Christendom College will welcome St. Thomas Aquinas expert Dr. Steven Baldner to campus for the latest event in its Collegiate Lecture Series on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in Old Chapel Hall. Baldner, a professor at St. Francis Xavier University, will present the college’s annual St. Thomas Aquinas lecture as part of the series, speaking on “Aquinas and Descartes on Creation.” The event is free and open to the public.
Baldner was educated at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto, where he specialized in medieval philosophy. After teaching at St. Thomas More College, he joined the faculty at St. Francis Xavier University in 1992, where he continues to teach. His primary academic interests include the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, particularly Aquinas’ natural philosophy and the problem of creation.
Baldner has published widely on Aquinas as well as Albert the Great, Bonaventure, and Anselm. He also designed and proposed the Program in Catholic Studies at St. Francis Xavier, coordinated the university’s Humanities Colloquium, and previously served as dean of arts.
Christendom hosted several Collegiate Lecture Series events in the fall, welcoming acclaimed poet Dr. James Matthew Wilson and author and professor Dr. Clint Brand, each of whom offered an evening of dynamic engagement with perennial truths — the very purpose of each Collegiate Lecture Series event.
Expanding upon the college’s original Major Speaker Series, the Collegiate Lecture Series provides students, faculty, staff, and members of the community an opportunity to hear from regional and national speakers on topics relevant to Christendom’s mission of “Restoring All Things in Christ.” For students, especially, these events allow them to connect classroom learning with the broader ideas and questions posed by the speakers. The series also honors those who have pursued wisdom in their lives and share it generously with the Christendom community.
Additional Collegiate Lecture Series events are planned for the spring semester. Dates and speakers will be announced at a later time.
Parking for the event will be available at Christ the King Chapel on Shenandoah Shores Road (the first left when approaching the college).