Christendom College President George A. Harne, Ph.D., has released a new episode of the Christendom Conversations podcast featuring a thoughtful discussion with professor and philosopher Dr. Douglas Flippen. Together, they explore Aquinas’s enduring significance for the Catholic Church and his insightful approach to complex philosophical and theological questions.
“What attracts people to St. Thomas is the depth of his insight into the nature of reality, his clarity, his consistency, and the way in which he solved a number of very important philosophical and theological problems,” says Flippen during the discussion. “I think he’s simply perennially fascinating to people because he sees more deeply into the nature of reality than I think anybody before him or after him has been able to do.”
During the conversation, Flippen also offers guidance on how Aquinas would analyze the nature of various academic disciplines, and he explains how readers can engage with Aquinas’s seminal works, highlighting their accessibility even for beginners.
Flippen is a professor at Christendom College, where he has served since 1989. Flippen earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Saint Thomas, Houston, before later earning his Masters and his Doctorate from the University of Toronto. Flippen also holds a Licentiate in Mediaeval Studies from the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto. Flippen specializes in ancient and medieval philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, and the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, with his writings published extensively in numerous academic journals.
This marks the sixteenth episode of Christendom Conversations, following April’s episode with Dr. Douglas Dailey, in which Harne and Dailey explored the connection between mathematics and human flourishing, reflecting on the beauty, order, and wonder found in numbers and their role in understanding reality and fostering intellectual growth.
Christendom Conversations is part of Christendom College’s expanding podcast network, which offers listeners and viewers rich engagement with the Catholic intellectual tradition. Through in-depth interviews with Catholic scholars and cultural leaders, the podcast explores timeless questions and enduring truths. New episodes are released monthly.
Watch the latest episode below:
