History of the Aquinas center
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Dominican Heritage
The Aquinas Center cherishes its historical connections and ongoing collaborative relationships with the Dominican order of the Catholic Church. The key principles of the Dominican tradition include the four pillars:
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Brief History and Overview
Foundations and Aims
The Aquinas Center traces its origins to 1984, when the Dominicans of the Southern Province established a residential study center for students and student brothers near Emory University. In 1987, the Center adopted its present name and moved toward a closer relationship with Emory, acquiring its own endowment.
The Aquinas Center became an autonomous affiliate of Emory University and is governed by a Board of Directors. The Center values its connection to the Dominican Order. The bylaws of the Center require that at least four Directors are Dominicans.
While the Center is located on the campus of Emory University, it also serves the region. Among the Center’s activities are symposia, conferences, workshops, lectures and programs. There are several annual lectures: the Aquinas Day (focusing on emerging theologians), the Consistent Ethic of Life, the Catherine of Siena (featuring women theologians), and the Major Catholic Speaker. The Center is also responsible for providing and recruiting speakers for both the Catholic Business Professional’s Luncheon, and for speaking engagements in local parishes and the archdiocese.
In 2017, the Aquinas Center entered into a formal affiliation with the Candler School of Theology, moving into office space within Candler. During the Aquinas Center’s three decades at Emory, Candler has been its closest partner in programming, and our affiliation has strengthened programming and academic resources for both organizations. With Candler’s addition of a Master of Divinity in Catholic Studies in 2018 coupled with the center of U.S. Catholicism shifting to the Southeast, there are endless exciting opportunities for future partnership and engagement with the diverse and rapidly expanding Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Teaching and Campus Relationships
In 1998, the Center endowed the Thomas Aquinas Chair of Historical Theology at Candler School of Theology currently held by Tony Alonso. We also sponsor the undergraduate course, Modern Catholicism through the Department of Religion in the College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University. In addition, we advise students who would like to earn a Minor in Catholic Studies.
Emory University is Methodist in foundation, and Candler School of Theology is an official seminary of the United Methodist Church. There are three chief settings for the study of religion at Emory: Candler School of Theology (graduate programs), the Department of Religion in Emory College (undergraduate programs), and the Graduate Division of Religion (doctoral programs). Among those undergraduates who declare their religious affiliation, Catholics and Jews (in roughly equal numbers) are the two largest groups. Over twenty students in the Theology School currently are Catholic and currently two of Candler’s professors are Catholic. Collaborative programs are sponsored both with the departments of Religion and Philosophy and with Candler.
Pitts Theology Library (located in the Candler School of Theology) is the second largest theological library in the United States and has major holdings in several areas of Catholic studies, including special collections in English recusants, Cardinal Newman, Cardinal Manning and Thomas Merton.
The Aquinas Center is distinct from Emory’s Catholic Center, which is focused on Campus Ministry. The Aquinas Center is focused on fostering an intellectually vibrant Catholic community. The Catholic Center (which is sponsored by the Archdiocese) provides for the sacramental and pastoral needs of Catholics at Emory and Agnes Scott, and organizes social activities with the Catholic Student Union. Both respective centers occasionally overlap in programming, and frequently collaborate.
Foundations and Aims
The Aquinas Center traces its origins to 1984, when the Dominicans of the Southern Province established a residential study center for students and student brothers near Emory University. In 1987, the Center adopted its present name and moved toward a closer relationship with Emory, acquiring its own endowment.
The Aquinas Center became an autonomous affiliate of Emory University and is governed by a Board of Directors. The Center values its connection to the Dominican Order. The bylaws of the Center require that at least four Directors are Dominicans.
While the Center is located on the campus of Emory University, it also serves the region. Among the Center’s activities are symposia, conferences, workshops, lectures and programs. There are several annual lectures: the Aquinas Day (focusing on emerging theologians), the Consistent Ethic of Life, the Catherine of Siena (featuring women theologians), and the Major Catholic Speaker. The Center is also responsible for providing and recruiting speakers for both the Catholic Business Professional’s Luncheon, and for speaking engagements in local parishes and the archdiocese.
In 2017, the Aquinas Center entered into a formal affiliation with the Candler School of Theology, moving into office space within Candler. During the Aquinas Center’s three decades at Emory, Candler has been its closest partner in programming, and our affiliation has strengthened programming and academic resources for both organizations. With Candler’s addition of a Master of Divinity in Catholic Studies in 2018 coupled with the center of U.S. Catholicism shifting to the Southeast, there are endless exciting opportunities for future partnership and engagement with the diverse and rapidly expanding Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Teaching and Campus Relationships
In 1998, the Center endowed the Thomas Aquinas Chair of Historical Theology at Candler School of Theology currently held by Tony Alonso. We also sponsor the undergraduate course, Modern Catholicism through the Department of Religion in the College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University. In addition, we advise students who would like to earn a Minor in Catholic Studies.
Emory University is Methodist in foundation, and Candler School of Theology is an official seminary of the United Methodist Church. There are three chief settings for the study of religion at Emory: Candler School of Theology (graduate programs), the Department of Religion in Emory College (undergraduate programs), and the Graduate Division of Religion (doctoral programs). Among those undergraduates who declare their religious affiliation, Catholics and Jews (in roughly equal numbers) are the two largest groups. Over twenty students in the Theology School currently are Catholic and currently two of Candler’s professors are Catholic. Collaborative programs are sponsored both with the departments of Religion and Philosophy and with Candler.
Pitts Theology Library (located in the Candler School of Theology) is the second largest theological library in the United States and has major holdings in several areas of Catholic studies, including special collections in English recusants, Cardinal Newman, Cardinal Manning and Thomas Merton.
The Aquinas Center is distinct from Emory’s Catholic Center, which is focused on Campus Ministry. The Aquinas Center is focused on fostering an intellectually vibrant Catholic community. The Catholic Center (which is sponsored by the Archdiocese) provides for the sacramental and pastoral needs of Catholics at Emory and Agnes Scott, and organizes social activities with the Catholic Student Union. Both respective centers occasionally overlap in programming, and frequently collaborate.
