Founded in 1997 by scholars at the University of Chicago, The Lumen Christi Institute brings together thoughtful Catholics and others interested in the Catholic tradition and makes available to them the wisdom of the Catholic spiritual, intellectual, and cultural traditions. The Lumen Christi Institute works toward leavening American higher education with future leaders better educated and formed in Catholic faith and thought. The Institute’s programs aim to complement the secular education of faculty and students by fostering a rich Catholic culture and supporting Catholic intellectual dialogue at colleges and universities. As an academic and scholarly center the Lumen Christi Institute sponsors events that revolve around three core programs, the University Program in Catholic Thought, the Catholic Scholars Program, and the Cultural Forum.