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Research

Faith in Dialogue with
Contemporary Challenges

 

 

Angelicum Scholars Advancing a Renewal of Catholic Thought 

For more than 800 years, Dominicans have been at the forefront of the Church’s mission to evangelize the world. Refuting heresies and proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, the Order of Preachers has responded to the challenges of every age with sound teaching rooted in prayer and study. Today at the Angelicum, distinguished scholars from all over the world are meeting the challenges of the 21st Century through research, writing, conferences, teaching, and preaching. Some of the most important scholarly work being done in the Church today is happening at the Angelicum through our Faculties of Theology, Philosophy, Canon Law, and Social Sciences.

Research in Our Faculties

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Faculty of Theology

At the heart of the Church and in dialogue with the world, professors and students are addressing the great theological questions of today. Their work is built on a strong foundation in Scripture and Tradition, and a Thomistic methodology open to the signs of the times. Doctoral dissertations in the Faculty are breaking new ground, confronting  the theological dimensions of contemporary cultural, anthropological, and ecclesial issues. Professors are writing important books and articles, speaking at academic conferences, and forming the next generation of leaders for the Church and the world. 

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Faculty of Philosophy

Continuing in the tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas, the professors and students in the Faculty approach the deepest questions of our time with firmly grounded convictions about truth and reality. Professors and doctoral students are publishing important works in the areas of philosophical anthropology, Thomistic metaphysics, social ethics, and biotechnology. Current research projects explore science and metaphysics, Aristotelian-Thomistic hylomorphism and current developments in neuroscience, and philosophical perspectives on artificial intelligence.  

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Faculty of Canon Law

The scholarly work in the Faculty focuses on the philosophical and theological foundations of law. Professors and students explore the foundations of ecclesial law in its theological, anthropological, and historical dimensions, while also engaging the concrete juridical structures that sustain consecrated life and its governance. Through this foundation, the Faculty fosters an environment in which advanced scholarship can flourish, and students are prepared to engage meaningfully in their own research.

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Faculty of Social Sciences

The Faculty uses interdisciplinary and integrated approaches in conducting research on urgent global issues. Professors and students explore contemporary social issues, such as human development, the world of work, and the influence of technology, using the tools of modern social sciences and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Recent research projects include a study focusing on freedom and artificial intelligence and an investigation of the employment of migrants in Rome.

Institutes and Projects

The Angelicum promotes research in particular areas through its specialized institutes and projects.

Institute of Spirituality
Fostering an in-depth and systematic approach to the study of Catholic spirituality.   

Institute for Ecumenical Studies
Promoting Christian unity through educational programs, research, and conferences.

Institute for Interreligious Relations
Offering a Thomistic approach to understanding and dialoguing with other religious traditions.

St. John Paul II Institute of Culture
Engaging scholars with the spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and artistic legacy of Pope St. John Paul II.

Thomistic Institute
Presenting the Thomistic tradition as a living voice and inspiration for Catholic thinking today.

Project for Aquinas and Contemporary Theology
Seeking to understand divine revelation for the modern world through the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Project for Philosophy and the Thomistic Tradition
Supporting those who study and practice philosophy within the Thomistic tradition.

Project for Science and Religion
Facilitating rigorous interdisciplinary dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians.

Project for the Theological Reception of Scripture
Bringing together biblical scholars for conferences and dialogue about the inspired word of God.

Research Publications

The Angelicum Journal

The Angelicum Journal is a periodical of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Urbe, promoting the theological vision of the University.

Read the Angelicum Journal

Oikonomia

Oikonomia is the journal of the Faculty of Social Sciences. It is a collaborative project of lecturers, students, and guest scholars that addresses the social sciences in the areas of philosophy, law, history/politics, psychology/sociology, and economics/communication.

Read Oikonomia

Research Spotlight

Meet some of our professors who are active in research and dialogue in their fields, and who share the fruits of their research with our students in the courses they teach at the Angelicum.

Sr.-Delfina-Moral portrait

Sr. Delfina Moral, O.P.

FACULTY OF CANON LAW
Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic (Spain)

Area of Expertise: Canon Law in the Consecrated Life
Recent Projects: Article, “Postcodicial Reform in the Pontificate of Pope Francis for the Consecrated Life” in Estudios Eclesiásticos. Revista de investigación e información teológica y canónica 97, no. 383 (diciembre 13, 2022). She has also written on Canon Law concerning the laity and other topics.
Courses: Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Canon Law for Monastic Communities; Canon Law Concerning the Laity and Associations of the Laity; Marriage; Canonical Process.

Fr. Mariusz Tabaczek portrait

Fr. Mariusz Tabaczek, O.P.

FACULTY OF THEOLOGY
Dominican Province of Poland

Area of Expertise: Theology of Creation; Religion and Science; Divine Action; Creation and Evolution; Philosophy of Science (Biology); Metaphysics.
Recent Research: Theistic Evolution: A Contemporary Aristotelian-Thomistic Perspective, Cambridge University Press (2024). “Avoiding simplistic answers to complex questions concerning the origin of species, including the human species, this book inspires critical thinking and a systematic approach to all major philosophical presuppositions and both philosophical and theological repercussions of the theory of evolution.”
Courses: Theology of Creation; Creation and Contemporary Science; Creation and Evolution.

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Br. Roberto Bongianni, OFM

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Franciscan Province of St. Bonaventure (Italy)

Area of Expertise: Ethics of economy and finance; sociology of work.
Recent Projects: Led a research project this year with our students as the researchers; they used the criteria of “decent work” developed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to evaluate the kinds of work that migrants in Rome are doing. The project is an example of the University’s efforts to bring academic research to the local community, and was also published.
Courses: Economic Ethics; Finance Ethics; Sociology of Work.

A profile photo of a priest

Fr. Fausto Grimaldi

FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY
Archdiocese of Catania, Italy

Area of Expertise: Anthropology; philosophy of the mind; neurophysiology.
Recent Projects: Libertà e Neuroscienze: Sfid attuali e nuovi paradigm antropologici [Free Will and Neuroscience: Current challenges and new anthropological paradigms], (Editrice ISTINA, 2020). “St. Thomas Aquinas had excellent intuitions we can apply in the new field of neuroscience. Interpreting and applying them to this study is the scope of my work.”
Courses: St. Thomas Aquinas’ Commentary on De Anima and the Thomistic Notion of Participation (anthropology); Neurophysiology and St. Thomas.
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Learn about their educational backgrounds,
courses they teach, and their publications.

Our Professors