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2024: Ever Ancient, Ever New

2024: Ever Ancient, Ever New

Ever Ancient, Ever New
On Catholic Imagination

de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture | Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference
October 31–November 2, 2024 | University of Notre Dame

Men and women of faith continue to draw on the wisdom, wonder, and beauty of the evergreen Catholic tradition to inform a particular mode of understanding and engaging with the world around them. Inspired by a sacramental vision of reality, the Catholic arts in particular grapple with the mystery and meaning that permeate the created order, giving shape and expression to the transcendent.

At its 24th annual Fall Conference, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture will consider the idea of the Catholic imagination, its enduring and inexhaustible nature, and how it continues to illumine our modern world. With a particular focus on the literary arts, this conference will explore unique expressions of the Catholic imagination in more than 150 presentations, performances, and discussions across the disciplines, including philosophy, theology, ethics, law, history, and the natural and social sciences, as well as the creative domains of film, music, theater, and the visual arts.

For this year’s Fall Conference, the de Nicola Center is pleased to partner with the Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference, which aims to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the richness and variety of contributions by Catholic artists; to explore the critical and theoretical foundations of the Catholic imagination; and to foster community and collaboration among writers and readers who share a knowledge of and respect for the Catholic tradition.

Speakers

Featured speakers at this year's conference include: Dana Gioia (former California Poet Laureate and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts), Judith Wolfe (University of St. Andrews), Cyril O'Regan (University of Notre Dame), Jenny Martin (University of Notre Dame), Ron Hansen (Santa Clara University), James Matthew Wilson (University of St. Thomas, Houston), Sally Thomas (University of St. Thomas, Houston).

More than 100 additional authors, poets, scholars, filmmakers, and artists will present at the conference, including Uwem Akpan, Helen Alvare, Amy Alznauer, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Anna Bonta Moreland, Fr. Mark Bosco, S. J, Katy Carl, Elizabeth Coffman, Paul Contino, George Corbett, Sarah Cortez, John Deane, Thomas Hibbs, Jessica Hooten Wilson, Joshua Hren, Elizabeth Huddleston, Robin Jensen, Kathryn Laborde, Bonnie Lander Johnson, Liz Lev, April Lindner, Fran Maier, Julia Meszaros, Vittorio Montemaggi, Michael Murphy, Okey Ndibe, Tim Reckart, Sean Schiavolin, Chika Unigwe, Ryan Wilson, Greg Wolfe, and Ken Woodward.

Registration

Registration for the conference has ended. Walk-up guests are welcome to visit the check-in desk in McKenna Hall, Thursday (October 31), 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., or Friday (November 1), 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Conference Schedule

View the conference schedule via this link. Please note: The schedule, paper titles, and speakers are subject to change.

Transportation

Notre Dame is located in the Eastern time zone, 90 miles east of Chicago (Central time). Transportation to and from Notre Dame is available via South Bend International Airport, five miles from Notre Dame's campus; if you plan on flying into Chicago airports, please note that there is no longer a shuttle bus between the Chicago airports and South Bend. Transportation from Chicago-area airports to the South Bend airport is available via the South Shore Line.

Lodging Information

A small block of rooms is available at the Morris Inn on campus, as well as the Fairfield Inn just off campus. Additional lodging is available at hotels in the immediate area surrounding campus, including:

Embassy Suites (Eddy St. Commons)
Inn at St. Mary’s (Rte 933)

Questions?

Please contact Brooke Tranten (btranten@nd.edu).

Past Conferences

Find information regarding past conferences and lecture videos at the links below.