Institute of Catholic Culture

Is God's continued action throughout salvation history merely a series of reactions to the choices of fallen men? To explore this question we look at what happened on Mount Sinai and explore its significance for understanding God's plan for the Church.

What role do the emotions or passions play in our lives? For most people, it’s too much or too little. Saint Thomas, the Common Doctor, teaches us about the passions of the soul and how we can integrate them for a deeper relationship with God and others.

In this talk, Dr. Jared Staudt discusses how true liberty comes from belief in the Church’s doctrine and how we can strengthen our efforts to catechize today.

Chris Check tells the story of the most important sea battle in history, fought by the Holy League and the Ottoman Turks on Oct. 7, 1571 near the mouth of what is today called the Gulf of Patras, then the Gulf of Lepanto.

In his essay, "Talking About Bicycles," C.S. Lewis illustrates four "ages" we progress through in our relation to all manner of things in life, providing insight into our experiences and whether we fruitfully grow and mature by and through them.

Join Father Robert Spitzer and the ICC as we explore the roots of our societal ills and weave together a commonsense philosophy of happiness, freedom, and the life issues.

Join Father Robert Spitzer and the ICC as we explore the roots of these our society's ills and weave together a commonsense philosophy of happiness, freedom, and the life issues.

For many Christians, "mortification" is an old-fashioned, intimidating, or even forgotten word. In this talk, Monsignor Pope and the ICC recover a true spirit of Christian asceticism in our indulgent age.

In the Psalms of David, God provides us with a treasury of prayers composed by "a man after his own heart" (1 Sam 13:14). This two-part series explores the central place of the Psalms in liturgical worship and personal prayer, from Israel to today. (2/2)

In the Psalms of David, God provides us with a treasury of prayers composed by "a man after his own heart" (1 Sam 13:14). This two-part series explores the central place of the Psalms in liturgical worship and personal prayer, from Israel to today. (1/2)

The past fifteen decades have demonstrated how urgently a return to the Church's teaching on marriage is necessary if society is to recover and flourish in the 21st century. Fr. Bergman discusses what went wrong in marriage and how to recover it. (3/3)

The past fifteen decades have demonstrated how urgently a return to the Church's teaching on marriage is necessary if society is to recover and flourish in the 21st century. Fr. Bergman discusses what went wrong in marriage and how to recover it. (2/3)

The past fifteen decades have demonstrated how urgently a return to the Church's teaching on marriage is necessary if society is to recover and flourish in the 21st century. Fr. Bergman discusses what went wrong in marriage and how to recover it. (1/3)

On July 17, 1918, Tsar Nicholas II Romanov of Russia and his family were executed by Bolshevik revolutionaries. The Romanovs are known as the "Royal Martyrs" and given the unusual title "Passion-Bearers" by the Russian Orthodox Church.

With the possible exception of Dante, Shakespeare is arguably the greatest poet who ever lived. Joseph Pearce introduces us to the poetry and poetic voice of William Shakespeare, showing us the dissident Muse in a time of terror.

Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) was a priest and Doctor of Sacred Theology, spiritual writer, man of letters, and lifetime friend of St. Thomas More. Dr. Thomas Scheck explores the significance of Erasmus’ life and work today.

Christopher Check explores the life of the first Holy Roman Emperor and his place among the central figures in the history of Christianity.

Holy Mother Church directs us to go to St. Joseph in a special way now, perhaps more than ever. In him we find exemplified those precious realities at the heart of human happiness for all of us: fatherhood and authority.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." – Hebrews 10:23

In these two talks, Father David Anderson introduces the traditional cycles of prayer which have provided the foundation of the sanctification of time, both in Holy Scripture and the liturgical prayer of the Church. (Part 2/2)

In these two talks, Father David Anderson introduces the traditional cycles of prayer which have provided the foundation of the sanctification of time, both in Holy Scripture and the liturgical prayer of the Church. (Part 1/2)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." — Galatians 5:22-23

Does God, in His divinity, suffer along with us? Fr. Weinandy explores the union of natures in Christ and what it means for our salvation.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." — John 1:14 (Part 5/5)

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." — John 1:14 (Part 4/5)

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." — John 1:14 (Part 3/5)

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." — John 1:14 (Part 2/5)

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." — John 1:14 (Part 1/5)

Each Lent we deepen our interior conversion of heart through works of penance, namely, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Their purpose is not to make us feel or appear gloomy, but rather in them we find deep joy in the working of grace.

In addition to retaking much of the Roman Empire from the barbarian kingdoms of Europe, sixth-century Byzantine emperor Justinian promulgated a legal code which helped lift the West out of its tribal past and into the rule of law.

The Church teaches euthanasia is a moral evil, but many Catholics are still conditioned by the false premises at the root of our culture's attitude towards death. The medieval 'ars moriendi' offers a more robust model for dying well.

“There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there. The other is to walk round the whole world till we come back to the same place…” ― G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man (Part 2/2)

“There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there. The other is to walk round the whole world till we come back to the same place…” ― G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man (Part 1/2)

How are we to interpret God's actions in the Old Testament regarding vengeance, plagues, and other violent events in light of the Incarnation? Is there a difference between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament?

This is part two of a two-part series of Advent reflections with Monsignor Charles Pope.

"In just thirteen years, [the] world was to be transformed as no single mortal man before or since has transformed it, united and ordered all the way from Greece to the shrouded heart of India..." — Warren Carroll, The Founding of Christendom, 197

This is part one of a two-part series of Advent reflections with Monsignor Charles Pope.

"Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the power of those who plundered them. And yet they did not listen to their judges; for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them..." - Part 2/2

"Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the power of those who plundered them. And yet they did not listen to their judges; for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them..." - Part 1/2

Are works of fiction just frivolous diversions from matters of real importance? What does literature have to do with our life of faith? Dr. Arbery leads a discussion to discover why good literature is critically important to rebuilding a healthy culture.

This two-part lecture analyzes the first three chapters of Genesis in light of the liturgy established by God and Moses at Mount Sinai detailed in Exodus and Leviticus.

This two-part lecture analyzes the first three chapters of Genesis in light of the liturgy established by God and Moses at Mount Sinai detailed in Exodus and Leviticus.

The uniting of two worlds in 1492 is perhaps the most significant event in human history since the Incarnation, with a remarkable man at its center. Find out why we should be building more statues to this heroic man, not tearing them down.

Learn the three keys to exposing the errors of Centering Prayer and Eastern mysticism, and understand how these errors, which are outside of an authentic Catholic spirituality, have crept into popular Catholic culture.

When a society is about to go bad, we should look to the music first, because it fires the imagination and the passions which give man the energy to act. Dr. Esolen analyzes traditional and modern hymns for insight into the state of the liturgy today.

How does one explain God and Jesus to an increasingly secular culture? Does science provide evidence for or against the existence of God? Join Fr. Spitzer in part two of this two part series for timeless answers to contemporary questions.

How does one explain God and Jesus to an increasingly secular culture? Does science provide evidence for or against the existence of God? Join Fr. Spitzer in part one of this two part series for timeless answers to contemporary questions.

Was the founding of America a "poison pill with a time release formula," based on principles that are ultimately responsible for today's moral and social disintegration? Robert Reilly declares them "not guilty."

St. John Henry Newman called liberalism in religion the "one great mischief I have from the first opposed myself." Fr. Weinandy presents the critical lessons about the nature of truth St. John Henry Newman expressed in his "Biglietto Speech."

This study explores Catholic political theory as to the ideal of a Christian society (“Christendom”), the errant Calvinist attempt to establish a “theocracy,” and the duties of a Catholic citizen in today’s America.