2022 Catholic Imagination Conference
Sept. 30 - Oct. 1, 2022
Articles about this year's CIC at the University of Dallas:
- https://www.ncronline.org/
opinion/guest-voices/catholic- imagination-conference- celebrates-joy-words-page - https://www.thecatholicthing.
org/2022/10/15/fostering-the- catholic-imagination/ - https://udallasnews.com/2022/
10/19/to-hell-with-stifled- hearts-the-eucharist-and-the- catholic-literary-imagination/ - https://www.firstthings.com/
web-exclusives/2022/09/the- catholic-imagination-in-2022 - https://www.ncregister.com/
blog/duties-of-details-in- catholic-writing
The Catholic Imagination Conference was first held at the University of Southern
California, hosted by Dana Gioia in 2015, in response to the apparent retreat—or at
least marginalization— of Catholic writers and artists from the public square. From
this
initial gathering, poet and director of the Curran Center for American Catholic Studies,
Angela Alaimo O’Donnell was spurred to host a second iteration of the event in New
York at Fordham University in 2017. Because of the success of these two events, a
third iteration, this time directed by Michael F. Murphy, Director of The Hank Center for
the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, was held at Loyola University of Chicago in 2019, now
with a committee of people dedicated to future meetings of the conference. The
committee is comprised of the three previous directors, as well as Paul Contino,
professor of Great Books at Pepperdine University; award-winning novelist Ron
Hansen; Fr. Mark Bosco, Vice President of Mission & Ministry at Georgetown
University; Anthony Domestico, associate professor of literature at Purchase College
and columnist for Commonweal; and Jessica Hooten Wilson, Louise Cowan Scholar-in-
Residence at the University of Dallas. Through the efforts of this committee, the
speakers have been invited, funds have been raised by beneficent donors, and plans
for the future have been envisioned. Although there are hundreds of Catholic writers
and artists that could have been included in this gathering, there is not enough time
and
space for everyone at every biennial conference. If you are interested in presenting
in
the future and sharing your work, please attend this fourth conference and continue
friendships among this gathering. We look forward to hearing from you at future
conferences.
Open to All
The Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference is unique in that it appeals to lay person and scholar alike. Honoring the Ignatian premise that all people are hungry for substantive and integrated thought and encounter, sessions are designed so that all conference guests will find something of interest and edification.
Some sessions will appeal to more general readers and thinkers while others will pique the interest of trained scholars and specialists. Please take a moment to read about our Speakers. The Catholic Imagination Conference has something for everybody and all are welcome!