V Truth of Love Conference 2025

“The Love of Truth and the Truth of Love”

The Mission of Catholic Theology

July 11-14, 2025

The Conference

“The Love of Truth and the Truth of Love” explores theology as a “science of love” (St. Thérèse of Lisieux), a rigorous yet prayerful pursuit of divine wisdom, who is both truth and love itself (John 14:6; 1 John 4:8).

 

What does it mean for the mind to seek the truth of faith when that truth presupposes love for the Incarnate Lord? Conversely, what does it mean to love the Incarnate Lord when such love presupposes knowledge of the one who “first loved us” (1 John 4:19)? If saving truth descends to us in love from the “Father of lights” (James 1:17), how should we understand the relationship between truth and love in our response?

 

The Fifth Annual Truth of Love Conference explores these questions through the lens of “love seeking understanding”—the love of God within us striving for ever-deeper knowledge of the Beloved. Featuring distinguished speakers, the conference will address this fundamental relationship in itself and in connection with some of the most pressing theological discussions of our time, including:

  • Theology and sexual difference
  • Theology and creation
  • Theology and synodality
  • Theology and history
  • Theology and Scripture
  • Theology and culture
  • Theology and politics

 

Study Day on the Eucharist with Dr. Waldstein

On July 13th-14th, there will be an additional study day with Dr. Micahel Waldstein on the Eucharist in the Gospel of John. We encourage all attendees of the conference to join.

 

Call for Papers

The conference will feature plenary addresses on the relationship between Truth and Love in itself, as well as exploring that relationship across some of the most pressing issues in theology today: theology and sexual difference, theology and creation, theology and synodality, theology and history, theology and Scripture, theology and culture, and theology and politics. We welcome proposals for individual papers, as well as sessions, on these and related topics. For individual papers, please submit the title of your paper and a 250-300 abstract to [email protected]. For sessions of three (3) papers, please submit a title/abstract for each paper, as well a title for the session.

Deadline for Submission: June 1, 2025

Cosponsored with:

Conference Schedule


2:30 PM

Welcome and Introduction

(Steve Hildebrand and Jacob Wood)

3:00 PM

Parallel Papers Session: Truth and Love in Theology (call for papers)

20 mins each with 10 mins for questions

5:15 PM

Evening Prayer

5:45 PM

Dinner

7:30 PM

Keynote 1: Theology and the Truth that Reveals Love (Frederick C. Bauerschmidt, Loyola University, Baltimore)

45 min with 15 minutes for questions

8:30 PM

Social Hour

Franciscan Square Restaurants

Jimmy John’s

Harp and Habit

Rubi’s Pizza

More about Franciscan Square

Stay tuned for more email communications about the local area and the upcoming conference.