News Article

The Gonzaga Socratic Club will kick off fall semester with a talk by Doug Kries, associate professor of philosophy at Gonzaga University, titled “ St. Thomas for Zags? Why Friar Thomas Should Teach the Bulldogs” from 4-5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 19.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Room 203 of the Gonzaga University Administration Building.

Kries will discuss the role of St. Thomas Aquinas in a Jesuit university curriculum. In Kries’ view, St. Thomas’ virtues as a questioner and reader, and his wisdom on the relationship between faith and reason, make him a central figure for Jesuit, Catholic, and humanist education.

Information about the Gonzaga Socratic Club, including upcoming lectures, can be found on the club’s Web site.

The Gonzaga Socratic Club is based on the Oxford Socratic Club, which was started in 1941 and run by author C.S. Lewis until 1954. The Gonzaga Socratic Club seeks to promote open dialogue about the Christian worldview, doctrine and practice. Anyone interested is invited, regardless of religious preference. The meetings, which occur approximately every two weeks, consist of 20- or 30-minutes of lecture, followed by a brief, formal response and discussion.

For more information, contact David Calhoun, Gonzaga associate professor of philosophy, at (509) 323-6743 or via e-mail.