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91�Թ� to host summit on AI, faith and human flourishing, introducing new DELTA framework

2025-09-16T09:00:00-04:00

Artificial intelligence is advancing at a breakneck pace, as governments and industries commit resources to its development at a scale not seen since the Space Race. These technologies have the potential to disrupt every aspect of life, including education, the economy, labor and human relationships.

“As a leading global Catholic research university, 91�Թ� is uniquely positioned to help the world confront and understand AI’s benefits and risks to human flourishing,” said , the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “Technology ethics is a key priority for 91�Թ�, and we are fully committed to bringing the wisdom of the global Church to bear on this critical theme.”

In support of this work, the and the will host the 91�Թ� Summit on AI, Faith and Human Flourishing on the University’s campus from Monday, Sept. 22 through Thursday, Sept. 25. This event will draw together a dynamic, ecumenical group of educators, faith leaders, technologists, journalists, policymakers and young people who believe in the enduring relevance of Christian ethical thought in a world of powerful AI.

“As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, the ‘ethical floor’ of safety, privacy and transparency is simply not enough,” said Meghan Sullivan, the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy and the director of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and the 91�Թ� Ethics Initiative. “This moment in time demands a response rooted in the Christian tradition — a richer, more holistic perspective that recognizes the nature of the human person as a spiritual, emotional, moral and physical being.”

Sullivan noted that a unified, faith-based response to AI is a priority of newly elected Pope Leo XIV, who has spoken publicly about the new challenges to human dignity, justice and labor posed by these technologies.

The summit will begin at 5:15 p.m. Monday with an opening Mass at the University’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart. His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, will serve as primary celebrant and homilist with University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., as concelebrant. All members of the campus community are invited to attend this opening Mass.

Summit speakers include Andy Crouch, Praxis; Alex Hartemink, Duke University; Molly Kinder, Brookings Institution; Andrew Schuman, Veritas Forum; Anne Snyder, Comment Magazine and Elizabeth Dias, The New York Times. Over the course of the summit, attendees will take part in use case workshops, panels and community of practice sessions focused on public engagement, ministry and education. Executives from Google, Microsoft, Apple and many other organizations are among the 200 invited guests who will attend.

At the summit, 91�Թ� will launch DELTA, a new framework for guiding conversations about AI. DELTA — an acronym that stands for Dignity, Embodiment, Love, Transcendence and Agency — will serve as a practical resource across sectors that are experiencing disruption from AI, including homes, schools, churches and workplaces, while also providing a platform for credible, principled voices to promote moral clarity and human dignity in the face of advancing technology.

“Our goal is for DELTA to become a common lens through which to engage AI — a language that reflects the depth of the Christian tradition while remaining accessible to people of all faiths,” Sullivan said. “By bringing together this remarkable group of leaders here at 91�Թ�, we’re launching a community that will work passionately to create — as the Vatican puts it — ‘a growth in human responsibility, values and conscience that is proportionate to the advances posed by technology.’”

Although the summit sessions are by invitation only, Sullivan’s keynote on DELTA will be livestreamed. Those interested are invited to view the livestream and learn more about DELTA at at 8:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

The 91�Թ� Summit on AI, Faith and Human Flourishing is supported with a provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of religious traditions in the United States and across the globe.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

Jenkins Center for Virtue Ethics receives grant to advance love-based ethical framework

2025-06-23T15:00:00-04:00

The University of 91�Թ� has received a $10 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation to support a project titled Love and Social Transformation: Empowering Scholars and Social Innovators to Develop the Love Ethic. Implementation of this grant, which is the largest 91�Թ� has ever received from the Templeton Foundation, will be led by the , the locus for research and moral formation within the .

“We are deeply grateful to the Templeton Foundation for its generous support of this important work. By emphasizing the ethics of abundant love, 91�Թ�’s Jenkins Center for Virtue Ethics has a critical role to play in contributing to contemporary ethics,” said��“The Catholic tradition of virtue ethics, like those of other world religions, offers a richer, fuller understanding of hope to the world, and this is a most fitting topic for the Jenkins Center’s first major initiative.”

