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Prof. Christopher Kaczor rigorously defends the inclusive interpretation of the Declaration of Independence, arguing that "all men are created equal" refers to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, or status, drawing on historical documents, the founders' intentions, and philosophical influences. This lecture was given on March 27th, 2025, at University of South Carolina. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at <a href="https://dashboard.cohostpodcasting.com/shows/fedb9eb7-b992-446b-be01-01cd62afd823/episodes/thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events" target="_blank">thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events</a>. About the Speaker: Dr. Christopher Kaczor graduated from the Honors Program of Boston College and earned a Ph.D. four years later from the University of Notre Dame. A Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Kaczor is a former Federal Chancellor Fellow at the University of Cologne and William E. Simon Visiting Fellow in the James Madison Program at Princeton University and Honorary Professor in Bishop Barron's Word on Fire Institute. His seventeen books include The Gospel of Happiness, The Seven Big Myths about Marriage, A Defense of Dignity, The Seven Big Myths about the Catholic Church, The Ethics of Abortion, O Rare Ralph McInerny: Stories and Reflections on a Legendary Notre Dame Professor, Thomas Aquinas on the Cardinal Virtues; Life Issues-Medical Choices; Thomas Aquinas on Faith, Hope, and Love; The Edge of Life, and Proportionalism and the Natural Law Tradition. Dr. Kaczor’s views have been in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, National Review, NPR, BBC, EWTN, ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, MSNBC, TEDx, and The Today Show. Keywords: Abraham Lincoln, American Founding, Declaration of Independence, Equality, First Treatise On Government, Inalienable Rights, John Locke, Race and Gender, Slavery, Thomas Jefferson

Created Equal: An Interpretation and Defense of the American Proposition | Prof. Christopher Kaczor

Fr. Mike continues to take us through the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and the importance of moving on from the past to see what God is doing in our lives right now. He also gives some context on the Samaritans and what was happening across Jerusalem, post return. Today's readings are Ezra 3-4, Zechariah 1-3, and Proverbs 20:4-7.

For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.<a rel="payment" href="https://ascensionpress.com/products/support-ascension">Support The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)</a>

Day 268: Rebuilding the Temple (2023)

Does the Big Bang prove God? In this lecture, Prof. William E. Carroll explores how cosmological arguments for and against a creator often get it wrong by confusing creation with a temporal beginning, a mistake that Thomas Aquinas can help us avoid. This lecture was given on October 14th, 2024, at Mount Saint Mary College. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at <a href="https://dashboard.cohostpodcasting.com/shows/fedb9eb7-b992-446b-be01-01cd62afd823/episodes/thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events" target="_blank">thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events</a>. About the Speaker: Professor William E. Carroll has recently retired from research and teaching at the Aquinas Institute of Blackfriars in the University of Oxford.&nbsp; For the past two years he has been a Visiting Professor at the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (Wuhan, China), and at the Hongyi Honor College of Wuhan University. He is a European intellectual historian and historian of science whose research and teaching concern: 1) the reception of Aristotelian science in mediaeval Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and the development of the doctrine of creation, and 2) the encounter between Galileo and the Inquisition.&nbsp; He has also written extensively on the ways in which mediaeval discussions of the relationship among the natural sciences, philosophy, and theology can be useful in contemporary questions arising from developments in biology and cosmology. He is the author of four books: Aquinas on Creation; La Creación y las Ciencias Naturales: Actualidad de Santo Tomás de Aquino; Galileo: Science and Faith; and Creation and Science (with translations in Slovak, Spanish, and Chinese).&nbsp; His published work has appeared in 12 languages. Over many years he has written more than 25 op-ed pieces for Public Discourse, the web site of the Witherspoon Institute at Princeton. Keywords: Beginning of the Universe, Big Bang Theory, Causation, Cosmology, Cosmological Apologetics, Creation, Quantum Mechanics, Stephen Hawking, Thomas Aquinas, William Lane Craig

Cosmological Apologetics: For and Against Creation | Prof. William E. Carroll

Drawing on the wisdom of Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, and St. John Paul II, this illuminating work restores beauty to its rightful place at the heart of the spiritual life. It shows that beauty is objective and transformative, not a matter of taste, and explains how virtue, reason, and rightly ordered emotion dispose us to perceive it. Through clear examples from nature and the arts, these pages reveal how authentic beauty heals the soul, points to God, and prepares us for the joy of heaven.

