Faith & Reason Institute marks 25 years of success

By Tyler Arnold

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 27, 2025 / 08:00 am

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Faith & Reason Institute, the first Washington, D.C.-based think tank devoted to encouraging both of these essential elements of human existence.

The institute, which got its name from St. John Paul II’s 1998 encyclical Fides et Ratio, addresses issues of economics, politics, public policy, science, and technology, among others, from the perspective of both faith and reason.

“I thought there needed to be a more explicit emphasis on both faith and reason here in Washington and elsewhere,” the institute’s president, Robert Royal, told CNA in an interview ahead of the organization’s recent gala celebrating its milestone anniversary.

Reflecting on the institute’s beginnings, Royal recalled his father telling him: “‘Are you sure this is going to work?’ And I [told him], ‘Well, there isn’t an overabundance of faith or reason in Washington, so it’s a growth industry, I think I’ll do OK.’ And 25 years later, we’re still here.”

Range of activities

Among the institute’s projects are its Fides et Ratio Seminars, in which Catholic academics are invited to gather to read and discuss Catholic books. The recurring seminars, according to Royal, help to fill a gap that was missing among Catholic academics.

“A lot of times when I go to donors about that, they would say, ‘Well, don’t these guys already get that in their departments?’” Royal said. “And the truth is no, because a lot of professors, they just come in to get their mail [and] teach their courses.

Imagine sitting down with a group of like-minded Catholic academics, discussing Catholic topics in a departmental meeting. The experience is not just meaningful, but truly special.

One such enriching seminar offered by the institute is the Free Society Seminar, designed for students and young professionals. Held in Slovakia, these seminars attract Catholics from America and Europe to explore the intersection of Catholic moral theology and political theory.

These seminars educate participants about the threats to a free society, including communism and humanism. With the younger generation lacking a living memory of communism, the curriculum has been revised to address these crucial issues.

In 2008, the Faith & Reason Institute introduced The Catholic Thing, a platform offering thought-provoking pieces on contemporary topics by engaging Catholic writers. Each piece is carefully edited by Royal.

The Catholic Thing also offers online courses on theology, covering subjects like Christology, the Trinity, and key works of Catholic literature such as St. Augustine’s “City of God” and Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno.”

Shining a Light on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition

The Faith & Reason Institute aims to embody the essence of St. John Paul II’s 1998 encyclical Fides et Ratio, emphasizing the harmony between faith and reason in theology.

“Deprived of what revelation offers, reason has taken side-tracks which expose it to the danger of losing sight of its final goal,” wrote the pontiff. “Deprived of reason, faith has stressed feeling and experience and so run the risk of no longer being a universal proposition.”

John Paul II cautioned against weak reasoning leading to a shallow faith that could deteriorate into myth or superstition. The integration of faith and reason is essential for a profound and authentic understanding of Catholic teachings.

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