The Love and Social Transformation project will bring scholars, writers, nonprofit leaders and others together to advance a framework that captures the power, richness and applicability of the love ethic — a core component of many faith traditions throughout the world.

“In our fractious, uncertain time, there is an urgent need for serious reflection on an ethic of love,” said��“Emerging from the great religious traditions, the call to love has been behind some of the most transformative and enduring advances in human history. I am grateful to the Templeton Foundation for giving 91�Թ� this opportunity.”

Love-based ethical insights have powered some of the most important social movements of the past century, such as Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement in India and Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights leadership in the United States. But in the 21st century, the more common approaches to ethical decision-making — especially in policy realms — focus instead on cost-benefit analysis.

“These frameworks neglect the dimensions of life that fit into the rich tradition of virtue ethics — moral touchpoints such as love, dignity and awe,” said��, the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy, director of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and the , and principal investigator for the grant.

“In contrast, the love ethic has three components: It holds that a widespread, non-merit-based trait like dignity is what grounds moral significance for each one of us; it is built around principles that situate interpersonal love at the foundations of our ethical reasoning; and it suggests love-oriented policies on diverse social issues as well as a love-oriented way of life.”

With this funding, 91�Թ� plans to build a durable, wide-reaching network that will include:

Residential fellowships for faculty and graduate students developing the theoretical foundations for the love ethic.
Fellowships and grants to nonprofit leaders and organizations putting this ethic into practice on pressing social issues.

Intensive workshops and two global conferences designed to expand the reach of the love ethic.
An integrated series of public engagement and storytelling programs that will inspire the broader public imagination about love and ethics.

91�Թ� will collaborate with up to 10 institutions as research partners on this work, including The Love Consortium at the University of North Carolina. Network members will apply the love ethic to a wide range of use cases, including issues of displacement and migration, disability, global philanthropy, political polarization and artificial intelligence.

“In a time where so much of our moral debate and decision-making is too often focused on suspicion, division and narrow cost-benefit analysis, we are thrilled to work to articulate the alternative: an approach to ethics that is hopeful, unifying and grounded in the fundamental virtue of love,” Sullivan said. “We are grateful to the Templeton Foundation and our many collaborators for helping us to build this network.”

Sullivan’s cross-disciplinary research is deeply concerned with philosophy, theology and virtue ethics, and includes a current book project on the love ethic, tentatively titled “Samaritanism: Moral Responsibility and Our Inner Lives.”

While 91�Թ� has always been an institution that focuses on ethics in both research and formation, the University intensified its commitment to the field through the 2024 launch of the University-wide Ethics Initiative, one of the key priorities identified in its��. Virtue ethics, which emphasizes the development of character through the cultivation of virtues such as faith, hope, courage and charity, is at the heart of Catholic ethical doctrine.

The Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Center for Virtue Ethics supports preeminent scholars whose research advances human flourishing in both moral and spiritual contexts, facilitates the development of undergraduate courses exploring topics such as justice and the common good, and deepens the ethical formation of 91�Թ� students and faculty. The center also plays a transformative role in public discussion, drawing citizens into meaningful dialogue informed by virtue ethics — one of the most powerful and enduring contributions of the Catholic philosophical tradition.

Founded in 1987, the John Templeton Foundation supports interdisciplinary research and catalyzes conversations that inspire awe and wonder. The Templeton Foundation is working to create a world where people are curious about the wonders of the universe, free to pursue lives of meaning and purpose, and motivated by great and selfless love.

Contact: Erin Blasko, associate director of media relations, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu

New On Purpose immersion experiences help 91�Թ� students hone their moral compasses over spring break

2025-03-31T13:00:00-04:00

On Purpose participants attended Mass together at San José de la Laguna Mission Church, built in 1699. The interior of the church includes original Laguna art, such as symbols of a rainbow, the sun, moon, and stars.

This year, the (ECG) launched , a new education and formation opportunity. Inspired by the 2024–25 91�Թ� Forum theme of “What do we owe each other?”, the On Purpose program creates immersion experiences that allow undergraduates to engage with practitioners who demonstrate profound commitments to human dignity in challenging situations. Over spring break, two groups of 91�Թ� students took part in these inaugural On Purpose immersions at two separate sites: in Los Angeles and in the Pueblo communities of New Mexico.

