Intellectual, philosophical
and theological Dominican formation
in solidarity with our brothers
A cry for reason
“Personal struggles, moral confusion and fragmentation of knowledge” define our time, said Pope Benedict XVI. And what his predecessor named “the dictatorship of relativism,” Pope Francis has called “the spiritual poverty of our time.” Modernity often brings crises that overpower compassion, reason and objectivity. Dominicans are preachers called to teach others how to overcome such challenges in ways that employ critical thinking and emulate Christ’s compassion. What is justice? What is truth? What is love? These are a few of the many “enduring questions” requiring critical thought for preachers to address our confused world.
PHILOI International is a new program at the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology (DSPT) in Berkeley, California, specifically designed to support the initial formation of Dominican brothers in accordance with the Ratio Studiorum Generalis. PHILOI equips students—intellectually and spiritually—to be an active part of the solution to modern challenges. PHILOI forms analytical thinkers who can cogently and effectively convey Dominican principles to world populations.
“We name as we know,” said St. Thomas Aquinas. Such understanding prepares one to positively influence the contemporary world, addressing its problems and drawing in the souls on the other side of those problems. PHILOI is a leading program dedicated to teaching student brothers how to consider such questions and how to frame effective responses through reason. Intellectual enthusiasm and honest discourse are valued, and teachers are invested, heart and soul, in the achievement of their students.
DSPT is strategically located in Berkeley, California, and lies at the heart of one of the most culturally diverse demographics in the world. It is central to the high-tech San Francisco Bay Area, including Silicon Valley, the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University. Exposure to a variety of cultures further prepares student brothers for a range of experiences after graduation.
Integrating philosophy and Catholic theology
Authentic Dominican formation is essential to the mission and sustainability of the Order. PHILOI delivers the best of our intellectual tradition, emphasizing the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. Authentic Dominican formation stresses the correlation of philosophy, theology and preaching and is essential to our own viability, our service to the Church, and our contribution to the world. Each brother’s preaching reflects on the entire Order; it is imperative that every student brother receive a rigorous formation with the intention of perfecting his craft of preaching the Gospel.
PHILOI serves as a leading program of study for brothers throughout the Order and from around the world. PHILOI provides spiritual and intellectual formation through philosophical education and theological reflection in a common fraternal setting.
God Made Manifest
The one true God can “be certainly known by the natural light of human reason through created things,” said the First Vatican Council. It is time once more to articulate God’s presence through the voice of reason and philosophy in the public square, and through academia. God is not silent. God is not absent. God is made manifest in countless ways, many of which can be discerned even by those without religious faith.
PHILOI brings student brothers into a philosophy department that offers not only the core courses in philosophy that fulfill the Ratio, but engages in a “Philosophy Project” that focuses on special contemporary topics. For the next few years, the focus will be “God Made Manifest.” The Philosophy Project will include seminars core to the preaching mission: Does God Exist? Issues in Divine Action; Prophecy; Between Phenomenology and Theology; Revelation; Medieval Mystics; Atheism.
The Dominican School difference
As a Center of Studies for the Order of Preachers and an apostolate of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the DSPT has a mission to prepare religious, clerics, and laity for academic and apostolic vocations. The school is a member of the Graduate Theological Union, which makes possible productive dialogue between a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds, and students can take courses and access libraries at the University of California, Berkeley.
Inspired by the Dominican practice of disciplined inquiry and learned preaching, students are immersed in the rich tradition of classical philosophy and Catholic theology.
The faculty is passionate about engaging contemporary scholarship and culture and instilling time-honored methods and values into their learning and research environment. They seek to inspire disciplined, life-long learners through integrative thinking, intellectual humility and self-direction.
These tools will enable student brothers to inspire others to work toward the common good—a core tenant of the Church’s mission. Students are taught listening and communication skills in order to foster transparent dialogue. Contrary opinions are not a threat, but an opportunity to test and deepen one’s own grasp of the truth.
Living at St. Albert’s Priory
Located in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, California, the Priory of Saint Albert the Great is a house of formation for young men who have come to discern their vocation as consecrated religious. As a community they are united by faith in Jesus Christ and by vows to live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Student brothers in the PHILOI program will enjoy communal life at Saint Albert’s Priory, located on five beautiful acres once known as Rose Lawn Park.
Raymond and Winifred Perry purchased the land in the early 1900s and built Brookhurst mansion. In 1931 the family sold the estate to The Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. That same year the Dominican curia in Rome granted permission to establish a priory on the grounds under the patronage of Saint Albert the Great.
The friars at St. Albert’s Priory commit themselves to the regular life as specified in the Order’s Constitutions. To that end the community gathers daily to chant the Liturgy of the Hours and to celebrate the Eucharist. Regular exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for adoration and other opportunities for personal prayer encourage the friars to grow in their relationship to our God and Savior Jesus Christ and his Blessed Mother.
Admissions and aid
Student brothers may apply to PHILOI once they have made simple profession. It is preferable that they hold the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, and they must be able to demonstrate proficiency in English sufficient to study in that language. All of this will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
PHILOI is a full-time program (at least 9 units/semester) and candidates have the option to enroll as certificate students or degree students seeking a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Divinity (MDiv). Successful candidates will meet the requirements of both the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and DSPT.
The Dominicans of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus are committed to making this authentic Dominican formation available to brothers from around the world who may not have this opportunity in their home province. This is made possible by generous donors who believe in the potential of the Order of Preachers to evangelize the world for Christ. PHILOI offers an academic program that can be customized to meet a student brother’s specific needs. Let’s get started.