Teaching & Reading Groups 

Dante Reading Group

This reading group met every Sunday from 3:00-4:30 p.m. and discussed selections from Dante's Divine Comedy. Over the course of three semesters, the group read the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. 

SLAM Metaphysics Reading Group (with Jon Jacobs, John Greco et al)

This reading group met every other Friday, 2:00 p.m., to discuss issues in contemporary metaphysics.

SLPR Philosophy of Religion Reading Group (with Jon Jacobs)

This reading group met every other Friday, 2:00 p.m. (alternating with the SLAM group), to discuss issues in the philosophy of religion.

The Problem of Pain (with Jeffrey Bishop)

Pain is a complex and fascinating topic that poses an intellectual challenge to researchers, an emotional challenge to patients and caregivers, and an economic challenge to society.   Clearly, the problem of pain cannot be understood in one simple way.  Our research group brings together scholars from various specialties to explore the topic of pain in order to come to a comprehensive understanding of the nature and meaning of pain.

The Thomas on Toast Reading Group

This reading group was convened for the Dominican community at Saint Louis University, as well as interested graduate students and faculty; it generally met on Saturday mornings from 8:50 am - 10:00 am. 

In the beginning, the group read and discussed Thomas Aquinas's (remarkably interesting) biblical commentaries; during the spring 2008 term, however, the group took a hiatus from reading Aquinas, and read Gregory the Great's Moralia instead.  In Fall 2009, the group returned to Aquinas and began to read his commentary on Romans, starting with Ch. 7.

In Spring 2011, the group began reading Aquinas's commentary on the Gospel of John, starting with Ch. 17 (the Last Supper Discourses and the Passion of Christ).

The Alexandrian Society

The Alexandrian Society was a group for faculty and students that I helped to run with Fr. John Kavanaugh, SJ.  Its primary aim was to discuss and reflect upon the integration of faith and reason, particularly in the field of philosophy.  In the past, we have gathered every other week to share a potluck supper, followed by discussion of a particular topic.  Last year, among other things, we engaged in some exegesis of the first few chapters of the Book of Revelation, met personally with Dr. William Hurlbut of the President's Council on Bioethics, and discussed cross-cultural perspectives on America.

Biblical Perplexities

The Bible contains several stories in which God's interactions with humans are not what we might expect from an all-good, all-loving God.  How, then, ought these stories to be understood?  In this reading group, which was also convened for the Dominican community at SLU as well as interested graduate students and faculty, the following stories, among others, were studied: Sodom and Gomorrah, God's command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Jacob wrestling God, Jepthah's daughter, Samuel and the Amalekites, and Job.

The Dante and Aquinas Reading Group (Spring 2008)

This reading group was open to the university community and included graduate students, faculty, and members of the Jesuit and Dominican communities at Saint Louis University.  We generally met on a weekly basis. The group read through the entire Divine Comedy and discussed it in light of Aquinas's philosophical theology.