Saint Mary’s welcomes Justin M. Anderson, Ph.D. on May 2 to present “Thomas Aquinas, FSC? What Aquinas Could Say about Virtue in the Lasallian Tradition.” Earlier in the day, Dr. Anderson will lead a faculty seminar on his most recent book Virtue and Grace in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas.
What does the Lasallian tradition have to say to us about character formation and personal excellence? How can we tap into it? In this presentation, Dr. Anderson will distill what role a community (such as a university) and tradition (such as the Lasallian tradition) can play, not only in learning about virtue, but also in inculcating it in our lives. In the end, perhaps the question is not whether community and tradition are part of our lives, but more which community and which tradition we will let inform that journey.
Dr. Anderson is Associate Professor and Chair of Moral Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University. Dr. Anderson’s overarching research interest focuses on the historical sources and conditions under which various ethical positions become possible, especially in the medieval ages and today. Dr. Anderson’s most recent project focuses on the Christian understanding of scandal and necessity for truth. He is author of the book Virtue and Grace in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas (Cambridge University Press, 2020) and co-author of Pursuing the Honorable: Honor and Today’s Military (Lexington Books, 2019). He is a member of the Academy of Catholic Theology and the American Catholic Philosophical Association. He earned his Ph.D. (2011) from the Institute of Philosophy at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Louvain). In 2021, he was selected as Seton Hall University Researcher of the Year. Dr. Anderson lives in northern New Jersey with his wife and five children.