John Hofbauer, associate professor of Philosophy at Mount Saint Mary College.
Mount Saint Mary College will complete its semester-long celebration of the 800th anniversary of the birth of St. Thomas Aquinas, an influential philosopher and Dominican priest, with a free, public lecture titled “The Thomistic Intellectual Tradition, Artistic Inspiration, and the Mystery of Faith” on Thursday, April 24 at 2:30 p.m.
The event will take place in the Mount’s Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, room 218. The talk will be given by John Hofbauer, associate professor of Philosophy.
St. Thomas Aquinas OP, a 13th century Dominican friar, priest, and the patron saint of colleges and scholars, made innumerable contributions to theology and philosophy over the course of his five decades on this Earth. He embraced Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Averroes, fusing their ideas with the principles of Christianity. He created a school of thought that encompasses both theology and philosophy, now known as Thomism.
At the Mount, the title of “Aquinas Scholar” is awarded to junior or senior students who excel in academics. The college’s main academic building, Aquinas Hall, is named after the theologian. Even the college’s motto, Doce Me Veritatem (which translates to “Teach Me Truth”), was inspired by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Hofbauer has taught Philosophy at the Mount for more than 20 years. He received his Master’s degree in Philosophy, as well as his PhD in Philosophy, from Fordham University, in New York City. He has served as chairperson of the college’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies for six years. In addition, Hofbauer has published a number of articles in peer-reviewed journals, made guest appearances on radio shows, and presented papers at multiple conferences. Currently, he resides in New Jersey. He, and his wife Buena, have six children and seven grandchildren.
The talk, sponsored by the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI), is the final in a series of four to be held this semester in honor of the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas.
CDI promotes the Mount’s heritage of St. Dominic, advances the Dominican charism of study and service, provides a forum for discussion of contemporary ethical issues, and enhances Catholic and Jewish dialogue.