On Purpose: Striving to become a force for good

An essential part of 91�Թ�'s University-wide , ECG focuses on cross-disciplinary ethics research, undergraduate course development, the moral formation of students and faculty, and engaging the public in meaningful dialogue around ethical issues. Shaped by the powerful and enduring contributions of the Catholic philosophical tradition, the Institute draws support from its complimentary roots of faith and reason.

“At ECG, we believe that our capacity to make positive change in the world is directly connected to the kind of people we are becoming—individuals inspired by, and rooted in, the kinds of virtues that have shaped the mission and culture of 91�Թ� from its beginning,” said Adam Gustine, the institute’s associate director of Signature Course fellowships, education, and formation. “On Purpose helps students hone their moral compasses and cultivate a resilient hope as they strive to become forces for good.”

Doris Cruz-Mestizo, a junior majoring in history and Latino studies who was part of the 91�Թ� group in Los Angeles, credits the experience with giving her new insight on her connection to others.

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"This immersion made me realize that my story is one of many and can reach people in different ways. In the words of [artist and executive director of ], 'being open to others is being open to the world.'"

Engaging with 'the Homeboy Way'

Working in partnership with Becky Czarnecki at 91�Թ�’s , a group of 12 On Purpose students spent spring break in the heart of Los Angeles at Homeboy Industries. Founded by Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest and a native of Los Angeles, Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry organization in the world. The organization provides more than basic services: The core of its work is building a community rooted in profound human dignity and fueled by unconditional love.

Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, meets with On Purpose students in Los Angeles.

While in Los Angeles, the 91�Թ� team met with Father Greg, visited some of Homeboy’s social enterprises such as and , spent time at Homeboy Headquarters, and shared a meal with community members at Dolores Mission, where the ministry began in 1988.

“We were all inspired by ‘the Homeboy Way,’ said Jeff Tolly, ECG’s assistant director of educational initiatives and one of the staff leaders who accompanied the students for On Purpose. “The clients who work with Homeboy need to choose to be part of the program, to commit to being actively engaged with it—but once they choose the Homeboy community, the Homeboy team walks with them every step of the journey. They never abandon anyone or stop giving second chances.”

This was the first time that Homeboy has hosted a week-long immersion for college students, making it possible for the On Purpose participants to engage with the ministry on a deep and impactful level.

During On Purpose, students had the opportunity to listen to and engage with the stories and experiences of Homeboy clients and trainees.

"This experience challenged me to meet people where they are, to listen without preconceived judgments, and to recognize the dignity in every person,” said Annelise Demers, a sophomore majoring in global affairs. “It has reminded me that being a force for good starts with small, intentional choices.”

An immersion in the experiences of Indigenous peoples

A second group of 11 On Purpose students went to the American Southwest to engage with the historic and modern experiences of Indigenous peoples in the Pueblo communities of New Mexico—their rich cultural traditions, the injustices and tragedies of the past, and the paths forward that the resilient Indigenous peoples have carved out for themselves.

In partnership with Will Newkirk and Collin Gortner at the (AICSN), part of 91�Թ�’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program, the team visited four community schools: and , both small Catholic elementary schools in San Fidel and Zuni, respectively, that are members of AICSN; , a Montessori Keres-language revitalization school in Cochiti Pueblo, and , a boarding school in Santa Fe that serves middle-school and high school students.

These four schools were unified by their commitment to nurturing Indigenous history, languages, and culture while providing high-quality education and a stable environment for their students and their families, the majority of whom are experiencing poverty.

“Our first visit of the trip was to St. Joseph Mission School,” said Megan Mancini, ECG’s program administrator and part of the On Purpose team. “It’s small—only 45 students—but mighty. Education, confidence, and an embrace of their culture are St. Joseph’s top priorities. We were amazed by the commitment of the school staff and the way the children found a second family within the halls of St. Joseph’s.”

Alice O’Brien, a sophomore majoring in business analytics, was moved by her interactions with the teachers.

On Purpose participants with students and staff of St. Joseph Mission School.

