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Making its East Coast debut, 51����’s fifth Thomistic Summer Conference brought scholars from across the nation to Northfield, Massachusetts, to contemplate the relationship between metaphysics and theology in light of the works of St. Thomas Aquinas.

At the end of July, 100 scholars from across the nation gathered on TAC’s New England campus for the three-day event. Under the theme “The Light of Being: Metaphysics and Theology in St. Thomas Aquinas,” conference attendees considered the role of metaphysics in theological research, while also networking with fellow Thomists and sharing great conversations with friends new and old.

Over 35 scholars presented papers, representing the University of St. Thomas, the Dominican House of Studies, St. Paul Seminary, the United States Military Academy, the University of Notre Dame, and many others. Titles included “The Metaphysics of Martyrdom and the Being of Truth,” “Thomas Aquinas’s Philosophical Doctrine of Creation,” and “Theology as a Guide to Aquinas’s Cognitive Philosophy.” Throughout the weekend, scholars interspersed their time in lecture and panel sessions with beautiful Masses as well as communal dinners and casual gatherings, where they shared in continued intellectual debate and cheerful camaraderie.

“This conference was a beautiful reminder that the academic life is, at its core, the life of a disciple,” shares Andrew Le (NE’25), a graduate student at the University of St. Thomas, Houston. “The two elements of discipleship are a sense of wonder and a sense of friendship or community. This conference brought us together as disciples of St. Thomas, where we could gather and delight in truth in community.”

The conference featured plenary lectures by TAC-New England tutor Dr. Taylor O’Neill on  and Ave Maria University professor Dr. Steven A. Long on . Rev. Reginald Lynch, O.P., of the University of Oxford spoke on , while Dr. R. Glen Coughlin of the College’s California campus delivered a paper entitled . On Saturday, Dr. Michael Pakaluk of The Catholic University of America gave the final keynote address, , at the closing banquet in St. Frassati Student Center.

“We found the Thomistic Summer Conference to be an outstanding success,” says Dr. John McCarthy, TAC-New England tutor and the conference’s organizer. “Bringing the conference to our New England campus expanded its reach and made it more accessible to participants from the East Coast. More importantly, it fostered new friendships and academic collaboration among teachers, students, and scholars devoted to the study of St. Thomas Aquinas. We hope this conference will continue to strengthen the resurgence of Thomistic scholarship in the country for years to come.”

More photos from the 2026 Thomistic Summer Conference

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