Dr. Eric Manchester to Give Thomas Aquinas Lecture
Conception, Mo. – Dr. Eric Manchester will be presenting this year’s Thomas Aquinas Lecture titled, “How to be a Thomistic Libertarian Progressive Conservative: ‘Un-Muddling’ Political Labels Through Aquinas’s Conception of Freedom.” The lecture will take place at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15 in St. Maur Hall, room A109 on the campus of Conception Seminary College in Conception, MO. This lecture is free and open to the public.
With the drama of the current election season, Dr. Manchester, a professor of philosophy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, will help us understand political labels such as “conservative,” “liberal,” “progressive,” and “libertarian,” which are often used as both compliments and insults in today’s political climate. He will also show how these terms relate to a Thomistic understanding of freedom within the political sphere.
According to Dr. Manchester, “Only by carefully reflecting on the meaning of freedom, can we begin to understand what political approaches and policies are suitable (or not) for improving and preserving authentic freedom.”
Dr. Manchester converted to Catholicism in 2001 after being raised in the Church of the Nazarene. Married with one adult son, Dr. Manchester has taught philosophy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary since 2014. Before his current post, he served as a professor of philosophy at CaldwellCollege for ten years. He is a member of the University Faculty for Life, Society of Catholic Social Scientists, and has served as president of the Wesleyan Philosophical Society.
Dr. Manchester’s numerous publications focus on the themes of political and Thomistic philosophy, as well as the work of 20th century French philosopher Jacques Maritain. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Marquette University and his B.A. in Social Science and Philosophy from Northwest Nazarene University.
Recent publications of note include an article entitled “Pro Life Philosophy” found in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, as well as two essays published in essay collections by the American Maritain Association entitled “Eternal Beatitude as the Foundation of Freedom: Re-Reading the First Amendment through Maritain” and “Creation and Probability (But Not Necessity) of Evil.” A full list of Manchester’s publications can be found on the St. Charles Borromeo seminary website, www.scs.com.
The Thomas Aquinas Lecture is an annual event hosted by Conception Seminary College’s Phi Sigma Tau organization. This free and open to the public lecture provides an opportunity for seminarians, faculty, and local community members to explore the intersection of philosophy and everyday life.
