Veritas Seminars are for anyone seeking a deeper acquaintance with topics in philosophy, theology, and religious studies.
These three-hour workshops introduce participants to important topics, figures, and writings in western philosophy. They will be of interest to anyone interested in exploring the intellectual foundations of our faith. Each seminar is designed to be a stand-alone experience, so participants can register for particular sessions rather than the whole series. No prior study in philosophy or theology is assumed.
Sessions 1-7 are strongly recommended for incoming students in the Saint Mary Seminary Master of Arts in Theology program who do not have formal undergraduate preparation in these areas. Other participants are welcome to register for any particular sessions in which they are interested.
Participants are encouraged, but not required, to complete a substantial reading assignment prior to each session. Details will be sent by your instructor after you register for a session. Each session is three hours long and features a combination of lecture and discussion.
The first seven-part series of Veritas Seminars will be offered in summer 2025 at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe, Ohio. Meetings will be on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 p.m.
More details can be found below. Go to our events page to register!
Cost: $50 per seminar, or $300 for the seven-session series
MMGSI strives to ensure that our programs are available to interested participants regardless of ability to pay. Fee waivers may be available. Please email us at mmgsi@dioceseofcleveland.org for more information.
What is philosophy, and why does it matter? This seminar provides an overview of the main questions philosophers wrestle with, and a big-picture overview of the history of philosophy from Ancient Greece to the modern day.
Next opportunity: TBA
Should we think of faith and reason as enemies or as allies? How does faith support reason, and vice-versa? How do we cultivate intellectual virtue in ourselves as individuals and in our parish communities? Pre-reading may include Pope Saint John Paul II’s Fides et Ratio.
Next opportunity: TBA
What do philosophers mean when they talk about “arguments”? What’s the difference between a good argument and a bad one, and how can we learn to argue well? This seminar will unpack these questions through a careful examination of some traditional arguments for theism. Pre-reading may include portions of Ed Feser’s Five Proofs of the Existence of God.
Next opportunity: TBA
The most famous philosophical challenge to belief in God is the problem of evil, often expressed in the form of a question: if God exists and truly loves us, why is there so much suffering in the world? In this seminar, we will explore this problem and the principal responses offered by theistic philosophers. Pre-reading may include excerpts from Wandering in Darkness by Eleonore Stump and The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis.
Next opportunity: 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at the Center for Pastoral Leadership. Click here to register.
Christian philosophers and theologians have found the tools and resources of Greek philosophy useful for developing a philosophical understanding of the nature of morality. This seminar involves a close reading and discussion of passages from Plato's Republic and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, both of which are recommended as pre-readings for the course.
Next opportunity: 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at the Center for Pastoral Leadership. Click here to register.
This seminar provides students with an overview of several influential moral theories, with an emphasis on the implications of those theories for particular moral controversies, such as debates over abortion and euthanasia. Pre-reading may include Pope Saint John Paul II's encyclical Veritatis Splendor.
Next opportunity: 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at the Center for Pastoral Leadership. Click here to register.
[There is no prerequisite for this or any other Veritas Seminar. However, participants in Seminar 6 are strongly encouraged to complete Seminar 5 first.]
Many people in the world today believe that truth is accessible exclusively by means of the hard sciences, and that no scientifically literate person can take the Christian faith seriously. This seminar will examine and challenge both of these beliefs. Pre-reading may include Spencer Klavan’s Light of the Mind, Light of the World.
Next opportunity: 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at the Center for Pastoral Leadership. Click here to register.
Rev. Damian Ference, Ph.D.
Vicar for Evangelization
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Matthew Carey Jordan, Ph.D.
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Borromeo Seminary and Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology
If you have questions or would like more information about the MMGSI Veritas Seminars, please email us at mmgsi@dioceseofcleveland.org.
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