Seminar and Reception

Hosted by the Thomas Aquinas College
Orange County Board of Regents

Christ Cathedral
13280 Chapman Ave.
Garden Grove, CA, 92840

Saturday, May 30, 2015
Seminar: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Reception: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Register Now!

The Church’s teaching on the natural law is fundamental to its teachings on a wide variety of contemporary moral, political, and life issues. It is vital for educated Catholics to be familiar with the natural law tradition if they are to understand Church teaching, defend life, and respond more effectively to the attacks facing the human person today. This Thomas Aquinas College Seminar will be devoted to the Catholic natural law tradition, the classic statement of which is found in the writings of the College’s patron and Doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas.

Please join members of the faculty of Thomas Aquinas College as guests of the Orange County Board of Regents for a seminar to discuss the meaning and implications of St. Thomas’s Treatise on Law, Question 94, Articles 2-6. The seminar will take place on Saturday, May 30, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. with a short reception to follow.

Participants in the seminar discussion will come to understand more deeply the natural law, which is the chief alternative to our society’s embrace of moral relativism, and examine the connections between law, nature, reason, and the human good. This reading is thought-provoking, brief, and accessible.

The seminar is not a lecture; nor is it a discourse among a panel of experts. Everyone in attendance is invited to participate actively in the conversation, working together to distill and analyze the meaning of these important readings. Leading the seminar will be the College’s president, Dr. Michael F. McLean, and its vice president, Dr. Paul J. O’Reilly. Dr. McLean and Dr. O’Reilly have collectively spent more than 50 years leading seminars as members of the Thomas Aquinas College teaching faculty. At the College, all classes are taught via the discussion method. The curriculum consists exclusively of the great books of Western civilization, including various Church documents and encyclicals.

Some Comments from Participants at Past Seminars:

  • “Great and fascinating discussion.”
  • “The seminar was excellent. Excellent format, excellent discussion.”
  • “I loved the opportunity to read, think through, and discuss with others the truths of the readings.”

Registration for the seminar and reception is free. To participate:

  1. Register for the Thomas Aquinas College Seminar.
  2. Read the text. The College will mail you a copy of the reading and instructions for the day.

Space is limited — register now! Questions? Please e-mail Robert Bagdazian or call, 805-421-5927.