Every available chair in the Aula at the Center for Pastoral Leadership was filled the afternoon of Feb. 26 as Zena Hitz presented the 2022 Aquinas Lecture. Her topic was “The Life of the Mind and the Virtue of Charity.”
The annual lecture is sponsored by Borromeo Seminary Philosophy Department and funded by Edward G. and Mary E. Mansour. It is aimed at promoting philosophical scholarship, especially for college seminarians who are studying philosophy. The audience also consisted of faculty and others who enjoy philosophical lectures.
Hitz is a professor – they’re called tutors – at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. Also a lecturer and author, she spoke from the stage in the Aula with a large statue of St. Thomas Aquinas standing to one side. Her recently published book is titled, “Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life.”
Using her book as a launch point, Hitz spoke about the life of the mind in light of St. Thomas Aquinas’ account of charity (love), including what it means to read, study and write in charity.
She discussed the differences between study and teaching and how language is used to express a shared experience. Study is a communal effort with others, working together toward a goal of understanding. And the purpose of study is to find peace.
“Our shared desire (love) unites us,” Hitz said, but we may encounter obstacles like sloth or a failure to trust; we may overvalue agreement and overthink things.
We know our neighbors as we know God: by faith, she added. In addition, she reinforced that behind every book there is a person.
Beth Rath, philosophy department chair, facilitated the program and guided the question and answer session, which lasted about a half-hour, after the presentation.
Lecturers invited to participate in the program address questions that are relevant for philosophy studies at the seminary. Recent speakers include Maria Fedoryka, Christopher Tollefsen Michael Rota and Meghan Sullivan.
A reception in the lobby followed the lecture.