Philosophy Department Boston College

10/23/2026

Giovanni Pietro Basile, SJ will present Ricoeur’s Interpretation of Jaspers’s “Cipher of Transcendence” at the 20th Annual Society for Ricoeur Studies Conference "Refiguring the Human". Also presenting are PhD Candidates Jeronimo Ayeste (The Story That Makes the Self: Augustine, Ricœur, and Narrative Identity) and Maria Gallego (The Ethical Nowhere: Toward a Fifth Domain of Productive Imagination in Paul Ricoeur’s Theory of Imagination).

All times are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC−7), on the 24-hour clock. Online presenters are marked below; room locations identify in-person sessions.

10/22/2026

PhD Candidate Jeronimo Ayesta Lopez has been awarded the Engelhard Pingree Fellowship! This is a prestigious honor given to a graduate student in the Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences who is recognized for making a major contribution to the research mission of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Jeronimo's award was given for his significant research contributions to Kierkegaard scholarship and the Philosophy of Religion. Congratulations Jeronimo!

10/20/2026

On October 16-18, Professor Bloechl participated in an international conference at the University of St. Thomas (Houston) observing the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. His plenary lecture explored the theme of mortality in Francis's Canticle of the Creatures. https://stthom.edu/news/st-francis-of-assisi-800-years-of-adventure/

10/19/2026

It’s been a successful summer for Robert Prevost — one of Chicago’s most distinguished citizens.

10/16/2026

On Thursday, Jeff Bloechl participated in the Academic Symposium “Jesuit, Catholic Education at Boston College: Formation for Wisdom and Hope” yesterday as part of the events surrounding the Inauguration of the 26th President of Boston College (Jack Butler, SJ). https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/sites/inauguration/schedule-v2.html

10/13/2026

On October 8-11, the Boston College Departments of Philosophy and Theology, in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy at Fordham University, organized a conference on Revelation, Hermeneutics, and Phenomenology. Plenary lectures were given by Werner Jeanrond (University of Oslo), Natalie Depraz (University of Rouen), Jean-Luc Marion (Academie Francaise), Brian Robinette (Boston College), Judith Wolfe (St. Andrews University / Boston College), and Richard Kearney (Boston College). The conference welcomed over 100 registered participants from over 15 countries. It was also interlaced with a conference on Religion and Belonging organized by the Boston College Department of Theology. Jeanrond's lecture served as the keynote for both conferences, both of which met in the Connors Family Retreat Center on October 9 and 10. https://events.bc.edu/event/revelation-hermeneutics-and-phenomenology

10/07/2026

Richard Kearney contributes an essay for John Lalor's book "Moment of Surrender". The book is a récit-fiction - somewhere between diary, autofiction, and art criticism - while following the narrative of a man and his inner thoughts and experiences. https://www.thelibraryproject.ie/products/moment-of-surrender-john-lalor

10/06/2026

Philosophy faculty Jeffrey Bloechl, Micah Lott, Tim Muldoon and Eileen Sweeney were part of the Ignatian AI Conference at Fordham University, Lincoln Center from Oct 1-3. The conference, with more than 200 participants, convened Jesuit scholars, AI experts, and industry professionals to develop a shared framework to support reflection, decision-making, and formation at Jesuit institutions worldwide, launching a broader Ignatian AI network. Theology faculty Andrea Vicini and Boyd Coolman were also in attendance. The conference included presentations by BC college grad Kristin Grauman (now a professor in natural sciences in the computer science department at the University of Texas, Austin), and Nithin Monteiro, SJ, an MA student at BC now completing his PhD at XIM University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, the first Jesuit University in India. https://www.fordham.edu/ai-for-the-greater-good/ai-conference-2026/

10/05/2026

Professor Andrew Barrette will deliver a talk (Metaphysics as a Science of Love and its Point of Departure with Joseph Maréchal, S.J.) at the upcoming Colloquium at Pontificia Universita Gregoriana in Rome . The Colloquium, titled "Rousselot, Maréchal, Lubac: Actualité des thomismes transcendantaux" will be held October 16-17, 2026.
https://www.unigre.it/en/events-and-communication/events/events-calendar/rousselot-marechal-lubac-actualite-des-thomismes-transcendantaux/