Catholic Studies' Perspectives Magazine Renamed Lumen

Center for Catholic Studies Director Michael Naughton and Department of Catholic Studies Chair Robert Kennedy introduce the new name of Lumen (previously Perspectives) magazine.
“[T]he light of autonomous reason is not enough to illumine the future; ultimately the future remains shadowy and fraught with fear of the unknown. ... humanity renounced the search for a great light, Truth itself, in order to be content with smaller lights which illumine the fleeting moment yet prove incapable of showing the way. Yet in the absence of light everything becomes confused; it is impossible to tell good from evil, or the road to our destination from other roads which take us in endless circles, going nowhere.”
– Francis, Lumen Fidei, 3

Catholic studies has never been content with smaller lights.

In many ways, the search for the brighter light, Truth itself, is the reason why the Catholic Studies project started more than 20 years ago. In the spirit of Ex corde ecclesiae, we unabashedly set forth on a mission to consecrate ourselves without reserve to truth, guided by the fundamental complementarity of faith and reason, the unity of knowledge, and the complex social, cultural and spiritual challenges of the 21st century. So, it is of little surprise and great encouragement that Catholic studies alumni overwhelmingly voted to change our magazine name from Perspectives to Lumen.

To the many alumni who voted, thank you. We think it is a great name that speaks to the heart of the Catholic Studies project and to what we hope to provide our magazine readers.

The name change was sparked by the recent St. Thomas brand redesign that was reflected in our spring 2016 issue. While the change brought the magazine into alignment with the new brand identity, it created greater confusion between the Catholic studies Perspectives magazine and the St. Thomas-St. Catherine School of Social Work alumni newsletter, which also is titled Perspectives. Changing the Catholic studies magazine name helps solve this problem, while providing a title that is more representative of Catholic studies.

Read more from Lumen magazine