“A common thread amongst all the schools was how many staff members did not foresee their future endeavors involving teaching,” said O’Brien. “Moreover, those same teachers assured us that God always leads you to the place in which you need to be.”

On Purpose participants also experienced the history and culture of the Indigenous communities, exploring the traditions of the Acoma people at the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak'u Museum; engaging with Alex Seowtewa’s life-sized kachina mural, which blends Catholic and Zuni traditions; and attending Mass at San José de la Laguna Mission Church, which was built in 1699 and dedicated to Saint Joseph.

Processing and reflecting as a community

During these two experiences and in follow-up meetings after returning to campus, all of the On Purpose participants reflected on the question of what we owe each other as members of a community.

For junior Bjorn Mauritsen, a double major in political science and business, this experience prompted him to think deeply about how to express solidarity with others.

"While it certainly feels good to feel as though we're helping," he said, "getting bogged down in seeing ourselves as 'the helper' and those we are serving as 'the people who need help' prevents us from being present to experience their reality together. It's enough to allow them to share their lives with us and for us to join ourselves together with them in stories of tragedy and triumph." .

In conversation with group leaders, students discussed the importance of listening, relationship building, flexibility, and the gift of time—and how choosing to engage in heart-felt, authentic interactions is essential to becoming a force for good in the world.

ECG plans to create similar On Purpose immersion opportunities in the future. For more information, visit .

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The is at the heart of the , a University-wide effort to establish 91�Թ� as a premier global destination for the study of ethics. Under the leadership of , Ethics Initiative director and Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy, the Institute focuses on cross-disciplinary ethics research, undergraduate course development, the moral formation of its students and faculty, and engaging the public in meaningful dialogue around ethical issues.

91�Թ� receives Lilly Endowment grant to support development of faith-based frameworks for AI ethics

2024-10-10T11:00:00-04:00

The University of 91�Թ� has been awarded a $539,000 grant from to support Faith-Based Frameworks for AI Ethics, a one-year planning project that will engage and build a network of leaders in higher education, technology and a diverse array of faith-based communities focused on developing faith-based ethical frameworks and applying them to emerging debates around artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI is a field of research aimed at developing and deploying software with the ability to rival human capacities for self-organized learning, creativity and generalized reasoning. This project will be led by the (ECG).

“This is a pivotal moment for technology ethics,” said Meghan Sullivan, the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy and director of ECG and the . “AGI is developing quickly and has the potential to change our economies, our systems of education and the fabric of our social lives. We believe that the wisdom of faith traditions can make a significant contribution to the development of ethical frameworks for AGI.

“This project will encourage broader dialogue about the role that concepts such as dignity, embodiment, love, transcendence and being created in the image of God should play in how we understand and use this technology. These concepts — at the bedrock of many faith-based traditions — are vital for how we advance the common good in the era of AGI.”

91�Թ� has the conviction that faith-based ethical frameworks are vital to the ethical development and deployment of these new technologies, Sullivan added. Faith-Based Frameworks for AI Ethics will seek to establish a unique and influential network of scholars, technology industry leaders and faith leaders to create, study and disseminate complementary faith-based ethical frameworks to meet this era of profound disruption.

This project will include asset mapping to identify and recruit key participants across the three sectors, focus groups to determine common faith-based and ethical commitments and priorities, and a landscape analysis to inform subsequent steps for coordinating participants and catalyzing this work. The project will culminate in a major conference in September 2025 that will focus on the most pressing faith-based issues relating to the proliferation of AGI and provide training and networking opportunities for leaders who attend.

“We are grateful to Lilly Endowment for this support, which will enable us to convene a diverse group of technology experts, scholars and religious leaders for important conversations about artificial general intelligence and all the ways it could impact our society,” said David Go, vice president and associate provost for academic strategy. “As a leading global Catholic research university, 91�Թ� has a special obligation to address the most significant ethical questions of the day through scholarship, education and public engagement, and this conference will enable our University-wide Ethics Initiative to engage others in doing just that.”

