered from “a crisis of faith.” In the second part of his talk, O'Donnell described the thought of Dr. Warren Carroll and how his historical works responded to this “crisis.”“It was his goal in his work to tell the full historical story of Christian civilization,” O'Donnell said of Carroll. “From its preparation, birth, growth, climax, division, and its retreat, but always as Carroll said, ‘ready for its coming resurrection.' Talk about a man of hope.”

On July 13, Christendom College hosted a one-day conference on Catholic history, featuring prominent historians from across the country. Over 230 attendees were given a Catholic perspective on topics that ranged from the Crusades to ecumenism with the Eastern churches.

Dr. Christopher Shannon, author of the highly acclaimed Bowery to Broadway, examined the historical approach of Jean Daniélou and Henri de Lubac. Shannon said that by placing the saints alongside the great political leaders of history, the saints, as types of Christ, would bring an organizing structure.“[According to Daniélou and de Lubac,] what we should be looking for in history is Jesus Christ, particularly as we see Him in the saints,” Shannon said. “The saints are our guides to history.”

Dr. Adam Schwartz, whose great academic work, The Third Spring, was recently republished, discussed the theologies of history in G. K. Chesterton and the poet David Jones.“They believed that Christianity united philosophy and mythology for the first time,” Schwartz said. “Whereas in the ancient world, myth and religion were considered one thing and philosophy quite another . . . Christianity rhymed these two roads to the truth due to its historicity.”

Dr. O'Donnell moderates a question-and-answer session at the Catholic Teaching on Bioethics Summer Conference. Christendom College held a one-day conference on Catholic bioethics featuring renowned speakers including Francis Cardinal Arinze, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Janet Smith, and Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk.  The conference, held on July 9, drew close to 300 attendees who enjoyed presentations on the full range of life issues – from reproductive health to embryonic stem cell research.

Christendom College held a one-day conference on Catholic bioethics featuring renowned speakers including Francis Cardinal Arinze, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Janet Smith, and Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk. The conference, held on July 9, 2012, drew close to 300 attendees who enjoyed presentations on the full range of life issues–from reproductive health to embryonic stem cell research. Bringing the conference to a close, Dr. Lorna Cvetkovich of the Tepeyac Family Center practice discussed the challenges today facing Catholics who practice medicine.“In our society 80% of women have been on birth control pills. If you are over 35 and have one child there is a 50-60% chance that you've been sterilized, and the rate of IVF pregnancies just goes up and up every single year,” Cvetkovich said. “We have a lot to contend with.”

Christendom College held a one-day conference on Catholic bioethics featuring renowned speakers including Francis Cardinal Arinze, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Janet Smith, and Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk. The conference, held on July 9, 2012, drew close to 300 attendees who enjoyed presentations on the full range of life issues–from reproductive health to embryonic stem cell research.Bishop Robert Morlino is the Bishop of Madison, WI. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Fordham University, an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, an M.Div. Degree from the Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, MA, and an S.T.D. in Moral Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, with specialization in fundamental moral theology and bioethics. Bishop Morlino has served as chairman of two committees within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)–the Bishops' Committee on the Diaconate, and the Ad Hoc Committee on Health Care Issues and the Church. Since 2005, Bishop Morlino has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), which conducts research, consultation, publishing and education to promote human dignity in health care and the life sciences.

Christendom College held a one-day conference on Catholic bioethics featuring renowned speakers including Francis Cardinal Arinze, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Janet Smith, and Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk. The conference, held on July 9, 2012, drew close to 300 attendees who enjoyed presentations on the full range of life issues–from reproductive health to embryonic stem cell research.Dr. Janet Smith holds the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. She is the author of “Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later,” and editor of “Why Humanae Vitae Was Right: A Reader.” She is a Consultor to the Pontifical Council on the Family and has appeared on the Geraldo show, Fox Morning News, CNN, and EWTN.

Christendom College held a one-day conference on Catholic bioethics featuring renowned speakers including Francis Cardinal Arinze, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Janet Smith, and Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk.  The conference, held on July 9, drew close to 300 attendees who enjoyed presentations on the full range of life issues – from reproductive health to embryonic stem cell research.Following Smith's talk, all gathered in Christ the King Chapel for a Votive Mass for the Family, celebrated by Cardinal Arinze.

Christendom College held a one-day conference on Catholic bioethics featuring renowned speakers including Francis Cardinal Arinze, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Janet Smith, and Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk. The conference, held on July 9, 2012, drew close to 300 attendees who enjoyed presentations on the full range of life issues–from reproductive health to embryonic stem cell research.Francis Cardinal Arinze is Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He has served on the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. He is a long time defender of the family and outspoken opponent of contraception, abortion, and euthanasia, as well as a frequent guest on Christendom's campus.

Professor Brendan McGuire, Ph.D., is a Catholic historian, specializing in the classical and medieval periods.  He received his doctoral degree in medieval history from Saint Louis University, and in recent years has presented scholarly research on various historical topics at prestigious regional, national, and international conferences.  He has taught both history and classical languages at the undergraduate level, and he is currently a professor of history at Christendom College, his alma mater.

“The phenomenon of cafeteria Catholics is real, widely accepted, and practiced,” Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde told over 200 attendees at Christendom College's 2-day conference entitled St. Paul: His Spiritual and Scriptural Contributions to the Church and held June 26-27. “We hear all the time, ‘I personally believe that abortion is wrong, but why should the Church tell me that my vote should be in accord with my faith?' or ‘Sure, for me marriage is the union of one man and one woman, but we should not impose this belief on others—we should not discriminate—live and let live.' We hear all of this so often in our society, yet St. Paul clearly tells us that living as cafeteria Catholics is not in accord with being a member of Christ's body, nor does it deepen our spiritual growth.”

