“How to Fix Thought on God" to examine Thomistic metaphysics and contemplation
IRVING, Texas (Jan. 15, 2026) – The University of Dallas will welcome Dr. Michael
Gorman, professor of philosophy at the Catholic University of America, for its annual
Aquinas Lecture at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas,
in the SB Hall Multipurpose Room located at 2925 Gorman Drive, Irving, Texas 75062.
The free public lecture, titled "How to Fix Thought on God," will explore what it
means to direct our minds toward the divine through the lens of St. Thomas Aquinas's
metaphysics.
Gorman is a distinguished scholar of Thomistic philosophy and metaphysics. He holds doctorates in both philosophy and theology and has served on the faculty at The Catholic University of America since 1999. A fellow of CUA's Institute for Human Ecology, he has also been an Alexander von Humboldt fellow, a Fulbright fellow and a scholar in the Templeton Foundation's Working Group "Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life."
"We are honored to host Dr. Gorman for our annual Aquinas Lecture," said Dr. Christopher Mirus, chair of the philosophy department and associate professor of philosophy. "His exceptional clarity of thought, and his willingness to take on some of the most challenging topics in the Catholic philosophic tradition, promise an exciting evening of conversation for our students, faculty, and community.”
Gorman is also the author of "A Contemporary Introduction to Thomistic Metaphysics" published by The Catholic University of America Press in 2024, and "Thomas Aquinas on the Metaphysics of the Hypostatic Union" published by Cambridge University Press in 2017. His research focuses on metaphysics, particularly the metaphysics of essence, substance and normativity, as well as applications of metaphysics in areas such as human nature and Christology.
The annual St. Thomas Aquinas Lecture hosted by the UDallas Philosophy Department honors the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas, celebrated Jan. 28, and continues the UDallas tradition of engaging with the Angelic Doctor’s profound contributions to philosophy and theology.
For more information about the St. Thomas Aquinas Lecture, visit udallas.edu/aquinas-lecture-gorman.
About the University of Dallas
With campuses in Texas and Italy, The University of Dallas is among a small list of Catholic universities recommended
by the Cardinal Newman Society. UDallas is the premier Catholic liberal arts university
in the country, known for its rigorous undergraduate Core Curriculum and robust graduate and professional programs in business, ministry, education and
the humanities. Recently recognized as #2 in The U.S. News & World Report’s Best Value - Regional Universities (West) and one of America’s Best Colleges 2025 by the Princeton Review and Money.com, UDallas has one of America’s most challenging, comprehensive undergraduate interdisciplinary programs, offered at an excellent value to some of the happiest students in the country. UDallas stands apart as a thriving community of learners committed to an education
that forms students intellectually, socially and spiritually for a life well-lived. For more information, visit udallas.edu.
