The Thomistic Institute Podcast
The Thomistic Institute Podcast
The Thomistic Institute exists to promote Catholic truth in our contemporary world by strengthening the intellectual formation of Christians at universities, in the Church, and in the wider public square. The thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Universal Doctor of the Church, is our touchstone. The Thomistic Institute Podcast features the lectures and talks from our conferences, campus chapters events, intellectual retreats, livestream events,  and much more.  Founded in 2009, the Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.
Oct. 24, 2025

Catholic Culture with Tolkien – Prof. Patrick Callahan

Catholic Culture with Tolkien – Prof. Patrick Callahan
The Thomistic Institute Podcast
Catholic Culture with Tolkien – Prof. Patrick Callahan

Prof. Patrick Callahan explores the living tradition of Catholic culture, using Tolkien’s life and imagination to demonstrate how the Mass, community, and cultivation of virtue form a unified Christian identity resilient amidst modern challenges.

Prof. Patrick Callahan explores the living tradition of Catholic culture, using Tolkien’s life and imagination to demonstrate how the Mass, community, and cultivation of virtue form a unified Christian identity resilient amidst modern challenges.

This lecture was given on January 18th, 2024, at University of Washington.

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About the Speakers:

Prof. Patrick Callahan is director of the Newman Institute for Catholic Thought & Culture as well as Assistant Professor of English and Humanities at St. Gregory the Great Seminary. There he directs and teaches in a Great Books Catholic program for students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and other regional colleges. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Dallas and his graduate work at Fordham University in Classics. He lives in Lincoln, NE with his wife and 5 children.

Keywords: Catholic Culture, Community Tradition, Cultural Standardization, Evelyn Waugh, Incarnational Liturgy, Intellectual Virtue, Justice And Temperance, Letters Of Tolkien, Mustard Seed Metaphor, Sacramental Imagination