Great public intellectuals are not common in the self-consciously pragmatic culture of Australia. Even rarer is it to find a philosopher who draws from an unapologetically faith-informed mind and hope-guided experience of long-term chronic pain and illness. The late, widely revered Catholic ethicist, Professor Nicholas Tonti-Filippini (July 5, 1956 – November 7, 2014) was a…
This week, we’re taking the opportunity to provide an update concerning TMC events, courses, and interviews. UPCOMING EVENTS BRISBANE: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 – TALK ON COURAGE. Dr Craig Heilman will be giving a TMC talk at Indooroopilly Library entitled, “The Virtue of Courage: Can it Still be Found?” Dr Heilmann received his doctorate from Duke University,…
A series of original and helpful travel books include those written by the artist, photographer and writer, the English-born Siobhan Wall. The books are all headed by the word “quiet” – hence her books include: Quiet London, Quiet New York, Quiet Barcelona and variations on that theme. What is so refreshing about the series is…
The most recent Thomas More Centre event in Melbourne had a positively festive air. For so many years, many of our friends in Melbourne have lived under a type of existential pall. So many factors have come together to weave this cloth. To name but a few of these: the depressing economic and social consequences…
Realistic hope has been a feature of the early years and founders of the Thomas More Centre. It was a hope carried on by the pursuit of deep faith, intelligent discussion and rich friendships. We aim to carry that on today. Sometimes, that involves working hard to build up scarce resources and to run events…
We extend a cordial invitation to you for our special book launch event with the renowned Australian theologian, Professor Tracey Rowland. Professor Rowland is currently the John Paul II Research Professor at the University of Notre Dame Australia and a member of the Pontifical Academy for the Social Sciences. She is a former member of…
It may have struck people as unduly militant, but our first in-person event for the Thomas More Centre in Melbourne was a conversation with Catholic priest, broadcaster, activist and scholar Fr Sam Randall on the topic, “Communities of Resistance”. The title was chosen carefully. It drew upon Fr Randall’s deep studies into the key actors…
Despite the highly secularised and anti-theistic forces dominating the modern era, one of the most instantly and globally recognised women of our times is Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Since her canonisation in 2016, Mother Teresa’s universal feast day has been celebrated on September 5 each year. There is a sense of “planting seeds” for the…
So often in our discussions about the Thomas More Centre and our exploration of contemporary ways to refresh it for the future, we bump into memories of events and inspirational figures from the past. Some of these figures are vividly alive through their words and example, while others serve as friends and teachers whose wisdom…
One of the strengths of an extended Catholic family is the great richness of surprise, learning and conversation it affords, even at odd hours of the day or night. When I was in my early 20s, I recall a very memorable and spontaneous encounter with my priest uncle, Fr Paul Joseph Duffy SJ (1947-2018). I…