Fundamental Questions
Unique program designed to engage students from various faith traditions in deep philosophical discussions centered on existential questions
In partnership with
Lumen Christi Institute is a University of Chicago-based center dedicated to fostering the study and understanding of Catholic thought, culture, and intellectual tradition. The institute provides programs, seminars, and fellowships that encourage rigorous engagement with philosophy, theology, and the humanities, aiming to cultivate thoughtful reflection, dialogue, and scholarship among students and the broader academic community.
The Fundamental Questions Seminar at the Lumen Christi Institute is a unique program designed to engage students from various faith traditions, particularly Christians, Jews, and Muslims, in deep philosophical discussions centered on existential questions.
Drawing inspiration from scholars like Aquinas, Ibn Rushd, and Maimonides, the seminar encourages dialogue between students of different backgrounds, allowing them to explore common human experiences and fundamental questions about life, happiness, and justice. The program aims to foster mutual understanding and friendships across religious divides by focusing on shared philosophical texts, which provide common ground for discussion without requiring participants to defend their own religious traditions.
In the spirit of Nostra Aetate, the seminar’s goals include promoting fellowship, recognizing truth across religions, and encouraging participants to engage in dialogue that builds bridges in an often polarized society.
Through this program, the Lumen Christi Institute seeks to cultivate a space where students from diverse traditions can engage thoughtfully with one another, enriching their understanding of both their faith and others.
Overview
Fundamental Questions Seminar
An overview of past events in the Fundamental Questions Seminar series
Religion, Politics, and Revolution in The Ancient City
October 15, 2025
This three-part seminar explores Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges’ The Ancient City, a classic study of how ancient religion shaped law, property, family, and politics in Greece and Rome. Supplemented by comparisons to ancient Hindu texts, Coulanges reconstructed the basis of ancient Greek and Roman society. Participants will discuss the domestic cult, the rise of the city, and the revolutions that transformed ancient society.
Poverty, Injustice, Liberation: Class Conflict in Latin America and The Theology of Gustavo Gutierrez
October 18, 2024
The course drew on the theology of Gustavo Gutiérrez to examine how modernity shaped 20th-century theology, critiqued Euro-American approaches that privileged the powerful, and studied liberation theology’s claim that faith could advance both political liberation and spiritual growth.
