Church and World

A Catholic and Jesuit institution, Georgetown is home to a range of initiatives, centers, and programs that address the Catholic intellectual tradition and the role of the Church in the world.

The Theology Department offers a range of courses on the Catholic tradition, and the university’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life involves faculty, students, and the wider community in its events and programs. Through the Center for the Applied Research in the Apostolate, Georgetown supports inquiry into the challenges facing the Church, nationally and internationally. Additionally, the University’s Campus Ministry and Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching, and Service engage faculty, students, and staff in the Ignatian tradition of contemplation in action.

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COVID-19, Religious Freedom and the Law: The United States’ Case

The O'Neill Institute's Andrés Constantin and former GHI student fellow Ryan Houser (G'21), co-authored an article published by Cambridge University Press that provides a legal analysis of the policies meant to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and their implications for religious freedom.

Africa Beyond Stereotypes

Culture of Encounter and the Global Agenda

Workshop Series Highlights Urgency and Hope on Global Children’s Issues

Select Academic Programs

Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies

The Department of Theology sponsors this Ph.D. program with religious pluralism as a central focus. Students comparatively examine at least two major religions with respect to theology, ethics, and culture.

Major in Theology

Georgetown's Department of Theology sponsors this major for undergraduates. Students have four options for concentration: Christian theology, religious ethics, biblical studies, and religious studies.

Minor in Catholic Studies

The Minor in Catholic Studies allows students to engage the richness of the Catholic intellectual and cultural tradition with the various dimensions of human existence such as the arts, sciences, humanities, law, medicine, politics, business, and economics.

Select Centers, Institutes,
and Research Programs

A hand holds a U.S. flag, a Vatican flag, and a rosary

Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public LifeGeorgetown Unit

The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life is an effort to promote dialogue on Catholic social thought and national and global issues, build bridges across ideological lines, and encourage a new generation of Catholic leaders to see their faith as assets in pursuing the common good.

Stained glass windows in the Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart

Center for Applied Research in the ApostolateGeorgetown Unit

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate is a Georgetown-affiliated research center focusing on the American Catholic Church. It aims to increase the Church's self understanding, to serve the applied research needs of Church decision-makers, and to advance scholarly research on Catholicism.

Children stand with a CSJ student volunteer

Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and ServiceGeorgetown Unit

Established in 2001, the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service is a center for service-based scholarship and community outreach in pursuit of the common good.

Past Event

November 09

Indigenous Communities, Child-Family Separation, and the Catholic Church: What Do Truth and Healing Require?

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Past Event

November 03

The Catholic Church Faces Contemporary Challenges: A Roundtable with José Casanova

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Past Event

October 23

The New Testament in its Cultural Confrontation with the Roman Empire