Beauty | eBook

Resources: <ul type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sophiainstitute.com/product/finding-peace-in-the-storm/">Finding Peace in the Storm</a> - Dan Burke</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sophiainstitute.com/product/searching-for-and-maintaining-peace/"> Searching for and Maintaining Peace</a> - Fr. Jacques Philippe</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Sacrament-Present-Moment-Jean-Pierre-Caussade/dp/0060618116"> The Sacrament of the Present Moment</a> - Jean-Pierre de Caussade</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://stpaulmemphis.com/product/into-the-deep/">Into the Deep</a> – Dan Burke</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "http://spiritualdirection.com/shop">Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits</a> - Dan Burke</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/the-contemplative-rosary"> The Contemplative Rosary</a> - Dan Burke and Connie Rossini</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://onelink.to/92tyk4">The Contemplative Rosary App</a> (phones and tablets only)</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "http://spiritualdirection.com/shop">A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness</a> - Susan Brinkmann OCDS</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://avila-institute.org/events/">Avila-Institute.org/events</a> - website</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://avila-institute.org/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "http://www.ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">EWTN Religious Catalogue</a> – online</li> </ul>

Finding Peace in the Storm Part 5: The Danger of Rejecting Suffering

Drawing from the rich Catholic tradition of spirituality, Dr. Anthony Lilles presents prayer as a living dialogue that transforms the whole of life. With guidance from the saints and mystics, he shows how humble, persevering prayer leads to a deeper awareness of God’s presence and prepares the soul for purification, spiritual battle, and even the dark night. Addressing practical challenges such as dryness, self deception, and busyness, this book invites readers to entrust themselves to Christ, rely on the help of Our Lady, and pursue the heroic holiness to which they are called.

Fire From Above | eBook

Praised by Pope Pius IX, this classic work examines the deeper spiritual roots of unbelief and argues that loss of faith arises more from the will than from the intellect. Fr. Nicolas J. Laforet analyzes the forms unbelief takes and presents a clear, practical remedy capable of leading sincere seekers to Christ. Exploring the harmony of faith and reason, the dangers of materialism, and the moral dimension of belief, this book offers steady guidance for souls navigating doubt and seeking firm access to truth.

Unbelief | eBook

In this timely and prayerful guide, Kathleen Beckman calls the faithful to stand beside their priests in the midst of spiritual battle and ecclesial crisis. Emphasizing the indispensable role of the Catholic priesthood, she offers Church approved devotions, scriptural rosaries, and practical spiritual practices to support priestly renewal and vocations. With particular attention to the vocation of spiritual motherhood and the mission of the laity, this book invites all believers to respond with faith and perseverance, calling down grace upon priests for the sanctification of the Church and the salvation of souls.

Praying for Priests | eBook

Join Dan and Stephanie Burke as they discuss if and when you should correct your spouse, how prayer and fasting are more important to changing your spouse, and letting God do the work!Resources:<ul class="list-node"><li class="list-item-node">Spiritual Warfare and the Family Summit Vault (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://secure.spiritualdirection.com/summitvault?utm_source=dir&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=avila_summit_2026&amp;utm_content=adoration">https://secure.spiritualdirection.com/summitvault?utm_source=dir&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=avila_summit_2026&amp;utm_content=adoration</a> (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://spiritualdirection.com/vault2026?utm_source=dir&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=summit_vault&amp;utm_content=nag">https://spiritualdirection.com/vault2026?utm_source=dir&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=summit_vault&amp;utm_content=nag</a>) - videos</li><li class="list-item-node">Spiritual Warfare and Discernment of Spirits (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://spiritualdirection.com/spiritual-warfare-and-discernment-of-spirits-signup-2?utm_source=dir&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=swados&amp;utm_content=demonic_backlash">https://spiritualdirection.com/spiritual-warfare-and-discernment-of-spirits-signup-2?utm_source=dir&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=swados&amp;utm_content=demonic_backlash</a>) - video series</li><li class="list-item-node">Discernment of Spirits for Beginners (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://shop.spiritualdirection.com/product/discernment-of-spirits-for-beginners/">https://shop.spiritualdirection.com/product/discernment-of-spirits-for-beginners/</a>) - Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett &amp; Dan Burke</li><li class="list-item-node">Into the Deep (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://spiritualdirection.com/into-the-deep-sign-up?utm_source=sd.com&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=into_the_deep&amp;utm_content=dir">https://spiritualdirection.com/into-the-deep-sign-up?utm_source=sd.com&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=into_the_deep&amp;utm_content=dir</a>) - video series</li><li class="list-item-node">Finding Peace in the Storm (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://sophiainstitute.com/product/finding-peace-in-the-storm/">https://sophiainstitute.com/product/finding-peace-in-the-storm/</a>) - Dan Burke</li><li class="list-item-node">Into the Deep (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://stpaulmemphis.com/product/into-the-deep/">https://stpaulmemphis.com/product/into-the-deep/</a>) – Dan Burke</li><li class="list-item-node">Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="http://spiritualdirection.com/shop">http://spiritualdirection.com/shop</a>) - Dan Burke</li><li class="list-item-node">The Contemplative Rosary (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/the-contemplative-rosary">https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/the-contemplative-rosary</a>) - Dan Burke and Connie Rossini</li><li class="list-item-node">A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="http://spiritualdirection.com/shop">http://spiritualdirection.com/shop</a>) - Susan Brinkmann OCDS</li><li class="list-item-node"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://spiritualdirection.com/events">SpiritualDirection.com/Events</a> - website</li><li class="list-item-node">Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="http://avila-institute.org/">http://avila-institute.org/</a>)</li><li class="list-item-node">EWTN Religious Catalogue (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="http://www.ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/">http://www.ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/</a>) – online</li></ul>