Today’s students see college as their ticket to a career, leaving little time to think about the intellectual virtues that enrich their lives. Meanwhile, professors make advances in their subfields but reflect little on human flourishing more broadly. These symptoms reflect a deeper crisis: a loss of a common language across the university. Without a shared vocabulary transcending the disciplines, both students and faculty lack the tools to grasp the big questions about human purpose.
How can professors foster a sense of wonder beyond the confines of their classrooms? How can students acquire the intellectual virtues? How can they discern purpose beyond the corporate rat race or the culture of publish or perish needed to flourish?
The In Lumine Network (ILN) was founded in 2022 to support six academic institutes dedicated to these questions. ILN institutes draw on the Catholic intellectual tradition, providing a rich vocabulary to students and faculty – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – as they explore life’s fundamental questions. Having grown from 6 to 13 members, ILN institutes collaborate to serve their campuses through fellowship programs, lectures, and seminars. Working primarily in non-credit settings, the institutes foster intellectual friendships, the integration of faith and reason, and dialogue in an atmosphere of humble exchange.
To support these efforts across the nation, it is essential to strengthen the network in order to a) develop innovative approaches to engaging students, b) prepare current and future faculty to broaden their vision of education, c) ensure that the network can sustain a growing membership, and d) increase the network’s visibility through online programs so as to catalyze new initiatives on campuses across the country. This project supports Catholic institutes in sharing best practices and developing collaborative programs. Together, they cultivate intellectual virtues and foster a sense of purpose and wonder on their campuses.