The conference welcomed attendees from as far as Seattle, Wash., to hear not only Bishop Loverde, but also sought-after speakers Tim Staples, Mark Shea, and Timothy O'Donnell, as well as theology professors Eric Jenislawski and Sebastian Carnazzo.Holding advanced degrees in both history and theology, O'Donnell explained that Paul had an ardent desire, as Apostle to the Gentiles, to visit Rome. In the Acts of the Apostles, God in fact guides Paul away from the east and to Rome. “St. Paul's trip to Macedonia was like a spiritual D-Day,” O'Donnell said. “This begins the whole movement of the preaching of the Gospel in a westward direction.”O'Donnell said that we can learn much from St. Paul by examining not only the great risks he took in traveling to spread the Gospel as witnessed in Acts, but also the deep love of Christ that he displayed in his epistles.

Popular apologist and author of Nuts & Bolts: A Practical Guide for Explaining and Defending the Catholic Faith, Tim Staples delivered an address on St. Paul and justification. Staples highlighted the importance of context when reading Scripture, saying that a lack of context can produce bad theology.“Folks, context! Tradition brings to us a context out of which the Scriptures arise and have their meaning, so that we can understand the words of Scripture. And of course, the Magisterium. We have Sacred Scripture as a gift from God through his Church and we have the Tradition and the Magisterium that interprets both,” he said.Staples observed that in the writings of St. Paul, he makes it very clear that not only is salvation a process, but justification is as well. “In Romans 5:1, justification is seen in the past tense, but do we have St. Paul talking about justification as future and contingent? Absolutely. And in multiple places.”He explained how, by looking at the context, you can see that when St. Paul speaks about justification in the past tense he is referring to baptism and not to a person's ultimate justification.“There is no such thing as ‘no matter what you do sister, you're going straight to heaven.' My friends, our theology should order us toward holiness and not be a source that the devil can play with and lead us in the other direction. Catholics, you got a wonderful theology and a fullness of the faith. It is a tremendous gift. Please, please, as one who did not have it and now enjoys it, please give it away,” he closed.

Bishop Loverde offered Mass and delivered the homily. “There is a fundamental two-fold dynamic underlying our identity and mission as those who belong unconditionally to God in Christ Jesus and to his Church. This twofold dynamic is to be with the Lord Jesus and to be sent out in his name to proclaim the Gospel,” he said.Loverde explained that St. Paul embodied this two-fold dynamic, and encouraged all to learn from and imitate him in daily life.

Following a break for lunch, Christendom College Professor of Theology Eric Jenislawski spoke on the challenges facing modern Biblical interpretation.“Modern methods of interpretation often yield results that either cannot be reconciled to the Catholic faith or are spiritually sterile, not so much heterodox, but useless for preaching, spiritual meditation, or theology,” he said. “Biblical studies today could be described as ‘Christianity as reconstructed by a post-Christian generation of archeologists.'”Jenislawski proposed that St. Paul can help put things back together again. “If we want to overcome today's crisis in Biblical interpretation, we must renew ourselves in our Catholic tradition of Biblical interpretation, and the foundation of that tradition is the writings of St. Paul,” he said.“If we want to rejuvenate Biblical studies, we need to make Biblical studies more Pauline.”

Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D., a professor of theology at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, explained that it was essential to read the Acts of the Apostles in order to understand the epistles of St. Paul.“Acts tells you the story behind the Pauline epistles,” he said. “If you want to understand the epistle to the Romans, you have to understand the history of the Church in Rome. You have to understand that he is writing from Corinth. You have to understand what happened to him on that journey.”Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo is a priest in the Melkite Catholic Church of America and pastor of the St. Elias Melkite Parish in San Jose.  He received his B.S. from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in Animal Science with a concentration in veterinary medicine.  He then went on to receive his M.A. in Theology with a concentration in Sacred Scripture from the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College and his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.  His dissertation was published under the title Seeing Blood and Water: A Narrative-Critical of John 19:34 (2012).  He joined the faculty of St. Patrick's Seminary in the Fall of 2015 as a full-time lecturer in Sacred Scripture and Biblical Languages.  Among other teaching engagements and volunteer activities, he is also an adjunct lecturer in Sacred Scripture for the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College and the academic director for the deacon program in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, OK.

Convert and author of many books, including By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition, Mark Shea brought the conference to a close examining St. Paul and his influence on evangelization and apologetics.“When it comes to evangelism there is one commandment of Christ that all Christians are ready and eager to obey: Mark 1:44, ‘Go and tell no one.'” Shea quipped.Shea explained that there are two popular schools of evangelizing: one which tells you to shout on the street corner, and the other that says, simply live your faith, also known as lifestyle evangelizing. Shea proposed that you had to do both.“The Faith never asks us to make a choice between incarnating the Faith and talking about the Faith. St. Paul never saw a difference between living the Faith and talking about the Faith and we shouldn't either,” he said. “We live in a culture that is so post-protestant that the Gospel really is news again.”Shea petitioned all to imitate Paul in his missionary fervor. “Paul was successful because he did what he was commissioned to do, and God does not command us to do something and then not give us the power to do it.”