By Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. • Posted September 29, 2014

One of the great needs we have as adult Catholics is to deepen our faith and stay current in its application to issues we face as a culture. Providing ways to do that is the motive behind the “Archbishop’s Lecture Series,” organized and led very well by Meghan Cokeley in our Office for the New Evangelization. Of course, the series only achieves its goal if people actually take an active part in attending and engaging the speakers in discussion. So it’s a pleasure this week to urge people across the archdiocese to join me in taking part in this wonderful series.

We have four major speakers this fall. Each is well worth setting aside an evening to hear.

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, Sept. 30, Robert George opens the series on the topic of “What Marriage Is and Isn’t.” Professor George is McCormick professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University and head of Princeton’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. He’s an internationally recognized authority on issues involving marriage, family life and religious liberty.

On Thursday evening, Oct. 30, Remi Brague will speak on themes from his recent book, “On the God of the Christians,” an examination of Christian, Jewish and Muslim beliefs, and particularly how God is understood and encountered across the three great faiths. Brague is one of the most respected Catholic scholars in modern Europe. He is professor emeritus of medieval and Arabic philosophy at the Sorbonne and Romano Guardini chair of philosophy at the University of Munich.

On Monday, Nov. 17, Mary Eberstadt will speak on her recent book, “How the West Really Lost God.” A veteran cultural critic and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., Ms. Eberstadt has done ground-breaking research on the impact of family health — or breakdown — on the religious belief and practice of societies.

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Finally on Thursday, Dec. 11, Professor David L. Schindler will speak on “The Theology of the Body: The Gender Distinction and Religious Freedom.” Dr. Schindler is a prolific author and lecturer, and the dean emeritus of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family.

Each of these evening events begins at 7 p.m. and takes place in the Vianney Hall Auditorium at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. They’re a great opportunity to deepen our adult Catholic formation and renew our mental energy as Christians. I hope to see you there.

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Attendance is $5 per lecture at the door; or check www.phillyevang.org/lectures for more information and online registration. Or contact Meghan Cokeley at mcokeley@archphila.org; 215.587.0500. Please note that the Remi Brague lecture is a special, free event; RSVP to Donna Huddell at dhuddell@archphila.org.