The�� facilitates interdisciplinary research in foundational and applied ethics, coordinates projects that cross departments and units and supports ethics-related education and public engagement efforts. ECG is a signature element of the , which aims to establish 91�Թ� as a premier global destination for the study of ethics, offering superb training for future generations of ethicists and moral leaders, a platform for engaging the Catholic moral tradition with other modes of inquiry and an opportunity to forge insights into some of the most significant ethical issues of our time.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

Transformed Institute for Ethics and the Common Good advances 91�Թ�’s commitment to excellence in study of ethics

2024-07-25T10:30:00-04:00

The University of 91�Թ�’s Institute for Advanced Study is now the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, launching its website today at . The transformed, expanded institute will play an essential role in advancing the University-wide emerging from “.”

“The world today is changing rapidly, and with those changes come a host of challenging ethical questions,” said Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy Meghan Sullivan, who directs both the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and the Ethics Initiative. “We need a place where people can weigh these questions, discern the good, and find the inspiration to keep our most fundamental values at the center of all the decisions we make. With its deep, complementary roots of faith and reason, the University of 91�Թ� can be that place.”

Building on a rich history

Founded in 2008, the 91�Թ� Institute for Advanced Study (NDIAS) has worked to foster research focused on significant questions and enriched by interdisciplinary collaboration. More than 350 faculty, graduate students and undergraduates have served as NDIAS fellows, generating research and publications that advanced knowledge, inspired new undergraduate courses and opened channels of dialogue across disparate fields.

Building on this rich history, the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ECG) will facilitate interdisciplinary research in foundational and applied ethics, coordinate projects that cross departments and units, and support ethics-related education and public engagement efforts.

It will continue its highly competitive and successful , creating opportunities for fellows to develop cutting-edge ethics research and deepen personal formation.

With the support of a major grant, the institute will expand its popular . This program, which in the past has supported faculty at 91�Թ� in developing undergraduate “signature courses” focused on student flourishing, will now be open to faculty at other colleges and universities who wish to learn from 91�Թ�’s successful model and create similar courses to benefit students on their campuses.

Enhancing research endeavors

ECG will be the home of the new Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Center for Virtue Ethics, recently established in honor of University President Emeritus Father Jenkins. The Jenkins Center will support preeminent scholars whose research advances human flourishing in both moral and spiritual contexts, facilitate the development of undergraduate courses exploring topics such as justice and the common good, and deepen the ethical formation of 91�Թ� students and faculty. The work of the Jenkins Center will bring renewed vigor to the study of virtue ethics, continuing the long history of Catholic thought leadership in this field.

The will now be a key element of the institute. The lab promotes broad-based, far-reaching interdisciplinary research, thought and policy leadership in artificial intelligence and other technology ethics by engaging with relevant stakeholders to examine real-world challenges and provide practical models and applied solutions for ethical technology design, development, and deployment. The lab is sponsored by IBM through a 10-year, $20 million investment.

As the institute grows, it will focus attention on other pillars of applied ethics, including environmental ethics and the ethics of business and governance.

In this work, the institute and its team will strive to fully integrate intellectual and moral development, guided by the vision of Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Supporting the Ethics Initiative

ECG is a signature element of the , one of several that will draw on expertise from multiple colleges, schools, centers and institutes to make the most meaningful contributions to questions of national and international concern.

The Ethics Initiative aims to establish 91�Թ� as a premier global destination for the study of ethics, offering superb training for future generations of ethicists and moral leaders, a platform for engagement of the Catholic moral tradition with other modes of inquiry, and an opportunity to forge insights into some of the most significant ethical issues of our time.

To advance these goals, the initiative will make strategic hiring investments in key departments and area groups, grow opportunities in ethics for 91�Թ� graduate students, and foster collaboration and coordination among the many departments and academic units on campus that focus on ethics issues.

“The launch of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good is an exciting milestone for the Ethics Initiative,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “As the only formally religious institution in the Association of American Universities, 91�Թ� has the capacity to make a unique and strongly needed contribution to understanding the ethical challenges we face today. The work of the institute, together with the related activities of the initiative and its many current and potential partners, will play an important role in advancing 91�Թ� as a leading global Catholic research university and a powerful force for good in the world.”

Originally published by Laura Moran Walton at on July 25, 2024.