Word on Fire’s Dr. Holly Ordway delivered a talk on famed author J.R.R. Tolkien’s Catholic Faith at Christendom College on January 29, 2024, as part of the college’s Major Speaker Series. Fifty years after Tolkien’s death, his writings are more popular than ever; The Lord of the Rings and his other Middle-earth writings are internationally beloved, loved by millions who do not share his religious beliefs. Yet Tolkien declared, “I am a Christian (which can be deduced from my stories).” His writings were not allegories, so how, then, were his faith and his fiction related? Ordway aims to answer this question biographically, looking at some of the ways that Tolkien’s dramatic life story, including his being raised by a Catholic priest at the Birmingham Oratory, and his experiences in the Great War, shaped his faith and found their way–in a subtle and complex manner–into his writings. Ordway is the Cardinal Francis George Professor of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute and the author of the award-winning Tolkien’s Modern Reading.

Pro-life advocate and author of the best-selling book Unplanned Abby Johnson delivered an address at Christendom College on Monday, March 28, encouraging the college’s students to take an even greater role in the pro-life movement during this critical moment in America’s history. Johnson spoke directly about the Jackson v. Dobbs case during her address, touching upon what could happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned this year and also on what Christendom students can do to help change the world post-graduation.

Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, the founder and mother servant of the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth, delivered a talk titled, “In the Church, With the Church, For the Church,” to the Christendom community as part of the Major Speakers Program on Monday, March 25, 2019.

The Heritage Foundation’s Dr. Ryan Anderson delivered a lecture at Christendom College on Monday, November 19, speaking on his new book When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Movement. Anderson riveted his audience throughout the talk as he navigated the difficult subject matter and offered practical advice on how to respond to the transgender moment through the Catholic lens.

His Imperial and Royal Highness Imre of Habsburg-Lorraine delivered an exclusive talk to the Christendom community on Thursday, April 12, titled: “100 Years Later: Quo Vadis Europa?”

Archduke Imre came to campus with his wife, Her Imperial and Royal Highness Kathleen of Habsburg-Lorraine, for the event. Archduke Imre is the eldest son of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria, and the great-grandson of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria, who was beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II.

Archduke Imre is noted for his lectures on his great-grandfather, who was the only political leader to support Benedict XV’s peace efforts during World War I.

Internationally recognized Humanae Vitae expert Dr. Janet Smith delivered a lecture at Christendom College on Monday, February 5, titled: “Humanae Vitae, 50 Years Later: Progress or Regress?” She engaged her audience throughout the talk as she spoke on the roots of Humanae Vitae’s groundbreaking publication and why the encyclical matters now, more than ever.

Smith is the author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later and of Right to Privacy and the editor of Why Humanae Vitae Was Right: A Reader. Her articles have been published in many academic journals, and she has been a regular columnist for the National Catholic Register and has appeared on Fox News, CNN, and EWTN.

Smith has also served three terms as a consultor to the Pontifical Council on the Family and currently is a member of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission. She has received two honorary doctorates and several other awards for scholarship and service. More than two million copies of her talk, “Contraception: Why Not” have been distributed.

Author and television personality Fr. Robert Spitzer delivered a lecture at Christendom College on Monday, September 18, speaking on the “Four Levels of Happiness.” The engaging talk delved into Fr. Spitzer’s summary of how to reach the greatest level of happiness in this life and the next, as he encouraged students to go out in the culture and spread the good news about true happiness to others.

A former president of Gonzaga University, Fr. Spitzer spoke at length about our culture’s views on happiness, and laid out a better path to happiness in Christ. Fr. Spitzer encouraged students to not dwell too much on the evils of today’s culture, but instead to look for the good in others and help them to come closer to God.

Acclaimed art historian and author Elizabeth Lev delivered an exclusive lecture to the Christendom College community on March 20, 2017 titled “Taking on the Temples: The Development of Christian Sacred Space in St. John Lateran.” The talk was part of Christendom College’s Major Speakers Program.

Lev, who has taught art and architecture courses for the Christendom College Junior Semester in Rome Program for years, is an American-born art historian who currently lives and works in Rome. After earning degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Bologna, Lev became a denizen of Rome in 1997, giving tours of the city while also teaching art history for Duquesne University. With her dynamic and engaging speaking skills, Lev is now a highly sought tour guide, teacher, and public speaker. She has presented TED talks, and has appeared on ABC’s Nightline and the Today Show.

In addition to numerous articles, Lev is the author of three books, The Tigress of Forli: Renaissance Italy’s Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de’ Medici; Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches with George Weigel; and A Body for Glory: Theology of the Body in the Papal Collections with Fr. Jose Granados.