Fr Thomas Berg, LC, PHD

Fr. Thomas Berg, L.C., was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 15, 1965. After joining the Legionaries of Christ in 1986 (a Roman Catholic religious congregation of priests), he served for two years as Academic Director of the Immaculate Conception Apostolic School in Center Harbor, New Hampshire. He later served for two years as professor of Classical Humanities at the Legionary novitiate in Cheshire, CT. He received an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University in 1997, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Rome's Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum in 1999. The dissertation, entitled The Value Ontology of Dietrich von Hildebrand: Toward a Reform of the Contemporary Notion of Value , explores the ontological status of values in the thought of Von Hildebrand, while also exploring the problems and pitfalls of value-language as currently employed in moral discourse. He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood on January 1, 2000.

His areas of specialization include natural law theory, bioethics (beginning of life issues), and philosophical and theological anthropology (especially the question of personhood). Since fall of 1997, he has served as associate professor of moral philosophy at the Center for Higher Studies of the Legion of Christ in Thornwood, N.Y. He has also served as adjunct professor at the Institute for Psychological Sciences , in Arlington Va. of which he is currently a member of the board of directors.

In 1998 he, along with three colleagues, founded the Westchester Institute, a Catholic think-tank dedicated to fundamental research on the Western moral tradition. Rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition and the philosophia perennis , and in dialogue with modern and contemporary philosophy, the institute seeks to articulate a comprehensive and synthetic vision of the nature of man and morality. Accordingly, the institute's endeavors are philosophically centered, yet inter-disciplinary in scope. Its aim is to provide an environment where rigorous thought can serve to reverse the nihilistic deterioration of contemporary western culture.

To invite Father Thomas as a speaker:

As an ethicist, lecturer and writer, Fr. Berg seeks to make the Catholic ethical tradition accessible to all audiences and to shed its light on pressing moral issues of the day.  A frequent speaker on bioethical and healthcare issues, he is a regular guest on Catholic radio programs and has made appearances on EWTN's 'The World Over' with Raymond Arroyo, and Fox's 'At Large' with Geraldo Rivera.  He has published articles in National Review Online and been quoted in the National Catholic Register , and The New York Times .  His scholarly work has been published in Homiletic and Pastoral Review and The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly.

Some suggested topics

• Stem Cell Research & Cloning:  The Truth Between Hype and Hope
• Alternatives to Embryo-Destructive Research
• Embryo Rescue: What does the Church Teach?
• Are Human Embryos People Too?
• Clearing Up the Confusion About "Living Wills"
• End of Life Decisions: What does the Church Teach?
• Moral Relativism: How Did We Get Here?
• What is "Natural Law" Anyway?
• What Ever Happened to Conscience? Why Johnny Thinks... 'Whatever'.

Inquiries about Fr. Berg's availability should be directed to Dan at dankane@mindspring.com.

Most recent lectures/professional addresses

October 6, 2007, Atlanta, GA. "Human Embryo Adoption." National conference of the Catholic Medical Association.

May 13, 2007, New York, NY. Panelist. New York University  School of Journalism, Institutes for Journalists, entitled "Cells and Souls."

April 11, 2007, Baltimore , Md. "Embryo-Destructive Research: Are there Alternatives?" Presented to Legatus of Baltimore

October 7, 2006, Thornwood, NY. "The Meaning of Believing: Faith in the thought of Benedict XVI". Presented at the National Men's Convention of the Regnum Christi Movement.

September 27, 2006, Raleigh, NC. "Defending Human Dignity." Presented at the Christian Businessmen's Leadership Roundtable.

September 15-16, 2006, Dayton, TN. "What Makes Man Moral?" Delivered at the Bryan Center for Critical Thought and Practice, fall seminar: "What is Man That Thou art Mindful?"

Most recent book

Ed. (with Edward J. Furton), Human Embryo Adoption: Biotechnology, Marriage and the Right to Life . National Catholic Bioethics Center. Forthcoming, December 2006.

Most recent journal article

"Human Brain Cells in Animal Brains: Philosophical and Moral Considerations." National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly , v. 6, n. 1 (Spring 2006), 89-107.

"Considerations of the Soul in Western Thought: Can Science Dialogue with Aristotle and Aquinas," Fu Jen Religious Studies , no. 10 (Winter 2004), 17-49. (1mb pdf)

Scholarly Societies

2006-present The Society of Christian Philosophers

2002-present American Catholic Philosophical Association

2002-present Fellowship of Catholic Scholars

2003-present National Catholic Bioethics Center

2003-2004 The Hastings Center