Thornton Lecture Series

Fostering meaningful dialogue between the Catholic Church and the modern world.

Reserve Your Seat

Distinguished speakers with expertise in an aspect of the Catholic faith share insights with the AU community.

Stay for a networking reception after with light refreshments.

Every lecture engages a timely and relevant topic & concludes with a Q&A session.

Who Can Attend?

Everyone is welcome. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds and faith traditions to attend and learn more about the Catholic perspective, especially those for whom it may be unfamiliar.

Open to all

Upcoming Event

FALL 2026

Becoming Happier Through Forgiveness

Ester Brooks

Ester Munt-Brooks grew up in Barcelona and became a touring musician as a teenager, leaving school at fifteen. After falling in love with an American in her mid-twenties (her husband, Arthur Brooks) with whom she didn’t share a language, she built a life across continents—raising three children and gradually moving from a secular background to becoming a Christian educator and theology student.

After completing her master’s in theology at the Augustine Institute, Ester speaks in both English and Spanish across the U.S. about faith, love, and lived experience. She and Arthur now teach together, his science of happiness and meaning meeting her understanding of faith, love, and what it actually takes to build a life worth living alongside another person.

Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Location: Mary Graydon Student Center, Room 128

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Previous Lectures

SPRING 2026

Will the Future be Human? Reflections on the Meaning of AI

While nearly everyone agrees that the coming age of AI will be transformative, there is widespread disagreement about whether that transformation will be utopian or dystopian, human, superhuman, or subhuman. Drawing on the resources of classical and Christian anthropology, Dr. Hanby's lecture reflected on the human meaning of AI and what it might portend for the future.

FALL 2025

Catholic Teaching on War and Peace

Cardinal Robert McElroy discussed “a new moment” in Catholic teaching on war and peace. He highlighted Pope Francis’ teachings, which emphasize nonviolence over just war theory, and spoke of the need for nuclear disarmament. This approach is rooted in “Catholic faith and tradition and unswervingly attentive to the signs of our own age, when nuclear proliferation is a growing danger that threatens to engulf us all."

SPRING 2025

The Intersection between Faith and Science

Dr. Giuseppe Cataldo, an esteemed NASA scientist, explored the Big Bang and the creation of the universe, demonstrating that the scientific account is not at odds with Catholic teaching. Rather, he showed how science reveals the glory of God through its intricacy and complexity. He emphasized that while science helps answer the “how” of creation, faith illuminates the deeper “why.”

FALL 2024

A Catholic Perspective on Voting

As the November 2024 elections approached, we welcomed Dr. Gloria Purvis to speak on a Catholic approach to voting. She emphasized that Catholicism does not bind individuals to a specific political ideology, but instead provides a moral framework through which voters can evaluate the issues that arise during an election. Dr. Purvis stressed the importance of forming one’s conscience and becoming well-informed in order to vote responsibly, as well as asking oneself what is good, true and just.

FALL 2022

Diplomacy and the Church

Cardinal Christophe Pierre spoke about diplomacy and the Church, highlighting the Church's unique role in promoting peace and justice through diplomacy. His discourse was brought to life by many stories from his long experience as a diplomat for the Vatican.

SPRING 2022

Racism, Redemption and the Church

Since its inception our country has grappled with the reality of racism in our institutions, our homes and even our churches. Racism in all of its forms first results from a deeply spiritual problem, a distortion rooted in the depths of the human person. Fr. Robert Boxie set the historical stage for examining the problem of racism, the powerful role of the Church, and the capacity for true redemption.

FALL 2021

The State of Immigration in the US

The state of immigration in the U.S. remains one of the primary concerns for the Church and society at large. This Celia Rivas’s lecture cut through the fog of political complexities and arrived at a perspective that focuses on the people suffering and how the Catholic Church is walking alongside them.

SPRING 2021

Building a Civilization of Love

In this lecture, Deacon Harold presented a Catholic response to racism, carefully distinguishing the sin of racism from the instinctive biases common to humanity in its fallen state, and offering concrete paths toward deeper unity.

Fall 2020

A Rock & Roll Journalist Finds God

Famed rock music historian Dawn Eden Goldstein shared her testimony of growing up Jewish, finding a new religion in rock and roll, and finally converting to Catholicism on her journey to healing. Having suffered deeply from childhood abuse, Dawn searched for healing in many places and finally found it in the Catholic Church.

Spring 2020

My Testimony

Abigail Favale, raised Evangelical with a strong opposition to much of Catholic Social Teaching and a foundation in postmodern feminism, discovered a bounty in Catholic teaching about the goodness of being a woman and the dignity of each human person, which led to her ultimate conversion to the Catholic faith.

Honoring the legacy of Dr. Karin Thornton

The Thornton Lectures are named for Dr. Karin Thornton, who served the Catholic community at American University for nearly 40 years as the associate chaplain. To honor her memory and lasting legacy, we established a lecture series in her name, seeking to continue the remarkable work she had begun—not only for Catholic students, but for the entire AU community. Over time, this initiative grew into the biannual Thornton Lecture Series as it exists today.

Karin was deeply devoted to our community as well as to her family. Her faith informed everything she did, and she approached every situation with love. She was endlessly devoted to AUCatholic, generous with her time, passionate about interfaith work, and a true light to the campus. She exemplified a ministry of presence in all that she did, meeting students where they were, attending events all across campus, and showing up for people when it mattered most. She was beloved by all and is deeply missed by those who had the honor of knowing her.

Image courtesy of American University Archives & Special Collections

Dr. Karin Thornton

July 4, 1929 - June 1, 2018

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the lectures free to attend?

Yes! There is no cost to attend.

Do I need to register?

We encourage you to RSVP in advance so we can get an idea of how many people will attend, but you are more than welcome to come and register at the door.

I'm not Catholic. Can I still come?

Yes! The lectures are for the entire AU community, not just for Catholic students. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds and religions to attend and learn more about the Catholic perspective, especially if they are unfamiliar with it.

I'm not an AU student. Can I still come?

Of course! These lectures are open to the entire American University community, as well as other universities and Church groups in the DMV.

Where will the lecture be held?

We will announce the location for each lecture once it is confirmed.

What subjects do the lectures typically cover?

Every lecture engages a timely and relevant topic—such as immigration, diplomacy, science, or artificial intelligence—through a Catholic lens, offering fresh perspectives on the Church’s teachings.